Mommies and Daddies

Chapter 7: Bet Tales of the Sanctuary: Book 2 - Anger – LittleFallenPrincess       “Those… are definitely wings…” Jen said, as she stared at the enormous shining white wings protruding from my back. It felt so weird to have them out. But if I’m actually going to try flying… I kinda need them to be, otherwise I’m going to get real friendly with the pavement below. To say I was nervous was the understatement of the year. Maybe even the understatement of my life… right below the time when I asked Lucifer if everything was going to be okay if we rebelled and she replied with “Yeah, of course. Dad isn’t that petty. How bad could it be?” But I know that it’ll be fun. I have memories of flying and they’re always happy memories. But… It's like not riding a bike after decades of not cycling… you have memories of it but you still need to learn it again. Not that I’d know… I never learned how to ride a bike. I mean… What demon would need to? We learn to drive because humans love cars and it helps us get around. We don’t learn how to ride bikes. I mean isn’t it usually human Dad’s who teach their kids? Mine wasn’t the best tutor in general… “You’re in your head again. Get flying before I kick you off the edge of the roof myself and force you to learn… very quickly.” “Fine!” I whined back at her. Staring at the edge, I knew I had to do it. I’d be fine. It’s like muscle memory… right? Just that I haven’t flown in millenia… and I haven’t even had wings in that long either… and… and… FUCK IT! I ran full speed towards the edge of the roof.   I flapped my wings a bit. I could feel the wind blowing through my hair and on my face. But I couldn’t open my eyes. “You’re going to have to open them eventually… don’t want you steering into a building or anything…” a loud, roaring voice called out from below me. Huh? I opened my eyes to see a huge black-scaled dragon, the size of a bus, flying below me. She was gorgeous. “WHEN? HOW?” “I jumped off just after you, think of me as a sort of safety net. If you panic and fall, I’ll catch you.” “I… thanks…” Honestly, that was actually extremely reassuring and instantly eased my anxiety about flying. But here I was. Flying. Without help.  Looking around, now that I was feeling brave enough to keep my eyes open, I got the best view of the city I had ever witnessed, beating even the rooftop of the Sanctuary. This is beautiful. I’ll definitely have to take my friends for a fly around the city or something… …That is when I tell any of them. Because right now this is still some dirty little secret. Which is weird, considering… you know… they’re angel wings! They’re supposed to be divine, clean, pure… and to me they just feel shameful. Like a sign of bad things in my future. I’ve only told Jen and Lucy. And two of my sisters. That’s it. No one else knows. No one else can know. Not until I’ve figured out more about it, exactly what’s causing it, if it’s a good thing or a bad thing… and most importantly… if it’s going to replace my demonic features entirely. “You’re in your head again. Nia… focus,” Jen warned, with a much deeper, much more growly voice than she had just moments ago on the rooftop in her human form. Honestly though? Her dragon voice was just as hot as her human one. And damn did this girl look fucking badass as a dragon. “Right, sorry. Focusing.” Recalling the memories of me flying, at least the ones that I had regained since this all started, I felt my body adjusting to the gusts of wind and the weight of my body better. As if I was just recalling muscle memory from the days where I’d fly all the time. “Having fun?” Jen asked. “Yeah. I think I’m getting the hang of it again.” “Already? That was quick.” “That’s what she sai- I mean… I just needed to get back my muscle memory. Which apparently was locked away in my mind. Look… what… I… can… do!” And as I said that, I did a barrel roll, before plummeting downwards, speeding right past Jen’s large, scaly neck, diving headfirst to the ground below. “NIA!” she cried out. I could tell she was about to dive after me, so I cut short the showing off, pulling up and doing a loop, before thrusting forwards, back up to Jen’s altitude, where we hovered in place, miles up above the city. “Sorry.” “Don’t scare me like that! At least I can tell you’ve got a handle on things now. You no longer need me to be your safety net.” “Like I said, muscle memory.” I grinned over at her as we hovered on the spot. “Don’t get cocky, kid.” “Kid? I was flying before you were even born. I just… haven’t done it in a long time.” I don’t know where the newfound confidence was coming from. But hey… it seemed to make Jen grin. At least I assume that’s what a dragon grinning looks like. “How about we race then?” she suggested. “What are the stakes?” I asked. “If you win… I’ll wear a nappy.” “And if you win?” “You talk to Michael about what’s going on with you.” “Oh you’re evil…” “Says the demon…” “Fine. I accept the terms. Where are we racing?” “Race to the ocean to the south, then back to the Sanctuary. First one to grab a fistful of sand from the beach, then land on the Sanctuary roof again wins.” “Agreed. So… you calling it?” “Yup. Ready?” she asked, so I nodded back, grinning at her. “Three… Two… One…”   I was on my way back to the Sanctuary, fistful of sand in my hand… and I was miles ahead. Jen was fast, but our wings appeared to have the same strength, so with me weighing a lot less… I was able to fly much quicker. I definitely caught a large lead when she had to turn after grabbing her sand, as her turning circle was much larger than mine. She had to bank and turn, whereas I did like professional swimmers do and just turned on the spot, shooting back in the direction I came. So I was pretty confident I was going to win. And I was never ever going to let Jen live it down once I’ve seen her in a nappy. She knew I’d agree to those terms because… well… It's me! Oh this was going to be sweet… ♪ I'm done hidin', now I'm shinin' ♪ FUCK! NOT NOW! I scrambled for my phone, hastily