"Hey Liz," Jake blurted out as he rode his bike past Liz Spencer. Much to his adolescent surprise, she said "Hi" back. He slammed the brakes, sat, and thought for a moment. That's the first time she's ever said a word to me... Should I do it?
He'd had his eyes on Liz ever since the first day of class which was, admittedly, only two months ago. But still he just liked her from the start. Liz was about medium height for a girl her age, short dark hair, and a smile that, Jake believed, she had only been flashing at him since he started going to Beauford Senior High School. Not a beauty queen by any means, but Jake still thought she was an angel. Of course, the lingering issue was the age difference between them, and Jake, though athletic and fit, was no match for some of the beefy seniors he'd seen cruising the hallways.
His hands twitching nervously, Jake stepped off his Huffy and swung it around. Liz was talking with Megan Kaplan, a fairly pretentious girl who fashioned herself as some kind of cheerleader-philosopher. Liz, though, seemed much more grounded, or at least Jake thought so. As he approached the chatting duo, Megan was on yet another diatribe about her rights as a teenager and how her mom was completely "out of touch with her generation."
"So, then, I like said 'Mom, don't tell me you didn't do this when you were my age, okay?'" Megan didn't even notice Jake at first she was so absorbed in her rant.
"Mom just needs to like get in touch with her dharma, you know what I mean?" Megan pulled a strand of her gorgeous blonde hair behind her ear and finally caught a glimpse of Jake.
"Liz, I think you have a visitor," she said, as Liz turned around to see a rather nervous 15 year old looking as if he wanted very bad to ask her something.
"Hey Jake," she repeated.
Wow... she knows my name... Uhhhhh... this is a bad idea. Jake was beginning to resemble a puppy with its tail between its legs; he just hoped he'd finish the conversation without letting a Nile of pee run down his new khakies. He considered just turning and racing away, but hey, he had gotten this far.
"Oh, um, hi Liz. I was...umm... just wondering if..." the words were so stuck in Jake's throat he'd probably need the Heimlich.
"if..."
"Yes, Jake?" Liz finally urged him to spit whatever it was out.
"if... you might want to hang out sometime," Jake finally breathed out. He could hear Megan let out a little giggle but quickly cover her mouth.
Liz smiled. "Sure, Jake," she said, sending Megan into a state of temporary shock, as evidenced by her eyebrows suddenly shooting up into quizzicle arcs.
This was obviously not the response Jake was prepared for. At the moment, he was wishing he had written a speech beforehand. No, he would have to improvise, so he would need to muster up the best ad libbing of his life.
"Cool," he muttered.
"Cool," she said right back. After what seemed like a minute of head nodding, she continued, "So... is there any particular place you want to meet?"
Though Jake had no clue why the words flowed out his mouth, he quickly looked up at Liz and said:
"724 Booth Avenue."
"So what part of town is that?" Liz tried her best to make eye contact with the frightened freshmen.
"Oh, it's the Bridgewood District. Big house. Can't miss it."
"Tonight sound good?" she asked.
"Uh, sure. That would be great," Jake couldn't believe this was happening; it wasn't supposed to be this easy he thought to himself.
"Time?"
"Oh, uhh, 7 o'clock maybe... well, if that's good for you I mean... if it isn't that's--"
"That's fine, Jake."
"Really?" He must be dreaming.
"Yeah... so... I guess I'll see you then," she said, putting her finger under Jake's chin and raising his head. "OK?"
"OK," he said, slowly turning back around. The walk back to his bike seemed like miles.
As Jake sped away, thrilled with his victory, Megan grabbed Liz by the shoulders.
"Like what the hell was that, Liz? You really interested in that little bike-riding dweeb?" she said, trying to wring some sense into her compadre.
"I actually think he's kinda cute," Liz admitted, looking down at her shoes just as Jake had a second ago.
"Did they put something in your water this morning, Liz? He's like only a freshmen and besides that, did you see his hair?"
"Give me a break, Megan," Liz pulled her other backpack strap over her shoulder and, in the process, knocked Megan's hand off. "I don't see you getting any dates for tonight."
"Well, I'm supposed to stay home and babysit my little brother if you must know. The little pain needs his bedtime story, you know."
"Well, you two have fun," Liz laughed, as she spun around and walked toward her next class. In the distance, she could hear the faint voice of Megan Kaplan, saying:
"Your gonna like throw your circadian rhythm off and blow your karma or something, Liz..."
And Call It Home...
-----------------------
The address Jake had so unexpectedly given Liz was none other than the Leone mansion. What was I thinking? Jake ran it through his brain several times, but was still unable to explain why he hadn't just said his own address. The neighborhood was aware, though, that the Leone's were currently on some kind of cruise in the Caribbean. And it just so happened that Mrs. Leone had asked Jake's mom to go water the plants inside the mansion every other day (Patricia had apparently redeemed herself after the brew-ha-ha at the infamous dinner party)... and this meant she has the key! Jake remembered.
Hopping off his bike with a flair previously unknown to him, Jake passed quickly through the living room and into the kitchen where his mom was preparing yet another gourmet feast courtesy of Louder's Deli around the corner.
"Hey there, what's got you so fired up?" Patricia noticed the bounce in her son's step.
"Oh, nothing. Just got an A on a science test," Jake answered almost reflexively (Jake wasn't even in a science class this year, but Patricia wasn't exactly a PTA meeting type parent either).
"That's good, honey," she answered, as she discarded the deli sacks.
