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Chapter 21: Homecoming The house felt too quiet, despite the comforting aroma of cinnamon and cloves Emily had simmering on the stove. Everything was in place for Abby’s Thanksgiving return – the table set, a pie cooling on the counter. But a knot of anxiety twisted in my gut, tighter than any holiday gathering had ever managed. This wasn’t just about family time; it was about navigating the minefield of my secret with Abby back under our roof. My secret. Our secret, a voice whispered, but I pushed it down, unwilling to acknowledge the shared responsibility, the web of complicity Emily and I had woven. The days leading up to her arrival had been a blur of preparation – cleaning, shopping, and a constant, low-hum of anxiety thrumming beneath the surface of our lives. The MegaDry diapers had become a fixture in our bedroom, a silent ritual Emily and I performed behind closed doors. But Abby’s return threatened to shatter this fragile normalcy, exposing the carefully constructed façade I'd built around my… condition. "Greg? You okay?" Emily’s voice, laced with a knowing concern that felt more like a weight than a comfort, startled me. I plastered on a smile. “Fine. Just… thinking.” Her hand rested on my arm, a silent reassurance that felt more like a brand, marking me as hers. "She'll be fine, Greg," she murmured, her voice soft but firm, a subtle reminder of the control she now held. "We've got this." I nodded, but the reassurance rang hollow. I didn’t have this. The crunch of tires on the driveway sent a jolt through me. “She’s here,” I breathed, my heart pounding against my ribs. We stood together in the doorway, a tableau of happy family reunion. Abby, duffel bag slung over one shoulder, seemed barely changed. But as she hugged us, a quick, perfunctory embrace, her gaze flicked past me, already searching for an outlet, a connection beyond the confines of this house. Her fingers tapped a silent rhythm against her thigh, a nervous energy that mirrored my own. “Hey, sweetie!” Emily’s hug lingered, a stark contrast to my fleeting touch. “Hey, Dad,” Abby’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, already distant, focused on the glow of her phone screen as she pulled it from her pocket. “Good to have you home,” I managed, the words sticking in my throat, the unspoken secret a barrier between us. Abby's fingers danced across her phone screen, her eyes alight with a vitality I hadn't seen in months. Each tap, each swipe seemed to widen the gap between us. Her occasional chuckle or soft gasp hinted at a rich tapestry of experiences I couldn't access – inside jokes forged in late-night study sessions, shared triumphs and failures, the raw, unfiltered reality of college life. I stood on the sidelines, a spectator to my daughter's evolving identity. Over hot cider in the living room, I tried to bridge the growing distance. “So, how’s school? That history class you were worried about – how’d that turn out?” “Fine,” she mumbled, her gaze fixed on her phone. A fleeting smile, a quick burst of laughter – a response to a text, a meme, a world I couldn’t access. Dinner was a strained performance. Abby’s stories were punctuated by the pings and vibrations of her phone, each interruption a subtle dismissal of our attempts to connect. She spoke of friends I didn’t know, of clubs and activities that seemed to exist in a separate universe, a universe where I, and my diapers, didn’t belong. As Abby disappeared upstairs with her duffel bag, I collapsed onto the couch, my nerves still jangling from her arrival. A carefully folded white rectangle on a basket of laundry caught my eye. My heart leaped into my throat, a sudden spike of panic making my palms sweat. A diaper? Had Emily left something out in the open? I lunged forward, my trembling fingers reaching to snatch it away before Abby could see. My mind raced with increasingly frantic scenarios - what if she picked it up, what if she unfolded it, what if she asked questions? I could already hear the imagined conversation: "Dad, is this a... wait, why do you have a diaper?" Just as my fingers were about to close around the white rectangle, I realized something. The fold was too crisp, the material too stiff. Squinting, I recognized the telltale plastic wrapping of a new tablecloth. Relief washed over me, quickly followed by a wave of self-disgust at my own paranoia. "Greg?" Emily's voice called from the kitchen. "Could you grab that new tablecloth I left with the laundry? Not going to have time to wash it so I'll just iron it." I picked up the package, my heart still racing from the momentary panic. When Emily walked in, she caught my expression and paused. "Everything okay?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. I must have looked ridiculous - frozen mid-reach, clutching the tablecloth like it was evidence of some terrible crime. The absurdity of the moment hit me, and a nervous laugh escaped me. "I thought... for a second..." I stammered, gesturing vaguely. Emily's eyes sparkled with understanding. "Let me guess," she said, her voice low so Abby wouldn't hear, "you saw white and immediately thought 'diaper'?" She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Honey, not everything rectangular and white is a diaper. Sometimes, it's just a tablecloth." The tension broke. I chuckled, feeling the last of the panic drain away. "I'm losing my mind," I admitted. "You're certainly losing something," Emily whispered, giving me a playful pat on the arm. "Your ability to distinguish household linens from personal hygiene products, apparently." As she took the tablecloth and headed to the ironing board, I couldn't help but shake my head. My secret was making me see diapers everywhere - even where they clearly didn't exist. Later, Emily's suggestion of a family movie night brought the simmering tension back to a boil. "Greg, honey, why don't you get comfy?" she said, a knowing glint in her eyes as she casually tossed a folded MegaDry onto the bed. My stomach clenched. "I'm not tired," I said, my voice a little too sharp. "I've got some work to catch up on." "But it's family movie night," Emily insisted, her smile unwavering, a subtle pressure in her tone. I could feel Abby's gaze on me, a silent question in her eyes. I shook my head, my cheeks burning. "Really, Em, I'm fine. Go ahead without me." I retreated to my office, the glow of my laptop screen a pale imitation of the warmth I craved, the warmth I'd denied myself. Through the office door, I could hear the soft murmur of their voices, the occasional burst of laughter, a symphony of connection that mocked my own isolation. From the top of the stairs, I watched the soft glow of Abby's phone illuminate her face. The hushed murmur of her and Emily's voices drifted up, punctuated by occasional laughter. My secret weighed on me like a physical presence, an invisible wall separating me from the warmth below. I took a step forward, then retreated, torn between the desperate need for connection and the paralyzing fear of exposure. The chasm of my deception yawned before me, a void too vast to bridge with lies, too treacherous to cross with truth. I remained frozen, guarding a secret that threatened to unravel the very fabric of our family. The next morning, I woke to the soft murmur of voices drifting down the hallway. My heart raced as I lay there for a moment, feeling the familiar bulk of the diaper still snug against my skin. The quiet conversation between Emily and Abby was a reminder that my secret was still precariously close to being exposed. With a sigh, I carefully peeled off the diaper, wincing at the crinkle of plastic as I tossed it in the trash can hiding in our closet, replacing it with underwear and shorts. The vulnerability lingered, like a shadow following me down the hallway. "I just feel so... lost sometimes," Abby admitted softly, her voice breaking slightly. "It's like everyone around me has their life together - they know what they're doing, where they're going - and here I am, barely keeping up." There was a pause before she added in a whisper, "What if I'm not cut out for this?" "Oh, honey," Emily soothed. "I promise you, no one has it all figured out. College is a big adjustment for everyone." I retreated, not wanting to intrude on their moment. It was clear Abby needed her mother right now, and I was grateful Emily could provide that support. Later that evening, I found Abby alone in the kitchen, absently stirring a mug of tea. Her phone lay face-down on the counter – a rare sight. "Hey, kiddo," I said, aiming for casual and missing by a mile. "Everything okay?" She looked up, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment before darting away. "Yeah, Dad. Just... thinking." I leaned against the counter, careful to maintain a safe distance. "Penny for your thoughts?" Abby sighed, her fingers tightening around the mug. "It's just... do you ever feel like you're playing a part? Like everyone expects you to be this... person, and you're not sure if it's really you?" Her words hit me like a physical blow, echoing my own internal struggle. I opened my mouth, then closed it, the irony of the moment not lost on me. Here was my daughter, reaching out, and I couldn't bridge the gap without exposing my own deception. "Sometimes," I finally managed, my voice hoarse. "Growing up... it's about figuring out who you really are, not who others expect you to be." Abby nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Thanks, Dad," she said softly, reaching out to squeeze my hand. The brief contact sent a jolt through me - a bittersweet reminder of the connection we once shared, now strained by the secret weighing on me. The rest of the week passed in a whirlwind of turkey dinners, turkey sandwich leftovers for lunch the next day, and turkey casserole the next evening, lending a familiar feeling to all the family activities - board games, movies, and even a trip to Abby's favorite ice cream shop. With each passing hour, I could see Abby relaxing, becoming more like her old self. But beneath it all, I couldn't shake the constant awareness of my secret. Each evening brought its own quiet ritual - Emily and I slipping away upstairs after Abby had gone to bed, where she would help me into my diaper behind closed doors. As we said our goodbyes, Abby hugged us both tightly, her embrace lingering longer than usual. "Thanks for this weekend," she said softly, her voice catching slightly. "I really needed it." I noticed the subtle shift in her posture - a mix of reluctance to leave and a growing sense of independence. Her eyes, when they met mine, held a complexity I was only beginning to understand. There was vulnerability there, beneath the confident exterior she'd cultivated at college. "Anytime, sweetheart," Emily replied, her eyes misty. "We're always here for you." We watched as Abby loaded the last of her bags into the car, her movements efficient but somehow hesitant. She paused before getting in, turning back to look at our house - our home - one more time. For a moment, I saw her not as the college student she was becoming, but as the little girl who used to run through these same rooms. Emily's hand found mine, her fingers intertwining with my own. We stood together in the doorway, a united front of parenthood, watching our daughter prepare to leave once more. Abby rolled down her window. "I'll call when I get back to campus," she promised. "Drive safely," I called back, my voice thick with emotions I couldn't quite name. The car pulled away, and we remained standing there, watching until the last glimpse of her vehicle disappeared around the corner. Emily leaned into me, her head resting against my shoulder. "We did good," she whispered. I wrapped an arm around her waist, feeling the weight of our shared journey. "We did," I agreed, though a part of me wondered about the secrets we were carrying, the delicate balance we were maintaining. As we walked back into the house, the silence seemed to echo with Abby's recent presence - a sweater draped over a chair, a coffee mug left on the counter, the subtle reminder that she had been here, and would be again. "Hey, Em?" I said quietly as we reached the living room. The weight of everything - the weekend with Abby, my own anxieties - was starting to catch up with me. "I think... it's time for bed." Emily turned toward me with that familiar look of understanding in her eyes - the one that meant she caught the multiple layers of meaning in my words. "Come on, then. Let's take care of you." -- This story, "Empty Nest", is copyright 2024 by me, justforfun. It may not be reproduced anywhere else without my explicit consent.

Here is an ad with three young ladies in a night club. One complains about long bathroom lines and her friend hands her a trest diaper to try. https://www.instagram.com/p/DCfYv1Rpcnr/