searching my pocket so I could answer it, all whilst flying… and I nearly plummeted thirty feet doing so. “Hello?” “Nia?” “Hey Mummy…. Hi… uh… what's up?” “Nia where are you? It sounds awfully windy!” Vic replied, sounding concerned. Fuck. Lie your arse off, Nia! She can’t know. “Just driving with my sister.” “Lucifer? Or one of your other ones?” “Yeah, Luci. Just going for a drive, getting to know each other.” “I was told you were at the Sanctuary…” “I was… she picked me up there.” “Well I need you back home. As soon as possible.” “Why? What’s up? You sound stressed. Did something happen?” I asked. “Wedding planning. I need your input. And maybe your succubus abilities to convince them to convince the venue to turn off the CCTV.” “Why do you need that?” “Because they’re human… and a lot of our guest list… well… aren’t?” “Oh shit… yes…” “Language, baby…” “Sorry!” “Can you tell Luci to pull over? I can barely hear you.” I angled my wings and came to a complete stop so I could have a proper conversation with my fiance. “Is that better?” “Much, thank you. Now… where were we?” “Venue. Seduction. You sure you want me to use my abilities like that?” “Well the witchy sisters are both busy, it seems, and I don’t know if their magic could work long term. But I know your succubus abilities do. So can you just… flirt a little with him?” “I love our weird relationship. Any other fiance would be warning me not to flirt with anyone, but here you are encouraging me to do exactly that so we can secure the perfect venue for our wedding.” “Because I trust you, babygirl.” Ouch. That hurts. Sure, I would never cheat on her, but when I’m flying in place above a small little town using the wings I still haven’t told her about… I feel like I’m betraying her. I just have to keep telling myself it’s for her own sake. Because she will overreact. She’ll go into panic mode and assume the worst. Once I’ve figured out what’s happening, and if I can stop it… I’ll tell her. “Fine. I’ll be home in like…” At that moment, a large figure zoomed past me. “FUCK.” “What is it, baby?” asked Vic, sounding concerned. “...Nothing. I’ll be home in about twenty minutes. See you then,” I sighed, knowing there was no chance I was going to finish this call then catch up with Jen in time. Not this close to Sanctuary. I had lost. Fuck. “Will Luci drop you off? It’d be lovely to see her again. You should invite her in.” “She’s busy today, she’ll just drop me off by the gate and then she’s gotta go,” I lied. “Oh okay, maybe another time then. Okay baby, I’ll see you in twenty minutes. I love you!” “I love you too, Mama. See you soon.” I hung up the phone, slipped it back into my pocket, then sighed heavily. I guess I’m going to have to talk to Michael. At least… I never specified when I would. That’s the problem with making deals with demons, I guess…   As I landed on the rooftop of the Sanctuary, I could see Jen, in her human form, dancing a little happy dance because she won, throwing her fistful of sand up in the air in celebration. “I guess you win…” I sighed. “What made you stop?” she asked. “Vic called.” “Ooof. Look, normally, I would happily accept I would’ve lost and just hand you the win because of your misfortune… but I am not wearing a nappy. And you really do need to talk to your brother. So… speaking of… when are you going to talk to him?” “You never said when I have to. We never specified a time. And I already went a millenia without talking to him… I can manage another.” “FUCKING DEMONS. This is why I avoid deals with you. You’re worse than the fae.” “Nuh uh! Fae are way worse.” “Not in my experience,” Jen shrugged. “You have experience with them? I guess dragons would have some links…” “They were exceptionally nice to me. You, you little brat, haven’t. You better talk to your brother the next time you see him at least.” “I’ll just avoid talking to him then,” I replied, grinning at her. “Look, you’re buying me a winner's drink then I’m getting back to work. And I’m going to make it expensive. You can afford it, especially considering your ‘Mummy’ is loaded.” “I will buy you a drink, but not right now. Sadly, that ‘Mummy’ needs me to go seduce the venue guy to make sure our existence isn’t made public to humans.” Jen just looked at me, bewildered. “...You better. God… your whole group is weird.”   After promising to Jen that I would talk to Michael the next time I see him, and also promising her a drink sometime, I launched myself off the rooftop of the Sanctuary again, heading in the direction of the Manor. I made sure to land outside the gates, away from Vic’s own CCTV, and walked up to the large iron gates, jumping over them in one swift leap, before running up the path to the Manor I called home, to get to my fiancée in time… before I earned myself a spanking.               ===================================================== If you want to read a month in advance (that's 8 chapters), or just want to support me and my writing, you can do so through Subscribestar! Subscribers get 4 weeks (8 chapters) early access to chapters, and exclusive short stories (Nessa's Tale is currently the only available one). ======================================================== I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Please leave likes and comments and all that fun stuff, I love reading them! If you want four weeks early access to my main story and also soon-to-be exclusive access to short stories, why don't you check out my SubscribeStar?  Thank you to all my subscribers for their support over the past few years! Seriously, your support means the world to me. New chapters of my latest story every Wednesday/Sunday!  Also just a quick note: I don't mind people saving this story for personal reading. But I'd appreciate it if people didn't post it elsewhere, even if you're just suggesting it to other people. If you want to show others, please send them a link to the first page of this post. And it goes without saying, my story is not  to be used in any way to create AI work. Thanks! 

