New Outlook Inc.

Chapter 1
Chapter 1

Cindi sat down and glared at her mother. They’d just driven a few hours to some out of the way town and were now in some strange room in a very unusual building. All Cindi knew was that her mother, Millicent, would not take ’no’ for an answer. She had to come! Millicent wouldn’t tell Cindi what the trip was all about except that if she ever wanted to be able to date again that she’d better come.

Cindi was 16 and a typical rebellious teen with a smart mouth. Long blond hair and an athletic body. Her mother was only 33 and was young enough to still relate to what Cindi was going through. She was also blond and would sometimes be mistaken for Cindi’s older sister when she dressed ’young’ and wore her hair down. She knew that if Cindi didn’t mature quickly she’d be in the same boat Millicent had been in when she was her age... pregnant with a disappearing father!

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A young woman had led them into this room and had given Millicent a clipboard to fill out. She left as Millicent went over the document. After getting to the end she clipped the pen under paper onto the clipboard and looked up at Cindi.

’I know you wonder what this is all about. I’ve been telling you that if you didn’t straighten up soon you’d find yourself in trouble and I’ve not seen anything to make me think that you’re going to get on the right track without a push....’

Cindi stopped her ’HEY! You’re not like committing me and locking me in this place are you? No way!’

’No, honey.... nothing like that. We’ll both be leaving in a little while. Really, I got the idea when your teacher made you take care of that egg like it was a baby’

’Great! Pycho babble time. I get to see a shrink!?’

’No, no, no, no! This place isn’t like that either. They’re kind of ummmmmm selective. They keep a low profile too. Rich people have to pay and then they aren’t all accepted. And they also do some free and discount work if they deem you worthy. I was lucky... they thought we were worthy. Of course it’ll only be temporary just so you can understand....’

’Temporary? What?’ Cindi asked sounding equal parts annoyed and curious.

’You’re going to have to take care of a child!’ Millicent told her boldy ’Not a chicken egg but a real child!’

’Geezzzzzzzz great’ Cindi replied sarcastically ’And where will this kid come from?’

’Right here!’ her mother said with a smile as she stood up and slowly twirled around.

Cindi just stared. She was more than a little confused. She thought back to her pychology class and some role reversal and role playing things that they did. ’What a crock...’ she thought ’It ~is~ psycho babble!’.

Before Cindi could complain anymore the young woman reappeared and asked Millicent to follow her.

’Time for phase one’ she told Millicent as she led her away.

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Cindi stared at the blank, sterile walls. She couldn’t believe her mother was putting her through this. Of all the things she could be doing on a Saturday and she had to be stuck here! After a short while the door re-opened and Millicent bounded back into the room.

’I’ll let that settle in and then I’ll be back for you’ The young woman told her as she left them alone again.

Millicent hopped into a chair and gave Cindi a look.

Cindi surveyed her mother who looked the same except for acting a little giddy. ’So are we ready to start the game now?’ she asked.

’Game? As if!’ Millicent shot back ’Like, you’re gonna see! This isn’t a game. I’m going through with this so you can get a clue!’

For the first time Cindi noted some arrogance in her mother that she’d never saw before. It was in her body lanquage and attitude more than anything.

’This is stupid! You’re always trying to tell me what to do!’ Cindi whined.

’~Right~’ Millicent replied sarcastically.

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The woman re-entered and once again asked Millicent to follow. Cindi waited and stewed. ’This isn’t fair!’ she thought to herself ’It’s just silliness!’

More time ticked off the clock and with each minute Cindi grew more frustrated. Finally, Millicent returned with the woman.

’We’re about done, honey’ she told Millicent as she headed for her seat. ’I’ll be back. You be good’

Millicent eyed the room all around. Almost as if she hadn’t seen it before.

’So when does this..... game...... start?’ she asked her mother who was twirling her hair around her finger.