It had been three long years since the fiasco at the Leone house and Patricia had made sure there were very few reminders of the incident in the Reinstall house. No one was to bring it up ever again. That was her ultimatum. Of course, rumors were still heavily circulated around the neighborhood about her disappearance and the baby's cries that could be heard for the two weeks that followed the Leone Christmas dinner party. But Patricia had managed fairly well not to unexpectedly cascade down memory lane every time she heard someone talk about Huggies.
As Patricia turned to set the table, Jake reached his arm around the refridgerator and grasped around until he felt it: the secret key hook. Whenever Mom wanted to hide the keys to anything, she stuck them right there, and Lord only knew why she persisted in believing it was completely hidden from the rest of the family. Before jamming it in his pocket, Jake glanced down to make sure it was what he thought it was. A fancy engraved "L" stared back at him. Jackpot he said to himself.
As one might expect, Jake snarfed his dinner at an alarming rate and immediately asked to leave. Jake's father reminded him that he and his mother would be going to see the new Tom Hanks movie tonight (isn't there always a new Tom Hanks movie?) and he would have to lock up when he got back at 11 (his curfew). Finally, Jake could take advantage of his parents' unusual leniency.... he actually had a date! Just as Jake headed out the door, his mom yelled, "Don't forget about the birthday party!" but Jake was already too far away to hear the reminder.
The Leone house, strangely enough, was not guarded by any security systems or even some mildly-rabid dogs. And with a key, all things were made fairly simple. Glancing up at the magnificent grandfather clock in the foyer, Jake could see he had ample time to prepare for Liz's arrival. He had to stand still for a moment and let that idea slide through his head: Liz's arrival... Liz is coming here... to hang out with me... ahhhh.... It seemed life couldn't get any better at the moment, until a thought shot like lightening into Jake's brain.
So, he rushed to the closest bathroom and stared into the mirror above the sink. I wonder... Jake said, massaging the few sprouts of chins hair he'd grown. Taking a good look at himself, Jake came to the decision that he just looked too young for Liz. His voice was nice and low thanks to the onset of puberty, but he still wasn't satisfied with his body. I mean, Liz looks more like a woman. I still look like a kid. he thought, running his hands through his hair. Thinking of Liz's fairly impressive chest, Jake started to feel more and more inadequete.
So, it was at that moment Jake Reinstall went against his better judgement, and went in search of the Meternott device. He remembered which staircase had led them to the basement, but after reaching the bottom, he couldn't quite piece together which door they had gone through. Retracing his steps, he muttered aloud: and then Lauren came down... and we... His instincts led him to the door farthest from the base of the spiral steps; he just prayed it would be open. Thankfully, with some shoulder blows, Jake made it be open whether it truly was or not. Of course, the Leone's might very well have moved it since the whole dinner party episode.
But being creatures of habit, the Leone's, probably in their old age, had placed it exactly where it had been when Corey discovered it, even in the same position on the shelf no less! There it was, just as brilliant and out-of-place as it had been three years ago. Jake lifted device up and dusted the dial off; it was set back to the start position "0".
Whoa, better be careful with this thing he reasoned wouldn't want to end up a newborn!
Jake decided he wanted to see the transformation in action this time, so he made his way back to the bathroom, and faced the mirror that had convinced him he needed to do some growing up in the first place. Making sure he was absolutely certain about the setting, Jake flipped the gun around and aimed it at himself. What am I getting myself into? he wondered as he squeezed the trigger little by little until he felt the same sensation he'd felt when Corey first shot him. It wasn't quite as bad this time because he was anticipating it, but nevertheless the surge was a bit uncomfortable.
Jake hurriedly placed the device on the counter next to the sink and waited. At first it seemed nothing was happening, but he realized his growth wouldn't be as easily recognizable as his regression before. Slowly, almost as if it were animated, the remnants of freckles disappeared from the bridge of his nose and he could see the spots where facial hair would soon be. Adolescence was, bit by bit, leaving Jake's body and in its place a more mature, muscular frame. All of his features left over from childhood had thoroughly vanished, leaving him a certified adult. He didn't gain much height, but he was still satisfied with the results. A quick peek in the pants confirmed that puberty had done its job. As the progression slowed and eventually halted, Jake stood in front of the mirror and admired himself. Man, I don't look too bad thought Jake. He was tempted to add a few more years, but decided it would be overkill. Liz would be there soon and 20 was definitely old enough.
After 10 minutes or so of pacing, Jake finally heard the joyous sound of the doorbell. Making one last check on his hair (which no longer looked like the cover of Eraserhead), he yanked the front door open and before him was Liz Spencer just as she had promised. Liz would claim she "didn't do anything special," but Jake thought she looked beautiful with her hair tied neatly tightly back and her bangs fanning out over her forehead.
"7 on the dot," she said, giving Jake a little smile. The entrance to the Leone house was rather dim though and Liz didn't notice the change in Jake's appearance.
"Come on in," he said, in his manliest voice.
Liz stepped inside, and Jake followed her into the spacious dining room hall. Just as she was about to say something, her eyes met up with Jake's.
"Oh, Jake. Jake?" she said curiously.
"What is it, Liz?" he asked, trying to pretend as if he had always been 20 years old.
"Oh, well, I don't know. You, uh, don't look the same," she said drawing closer to him. She laughed. "It looks like you've... I don't know... gotten older, Jake."
"Well, maybe it's the light or something. Do you want to sit down?" he tried to be casual, but he could sense she wasn't going to let this go.
"No, really, I'm serious, Jake. Something about you has changed," she studied his matured face. "This is really kinda weirding me out."
It appeared Jake was losing the battle, but all the same, he would feel humiliated telling her about the device. Besides, no one else needed to know about the Meternott machine. He didn't want a repeat of the events that took place three years ago.
