Welcome to the Machine

Chapter 4
Chapter 4

Gloria continued to slowly grow younger. Probably no more than 12 now, freckles were appearing across the birdge of her nose. Her legs had grown skinnier and her clothes were looking larger.

’Maybe we shouldn’t go to the mall?’ Suzi offered.

’Why not?’ Glo whined.

’’Cause I was thinkin’ maybe you could use the machine to make me older?’

’We can do that later!’ Glo countered.

Suzi looked at her mother an realized that she might not be old enough to know how to do it later!

’I bet you just don’t know how to do it!’ Suzi replied, trying to use psychology.

’Sure I do! I’m just as smart as Sara!’

’I don’t know. She’s pretty smart with computers’

’Well, she’s not as smart as me... ’sides she’s just a 2 year old now!’

’Hmmm I bet she’s figured out how to get back to normal by now’ Suzi replied.

’You think so?’

’I wouldn’t doubt it. She knows how to do it and Gramma could help her’

’Yeah... she’s how I got fixed back to normal’ Glo said as she thought about it.

’Maybe I should have her make me older since you might not be able to?’

’No! Ummmm I can do it. I’ll show ya!’

Suzi smiled. She knew her mother’s child-like persona had been no match for her more mature psychology. It had been too easy she thought!

Glo’s T-shirt had now dropped even with the cuffs of her shorts. She constantly had to pull on the shorts to keep them from sliding off. Her sneakers were easily a size too big now. No amount of lace tightening was enough! Her age was approaching single digits and she was much shorter now!

’Maybe we better take a different path home...a shortcut?’ Suzi said hoping to avoid having to try and explain to the guys how Glo had grown younger.

’A shortcut?’

’Yeah, it’ll be faster’

’I told ya I coulda drove...then it woulda been a lot faster’ Glo answered.

Suzi wanted to laugh at the thought of this child trying to drive but figured she had better not make her angry.

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Meanwhile:

Jane was still searching. She stopped and asked neighbors if they had seen the two girls. Some thought that they might’ve seen them but no one was for certain. Some sent her one way and others sent her the opposite way. It was getting very frustrating and she didn’t know how much more time that she had! All she could do was keep looking!

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Back in the basement:

12 year old Sara was working harder than ever. Things didn’t make as much sense as earlier. She realized it might be because of her regression but she wasn’t really sure if it had started yet. She thought it might just be because her father had used bigger words and harder math on these last notes she was studying. It was all starting to get kind of boring to her.

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The park:

Suzi took the lead and urged Glo to hurry. Glo was having a hard time keeping up. First the shoes and then shorts fell off causing her to trip and skin her knee.

’Hey...waitttt... my stuff......’ she cried but Suzi didn’t care.

’Get up. Leave ’em. They didn’t fit anyway and that T-shirt covers you fine!’

Glo put her hands on her hips and in her best angry voice told Suzi ’Next time I’m drivin!’

’Sure, mom.... next time you can drive’ Suzi said trying not to burst out laughing at the 9 year old. ’Now we need to hurry. C’mon!’ she said grabbing the girl’s hand.

Once they got back to the house Suzi wanted to be careful. She didn’t figure her grandmother would be approving of her plan. She wasn’t sure about Sara...would she still be a 2 year old she wondered? Peeking in the window she saw no sign of her grandmother.

’Shhhhhh Follow me’ she told the barefoot 8 year old who’s T-shirt was encroaching on her knees.

They went around back and looked in through a basement window. Still no sign of her grandmother but she saw a girl setting at the computer. Sara?

’Look, Mom..... Sara’s not a baby anymore!’

Glo looked in the window and saw the 10 year old Sara doodling on a piece of paper.

’C’mon... let’s go make me older.’ Suzi said as she grabbed Glo’s hand.

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The basement:

Sara had been having more and more trouble with the notes. The words were getting harder to read and some of the math was using letters instead of numbers. She was quickly losing interest in the project even though she was afraid any minute she might start regressing herself. Still, she hadn’t yet so she figured that maybe she’d be OK?

’Hi Sara’ Suzi said as she entered the room. She didn’t much fear any repercussions from a 10 year old. ’Me and mom were thinkin’ maybe I should use the machine to get a little older. Just a couple of years. You don’t mind do ya?’

’Ummmm I dunno. It might not be a good idea. Is that ~mom~?’ Sara asked without finishing her sentence.

’Yes I’m your mommy and if Suzi wants to use the machine you hafta let her!’

’Why?’ Sara asked

’Ummmmm Cuz!’ Glo shot back not liking to have her authority questioned.

’Mom? Just a couple of years OK?’ Suzi asked as she stepped into the machine.

’Gee, I dunno Suzi. This might not be a good idea. I mean I’m all normal and stuff after using it but mom’s still gettin’ littler!’

’Am not!’ Glo yelled back.

’Are too!’ Sara added.

’Girls....errrr Mom... Sara. Just make me a couple of years older an quit fighting’

Glo walked over and joined Sara in the seat. There was easily enough room for the two children in the seat.

’I wanna do it!’ Glo argued.

’No I wanna do it!’ Sara countered.

’Girls...errrr whatever! You two both can do it but you better hurry.’ Suzi told them as she saw Sara’s shoes fall off as her legs dangled over the edge of the chair. She figured both girls to be in single digits now!

’OK, I’ll click this one and you do the next.... OK?’ Sara offered.

’K!’ A 7 year old Glo answered as she watched Sara click the mouse.

’Now you do that one’ Sara said as she pointed at the monitor .

Glo took the mouse and positioned it over the button that Sara had pointed to and then clicked.

’Ok, now I’ll choose 2 here’ Sara explained as she selected 2 from the options. ’Now we both press this one at the same time’ Sara added as she positioned the mouse on the ’Progression’ button.

The machine fired to life.

’Hey, I didn’t say push yet!’ Sara complained.

’I’m mommy and so I don’t hafta wait on ya!’ Glo replied.

Suzi’s clothing strained at its seams as she aged. Her height increased as did her feminine curves. Her hair lengthened and seemed to get fuller as it flowed loosely in soft curls. In a short time Suzi was a 16 year old in VERY tight clothing!

She stepped out of the machine carefully. Her clothing wasn’t going to take any sudden movements. ’Well, little Sis, I’m gonna be borrowing some clothes. I believe I’m gonna watch some boys practice some basketball’

16 year old Suzi headed for Sara’s room to find something to wear. She found a short dress and some pumps that seemed perfect. After modeling her look in the mirror for a few minutes, she left for the Park.

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In the basement:

’Should we go with her?’ Sara asked.

’Nahhhh... There’s just some dumb ’ol boys playin’ basketball or somethin’. Maybe we can do somethin’ else that’ll be ~real~ fun!’

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later:

Jane decided to return to the house hoping that maybe the girls had returned. She didn’t see them upstairs but hoped maybe Sara had them downstairs. Upon entering the basement she saw two little girls wearing only huge T-shirts staring at the machine. One was maybe 5 and the other maybe 7...maybe!

’Mommy.... Suzi got in the machine and now all there is is a pile of clothes!’ Glo said while pointing to a pile of Suzi’s clothing.

Sara put her hand over her mouth in order to hide her snickering.

’What have you girls done!?! You did too much!’ Jane cried out as she ran into the machine searching thru the clothing.

 

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