’It’s not a game! I told you!’ Millicent answered. ’You’re gonna be sorry!’ she added.

Her body lanquage had changed. She didn’t seem arrogant anymore. She swung her feet back and forth and her attention seemed to wander.

’OH....Wait! We’re _already_ playing?’ Cindi asked ’Good job, mother! You do kinda act like kid!’

’Ummmmm I don’t think you should call me that no more’ Millicent offered.

’Call you what?’

’Mom’ Millicent replied.

’Oh? And why not? Does that mess up the game?’

’No...... ummmmmmm cuz I don’t think I ’member how to be mommy no more’

Cindi shook here head and sighed. She could tell her mother was trying to act even more like a little kid. ’OK, whatever...If you wanna pretend to be a kid and make a fool out of yourself be my guest! What do you want to be called then?’

Millicent stuck her lower lip out and answered softly ’I’m Millie and I’m not a FOOL!’

Her face seemed to twist up, ready to break out into tears at any moment.

Again the woman entered the room.

’Millie, what’s wrong?’ she asked.

’She said I was a fool!’ Millie answered pointing accusingly toward Cindi.

Cind rolled her eyes back in her head.

The woman looked toward Cindi and said ’I’m sure she was just joking. She didn’t mean it.... did you?’

’No... whatever.’ Cindi said icily.

The woman led Millicent away again. Cindi wondered what more surprises they were going to add to the game this time. When Millie returned she looked the same. She was holding the woman’s hand and smiling. She had a lollipop in her mouth and the stick danced from side to side.

’Millie can go now. Normally we prefer you to stay here until the physical process begins but considering your drive and how worried your mother was about you driving on the interstate at rush hour we bent that rule a bit. There are still some mental changes taking place that will need to continue until they reach the point where they trigger the bio process which completes the final phase. According to my paper we should see you in a week. Good luck! Bye Millie!’

’Bye Bye’ Millie said to the woman.

Before Cindi could ask anything the woman was gone.

’I wanna go home!’ Millie whined immediately.

’Well, you got the keys!’ Cindi told her ’I’m grounded! Remember? ’

’uhhhhhhhhhh I don’t ’member how to drive so you gotta!’ Millie answered ’I wanna go home!’ She grabbed her purse and handed it to Cindi.

Cindi fished the keys out and they headed to the car. ’So are you gonna keep this up when your friends come over?’

Millie shook her head ’no’ ’Do you think they’ll wanna play?’

Cindi was tiring of this already. ’C’mon...let’s go!’

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Millie sat quietly at first and watched the billboards go by. ’Look, 160 miles to home!’

’Yeah...~great~’ Cindi replied.

Millie continued watching the signs that lined the highway. Slowly she had trouble reading them. Although the car wasn’t going any faster Millie began having trouble having enough time to figure out what the signs were saying. After a short while they didn’t make much sense at all but she liked the pictures!

’Hey! Looky!’ she said excitedly ’Donalds! ’Donalds!’

Cindi looked ahead and saw the golden arches of a McDonald’s sign.

’I wanna go... I’m hungry!’ Millie whined. ’Pllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease’

’Oh .... Well....Uhhhh Hell, it’s your money. Sure!’ She said and quickly took the exit.

’Goody!’ Millie said clapping her hands.

’Are you gonna keep this up in there?’ Cindi asked incredulously.

’I’ll be good! I promise!’ Millie told her.

’Hey, it’s your game.....’ Cindi said as they pulled into a parking spot. They exited the car and Millie skipped to the door. Once inside they went to the counter.

’What do you want?’ Cindi asked her mother.

’Uhhhhhh a Happy Meal!’ she said ’with a pink toy!’

The girl behind the counter stared at them in shock. She wasn’t sure what to make of a grown woman acting so excited over a Happy Meal.

’Mam, I’m sorry. We’re out of the pink ones’

’But I wanna pink one!’ Millie said.

’We have blue I think’

’I don’t want blue..... I want pink!’

