Explore Regression

Ben sat down at the kitchen table, where a sandwich was available for him. His mom tapped his shoulder and whispered “don’t show the kids” as she passed him a Coke. “Thanks, mom” he replied, and he hid the coke between his legs as he sat. His friends all came running out, acting like their age. First came Alex, who cheered and cried out “I won!” As she performed some victory dance. The others followed behind as they moaned and groaned about their loss. At the table for the kids were sandwiches and apple juice. Unlike Ben’s sandwich, theirs were cut into triangles. They all sat down and chowed down. The kids talked about things like toys and tv shows as if they were never teenagers. “Is this what would happen to them if they lose? How come I remember but they don’t” he continued eating until he felt a tug on his pants. Looking down, he saw his brother motioning for him to lean down. Doing as he was asked, he leaned down. Charlie whispered into Ben’s ear, “I used to be a big boy like you and the other kids.” Ben sat in his chair in shock. His brother walked away before he could ask any questions. “Did I used to have a brother? An uncle? Who’s Charlie to me?” He thought. All those worrying thoughts disappeared when Charlie’s old high chair appeared in his mother’s arms. She sat it down and removed the table. “There sweetie, now you can be one of the big kids!” His mother offered. Charlie cheered as he was lifted into the chair. To all their surprise, he managed to fit in. After everyone finished eating and Ben successfully drank his hidden coke, they all returned downstairs. One by one, each child stopped acting their age and returned to their mentally normal selves. “Woah!” Jane exclaimed, “what happened?” “I think when we leave the room, anyone turned into their younger selves become that age mentally too! You all acted like some little kids!” Ben explained. “Dang, so we can’t just quit huh? Fine, let’s get it over with! Maybe whoever replaces me can change my diapers.” Alex bickered. Everyone sat in their seats and continued the game. Ben opened the book and began reading. “The next morning, you packed up camp and continued. The temple was nearby, and luckily you didn’t encounter any more monsters.” Ben turned the page and could glance at the group, all anticipating if they are going to survive their fate. “You all entered these giant temple-like ruins. As you enter, you set off a tripwire. Everyone make dexterity rolls please!” Everyone rolled their 20-sided die and added their dexterity modifier. In order, Sam got 15, Harry got 11, Jane got 17, and Alex got 14. “Harry you can use an adventure point to reroll or you’ll take damage from the trap!” Ben warned. “Dude if I do that I’ll be younger!” Harry replied. “But if you die from the trap you’ll probably go straight to being a newborn!” Jane informed. The tensions between everyone were tight. Harry gave in and used one of his points. Everyone saw him physically shrink and alter into a younger self. “Fouwteen! I got fouwteen! Uh oh!” Harry forgot about the lisp he had as a kid, one that’ll get worse the younger he gets. Nobody dared laugh at his situation, knowing that they’d be joining him in toddler lisp later. “Ok, let’s agree not to use adventure points once we reach five years old! Got it?” Jane asked. Everyone agreed and the game continued. “Everyone narrowly dodged the blow dart trap! Akzack the Ruthless almost gets pierced, but he dodges it at the last second, allowing a piece of his helmet to receive a scratch. You continue and notice the lack of traps. Everyone roll for perception!” Sam rolled a 4, Harry rolled a 17, Jane rolled an 11, and Alex rolled a 9. “Ok from now on when you talk, Sam and Alex are fast, while Jane is in slow motion. To Harry, you hear them like this, but everyone is talking too fast for Jane, and you two will hear Harry speak slow, but Jane will be slower.” Everyone role-played their roles. They could hear each other since none of them could speak too fast, and slow-motion just took a while to say what they wanted to say. “Harry you notice Sam and Alex slowly going faster than normal. Jane is beginning to slow down. Neither of them is running nor stopping their walking. Suddenly the walls on both ends of the path close.” “What is happening?” Xillee asked in slow-mo. “Whyareyoutwososlowohmygoshifeelgreat!” Gilbert said. “Iknowrighttheyretooslowcomparedtousmaybetheygotblastedbyaslowrayorsomething?” Hen wondered. “Giobewt and hen fastew than akzack! xiooee too sthoow!” Akzack announced. “Well, how do we get out of this room? Xillee asked. “Oh right! A button appears and then disappears from the wall. It does this on the front wall, then the back, and after that, it’s the right. You realize it’s randomly appearing, and you assume hitting it opens the doors.” “Wellifwearefasterthanyouwecanhitthebuttoneasily!” Gilbert said. Both he and Hen rushed to the button, but every time they arrive, it disappears. They do this until Hen suggests they split up and take one wall each. Gilbert and Hen take the left and right walls, Akzack takes the front wall and Xillee takes the back. With this plan, they still couldn’t succeed. It was as if the button was aware of their