Hey everyone! Pardon the more unusual day of posting for me, but I decided to do a little planning this past weekend and look ahead. As many of you might recall, my goal is to finish this story by the end of the year. With about three chapters a week, this is possible, but the upcoming weeks are usually some of the busiest in the whole year. I might be lucky and they’re not, but not wanting to take that risk, I knew I would need to post whenever I could. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I think I’m up for the challenge in order to finish this story on time. Next, I just want to thank you for your all’s comments and I just want to apologize for being such a Debbie downer. I said what was on my mind, and that can be a dangerous thing, but I was sucked too far into my own problems, and you all saw that. I found this whole thing for reasons to have fun and relax and I think you all just witnessed the backlash of when that didn’t feel like it was the case anymore. Never fear though, I’m still here and more chapters will be coming soon. Like before though, a new poll is up for you all to let me know which story you all would like to read next. Story options can be found back in the beginning of chapter 2 and the link in both the beginning of chapters 2 and 18. As I mentioned before though, if you feel more comfortable leaving a comment here or as a private message to me, I will count these as well. Additionally, like before, this poll will be shut down right before I post my final chapter on here. Further announcements will be made regarding this when the time gets closer. Last but not least and as usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 23: Growth Brings Change and Relief, Right? The holidays passed and we all returned to campus with the same dour I had seen for the past two years after returning back here from our homes. Now, however, the feeling of shame, loss, and anger were even more prevalent. This time, no one jumped the fence or tried to escape, but most returning to the Safari Building seemed embarrassed or even downright distraught from their time at home after coming back. August seemed one of the few immune, staying with his understanding and caring aunt and uncle, and Luke seemed more annoyed than anything, but Bill and Tommy… I tried talking with both of them, but Tommy just made me swear that I could go home with him over Spring break rather than return to his house. He didn’t elaborate any more than that, but from the way he was shaking when he made me promise, it told me all I needed to know. Now, one of the oddest things about Smeckton, in my opinion at least, were the lack of counselors or therapists. Laura’s college had an entire building dedicated to mental health and was even offered as a major, along with classes and lectures on how to maintain said good mental health. Here at Smeckton though, it was like they wanted us to break down and fail completely. It was one thing to suspect it but seeing it in action was something else entirely. So, at the end of the day, they didn’t have a dedicated service to helping us, but moments began to slip in, intentional or not, that I knew were designed to help our moods and outlooks on life. First, as I had noted with Rocky back home, Molly, Laura, and several of the other nurses encouraged us to talk to our toys, though admittedly, by now, almost all were just stuffed animals. It felt shameful at first, but having a non-judgmental friend you could freely hug afterward no matter what actually began to come in handy as more seemed to slip away in our lives. I think Bill took the longest, but one day, I walked into our room, and he was talking to his stuffed dog, Porky. I didn’t make a big deal out of it, and even began to hug Rocky each night myself, but it was another oddity now firmly attached to our lives. Secondly though, beyond just talking to the faculty who actually seemed to care, Smeckton began making announcements about some of their former students. They would be brief, and they didn’t talk about everyone, but for example, shortly after we arrived back from holiday break, they announced a familiar name over the intercom while we were all in the common area in the Safari Building. “Attention students! It is my pleasure to inform you that Eddy Kallgren has been taken in by a loving couple. I’m told he’s doing well and is in high spirits. Have a pleasant day!” “Can you believe that crap!” Luke said, frustrated like usual once the announcement had ended. “Luke!” Janice screeched looking up from attending to Andre’s needs currently. “Don’t make me come over there and swat your bottom for naughty language, young man.” “No, nurse Janice,” Luke said weakly. I could see his hate burning for that woman, but we had all taken the warning of no backtalking or rule breaking to heart as much as we could. Even Luke seemed to be falling into line, but I knew he secretly would beat almost the whole staff into a bloody pulp if he could and get away with it. Still, then and other times, none of us commented on his submission to her. We did the same for Ashley and Molly as well when they laid down the law for us, but they at least had the decency to try and be nice about it. From what I had seen so far, Janice had no such compunctions or personal obligations to treat either Luke or Andre nicely if they didn’t earn it. “At least Eddy seems to be in a better place,” I noted, trying to switch the conversation. “It’s just a ploy to get us to comply better with everything they’re doing,” August said as he ground his pencil haphazardly onto the sheet of paper in front of him. “Apparently, too many of us have been fighting back in the end. The staff want to stop that so they’re giving us hope that everything is going to turn out in the end.” “Name your source,” Bill quickly shot back, trying to challenge the validity. We all believed August, but spreading panic from just a rumor was more annoying than anything at this point. “I overheard it from Director Breckenridge before one of his classes. I think Cora and Mrs. Chen we’re talking to him about it, but he didn’t seem thrilled at all.” “Wait…” Tommy interjected. “You’re in one of Breckenridge’s classes? I thought only the elite got into those.” Bill shrugged. “It’s hasn’t been a picnic, but I think they had to allow an exception with me taking my other classes. I think Bellbody might have pulled some strings for me or something.” “Must be nice to have the Devil on your side,” August said, flicking his pencil back and forth now. I don’t think August cared about Bellbody, but having a teacher on your side was more valuable than most things to us lately. “Easy, August,” I said, desperately trying to keep the peace in our group as I calmly patted his shoulder. I had noticed since Bill had split off from most of our classes and Luke was now paired with Andre, cracks were forming amongst us. I knew it was just stress, rather than a true dislike of each other, but I knew how quickly that could escalate, so cooling August and then the group just felt like the way to go. “Now, can we just have a good Sunday afternoon for once around here? One where no one yells at each other, there’s no arguing, and none of us try and escape?” “Fine by me,” August said, almost snapping his pencil in two from the amount of force he was applying to it from bottling up his emotions. I think going back home and seeing how close he was aligning with how his brother, Gordy, was, had taken a toll. “Yeah. Whatever, John…” Luke rolled his eyes a bit before turning back around and then going back to reading his sports magazine. His parents sent it to him whenever they could, and we could always tell when he was reading a new one. He would be in an unusually cheery mood. This magazine had clearly been in his possession for some time now… It was an uneasy truce, but it held. Almost three weeks went on like that and the stress of the Safari room was getting to everyone. Three students gave up and opted for option B personally rather than subject themselves to anymore of this in-between life. Nightly accidents became normalized and daytime ones weren’t a regular occurrence, but narrow misses became a frequent source of angered discussion. It was a lot to handle, and being the self-designated peacemaker of the group, I had my work cut out for me. That’s why, come January 26th, I felt confident that I would get some relief at last. “Wake up birthday boy!” Molly greeted me cheerfully as I woke up. She quickly rattled down my crib bars, and as she did so, I groaned as I felt my thumb had worked its way into my mouth once more. It had become an annoying habit of sorts, and I think Bill judged me a bit for it… until he woke up the same way one morning. For their part, Molly or Laura never commented on it whenever they saw it themselves. “Happy birthday, John!” Bill celebrated waving a small streamer in his hand. To my surprise, it matched the others now draped over much of my room. “What…? I don’t… when did you all do this?” My eyes scanned the room, and while the nursery setting wasn’t ideal for anyone’s 21st birthday I felt, the streamers and ‘Happy Birthday’ banner at least showed me that others cared for me. Hearing the stories of everyone else after the holiday break, I knew I was lucky for that much at least. “Oh, Bill and I talked the other day, and he got me to get him up early today,” Molly explained after blowing into one of the horn party favors. “Honestly, John. I think we could have driven a dump truck through here and you would have still been passed out. Good dreams maybe?” I shook my head. “No. No dreams at all.” Ever since I had been demoted to the Safari Building, my dreams had been non-existent or just plain nightmares. Of the two, I was grateful for the fact that I hadn’t had a nightmare before my birthday. “But thank you both for this. Makes the day feel… special already.” “I’m glad, John.” Bill then trailed off and I could teel something was eating at him. “What’s wrong?” I asked worriedly. The last time I saw Bill this way, we just found out that being allowed to wear other clothing beyond our uniforms extended to pretty much wearing only childish things as alternatives. “Did someone else get sent off? Was it Julian? He’s been getting angrier and testier every time some calls him ‘diaper butt’ lately. Did Nelson finally push him too far last night or something?” Bill stepped up to answer, but Molly stood in his way. “Let’s not worry about that right now. Let’s get you both ready for the day, shall we?” Bill’s concern still played on my mind, but not wanting to lay around in a wet diaper on my birthday of all days, I nodded, and we all began our morning routine. Being my birthday, Bill had apparently quickly showered and had gotten dressed, so I wouldn’t be delayed this morning. So, one disrobement of my diaper and a hot yet brisk shower later, I was back out. One diaper and uniform later, Molly was helping me do my hair like I normally liked it when August, Tommy, and Luke all stuck their heads in the door. “Knock! Knock! We got a birthday boy in here?” Ashley asked loudly. The other rolled their eyes, but Molly went over and let them all in. Everyone was very impressed with Bill’s idea to decorate the room, and I could quickly see the jealousy in Tommy’s face. His birthday had been back in December and Bill’s had already been back in September… before our move here and some of the more… unusual aspects of birthday life in the Safari Building. “Here,” August said, holding up a bag of Reece’s cups. “We know they’re your favorite, so we all pitched in and got you the biggest bag we could find.” “Plus, drinks and food are on us tonight at Don’s,” Tommy quickly added. “But we also figured that 21 should actually mean something,” Luke grumbled before pulling out one last container. “So, we got you one of these…” In the plastic container, were two hand-sized jumbo Reece’s cups, a specialty they had to order with Ashley’s help apparently. My eyes bugged out and I took it like I was holding some holy relic. “Holy smokes you guys. You didn’t have to do this!” I had been expecting maybe a card, but even if it was just candy, it was the thought that really mattered to me. In Smeckton, it was a universal truth that you were nothing without your friends. Scores of other students had isolated themselves and quickly found out how ill-fated that decision was. So, no matter the humiliation that came our way, be it spanking, diaper, or anything else down the road, I was glad to see everyone coming together today. On my birthday of all days, it meant more to me than I could express. “Alright, everyone!” Ashely quickly announced after we shared our thanks and well wishes a little more. “I hate to break this moment up, but we got to get y’all over to the dining hall pronto! Director’s got a special announcement for a lot of you today!” I questioned what it was, but seeing Bill’s face suddenly turn pail and apologetic, I couldn’t help but make the connection with the announcement and what he had been trying to say to me earlier. “Come on, John,” Molly said as she gently took my gift out of my hands. “These will be waiting for you when you return here tonight, okay? No one’s getting to them, but right now, we need to get you to the dining hall. Not a good idea to upset the Director on your birthday, you know?” I sighed but nodded and quickly ran to join up with my friends. In the dining hall, everyone gathered around, and I could only sigh as I ate my scrambled eggs and reflected on just how many fewer people were here now. The Fall quarter of the year and fallout from both the Thanksgiving and holiday break had taken their toll. Of the almost 400 we started off with, less than 230 remained. Considering the national failure average posted last year was only about 5%, it wasn’t hard to see that something was very wrong with Smeckton. The only problem was… none of us could do anything about it. Breakfast was soon over though, and while several people tried to leave, our nurses were quick to swoop in and stop us. Their methods varied, but ranged from the “Sit back down right this second young man if you know what’s good for your bottom this morning!” to a “Not quite yet, sweeties; the Director needs to have a word with you first about today.” Despite Molly falling in the latter of the two types, I couldn’t help but squirm in nervous anticipation over what he had to say to us. As he approached, it didn’t take a genius to see that the one thing we all had in common as we crowded together, was that we all attended daycare during the day. There were only about 30 of us currently, a few failing out and reducing our numbers just last week, but even students like Bill were there. Despite his advanced classes, he still attended daycare once a day in the afternoons with us. “Now then…” the Director began, rubbing his hands together like he had some scheme that was about to hatch. “As you all may have noticed, I’ve gathered everyone on this campus who is currently enrolled in daycare. It’s a surprisingly low turnout this year, but nonetheless, you all have proved to the faculty here that the advanced placement classes are just a little too far beyond your current… standings.” A few of the more daring types groaned and even some growled at the notion. Most of us weren’t academically gifted like Bill, but we weren’t idiots either. From what we had been told, the nursery was more of a cumulative punishment from the previous two years… not a reflection on our intelligence. Director Breckenridge now seemed to imply otherwise, though Bill and one or two others seemed to already contradict that notion. “Regardless, the staff and I have been going over our numbers and we feel that trouble around here always seems to occur on the weekends. Specifically, holiday events, but as those are part of the town of Smeckton and we have already started some measures in place to fix that, we here feel we should focus instead on your weekends. To be more precise… your Saturdays…” My stomach dropped and looking over at the unsurprised Bill, I knew this was what he was trying to warn me about. “As such, from now on, a portion of each of your Saturdays will now be spent at daycare with Ms. Sandra and Mr. Gray,” he announced with at least an ounce of pride over his new solution. “Both have agreed to come in on their weekend time, so I’m sure you all will thank them generously for that.” I think if looks could be turned into weapons, Director Breckenridge would have been massacred in a heartbeat right then. It seemed completely unfair, but sadly, apt and true to the direction we all seemed to be heading in. I remembered back to August talking about Gordy and how the Safari Building was a slippery slope. In contrast to the still present possibility of placing out, it seemed we just kept getting buried further into the chaos and shame that seemed to be our fate now. So, dismissing us, we all walked gloomily over to the creative arts building and once again, trudged up the stairs to the third floor, where an apologetic Ms. Sandra and Mr. Gray were already waiting for us. “Come on, everyone. Try not to look so glum.” “Take your seats in our circle like normal,” Mr. Gray instructed. “We promise… we’ll try to get you all smiling in no time.” I very much doubted that, but as we entered, I was happily surprised by more birthday decorations. “Dude! They remembered it was your birthday!” Tommy said gleefully, shaking my shoulders up and down from behind me. “Just like they did with me back in December!” “Oh boy…” Luke said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “What fun…” “Luke…” Mr. Gray’s warning voice got an apology from him as he sat down, but I could still see the grumbling and bubbling rage growing in my friend. Like a volcano, I was getting more worried that pretty soon, it would erupt. As the last of us entered and sat in our usual spots around the circle, contracting a tiny bit to accommodate the ten we had lost since we started. We had lost more, but failing in the upper tiers, other students were moved down to take their spots. So, ten was just the number missing today from the initial total. I didn’t know or even want to think about how many we had lost overall since we had started. 90% of the numbers lost in the past few months were from our daycare group alone. Mr. Gray and Ms. Sandra then sat in their usual spots across from each other, splitting the circle into two halves. “Alright, class,” Ms. Sandra began cheerfully, “as you might know, today is a very special day for one of our students.” “John? Can you stand up for us?” Mr. Gray requested. I hated being the center of attention, but I knew it was better to just run along with whatever they had planned for me today, so I stood up. “John here is celebrating his birthday today,” Ms. Sandra explained again, her voice gentle and calm in contrast to the several gloomy or angry faces staring back at her. “And we know you all might be a little sad of having to come here on your Saturday’s now, but we promise, we’re going to try and make each of the rest of your Saturday’s that you’re here as fun as we can, okay?” Despite the underlying feeling from both Ms. Sandra and Mr. Gray of not wanting to be here either, I could see the same dedication I normally saw in them while they were here. There was a seeming desire to actually get us to enjoy our time with them, and while that sometimes came across as us acting childish for them, I at least appreciated their intentions. Unlike someone like Fitzpatrick, Bellbody, or Chen, their efforts only seemed to try and ease our time here at Smeckton. So, on my birthday, despite not feeling 21 at all, I was at least grateful for being here with them. “Alright, first, I think the birthday boy needs a few things, don’t you, Ms. Sandra?” Ms. Sandra only nodded happily at Mr. Gray’s question and gestured for me to come over to her. Seconds later, I was wearing a crown and had a large ‘Birthday Boy’ pin attached to my childish blazer. It was a little humiliating, but again, their attention and thoughts shined through the overarching childish theme. “Now, who wants some… birthday cake!” Okay, so, I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but when one is denied so many things in life, when you do get something nice, I found that the receiver’s reaction might be a little more extreme than what is considered ‘normal.’ So, when Mr. Gray stood up and asked his question, the whole class went nuts. Seeing my peers like that and feeling the overwhelming joy in my own chest, must have seemed very weird to any other ‘normal’ adult watching. Being who they were though, Ms. Sandra and Mr. Gray only smiled and proceeded to bring out the cake to the table before dressing it up with candles and prepping all the plates, forks, and napkins that were sure to be needed. “Happy Birthday, dear John… Happy Birthday to you!” Every cheered and howled as I bent over my large cake with the freshly lit candles. With a giant blow, I managed to snuff them all out… until they all lit up again. I blew again… but the same result. I tried at least four more times, until finally, Bills stopped me, laughing a little at my expense. Looking around, a few others were just as confused and frustrated as I was, while others seemed just as amused as Bill was. “Easy there, buddy,” he said trying to get me to stop blowing all over the cake. “They’re trick candles. You can’t just blow them out.” “Oh…” I blushed and felt terrible for not realizing that sooner. I guess I was trying to show that I could do something as simple as blow my own candles out, but in the end, I had only seemed to make myself more seemingly helpless. “I didn’t know,” I lied. I didn’t want anyone else to know why I had really been blowing on them. Today, ignorance felt better than stubbornness and failure. “Oh,” Ms. Sandra said, swooping in quickly and dousing the trick candles, “sorry about that, honey. I swear… the cake still tastes good.” I could see a guilt wash over her face, and not wanting her to feel bad over something nice she was trying to do for me, I shook my head. “It’s okay, Ms. Sandra. I guess I should have known something was up, and I’m sure the cake will taste great.” I turned to the rest of the class. “Right, everyone?” “Right!” everyone else in the class agreed. Ms. Sandra smiled, ruffled my hair a little, and then gave the knife to Mr. Gray to start slicing the delicious sight before us. Soon, everyone had a piece of the cake that had once been decorated with teddy bears and balloons. As soon as everyone started finishing their cake, Ms. Sandra tapped me on the shoulder and showed a small gift being slid into the backpack I had brought with me. “For later,” she whispered, pressing her finger up to her lips for me to keep the secret. I nodded, and without missing a beat, she turned to the rest of the class. “Okay, everyone. Clean-up time! You know the song… clean-up, clean-up! Everybody do their share!” We all hated the song, but soon the room was clean once more. Next, after a few rounds of pinning the tail on the donkey, duck-duck-goose, tag, and other such childish games, Ms. Sandra clapped her hands and got our attention. “Okay, everyone. We have a new game for all of you to play today. It’s called make believe!” “Make believe?” August questioned. “Like what little kids do?” The irony of him asking that question while his diaper bulged out from behind his pants, in likely need of a change, was not lost on anyone. “That’s right, August,” Mr. Gray confirmed. “Because it’s the first day, everyone must participate!” Everyone quickly groaned, but a knowing and almost threatening look from Mr. Gray quickly quietened most of the protests in the room. “Today, the theme is pirates!” I’m pretty sure I saw Luke’s eye twitch a bit at the mere mention of them. “I know you all might have a hard time with this at first, but it can actually be quite therapeutic.” “I doubt that,” Luke spat bitterly, crossing his arms, and unintentionally looking like every bit of the angry pirate he was now supposed to be paying. “Well,” Ms. Sandra continued, placing her hands on her hips to show us she meant business, “we’ve actually been coordinating with other faculty members. All agree that it can pass large blocks of times in lieu of playing with childish toys, can take you out of an unwanted situation as you make it yours, and you can even vent your frustration in some form or another as you act your character.” She then walked over to where Mr. Gray was now setting several large containers. “First though, you need to make your props and then set the scene.” Her eyes then shifted toward me. “John, as it’s your birthday, you will be playing the role of Pirate King. Can you give me a big old pirate cry?” Everyone’s eyes were on me, and I didn’t care for that too much, but just wanting to comply, I let out a big “Arrghh!” Ms. Sandra’s eyes lit up, and soon we were all hard at work making our props and setting the scene. During that time, Ms. Sandra and Mr. Gray handed us some juice and some sandwiches, rather than us interrupting our time here and going to the dining hall. Considering it was minimizing our possible interactions with Nelson and his crew, none of us minded the change. Our props now finished, right before we started though, Bill stood up proudly and wrapped a mock tri-cornered hat around his head. “Truth and justice for me, lads! I’m going back to the old life and I’m going to be playing the Royal Navy instead of some filthy pirates. Who’s with me?” Everyone was stunned for a moment, but with a curious and yet wondrous look in his eyes, Mr. Gray walked over to him first… a few other students following behind. “Uh, Bill? It’s supposed to be pirates only today… and I admire your efforts here, but why are you choosing to be the Royal Navy instead?” Bill stood on one of the chair platforms we had set up. It was supposed to be another island, but he clearly intended it to be his new ship. “Every story needs a hero and a villain, Mr. Gray. To be a good one, we need another side.” He smiled triumphantly, and it seemed good enough for Mr. Gray, but as Bill took in a few other followers, I couldn’t help but guess which he thought he was in this; hero or villain? Still, the parties soon split into their own sides. Bill took the far corner by the bathrooms, and I took the one closest to the staircases and cubbies. Mr. Gray and Ms. Sandra waited in the middle to referee the play if we needed them to in the chaos seemingly about to unfold. Looking out over my cohort, only Luke had defected to the other side of our group. The rest of my crew, some 18 or so of us, stood poised in front of me. Taking to leaning over the desk that was supposed to be my throne, I knew I had to give a speech of some kind. “Men! This is it. We pirates sail today for treasure and adventure, but out there… see there!” I pointed angrily to Bill and his 12 or so crew. Considering the on-going diaper changes and other ‘emergencies,’ accurate head counts were hard to come by with consistency. “They call themselves the Royal Navy, but we all know what they really are!” I felt like I was on a roll now. I just couldn’t stop… no matter how ridiculous my words would have sounded otherwise. “A bunch of stick in the muds, right?” “Argh!” everyone responded. I was a little surprised how into this everyone was getting, but each of us making our own garb out of construction paper seemed to do the trick. Even Luke he crafted a sword out of scrap carboard laying around. Ms. Sandra eyed him warily, but when the rest of us followed suit, she just sighed and stood back, going so far as to even bring out the First-Aid kit. “So, now we stand on the edge of destruction by their ways! They mean to capture and jail us, but I say no!” I then stood up on my chair and raised my own cardboard sword. “So, who’s with me?” “Arghhh!” they all sounded. Smiling, I pointed my sword at Bill, who was now staring right back at our group. “Let’s go get them. Man the boats! Full speed ahead!” Using chairs, blankets, and some well-placed construction paper cut-outs of windows, flags, and canons, we scooted forward and engaged our ‘enemy.’ The fight lasted less than 20 minutes, and while I think both Ms. Sandra and Mr. Gray had expected us to look for buried treasure or sing some sea shanties instead, beyond a few bruises and whack foreheads from the pillows we launched at each other, both teachers were soon grinning from our interaction. Still, after a round of diaper changes for everyone, I stuck around to thank them personally for their efforts today. They made the difference here at Smeckton and I didn’t want that to go unsaid. Both seemed shocked, but just told me it was their pleasure and sent me back to my group. Rejoining them though, still wearing my large ‘Birthday Boy’ pin, I could tell that everyone was in a weird mood afterward. We had fun and Ms. Sandra and Mr. Gray were good teachers for the roles they had to inhabit, but what was the cost for us? We had all just played a make-believe game in daycare on our day off. Saturdays were supposed to be breaks for us, but now… it seemed like there was no break from Smeckton anymore. The holiday break, with the diaper changes and troubling omens of the future, indicated as much, but today sunk in a little more than any of had realized as we walked away. “Anyone a little hungry?” August then asked, right before we got back to the Safari Building. “Oh! Thank God!” Tommy exclaimed. “I didn’t want to be the first one to ask, but I’m starved. Bill then looked at his watch and shook his head. “It’s still a few hours until dinner though. Uh…” He then turned to me. “What about you, John? I know we said we’d buy you dinner today, but…” I held my hand up and stopped him. “Say no more, Bill. Something from Don’s diner sounds just about the best thing in the world right about now. Maybe a round of poker back at the Safari Building tonight instead? Animal crackers and licorice for chips as usual?” “Perfect!” Luke exclaimed. “Maybe we could hit a few bars downtown as well. You’re turning 21 after all!” He seemed so excited, but the look on the rest of our faces, including mine, was ones of horror and apprehension. I wanted to drink… I really did, but this was Smeckton. “I don’t know, Luke… I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. Maybe another day? At least one where the Director didn’t just revoke half our day because he thought we were ‘being naughty’ on Saturdays?” Luke seemed amenable to that logic for now at least, but before he could respond, Molly finally caught up with us. “Hey! Wait up you all! You going somewhere? Let me just go grab something and join you in a…” “Actually,” Tommy interrupted her, grimacing a little as he did so. “Maybe we could do this just ourselves?” Molly seemed shocked, but August quickly jumped in before she could get a word out. “We like you, Molly. We really, really do, but tonight… can we get a night off? For John? Just some fun between us guys?” I didn’t like being used as an excuse to leave Molly of all people behind, but I understood the logic behind it at least. Fortunately, Molly didn’t seem upset. “No, that’s totally fine. You all go ahead, but just keep an eye on the time. Maybe even come back early to give me a sense of peace?” We promised we would, remembering our already-planned poker game as well. Then, as soon as Molly was out of sight, we all high-fived each other. We truly loved Molly and Laura, maybe even Ashley to some degree as well, but there just came a time where you didn’t want to hang out with the person changing your wet diapers. I liked the buffer they sometimes could provide, but with the daycare scene looming in my rear, I felt the need to show some modicum of independence tonight. Going to Don’s wasn’t a major accomplishment but doing it just ourselves was something. Along the way, we were unfortunately confronted by a group of uppity high schoolers. “Hey, babies. What are you doing at this time? Isn’t it your naptime?” “Get lost, creeps,” Luke boldly spat back. “Some attitude coming from one so screwed, huh you guys?” another member of their group said with a sneer. “Look who’s talking,” August retorted with a scoff. “What are you all?” Tommy questioned. “17? 18? Aren’t you going to be facing the same as us next year?” Oddly the group just laughed before most of them began peeling away. A few others and their apparent leader stayed for a second longer though. “You just don’t get it, do you?” The rest of us remained silent to his question. “No matter… I’m not going to Smeckton. That’s for sure, but as for you all… see you in the local daycare here when we visit again next year during our time off!” With that he ran off. Luke was ready to go and beat some sense into them it seemed, and even started sprinting after them, but Bill quickly stopped him. “No, Luke. It’s just not worth it…” I agreed with Bill, but some of the things they had talked about just stuck in my head as well. I wondered deeply if locals knew something about our situation that we didn’t. It felt like a crazy notion that something more sinister than a few twisted individuals at Smeckton, but ‘conspiracy’ just kept ringing out in my head over and over lately. Still, we finally made it to Don’s, where, unlike others in the town, greeted us in his usual pleasant way after we took our seats in our usual booth. “Evening, gents! Before you all order though…” Don then looked at me. “Your parents actually called me up, John. There’s a huge tub waiting back on campus for you all… cherry ice cream with chunks of black cherries and chocolate chunks. Your favorite flavor from what I hear.” “They contacted you?” Don only smiled and nodded. I was just too blown away by the gesture and surprise, but I managed to squeak out a small “Thank you…” “No problem! Think nothing of it,” he said in his usual jovial manner. “It’s your day, and you get what you want here, but I just didn’t want you to explode from going overboard from my food, you know?” We all smiled and nodded as we gave him our orders. While he was gone, we all talked about this and that, but I was mostly distracted by the other locals around us. The group cracked jokes and told stories and made fun of Nelson and all, but every time I seemed to look beyond just our group, yet another townsperson was glaring at us. I had hoped that the feelings from the riot Mark had inadvertently caused back in October would have subsided by now, but I guess with a small-town relaying so heavily on people like Mr. Cash, who was still threatening to pull out his funding from some important places and foundations, I couldn’t blame them. Then, just as Tommy was doing his own impersonation of Mr. Fitzpatrick, the door to the diner opened. “Three malts to go, Don!” Dilbert slithered up to the counter like he owned the place. A few turned away from him, almost as if in fear, while the other half seemed to want to squash him. Being a paying customer, and Don being a fair business owner, he didn’t refuse him service, and just silently went about making the malts. As he did so though, Dilbert spotted us. “Well, lookie who we’ve got here! A bunch of babies, huh?” I could tell that Luke immediately wanted to action, but we had done this so many times, we knew the routine. Ignore the big, and soon, they would get tired of you and just leave. But Dilbert was still waiting on his malts. “Oh, come on. Can’t I even get a hello from my fellow students?” His confidence had been growing over the years, and now, he was a self-assured, cocky, and even vain individual. He still seemed to slime his way through life, but now he did it with a gusto I never thought possible. Seeing him try and flirt with women during the holiday block party had been nauseating to say the least. He pressed in on us. Several of the patrons at the diner seemed incredibly uncomfortable, but didn’t move an inch to help us. Suddenly, Dilbert smiled in a way that sent shivers down my back. “Oh? What’s that smell?” His nostril flared wide as he exaggeratedly began to sniff the air around us. “Yeah… that’s what I thought. Five diapered baby losers at one table, huh?” The bulk of our diapers and our uniforms marked us as Safari Building residents. That meant diapers and everyone knew it, but it was sort of the unspoken rule around town. I doubted it would have remained so come the warmer weather and days at the pool, but Dilbert announcing our padded undergarments so openly was clearly a shock to everyone… more poignantly, Luke. Luke seemed to almost steam from the anger boiling up on his insides. Dilbert was a puke that didn’t even seem worthy of scraping off the bottom of your shoe, but his friendship with Nelson had cemented him as ‘untouchable,’ or at least that was the rumor. So, fearing for Luke, I tried to ease him down. “Easy… easy…” But my efforts were too late. Dilbert had noticed his anger and skunked over to him. “Oh, yes! Potty pants at 12 o’clock over here. Seems like one of the stinkier ones too. Hard to imagine you were ever some big jock in high school now, huh? Bet you had all the ladies lining up around the corner at each of the dances. Bet you wouldn’t have given me the time of day, huh, Luke?” Luke was holding fast, and I was honestly impressed, but I could already see him starting to crack around his tightly gripped hands and twitching cheek. Dilbert seemed to notice as well and only pushed in closer to taunt him more acutely. “Oh, that’s a bingo I think!” Dilbert’s was clearly on a power trip, and I wanted to intervene for my friend, but I knew silence was the key to his defeat. Intervening now would have just given Dilbert the power he craved. “Little baby gonna cry about it? Little baby gonna mess themselves? Bet you all those ladies would still line up around the block for you, Luke! Just to change your diaper I think though! Probably couldn’t even make a touchdown with that waddle I’ve you got on you. Some sport you are, Lu…” Luke stood up and glared back at Dilbert. Despite Dilbert hitting the gym and almost getting what looked like a makeover since he first arrived, Luke’s piercing looks as well as his sturdier and taller frame made Dilbert look completely insignificant. Still, Dilbert had gotten his desired rise out of him. “Finally! See I got that rise out of you yet. Like some Neanderthal using its fists against me. Truly a sight to behold!” Before Luke could retort though, Don finally stepped in. “I have your malts ready, Dilbert. Just take them and go,’ he said confidently, but with a tiny ounce of fear behind his eyes as well. The whole diner looked on in nervous anticipation with what was going to happen next. Dilbert turned away from Luke and his shit-eating grin turned into a sneer. “Just you wait, old man…” Right then, the diner door opened once again, and Nelson entered confidently. “What’s taking so…? Oh, I see…” Nelson smirked and strode up to the standoff between Dibert and Don. “Giving you some trouble in here, Dil?” Dil quickly nodded, and as he retreated to let Nelson takeover, he smiled sinisterly back at Don. “Don’t you know who my father is?” Don smiled and stepped forward. “Of course, I know your father, Nelson. Everyone in town does.” Nelson seemed to mock being confused for a moment. “Hmmm… that’s strange. Because see, if you know who my father is, then you know he owns most of this town. Saved it from ruin back in the day too and is a good friend to your mayor.” “Well, he doesn’t own this place, so what I say goes around here.” I didn’t know about Mr. Cash owning half the town, but remembering back to the art gallery in May, I knew I shouldn’t have been surprised. Still, I had to admit that seeing Don face down confidently both Dilbert and Nelson were a great sight to see today. Nelson scoffed. “Well, doesn’t own it yet anyways…” Don glared at the showboating and powerfully connected student in front of him. and I could see his hate, but I could also see him compress it down deep as well before turning back to us. “I suggest you all make a plan. Stay or go, I’ll support you, but I’d make the decision soon before it’s made for you.” Everyone didn’t seem to know what to do, but maybe it was my leadership, calm mind in these matters, or just my birthday, but the whole group looked to me for my decision. Sighing, I shook my head back to Don. “Thanks, Don. It truly means a lot, but I think we should just be going.” Don nodded and we tried to make our exit out the rear, but nimble on his feet as ever, Dilbert jumped in front of us. Seconds later, the other members of their group barreled in and blocked the exit as well. Dilbert smiled about as menacingly as he could back at us. “Going somewhere?” “Just let us leave, Dilbert. It doesn’t need to…” And that’s about all I had time to say. Out of nowhere, and nearly in the blink of an eye, a few actions happened. It was so fast, I wasn’t sure who struck first, us or them, but I definitely knew that one of Nelson’s gang members and followers had punched me squarely across my face in that moment at some point. “Get him!” Tommy screamed, jumping over and trying to defend my now dazed body. In seconds, the diner erupted into chaos. Food started being slung everywhere, but only seemed to land on a few of townspeople. Worse though, several of them were accidentally punched as other students joined our side. It seemed like we push them out, but as if on cue, the band of high schoolers we had seen earlier joined in the fray as well. Fearing for their safety, any of the townspeople remaining soon fled. Taking a seat and trying to get my senses back in all this newfound mess, I saw Don pick up the phone. “Yes… Evelyn? I need security down here pronto. Yes, townspeople could get caught in the middle of it.” He nodded and then hung up. Looking over at me, he seemed to regret what he had just done, but with a sigh, I could see he already made peace with the fact that he couldn’t change that decision now. In the midst of all the chaos, I wasn’t sure who did it, but maybe being the initial person of focus, Luke seemed the main target beyond myself. Before I knew it, the fight had died down and was now staring back wide-eyed at Luke. There, in front of everyone, it seemed that his pants had been pulled down and his undershirt popped open. For all to see, Luke was in a very wet diaper now. “Ha ha!” one of the high school students laughed while point to Luke’s sodden diaper. “Look at what a baby he is! Nelson was right!” Several of the patrons still remaining, likely sensing they were trapped in all the chaos, laughed as well. “It’s just a little pee! It’s not a big deal,” Luke tried to defend. “It’s not like I go poo in them or anything! I swear! I’m not a baby!” His protests were strong and true, but the way he phrased them and his desperation at the end almost seemed to make the laughter grow stronger. Worse, the slight whine on the end of his words only added to the toddler-like image he was now making of himself, right or wrong. “Freeze right there!” The doors to the diner burst open, and several officers armed with taser stood staring back at us. Frustrating, I noticed several of the tasers were pointing at the students from the institute rather than someone like the guilty high school students. Each of us held our hands up, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of fear as well from both Dilbert and Nelson. So, looking more closely at the men pointing tasers at us, I saw the school logo on their right arms. I gulped in fear and realized just how bad things were now. These weren’t local cops… these security officers were part of Smeckton security.

