No More Greed

Chapter 1
Chapter 1

Rick Chandler, one of the crop of new lawyers that had landed in town recently, was waiting somewhat impatiently for the doctor to finish her examination "Well, Doc can we proceed?".

"Fit as can be for someone her age" came Dr. Kelly’s reply.

"All right then, Ms. Knoll all we need is your signature here, and then the Dr.’s signature here, and you’ll be set! This basically explains in detail how your assets will be used in the event of your no longer being deemed fit to manage your own affairs.... or heaven forbid.... if something should happen to you. This also allows for the transfer of your property to your daughter with certain provisions as to how it is to be maintained and how it will revert to the excecutor of your estate in the event something should happen to your daughter, and you were no longer able to resume your role and maintain the property, either through death or being otherwise unable to function due to a diminished mental capacity, or whatever. It’s all as you requested."

Ms. Patricia Knoll, 60 years old, was about to sign over a large portion of her vast estate to her daughter. She was also guaranteeing her daughter would recieve all of whatever would be in the estate at the time of her death. Her daughter, Marsha, had been trying to persuade her mother to sign over her fortune and to ’protect the family’s money’ for years. Ms. Knoll regarded it as one more sign of her child’s greedy nature which she firmly blamed on her late husband and his ’parenting’. Her daughter had just turned 40 and was married to her third husband. Her longest marriage had been her first, and had lasted 5 years. Ms. Knoll couldn’t understand how he could have lasted that long with her.

"Well, I guess this should make you happy! You’ll own the house here, and the one in Florida. All the stocks and bonds will be in your control, the bank accounts..... Your fathers Mercedez will be yours now too." Ms. Knoll signed the papers and then Dr. Kelly added her signature certifying that Ms. Knoll was of ’sound mind and body.

Mr. Chandler left the room and then returned with two bottles of champagne and glasses. "A little bubbly to celebrate the transfer!" he exclaimed and popped the corks on both of the bottles.

"This is for the best. Mother, you should know that. You can’t keep this place going. You’ve been lucky that the stocks have performed as well as they have....although they sure haven’t had the yeilds of some I’ve been watching. A few new investments won’t hurt that stuffy portfolio one bit. And that ’car’-what an ugly color. Maybe we can trade it in, if they’ll even take it! This room could use a coat of paint- maybe brighten things up a bit! And some of these old junk things have to go!".

"But they are antiques! ....Oh wait, I’m sorry, I promised. Do what you want, it’s yours to do with however you wish. I only live here now." Ms. Knoll said, remembering their ’deal’ as she took a glass of champagne from the lawyer. "Are you sure you’re not a bartender?" she joked.

Marsha’s husband, Robert, strolled in from the garden and was happy to see the ’good stuff’ was brought out. "This little legal rig-a-marole might not be so bad after all" he said as the lawyer handed him a glass of champagne.

"Very gooooood" he mumbled as he downed half the glass in one gulp.

Marsha noticed neither the doctor or the lawyer was drinking. "Are you not ’partaking in the spirits’?"

"No, this is your family’s day. It wouldn’t be professional of us to come to your house and start drinking."

"Oh, now really, go ahead and have some. It really is quite good!" Marsha offered as she held her glass out for a refill.

"No, thank you. Maybe I’ll get us a glass of juice from the kitchen instead" added the doctor. Marsha just pointed them toward the kitchen and told them to help themselves.

She looked at her mother who was sipping her champagne and staring at Marsha’s face. "What’s wrong Mother? Can’t you handle your ’booze’ anymore?"

Both Marsha and her husband broke out laughing while her mother continued staring and slowly smiled. Marsha then looked back at her mother and something caught her eye.

"Mother, are you coloring your hair? It looks darker. Look at her Robert!"

Marsha began staring harder, as her husband noticed it too

"Shit, Marsha.....it looks like it is getting darker. What’s going on?"

Ms. Knoll picked up a mirror from the sofa table and examined her darkening hair. "It looks better, doesn’t it?" she laughed. She took her glasses off and placed them on the table "I won’t need these for a while!"

Marsha kept staring and finally broke her silence "Mother! Your face! It, it- this can’t be. You look ten years younger! What have you done? This is a trick! How are you doing that?!!!!"