I'm so excited. Me and mummy are going to stay with our ABDL friends for a few days.  I get to play with another baby and mummy can have adult company when we are put to bed. They have a guest room with a crib for me. I'll share some pics soon. 

Chipmunk 

I'm aware that the foster mom thinks Heather is an Amazon baby. That's why I pointed out that Katie, an actual Little, would be a good story for you to write since the foster mom thought she was an Amazon toddler.

Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay everyone. I don’t want this to become a habit but yesterday was rough. Multiple pieces of bad news arrived, and writing felt way too much of a life to finish this chapter out in any way ever close to what I wanted it to be. Plus, I guess I missed the day in school where they warn you not to run when the air quality is bad. Oops. One hacking session later, I’m much better and I was able to finish this chapter out. Not as long as I was thinking or as long as the first chapter, but I also wanted to dive into the camp for a moment, and I knew exactly where I wanted to end here. And moving forward, some of the chapters might vary greater in their various lengths because I want to end on points that drive the plot forward. Reading some of my past stories, each felt more like a conclusion. Which is fine, but doesn’t always draw you readers in. Now… last but not least and as usual, I hope everyone enjoys this first chapter of my story! Chapter 2: Trust But What Is This Feeling? “A commune?” Dwayne questioned me. “Are you serious? What the shit is this, Miles? You trying to get us to join some cult or something?” I looked at my friends and coworkers, and to my chagrin, I saw each look at me with doubt and skepticism over my proposed option. “Look… I know it may be unconventional, but I don’t think we can last out here. I mean… look at us now…” Each of us then casually looked in the nearby glass of the office at our own reflections… each showing that we had already dropped a number of years since being hit with the so-called Orange Mist. Wrinkles had almost disappeared. Gray hairs now reverted to dark or blonde patches of hair. The change was undeniable. “And so, what of it?” Leo asked, his fingers briefly curling in his now thicker and most solidly blonde hair. Gone was the aging manager and to stay was a youthening man of forceful ego and renewed strength. “This thing is still unknown. For all you know, we could have gotten the slow and ranging type. We could end up as teenagers and have decades more now to make even more money.” “I agree with Leo,” Dwayne added, his brown-nosing still unceasing even these days. Brian remained quiet beyond the few shuffles he made when looking at the pamphlet. I glared at the two obstinate members of the group. “Okay… then why put your money and this whole company in this trust? If you really think you’re going to be teenagers… why do it at all?” They were silent for a moment. “It’s just good business sense…” Leo noted, though now lacking his usual conviction. “It doesn’t hurt to be prepared… just in case.” I didn’t like that answer one bit. “Fine…” I pushed the now solitary pamphlet toward Leo and Dwayne. “So is this. Think of it as a vacation. We go until we bounce. If that’s in our teenage years, we can shoot at the archery range all the time. If that’s lower… they cater towards that as well.” I didn’t want to elaborate more on that particular note, but I knew from my own research last night that those types of services were offered if needed. Leo and Brian seemed more than willing… but Dwayne shoved the pamphlet back at me. “Screw this, Miles. I’ll be damned if I’m going to some camp in the middle of nowhere. This isn’t a plan… this is giving in.” Leo’s interested look faded and he turned glum. “I’m afraid he’s right, man. It’s an interesting idea, but… I just don’t see it working for us.” I turned to Brian… hoping I would have at least one friend on my wide. But he sighed as well. “I… I just don’t know, buddy. I… I like where your head’s at but… I just don’t think I can do this either…” It wasn’t the news I had been hoping for. I wasn’t expecting a celebration or anything, but I was hoping for a little more cooperation. Especially with what I had seen the night before, I thought that anything would be better than being snatched away. Sure, one could elect to go to one of the schools cropping up, but each of us was without a family. In a worst-case scenario, and we dipped below puberty… the law seemed to be pushing that we would be required to be placed with a legal guardian. Camp Commune at least gave options for that if it ever came to that scenario. “Fine…” I snatched the pamphlet back. “If you all won’t choose this today… then I’m not signing those forms. Maybe… just maybe tomorrow you’ll all change your minds…” Just as I stormed out, I heard Dwayne mumble out one last time. “Doubt it…” I wasn’t fuming by the time I got back to my own office, but I wasn’t in the best mood either. ‘Stupid people… they stay out here and they’ll be nabbed. And that ass… Dwayne would probably hit worse of all of them. Probably smack someone in the head when they called him cute… idiots!’ “I take it your meeting didn’t go well?” Martha, my secretary, asked as I strolled back and opened my office door. I sighed and shook my head. “Not one of them took a bite, Martha. I just… they seemed interested, but Dwayne shot them down both times with his own little quips. Typical…” Martha smiled and piled a stack of papers on my desk. “I’m sorry to hear that, Miles.” We were very informal by now and while Dwayne and Leo found that strange, I liked how open she became after that. More than once, I felt the company was saved by that dynamic. “Maybe they just need to think on it.” She smirked. “You never know what might pop up in the next day or so…” “Maybe…” I sighed and looked over the forms in front of me. “Now… what are these?” For the next few hours, I alternated between signing forms of new acquisitions and other various papers pertaining to the ARV. With more than a little in my bank accounts and tied to several assets, I wanted to act this morning before ARSED hit me out in the streets randomly. If they wished, I could have been taken last night almost as easily as Simon was. The trust my friends and coworkers wanted me to sign was more for the company. These forms were more for my life… and what came after.      