"Liz, it's nothing really. I just combed my hair different and stuff. Don't worry. It's still me," he tried to reassure her.
"But Jake, people can't just-- I mean, things just don't happen this quickly..." she kept the topic going.
"Please, just trust me. Nothing is different. I swear."
"Well, OK, I guess. Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"
"Oh no, go right ahead. It's just down the hall there, on the right..."
"Thanks."
And just as Liz shut the door, Jake remembered the device. Uh oh. By the time he reached the door, Liz was already opening it again.
"Hey, what's this thing?" she said, holding up the Meternott device.
"Oh, be careful with that. It's nothing much. Just a...umm... toy gun I found in the closet there. I was just fiddling around with it," he said, snatching the device from her.
"Looks pretty real to me," she said, putting her hands on her hips (oh, and what hips they were). "What's that little dial do on the back?" she inquired, looking straight through Jake's guilty eyes.
"OK, look," he explained, "if I tell you what this does, you promise not to tell anyone about it?"
"Wow, is it that big of a secret?"
"Well, now that you ask, yes it is. This gun can... it can... well, it changes people's ages."
"Changes people's ages, huh? I guess that's how you made yourself appear older tonight then, eh?" she gave him a "fess up" expression.
"Yes. I used it to make myself older," he said.
Liz chuckled at the ludicrous nature of his seriousness. But the longer she laughed, the more she looked at Jake and noticed he wasn't laughing with her... and she couldn't deny that he did look noticeably older than when he had made his shaky proposition that afternoon. The more Liz thought about it, the more her eyes lit up.
"That thing really does change people's ages, doesn't it?" she said, now believing in its powers.
"Yes it does. And we have to keep this under wraps," warned Jake.
"Oh, of course. But hey, it's just here right now. You know we could have some real fun," her face was aglow with an excitement Jake hadn't planned on.
"What kind of fun?"
"Just fun, I don't know. Seems like an awful waste not to use the thing while we've got it. Hey, I'm always up for some entertainment. Can I try it out?"
"You want me to change your age?" he asked, knowing what she was going to ask for. Before she answered, he started moving the dial back up to 20 or so...
"Can you make me younger?" she asked happily.
"Younger? Why would you want to be younger?" He hadn't figured on this scenario.
"Dude, I think it would be cool to be a kid again. Just for a little while, ya know. Hey, you want to join me? C'mon, it would be fun," she exclaimed, eager for a dose of the youth gun.
"No, I really don't think that would be a good idea. Plus I really don't want to be young again. I mean, wouldn't you rather be in your 20's?"
"You little rascal," she jovially snapped, "you want us to be the same age so we can..." She saw him bow his head in shame. "Oh, no, no... I'm not mad or anything, Jake. In fact, I think it's kinda sweet. You want to know something? I really do like you a lot, you know that right?"
"Well... you're just so much older... in real life I mean... and everybody says you wouldn't go out with someone my age," Jake explained.
"Jake, look at me." He did. "A girl would be lucky to have a guy like you. Seriously. Now do you want us to be friends or not?" she asked.
"I do."
"Good," she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "So what's so wrong with the two of us having a little fun?"
"Nothing I guess," Jake looked disappointed still.
"Jake, you said it's not permanent or anything, right? Look, I'm not going to stay a kid for long, all right? I just wanna see how it feels. Then we can do... you know... that other thing..." she gave him another kiss on the lips. "C'mon, Jake. Just for a little bit."
"Well, all right," he gave in to Liz's argument. Fiddling with the knob, he asked, "So how young do you want to be?"
"Oh, nothing too drastic. Just middle school age or so," she said, as she sat down on a nearby stool.
Though Jake really hated the idea of regressing Liz, he went ahead and pulled the trigger. She hopped a little in her seat when the invisible beam hit her.
"That felt weird," she said, feeling of herself.
Jake didn't take his eyes off her. And soon enough, he started to notice the changes. Nothing specific, but just that she was started to generally appear more innocent somehow. Her bangs were shortening a bit and she appeared to be slightly shorter than a moment ago. The light blue shirt she was wearing was starting to wrinkle a bit, especially around her breasts. She was definitely begininng to re-enter puberty in reverse. Her legs shortened and hips thinned. That hourglass figure was slowly melting away. Her jeans were now sliding over her heels as her shoes became too large for her feet. Liz smiled as she watched the world get a little bigger.
"This is so cool!" she said, shocked at how high her voice was again.
As the regression slowed, Liz was back to middle school age as she had wanted. Jake stared in awe at Liz, now a much younger 12. He could see that her breasts had been reduced to nothing but small bumps barely pushing her shirt out at all. She ran her hands down her body and chest.
"Wow, look at me!" she exclaimed with the voice she'd had as a child. "Oh man, and my boobs! They're like almost totally gone," she said, feeling of her frontside.
All Jake could think was Liz is 12 now... Liz is 12...
"You sure you don't want to join me?" she smiled an innocent smile.
"No way," Jake said, "I've had some bad experiences with this thing before."
"Well, whatever. It's your loss," Liz said, as she slid off the stool, now so short that she only came up to Jake's chest. Her pants also fell completely off and became a pile on the floor. "Whoopsie," Liz squeeked. The shirt she had on was now just enough to cover her butt and her panties were just barely clinging to her much narrower hips.
Late In The Evening
-----------------------
Then, a wire was tripped in Jake's mind and he suddenly remembered: Damn. I forgot to pick up Casey!
"I have to go somewhere, Liz. Will you be OK staying here until I get back?" Jake asked the newly youthened Liz.
"Sure, Jake. Why do you have to go?"
"I just forgot something, all right? Just stay here and don't break anything."