presence. Everyone but Xillee was becoming frustrated. When a button appeared in front of Xillee, both Hen and Gilbert rushed over, making it disappear. “Leave my buttons alone! I got a plan!” She yelled. The two backed off and they all continued. Xillee placed her hand on the wall and waited. It felt like forever, but a button appeared just a centimeter away from her hand. She barely moves it and touched the button. It stopped and the walls raised back up, showing the path for them to take. “How did you do it? Weren’t you slow?” Hen asked. “Giobewt and hen awe nowmao than akzack! xiooee isth too!” Akzack announced. “Oh wow, we are! That speed trap was set to make us frustrated and stuck. I think it just wanted to take time with a problem until the solution arrives.” “That’s pretty smart! Good thinking Xillee!” The four continue on their path until reaching another trap. When they heard they had to face another obstacle, they feared that they’d become even younger. Ben described the trap as a large ornate golden door adorned with depictions of snakes supporting islands connected by stairs. Gilbert inspected the door and discovered ancient text carved into a plaque. It read “Beyond here lies a challenge that will test your resolve and gauge your skill. Depending on what era you’re robbing me in, you may or may not recognize the layout. Sincerely, the Chronomancer” The gang messed around with the door, but for people who were busy stressing over being infants again, it was quite difficult. They searched for a keyhole, but to no avail. Not even a pushing nor pulling action worked with this door. It was up to the party’s collective thinking rather than character skill. “What if I heat the metal? Gold is malleable so it can bend. I heat it and Akzack can attack!” Xillee suggested. The group agreed and followed that plan. She waved her staff and pointed it to the door. With a magical orb made of heat manifested on the tip, it flew towards the door. The gold began to glow, signaling for Akzack to attack. He swung his weapons to and fro but to no avail. “This door has to have some kind of activation! Maybe it’s from the future?” “Maybe the future hath actheththibility” Akzack suggested. After hearing this, Hen approached the door, “Accessibility for locks is completely stupid. I have been picking locks since I was a kitten and no lock advancement made it easier. I’ve looked at this and thought about the lack of handles or hinges.” He ran her fingers along with the snakes and towards the islands. “Unlike any of you, I’ve determined the key is just pressing these!” She began pressing the islands. They slid in like keys, but after four presses, the door’s gears began to shift and click, followed by silence. “Well, I guess we have to try every combination until we get it opened,” Gilbert suggested. Ben knew that if they did that, they would be stuck as children forever. His friends would be forced to do their own thing without him. What he didn’t know was that he was revealing the password to them with his fingers. He tapped 1 finger on his head, then 4 fingers, then 2, and finally 3. Xillee took notice and suggested it. Ben was unsure how she figured that out, but assumed it was some lucky guess. He pressed the 4 islands in the order that was suggested. The gears began to move again, but this time the door began to rise. The party was about to cheer until a glimmer caught Hen’s eye. “Catch you later! I’ll tell you how much all the treasure was!” She said as she ran to her rewards. The party perused her and followed suit. They ran along a hallway of many decorated statues of men in robes. They all looked the same, practically identical. When they reached the treasure room, it was revealed to be a room without a floor, but with great treasure below. With all the gold they found, each and every one of them could be a king or queen. In the middle of the room hovered a purple chromatic orb, with a faint appearance of a clock. The party assumed it was another puzzle, and that they could use it to reverse time to allow safe passage to the gold and out of the ruins. Xillee cast her magic and grew a path of thick vines. “As the party was about to make their way across the makeshift bridge, I need everyone to make perception checks. To make this faster, nobody tells me you answer if it’s not above 12!” Ben requested. The only person who rolled above a 12 was Gilbert, who managed to get a 14. “Somehow only Gilbert could hear the sound of someone rapidly approaching behind the group. As he turns around to check who it was, a small blur sped between him and the group. The rest of you can see Prince Casimir, who had managed to get his body wrapped on top of the orb. He managed to make it shift and continue to hover away from the group. “Finally! All my power! My fortune! It’ll return. I can now find out was that woman I faintly see in my dreams! He shouted. Dark purple-shaded lightning began to spark from the orb. The prince grew in age and size, becoming a tall and strong man. The royal outfit he adorned began to rip and tear as he forcibly grew out of it. At the end of his transformation remained a nude man. His blond hair shifted to a dirty blond. That pudgy face of his became