But soon enough, it seemed that Martha’s prediction proved to be accurate. It started with a little distant yelling from down the hall. I peaked out and looked and saw an arm wave in front of the closed glass door. “Hmmm… wonder what that could be.” “I think it’s Cynthia and Mr. Stios,” Martha speculated. “Those two have gotten… close.” I narrowed my gaze. “And what is that supposed to mean?” I knew Martha and that she knew practically everyone in the building by now… and more importantly, their secrets. “Oh… I don’t like rumors,” she toyed. “But…” “And I don’t care!” Cynthia huffed after throwing her hands up and storming out Dwayne’s door. In seconds she was storming past. “Evening, Cynthia!” Martha greeted her cutely. Cynthia only grumbled and kept marching away until she was out of view. “Okay… yeah, something’s happening there…” Even I could tell that now. I had seen enough angry woman storm away from me before. She was either furious because of something that Dwayne said or did. And knowing him though, it was probably a little of both. But… I also saw something more on her face. It was only for a split second, but I swore I saw something almost like… disgust… maybe even satisfaction. ‘Hmmm… what happened between those two?’ I then saw Dwayne standing at the door, both mortified and disheartened. “Everything okay, Dwayne?” His broken face turned into an angry glare. “Mind your own damn business, Miles!” He then stomped back into his office and slammed his door. “Yeah… that nearly confirms it,” Martha mused, stroking her chin. “What? What confirms it?” I asked her. “The two are close… maybe it was just a fight between boss and secretary? With everything going on… stress is running amuck around here…” Martha shook her head. “No. What we saw… that’s a breakup fight. Cynthia’s pissed and he’s ashamed. Something more to it, but I would bet my holiday pay on it.” She paused and wrote something down at her desk. “Besides… I heard that’s happening with a lot of ARs these days.” For the first time in years, I was silently happy I was currently single. It’s not that I wanted that life, but I really just never made time for it, always feeling there was more of it to come. And then, before I knew it, I was in my mid-40s. Thing is, now… I think I have that extra time back in my life. I sighed and looked at Martha. The whole incident with Cynthia reminded me of something I should have done the day after I came back to the office once Martial Law had been dropped. “You know… I wanted to thank you for all your help in these past three weeks since… well, that day. I’ve been distracted and you’ve helped me every step of the way. So… I just wanted to let you know, especially with… whatever happens next.” Mattha smiled back at me. “You’re welcome, but…” Her smile faded and she winced. “What happens next? I thought… I thought you all hadn’t made a decision about that.” I shook my head. “We haven’t. Likely, the company will still continue with an appointed intern manager in each of our positions. If things go bad, they will then become permanent to ensure the future of this company and all your roles here. This hit us… the last thing we want is for you all to be hit as well.” I paused and saw her drawn and hopeful face looking back at me. “But with so many unknowns and with me maybe leaving here soon… forever, I just wanted to tell you how much of a help you’ve been these past weeks… and even more before then. Even if nothing happens in the long-term… I still felt you deserved to hear it from me personally.” She trembled a little and I saw a faint mist begin building up in her eyes. “You’re welcome, Miles. I…” She paused and placed her hand on her chest. “Thank you for being the good boss that you were… are.” That ‘were’ wasn’t a slip of the tongue. With so much still up in the air, my position could potentially be waiting for me even if I decided to go on my own to Camp Commune. And that was the hopeful dreamer residing within me. That side of me looked to the future and imagined a whole new lease on life I could have. Some got hit with ARV and regressed into their 20s and then stopped. Now, they were going to parties and running marathons. People with diseases had been cured as they regressed. But the other part of me, the realist, knew those odds were long. Most cases meandered along, and now, many who had a slightly faster regression than my friends and coworkers were dipping below preschool. Already, advertisements lined the streets for modified daycares and training programs for those that needed extra assistance into adapting to their new lives. But more and more, those dipping below preschool needed help like their age made them appear to need. Some even began to forget their old lives. I shook my head, trying not to go to those potential dark places. As a manager here, I was bound to think of all scenarios and prepare for them the best I could. I saw Martha with a tear rolling down her cheek. I reached out and patted her hand. “It’ll be okay, Martha. I promise. It will just be a little… different around here lately. I’m sure my intern manager will be just as good as I was here.” She nodded and smiled as she wiped away the cascading tear. “Yes. If you hire them, I know they will. I just… I don’t like change…” I sighed. “Neither do I. But maybe… everything will turn out fine and be okay, right?” She smiled back at me and after a little more cajoling, she eventually got back to work, filing a series of memos and more paperwork for me to sign after my next meeting. As I sat down at my desk, I saw my diploma on the wall and the awards I had received while working here. Pictures showed happy times and successes, and I didn’t want to give any of the life I had created here up. But once more, the realist in me reared its ugly head in my life. Looking down, I noticed a single scar