Chapter 12: A Loving Companion For now, Hannah and Emily were left alone to their own devices. Hannah's concerns over the bear caused her to leave it at the far end of the play area. She turned her attention to Emily, hoping to get more information: “What do you know about this school?” Emily shrugged, “Probably about as much as you do, honestly. They said they specialized in acclimating Little’s to this world. But their paperwork didn’t go into detail about specifics; they just kept on about the program's benefits and whatnot.” Hannah nodded; she had gleaned that much information from her time preparing for the trip. “Do you know why they pushed back your attendance?” Emily shrugged again, “I didn’t get to talk to the school directly; I only heard what Mommy told me, which was an error in the paperwork submitted for the school that had me in this batch of students, yours. The contract stipulates that I must fulfill at least the week at the school before the paperwork is sent for my return home or something along those lines.” Hannah narrowed her eyes; something about that felt off. If Emily had to complete an entire week at school, what would stop them from ending her school a day early? What were the specifics of the contract regarding returning? Hannah felt a lump of worry forming in her chest; something was truly off about this world; she wished she had spent more time reading through that stupid contract. Hannah opened her mouth to ask another question, but Daddy stepped into the room with a smile. “There are my baby girls. How are you two doing?” he asked, stepping into the play area and kneeling beside Emily and Hannah. “It was okay,” Emily said, blushing, not meeting his eyes. “Just okay? Mommy said you weren’t happy being left in the play area.” Daddy probed gently. Emily blushed but nodded weakly, “I… didn’t realize the mall system thing was recording, and it caught a curse word, and Mommy sent me to the care center, and… " She trailed off, slumping back, suddenly looking depressed. Daddy immediately pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly, a hand behind her head. " Oh, pumpkin, I’m so sorry. I saw the report of what they did to you; that was a bit much.” Hannah saw several tears running down Emily’s cheeks. “I wish that hadn’t happened, but you need to be careful of your language, regardless of whether anyone is listening.” Emily nodded, resting her face against Daddy’s shoulder as he consoled her. He glanced at Hannah, “It sounded okay for you, Hannah Banana! You got a new friend and everything!” Hannah smiled softly, nodding, “I did, but Mommy used a pacifier that locked into my mouth, and I think it had something on it to knock me out.” Hannah saw the grimace on Daddy’s face as she reported this. He shook his head, sighing, “Were you being fussy? Refused to go down for a nap?” Hannah shook her head no. To his credit, Daddy looked embarrassed, “Well, I can’t say I approve, but as your parents, we will use whatever tools we need to ensure you comply with the standards of your step-down program and meet your goals.” Hannah’s attention immediately perked up; Daddy seemed to be spilling more information than she had received from Mommy all morning. “The step-down program, what is that?” she asked. Daddy opened his mouth, still rocking Emily, and closed it again, seeming to choose his words very carefully, “It is a program that ensures you meet certain goals.” he said slowly, “I can not get into specifics, but just know, we, as your parents, have to adhere to it and do whatever is necessary to ensure you do as well.” Hannah felt a cold chill traveling through her body at the words. What did that mean? By whose standards were they being judged? What goals were set forth for her and Emily? More importantly, who set these goals, and why did they have to meet them if they were only going to be there till the end of the week? Something didn’t add up, but it was clear that Daddy wouldn’t give her any more information as he changed the topic. “How would you two like to go to the park?” he asked, “Mommy has Evan; they are doing some paperwork for his schooling, but you two, all yours is done!” Daddy smiled, his tone warm and accepting. Hannah smiled, “Sure, that sounds like fun.” He turned to Emily, whose tears had dried; she nodded. “It’s decided then, to the park! Let’s grab your diaper bag and some bottles, and we can go. Would you two rather ride in the stroller or walk?” Hannah was a bit surprised at the offer. Mommy, for the most part, had decided everything for them, but now they had a choice. She didn’t want to be forced to shuffle to the park, yet the prospect of walking enticed her to move under her own free will. “Umm, I’d like to walk!” she said with a smile. “Can I ride?” Emily asked, rubbing an eye. Daddy chuckled, “Of course, sweetheart, and if Hannah is tired at the end of playing, she can ride back!” he said, setting Emily down on her feet. He pulled two thin, silver metal cuffs from his pocket, his thumb doing something, and they popped open. He leaned down and fixed them around Emily’s ankle before turning towards Hannah. He held it out to her, letting her take the band gingerly, curious, “This is a tracking band.” he explained, “It’s secured by biometrics and can only be undone by me; it tells me exactly where you are at all times, and sends me information on your vitals. It can also send a distress signal to me or the police if needed. The park is massive, and I’ll be there the whole time, but I also want you two to be able to explore without concern, without fear of,” Daddy trailed off, “Well, Daddy wants to make sure you two are safe.” Hannah nodded; it made sense. Someone could easily scoop up Emily and her, pacified and gone in moments without ever being seen again. The thought made her skin crawl. If this little device would prevent that, Hannah was all for it. She set it around her ankle, the two ends meeting and conjoining on their own, the band shrinking to fit her ankle perfectly. Hannah could barely even feel it; it was so light! Daddy smiled warmly, approvingly, “What kind of juice would you like for your bottle? Apple, grape, prune, orange, pomegranate, we got a bit of everything.” “Apple for me, please!” Emily said, the last of her tears dried. Daddy nodded, looking to Hannah, “Grape, please.” “Done! Daddy will be right back.” Daddy said, standing and leaving the girls in the living room again. Emily sighed, rubbing her eyes.” That stupid place, their bottles messed me up.” she grunted, her hands on her knees. Hannah flushed, “Do you still enjoy it at all? Using diapers, I mean.” Emily grinned, giving her a look. She reached over and grabbed Hannah’s hand, bringing it to her bum, letting Hannah cup Emily’s diaper as she began to push. Hannah’s face turned a bright red as she felt Emily’s diaper swelling, the girl grunting softly and then growing warm as she soaked herself as well. Emily’s hand was still holding Hannah’s, gently forcing Hannah to massage her rear, feeling the mess she had just made, the minor moan escaping her lips. Hannah couldn’t stop the excitement stirring within her; she hadn’t been with a girl before, heck, she hadn’t been with a boy either, but standing there, feeling Emily’s bum as she messed herself, her diaper growing warm and squishy, she felt a flush on her face that had nothing to do with embarrassment. Hannah’s fingers began touching Emily’s diaper on her own accord. Emily let her hand drop as she wiggled her bum, giggling. “Oh yeah, I still do occasionally; it depends on the context of what’s happening. It's still exciting when I choose to go and think about it like that. That being said, there have been times I wish I didn’t have to use diapers.” she admitted. Hannah blushed, letting her hand drop as Emily stood back up, turning to her with a grin. “Makes sense,” Hannah said, a bit embarrassed at having been touching Emily during such an intimate act. “We got to be careful they don’t see; Daddy thinks differently than Mommy on that; he thinks we should use that desire to help train us to be good girls; Mommy, on the other hand, thinks we should be completely desexualized as it’s not proper for babies to have such feelings. It’s a huge debate in the Amazon world. Regardless, it’s usually not a good idea to let them see you with any desire; it’s more likely to cause problems.” Emily explained. She grinned again, leaning in close to Hannah and whispering, “That being said, with Daddy around, we will have a few opportunities for fun.” Hannah felt a shiver and a grin on her lips. “I’ve never done anything like that before-” she started, Emily putting a finger on Hannah’s lips and silencing her. “It’s okay; you can follow my lead,” Emily responded with a wink. Daddy returned moments later, carrying a pink bag slung over his shoulders and a folded stroller. He opened the baby gate to the living room, unfolding the stroller and stashing the bag beneath. Hannah didn’t miss that the bag clearly said, “Hannah and Emily’s diaper bad.” along the side. Daddy scooped up Emily, strapped her in, and handed her a bottle, letting her nurse in before handing Hannah hers. Hannah tilted the bottle back, giving it a few suckles and tasting a delicious grape juice filling her mouth, far better than anything she had ever tasted back home. She let up, her eyes wide, “This is freaking good!” Daddy chuckled, “Just say it was excellent, Hannah; I know it’s not a curse, but it's better to break those habits now. The quality of ingredients here is far superior to what you have on Earth. It’s a problem. Remind me tonight, and I’ll let you try some of my dinner. I’m also bringing lunch for you girls. Mommy got your snacks at the mall, but I’m sure you could use some food.” Hannah nodded sheepishly. Daddy was never too harsh, but he clarified that he was in charge and that his orders would be followed. She found herself liking the man; she didn’t want to make him mad or piss him off intentionally. “Don’t you want to bring along your new friend?” Daddy asked, looking to where Bella lay, forgotten, in the play area. Hannah looked away sheepishly. “I do, but it doesn’t make me feel right,” she admitted. Daddy cocked an eyebrow, a look of realization crossing his face as he mumbled something. He stepped over to Bella, picked the bear up, and pressed what looked like his phone to the bear. Hannah could read his expression, his eyes widening, and he shook his head, sighing. “I’m sure this was mostly from that place; it was programmed to…” he trailed off, shaking his head again, “Hannah, hun, that bear can do a lot of things for you. I can have it help relax you, to help you enjoy yourself as you learn what it means to be a Little, or, would you rather it do nothing?” he asked, glancing to Hannah. Hannah was taken aback; she wasn’t expecting him to offer something like that, to let her choose. It was incredible! More than that, it furthered the point that she could not trust Mommy; she just couldn’t. Plus, if Mommy didn’t see her with her new friend, it would likely raise suspicion, especially if its effects were powerful. Hannah glanced at the bear and almost needed to snatch it away from Daddy. It was her friend! Not his! She forced herself to look away as she contemplated what to do. Part of her was screaming to have everything removed; she didn’t want anything messing with her state of mind. Yet, a piece of her told her she could use this. As Emily said, moments would be humiliating and out of her control. How incredible would it be to have a tool she could use to suppress those feelings when needed? “That’s fine. Is there a way to make it so only I can activate its effects?” Hannah asked curiously. Daddy cocked his head to the side, scrolling through the options he had before smiling, “Why yes, yes, there is! I will set it to a low relaxation setting, and there is nothing that will eliminate your inhibition, and all you need to do is hug her. Sound like a deal?” Hannah grinned ear to ear, nodding, “Deal!” Daddy chuckled, tapping a few things, and suddenly, that desire to snatch Bella from his arms was gone, as if the bear meant nothing to her the blue. But it wasn’t completely gone; it was still there. She felt barely more of a desire towards Teddy, as if she had had Bella for a long time and loved her stuffed friend. Daddy offered the bear to Hannah as he took the bottle from her, stowing it in a thermal pocket on the side of the diaper bag. Hannah recently took the bear, waiting for something to happen, and when nothing did, she burrowed her face in its incredibly soft fur, giggling. With that sorted, Daddy pushed the stroller to the front door, offering a hand to Hannah, who took it, her heart thumping. The door slid open silently, revealing a glass-lined hallway; Daddy pushed the stroller out, and Hannah took her first steps beyond the household. End of Chapter 12