The elder woman ran her hand through her now dark brunette hair and then watched the skin ever so slowly tighten on the backs of her hands. She watched for a few seconds and then said "You know, Marsha dear, you might want to take a look at yourself. I noticed you adjusting the waistband on your skirt, getting a little loose is it?"

"Let me have that mirror!" Marsha shouted and grabbed the mirror from her mother

"What’s going on here?" Staring back at her wasn’t the face of a just turned 40 year old woman. It was the face of a a woman who was maybe 30. Her hair looked a little longer and lighter, it also appeared thicker. She turned away from the mirror and looked back at her mother. Her mother looked 15 years younger! At least! Her hair was now a dark deep brunette and was looking much fuller and even curly. Her face was tighter with almost no sign of sagging skin at all. The crows feet around her eyes were slowly disappearing.

Ms. Knoll peered at her daughter. Marsha now appeared to be about 25. Her hair was now lighter and healthier looking. Her husband looked even younger. He was totally shocked, not looking much older than a college freshman. Marsha looked trim and fit. She didn’t look so stern anymore.

Ms. Knoll smiled broadly as her plan was taking shape "You wait right here, I’ve got to get out of these clothes and put on something a little more comfortable for the changes" Ms. Knoll then walked up the stairs and disappeared into her bedroom.

Marsha turned to the attorney and the doctor, who were quietly watching the activities " You KNEW about this! What is this? Answer me! YOU ANSWER ME!! Why is this happening? WELLL???WELLLLL!!!!!????"

Finally, the attorney spoke "Just stay calm. Your mother will explain it. Just give her time..."

"TIME!!! Look at me! Time is something that I DON’T have! You have to stop this! Do you hear me? MAKE IT STOP!!!"

Dr. Kelly just shook her head and turned away. As Marsha was trying to figure out what to do she heard a boy begin to scream "YOU WITCH! YOU WITCH! WHY?".

Marsha looked at the teenage boy who was once her 35 year old husband. He tugged on his oversized pants "What is this all about????" he whined.

Marsha looked down at her legs. ’No flab on these thighs’ she vainly thought for a moment before realizing how young she was becoming. She ran down the hall and looked into the full length mirror.

"Impossible" she mumbled.

She looked like she might soon be turning twenty. She only vaguely resembled the woman who had turned 40 the night before. Her face was more rounded. Her figure was svelte with a perky chest. She looked like a Co-ed. She watched as the changes kept coming over her body. Finally, she turned and ran back down the hall pulling on her loosening skirt. She tripped as her shoes easily slipped off.

Upon entering the room she saw her mother coming back down the stairs. Much younger than before. She had let her hair down totally. It was now long and dark with flowing curls. She had put on a soft pastel robe. As she got closer, Marsha looked for any signs of age in her face. It was nearly unlined. Her eyes were clear. She appeared to be about 30. It was the face she remembered waking her in the mornings for school. Marsha looked even closer. She didn’t even look 30 now, maybe in her late 20’s.

"Mom, what are you doing to us?" Her voice now that of a child’s. High pitched. She was no longer a teeneger! "Please make this stop"

The retreat of the years had now taken away any sign of her womanly figure. She looked around for her husband and spotted him in another room sitting in an oversized chair that now appeared to swallow him. He was simply crying and looked like he might be around 3!

Marsha yelled to him for help "Robert, quit that balling, we have to do something".

"I don’t think he’ll be of much help to you now, honey." Dr. Kelly said as she slipped some type of device back into her pocket and walked back into the room with the others.

Ms. Knoll turned to the doctor and asked a question "Are you sure they’ll have no memories of their former lives?"

"I’m positive. Once I use the Positronic Scion Wand the regression will be complete. I already used it on little Robert and he responded immediately. It is extremely accurate and immediate." replied the doctor.

"Mommmmmy-Why?? Me wittle? Me no wanna be wittle!"

Marsha tried to sound authoritative but she sounded just like the child she was. She was looking up at her mother who now looked so large. Marsha couldn’t help but notice how pretty her mommy was. She couldn’t hardly remember her mommy ever being so young and vibrant looking. She didn’t look much older than a college student!

Ms. Knoll began explaining "Honey, it’s not your fault that you grew up so cold, and ummmm selfish. Your father wouldn’t let me raise you like I wanted. He was SO demanding. Everything was M.O.N.E.Y. You needed L.O.V.E! I’m so, so sorry! This time it will be different. I’m sorry about Robert, but I promise I’ll see to it that he gets plenty of love also. I will love both of you."