I had received when I was 31 had completely vanished. *              *              * I strolled into work the next day, taking the beautiful and scenic route I sometimes took when the weather was calm, and the temperature wasn’t too hot or cold. The bird chirped and a gentle breeze ruffled through my clothing. I smelled an oak fire burning from a nearby breakfast eatery that made their own bread each morning. It all reminded me of camping and of Camp Commune once more. The night before, I had come home and after having seen the scar on my hand disappear, I made sure to email or call all my surviving relatives. My parents had both passed now. Such was life with older parents and just naturally getting older yourself. Time, at least before ARV, caught up with everyone. Seeing a billboard for an ARV daycare downtown though… that notion wasn’t as universal. And after most of them understood, either from the news, or even personally in their own lives, I felt resolved to look to my future once more. Camp Commune, even after more research, seemed the ticket to me. Funded by the government, it covered acres of forested land to the west of the city. Daily activities were broken into various sections, like aquatics or the shooting range, and each age bracket was given certain privileges. They even emphasized they pushed the limits where possible and so easily, eight-year-olds might actually wield a bow and arrow. That was nice and seemed a fair deal, but by far the biggest bonus, beyond the nature and freedom of it all away from the city, was that ARs would be monitored and never turned into ARSED. Needs would be met as they arrived and placement would occur afterward and only with reviewed and qualified caregivers if that need arises too. People like Dwayne might just want to stick their head in the sand about needing something like that… but not me. So, with a sigh, I entered my office building… fully ready to sign the trust for the company and leave within the week. “Miles…” Leo greeted me as I walked once more into our morning meeting together. Next to him were an apprehensive Brian and a brooding Dwayne. A second later, Leo pushed the thick document for the trust to me. “I think we need to talk and…” I held my hand up. “I will sign it. But last night, I came to the decision… I’m going to the camp with or without you all. After seeing ARSED… I think I want that type of security in my life. I just… I hope you all can understand and if I need to go alone I will. But I just hoped that you all would and frankly, I think you all are…” “Miles!” Brian shot out before looking at me intently after leaning over the table. “Hold it! Leo has something to say…” I looked at Leo. He calmly nodded and gestured to the stack of documents he had previously pushed to me. “We’re going with you. We signed the trust and we wanted to tell you that this morning. We’re all going. I… well, I won’t speak for Brian or Dwayne… but we all have our reasons to go.” I looked at Dwayne who remained as curiously and suspiciously silent as ever. “Oh… I, uh, I guess we’ll go together then…” I chuckled. “I guess I got a little carried away there, huh?” Leo and Brian smiled. “Maybe a little…” Leo smirked. “But maybe rightly so. See… when I went home last night, I remembered all the time I went fishing as a kid with my dad. Always liked it and I saw they have morning classes for all groups until the last one apparently. Hard to pass that kind of thing up.” No one dared comment on the ‘last’ group… the youngest of the five. “And I always loved the campfires and the songs when I was a Boy Scout,” Brian noted wistfully. “Think they’ll be there?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. I saw campfires online, but… why not a few songs to go along as well?” I wanted to know why Dwayne was going as well… but he remained pensive and rigidly silent, only occasionally shifting his glance towards the rest of us. I saw his name was affixed to the document of the trust in front of me, but I secretly suspected he was going because Leo was going. For someone who hated every bug on the planet, I could only sigh as I signed the trust myself in nervous anticipation for him tagging along with us. Whatever happened next, I felt would surely be an adventure to remember. *              *              * It turns out, folding up your life after 40 or 50 years building it up is a lot harder than anyone was willing to admit to when all this started. Stocks, leases, insurance, wills, trusts, money accounts, and subscriptions… and the storage of all those acquired nicknacks from over the years. Yes, if we were teenagers, our grandmother’s serving dish could come in handy eventually. But if we dipped below preschool? My boxed childhood memorabilia seemed more appropriate… “One month…” Leo noted worriedly as he stood in front of us and waited for the bus like the rest of the group that had gathered at the local bus depot out of town. “We’re not back in one month and our interns become permanent.” “We’re not back in one month… then it won’t matter to us…” Dwayne pointed out bitterly. I had to use my fingers but consider that most of us had dropped roughly 20 to 30 years in three weeks, a month more and most of us would be below 10 years old. ARV affected people differently and sometimes the virus would speed up once dipping below 30 and then slow drastically once an AR hit 8 years old or younger. A lot of that was speculation still… but looking around at the various ages accompanying us, I still felt like an old man. Seeing one with a fish stuffed in his backpack, I silently viewed him with anxiety as a look into our potential future. “I just can’t believe we need to be on a bus with people like… that.” He gestured with a huff to a nearby fellow bus rider, currently sporting a Pokémon T-shirt and almost knee-high socks. His brushed hair and his general put-together appearance made him stand out in the crowd… almost like someone had picked out his outfit and helped him dress already. For me though, I was more worried about Dwayne’s attitude. His bitterness toward this whole thing over the past four days of prep