Welcome to the Machine

Chapter 3
Chapter 3

’You two quit messing with that and get upstairs’ Grandma Jane sounding more than a little angry.

’Awwwwwww whatsa big deal? She’ll be OK!’ Gloria argued.

’Listen here young lady. You’ve caused enough problems. I have half a mind to swat your bottom and Heaven knows it’s been a long time since I’ve considered that!’

’~Sorry~’ Gloria answered half heartedly. ’C’mon Suzi, let’s get outta here and leav mom with the ~baby~’

The two girls laughed and ran up the stairs. Gloria tugged on the loose waist band of her shorts to keep them from falling off as she climbed the stairs.

’This is really neat, mom! I mean you like getting younger and all’ Suzi told her mother.

’Yeah, it was a surprise at first but I’m glad to be back to normal now and stuff’ Gloria answered. ’I sure didn’t like bein’ a baby!’

Suzi was confused but shrugged it off. Her mother didn’t seem to realize that she was younger. Actually, Suzi didn’t mind because the two of them were hitting it off so well and she liked how her mother had finally put Sara in her place! She kind of enjoyed the idea of being the older sister.

’You wanna try on some of my clothes and then walk down to the mall?’ Suzi asked.

’Your clothes? You think they’ll fit?’

’Sure, those look kinda big and you’re about my size’

Gloria seemed confused but decided Suzi must be right. ’OK, I’ll bet you got some cool stuff, but we don’t have to walk cuz I can drive us’

Suzi wasn’t sure about THAT! ’Ummmm I’d rather walk, that way we can pass the basketball court and like check for cool guys’

’Oh. Cool! I never thought about that!’ Gloria replied with a smile.

Once in Suzi’s room she found a pair of shorts and a T-shirt for Gloria. ’Here ya go...these should fit better.’

Gloria took the items and Suzi found a pair of sneakers for her. She then helped her tie her hair back in a Pony-tail.

’Wow, you really look cute!’ Suzi told her as she looked over her youthening mother.

Gloria blushed and then said ’Let’s go before mom comes lookin’ for us’

The two young teens quietly slipped out and were off to the mall by way of a detour thru the basketball court.

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Downstairs:

’Don’t cry Sara gramma Jane will figure this out. I just need you to be a big girl and help me’

’B-B-B-ut I don’t ’member how’ Suzi cried.

’Shhhhhhhh We’ll figure it out. It’ll be OK’ she told Little Sara as she picked her up and carried her to the computer table. ’Ok, now how do we work this big ’ol thing?’

’Mousey...’ Sara said as she pointed her pudgy finger at the mouse.

’So THAT’S a mouse? I always wondered what those computer people were talking about. So how do I work it?’

Sara grabbed the mouse and moved it around the screen. ’This way grammy. Mousey go all around. Seeeeee?’

’But then what?’

’Ummmmm I dunno.... I don’t ’member ’zactly!’

Sara tried to read the words but they all looked like squiggly lines. ’You read, grammy....pleasssssse’

Her grandmother started reading the words to her. When she read ’Reverse’ Sara squealed ’ Yay! That one. Show me’

Grandma Jane pointed to it and Sara clumsily placed the mouse over it. ’OK, now I go in machine and you press mousey...K?’

’Are you sure, honey? We don’t need any mistakes!’

’Uh huh... you gotta do that’

She picked Sara up and sat her back in the machine ’OK, I hope this works’ She then sat back down at the table and fumbled with the mouse until she figured out which button to use.

’OK, here you go’ she said as she clicked the ’reverse’ button.

The machine immediatelty came to life. Jane watched as the 2 year old began to age. 3-4-5-6.... It was an amazing transformation, seeing a child age so rapidly. 10-11-12... soon Sara was developing curves and heading toward womanhood....14-15-16. The machine shut down ’Reverse Successful’

’Grandma...this is embarrassing!’ Sara said as she quickly dressed.

’So is everything OK?’ Jane asked her grand-daughter.

’For a little while, probably. But I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t start like getting younger the way mom did. And I don’t have so many years to lose like she does!’

’Oh dear! So you both just keep getting younger?’

’Probably. I gotta hurry. You saw how mom’s gotten. I mean like with her personality and stuff. I know she really wouldn’t have done this to me if she was thinking right. I don’t know how long I’ve got!’

’You get to work and I’ll try and settle that young ’un....errrrr your mother down. This is crazy!’

Jane went upstairs to find Gloria while Sara went back to work.

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The basketball court:

’Wow, he’s ~cute~’ Gloria said while pointing at one of the boys who was obviously the best player on the court.

’Yeah, he was the leading scorer in Jr High. His name is mark. He got to start as a freshmen. Usually our coach doesn’t let freshmen play on the varsity team for nothin’’

’~Cool~’ Gloria sighed as her eyes followed his every move.

Finally one of the players signaled for a break. The guys all came over and started talking with the girls that had gathered.

’Hi, Suzi’ mark said politely ’Is this your little sister? You guys look so much alike and all!’

’Ummm yeah’ Suzi answered as she looked over at Gloria who obviously wasn’t happy being called the ~little~ sister. Gloria DID look youger than her now. Not a lot younger, but younger none the less.

’So you’re gonna be starter like on the team and everything this year?’ Gloria asked sounding like a teen meeting the members of Hanson in person.

’Ya, No big deal. It looks like they’re gonna feature my offense more this coming year. Last year I passed off a lot. I had 25 points against Forest High though!’

’~Wow~ That’s a lot!’ Gloria cooed.

’So what’s your name?’

’Me? Ummmm I’m Glo’

’Glo... that’s cool’ Mark replied.

Suzi wasn’t sure about this turn of events. Although Mark seemed to be humoring ’Glo’ more than anything, she still didn’t like the competition. She looked at ’Glo’ again and was sure that Mark couldn’t be interested. After all, ’Glo’ looked like barely a teenager and Mark was going to be a sophomore. Gloria was becoming completely flat-chested and skinny. The T-shirt was hiding the slow transformation but the retreat thru puberty was starting to get obvious.

’Ummm , Glo, we better take off’ Suzi insisted.

’Take off? Already?’ she whined in a slightly higher voice.

’Ya...we’re late....’ she said as she grabbed her shoulder in an effort to move her along. ’See ya ’round, Mark’ Suzi said as they hurriedly left.

’What’d ya do that for? I was talkin’ to Mark!’ the 13 year old complained.

’Because, you’re getting too young!’

’Nuh uh! You just didn’t like me talkin’ to Mark!’

’No.... People were gonna start noticing. That’s all...’

’You’re just as bad as dumb ’ol Sara!’ Gloria argued as they continued walking. Her T-shirt was inching closer to the cuffs of her shorts. ’Waittttttt’ she whined as she stopped to tighten her shoelaces.

’Mom...ummm Glo? ummmm You think that machine could make me older?’

’Yeah, prob’ly Why?’

’I dunno... just asking’

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Back at the house:

Jane was frantically searching the house for her youthening daughter and Suzi. This is not good she thought as she searched inside, outside, and all around the block.

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The basement:

A 14 year old Sara was starting to have trouble deciphering some of the math on one of her father’s notes that she had thought looked like it might be important.