@tuffy@DailyDi@zzyzx these are interesting situation’s, which end up calling for interesting solutions. I don’t know why they decided to shut down their affiliate programs, but it sounds to me like they didn’t or they weren’t making as much money, but it still doesn’t solve the problem of Mikey being able to have his monthly income. When you have a cut of 80% that’s a little bit harsh in my opinion, and I’m not even sure if he got appropriate warning before it happened. Sounds like to me this company is part of the problem rather than the solution, but I’m not sure how viable each one of the choices that were given is. I’m not sure if Mikey will investigate these options, but it does give him an option. Part of the thing that I’d be worried about is that whatever option he chooses if he chooses to do so I would not like to see him lose this site or his others because it provides him income by getting involved in one or two of these affiliate companies just to find out later on, but they were closed down as well. The site provides very relevant and timely information for those that are wondering about diapers and other things, and other kinks as well. The most important thing in my mind is that we don’t want him to lose these sites. This is way as much as I can. I try to give him some income by paying for the BB status, as well as whenever I can afford to I will send him some donation. This is my way of supporting his sites and giving him some income as well. It sounds like. Verotel basically decided one day just not to support website anymore. I’m not sure exactly why, but that doesn’t help MIKE and his current situation. As I said, I will continue to support daily diapers financially, as much as I am able, but I am also on a fixed income and I have to be able to remember to pay all of my bills which is important. So is this site so I’m hoping that we can help Mike as much as we can because it’s important. Regards, Brian

I made an account just to share how great this story is! I have read quite a few diaper stories over the years. And this story easily makes the top 5 for me, thanks a lot for writing it! I cannot wait to see how it continues

In a perfect world... lol

Lol, they should of ended the ad with them waddling to a cab to go home at the end of the night.

Chapter 27: A Princess’ New Home We had arrived in the mid-afternoon, but thanks to my long sleep on the plane, I didn’t feel too jet-lagged. I was so good to be with Mommy again, it had only been a week but it felt like a lifetime since I had seen her. I cuddled on the couch between Mommy and Obaa-chan, I had started snuggling Mommy, but Obaa-chan soon pried me away from her. “I haven’t had a chance to cuddle my new magomusume yet, I need some baby cuddles too!” I just smiled at her enthusiasm and leaned into her. I was content just to sit there cuddling, my pacifier bobbing up and down. I wasn’t paying much attention to what was being said, focusing more on the rise and fall of Obaa-chan’s chest. I looked over at GiGi sitting in a bar chair next to the couch and smiled contentedly at her. GiGi's cuddles were great, but now I had three people to cuddle with. I was spoiled for cuddles, I was in cuddle heaven! We sat like that for about an hour before Obaa-chan got up to go start dinner. Mommy offered her assistance, but her help was turned down. “You just focus on cuddling your baby for now. I’ll take care of dinner.” I suppose it should have seemed weird to me how readily Obaa-chan accepted me being little, but considering she had already seen me playing Imoto to Mommy, I guess it wasn’t a far leap to little. She seemed happy to treat me like a toddler, not batting an eye at my diapered state. In that moment, surrounded by three people who loved and supported me no matter what, I felt the warmth of their love filling my emotional gas tank up to full. Being in the presence of love is a wonderful thing. I felt so safe, so secure in who I was choosing to be, and comforted by the knowledge that none of the women in this room would ever do anything to hurt me. We were served Chicken Katsu Curry for dinner. Mommy sat next to me and helped feed me dinner as a two-year-old and chopsticks don’t mix. She set down a sippy cup full of juice next to my plate. It seems like they had done a little baby shopping once they realized we were coming. Dinner was delicious, I hadn’t realized how much I had missed Obaa-chan’s cooking. I was very full after such a wonderful dinner, making sure I cleaned my plate. I just snuggled with Mommy as I drifted in and out of a food coma. It was so good to feel her touch again, to be able to hug her, kiss her. I felt at home here. This is where my Mommy was, and I had already spent the previous two years of my life here. GiGi insisted on helping Obaa-chan clean up after dinner, to which she reluctantly relented. While they were cleaning up dinner, Mommy took me to get a bath. She helped me get nice and soapy and sprayed off the shampoo and soap before moving me over to the tub. Once she set me in the tub with a few toys, she undressed. She made quick work of cleaning her makeup, body, and hair and rinsing everything off, before joining me in the tub. I just looked at her as she made her way over to me. Mommy was so pretty with her makeup, but she was just as pretty without it. I was so lucky to have such a beautiful Mommy. We soaked in the tub together for a good 30 minutes before the water became too lukewarm. Mommy towled me off first, and then quickly dried herself. She laid the used towel on the tile and instructed me to lie down. With a towel wrapped around her body and her hair, quickly grabbed the diaper bag from the hallway. She quickly diapered me and led me back to our room. Once back in the room, she helped me into a cute footed pajama she had purchased for me. It was a cute, bear pajama onesie. It was fuzzy brown fiber with white on the tummy and a hood that could be pulled up that had cute little round bear ears on it. Now that I was all clean and in my pajamas, Mommy said it was almost time for sleep. I could stay up for 30 more minutes, and then it was bedtime. I ran back into the living room to show GiGi and Obaa-chan my new pajamas, crinkling all the way. As expected, there were coos and awws at the sight of my pajamas. I pouted that Mommy would only let me stay up for thirty more minutes, hoping GiGi or Obaa-chan would overrule her. No objections came, so it seemed my bedtime was not as malleable as I had hoped. After thirty minutes of snuggling Obaa-chan, Mommy told me it was time for bed. I reluctantly followed, declaring I wasn’t even tired. Mommy lay me down on the familiar large futon in her room and made sure I was nice and comfy under the blankets. She lay next to me until I fell asleep, cuddling with me. With the familiar comfort of Mommy’s cuddles, sleep came quickly. I’m not sure how long she lay next to me, but when I woke up a bit later she wasn’t there anymore. I could hear the murmur of conversation coming from the living room. I wanted to get up and go to Mommy, but sleep was already pulling me back under. Sleep won out, and I was quickly back in a deep sleep. When I woke up the next day, Mommy was sleeping right next to me, her arms wrapped around me. I could tell by the soggy feeling in my diaper that I had wet again. I lay there in Mommy’s arms for a while, until I felt the need to use my diaper again and added another big soaking. My diaper felt full now, I was worried that it would leak. I gently booped Mommy on the nose with my finger. It took a few more pokes, but finally, she woke up. She looked over at me and smiled. “Good morning baby. Did you have a good sleep?” “Uh huh, but diapey is icky. Can has change?” She reached her hand over and felt my diaper, giving it a little squeeze for good measure. “Oh my, you certainly did soak this one. It’s a good thing GiGi got you high-capacity diapers or you would have leaked. It can hold a bit more though, so I’ll change you after breakfast” I wasn’t thrilled with this answer, but didn’t argue, I was hungry for breakfast. Since we were the first ones awake, Mommy made breakfast for the rest of the house. I kept myself entertained with Taki and Ruby while Mommy was busy in the kitchen. The smell of breakfast wafted through the house, and we were soon joined by GiGi and Obaa-chan. We sat together for a delicious breakfast, and Mommy helped feed me with her chopsticks. With a mix of Mommy feeding me, and using my hands, I was soon full. Mommy helped GiGi and Obaa-chan clean up breakfast, before taking my hand and leading me to my former bedroom. As we made a brief stop in her room to grab my changing mat and supplies, Mommy told me that it was time for her to get me dressed for the day. As we entered the room, I noticed it was more cluttered than I remembered. The room was now littered with large baby-style clothes, accessories, and diapers. I couldn’t help but be impressed by the sheer amount of clothing Mommy had bought for me. I didn’t even know they made these in adult sizes. Any one of the pieces would not look out of place on a biological two-year-old. The next thing that drew my attention was a plethora of cute diaper covers, next to what appeared to be very thin towels. The diaper covers were adorable, she had purchased four, and she told me they came from a Japanese company called Feline Babies. She had selected yellow, blue, and pink covers. The yellow cover featured a pattern with small cartoon cats, bunnies, and ducks all holding balloons and seeming to be carried by said balloons. There was a light blue one, it featured a pattern of small yellow ducks and small green and blue balloons interspersed between them. The darker blue cover featured a multitude of candy hearts with messages like “Kiss Me” and “Love You.” The final cover was a pinkish-purple color and featured an Alice in Wonderland pattern. Decorating it were playing cards of all suits and numbers, as well as cards featuring likenesses of Alice, and various other characters from the classic cartoon. When Mommy saw me looking at them, she explained that the covers and the towels were classic Japanese Omutsu-style diapers. She laid the changing mat on the ground and guided me down on top of it. She grabbed the towels from the bed and set them next to me. She removed my soaked diaper and cleaned me up. She folded the cloth with practiced ease. The cloth was folded and layered on top of each other in such a way as the cover my crotch and butt and wrap around my waist. She had watched several YouTube videos on how to properly fold the cloth and practiced. When she was done, it had a narrower middle section and what looked almost like wings on each end. She lifted my bum and slid the thick layers of cloth underneath me. She powdered me, and then drew the thick cloth between my legs. Holding the top of the cloth in place at my waist, she proceeded to pull the sides tightly around the front of the cloth. She made sure the cloth was nice and snug against my body, checking the seal around my legs, before grabbing the front of the Alice in Wonderland diaper cover and pulling it tightly over the folded cloth. Just like before she pulled the sides tight over the front of the cover and then used the ribbon sewn into the cover the pull it tight and tie it in a nice little bow to keep everything in place. She helped me sit up, and I could just feel the extra bulk between my legs. These were much thicker than the disposable diapers I had been wearing. I gave my legs a few test squeezes and found that I couldn’t close my legs with the bulk I now wore in between them. Mommy then helped me to my feet, and even standing was different. The bulk caused me to stand almost bow-legged. She then grabbed a light purple one side with multi-color paw prints decorating it. Snapping it into place, she grabbed a cute white shirt featuring a cartoon unicorn running on a rainbow and placed it next to the dress she chose for me that day. “Arms up baby!” I did as I was told, and she slid my arms and head into the shirt. She asked me to do it again, and I raised my arms again. She grabbed the dress off the bed and brought it over my head. She put ribbons in my hair, tying them in pigtails. She walked me over to the mirror to see how adorable I looked. I did indeed look adorable. I studied the dress, not having gotten a good look before it was placed on my body. It was a soft blue color, with ruffled shoulder straps. Running down the inside of each strap and down the dress was a pink line. The line was accentuated with two pink bows on each line. Each line ended in a pink heart, with a blue bow in the middle. Right beneath the collar of the dress was a big pink bow. The hem of the dress was ruffled and added the final babyish touch to the outfit. After giving me a moment to admire myself, Mommy led me back into the living room where GiGi and Obaa-chan were waiting. As soon as Mommy led me into the room, they both let out an aww sound at the sight of me. They stood up, coming over to fuss over me and coo at how cute I looked. I couldn’t help but stand there and beam at them, enjoying all the praise I was receiving. Mommy lifted my dress to show them my diaper cover, which elicited another round of awws. Having sufficiently made a fuss over me, the grown-ups returned to the couch to continue their conversation that we had interrupted. Mommy handed me Taki and Ruby and turned on some cartoons to keep me occupied while she grabbed more stuff from the room. She returned with an assortment of toys and dolls for me to play with, and once the episode finished I was more than happy to play with them

The screenshot above is from a clip in S02EP3 starting 03:41 mins in where the nurse is changing them. There is also a very short clip of a diaper in S01EP2 (24:20 mins in the episode) with a different actor / patient, plus a reference to them "getting put in a diaper" earlier in the same episode. The whole series is set in an Italian mental-health crisis ward.