"Can do, big boy."
Jake had always felt lucky to live in a state where the legal driving age was 15. Of course, now he could easily pass for 21 and there was no need to fear getting pulled over. How could I forget about picking Casey up? he wondered. Casey was Jake's cousin and occasionally, Patricia would ask him to pick her up and transport her various places. And tonight, he was supposed to not only drive her home from a birthday party but get her something to eat on the way. Jake kept telling himself everything was under control, but something persistant kept nagging at him as if he were forgetting something. It wasn't the Meternott -- that rested safely in the backseat. Jake trusted Liz but he wanted to avoid a repeat of Christmas three years ago if at all possible.
At the party, it was plain to see that Casey was extremely unhappy. All her friends had been picked up already and she was left waiting for Jake ( not known for his timeliness). After multiple apologies, he eventually got Casey into the car and started back toward the Leone house.
"You never pick me up on time," Casey yelled.
"I'm sorry... I just got tied up, OK?" Jake wasn't in the mood to make elaborate excuses to an 11 year old. Sweat was pouring down his brow. Please let everything work out. Luckily, in the dark, Casey hadn't yet noticed her cousin's sudden growth spurt. Casey wasn't a particularly observant kid, but she knew how to get what she wanted out of a situation. The way she nagged you'd think she was on some experimental medication. At times, she could be cute, but it was only an act. The only person she didn't mask anything for was Jake, and Casey's complaints were the last thing Jake wanted to hear at the moment. It appeared his plans for a romantic evening were quickly turning into a massive babysitting engagement.
Rather than take Casey home (which was no short drive by any standard), he opted to take her to the Leone mansion and whip her up something to eat and get her out of there before he had to make any excuses about the pre-teen waiting for him. I hope Liz is still 12 he thought as he pulled up in the semi-circle driveway.
"What's this? This isn't home," Casey pouted. "Mom distinctly said you were so supposed to take me home."
"I really don't have time for this, Casey. This is just a neighbor's house and I'm, uhhhm, babysitting for them. We'll just get something to eat and go, all right?" Jake opened the back door and slid the Meternott device under his coat. He didn't realize Casey had caught a glimpse of it...
Inside, it wasn't apparent that anyone else was even occupying the house. Lix must have gone upstairs or something Jake figured, as he hoisted Casey onto one of the tall dining room chairs.
"Sit," he commanded. "Now, I'm gonna find something for you to eat, all right? Just be patient."
A can of Spaghetti-Os quickly revealed itself as the easiest choice. Ahh, sweet microwavable kid's food. No assembly required. Jake could tell his little cousin was getting antsy, and wanted to go "exploring." But he knew all too well what "exploring" led to, so he brought the steaming Spaghetti-Os to Casey ASAP and said:
"Eat up. We'll go as soon as you're done."
Now she'll take her time just to get on my nerves he thought what a little brat.
It was then that Liz suddenly appeared from one of the long, dark corridors, still 12 years old and clothed in nothing more than a slightly oversized blue shirt. Casey looked up from slurping her microwaved dinner:
"Who are you??" she asked, as if she had lived at the Leone mansion her whole life and someone was intruding on her space.
"Oh, uhh, my name's--" Liz started to respond.
"Lizzy," Jake finished her sentence, "she lives here and and I'm, uhhh, watching over the house for a bit while her parents are gone."
"She looks too old to need a babysitter... and why's she only got that shirt on? And you look old today, Jake," Casey continued the investigation.
"Nevermind, Casey. Just finish your Spaghetti-O's and we'll get you home, OK?" Jake pleaded with his prissy cousin. But as he attempted to make his case, he couldn't help but notice Liz bending over to pick up something she'd dropped on the floor. Both Jake and Casey got a clear view of Liz's *a-hem* privates as she bent over; her old underwear was fighting to stay up and the holes were much too large now for her skinny childish legs.
"Why's she wearing--" Casey started in.
"Shhhhhhh. Nevermind that, Casey. Finish your supper, please!" Jake scolded her.
"Finish this!" she said, flinging the bowl directly at Jake's head. The orange sauce dripped down his entire frontside, as he shot a mean stare in little Casey's direction. His expression was enough to tell her "the fun was over." Of course, some of it had splashed on Liz too and they were both nearly coated with the skicky tomato sauce. Jake immediately grabbed Liz's hand and left his chair, headed for the bathrooms upstairs (which he knew had showers in them). Liz giggled like a little girl the whole way.
"Wow, she's bossy. Who is she?" Liz asked, as they reached the top of the steps and made their entrance to the second floor.
"My cousin, Casey Stayton. She lives across town," Jake explained, not able to ignore how doll-like Liz's hand felt in his. "OK, Just a quick bath to get that stuff off of you, and then we've got to take Casey home," Jake instructed his little girlfriend-to-be.
"Awww, does that mean we won't have time for any more fun?" she whimpered, giving Jake her best puppy dog eyes.
"I'm afraid so," he said, opening the first door on the right for Liz.
"Where are you gonna be?" she asked, almost as if she were scared to leave his side.
"Just right across the hall, OK? Come get me if you need anything."
Liz relunctantly agreed and trotted into the bathroom. It was a rather plain room for such an ornate house; a simple white bathtub was really the only feature it boasted. Strange she thought there isn't even a sink or anything. So, Liz drug herself over to the unimpressive tub and turned the water on. It was un unusually sparkly water and Liz decided this called for bubbles (if she could find any). In the solitary cabinet across the room, luckily, a small bottle of Mr. Bubbles was waiting for her. Happy she'd found some, she screwed the cap off and dumped nearly half the liquid into the running bath. Soon, a mountain of snow white bubbles started to gather around the running water. Bending over to cast the bubble liquid into the the tub had finally caused her panties to slide off, leaving only her shirt to take off.