stiff and scruffy with a thick beard. His muscles and even muscle memory returned to him. “Yes! Yes! My wife! I had a wife in the past! I just have to turn the clocks on the entire world and I can return to her!” He shouted. His ripped clothes returned to him but stretched and changed into an outfit fit for a magical king. “This is madness! Turn back time on the world? What if it doesn’t work?” Gilbert questioned. Casimir, who was holding the orb between his hands, began to walk toward the group. Each step turned back time, reforming the floor beneath him. “You see my puny cleric, it will work. I can remember being punished for mastering this magic. The gods feared me and cursed me and my wife. I am unsure with what curse, but I assume it has to be some sort of reincarnation of some sorts. Besides, my old body could not please my wife compared to what this one could do!” He swiveled his hips seductively towards the group. Everyone gagged at his comment. Hen quickly pulled a throwing knife and chucked it at him. He stopped it mid-air and allowed everyone to watch as he changed time on the knife. He showed the rust and deterioration of time, then turned it back to just its base materials. “More rich minerals for my collection underneath us!” “Guys he’s too powerful to face! We got to run! Hen suggested. “Not if i have sthomething to sthay about that!” Akzack leaped and swung his ax at Casimir. He was held in the air, like a motion picture being paused. Casimir shifted his directions around the Orc. “It seems I cannot reverse a living creature’s time. No matter, I can still reverse time itself! And just to allow my powers to rush back, I’ll play with you till your bodies become husks!” The man whipped his arm out, and dust began to form a floor. It solidified and allowed the party to safely travel around the room without worrying about falling. “As long as I’m alive, this floor will not collapse! Now come at me!” He resumed time for Akzack who faceplanted onto the ground. The party rolled for initiative. The order is as followed: Casimir, Hen, Akzack, Gilbert, and Xillee. Casimir spent his turn and returned the room to its former glory. Hen took his distraction to attempt a sneak attack. “Does a 19 hit?” “Oh definitely. Slash the time master!” Ben said. She rolled for damage and was able to land a clean blow to his legs. As he fell, Hen wanted to use her bonus action and use her secret dagger then hide. Ben allowed it, but unfortunately, it didn’t land as she rolled a 3 to hit. “After being embarrassed by your failed swipe, you quickly run and hide behind a pillar,” Ben said. Akzack took his opportunity to attack the magic man. He leaped once again to attack. “Does a 12 hit him?” “Sorry man, he dodged out of the way and out of your range.” “I got this guys!” Gilbert began to pray to his god, hoping it was the one who cursed Casimir. If it was, he hoped he could curse him once more and allow them to be rewarded for their efforts in treasure. Sadly. His god could not answer. It was as if something was blocking his signal. “Good luck contacting the gods! I’ve protected this room so no psychic communications can be sent out! You’ve simply wasted your turn!” “Speaking of turns, it’s finally mine!” Xillee shouted. She cast hold person and rolled a natural 20. Everyone cheered as she was able to restrain the man. Vines shot out from beneath him, causing his body to be restrained from casting any more magic. “You can’t alter carbon-based life forms, so good luck with my vines!” Casimir spent his turn attempting to escape but to no avail. Hen and Akzack spend their turns hacking and slashing at the man, but each limb they manage to sever returns to normal. Gilbert realized what he was doing and ran to Xillee. “We got to tell them he needs to be decapitated. That’s the only way to stop him from turning back time on himself. But we can’t let them know we know!” Xillee nodded and shifted the vines to allow the others a clean and swift slicing opportunity. Back on his turn, Casimir used all of his might and caused a blast of force to emit from his body. He began to hover and cast his magic on both Hen and Akzack. Their bodies shifted into an ogre and small kitten. There was no sign of civilization as they have been turned back to their race’s prehistoric forms. “Now, how do I punish you two? Shall I send you to the future so your messages to the gods are of no use? Shall I send you to where plants have yet to exist? Who knows? I just know I’ll enjoy-“ Casimir was yanked by the Ogre who began throwing him around. The beast let go of the man as he saw easier prey to feast on. Suddenly the group noticed Akzack’s player shrink younger once again. They began to panic as Ben sadly informs them that since he is no longer an orc, he was dead. If the group can manage to return him to his old self, he would return to the age he was before he was turned. Gilbert remembered one of his spells and requested support to restrain the beast. Xillee managed to use her magic and attempt to distract Akzack. “Akzack I’ll need you to roll a wisdom saving throw!” “12, but i want to use an adventuwe point stho i can oose!” “But you may be an infant by the time they succeed. Are you sure?” “Yeth!” He