Halloween at the Harris's

Chapter 1
Day before Halloween

It was that time of year again when the leaves on the trees start changing color from green to reds and yellows. Nature was preparing herself for the winter months ahead. The days start getting shorter and the nights longer. It was also the time of year where children long for the night where they get all the free candy they can grab. For the Harris’s this was no exception, they longed for Halloween night to go dressing up and trick-or-treating.

A yellow school bus pulled up an up scale section of town. There were large houses and yards. The average income for the residents was six digits or higher. Once the bus stopped, a group of kids walked off. One particular child was a young girl age twelve. Her light brown hair blew in the breeze as she walked home. Her purple back pack was filled with school books and papers. The girl was wearing a knee length black pleaded skirt and white blouse, the uniform for a private school she attended. She was happy to be out of school and heading home. Unlike the other kids in school, Ashley Harris had a special secret that she told no one about. The holidays were always special for her family. Her father retired early because of the many patents he held for electronics. His greatest achievement was the advancement of nanotechnology called nanites, microscopic machines. But there was one use for his special nanites that no one knew about and her father kept it that way.

Her father William Harris was technically fifty seven years old, but if you just go by appearances, he appeared many years younger. The same could go for his wife Emily. The neighbors thought it strange for Harris’s to have a child so late in life. William and Emily did not get married until their late thirties, and Emily always wanted to have a child. They tried many times to conceive a child, but with no luck. It wasn’t until Williams discovery and the use of it, did they finally conceive a baby girl and they could not be happier. Ashley loved her parents as much as they loved her for she had a special childhood no one else, she knew of, had.

Ashley opened the front door and walked in. She dropped her backpack onto the bench by the door. On the walls were pictures of her growing up with her parents and some of them had two other children in them, a boy and girl. Ashley skipped to the kitchen which was down the hallway. Turning the corner, Ashley saw a young girl, younger than her, at the stove standing on a step ladder to reach the pot she was stirring. Her blonde hair was pulled into a pony tail with a pink ribbon tied to it. She was wearing a pink dress with flowers on it. Ashley walked up to the girl.

"Hi Mom, I’m home", smiled Ashley.

The little girl turned her head and smiled, "How was school today?".

"It was boring, I know almost everything they are teaching.", sighed Ashley. For Ashley was as smart as her father, bordering on genius. But her parents wanted her be around kids her age to be more social.

"I know, but we’ll enroll you in the advance classes next year okay.", said young Emily.

"Okay, hmm mom how old are you right now", asked Ashley.

Young Emily put the stirring spoon down and turned to Ashley. "It’s my birthday today, I’m nine years old.", giggled Emily.

Ashley giggled as well, "Well then happy birthday mom".

"Your dad and I decided to have some fun today before Halloween tomorrow. So I wanted to have a birthday party. Like my birthday dress.", smiled Emily doing a little curtsy.

"It’s cute. So where’s the birthday cake?", asked Ashley.

Emily stepped down the step ladder and walked over to the table. She was a head shorter than her daughter. "It’s right there.", she pointed. "We’ll have cake after dinner. Then I can blow out my candles and make a wish."

Ashley saw the cake sitting on the table. It was covered in white frosting with pink borders. Tiny candy hearts were placed around the sides. On the top was written, ’Happy Birthday Emily’ along with nine candles.

"Wow nine years old, soon you’ll be old as me Emily", giggled Ashley.

"He he he, yep big as my older sister", giggled Emily, knowing the joke they had between them.

"Mom where’s dad?", asked Ashley looking around.

"Billy is down in the basement getting every thing ready for tomorrow. I need to finish dinner okay.", replied Emily.

"Okay mom, I’ll go see dad while you finish dinner, just be careful, the stove is hot.", said Ashley with a grin.

"I will", giggled Emily and went back to the stove.

Ashley walked over to the door leading to the basement. The basement was where her father did all his experimenting and inventing. The hum of equipment running filled the air as she descended into the dimly lit stair way. At the bottom, it opened up to a large room filled with computers and other electronic equipment. At the table typing away at the computer was a young boy wearing a blue tee shirt and shorts. His brown hair was down to his ears, he needed a hair cut.

"Dad I’m home.", said Ashley.

The boy turned around and jumped off the stool he was sitting on. He rushed over to Ashley and hugged her, "How’s my girl"

Ashley hugged Billy back. "I’m fine dad. I see you’re young as well today."

The boy looked up into his daughter’s eyes, "Emily wanted to celebrate her ninth birthday today, so I helped. I’m nine was well."

Ashley looked at the equipment by the wall. "So you’re getting things ready for tomorrow?"

"Yep, just programming the system for tomorrows adventure.", said Billy.

"I take it both of you are going to be younger?", asked Ashley.

"Yep, so you better take good care of us okay until we get big again.", said Billy as sternly as a boy could.

"I know I know, it takes longer to grow back up because of the extra mass needed for the change to take place.", stated Ashley.

"Correct, it will take a few days for us to take in enough calories to reach our teenage years, after that the process will be faster since we would already be at our maximum height.", explained Billy.

"So do I get to be older?", asked Ashley.

"Nah your old enough to look after us and still have fun trick-or-treating.", smiled Billy.

Billy ran over to one of the selves on the wall. He picked up a wrapped present and handed it to Ashley.