This went on a few minutes until Cindi offered to get her an ice cream cone if she’d take the blue toy. This worked. Cindi shrugged to the girl behind the counter and took their meals to a table.

The longer they sat at the table the more Millie played with her food. Cindi finally excused herself to go to the restroom and told Millie that she’d ’better eat her meal because when I come back we are leaving’. At this point Cindi was starting to like playing the game. Her mother was making a fool of herself and Cindi was getting to boss her around!

When Cindi returned from the restroom she got a shock. Millie was gone! There on the table was her half-eaten meal. On the floor was her shoes. Cindi looked around. She didn’t see her anywhere. She looked out the window toward the car but didn’t see her there. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of color like the same as the blouse her mother was wearing. Her mother was in the playground! She could see a couple of the little kids staring at woman as she slid down the slide squealing. A couple of restraunt patrons close to the playground also caught sight of her. As Cindi hurried to the playground she heard a couple talking.

’Teenagers! She’s probably on drugs!’ one of them said to the other with a sneer.

When Cindi got inside the playground she saw that it wasn’t her mother on the slide after all. It was a girl not much older than her.... and then she realized it was her mother! Only now she was a teenager!

’Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee’ she squealed as she slid down another time.

Cindi didn’t know what to do. ’Mothe..........Millie! Let’s go! C’mon.’ she ordered as she handed her her shoes. ’What the hell is going on?’ she asked as she hurried the girl to the car before anyone noticed her youthening.

’Huh? I was just playin’.’ Millie answered as she got in the car.

’But.... you’re ......~young~????’ Cindi said.

Millie squirmed to get comfortable finally putting her feet on the dash. ’Am I in trouble???’

’How? Is it still happening?.....’ Questions raced through Cindi’s mind as she hurried back onto the road. She remembered what the woman had said and now it all made sense. This wasn’t a game at all. It was very real! Her mother was turning into a little girl!!!!

’How much farther?’ Millie asked as they passed a sign with the distance on it.

’You didn’t see that sign?’ Cindi asked.

’Ummmm I couldn’t read it’ Millie told her.

Cindi was becoming a nervous wreck. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to take care of a little girl even if it was for only a week! ...But this was her mother and she couldn’t leave her with just anyone. She could see that her body was getting even younger. Probably no more than 17 now.

In all the excitement she had lost track of her speed. She only thought to check it when she saw red lights appear behind her!

’DAMN!’ she said as she pulled over ’Please, Millie, don’t talk! If he asks your name, tell him, but anything else let me talk. Just try not to say anything! Please!’

The policeman walked up to Cindi’s window. ’In a hurry?’

’I’m sorry officer. I just got distracted for a moment but I didn’t mean to speed!’ Cindi answered.

’Uh huh’ he said ’License and registration please’

She handed him the requested items and crossed her fingers.

’Who’s this pretty thing with you?’ the policeman said as he spied the older girl.

’I’m Millie’ she said before Cindi could answer.

Cindi adjusted her cleavage and smiled at the cop. He smiled back and went to his car. He returned with only a warning.

’You two pretty things better slow it down.’ he said and then gave Millie a wink.

The 14 year old winked back. The cop shook his head as he walked back to the car suddenly realizing he was hitting on a girl probably barely a teenager. ’Shit’ he mumbled to himself as he threw his sunglasses into the seat of his car ’I thought she was probably 18 when I first saw her!’

Cindi was very careful not to speed now. How would she ever explain that the 14 year old....13 year old was her mother? Millie’s clothing was hanging on her now. Her womanly attributes were just a memory now. Her teens were gone. She was a child now. Her feet slid off the dash as her legs grew too short to reach it. She sat up in the seat and her feet didn’t touch the floor. She shrank even more. Her clothing was now huge.

By the time Cindi reached the house Millie was a 5 year old!

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Inside the house the phone was ringing...........

 

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