used an adventure point, forcing his age from 4 to 3 years old. He was forced to stand on his chair to be able to reach the dice. “Dat number! Dat! Dat!” He pointed. Alex, who was now 5, couldn’t read it either. She handed the die to Jane, who read out “8, which was enough to distract him based on my spell! Hurry up Sam!” “I’ll dispel the magic that is causing this!” Gilbert placed his hands and attempted to dispel the curse. He failed with a 10, but used one of his points to roll again. He continued to reroll until he got a 15 on his third time. “The ogre beast began to shift and return back to your orc buddy. He’s back to 6 years old, but Alex is too close to going away guys!” “The party rushed to catch the kitten as obstacles caused from time attempted to stop them. Luckily Xillee managed to catch the kitten and throw it to Gilbert, who dispelled the magic once more. Like before, he used his points to make his friend return to normal. “Being a kitten was not enjoyable! Running on all fours was not something I plan to do again!” Hen rushed and leaped to Casimir, landing a clean hit of 17 with her special dagger. She managed to activate the dagger’s poison ability as well, making the time master unable to focus. Ben watched as his friends were close to winning. With their ages being 8 for the girls, 6 for Harry, and 4 for Sam, he was confident they’d manage to win. Him being regressed would be better than all four of his friends. Casimir fell to the ground as he attempted to focus on his magic. Akzack was about to swing at his arms but stopped as Gilbert shouted. “Neck! Neck! Hit the meanie’s neck!” The orc swung his ax, decapitating the man. His head rolled onto the floor and the magical orb shattered along with it. The party cheered as their fight was over. “No wonder he was so powerful! His body was weak so he made up for it with magic! Xillee teased. Suddenly the floor began to shake, as time began to return to normal. Everyone rushed to the exit and luckily managed to get there in time. They all relaxed and healed up before climbing down to the gold. As they relaxed, an old woman approached them. It was Casimir’s nanny, Morgianna. “Where’s my dear Casimir? He rushed in here and he needs to be careful!” “We’re sorry, but he’s dead. He used some sort of time magic and was selfish. He wanted to find his wife in another life from the past. He didn’t think to even help you return to your normal age!” “Oh, I see” a tear began to slide down her face. “What he told you all was a lie. His curse removed all the memories while I kept mine. Allow me to explain!” Morgianna explained how she used to be Casimir’s wife. The two of them ruled with magic, but they disliked the slowness of things. Discovering old magic that can alter time, they used and abused it. After ruling for 200 years without aging a day, the gods punished them. They altered space and time to make it as if they never had power. “Casimir was reduced to a mear infant while I was turned into an old woman. Thankfully he was still royalty as a prince and I was his nanny. I watched over him and shaped him to try and return us to normal. Sadly, he must have had flashbacks in his sleep, thinking I was far away, separated from him through time.” “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. But you were cursed by the gods for a reason. Once you pass of old age, you’ll meet with him in the afterlife.” Gilbert said. “Yes, we shall meet!” Morgianna walked towards the edge of the hall, took a deep breath, and dropped down. The party attempted to stop her, but they didn’t realize her plan quickly enough. Looking down, they saw her body, splattered and into pieces. Lovely enough, their two heads faced each other when she landed. “So it doesn’t bother me, but I’ll assume you all can’t handle old lady entrails on your gold. So I’ll do you all a favor take it for you!” Hen suggested. “What? No we all deserve the gold!” Xillee argued “Yeah! We worked hard for each and every bit down there!” Gilbert agreed. As they all argued about who gets what, they failed to realize that their bodies returned to normal. It was as if they didn’t know they were kids a few seconds ago. They also didn’t know that their friend Ben continued shrinking down. The book was on its last page, which was blank. Suddenly it revealed secret writing only to Ben. “Dungeon Masters of those who succeeded” and it had many other handprints resembling those of children and even infants. He had no ink but assumed it would work with magic. Slapping his hand on the book, it glowed and scribbled his name and original birth year next to it. Below it was today’s date, his first birthday. Ben squirmed in his chair. He didn’t enjoy it when people yelled. It was normal for an infant not to like loud noises, but these kids didn’t understand. Tears formed in his eyes as he cried, causing the argument to stop. He was lifted by Jane, who attempted to soothe him. Ben’s mother opened the door and began questioning the teens. Everything had been replaced. There were no character sheets or dice. Instead, an almost completed game of monopoly was on the table, and Alex had most of the money. “Sorry Mrs. S, the boys were just complaining that they had sold