work was already becoming annoying. The added stress of regression just felt like an extra burden of a ticking time bomb until one of us lashed out at him. “Oh, relax,” Leo noted, trying to once again be our leader and calm Dwayne down. “Virus affects us all. Besides… kids got someone here who cared for him. Can’t fault a guy for having that in their life, right?” Dwayne grumbled and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I guess not…” A moment passed and just as the bus pulled into the parking lot up ahead, Brian got a puzzled look over his face. “Hey… where are all the girls at? This isn’t just a boy’s camp, is it?” I shook my head. “No. There are women… they just go to a different location. Apparently, we might see them occasionally at some dinners and the evening campfires.” “Oh…” I could immediately sense his disappointment. I could have commented more on it, but I just shuffled it off as the bus finally pulled up to a creaking stop and a hiss from the tires. Soon, an overweight driver got us and greeted everyone quickly. “Morning, everyone!” she welcomed eagerly, a slight cloying tone behind her words. “I’m so excited to meet you all. My name is Miss Davis. I’m your bus driver. Might not see me too much after today… but you never know! I also drop off supplies on Tuesdays and Thursdays.” She then went to the side of the bus and popped open the underside storage compartment. “Now, line-up, and if you have any luggage you want to stow under here, hand it to me, but no matter what… come to me before you get on the bus!” One by one, like some elementary kiddy line to be served lunch, we all lined up. Looking ahead of me, I did find it a little unnerving at the huge disparity in ages. A few were like my friends and coworkers and I… mid-30s at worst. Others looked like they would be more at home using this bus to head onto elementary school. For them and their childish voices and antics, I felt that had already begun to slip… “Name?” Miss Davis questioned me. “Miles Bosch…” I answered. “B… O…” “Yes,” she confirmed quickly. “I see you right here. Only so many of you this trip… and there’s only one Miles on here. But thank you, honey!” She flashed a smile as she checked my name off. In that moment, I felt like I was ten years old again and someone was praising me for the local spelling bee and getting a word correct. It put a weird feeling in my stomach, but I quickly moved on without complaint. The last thing I wanted was to draw any attention to myself. Getting on the bus last of the group though, I saw that my seat choice had already been made for me with Dwanye and Leo predictably sitting about ten rows back and Brian sitting eagerly right behind them. When I got closer, he scooted over and smiled back at me. “You can sit here, Miles.” I grinned, trying to push past another peculiar feeling of going to school as a kid. The bus was even yellow and rounded like the old buses they used to use back then to ferry us to school. I didn’t regret my decision to come to Camp Commune, but that blasted feeling in the pit of my stomach wasn’t going away. It was almost like it knew the inevitability of what was happening to us and preparing us for it. The bus then hummed to life. “And off we go!” Miss Davis shouted gleefully as if we were on a field trip and we were about to see a museum or go to the zoo. The fact that we were on this bus and regressing didn’t help the matter much. And being the type of city that it was, taking a highway west out, the tall skyscrapers that had become my home over the past few decades began to slip by. Monuments of steel and concrete… known for their rigidity, I then realized had almost felt like castle walls protecting me from the harsh reality of the outside world. There, I always felt small and no matter how tall I was, that would always be the case. Our bus then bumped further along the short road out of the city and into the countryside. With each truck, or outdated piece of equipment from 50 years ago, and then every sign and advertisement for fresh grown peaches, or corn, I sensed that we were on a trip to yesteryear. It was the break from the modern world and the problems associated with it that I wanted. In the cities, they are still cleaning up the wreckage of downed choppers and tanks, and the accidents that piled up when so many suddenly regressed so quickly. Moving away from all that, I quickly felt my mind coming to a rest at last. There is no business email pressing down on my shoulders… no corporate dealings or meetings or documents that need to be signed in triplicate. Despite all those posters everywhere or what those protestors at the capital are trying to imply about us ARs, I can do my job, and I can be a productive member of society. I am an adult and I am strong and independent. The thinning outline of my hair at my temples may have disappeared, my future may be unknown, but I am still an adult. I will say that until the last of my breath leaves me. I remember who I am and I remember all my life. My 30s and 40s were not some distant dreams to me. I went through those hardships and through those life experiences whereas what I currently look like was more interested in chasing girls and popping open a cold beer at the end of the day. All that is true, but here… I feel I can let all that go. “Funny scarecrow, huh?” a younger AR then asked me from my right side. “Huh?” I questioned before he then pointed to a series being sold at some old country store on the side of the road. Their faces are contorted into various smiles and frozen expressions of neutrality, ready to fend off the crows from picking around the fresh crops. “Oh… yeah. Funny.” “Remind me of those Saturday morning cartoons back in the 70s… remember those?” he questioned. “Uh… little before my time. Only 46… before, uh…” I paused as I saw a brief blush over his face. “Oh, you know…” Being an AR could mean all sorts of ages. At minimum, if he remembers the 70s, he’s at least 50… probably older. “Oh… sorry…” he apologized. “You just never know. Sometimes, we’re all so mature looking and then other times… oh!” In a second, he hid his face