We are now offering a premium, subscription-based user group for those who want to help support Mikey and DD and gain access to exclusive photo and video content. Membership is just $15.99 a month, and can be purchased here Note: Nothing has changed for free and donating members, This is for additional content, not basic access to the forums, chat and gallery.

I don't think it's Bobo. Why would such an adorable stuffed bear be causing all these changes in Charlotte's life? He's always by her side, so I don't think that it's him. Good theory though! Yes. It's too bad. I believe that I referenced it in a past chapter that something was "blocking" Charlotte from finding the answer. If it wasn't for that, then Charlotte would've already figured it out. Two wrongs don't make a right. I don't think that bad deeds is behind the reversal of the regression process. If anything, bad deeds lead to negative consequences. Karma just hasn't caught up with Charlotte yet... 😉 One of these theories is correct, but I'm not going to say which one. You will just have to stay tuned and see for yourself.... 😄 Are you ready for the next one? Because here it is! Chapter 22 Charlotte woke up with another strong urge to pee. She got up, smiling as she made the trip to the bathroom. ‘It actually feels good finally being able to make it to the bathroom again!’ She finished peeing in the bathroom and wiped herself before flushing the toilet. But as Charlotte was washing her hands in the mirror, she noticed the clear older reflection on her face. Both her breasts were fully developed and the nightgown that she had on looked very stylish. ‘Am I finally…back to normal?’ Charlotte returned to her bedroom and looked out the window. In the driveway sat what looked like a Petra Gold Rolls Royce. She knew that this was the case, as she could clearly make out the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament that was mounted to the front of her car. Charlotte dug in her purse and pulled out her wallet. She found her driver’s license and read out the date of birth: “November 8th, 1994.” Charlotte read. “1994! So it HAS happened! I’m finally back to my original age!” Just then, her cell phone buzzed. The Caller ID read IMG Models. ‘Just what could they want at 5:46 in the morning?’ Charlotte thought. Charlotte answered the phone. “Hello? Charlotte Warren speaking!” “Good morning, Miss Warren.” A male voice said showing a hint of urgency. “This is Jason Armani, President and CEO of IMG Models. I didn’t just wake you out of a sound sleep, did I?” Charlotte laughed. “Oh no, Mr. Armani! My bladder did that. You know that situation. When duty calls…” “Yes Miss Warren. I love a good model that has an excellent sense of humor. Now I know how busy you are with filming that Runway movie in Langford. I understand the contract that you have signed with the producer and director and I’m very excited that you were able to land a starring role in that movie. But could you please do me a favor? One of our largest clients wants to release their new clothing line within the next month, and they want YOU to model the clothing. Now I told them yes, so you know the kind of situation that I am in.” Charlotte nodded. “Yes, Mr. Armani. I understand your predicament. So you need me back in L.A.?” “Yes, Miss Warren! Absolutely! How soon can you get back to Los Angeles?” Charlotte glanced at her Petra Gold Rolls Royce. “Please give me about 8 hours, Mr. Armani. Now that is just an estimate, considering how bad traffic on The 405 can be.” “Indeed, Miss Warren. We both know how treacherous traffic can be here in West Los Angeles. So when can I expect you to make the drive to the agency?” Charlotte glanced at her cell phone, which now read 5:51 AM. “I should be on the road in about 30 minutes. Please give me some time to get ready and a little food down my stomach. Does that work for you, Mr. Armani?” “That would be amazing, Miss Warren. You are becoming one of our top-rated models in the industry and your starring role in Runway will really cement your fame. Did you know that one of our executives is actually directing the movie? He pitched the script to Warner Bros., and they really liked it. It’s going to make the modeling industry more popular and in turn make you even more famous.” Charlotte nodded. “Yes. The director did look very familiar. I kept asking myself ‘Didn’t I see him before?’ But yes. Please let me get ready.” “Very good, Miss Warren. How would you like to start the shoot at around 3:00 or 3:30? Well, we really can’t predict what The 405 is going to do today so let’s just make it when you arrive? We’ll prepare all your favorite foods and snacks prepared just the way you like it. You’re one of our most popular models and we want to keep you happy.” Charlotte suddenly remembered something as a couple of familiar names entered her mind. “Will you be needing Lexi or Maya?” “Will I be needing them? They specifically asked for you first, Charlotte. We will send for Lexi and Maya later as we figure out where we want this to go.” Charlotte glanced at her phone again. “Okay. It’s almost 6:00. Anyway, had you told me about this sooner, I would’ve been able to fly first class out of STS to LAX. I’ll see to it that I arrange a return flight back to STS and have my chauffeur drive my Rolls Royce back to Langford since there’s still a lot of this movie left to shoot.” “Whatever works for you, Miss Warren. We just need this assignment done. Now I need to get back with the client and give them an update. Have safe travels driving back down! Farewell Charlotte!” “Thank you, Mr. Armani. Bye!” Charlotte hung up and smiled. She couldn’t believe all the new memories that she had! But the important thing was that this was her true reality. The reality that she hoped someday to return to managed to happen when she least expected it to. Charlotte caught a glance of a notebook that sat on her desk. It read the following: SUPER SLEUTH CHARLOTTE’S MYSTERY NOTEBOOK For solving The Mystery! Charlotte laughed as she leafed through the different pages, noting the different ages that she actually regressed to. Considering her age of 29, the younger ages that existed in the notebook now seemed like a work of fiction. Charlotte could hardly believe that she was that desperate to go through the trouble of documenting her predicament to the point of listing her age regression episodes and listing different theories that she thought pertained to the problem. All of this was irrelevant to Charlotte now since “The Mystery” was now officially solved. She went ahead and added a new entry in the notebook: 10/1/2024 – Good news! Whatever the cosmic anomaly was, it seemed to have corrected itself since I have undergone two episodes where I have experienced rapid aging. The first episode happened yesterday (9/30/2024) where I ended up aging two whole years. But for the sake of argument, the onset of that aging was discovered on 9/29 when my mother asked me if I was ready for my Senior Year. The second episode happened today where I ended up aging 12 more years. This has effectively restored me back to my original age of 29 where I can finally continue my wonderful life as a famous supermodel. The onset of this aging was determined by three different variables: My appearance – My physical appearance is fully developed, and all my normal features are back to normal. The car in the driveway – Upon glancing out of the window, a gold Rolls Royce was found in the driveway. My date of birth – Upon inspecting my California Driver’s License, my date of birth correctly read 11/8/1994. This is my true date of birth. The cause of the restoration to my original age is still unknown and investigation is ongoing before this case can be closed. But the mystery is solved so the cause will be explored later. Charlotte wasted no time in stripping off her clothes in getting into the shower. She happily sighed as she felt the warm water splash against her fully developed breasts. These were the breasts of a supermodel. Not the breasts of some student that was in the middle of completing high school. Not an underclassed Sophomore. But a successful supermodel that is more than a decade into her career. A supermodel that has a Hollywood debut, complete with a starring role in a movie about modeling. Charlotte then gasped as she began to think about memories pertaining to…him. Yes him. Her co-star. Her high school crush that somehow wasn’t married yet. Taylor. Taylor Abbott. In Runway she would be Valorie Sinclair and Taylor would be playing Justin Blake. There were a lot of kissing scenes in the movie, which made Charlotte’s heart skip a beat. And they have already gone on a few dates after a few days of filming! Charlotte finished her shower and dried off quickly. She wrapped herself in two towels and swung the door open to see her mother standing there. “Good morning, sweetie!” Darcy said with a smile. “Are you filming more of that movie today?” Charlotte shook her head. “No mom. I need to drive back to Los Angeles since IMG Models has an important modeling shoot that I need to be at.” Darcy nodded and offered Charlotte a couple frosted strawberry Pop Tarts. “Have these, dear. You need to get on the road if they need you that urgently. Will you just be gone today?” Charlotte smiled and nodded. “Yes mom. And on my way to the agency, I will call one of my staff at my mansion and have them arrange a return flight to STS from LAX tomorrow morning. I will be back here tomorrow morning, mom.” Darcy smiled. “Okay dear. What time is the shoot?” “Well mom,” Charlotte began. “From what Mr. Armani told me, he wants to start the shoot ‘as soon as I arrive.’ “ Darcy gasped. “Well, you better drive safely honey! I think of you all the time every time you’re in Los Angeles! Just remember dear. The 405 is just as dangerous as The 5. And you know The 5 is why Richard isn’t alive anymore, don’t you! You know, he was in that accident when you were only a week old!” Charlotte nodded. “I know, mom. I never even got to know my dad! Anyway, I love you. I’ll be back tomorrow morning!” Both Charlotte and her mother hugged. Charlotte then wolfed down a Pop Tart and hurried back up to her room. For her temporary trip back, she grabbed her expensive looking overnight bag and stuffed Bobo into it. “I know it’s just a day but you’re coming home with me.” She told her stuffed friend. One other thing that Charlotte packed was her mystery notebook in case she thought of anything else that might help explain the resolution of the mystery. This was the only thing that Charlotte needed to close the case. The last thing that Charlotte packed was her running shoes. ‘Because who knows? I might have some time for a run after the modeling shoot!’ Charlotte thought. Charlotte grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a swig to wash down the remnants of the Pop Tart that she devoured. She then hugged her mother one last time and carried her purse and her overnight bag out the door. Now in the driveway, Charlotte unlocked her Rolls Royce and threw both her bags in the back, holding on to her last Pop Tart, which she began breaking into pieces and quickly stuffing them in her mouth. She did this to avoid getting a single crumb in the plush leather interior of her $500,000 car. She brushed every last Pop Tart crumb from her hands and entered the car. In mere minutes, Charlotte was already out of Langford and was heading south down US Highway 101. The time was now 6:34 AM and according to her navigation, she would be arriving at IMG Models at 2:06 PM, due to a traffic jam on The 405. As Charlotte approached Novato, she began making her first phone call to her mansion in Beverly Hills. “Call Warren Estate,” Charlotte ordered her digital assistant. “Calling Warren Estate.” The female voice responded as it began to dial the number using the Bluetooth on her cellphone. “Good morning, Miss Warren! You seem to be up pretty early this morning. Is something amiss?” “Everything is fine, Franklin.” Charlotte told him. “I am just heading back to Los Angeles today since IMG wants me to do an important modeling shoot. Can you please do me a favor and book me the earliest flight back to Santa Rosa for tomorrow morning? This will not be necessary once I have acquired a private jet.” “Yes Miss Warren. You have been talking about that purchase for a while now. Maybe you’ll be able to acquire it once you’re finished with filming that movie.” Charlotte smiled. “Yeah. After filming is finished for Runway, I will be receiving $40 million. And that will definitely be used to go towards that Gulfstream. I mean, it will be nice to have my own private dining room and bedroom while I fly.” “So you will be wanting first class, I presume?” “Absolutely. First class from LAX to STS. The earliest flight you can get for tomorrow morning. It doesn’t matter how expensive it is. Just put it on my account. They will want me back in Langford tomorrow morning to film more of the movie. Got it?” “I’m working on it right away, Miss Warren! I will call you back with the flight details once the flight has been booked.” “Thank you, Franklin. Have a wonderful day. Bye!” Charlotte ended the call as she continued on southbound US Highway 101. “Call Raymond,” Charlotte ordered her digital voice assistant. “Calling Raymond.” The female voice responded as it began to dial the number using the Bluetooth on her cellphone. “Good morning, Miss Charlotte! What do I have the service of performing for you on this fine and lovely day?” Charlotte grinned. “Raymond, I am going to need you to drive my Rolls Royce back up to Langford after I arrive at the Warren Estate.” “Certainly, Miss Charlotte! What is the occasion?” “It’s work, Raymond.” Charlotte explained. “IMG called me, and I need to model for them this afternoon. And as my totally awesome chauffeur, I need you to drive my car back up to Langford since I will be getting an early flight back up there tomorrow morning.” “Very good, Miss Charlotte! I’m guessing that you need to continue filming the movie?” “Precisely Raymond. This is my first starring role and first acting gig, so I need to be there for most of the filming. Basically about 95% of it. I already filmed a lot of it yesterday and they will need me back tomorrow for sure. Once the filming is done, distribution will begin and I will begin my talk show circuit promotion of the movie on all the major spots on TV. The morning shows, the late-night shows. Everything.” “I got it, Miss Charlotte. I will begin driving your Rolls Royce back to Langford as requested. Now will it be at that small development of Craftsmans near Millionaires Row?” “Yes Raymond. My mom still lives there. She will be delighted to see you again. You can stay in one of the spare bedrooms.” “Excellent, Miss Charlotte. I eagerly await your return after your modeling shoot.” “Same to you, Raymond.” “Wait!” “Yes Raymond?” “Do you want me to pick you up at STS airport tomorrow morning?” “Yes. Please do. Talk to you later. Bye.” There was a little bit of a slowdown around San Francisco, but it wasn’t that bad for Charlotte to manage. After 20 minutes of slowdown, Charlotte was back to normal cruising speeds again. It was almost 11:00 in the morning when Charlotte refueled her tank in Kettleman City. She also used this opportunity to pee and poop. Four hours of holding it was nothing for Charlotte, thanks to her cast-iron bladder. After leaving Kettleman City with a full tank of gas, Charlotte was now ready to officially head to IMG Models in Los Angeles, which the navigation estimate now read to be at 3:08 PM. ‘Didn’t Mr. Armani say 3:00 – 3:30 PM? Wow! He’s almost spot on in predicting L.A. traffic!” No sooner than Charlotte was on the road that she received an incoming call from the Warren Estate. “Hello?” “Miss Warren, this is Franklin. We were able to get you a flight for tomorrow morning. It’s a one-way first class flight, and it leaves LAX at 6:02 AM and is scheduled to arrive at STS at 7:42 AM. Now your chauffeur Raymond has informed us that he will be picking you up at STS tomorrow morning.” “Yes, Raymond will. Thank you for getting the flight. I’ll be there after the shoot. Talk to you later. Bye.” Since Charlotte was bored, she decided to see what her friends were up to. “Call Lexi Bloomingdale.” “Calling Lexi Bloomingdale.” The female voice responded as it began to dial the number using the Bluetooth on her cellphone. “Oh, hi Charlotte! You caught both me and Maya at a good time. Are you enjoying your day off before your next day of filming?” Another voice could be heard in the background. “Yeah Char. Are you just chilling at your mom’s home?” Charlotte shook her head. “No. IMG Models called me, and I have to complete a special assignment for them today.” “Special assignment? Was it from Mr. Armani?” “Yes it was, Lex.” “Char, if it’s from him, you better accept it! It’s super important!” “Maya, I’m pretty sure that Charlotte did. Now what’s the special assignment about? Let me guess. It’s from Victoria’s Secret, right? They’re one of their biggest clients, you know.” “That’s what it sounds like, Lex. It’s probably one of their latest lines of lingerie that they want me to model. I already know all the poses that they probably want me to do. I can do them in my sleep.” “Gee Char. Why did they ask you exclusively, and not me or Lex? It reminds me of hearing about a party that you’re not invited to.” Charlotte smiled. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Armani said that they’ll want you two next. They just want me first for some reason.” “Charlotte, I think that they want you first because they know that you have the starring role in Runway, and they want to finish the shots as soon as possible. And speaking of, both Maya and I just finished filming for the morning. We nailed all our lines in just one take! The director was impressed! We even had time to reshoot the scene using different improvised lines just to see if it made that scene better.” “That’s very good, Lex. Now have you both been pricing the private jets? There’s a gulfstream that I want that’s about $45 million.” “Oh Char. That sounds amazing. Get a load of this. Lex’s boyfriend Vince has his own private jet and it’s better than Quincy’s! And this is crazy since Vince just cracked the A-list a couple years ago. Now he’s landing starring roles left and right!” Charlotte smiled. “And let’s not forget about Taylor! He is on the A-list too! I don’t know if he owns a private jet, though.” “He probably does, Charlotte. Now Maya and me are only getting around $5 million each with our roles. What are you and Taylor getting as stars?” Charlotte smirked. “I’m getting $40 million and he’s getting $30 million.” “Wow Char. You’ll only need $5 million to buy that Gulfstream. That should be nothing for you. I mean, what’s your net worth? $150 million?” “Something like that,” Charlotte answered. “I’ll have to ask my accountant when I get back home today. He’s supposed to have my funds parked where I can make some serious money. We’re talking major gains where I can triple my net worth within the next year!” “That sounds about right, Char. Quincy has landed a lot of starring roles already and he’s worth about $3 billion, thanks to awesome investing from some expert financial planners.” “Well, I just wanted to talk to you two. It’s quite lonely heading to Los Angeles by myself. I even took my Bottega Venetas that my mom got for me so I can do some running after the modeling shoot.” “Those shoes? I can remember Maya not shutting up about them!” “They’re great shoes, Lex. Char is lucky to own a pair. Do us proud and run that course for us. We both may run the Langford running trail later on.” Charlotte smiled. “Go ahead and run that for me too! This shoot is only going to be for today. I’ll be back in Langford tomorrow morning.” “That sounds great, Charlotte! Well, Maya and I need to get some lunch and head back to the set. We’ve been talking to Lauren and Monica, a couple of Seniors about being models and our new venture in acting. They actually seem pretty happy that you have the starring role. I actually happen to know Lauren from my parents knowing them. They are a very good family if you ever get to meet them. Charlotte smirked. ‘Believe me, Lex. I know them a lot more than you think…’ “They seem pretty nice from the way that you describe them. “I’ll have to meet them tomorrow at lunch when I’m in Langford.” “Get this, Char. Both Lauren and Monica are asking for you. They’re actually wondering who we’re talking to. Isn’t that right, Lex?” “Yes Maya! Lauren says that she knows you from being on the cover of Vogue magazine and a few different print ads for Lululemon. I mean, it helps when you’re the top finisher in every marathon that you ran, right? You’re 8 for 8 in winning every marathon that you ran. I mean, that San Francisco one was perfect!” “Yup. And Monica says that she knows you from every single Victoria’s secret ad that you have done. She says that she wants to be an Angel someday. Really Char. It’s cute that they both look up to you in their own special way. Oh! And they both just said, ‘Hi Charlotte!’ “ “Hi Charlotte! We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!” Charlotte gasped. Hearing the shouts from both of her younger friends sent chills down her spine. While they were all best friends in another life, both Lauren and Monica both idolized Charlotte now as a cover girl and now soon to be movie star. Charlotte was now on the other side with Lexi and Maya, the way that it was intended to be, and she liked it that way. “Yes!” Charlotte shouted back. “I look forward to seeing you both too! I’ll see you both tomorrow!” Charlotte still could not believe that Lauren and Monica couldn’t remember anything personal about them all growing up together, since Charlotte somehow aged 12 years overnight. “Charlotte, Maya and I are going to have lunch with Lauren and Monica. Have fun at your modeling shoot!” “Yes Charlotte! This is Lauren!” “And Monica! Have fun modeling that lingerie for Victoria’s Secret!” Charlotte laughed. “Okay. See you all later! Bye!” Charlotte was all smiles for the remainder of her trip to IMG. At around 1:30 PM, Charlotte was on The 405 and sure enough, a massive traffic jam slowed traffic down to a standstill. When Charlotte looked at her Maps App, There was nothing but red for the next 25 miles leading to her exit. So basically, it’s going to take Charlotte an hour and a half just to drive another 25 miles to IMG. Charlotte called IMG again and asked for Mr. Armani. Instead, a female receptionist responded. “Mr. Armani is in an important meeting right now.” The receptionist told her. “Can I take a message?” Charlotte smiled. “Just tell him that I’m 25 miles away, but I’m in a very bad traffic jam.” “Duly noted, miss…” “Warren.” Charlotte quickly answered. “Okay Miss Warren. It’s been duly noted that you are 25 miles away and due to the traffic conditions, you will not be able to get there for some time. I will let Mr. Armani know right away when he’s finished with his meeting. Have a wonderful day, Miss Warren. Bye!” About a half hour later, IMG Models called Charlotte back. “Good afternoon, Miss Warren. This is Jason Armani, President and CEO of IMG Models. I have received the memo from my administrative assistant, and I am well aware that you are very close to the agency. How close now?” Charlotte sighed. This traffic has only moved about 5 miles within the last half hour. I am now 20 miles away from the Wilshire Boulevard location.” “Miss Warren, you only have about 18.5 miles of freeway remaining before you’re on Wilshire Boulevard. Wilshire is flowing pretty smoothly right now. All you need to do is get off The 405. But I suggest that you stay on until Wilshire, since it seems that the other exits are congested. Wilshire’s exit is too so you’ll just have to bite the bullet.” “Will do, Mr. Armani. How did you know that it was going to be around 3:00?” “It was an educated guess, Miss Warren. This is the typical flow of L.A. traffic. Now I have another meeting to attend to before I prepare for your arrival. Just hang in there. You’re almost there!” Charlotte glanced at the miles of cars that were ahead of her, the bumper-to-bumper traffic inching forward very slowly. “That is all I can do, Mr. Armani. I’ll see you there! Bye!” Another half hour passed, and Charlotte was now 10 miles away from IMG Models. If Charlotte could maintain a speed of 20 miles per hour, she would make it within her navigation’s estimated time. The traffic lightened up and Charlotte began coasting a little bit faster. Twenty more minutes passed. Charlotte could now see the exit for Wilshire Boulevard. Charlotte merged into the correct lane and now joined the stagnant flow of cars that all inched forward on the congested exit ramp. Charlotte now had to be in the correct fork since there was a Wilshire Boulevard West and a Wilshire Boulevard East. Charlotte did not want to head east yet since that would take her to Beverly Hills, where her mansion was. Charlotte wanted to head west, where IMG Models was just a short 1.5 miles away. Just as Charlotte got into the fork that would take her to Wilshire Boulevard West, she heard a loud dialing tone over the speaker system. “Incoming call….” The computerized voice said. “Incoming call….” From the dashboard, Charlotte could make out the words “DARCY WARREN”, with an image of her mother’s smiling face next to the text. “Mom?” Charlotte gasped. “What does mom want now? Answer call,” Charlotte ordered, causing the Bluetooth cellphone call to be answered through the car’s speaker system. She could hear the sound of her mother coming in crystal clear. “Hello?” “Charlotte?” her mother’s voice boomed from the other end. “Charlotte? Charlotte? Charlotte?” Charlotte could not believe it. Was it just a bad signal and her mother couldn’t hear her? “I’m right here, mom?” But her mother continued repeating her daughter’s name. “Charlotte? Charlotte? Charlotte? Charlotte?”