their homes to pay Alex.” She handed Benjamin to his mother who was able to successfully soothe the infant. “Thanks for watching him while we get his party ready.” “It was no issue. He was pretty quiet and didn’t cause any problems!” “That’s good to hear. And you boys better learn how to play monopoly! My little boy behaved better than you two!” “Maybe they should dress the part since they want to act like babies!” Alex teased. The girls laughed as Sam admitted defeat and handed her the last of his money. Benjamin was able to read the room and giggle like his mommy. He didn’t know what happened but if it was funny to her, it was funny to him. The families spent the rest of the day celebrating with some cake and presents for the baby boy. They managed to get enough pictures of the special man with a face full of cake, playing with his new toys, and even sharing a slice with his big brother. The End.

Grant and his best friend Dakota decided to spend their summer break at Grant’s childhood home. Their family still owned the home but never visited. His parents always forbid him from going. When he grew up, he assumed they secretly used it as an air BnB or something. Little did he know the truth of why his family left the house. Grant pulled up in the driveway. His fenced-in home was still intact, just as they left it. “Isn’t she a beaut Dakota? The light blue walls and pearly white outlines on the windows.” Grant asked. “This house looks like it was from the Great Depression! How long did your family say they owned this house?” “Well I was told my grandparents built it, but they died before my parents got married so I’m not sure when they were born. Mom and dad refuse to talk about them.” “Maybe they had some old people orgies in the 70’s” “Ew gross! Let’s relax inside and pray we don’t find BDSM gear!” The two carried their duffle bags into the house. Unlike the old exterior, the inside was way more modern. Current tech with thermostats, TVs, and many other things. It’s as if his parents kept fixing the house. “What if my parents planned to move in here and give me their current house when they get old?” Grant wondered. “Maybe. But if they’ll give it to your sister, I’m becoming your brother-in-law! This place is so damn nice!” They explored the house and all of its glory. Everything except for the bedrooms felt futuristic. Every toilet had a bidet, and its mirrors were fancy and told you the date and weather. The kitchen had its own tv, the fridge could be seen inside when knocking on the door, and the many appliances to make things like waffles, paninis, and even ice cream. It’s like they prepared for everything someone would want to eat. The living room had everything retractable. Tv, coffee tables, and even every console known to man. Neither of them could believe what they were seeing. Outside on the patio was just a simple table with chairs and an umbrella, but on the other side of it was a jacuzzi. “I swear if this jacuzzi is futuristic too, it better time travel or some shit!” Dakota joked. The two looked at the yard and saw the large sandbox and play set next to it. “I remember getting in trouble because I put sand in my diaper. I regretted it after being thoroughly cleaned outside.” Grant stated. “How old were you?” Dakota asked. Grant had to think for a moment, “Maybe one or two. Can’t fully remember.” The two resumed their chat inside, Grant telling many stories of his childhood home, but many of them he couldn’t show the source of that memory due to the house’s ridiculous upgrade. Suddenly, the two men’s stomachs began to join the conversation. “I guess your belly is telling stories of all the baby food you ate!” Dakota and Grant laughed. He looked around the place and only found canned food that wouldn’t expire for a few years. “Do you wanna go get some pizza or something? I want to keep looking around and find some nostalgia!” Grant asked. Dakota didn’t mind getting the food. Grabbing his wallet and keys, the man headed out. While alone, Grant explored more of his home. The basement thankfully wasn’t a sex dungeon. It was just storage for more canned food, along with some boxed games and other things he remembered from his childhood. He took a deep breath and stepped into his room. It had been years since he was forced to move out for some reason. He was still in diapers and barely remembered his room. The room wasn’t upgraded but looked like it was from some baby in the 50s. The wooden walls were decorated with horses and an infant cowboy, and rattles. The toys were either stuffed animals or wooden. His bed was a carriage instead of the typical race car. It had wooden wheels that didn’t go anywhere, and a wooden side that didn’t go high enough to stop a child from falling off the bed. Grant assumed his mom and dad built it themselves for him when he had a cowboy phase, but why cowboys? He looked at the clothes he had left behind. It wasn’t much, but most of his clothes from when he was a newborn to possibly 2 years old were here. Clothes from plastic underwear, onesies, and even a baby cowboy outfit. If it was the adult side he’d look like a stripper. He wasn’t sure why his parents bought him something that would expose just his diaper. Dakota