After stripping of that, Liz looked down at her formerly mature physique. It was more of a shock this time because of her nakedness; her body was just as it had been when she was at the onset of puberty 5 years ago. God, I've really changed she muttered under her breath. She gingerly stepped into the warm bath.
"Ahhhh," she let out a gigantic sigh; the water felt so good. After a few minutes of lying on her back, examining her body, she started to get used to it again, even rubbing the area where her breasts were starting to form. She kind of liked the idea of returning to innocence for a while; it was relaxing in a sense not to have to worry about all those grown up things. She wouldn't even have to worry about a bra now! she thought.
Meanwhile, across the hall, Jake's shower was creating a huge steam cloud in the room, and he had to admit the water felt especially good for some reason. In his his haste, he'd gotten in the shower with his boxer shorts on, and, in a way, he was glad. Though he had enjoyed watching himself grow to maturity, he still felt strange about having done it to himself. And though it was cool to finally look like a college student, somehow he didn't want to peer at his groin region... not out of fear or anything; something about it just felt wrong. The feeling one gets when one cheats time.
It wasn't 45 seconds into the shower that Jake had noticed his boxers were drooping a bit. He pulled the sagging pants back up, but they kept falling a little lower each time. Huh? As the shiny streams of H20 rand down his body, he could swear he'd lost an inch in height because he wasn't quite eye-level with the shampoo rack anymore. Weird he thought, running his hands across his stomach. Didn't I have a little more hair down there? Jake was right; something was different about him. He'd only been 20 for a few hours, but even in that short time, he'd become somewhat used to his new "bod" and how it felt. Dropping the soap, Jake rapidly stepped out of the shower and into the cloud of fog he'd produced outside of it. His soaked boxer shorts were hardly even hanging on his waist. What's happening here? his mind said. His muscle tone was melting away fast and his arms were starting to look more scrawny as they had been when he was 15.
Wiping a circle in the mirror with his fist, he could see that it was true. He was back to his old age, but had no clue why the sudden reversion had taken place. He glanced around the room and realized he'd left the Meternott device in the chair in the dining hall.... right next to Casey! Damn it, Damn it! But things were getting worse; his regression wasn't stopping! Grabbing a hold of his arm, he could feel the circumference getting smaller and smaller. Before, he'd feared any prolonged view of his genitals because he might get aroused, but now it was inevitable. As his boxers slide neatly off his hips and onto the floor, he reflexively looked down at his penis and saw that it was slowly shrinking back towards his body. His pubic hair, which he'd gotten around 13, was reduced to a few whisps of curly black hair. He was not too short to even look in the mirror. 12... 11... 10... His skin took on a smooth quality as all forms of body hair were nowhere to be found. 9... 8... The cabinet and sink were getting taller. 7... He felt his face get rounder and rounder. 6... 5... Oh no. 4... The regression didn't slow, but sped up as he became more a child every second. 3... He was now about equal in height with the edge of the counter. And finally, 2. Jake plopped onto the floor, in utter shock at what had just befallen him. How could this happen?? Was it the water from the shower? He clutched the boxers that had fallen to the floor and sat, with his mouth wide open, wondering why he'd become a mere toddler.
He could hear noises coming from the bathroom across the hall. Oh God, I hope Liz is OK he thought. His first few attempts at standing up appeared futile, but eventually, he managed to get his balance and toddle over to the door. I've got to get the Meternott before Casey gets a hold of it! The now massive door was a little harder to open now that Jake was a 2 year old, but he managed (possibly helped by his previous experiences with toddlerhood). He leaned all his weight against the door on the opposite side of the hallway, and it slowly creaked open. Jake covered his "area" with the sopping wet boxer shorts, and tried to believe what his eyes were telling him.
In the bathtub, brimming with bubbles, Liz was standing up, completely naked except for some bubbles that happened to be covering her privates. She couldn't be any older than 3; she looked to be a completely different person than she had been a second ago. But she wasn't of course... just much younger than Jake was used to seeing her.
She raised her arms, acting like Wonder Woman, and started splashing the bubbles out of the tub... until she saw Jake at the door.
"Jake?" she asked, a tad confused, "Hey, did you make yourself little too?" He couldn't muster any words. "It is you, isn't it? You're a cutie," she said, giving him that same smile he'd seen across the high school lunchroom. "And look, the water made me little too! C'mon over and hop in, Jake! Don't be shy," she said, not at all worried about the situation.
Jake was speechless. Seeing Liz reduced to such a young age was enough to send him to therapy for some serious Jungian throwdown. In trying to reconcile Liz with the 3 year old in front of him, he nearly forgot that he himself had been shrunk even smaller. I'm in a lot of trouble.
Liz was still happily playing with the mounds of bubbles surrounding her. She was an incredibly adorable child, with a slightly upturned nose and no hint of the 17 year old she'd been just hours before. Jake would readily admit that he had wanted to see Liz without her clothes on, but now that he finally could, seeing her 3 year old flat chest was not what he's had in mind.
Ball Of Confusion
---------------------
Downstairs, Jake's nightmare was becoming more real as Casey tried the gun out on herself. It was a rather cumbersome piece of hardware for inexperienced hands, but Casey managed to pull the dial around and press anything that looked like a button until something happened. The pulse she felt go through her bones was unlike anything she'd experienced in her 11 years of life. Sudden. Different. Unexplainable.