Great commercial. It'd be better if it showed her actually putting on and wearing and using the diaper!

Or waddling off with the cute person they picked up.

The best method is either professional laser hair removal or electrolysis. It is expensive but is almost permanent with only needing a touch up treatments every now and again. I'm getting a few laser hair treatments this week and in total, it takes 8 to 10 treatments every 4 to 8 weeks. Being a good candidate for laser means you need fair skin and dark hair. If you have light hair then electrolysis is a better option but it involves going hair by hair and very time consuming. Waxing is the second best option and can keep you hair free for up to 8 weeks. It's painful and if you plan on doing it yourself at home, be prepared to have a good mental threshold for self inflicted pain. Nair works great and extend what shaving could do by about 3 to 4 days. Be careful and follow the directions carefully, you can get chemical burns that are not fun. I have had mixed results with at home laser hair removal and it seems to only thin and slow down hair growth in my case. One thing that I have started using on my legs and downstairs area every time I shave is Cyperus rotundus oil. It is a natural plant oil that is suppose to reduce and slow hair growth. I just started using it recently and couldn't tell you how effective it is yet. Other than just shaving or buying a good trimer that is designed for that area, those are all the methods I know of.

@Albert-1701 You’re probably referring to the US Coast Guard cutter Tahoma, which is in my signature. This cutter was one that my brother served aboard. The fact that I have chosen that as my signature or as part of my signature has no bearing or weight on whether it belongs here or does not. I put that there in recognition of the fact that my brother served in the Coast Guard for almost 8 years, and now he served in the Air Force on active duty for the Vermont air National Guard. me showing that in my signature is my way of supporting my brothers mission whether it be while he was serving in the Coast Guard for eight years or while he served in many different deployments keeping everyone safe. Brian Monopoly

I am hoping and Praying for a replacement income source to come. I know too many of us can relate .

Chapter 11: A New Friend “Unfortunately for Emily, I think only Hannah will get a new furry friend!” Mommy said as she pushed the girls into the Build-A-Bear type store, helping Hannah down from the cart. “Aren’t you excited?” Mommy asked. Hannah blushed and nodded, “Yes, Mommy, thank you.” This earned her a pat on the head as a worker approached. The worker was a young man, posing as a teenager but his expression and face told Hannah he was likely 24 or 25. Yet he seemed to tower over Hannah but was shorter than Mommy. Was this what they called a Tweener? Hannah wasn't certain. He wore blue overalls with the store's logo emblazoned on the chest. “Hi there, are we looking to make a new friend?” he asked. The question was designed for Hannah but aimed at Mommy, who smiled and nodded, “Just one for today.” The man’s eyes flickered at Emily, but he said nothing. He offered a hand to Hannah, “Of course! Right this way.” With few other choices, Hannah took the man's hand as he led her to the store's first stage: the decision of a stuffy body. She glanced across the many options, deciding on another teddy bear, this one white with a similar red bow and lashes—a friend for Teddy! The worker smiled, taking the unstuffed stuffy and offering her a small, cloth heart. The heart was a beanbag of sorts, filled to the brim. “Now, put all your love, care, and promises into that heart that awakens your new friend. Close your eyes and pour all yourself into that heart,” he said with an upbeat tone. Feeling silly, Hannah did so, closing her eyes and imagining just that, trying to slip into a bit of space to help. It did; she could imagine herself as a little girl, getting a bear for the first time, grinning as she opened her eyes and handed the man the heart, “All done!” He smiled warmly as he took it, adding it to the stuffy before attaching it to a machine, filling it with filling, and sewing up the back. “Perfect! Alright, let’s give your friend a name. Can you think of one?” he asked, holding the stuffed bear to her. Hannah cocked her head to the side, studying the bear, imagining it with some clothes on before taking it with a smile, “Her name is Bella!” she announced proudly. “That’s a lovely name! Let’s get Bella some clothes.” The worker said with a smile, guiding Hannah to the shelves of outfits. The overwhelming selection took Hannah back. Everything from princess dresses to space cowboys and accessories was here! She finally settled on a pink bow, similar to Teddy’s, apart from the color, a short yellow dress, and polka-dot bloomers. She eagerly dressed her new friend, hugging it as they returned to the front, where Mommy was waiting. Mommy gasped when she saw Hannah’s new friend getting down on one knee, “Oh my gosh, she’s so cute! Just like my baby girl, and who is this?” she asked Hannah. Hannah, still in little space, giggled, “This is Bella, Mommy!” she exclaimed as the worker stepped up beside her. He chuckled, holding a pad of some sort, tapping in, “Alrighty, everything is set up and bound, comes with standard love connection, desire addiction starts at stage 2; anything else you’d like to add?” The worker turned the tablet towards Mommy, whose eyes widened, scanning for several long seconds, “You guys can do that with just…” she glanced at Hannah, mouth agape, tapping a few buttons, “This will be fine.” “Of course, ma’am, you can edit the settings at any time.” the worker said with a smile, waving to Hannah, “Bye, you two! Bye, Bella!” Hannah already loved her new friend, holding the stuffed bear to her chest; it was nearly as big as she was! Mommy scooped both up, plopping Hannah back in the cart and pulling the straps over her shoulders and between her legs. Both girls strapped in, and Mommy pushed the cart from the store. Hannah glanced at Emily with a big smile, showing off her new friend. Emily’s face seemed to be back to normal, and she smiled at Bella with a hint of jealousy. Hannah missed this look completely, still feeling little. “Mind if I hold her?” Emily asked. Hannah nodded, “Of course!” she said, handing over Bella. Emily plopped Bella in her lap, and Hannah realized she was using the bear to help cover her diaper. Hannah blushed, realizing she hadn’t even thought about Emily; she should have offered. “Her name is Bella?” Emily asked curiously. Hannah nodded again, “Yeah, she’s going to be Teddy’s new best friend, " she giggled. Emily looked at her curiously but said nothing as Mommy pushed the cart toward the mall's entrance. The girls realized they were likely heading home. Hannah didn’t mind; she was content to go with the flow and even stopped caring about her appearance. Heck, she nursed her thumb for the fun of it! She was a baby; no one cared! Yet, the longer Hannah didn’t hold Bella, the more that carefree nature seemed to wash off, her thoughts slowly returning to normal. Was it just her little space that was slipping away, or was there something more to it? The worker's words came to mind, but she had no clue what they meant. Mommy stopped the cart near the front, turning towards a restroom. She stooped down before Emily and Hannah, feeling both of their diapers. Hannah was still dry, but Emily was beyond needing a change. Mommy smiled, scooping Emily from the cart, holding her as she pushed the cart and Hannah into the bathroom, “Let’s get this stink butt changed!” Hannah could see the conflict in Emily’s eyes, the same that had been in hers when she was going to be changed in public, the redness of Emily’s cheeks burning brightly. To her credit, Emily knew better than to argue with Mommy as she was strapped down. Hannah was positioned, almost as if on purpose, in a way that let her watch the entire changing process and see Emily in the mirror. It was as if Mommy wanted her to see that Emily was acting like and treated like a baby; she was nothing more and nothing less than Mommy’s little girl. Hannah was humiliated for Emily, seeing the poor girl's nethers completely caked in mess, her entire body red in shame. Hannah tried to distract herself, taking Bella back into her lap. The effects could have been faster to notice. Still, after a minute or two, Hannah realized the shame and humiliation she felt for Emily had dissipated entirely, as if such feelings were being suppressed. I was left with a sense of contentment, as if nothing was wrong. Were these feelings due to the stuffed bear sitting in her lap? Or was Hannah growing numb to everything? No, she had felt shame the moment she saw Emily lying there with her diaper open; the feeling had disappeared. As an experiment, Hannah returned Bella to the seat beside her and waited. Mommy finished cleaning up Emily, rolling her soiled diaper up and handing it to her, “Can you throw away your diaper for Mommy, baby?” she asked, having finished getting Emily dressed. Mommy scooped Emily up and carried her to the trash, where Emily tossed it in, a blush on her cheeks. “There we go! Such a good girl! You did very well, Emily. Mommy is proud.” Hannah saw the briefest smile crossing Emily’s lips before turning to the sink. Mommy helped wash Emily’s hands before returning her to the cart and plopping the stuffed bear into Emily’s lap. With the girls strapped in, Mommy pushed the cart out of the bathroom and to the entrance. Outside, their car was just pulling up to the front. Fancy that! These cars would drive themselves, and that was incredible technology. Mommy pulled the cart up to the car, unloading her purchases before adding each girl to their respective car seats and strapping them tightly. Hannah’s head seemed to clear continuously, and by the time they were in the car, she had the presence of mind to feel ashamed at having watched her friend's poopy diaper being changed. As Mommy entered the front, Hannah leaned over to Emily, “Do you feel anything from Bella? Like, a relaxing sensation or something, like your worries don’t matter?” she asked curiously. Emily's head cocked and then shook no, “Nothing, I’ve heard of these though, they can do all sorts of stuff to you, and it only works for the person who built them. You should be fine, though; I watched Mommy configure it; it’s set to help ease your tension and let you relax. I was curious if it’d work for me, but I wasn’t sure,” she reported, handing Bella back to Hannah. Hannah was apprehensive about taking the bear, knowing it was doing something to her mind. However, if Emily was correct, it might be right; if used correctly, it could help her acclimate to this new treatment. She took the bear, setting it in her lap. Mommy got into the front of the car, and they set off. Thankfully, the screens didn’t come on this time, leaving them to Mommy’s music selection. It was around now. Hannah felt her bladder beginning to ache again, but she didn’t mind; she was in a diaper! She grinned, popping her thumb in her mouth and soaking her diaper. ‘You are such a good girl! Soaking your diaper as soon as you feel the need, it’s what good girls do, you are a good girl, a good baby for your Mommy.’ Naomi said in her head. With the feelings of the bear taking hold of her and feeling little, she found herself giggling, Naomi’s words creating a pleasant warmth radiating through her. ‘I am a good girl!’ she thought to herself and Naomi. Who beamed with pride, filling Hannah with warmth and acceptance. Hannah wallowed in it, relishing being a good girl; her Mommy would be so proud! Hannah was nearly excited; she couldn’t wait to show Mommy what she had done! Naomi’s voice echoed in her head, urging her on. The bear clutched in one arm, the thumb from her other hand in her mouth. Hannah glanced out the window excitedly as the car rose towards their home. The car pulled into the garage, the door closing behind them as Mommy got out. She came over to Hannah’s door and opened it. Hannah giggled, grinning. “Mommy! I went potty!” she exclaimed with a giant giggle. Naomi giggled at the back of her head, equally proud and happy about her accomplishment. Mommy gasped, smiling, her fingers instantly feeling Hannah’s diaper. “You did?! Such a good girl! Mommy's perfect baby!” she said, scooping Hannah from the car seat and setting her on her hip as she got Emily. Hannah’s eyes rolled back as a wave of euphoria washed through her; Mommy’s praise was just too much for her with her guard down like this. She found herself limp in Mommy’s arms, her thumb back in her mouth as they entered the house again. She didn’t even feel Emily’s concerned eyes on her as they were set down in the living room. Mommy pulled closed the baby gate to keep them in. Hannah lay back, giggling, nursing her thumb. Emily gently but firmly pulled the bear from her fingers. Hannah was too relaxed and too regressed even to nurse, squealing with delight as Mommy returned, handing both girls a bottle of yellowish juice, most likely apple juice. Hannah eagerly took it in both hands, immediately beginning to nurse it. Either through the bear's effects or just the sheer amount of liquid Hannah had ingested, she felt her bladder getting full again. She lay on her back, resting the bottle on her chest as she slipped a hand to her diaper, relishing the feeling as she soaked her diaper, her bum growing warm as her diaper absorbed her latest accident. She hadn’t even seen Mommy until her hand was gently but firmly pulled away, “Babies don’t touch their diapers, honey; that’s what Mommy and Daddy are for.” she said, her hand now feeling Hannah’s diaper as she began to praise Hannah. Hannah was in euphoric bliss, feeling her wet diaper, Mommy’s touch, and the praise both Mommy and Naomi were pounding on her. She was defenseless against this continuous bombardment. She hadn’t even realized Mommy was gone or that her bottle was dry, nursing on air for 10 minutes before Hannah’s thoughts finally started to return. Hannah let the bottle drop with a groan, her eyes fluttering as she tried to regain complete control of her faculties. Looking down at her with concern, Emily appeared above her, “I wonder if this is what I look like the first time, too.” “The first time for what?” Hannah asked, rubbing her forehead and sitting up. “Mommy began praising me the first time I slipped into little space.” Emily said immediately before pausing, “Do… you hear a voice?” Hannah glanced at her, eyes wide, “You hear Naomi too?” Emily nodded weakly, “Ever since I watched the show for the first time, the more I watch it, the more she’s there.” she grimaced, “The longer I go, the harder it is to resist her thinking, to separate her thoughts from mine.” Hannah grimaced; it made sense; it made her glad to hear she wasn’t the only one who had a cartoon character’s thoughts in her head. But it also raised more concerning questions, like what kind of stuff was she telling Emily? Why did they have a cartoon that did that to people? There had to be some moral line that was being crossed here. Then again, these Amazons seemed to be operating from a different moral structure than she was accustomed to. “Have you found a way to keep Naomi quiet?” Emily shrugged, “The longer I go, the more difficult it is to distinguish my thoughts from hers. I want to give in and do as she says the longer she’s there speaking to me.” “Wonderful,” Hannah said, glancing at the stuffed bear beside her. “Thanks, by the way.” Emily followed her gaze and nodded, “I don’t think that helped you. It looks like it suppressed your ability to resist Naomi or even your little side. I’ve never had one, but that’s what I’ve heard from other Littles.” Hannah nodded, casting another glance at Bella. Bella sat there, smiling at her through glassy eyes, yet Hannah felt she could feel Bella’s presence, watching and waiting. End of Chapter 11