returned with a pizza, soda, and bread sticks. The two ate and watched tv. They were both glad the place somehow had WiFi and streaming services. The two relaxed and watched movies until it became nighttime. Grant showed Dakota the guest room, which was just a bland room with one bed, a dresser, and a closet. Nothing futuristic was found. He didn’t mind it since it was the only available room for him. Grant decided to crash in his room. He got on the bed and noticed how large it was. That or he was short enough to be considered a child. He turned off the lights and saw the glowing stars on the ceiling. He looked over to see his night light shining the stars, rotating them around for him to enjoy. It would have helped him sleep if he was a toddler again, but he was an adult. An adult with no issues sleeping. Counting his sheep, Grant closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. When Grant woke up, he oddly felt different. He assumed since he slept in a different bed than the one at his home. When he got up, however, things still felt different. He didn’t notice it, but his pants had fallen, leaving his now oversized shirt to cover up his soon-to-fall thong. Grant walked to the bathroom to wash his face and wake up. When he saw himself in the mirror, all he could do was scream. Instead of the masculine face he was so used to looking at him, it was a pudgy boy, face looking soft as a baby’s bottom.

Grant woke up to the sounds of cartoons. He felt warm, but also cold. He opened his eyes to see some cartoons of some dog family. He didn’t remember sleeping on the couch, nor watching cartoons. Getting up, he saw that his outfit changed into a onesie with the number 2 and different train designs scattered around it. “Oh, that means the cold feeling is my-“ he was suddenly cut off by the feeling of two hands scooping him up. “How ya feeling Grantie?” Dakota cheerfully asked. “Like shit! Can you change me out of this diaper? It’s,” He began to poke at it, unsure what he did in it, “used.” “Why sure my little buddy.” Dakota carried Grant to his room, where it has returned to back as it was when he arrived yesterday. He was taken to the changing table, where Dakota cleaned him up as if he had changed diapers for years. “So, when did you-“ Grant was silenced by a sudden pacifier lodged into his mouth. “Shush, no fussy babies on the table!” Grant was going to object, but he didn’t want to risk angering Dakota, since Grant was being a ‘fussy baby’ during his change. When he finished, Grant was placed on the floor and given the chance to roam free around the house. Carefully analyzing the room, he could tell that all of his things have disappeared, or possibly magically transformed into baby clothes and objects. All he cared for was his phone. Searching under the bed, in the closet, and through the toy box resulted in a lack of phone-related objects, but he did find his favorite stuffed horse Manny from years ago. The more he searched, the more he found. Childhood toys, bottles, old blankets. Even more pacifiers that matched his. The only thing he couldn’t find was his phone. He sat on his bed defeated. “I’m a man, wearing a changed diaper and onesie, unable to find my phone.” He thought. He leaned back, deciding to lay in bed till his parents arrived to deliver the final humiliating surprise he’ll get on this trip. He couldn’t sleep either. It felt impossible since he just woke up not long ago. He tried different positions, but none helped. As he was laying on his stomach, he heard a knock on the door. “Hey Grant! I made you some cookies. They’re chocolate chip. I also made sure to bring you a big boy bottle.” He did his best sleeping impression, making sure not to talk to Dakota till he returned his phone. Sadly, his friend didn’t leave. “Listen. I know you want to be a big boy. Many boys and girls your age still wear diapers. It’s ok to have accidents too. Just know that along with your mommy and daddy, your big bubba will be there.” He gave Grant a kiss on his forehead and began to walk out the room. Grant listened to the quiet home. He could hear Dakota cleaning, then moving things around. Finally, the sounds of keys and the door opening. He waited a few more minutes until deciding it was safe to leave his bed. Turning over, he saw a large plate of chocolate chip cookies, a sippy cup of milk, and his phone. Rushing over to grab it, he saw two things. The first is a message from his mother. The second was a message to himself from Dakota’s phone. It read, “Hey man! Before you can’t read anymore. I just want to tell you that I’m going to pick up your mom and dad later. I’m not sure what the house is doing to me, but I just have some feeling that you’re not my friend anymore. It’s like you’re my brother. If the house is making you a baby, maybe it’s making us related? If it makes me younger too, then I’ll be happy to live my life with you.” “Damn, that’s kinda sweet of him,” Grant said while eating a cookie. He felt a rush of nostalgia as if the cookies were made by his mother. It had that taste to it. He ate his cookies and drank some milk. After a while, he decided to explore the house. To his surprise, it was back to its futuristic self. In just the