The very first thing Casey took note of was the tightness of her sleeveless white shirt. Though comfortable 10 minutes ago, it now seemed too small for her. I'll have to ask Mom for a new one she made a mental note. But as time passed, sitting at the ancient table, Casey started to feel more and more uncomfortable. Squirming around in her seat didn't seem to be helping at all. In delight, she looked down and saw that the two bumps were growing on her chest, pushing the shirt out bit by bit. She looked at her hands; they were larger somehow, and her fingers were elongating. Casey had no idea what it was, but she was digging it. As the seconds went by, the two mounds grew larger and rounder, forcing the shirt to strech farther. Gleefully, Casey looked down and saw that her shirt was being pressed out so far that she could see down it, and, though it seemed unbelieveable, she could see cleavage. She'd always heard about growth spurts but never this fast. All she kept thinking was just like Britney Spears!
-----------------------
Upstairs, Jake managed to say a few words to Liz, who was looking possibly even younger:
"Liz, get out of the tub." He cringed hearing his high-pitched vocal chords ring out.
"Why, Jake? It's fun," she answered, oblivious to Jake's warning.
"The water makes you younger," Jake replied, trying desperately to tie the boxers around his waist somehow.
"Awww, you don't want me to see your dingy, do you?" Liz chuckled. "It's OK. Look, I'm naked too. We're both kids again. It doesn't matter. Jump in!"
"No," Jake insisted. "Get out now." His commandment sounded rather puny coming from his 2 year old mouth.
"OK, OK, geez..." Liz said, hopping out of the bath. Jake closed his eyes. "It's OK, Jake. I don't care if you see me." He kept his eyes shut. That same dreadful feeling he'd had in the shower was coming back to him. This is all wrong...
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In the dining room, the echoes of a happy teenager could be heard. Casey was maturing at a faster rate now, and everything was falling into place. Casey was turning out to be quite the specimen. She admired her new attributes and marveled at how grown up she was becoming. Wait until Mom sees this! Her breasts were easily in the C-cup range by now, and her hips had taken on the purpose of childbearing. In the midst of her excitement, she eyed the dial. It was set on "25". She stripped the clothes that were becoming too tight, but kept enough on to keep her "decent". The room didn't seem so large anymore. She hadn't yet gotten to a mirror, but Casey would soon discover that she'd blossomed into an impressive woman, certainly much prettier than she'd ever imagined she'd be.
Then she thought Hey, Jake needs to see this... and started her ascent up the creaking stairs of the Leone mansion. The anticipation of Jake's face was enough to make Casey pick up the pace and break into a run... She enjoyed the feeling of having her chest bounce.
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When she finally picked the right door, Casey did a double take upon seeing Jake and Liz... as did they upon seeing her.
"Jake?"
"Casey?"
"What's happening around here?" Casey said, completely forgetting she had undergone a change too. "Is that really you two?" Liz quickly grabbed a towel and covered herself... the thrill of being little wasn't the same now.
They nodded in unison.
"But you're babies!" she laughed at them.
"No we're not!" Liz suddenly shot back.
"The water," Jake inserted, assuming that would be enough explanation.
"Huh?" Casey returned, towering over the wet naked duo. "I mean, you two are really little. As you can see, I've grown up... Hey, I guess that makes me the grown up now. Cool."
Jake didn't like the sound of this. But he managed to proceed with as much confidence as he could muster. "Casey, we need to use the gun to age ourselves again," he stated calmly.
"Yeah, the gun. Isn't it so cool? I mean look at these!" Casey said cupping her new beauties. "Everybody's going to freak when they see me!"
"We can't let anyone else know about this, Casey," Jake explained in a rather mature tone coming from a toddler. Thank God the Meternott didn't affect intelligence. Of course that meant Casey was only 25 years in body, not mind.
"I can't get over this thing. I've gotta get one of these!" Casey spoke in exclamations that were uncharacteristic for her. "And I don't know how you two got turned into bab--"
"We're not babies!!" Liz repeated ferociously.
"Yeah, whatever... kids. I don't know how you got this way, but I like seeing you this way. I mean, it's just not something you ever imagine you'll get to do, ya know? Grow up and have everybody else grow down," Casey fiddled with the buttons on the side of the Meternott teasingly.
"Just make us older, OK?" Jake injected.
"Hmmmmm. No, I think I'll keep you guys like this for a little while. Just for fun." There was that word "fun" again. Jake was starting to loath it with a passion. "I'm serious. You guys are pretty little. Am I going to have to change your diapers or anything?" Casey was clearly amused by the whole scene. Of course, she was in charge now. And it appeared Jake and Liz would have to stay little kids until Casey saw fit to change them back.
"Looks like your girl friend is a little older than you, Jakey," Casey said, "So, I'll make you guys the same age just for consistency."
She aimed the device at Jake and the wave of tingles went over him, but stopped almost immediately. Now, he and Liz were both 3 years of age. Not Jake's ideal weekend.
The doorbell sounded throughout the house, and all three turned their attention away from the discussion. Casey walked over and knelt down to Jake's level:
"Were you expecting someone else?" she asked accusingly, as if Jake had planned some coup d'etat in case this happened.
"No, I don't know who it is," Jakey answered.
"We'll just wait and whoever it is will go away," Casey articulated her complex plan.
After a few minutes, it appeared Casey's plan had worked and the doorbell rings came to a stop. Jake and Liz were left shivering on the cold bathroom floor, wondering if someone was going to come save them. But Casey only waited it out and then proceeded to tear the wet pair of boxer shorts from Jake's hands, leaving him as naked as the day he was born.