Five: Either a Dream, or That Orgasm Has Transcended Space and Time Almost immediately, I recognize that the milk is more than just milk. Sure, it’s from the breast of a woman–fed to me directly from the source–but if breastmilk did this to a grown man, we’d all be drinking it all the time. As I feel the warm liquid slide down my throat, everything seems to change. Mother–I am certain that this is what we are to call her–seems even grander than she did before. I, on the other hand, feel smaller–though I don’t believe I’m actually shrinking. It’s as if my perception has been distorted, and I have no sense of scale. My adult mind remains intact. I can think. I can process. I might even be able to speak if I wanted to. But I also feel dulled and slowed down. It seems harder to send signals to parts of my body. My sense of time is distorted. Seconds feel like minutes. And then, with no warning, time minutes become just seconds. My face is carefully pulled away from Mother’s bare breast, saliva mixing with remnants of milk, drooling from the corners of my mouth and sliding down my neck. I’m being lowered onto the ground, atop the cushions and pillows. Mother stands, looking down at me. It’s hard to see her face from down here, especially in the darkness, though I’m certain that I see her smiling down at me. “You and I, we’ll meet again,” she says. She pulls her shroud over her chest, turns, and leaves me. She seems to just disappear in the darkness. For a few minutes, I’m just left like this on the ground, staring up in the darkness as my efforts to move and shift myself around only yield little wiggles. This should be distressing–if I were anywhere else, at any other time, I’d be panicking. Now, this feels fine. This is comfortable. For the first time in a very long while, I feel free. Free of the excesses and stresses of adult life. All the worries I carry around with me seem too far away to be of any concern now. God. That milk, though. It was…amazing. I keep thinking about the feeling of her nipple in my mouth, and the way that I suckled on it so naturally. I think about each spurt of liquid in my mouth, and how rewarding it felt to taste it over and over again. I need to feel her in my mouth again. It takes a surprising amount of effort, but I manage to lift my hand to my face, and I slowly slide my thumb into my mouth so that I can suckle on that instead. === Time passes, though I can’t say how much. There are hands on me again–more than two. I slowly open my eyes, unsure if I was asleep or not, and find that Freya and Marta are both looking down at me. “Hello, little one,” Freya coos. “Welcome to the world,” Marta says with a smile. “H-hi,” I say, though the word sounds distorted when coming from my mouth. “How do you feel?” asks Freya. I nod my head, hoping it conveys what I don’t think my words can at the moment. “We just need you to lie still for the moment,” Freya says. “We have to put your diaper on you.” “Diaper?” I ask. Well, that’s what I try to say. It doesn’t sound right aloud though–sounding more like “Da-pa?” “I never get sick of that,” Marta says to Freya. “That innocent sounding little baby babble when they’re still drunk on milk?” “It’s precious,” Freya nods. Drunk? I’m not drunk, am I? I don’t think so. Though something has definitely happened to me. The most similar experience to the fuzzy euphoria I’m feeling now is the time I took mushrooms with Nikki. And yet this still feels quite different than that. “I’ll hold his legs,” Marta says, grabbing my legs and lifting them high into the air. She does this so effortlessly that it makes my legs look like they weigh only a few ounces each. Freya, meanwhile, is unfurling a large white diaper between my legs. “Ha la I bah la dah,” I say, my words sounding so different from how I intended them, that I’m not completely sure what I meant to say either. “You’re being a good boy,” Marta says, giving the back of my thigh a soothing caress. Part of me knows this is humiliating and abnormal, but most of me just doesn’t care. I like this. This might be the best I’ve felt in a while. This might be the best I’ve ever felt before. I’m not just fine with the diaper, I’m excited for it. “Look at his little feet wiggle,” Freya says. “I think he’s happy.” I’m reminded of Maxine, thousands of miles away from me now. Not long ago, I was watching her feet wiggle in front of my face. I wonder what she’d say if she were here now. I feel the thick padding slide beneath me. I thought I was still lying on the mound of cushions that I was earlier, but I realize now that I’m lying on top of a large pad of some sort. I must’ve been moved at some point, but I don’t know when. Or how. Marta lowers my legs a little, allowing my bottom to land on the open diaper. The scent of baby powder is suddenly strong, and I realize thick clouds of it are wafting past my face. “And what about this?” Marta asks, her hand grazing the tip of my still-engorged cock. I can’t explain it well, but despite feeling smaller and helpless, my sexual drive seems to be in overdrive. I crave pleasure like I’ve been starved of it for years. “We could probably just tuck that right into his diaper,” Freya says. “Sure. But then what? Look at the way he’s thrusting himself up and down. If we wrap him up while he’s like this, he’s probably going to hump his diaper until the thing falls apart.” “Hm,” Marta considers. “Besides, once he’s a little softer, we can make sure he’s good and tucked in so there aren’t any leaks later.” “If you’re so sure,” Marta grins, “do you want to do the honors?” Freya giggles a little. “You know I do.” She presses her palm against the side of my shaft and wraps her fingers around the length of it. She turns her head so that she’s facing me again. “Besides, I don’t think this will take long.” Starting from the base of my cock, her hand slowly glides up to the head, pauses, and then slides back down it again. I’m no stranger to having my cock tugged on–usually by my own hand, though Maxine has lent hers on multiple occasions–but this doesn’t feel like anything I’ve experienced before. I’ve never felt so sensitive in my life, and a single stroke of her hand feels like 10. By the time she’s completed just a handful of strokes, I’m out of breath and my back is arching–feeling that I might erupt any second. “Aw, look at him,” Marta coos. “He wants it so bad.” “I love when they get like this,” Freya says softly. “Just look at his little eyes. He can’t even handle it.” “Go on then,” Marta says. “Finish him up. I’ve got wipes to clean him with when you’re done.” Half of a stroke–that’s all it takes before my body surrenders to the overwhelming pleasure and a spurt of cum launches onto my belly, followed by a slow and steady stream that oozes from the tip and coats Freya’s fingers. I don’t say any actual words, but a pathetic slew of nonsense escapes my lips. The orgasm is so intense that I feel entirely disconnected from reality. I swear, I can see my body below me as I drift into the air. I can’t see Marta or Freya anymore. The dark room seems to get darker. The orange light from the candles’ flames fades. And then…all I see is white. === Everything is white. Then, I see colors. Not just one or two–all the colors. All at once. I see shades and hues I’ve never seen before. I look down at my hands, only to see that they’re growing and aging. I blink, and suddenly my hands are growing smaller and the skin is getting smoother. I blink again. I’m in space. I blink again and I’m underwater. I blink again and…I don’t even know what I’m looking at–shapes and landscapes that seem pulled from the strangest paintings I could ever imagine. I close my eyes again, deciding to keep them closed this time. “Hello,” a voice says. I don’t recognize it. When I open my eyes, everything is just white again. White in all directions. I close them once more–it’s easier to keep my eyes closed than to try and parse if I’m floating, falling, or standing on an unseen surface. “I’m sorry?” I ask. Here, my words come out of my mouth as expected. “Who might you be?” the voice asks. I can’t discern if it’s a masculine or feminine voice. It’s calm and friendly, but I wouldn’t know how else to describe it. It doesn’t come at me from a particular direction, it seems to just be all around me. “Where am I?” I know I was asked a question that I haven’t answered yet, but I think I need more information before I can. There’s laughter. “I don’t think I have an answer that you would understand.” “I don’t know how I got here.” “I’ve never had a visitor before,” the voice says. “Have you ever cum so hard that you transported yourself to another dimension?” I ask. It’s the most ridiculous question I’ve ever asked in my life, but in my post-orgasm headspace, it somehow seems like a legitimate possibility. “No,” laughs the voice. “Can’t say I have. But it sounds nice.” “Right now it’s kind of concerning,” I say. “Are you scared?” the voice asks. “Because this isn’t a scary place.” “Okay, sure, but…” The white is beginning to fade. Wherever I am, it feels like I’m departing again. The voice says something, but I can’t make out what it is. Everything is getting darker and darker. And then black. === I have to assume that was a dream. My eyes open, and I find myself in my body again. And while it’s brighter than the room I was in with Freya and Marta last, it’s definitely not all white. My current situation gradually reveals itself to me. There’s a bedsheet pulled over me, but when I kick it off, I find that I’m still nude. Mostly nude. Sliding my hands between my thighs causes my fingers to rub against something thick and soft. No doubt the diaper the women were putting me into, before Freya blew my mind with her handjob. I’m lying atop a narrow mattress with a soft cotton sheet draped over it. To each of my sides, I see…bars. I see them past the end of my legs too. Am I in a cage? No. It’s a crib. This causes me to have the momentary panic that perhaps I have somehow shrunk, but it seems far more plausible that it’s just a very large crib. “Ah, look who’s awake,” a familiar voice says from above me. It’s Freya, peering over the rail. “Is that little Alfie?” Marta calls from somewhere else. “Indeed it is. Hello, little boy. Did you have a nice nap?” It should be easy to simply say the word ‘yes,’ but when I try, it comes out as “Dah.” “I bet you’re feeling pretty small yet, huh?” she coos down to me. “It’s okay if you are. The first time is always pretty intense. It’ll pass, but it might take a little bit.” I try to move around, but still find it harder than it should be. My strength is sapped, and my coordination is still off. A part of me knows that this should be concerning, but I also understand that this is the way I’m supposed to feel. “Next time we’ll let you out of the crib so you can crawl around and explore a little,” Freya says. “But for the very first time, we find it’s best if we keep you in the crib. Just relax and get comfortable. And if there’s anything you need, just do your little babytalk, and we’ll come running, okay?” “Ba ah be-nah,” I say–adorable babble to her ears, I’m sure, but it’s frustrating that I can’t actually communicate specific thoughts to her. “Yes, of course,” she smiles. Her hand reaches into the crib, lightly stroking the underside of my chin. “I’ll see you soon, big boy.” So what am I supposed to do? Just…lie here? Actually, that sounds kind of nice. I’m never one to just lay down and relax or take a nap. I can’t say that I’m always doing something productive with my time–there are always movies to watch, books to read, and videogames to play–but it's rare that I allow myself to just chill without any sort of distraction. Even being away from my phone–wherever that is–feels liberating. Maybe NIkki was right about that. One thing is for certain, though–Mirabelle was more right than wrong. She said that this would answer all of my questions, and while I do have a few that remain–I feel like I have a better understanding of what’s happening at The Cradle. People from all over flock to this farm in the middle of nowhere and drink the milk from a beautiful woman’s tits. Said milk overwhelms the senses and leaves you feeling helpless and docile like a baby. It sounds like it would be terrible–but it's not. It's actually one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced. When Anders was trying to sell me on this place, he should’ve just told me this. Of course, if he had, I wouldn’t have believed him. In fact, I would’ve thought he was insane. Right now, I’m kind of wondering if I’m insane. Lie here. Relax. Breathe. It’s surprisingly easy to turn my brain off. The longer I lie there, the more content I am with just staying like this. I bring my hand to my mouth again, and let my thumb slide past my lips. It’s not the same as suckling from her breasts–Mother, is that how she referred to herself?–but I do find it quite soothing. I stop thinking about Anders. I stop thinking about Nikki. I don’t think about being somewhere in the woods of California, the furthest I’ve ever been from home. It’s just me, my thumb, and my diaper. My diaper. My heart leaps for a second, as if remembering something. You weren’t supposed to end up in diapers. Oh well–too late for that now. I should be weirded out by the thick padding. I should be ashamed of myself and disgusted. But I’m not. I actually kind of like the way they feel on me. The way everything is contained within layers of soft padding and a more rigid plastic exterior. Everytime I squirm or wriggle, the diaper responds with a crisp and loud crinkle. I run my hands over the front of it, feeling the smooth plastic beneath my fingertips. I had never pegged myself for a diaper fetishist before, but I might just leave this place with a few new interests. Somewhere beyond the bars of the crib, I hear movement. Nowhere close to where I am–maybe in the hallway or another room–but it reminds me that I’m not completely alone. Where am I? What kind of room is this? I roll onto my side, trying to peer through the bars, but my vision is kind of blurry. I can make out shapes in the distance, but I can’t say what they are. I don’t mind that–it doesn’t really matter what’s beyond the crib. Everything I need is right here. And then–something new happens. Suddenly, the diaper feels different. Why does it feel…wet? And warm? And… It’s me. I’m wetting myself. I’ve never experienced a sensation like this before–wetting, without any warning. As far back as I can recall, even into my childhood, I only ever remember using a toilet. I didn’t have ‘accidents.’ I didn’t wet the bed. But now, whether I like it or not, my bladder continues to release, letting it drain until every drop has been dispersed, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. This feeling–this lack of agency–is a little distressing, but it’s also a little exciting. The diaper’s presence, catching the entirety of my stream, makes it even more exciting. How much can this thing hold? Apparently, all of it, as the thick padding just continues to warm and swell as I flood it. And when I’m done, I let my hands grope at the front of the diaper again. It’s squishy. The warmth seems to make the outer plastic a little softer and less crinkly. It feels wrong, but it also feels good. I’d go as far as to say that it just feels right. I enjoy feeling like a baby. It’s not even that I’m lying here pretending, or acting, or even roleplaying. I don’t think I’ve ever been any good at those things. This feels genuine. It feels like I am a baby. I am helpless. I have no concept of time. There’s no way to tell how many minutes pass by. Even when I try to count seconds, I quickly lose focus and stop. All I really have is the diaper itself. Gradually, the warmth of my accident fades to something more lukewarm. Then room temperature. Then, it almost starts to feel cold and clammy against my skin. What was once so comfortable and delightful now feels kind of gross and…icky. I need to be changed. I try to shout for Marta or Freya, but it just comes out as nonsense: “Ma-ba-fa-ah!” I sound ridiculous, but the longer I sit here in my wet diaper, the more uncomfortable I get. I need to try again: “Ma! Ba! Fah!” No response. This is frustrating. Don’t they understand that I need them right now? I’m in a wet diaper! I can’t stay in this thing all day. The longer I stay like this, the more uncomfortable it gets, and the more uncomfortable I get, the harder it gets to think. I try to get their attention again, but it sounds even less like words this time–sounding, instead, like a primal cry. And, even then, there’s still no response. The limited amount of patience I’ve been able to muster is now completely exhausted. As I feel the tears welling in my eyes, and the slight shake in my chest, I realize I’m on the verge of losing control of myself once more. Because as much as I don’t want to throw any sort of temper tantrum, I know that’s exactly what’s about to happen. I lead off with a high-pitched yelp that gives way to a long and whiny groan. I bark out a series of pathetic sobs, taking momentary pauses to either catch my breath or to sniffle. My eyes are leaking. My nose is leaking. There’s even slobber sliding out of my mouth as I sob uncontrollably. “Oh no!” exclaims Marta, suddenly appearing at the side of the crib. From my vantage point, I can hear genuine concern in her voice–though there’s a part of me that suspects it would sound a little more sarcastic to me if I weren’t in a crib. “What’s the matter, baby?” I’d love to explain my issue to her, but all I can do is offer blubbering whines. “Oh, I think I see the problem,” she says, reaching into the crib and cupping the bottom of my diaper with my hand. “Uh huh. Looks like we got a soggy diaper here, huh?” My sobbing begins to subside a little, and I offer a sniffling nod. “My goodness. How much did you pee, little boy? This thing feels like it’d weigh ten pounds.” That makes sense to me, as the swollen padding feels like it’s an anchor tethering me to the bottom of the crib. “Is that all you did?” she asks, making a few obvious sniffs in my direction as she leans further into the crib. “Am I going to find anything stinky in the back of that diaper?” She won’t, but for the first time I realize that it could actually happen–me messing myself helplessly. If I couldn’t stop myself from pissing my diaper, there’s probably nothing that’d prevent me from just unloading my bowels without any warning too. I’m grateful that I didn’t have that kind of accident. Yet. How much longer will I be like this? “Hmm,” Marta says, taking one more exaggerated sniff near my crotch. “I think I’d smell it if you did. Just wet. That’s easy! How about we get you cleaned up and into a fresh diaper?” I nod my head, sliding my thumb back into my mouth so I can get back to sucking on it. “First thing’s first,” she says, her hand heading towards my face with a little cloth in it. “Your face is an absolute mess! All that crying you were doing–was that really worth it, Alfie?” It got your attention, didn’t it? Someone, somewhere else, is saying something to Marta. It might be Freya, but I’m not sure. Marta laughs and shouts back: “It’s just Alfie! He had an accident.” The other person says something else I can’t make out. “No, no,” Marta says. “Just wet.” I suck my thumb even harder as my cheeks warm, wondering how many people heard her loudly announce what I had done in my diaper. “Usually, we’d want to get you on the changing table,” Marta says, lowering the side of the crib. “But I’m not sure I can get you over there by myself–and you’re not in a state where you could get there on your own either.” For a moment, I want to prove her wrong, and I start to roll myself towards the edge of the mattress. But I quickly tire–no amount of exertion seems to move my limbs in the way I need them too. Okay, fine. I guess I’m just stuck here for now. “It’s okay,” she giggles, brushing my cheek with the back of her hand. “There’s plenty of room for you to be changed right here. Let’s just hope that you didn’t leak.” That can happen? Of course, I can’t actually ask this, and so I just surrender myself to her whims. She spreads my legs open so she can peel up the diaper’s tapes. When she pulls open the diaper, letting the heavy padding flop open between my thighs, I watch her face light up as she observes the, presumably, yellow-stained interior. “My my, what a big pee-pee you did,” she coos. “Nothing I can’t handle, of course.” She has a damp wipe in her hands, and she proceeds to carefully wipe my skin clean, starting around my shriveled cock–still tuckered out from Freya’s earlier handiwork. A few hours ago, I think, I didn’t know these women. Now, they’ve spent more time with my cock than Maxine has in the last week. I wonder what I’m going to say to Nikki and Anders about this later. Anders will probably understand. But Nikki? “Yeah, so, they breastfed me, put me in a diaper, and then I pissed myself and had to be changed like a baby. Anyway–how was your afternoon?” She’ll probably just snort and tell me that she told me so. The dirty wipes are tucked into the wet diaper, before it’s bundled up in a tight ball and taken somewhere else to be discarded. Marta returns with a fresh diaper, which she wastes no time in sliding under my freshly-cleaned bottom–her well-practiced hand lifting my legs up enough so that I don’t have to exert myself for her to ease the diaper beneath me. Before she finishes wrapping me up in it, though, she shakes a bottle of baby powder over my crotch–once again coating me in a layer of scented white. All I can think of is how I’m going to smell like a baby when I meet up with Anders and Nikki again. I won’t even have to tell them what happened–they’ll smell it on me and just know. “I think that should do it,” she says, giving my sealed diaper a firm pat between my legs. Little puffs of white shoot out from the waistband when she does this, causing my cheeks to turn red again. “I’ll check on you again soon, okay? Thanks for being a good little boy during your diaper change, Alfie.” I offer a gracious burst of baby-babble, though I’m not sure how she interprets it. She smiles, waves, and lifts the side of the crib back into place again before drifting away into the blurry area beyond my crib. It’s just me again. I wiggle my legs a little, feeling the thick–but dry–padding crinkle between my thighs. I might have discovered my new favorite sensation. I suck my thumb and squeeze the front of my diaper until everything fades away and I have the greatest nap of my life. === After rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I slowly sit up. Oh, nice, I can do that again. I test the limits of my movement, finding that I can flex all my limbs and fully rotate my head on my neck. “Uh, testing,” I say. “One, two, three…” It seems like I’m back in action again. Though, of course, I’m still in a diaper. I run my hand over the front of it, reaching all the way down between my legs. It seems mostly dry, though it feels like there might be a little warm spot at the very bottom. I blush a little, thinking about how I must’ve effortlessly wet myself in my sleep. “Well, well, well,” a woman in round glasses says, standing at the edge of the crib. She looks to be about my age, her dark hair mostly covered by a bandana over her head. “Are, uhm, Marta and Freya here?” I ask. “Oh, they’re done for the day,” she shrugs. “But I’m here. I’m Patty. And you must be Alfie?” “Y-yeah, that’s me.” Now that my infantile haze seems to be mostly dissipated, I realize how embarrassing it is to be stared at while I wear only a thick diaper. My hands rush to the front of the padding in a pathetic attempt at covering it up, but I already know it's not worth trying. “Trust me, I’ve seen plenty of those,” Patty says, her finger pointing down at my diaper. “Everyone here has. The sooner you stop worrying about it, the better you’re going to feel.” “I…I’ve just never…worn one of these before.” “Everyone has a first time,” she shrugs. “But if it makes you feel better, you look cute as a button in them. We’re not supposed to say this but, well, not everyone can pull off a diaper as well as you can.” I laugh a little, shaking my head. “I’m not sure I wanted to hear that I look good in a diaper.” “It’s a good thing,” she says. “You know, Freya and Marta were very excited about you. They don’t always get excited about new babies–but they were both eager to tell me about you.” “What did they say?” She shrugs. “Oh, Freya was gushing about the face you made when she was, uhm, relieving you?” “Oh, uh…” I’d like to hear about that too. What did my face look like while she was stroking my cock so hard that I left my body altogether? “How’s your diaper doing, Alfie?” “Dry?” She laughs. “Are you asking me?” “I mean…I think it’s mostly dry. Maybe a little damp at the bottom.” “Mind if I check for myself?” “Well…” My instinct is to protest, but I’m already in a diaper. I’m already sitting in a crib. I already had my diaper changed once today–that I know of. “Yeah, go for it.” She feels the exterior of the diaper’s bottom first, before sliding a finger into the leg band, feeling some of the interior padding. “I think you’re right. Just a little damp. This one will probably hold a while longer. I could change you again if you want, but I think you’d be okay with just sticking with this one.” “Couldn’t I just…not wear a diaper?” “Sure,” she shrugs. “But do you really want to risk wetting your pants without one?” “That…could happen?” “Bowel and bladder control are always the last things to come back after you’ve had some of Mother’s milk,” she says. “And it affects everyone in different ways. Seeing as how this was your first time, and we don’t really know how it’ll affect you yet, maybe it’d be a good idea if you keep them on, yeah?” “I mean, I guess. But…” I’m thinking about Nikki laughing at me. “How long do you think these, er, effects might last?” She shrugs. “Everyone’s different. But try not to worry about it too much. You’re in a diaper. And if you do have an accident, there’s plenty of people who can help you out.” I want to ask what I should do if I don’t want help, but that feels like the wrong question to ask. Maybe, I think, it’d be best to just wear this diaper for a while, crossing my fingers in the hope that I don’t need to use it. Then, a few hours from now, I can ditch it in a garbage can and act like it never happened. “So…what now?” I ask. “Am I free to go?” “So long as you feel up to walking again,” she said. She opens the side of the crib again, allowing me the space I need to swivel my legs out from off the mattress and onto the floor. Admittedly, it does take a little bit of extra effort to move around, but I don’t instantly collapse when I put weight on my feel to stand up again. “I think I’ll be okay,” I say. “Excellent,” she coos. “Let me grab your big-boy clothes and we can get you out of here.” After Patty strolls away, leaving me with blushing cheeks at the mention of ‘big-boy clothes,’ I take a better look around me to see where I’ve been for the last however-long. It is, as best as I can tell, a nursery. Big crib. Big changing table. All the diapers and baby supplies one would expect to need are on some small shelves in the corner. It’s not a very big room. The door, left slightly ajar when Patty left, lets in some sound from whatever lies beyond. I hear footsteps. Talking. The babbling of other babies. I suspect that the little nursery that I’m in is just one of many. In other rooms like this one right now, there are other adults getting their diapers changed. Yeah, I suppose I still have plenty of questions. But I think I have the one answer I truly needed. Why do people come here? Because of what I just experienced–a feeling unlike any I’ve felt before. It was strangely transformative. Uplifting. Thrilling. And yet it feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I could be feeling here. I want…more. I already want to taste that milk again. I can almost taste it in my mouth still. I see why Anders is still here now. I see why I want to stay a little longer than I had originally planned. And I see why someone is probably going to have to drag me out of here too, when it’s time to go.