little timeframe between his diaper change and now, everything became so different. Bringing what little cookies and milk he had left, he decided to watch tv. When commercials were on, he scrolled on his phone, reading the messages between him and his mom. Grant had been asleep for hours. His friend and his mom got to talking, but some of the words they typed didn’t make sense. It was like another language. That’s when Grant realized he had now lost his ability to read. No word that has letters he’s familiar with. They’re all confusing and unknown to him now. He was even unaware of his name. Mixing up his Q’s and G’s, before finally not knowing a single letter. After letters came numbers. Then colors. He became to become extremely frightened. “What if my brain becomes baby too?” He thought. He continued to regress as he watched tv. Seeing the cartoon dog family and their antics distracted him from the growing wet patch on his diaper. He felt even more relaxed with the warmth spreading across his diaper. When his family arrived home, Grant toddled over in a rush while screaming “Mommy! Daddy!” they awed as he hugged them as tight as he could. His father scooped him up and placed him on his hip, “Did you and bubba have fun?” He asked. Grant nodded and proceeded to hug his dad once more. “Since you were such a good boy, mommy and daddy decided to give you this!” She opened up a necklace, placing it around Grant’s neck. It suddenly glowed as he was entranced by its design. “It’s a block emoji? Wait, how do I know emojis?” Suddenly, all of his memories swarmed into his head. It wasn’t his memories either, past ones too. Living four lives. Past, present, and even future. As his head swelled with all the memories, his parents began to reveal their secret like many times before. “Long ago, your father and I believed taking you to the past would be a perfect vacation! But we were wrong!” His mother explained. “Stuck in the past with our futuristic house! That sounds like some silly sitcom you’d watch. But our house and time were also messed up. We did the best we good to stabilize it, but it came at a cost.” His father explained. “Anytime we left our home, we all aged and grew up. But when we returned, so did our original bodies. It was a horrible loop! One minute you’ll be bringing your girlfriend for dinner, the next time we see you, you’re begging for ice cream for dinner!” Both of his parents giggled, as it happened too many times. “You see, we banned this house many times. And many times have you broken in and became a baby. We explain the story again and again while you hold this necklace on your neck! It stops the time healing from altering your brain completely.” Grant noticed that both his parents and Dakota were wearing the same necklaces. He knew Dakota had to be back to normal now. If only the necklace grew him up rapidly too. “You see, we found a way back to the future. But you won’t like it.” His mother revealed. “We spent our time between continuously raising you and looking for a power source for the motherboard in your father’s office. The solar panels were enough for this house to run like any other home, but we needed something strong and powerful to take us to the future.” “We will return with our memories, but you may be mentally stuck as a toddler forever. I know you were ready for senior year, but it’s how life is.” “Or you could stay here, being raised again but with a brother instead of a sister.” “But there’s also the possibility that we use the power to make you big again. Then we can find another source to take us back and you’ll be your normal age.” The constant swapping back and forth between his parents confused him somewhat. “It was like the comics from years ago, or was it brand new? God these memories!” His parents watched as their son struggled to think of his decision. Constantly grunted while holding his head. It was a hard decision on his part, but he eventually decided, a choice all of his lives would have agreed on. “I want to go to the future now. There’ll be technology that can make me grow up to my future life age!” “If that’s what you want. Just say goodbye to Dakota and we will start the process.” Grant was handed off to Dakota while his parents left to his father’s study. The two were unsure how to speak now. It would be their final words to each other. “So, you’ll be a baby forever. That’s cool I guess.” “Yeah, I’ll learn my stuff again! But I don’t think my body will be able to learn potty training.” “That’ll be alright. A diapered genius is what you’ll be known for! Going to college and taking your test while going in your diaper.” “Haha yeah, it would be nice to not worry about the bathroom.” They became silent once again. Still unsure how to say goodbye. Grant decided he needed to be the bigger man and say it. “Look, I’m not sure if I can remember what year I’m from. All I can do is try my best to remember you. Make sure to keep your name. Maybe try for Dakota jr or something. Let it be easy for me to know your family!” “I’ll try! I’ll let them know about you, like some prophecy.” The two gave their final hugs, making sure to savor the feeling. When they finally let go, Dakota walked away and grabbed his things. Waving