"I'm just loving this. Don't worry, I'll make you guys bigger eventually... Hey, while we've got all our ages switched around, we might as well enjoy it," Casey tugged at her tight-fitting top. "It's not so bad being a kid. You can like do anything you want, run around butt naked and everything! Cheer up, guys."
But the last thing Jake felt like doing was acting like a kid again, especially under the supervision of a now-sexy Casey Stayton. Liz, though she had been enjoying her return to youth before, now became more concerned that she wasn't going to get her old body back. It was only for a little while... she repeated like a mantra.
"C'mon. Let's go outside and play," Casey said, with a twinge of sarcasm seeping into her tone, as she scooped both of them up in her arms. Liz's exhilaration had turned into terror now as a former 11 year old was carrying her, naked no less!, through the strange house. The expereince had an odd air of familiarity about it for Jake, though this was not a memory he wished to relive. Liz was uncomfortable with Casey's hand holding her bare butt, and she could only hold back her childlike instinct to cry.
"You guys are heavy," Casey noted, "hauling the two children out on the back porch area. In the yard, Casey could see the dim glow of a fountain and headed toward it. Jake knew the fountain well, a little too well for his tastes. It was getting dark outside, so Casey flipped on a nearby switch and the fountain lit up like something out of Fantasia.
"Well, I've gotta go to the bathroom. You two stay right here until I get back, all right? I've got the gun, so don't try anything or I'll make you ever younger!" Casey walked back to the backdoor, and Jake couldn't help but admire the shape Casey's body had taken. She had turned out to be far more attractive than Jake had guessed she would have, but then again, maybe his opinions were tainted by the fact that he couldn't stand anything about her (when she was 11 anyway).
Liz glanced at Jake with a longing that said "I'm so sorry" and Jake scooted himself next to her. And he returned her gaze with an expression that said, "It's not your fault." Strangely enough, Liz felt herself becoming much closer to Jake at that moment, even though they had both been reduced to such an embarassing age. Jake figured that by now Liz would never be interested in him ever again, if they got out of this. After seeing me like this, she's never gonna go out with me. But Jake never stopped to realize that Liz too had been regressed to an underdeveloped child, and, at the moment, she was counting on him to get them out of this jam.
A rustle in the bushes ended the brief moment between the two of them and they looked to the right of the fountain. Emerging from the all-concealing shadows was none other than Megan Kaplan, someone Jake would normally not be excited about seeing, but, in their current predicament, she was a welcome face.
Megan stopped in her tracks, seeing the two naked kids sitting on the fountain. "Ummmm, excuse me little kids, but do you like live here?"
"Megan, it's me!" Liz almost shouted, but restrained herself.
"How do you know my name? Have you seen a girl name Liz around here anywhere?" Megan was still clueless as usual.
"It's me! Megan, I'm Liz!" she gesticulated like an overly-caffienated pre-schooler.
"That's very funny, but I'm looking for her, OK? So where is she? In there?" Megan pointed to the Tiki-torch surrounded back porch.
"I'm serious! There's this gun and it can make people younger, and we're--"
"Whoa, really?" Megan laughed. "And I suppose this is that little geek from school, Jake, huh?" she said, pointing a finger at the shaking 3 year old.
"Yes!" Liz answered emphatically.
But the closer Megan examined the strange pair of kids, the more the D-average cheerleader noticed how much they did in fact resemble Liz and Jake. Then, Megan walked up to little Liz and peered around at her backside and surely enough, the little butterfly tattoo she and Megan had gotten on their 16 birthdays was there, just above the crack of her bottom.
"OH MY GOD. Liz, you're like just a baby again!" Megan commented.
Liz still didn't like that phrase, but she let it slide this time since Megan could very well be the key to regaining their appropriate ages. As Liz explained the whole situation to Megan, Jake noticed that Megan's grin was so large it nearly went from one end of her face to the other.
"Ha! Jake and Lizzy sitting in a tree..." she sung, jokingly. "And Liz, honey, you're a long way off from that training bra."
"This is serious," Liz tried to get Megan to stop cracking jokes.
"You know, I think I was wrong. You and Jake are the perfect ages for each other," she kept laughing. "And Jake, not too impressive down there if you know what I mean."
Liz was distraught.
"Dude, you guys can go to pre-school together. That'll be so cute!" Megan continued, still amazed at what had happened to her best friend.
"Quite teasing us, Megan! We have to get that device I told you about back so we can grow up again! Please!" Liz finally shouted at the all-too-perfect Megan.
"Well, what do you want me to do, sweetie?" she said, still yucking it up.
"Megan," Jake finally spoke up, "when Casey comes back out here, push her into the fountain, all right?"
"Why? What's that gonna do?" Megan was skeptical, especially of a plan coming from the mouth of someone who should be wearing Pampers and watching Blues Clues.
"Just do it, Megan."
"All right, all right," Megan went back into the shadows, snickering all the way, just as Casey's magnificent silhouette appeared in the door way. Jake and Liz stayed perfectly still as the she marched back out to the brightly-lit fountain, trying their best to appear natural (if such a thing was possible).
When she reached the fountain, she started in on yet another parade of embarassment. Megan listened closely from the nearby bushes.
"You know what? I think I really like being this old. I think I'm going to stay this way if that's all right. You two don't mind, right? It's just that I think these ages are better for us."
"Us?" Liz squeeked.
"Yeah. You two look perfect together. And think of all the time you'd get to spend with each other. Growing up together. Wouldn't that be cool?" Casey strutted around the concrete base surrounding the brilliant fountain. "I mean, I think it's obvious which one of us should be the grown up," Casey jestured at the her well-proportioned rack.
"That's not fair!" Liz yelled at her.