"Mommmy, Pweeese noooo" Marsha cried as the youthening effect noticably slowed.

"Now, Marsha, once the good doctor works on you, you’ll enjoy this. And your life will be much more fulfilling. Mine too! This is a new chance for both of us to experience real happiness! I can be a young mother with the world in front of me! I can learn from all the mistakes I’ve made! You’ll grow up happy this time. It will be SO much better this time! I promise!"

Marsha was now only a 3 year old in appearence. The youthening had now stopped. She still had her adult thoughts but they were much cloudier than before. What her mother had been saying started sounding better to her. She looked at her hands and her short fingers. Her head stuck out of her massive blouse as it lay in a heap of fabric around her. She looked back at her mommy who was smiling at her little ’angel’. Her mother still looked even younger to her. She couldn’t ever remember her mommy being that young. Her mind raced back to the pictures she used to see at grandma’s house. Little Marsha remembered a picture she had seen in her grandma’s living room. It was her mommy’s Senior picture. She looked just like she had in the Senior picture that hung in Grandma’s living room! ’What is she doing making herself so young?’

"My little darling, no more greed....no more greed! The papers we signed were just a trick to get you here. Oh, they’re for real, but I don’t think my death of old age, or senility, or whatever, is in MY future any time soon!"

Then Atty Chandler interrupted "Ummmm, actually Patty, there is ummm something...."

"What are you talking about?" she asked with a touch of worry.

"Well, you see.... uhhhh death, senility, those are just a couple of things.... ummmm maybe you should look in the mirror."

She grabbed the mirror off the table and looked, not quite knowing what to expect. In the mirror was the face of a 17 year old. She stared closely. She wasn’t supposed to get that young! That was more than they had agreed to. "You’ve made some kind of mistake! I’m much too young. I’d be lucky to get a full time job at McDonalds being this young!" Just then she noticed her face soften a bit more. "Hey! If I get much younger I won’t be able to drive!" she laughed nervously and then added "we better reverse this a bit....I’m supposed to end up 21 you know."

"Actually Patty, we won’t be reversing anything. You see, we have an agreement here that allows us to assume control over the estate should your daughter not be able to.... and I don’t think we’ll have a problem convincing a judge that she is unable to manage the affairs here. Three year olds do not generally have good business senses! -Now, if your daughter is not able to carry on, then you would resume control....ummmmm IF you were ABLE to- ummmmm- that is basically it. You see, you are a teenager now. You’ll be lucky to do anything without some type of consent from a parent or guardian. I imagine your parents have passed? Correct? The state will probably have somewhere for you. It won’t be too bad. And we’ll put your money to good use, Patty! Maybe we can have a sweet 16 party for you tonight....but you look like you might even end up a little younger than 16!"

Patricia couldn’t believe what was happening. She looked at herself. Her robe was touching her feet now as her toes poked out from under the cloth. She kicked at the robe to see her legs, which were now on the skinny side. Her hands and feet were smaller. Her full hair was bouncing as she moved around to see herself. The sleeves of the robe were too long and now almost fully covered her hands. She looked into the mirror to see a small upturned nose. Bright, young eyes. A totally unlined face. "You tricked me! You won’t get away with this! I’ll tell the police. You’re crazy! This- I, I.....uhhhhhh ummmmm"

"So how do you feel?" Came a voice from behind. She looked back to see a lady with some type of device in her hand smiling at her.

"I’m ummmmm fine m’am. I’m just a little confused. Uhhhh What’s happening here? What’s wrong with me?"

"Do you know your name, Miss?" quizzed the doctor.

"Yes, It’s Patty." She replied. "And how old are you?"

"16, I just turned 16 m’am".

"Yes, I’d say you did!- Works everytime!" Dr Kelly said to Mr. Chandler as she twirled the Positronic Scion Wand in her hand.

Little Marsha had watched the whole episode. She looked at her ’mommy’ who was now just a child herself. Just a young teenager. She didn’t even know little Marsha was her daughter. Dr. Kelly then walked over and waved a shiny looking thing around Marsha’s head.

Little Marsha closed her eyes and then slowly opened them.

She saw a young teenage girl sitting on the couch along with two grownups talking about how they were going to spend their new riches. The young girl smiled and waved at the toddler and said "I’m Patty, what’s your name?"

 

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