"Here, this is Emily’s birthday present from me.", smiled Billy.

"What is it?", asked Ashley.

"A stuffed rabbit, like the one she had when she was little the first time. It was hard to find.", said Billy.

"She’ll love it", smiled Ashley. "I’ll take it to my room until dinner time."

"Thank you. I need to finish programming the nanites for tomorrows change.", said Billy as he went back to the bench and climbed up the stool.

As Ashley walked back up the stairs, she could not help think what a unique family she had, where her parents could be younger than her. She snuck past the kitchen so her mother did not she the present she was holding. She climbed the stairs to the bedrooms. Ashley walked past one room that was set up as a nursery.

"I remember when mom and I spent a weekend as babies with dad taking care of us.", thought Ashley thinking about a time last year where she and her mother were two years old while her dad had to change their diapers and feed them.

The next room was decorated as a children’s room, filled with toys and dolls. One side was a bed for a girl and the other side for a boy. It was the room her parents stayed in if they decided to be kids. Finally it was her room on the right and the master bedroom on the left. Ashley placed the present on her desk and turned on her computer. She wanted to do some online gaming before dinner. During her play, she could not help but think on how old her parents were going to be tomorrow. She hoped diapers were out of the equation. However, her parents thought it was great practice for when she was older and a mother herself. Thirty minutes later, Emily voice came over the intercom.

"Dinners ready", came Emily young voice through the speakers.

Ashley logged off her game and shut the computer down. She grabbed the birthday present and headed back down stairs to the dining room next to the kitchen. She noticed that the note on the present was written in a childish manner. Her father noted that motor skills reduced to the level of apparent age, even though the memories stayed in tack. A fact her father found out when he became a toddler for the first time and could no longer program the computer correctly and Ashley had to do it, she was seven at the time. When she reached the dinning room, both her parents were sitting at the table, with her mother swinging her legs, since they did not touch the floor. It was a simple meal of Sloppy Joe’s with green peas and fries. Sloppy Joe was true to its name, with Emily and Billy getting it all over their mouths as they ate. Ashley had to hold in the giggles when she watched her young parents eat their dinners.

"All done", smiled Emily holding up her plate.

"Me too", said Billy showing his.

"Cake time", gleamed Emily kneeling on her chair.

Ashley got up, "Almost, you need to clean up some before cake."

"Ahhh, but it’s my birthday.", whined Emily.

Ashley grabbed a towel and wiped Emily’s mouth and Billy’s. "There all clean."

"Yippee, cake time.", said Emily joyfully.

Ashley grabbed a lighter and lit all nine candles on the cake. "Okay before we start we need to sing the birthday song., "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Emily, happy birthday to you. Now make a wish a blow out your candles."

Emily closed her eyes for a few seconds and then took in a deep breath. With one strong blow, she blew out all the candles.

"Good girl Emily", congratulated Ashley.

Since she could not trust her parents with cutting the cake at the moment, Ashley did it herself. She passed out slices for her mother and father. Emily greedily tore into the cake while Billy was more reserved. After a few slices of cake, again Ashley had to clean up her parents faces of cake and frosting. Ashley handed the present to Billy who then walked over to Emily and gave it to her.

"Happy birthday Emily", said Billy.

"For me, thank you Billy", said Emily who then kissed Billy on the cheek.

Emily tore through the wrapping and opened the box. Inside was a white stuffed bunny with pink ears.

"Fluffy, how you find him?", said Emily squeezing the bunny tightly.

Billy smiled, "E-Bay".

"Thank you, I love you" said Emily and this time kissed Billy on the lips.

While Emily and Billy watched TV in the living room, Ashley, being the oldest in the house at the moment, cleaned up the dinner table and washed the dishes. She did not mind though, most of the time her mother did all the work. After the cleaning, Ashley went upstairs with her books and finished her homework. With the homework finished, she went back to playing her on-line game. Two hours later, Emily came walking into the room.

"Ashley, I’m going to take a bath and then go to bed.", said Emily still holding her stuffed bunny.

"Is dad going to take a bath after you?"

"Yep, for now he’s playing with the XBOX in the living room."

Ashley paused in her playing. "Did you enjoy your birthday mom?"

"I had a wonderful time. Your dad’s invention has been the best thing ever.", smiled Emily.

Ashley watched as Emily skipped out of her room and head to the master bathroom.

She went back to playing her game. Forty minutes later, Emily came back into the room wearing her Barbie pajamas.

"Night Ashley", said Emily.

"Good night mom, sweet dreams.", smiled Ashley as she hugged her young mother. Then she kissed her on the forehead.

"Tell Billy the baths ready", said Emily as she walked out of the room.

Ashley went to the intercom and pushed for the living room. "Dad the bath is ready."

A few seconds later a response came back, "Thanks I’ll be up in a sec."

It was getting late and Ashley still had school tomorrow. She turned off her computer and started to get undressed. Ashley went to her bathroom and took a relaxing bubble bath. Meanwhile, Billy also took his bath and got dressed in his pajamas. When he walked into the kids’ bedroom, Emily was already asleep hugging her stuffed bunny.

"She’s so cute, reminds me of Ashley when she was younger", smiled Billy as he climbed into his bed and went to sleep.

All three children dreamed sweet dreams for the next day would be even better.

 

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