Mad Science

Chapter 9
A creepy lab is no place to raise a child

Hannah, her brother and her boyfriend found themselves in a large room filled with futuristic mechanical equipment. The moment they walked in they heard the sounds of crying and cooing. As the lights came on they looked around to see along the walls of the room were about 20 clear round playpens with infants inside of them.

“Oh my god!” Hannah declared looking at the innocent babies in their see-through cells. Some were sitting, crying others were gurgling and sucking on their fingers and toes. Conner and Ryan began searching around the room for something resembling an age-changing device while Hannah was instinctually drawn to the crying babies. She hoisted them into her arms and shushed them until they quieted down. The final crying baby, a small baby girl with wispy curls of dark hair on her head began to paw at Hannah’s chest.

“You’re hungry baby?” Hannah asked the gurgling girl and had a weird thought. She reached behind herself and took her bra off and then lifted her shirt up and placed the infants mouth to her nipple. The baby clasped on and began suckling. For a moment there was nothing. The infant continued to suck on Hannah’s sagging breast and nothing came out. But then suddenly Hannah felt the strange sensation of secreting milk.

The boys heard the suckling sound and turned to see what Hannah was doing and were shocked.

“Oh Jesus Hannah what are you doing?” Conner said grossed out.

“The baby was hungry!” Hannah exclaimed.

“Can you even do that at your age?” Conner asked disturbed.

“Evidently.” Hannah said pointing to the obvious results. When the child was finished she wiped herself off and carried the baby around the room.

“Do you think these are actual babies or adults turned into babies? Do you think these are Dr. Gerasco’s old classmates?” Hannah asked still more concerned about the babies than finding a device.

“I think Dr. Gerasco was more worried about turning those sorority girls old. I don’t think she would have turned them into babies.” Ryan said searching through drawers and metal boxes.

Hannah suddenly gasped. The boys looked over at her again.

“What is it? Do you see something?” Conner asked.

“I- I- “ Hannah stuttered as she felt her body changing. They hadn’t noticed the time and it had just passed midnight into the new day.

Hannah’s dirty blonde hair turned shock white and became brittle and thinned. Her height shrunk down a few inches and her arms and legs grew very weak. Ryan ran to her as he saw the wrinkles on her face multiplying by the second and grabbed the baby girl out of her arms.

“My baby!” She rasped reaching her frail arms out.

“It’s not your baby Hannah. It’s just a baby you found in this room. It’ll be all right.” Ryan explained putting the infant back in its pen and rushing back over to her to grab her hand and her increasingly stooped back to keep her steady.

Hannah’s modest boobs under her shirt completely shriveled up like two deflated water balloons lying flat onto her chest.

“I don’t think I can breast feed anymore.” She said with a snicker and a wheeze.

Her teeth began to fall out and her body began trembling from palsy. Ryan saw his girlfriend was a very elderly 95 year old woman now.

“Okay we need to find this device!” Ryan said impatiently. “Conner you keep checking this room. I’m going to search the others and if I still can’t find one I’ll pry the one out of Dr. Gerasco’s hands.

He said running up the stairs to the door to the rest of the house.

“Wait, I’m coming with you!” Hannah said in a weak shaky voice.

“Okay but be careful hun.” Ryan said going over to her and helping her.

Hannah shuffled one foot in front of the other never fully lifting them off the ground. Everything ached and her mind was very cloudy. She passed Conner on her way to the door and put her knarled hand on his cheek.

“You’re my favorite grandson. I’m going to knit you a nice sweater this Christmas…” She mumbled and Ryan led her out of the room.

Ryan began poking his heads into every room he could find looking for a lead. Each room was either empty or sparsely furnished.

As they got to the end of the hall Hannah needed to rest. She leaned onto Ryan and breathed halted shallow breaths.

“Where am I? Do I know you young man?” She asked him looking confused and frightened.

“You’re in Dr. Gerasco’s house. We’re trying to find the device to change you back. I’m Ryan, your boyfriend. You’re really 20 years old!” He insisted her holding up her arm. She brought the arm up close to her eyes. The ink was faded over the thin wrinkled skin but she saw her handwriting reminding her of her true age.

“I- I’m 20 years old?” She asked. Ryan nodded hugging her.

“Ry-Ryan. Listen…” She began regaining her perspective. “If I don’t make it. I want you to know that I’m happy for our time together and you were very special to me. I’m glad that we were able to date for at least a little while.” She said, tears welling up along her puffy wrinkled cheeks.

“Oh Hannah. Don’t say that. We’ll find a way to make you young again… Hey wait a second!” He said and grabbed her and brought her into a passionate kiss.

Ryan felt his lips press against thin wrinkled ones. He wrapped his tongue around hers and felt the places where her teeth used to be. Finally he released and looked at her expectantly.

“What was that?” She asked surprised but thankful.

“I don’t know. I thought a kiss of true love would break the spell or something.” Ryan said, disappointed that it didn’t work.

The tiny old woman began giggling. “It’s science Ryan not a voodoo curse!” They both began laughing. Suddenly they heard a door open.

“Shh someone’s coming. Quick in here!” Ryan said and helped his elderly girlfriend through a door at the end of the hall.

They heard footsteps in the hall as the May/December couple huddled together in the dark.