From Textbooks to Changing Tables

Chapter 6
Laughterhouse 3

Chapter Description: Matt shrunk more during the night, and gets ready for a family trip to the park.

Matt awoke with a jump. He had a nightmare about becoming a fetus, in an amniotic sac, just in the middle of the living room with Scott looking at him. He felt his face to find it was intact, yet something was wrong; it was smaller. And he was cold. Why was he cold? He had a pretty thick comforter. He threw it off and realized, to his horror, that he was sitting in a puddle. He had wet the bed. He was wearing boxers yesterday, but now he was swimming in them. Distraught with the loss of age and apparent bladder control, he started sobbing. Sam was on her way to check on him with Scott, when she ripped through the door.

“Matt, what’s wrong?” She said, concerned. Then she saw the condition of her step-son’s bed. “Oh, honey, you wet the bed! And you look younger! Are you okay?”

“Big bwutha made pee-pees!” Scott gleefully shouted. He was proud of the fact that he was dry all night.

“No I’m not okayw!” Matt sobbed, lisping slightly, “I’m 3 yearws old and I peed my bed! Even Scott stayed dry through the night. This better be the end of it!” He jumped out of bed and inspected his face some more. As he passed Scott he noticed he was just an inch or two taller than his supposed baby brother.

“Oh honey, it’s okay, your father said you had this problem when you were 3 originally. Hopefully you stay this age and you can start growing back up again. Now come on, we’re going to the park today! Get dressed and meet us downstairs.” Sam said as she left the room with Scott. Matt looked in his closet for the section Sam had marked “3”. He found a pair of white training pants, blue shorts, socks, a Spongebob t-shirt, and a pair of Velcro shoes, as well as regular laced ones. He was a bit ashamed at the prospect of training pants, but he muscled through it. Besides, they had neat dinos on them. He put on everything and started to tie his shoes, only to find he couldn’t remember for the life of him how to do it.

“The rabbit goes thwrough the hole and…” he thought to himself. He eventually gave up and put the Velcro ones on, which were cooler because they had lights in the heel. After admiring his neat sneakers, he ran downstairs, finding Sam and Scott in the kitchen. Scott was gleefully eating cereal, while Sam was packing a bag of some sort. Upon closer inspection, Matt noticed it was a diaper bag.

“What is that, Sam?” Matt fearfully inquired. He feared the response.

“Oh honey, that’s in case you get any younger during the day. The doctor said though regression happens mostly during sleep, as you get younger sometimes it happens in the day too. I just want to be prepared in case you get younger. There’s everything from ages 3 and below ready in here!” Sam was happy with herself. She had prepared adequately.

“Oh grweat” Matt replied, “I hope I don’t end up youngewr that Scott.” He crossed his fingers and prayed as he said so. Scott finished up his cereal and expressed his need to get going.

“Okay boys, in the car, we’re going to the park!” Sam excitedly shouted, like she was telling 2 dogs they were going for a walk. Scott squealed with glee and took off for the car, while Matt walked as if to his execution. “Come on, Matt, just try and have some fun, you’re a kid now, embrace it!” She laughed. Though she prayed that Matt stayed around Scott’s age so as to make things a little easier, she couldn’t help but notice how cute he was. Sam buckled her boys into their respective car seats, which Sam had installed after seeing the condition of his bed that morning, and started the car. Matt actually found the seat comfortable, but he wasn’t about to express it.

“Hopefully, I stay this age.” He prayed as the car trundled out of the driveway toward the street.