Casey got in little Liz's face. "Look, Lizzy," I call the shots around here, OK? And in case you haven't noticed you're the one who's gonna be in diapers if you don't shut up!" Casey screamed. A single tear ran down Liz's little round face.
"Don't talk to her like that!" Jake piped up with all the rage and bravado his infant body could muster.
"You little brat! I'm gonna make you so young you'll be a twinkle in your mom's eye!"
Just as Casey uttered those words, Megan made a dash for it and headed straight for Casey. But Casey managed to fire the Meternott device at her before tumbling completely into the fountain.
Casey came up gasping for breath. Both Jake and Lizzy, and Megan were staring at her intently.
"What is it?" she asked frantically.
Megan picked Jake and Lizzy off the ledge of the fountain, and watched as Casey clawed her way out of the water. One strap on her white shirt was dangling on her arm, and Megan got a good view of Casey's hanging breasts. Completely soaked, Casey cried: "What's happening to me?" as she started to feel the changes run through her. It was far more intense than the feeling the Meternott device had produced. It like a numbness running from her head to her toes, and they watched in amazement as she started to shrink before their eyes. Time was racing backward as Casey struggled to get out of the water.
"Noooo! My boobs!" she screamed out loud, feeling her body quickly de-mature. Her long legs and sexy thighs dwindled back to their previous size and Casey was 11 years old again. Still regressing, she grasped the edge of the fountain and tried desperately to heave herself out, but her body was changing too fast. Fingers shortened. Hands shrunk. Her face got softer, pinker. Hips thinned as her pubic hair washed away. Her face got rounder and pudgier, as innocence took over. She began crying as she glimpsed down at her body and saw that she was no more than a 2nd grader. And they watched as the water continued to reduce Casey further, back to early childhood. 7... 6... Her sweet face was full of tears. 5... 4... She gasped for air as her shirt finally sank to the bottom of the fountain. 3... 2... Her return to childhood was nearly complete. 1.
Megan raced over and pulled the crying infant from the water. Her tiny face was full of confusion.
As Megan placed the rejuvenated Casey on the ground, she noticed her bra strap was a little loose.
"That's weird. I just bought this bra last week," she commented. And there was a change in Megan. Her voice was little higher than usual, and Jake and Lizzy noticed a line of freckles appearing across her face.
"Megan, I think you're getting younger." Liz said, noticing the difference in the pitch of Megan's voice.
"Oh my God!" she yelled, as the sleeves of her jacket started slowly creeping over her hands. Megan tried pulling them back up, but they kept slipping further and further.
"I don't want to be a kid!" she shouted, yanking up her Tommy Hilfiger jeans. To her horror, her breasts started to deflate like leaking balloons. The freckles were thick across her face now.
"No, no, no, no..." she moaned, watching her bra slowly become an unneeded piece of apparel. Hey jacket hung like a tent over her as the sleeves now completely covered her arms. She was fast approaching the same height as Jake and Liz, and the thought of being young again sent her reeling. Losing various bits of her clothing, she ran like a chicken around around the yard, until her legs could no longer support her. Sitting in the grass of the Leone's back yard, Megan Stayton was nothing but a 2 year old with teenage clothing piled beneath her.
"Great, now we're all kids," Jake said, sighing.
The Spring
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The Leone's returned home that very evening, and found four children, all under 3 year old, crawling around the back yard. Of course, this hadn't been the first time they'd had to clean up a mess like this. Along with having a fountain of youth comes great responsibility, and the Leone's took it upon themselves to set everything straight.
They aged Jake first (recognizing him from before), and asked exactly what had gone on that weekend. He reluctantly spilled all the confusing details, and apologized profusely. Jake was always amazed at the profound wisedom Mr. Leone seemed to possess. Meanwhile, a gray-haired Mrs. Leone took Megan and Casey inside and put fresh diapers on them.
"Jake, the spring is a special thing. No one knows where it comes from or why it's here, but we can't go around using it for whatever reason we want," Mr. Leone lectured Jake.
"I know that, sir. I'm very sorry," he hung his head.
"You see, in the upstairs bathrooms, we had the water pumped in from the spring outside, as a way to easily make ourselves younger at will. But it just got too confusing and everything got out of order, screwed up and what not."
Jake listened.
"Now, I think Casey needs to understand the gravity of her actions. See if her mom wouldn't mind having her be a baby again for a while...
"And Megan, I think, needs to learn a few lessons too. And maybe get to know that brother of hers a little better," Mr. Leone gave his verdict.
"As for Liz, I think she's got a good heart. Maybe just a little too mischevious at times, eh?" Mr. Leone laughed the worn out laugh of an old man.
"I guess so, sir," Jake answered.
Mr. Leone then pressed the trigger and Liz grew back into the pretty junior Jake had fallen in love with. Mr. Leone handed her a towel, and she wrapped it around herself promptly.
"I'm gonna leave you two alone for a bit," he said, turning around and slowly hobbling toward the back door.
"Liz, I'm really sorry about all this. And I know after seeing me... well, ya know... I guess I am too young for you," he started to turn around.
Liz then put her arms around him and gave him the best hug he'd had in his life.
"Aww, you're still just too sweet, you know that?" she said, finally letting go of him.
"Yeah, but... well, nevermind..." he said.
"What is it?" she frowned. "You're still thinking about the age thing, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah."
Liz then gave him a kiss deserving of an Olympic medal, and Jake looked surprised.
"Listen, babe," she said honestly, "after yesterday, I don't think age is going to be a problem."
"Everybody make believe that you've disappeared,
for a second or two, it's going to feel so queer,
that you've left behind all the rage and fear,
and it made you feel like water."
- Danny Elfman
The End