goodbye to his friend, possibly for good. Grant tried his best not to cry. He knew there was a small chance they’ll meet again. Maybe he’d be able to go back and live in the past once he got older. His mother crouched down and soothed the boy’s back. “Goodbyes are hard. Especially ones like these. But it’s ok to close the door. Since everyone knows when one door closes, another one opens.” “Thanks mom!” He took one final look at the outside world, knowing he’ll see the future soon. “I hope that door leads to potty training!” Grant joked. His mother chuckled as she felt his padding. “I agree. Let’s get you changed and we’ll be on our way back home!” She did just that. Quickly changed his diaper, dressed the boy in appropriate clothing, and took him to his father’s study, which seemed more like a spaceship’s control center than some work room. Grant was strapped into a seat, watching his parents do the same. They pressed buttons, twisted knobs, and finally turned a lever, indicating for them to move forward in time. Grant felt his past lives hang on a thread. One by one, each one left his mind forever. His first prom, second lifetime’s first date. Third lifetime’s graduation. Finally, it was his present life. Its thread was thicker than the others. He felt minor details brush away, but before it could all vanish, it all stopped. “Wow! It actually worked!” His mother cheered. She got out of her seat and celebrated with her husband. They missed the future, and they were glad to be back. Time went on, and Grant made himself known to the family as their independent little boy. He was able to clean himself, and feed himself, but sadly still had trouble in the learning departments. All for them to believe he had the mentality of a toddler. One night, his parents decided to go out for dinner. He was expecting them to leave when he slept, but Grant was taken a few houses down the street to their neighbors. An old married couple he faintly remembered as complainers when he got older. Once he was dropped off, he was taken to the kitchen to eat. Grant listened to his neighbor talk about her great-grandchildren, her children, and even her husband. She even believed her husband would enjoy youthful company such as him. As he finished his dinner, the sound of the door opening and closing was heard. “Dear, we have company! It’s that little boy Grant down the street!” She called out. Out came an exhausted old man, looking to be in his late 60s. He walked up to Grant and ruffled his hair. “Who’s this little tyke?” He asked. “I told you, Grant! The boy to those time traveler mishap family!” She shouted. “I swear, he hears less and less every day. Also, I know you probably won’t understand, but I’m sorry to hear about what happened.” She told Grant. All he could do was look puzzled, not wanting to blow his cover. But as her husband sat down, Grant began to notice similarities to someone he once knew in one of his lives. He assumed it was when he was originally in the future and didn’t press too much into it. After dinner, Grant was bathed and rocked to sleep. But through many nights of practice, he mastered the art of faking it during naps and bedtime. After a few minutes, he could hear the couple chat in the living room. The chat ended with the two exchanging good nights, but he could only hear the old man in the living room. Quietly leaving the guest room, Grant tiptoed to the old man, who was flipping through an old photo album. “Did you fake it again Grant? I’m surprised I’m the only one who knows.” He said. Closing the book, he turned his recliner to face the boy. “How did you know?” Grant whispered. He tiptoed closer to the old man, still unsure where he’s met him from. He tapped on his lap, indicating for the boy to sit on it. Grant did as he was told and sat on his lap. Showing the photo album, he finally realized who it was just from some kids’ photos. Two familiar boys at the pool. A young Dakota and a young Grant. Looking back at the old man, he saw his best friend. The two hugged each other tightly. “It’s been a while man, and you haven’t aged a day!” He teased. “And look at you! Aged so bad! What are you, 200 years old?” He joked. “Now now, I’m only 67. So close to every man’s goal.” Speaking of goals, let me show you what happened to me while you were gone!” Dakota opened the book again, showing Grant his life. Graduation, marriage, kids, their graduations, kid’s weddings, some birthdays, and vacations too. As they flipped through Grant noticed how some of his photos were included. Through his drowsy state, he asked about it. Dakota shamefully chuckled, “I sort of broke into your parent’s house and took photos of you to help me remember you if I lived long enough. Thankfully I’m still alive and so are you!” “Oh, how nice. But it’s hard to forget this face!” Grant said, before finally drifting to sleep. Dakota cradled his friend until his parents arrived. They thanked them for babysitting and took Grant home. As time went on, Dakota became a go-to babysitter for Grant. Both families noticed how close the two became, but they assumed it was some grandfather and grandson bond that they formed. Little did they know, the two had years of catching up to do. The end.