away. I looked out the window where he was clearly looking when he suddenly panicked just then. I had noticed the change in scenery before. Passing out of towns and suburbs, right as Brian dozed off and Dwayne and Leo seemed to be whispering like two schoolgirls in front of us, I had looked out my window at the changing world around me. Instead of tall and populous buildings, I was confronted with the coming summer crops and blossoming of buds on numerous trees on the increasingly rustic and narrow road. Now, an hour later though, we deeper into the countryside and we were starting to hit bumps, while the highway had devolved into a single lane coming and going from where we were headed. So, looking out now, unsettlingly, I felt dread as well as some of the trees began to twist around us and some even appeared dead or deformed. The pamphlet promised beauty and this… this was not that. This looked like something more from a Grimm fairy tale… and not the kinds with smiles and kisses but cut-off toes and death. A creeping sensation began to crawl up my spine I couldn’t quite explain. And more, around us, rows of half-formed corn and potatoes and other such crops to be fed to local communities and beyond. It was a scene from so much of the countryside elsewhere, but ahead and intermingled with more gnarled trees, we faced a thicket of brambles and branches and darkness. The woods beyond seemed to dangle down with claws and arms ready to snatch us up if we entered. Younger me would have been afraid to go in there… like the AR on my right. The woods were a place of scary things and unknown to those with a younger mindset. They were places where you needed a flashlight or fire or a prayer to save yourself. The characters I read in my books back then feared the woods. Witches and monsters and goblins lived there. Children didn’t come back out unless they were smart or lucky. I felt like a scared child before quickly reminding myself that they were all just stories. “Hey…” I tried to reach the AR on my right. “No worries. Just some odd trees are all. Nothing to worry about out there except maybe a bear or something…” But the AR only hid further as some low dipping trees began to scrape the sides and top of the bus. “Huh?” Brian stirred awake to the loud noises above and below him. “W… we there yet?” I shook my head. “No… just some creepy trees…” “Creepy…” Brian’s eyes opened wide and I saw his knuckles grow white as both his hands gripped the seat backing in front of him. “Oh!” “Almost there everyone!” Miss Davis called out from the front. “Hitting Claw Forest now.” “Claw Forest?” Dwayne questioned skeptically. “Really? What? Is it next to bloody lake?” Miss Davis gave him a forced laugh. “Oh, nonsense. The forest is just named after the Claw family. Owns a lot of this area. Lot of descendants from the original settlers. Camp Commune is on their property.” I felt if it was a normal bus full of normal people, more might have been interested in those types of things… but this wasn’t a normal bus. Instead, it was full of ARs, who were clearly more interested as the bus approached the darkness of the opening into the woods ahead of us. I saw Brian and the AR to my right look pensive, but I also wondered if others were feeling the same, but as I looked around, I saw the faces of not emboldened youths but those of seemingly scared youngsters that were afraid of their own shadow. Granted, my regression wasn’t the slowest, but it wasn’t the fastest either. Based on what I could see, beyond my friends and I, it seemed to be a unique advantage because we were still us. We were still adults and had the normal responses to some creepy woods. Apprehension… but not fear. Still, despite our emboldened and older sensibilities, call it an instinct from the time man still painted on cavern walls or whatever, but as the bus was soon swallowed by the thicket and the vines, a little thought of dread began to creep in my mind. I could almost feel it whisper on the back of my neck. ‘I would return back now if I were you…’ I merely swatted it away and thought of peaceful lakes and crackling fires. But inside was dark and foreboding. Light seemed forbidden to enter here. The woods rustled with a peculiar shuffling of twigs and broken branches. One moment, I even swore I saw something yellow sticking out and following our movement. ‘Nah… totally my imagination. Just… trick of the light is all…’ I winced and just focused on the road ahead… twisting through the bramble and thicket of the woods. Surrounding us completely, they felt more like a wall of night and danger keeping us in. For a moment, I began to once more regret coming here. But not ten minutes later, we were on the other side… and what a difference. The woods parted gracefully, and though the gnarled branches and twisted husks still remained at our backs, in front of us was a peaceful valley and meadow opening onto a beautiful lake. Dots of cabins and long zig-zagged pathways interconnected each. Birds flew overhead and flowers, wild and planted, were strewn about and seemed to breathe life and beauty into every corner of the site. “Wow…” Brian breathed at last. “Guess that pamphlet wasn’t lying, huh, Dwayne?” He nudged our coworker who had been continually doubting this place since he had heard about it. Dwayne only could grumble and press out himself to view the outside world. Coming to the camp and stopping with yet another screech, the quaint buildings that greeted us looked sturdy and yet rustic. They reminded me fully of my summers spent long ago on various overnight camping trips, each filled with me gazing up at the stars after a warm and filling meal in the mess hall. I could practically smell the campfires that awaited us nearly every night here. As the dust settled from the singular gravel lot in front of one of the larger buildings though, I began to see a version of camp life I did not expect to connect with. Throughout my life, with few exceptions, I always attended camp with those of my age or at most, within a decade. As I pressed my face to the glass of the window over Brian’s shoulder and similarly pressed face to better take in our surroundings, I saw a community not of adults, but of ages ranging all over the place. Not unlike the bus, I see some that are younger than our group and some that are older… but only by only a few years. Seeing those ARs which would be charitably called elementary aged, my pride and maybe even fear kicked in. I refused to believe that those young minds and bodies could ever be me again… especially as one picked his nose and another seemed to waddle suspiciously around the cabin labeled ‘crafts.’ Seeing it all so clearly, despite knowing what I was getting into, it was the stuff of myth and nightmare, but also now very much a reality of our world. “Alright!” Miss Davis announced at the front, standing up to face us. “Everyone off the bus. Welcome starts in about five minutes and I’ll be leaving here in four.” She mumbled the next part… but I still heard it. “Don’t want to be goin’ through those woods at night…” Before I could ask, she was out the door and quickly unloaded any items that anyone had brought with them. For me, I had a simple backpack. Like most others, it was filled with pictures of family, friends, two books, and a simple blanket… one that I had brought with me camping numerous times. And like she had stated, even less than four minutes later, Miss Davis was screeching away. When the dust settled again, a tiny tot dressed in khakis with yellow trim, probably no older than three, came hurdling out of the dust and straight for us… bumping into my legs in a full panic. “Woah!” Having grown up with more than a few nieces and nephews, I didn’t grimace like Dwayne did, but I was still a little surprised. “Hey there, little buddy…” I patted his back awkwardly. “You lost or…?” “Monsters!” he shouted up at me, tears running down his face. “Monsters in the woods! No trust! No trust! Monsters! Monsters!” “Mon…” A light bulb then went off in my head. “Oh… monsters. Yeah… very scary those things.” The mental regression of younger ARs had been well established by the time of our arrival at camp. It was a tragedy and something that had influenced nearly half of the legislation passed by Congress lately, but it was undeniable to even the most ignorant of observers. “Bently?” a voice called out from a crowd of camp goers that had gathered nearby. “Bently… where are you?” Maybe instinctively, the AR at my legs crept behind them. I had to stop myself from smiling at his antics. I wasn’t exactly a bean pole… but my legs were also nowhere near close to cover up where he was currently hiding. If anything, I guess I was a shield to him… and maybe I did something wrong, but seeing his reaction, I knew this AR had to be Bently. I waved over to the lady looking for him. Looking relieved, she trotted over. “Thank you. Thank you so much. You know how these little ones get. The whole world becomes one scary place and big monsters are everywhere.” The AR still hid behind my legs, and looking down at him, with sheer abject terror in his eyes, he only said two things. “Monster… believe…” I saw such conviction… but monsters weren’t real and I could only sigh and give him a reassuring smile with a small little twist of my bud followed by a gentle encouragement back to his caregiver.   The whole way, he shook his head and began to cry. “No, no, no…” “Hey there…” the woman cooed. “Shhh… shh… it’ll be okay little one.” It didn’t help and even when the woman picked up the AR, he continued to cry and bitterly repeat without end just the one single word. “Monster… monster… monster…” The woman sighed and looked back at our group. “Sorry about him. Probably will bounce soon. You just never know what they see sometimes in their new bodies. I swear… if the woods looked like an alien, they would swear we were being invaded and were already surrounded. Just big imaginations leading to even bigger stories…” Dwayne chuckled at that… only causing the AR to bury their head in the woman’s shoulder, still visibly upset and now apparently ashamed. “Well, thank you for catching him,” she noted as she patted him on the back. “Enjoy your stay with us…” And with a warm and gentle smile, she turned away and walked back to one of the far cabins. “What do you think that was about?” Brian asked, looking slightly perplexed and nervous as he glanced back at the creepy woods that we had emerged from. “Maybe the woods are haunted!” Dwayne said, playing with the tone of his voice to sound spookier. “Monsters! Ooh!” Leo cracked a smile. “Good one, but… probably just his imagination, Brian. Monsters aren’t real, you know? Gotta remember that one here. Don’t want to be mistaken for someone younger because you believe in that sort of thing, right?” he questioned before pivoting around to look at the rest of the camp without a response. As Leo turned, still standing there yet now out of sight, Brian sneered back at him. I saw his frustration over the insult of being thought of as younger and patted my friend on his back. “No worries. Good question, but remember… lower the age, lower the mental awareness. Probably just read a storybook, right? Like that lady said… just stories.” Brian nodded at the reminder, looking a little relieved. “Right… gotta get used to that around here, I guess. I mean, it’s not like there are any real monsters lurking around beyond those disturbing woods, righ…?” “Hello everyone!” a new voice called out. Halting our conversation, Brian and I looked back to the larger cabin where the words had come from, and sure enough, a tall redhead stood on the balcony, a clear foot above everyone else, smiling down in a playful yet unhinged way. I might have been creeped out… but I had seen the same look from Miss Davis. ‘Must be just a thing around here…’ The new woman smiled and nodded before gesturing all around here. “I just want to say… Welcome! Welcome to Camp Commune!” Several of the group clapped. I kept my eye on this new woman. Maybe it was just coming from the woods or my paranoia with everything related to ARV… but she seemed suspicious and untrustworthy. I don’t even know why… I just didn’t trust her. And it was only the first six minutes of arriving here.