I’ve decided never to move house again. I’ve spent the last fortnight living in disposable nappies: migrating from one seat in the house to another in order to survey a different pile of ineffably-packed boxes. About 27% of each day is spent with me attempting to find some trivial-but-currently-needed item that is “in a box somewhere”. The constant disposables diet is annoying me. Firstly, they’re not “real” nappies in my mind. I’m also dimly aware that I’m burning through those expensive Rearz cases very, very quickly. Overall however, the whole nappy thing is getting very little attention right now. There's just too much "move" stuff going on. I’m often surprised to find myself wet, or wetting. I’ve been too distracted to fixate much on my underwear it seems. From a nappy perspective, the well-oiled machine that was my old house is all gone. That is very clear to me now. New storage locations and logistics strategies must be developed. There are challenges: particularly potent for my penchant for cloth nappies. Our current house effectively has no laundry: the “laundry” as such is in fact a designated zone in a corridor leading from the guest bedrooms to the garage. Gone is my capacious-and-secluded laundry sink, capable of concealing two to three grown up size cloth nappies marinating. Instead, a tiny designer-sink next to the washing machine alcove gleams, good only for soaking a pair of socks, or maybe drowning a guinea pig if that’s something you might feel inclined to do that is part of a well-trafficked thoroughfare. I need to find a secluded and olfactory-isolated location to soak wet nappies. I now find myself the proprietor of a clothes line that is both small and visible from the adjacent road. I can’t see how plastic pants and sheep-decorated adult-sized cloth nappies are going to escape attention at some point. The tumble dryer (an appliance I hate not only from an environmental but also a house-fire perspective) is entombed under disused garden appliances that we expensively relocated up from Brisbane so that’s not an option. There’s nowhere to hang the thing anyway. One glimmer of hope emanates from the apparent failure of the incumbent washing line: its location is near-useless (near-permanently shaded) and my beloved has asked me to consider engineering an alternative in a better spot so the “Honey I moved the clothesline” line may not provoke the kind of conversation it otherwise would. My study is no longer my kingdom and domain. Although I have a much larger study now, it must be shared with my beloved who (for now at least) is working from home. A part of her work involves on-video appearances. More than once I’ve wandered toward my desk only to find the study door shut. It’s a strange and disempowering experience. A shared study is a less than ideal scenario for nappy storage also. Additionally, my nappy bin, reeking of vanilla beans and deceit courtesy of powerful chemicals (but far better than the alternative), is now lurking in our new walk in robe: I’m waiting for the complaint. I’m not working right now, at least not any kind of paid work. I’m trying not to think about this too deeply. One of the less weighty implications of this however is that my nappy cadence no longer has to accommodate a change-free 12 hour period to cover work. Accordingly, I’ve flipped my nappy cadence somewhat. I’m currently using a lighter nappy during the day (actually burning through the never-ending “last case” of Abena L4) and using either a simple BeDry or my Rearz Inspire Mega+ as a kind of long-haul night nappy. It goes on relatively early at around 6pm and stays on until 9 or 10am the next day. On one notable occasion, I pulled nearly a 24 hour shift in one: a combination of tropical-heat-and-humidity style dehydration and business. The Inspire Mega+ makes a super-comfortable night nappy and my terry-lined plastic pants haven’t seen any leakage action at all despite relatively frequent bedwetting (a function of fatigue and inattention I suspect). My objectives for the next week include: Clearing floorspace to the extent where I can unleash our robot vacuum cleaner Find a path to at least intermittent cloth nappy usage Launder a growing pile of sweaty and slightly pee-infused plastic pants and compression pants that is lurking like a marriage-wrecking monster at the back of our walk-in-robe Avoid any nappy-related conflict with my beloved who is now never more than 20 meters away

Chapter 20: Homeward Bound Standing in the hotel bathroom, I studied my reflection as I washed my hands. The long drive home loomed ahead - hours of highway stretching between here and our familiar bed. My mind drifted to Friday's journey, to the unexpected comfort I'd found in wearing protection. The physical ease it had provided was undeniable, even if my emotions about it remained… complicated. Should I ask Emily for a diaper? I thought about it, but it seemed too... anxious. Maybe a pull-up? Just as a precaution, of course. Not that I planned to use it, but... My hand gripped the edge of the sink as I wrestled with the thought. Would asking be too forward? Too obvious? A pull-up seemed like a reasonable compromise - less committed than a diaper, just a prudent safety net for the long drive. I took a deep breath, steeling myself to suggest this perfectly reasonable precaution to Emily. "Just a pull-up, Em, for the drive? You know, just in case…" I rehearsed the words, trying for a casual, totally-in-control tone. When I emerged from the bathroom, however, I stopped short. Emily was standing by the bed, a MegaDry diaper already laid out on the mattress. My stomach did a little flip. "Come on," she said, patting the bed beside the diaper. Her tone was gentle but firm, brooking no argument. "Let's get you ready for the drive." "Em, I..." I hesitated, caught off guard by her directness. "Maybe just a pull-up? For the day?" I knew I needed to show reluctance, even if I had just been thinking the same. Emily shook her head, her expression softening but determined. "Greg, honey, we both know how Friday's drive went. This isn't about 'just in case' anymore." She gestured to the bed again. "Come on, let's not pretend this is optional." I felt a flutter of anxiety mixed with something else - relief, maybe? The decision had been taken out of my hands. As I lay on the bed, Emily's movements were efficient and caring as she secured the diaper around me. "Are these going to fit, or do you want your sweatpants?" she asked, holding up the jeans I'd worn to breakfast. I stood, trying to pull the jeans over the bulk of the diaper. They fit, technically, but the compression was uncomfortable. Emily, noting my discomfort, was already reaching for my sweatpants. "Here," she said, handing them to me with a knowing smile. "These’ll work better. We've got a long way to go." As we made our way to the hotel checkout, I couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious. The diaper felt bulky between my legs, and I could hear a definite crinkle. I was certain everyone could tell, but there was no one in the hall or elevator. I kept checking to make sure that my un-tucked t-shirt covered the tall white plastic waistband. "Em," I said, my voice tinged with anxiety in the privacy of the elevator, "can you tell I'm wearing it? Is it obvious?" Emily stepped back, giving me a once-over. "Not at all," she assured me. "And even if it was, who cares?" As we made our way through the lobby, I listened for the crinkle of my diaper beneath my sweatpants. I hoped Emily was right - maybe it didn't matter as much as I thought it did. The clerk's eyes widened slightly as we approached the desk. I recognized him from check-in, and my stomach tightened as I noticed his gaze flicking down to my midsection before quickly darting away. The clerk greeted us with a nervous smile. "Good morning! Checking out?" "Yep," Emily said cheerfully. "It was a great stay." The clerk seemed to hesitate, then spoke. "I, uh, wanted to apologize about the misunderstanding with your room request. I hope everything was comfortable." Emily leaned in slightly, her voice warm and conspiratorial. "No need to apologize. Sometimes accommodations are necessary for all sorts of reasons, don't you think?" I could see the clerk growing more flustered, unsure how to respond. "Weren't you comfortable, Greg?" Emily added, giving me a knowing look. I played along, trying to suppress both my nervousness and a grin. "Absolutely," I said, my voice neutral but with just a hint of amusement. The clerk stammered something about having a nice day, clearly eager to end the conversation. As we left the hotel, I muttered with a chuckle, "Did you have to embarrass the poor guy like that?" Emily grinned. "Sometimes, honey, it's fun to let people's imaginations run wild. Besides, he was more embarrassed than you were." Once in the car, I settled into the passenger seat, the diaper crinkling softly beneath me. Emily started the engine, and we were off. Emily glanced over at me with a soft smile. "You okay? I know this weekend was kind of intense." I nodded, appreciating her concern. "Yeah... actually, I'm feeling pretty good." She reached over to squeeze my hand. "I'm proud of you," she said quietly. "You're handling this whole situation so well." About two hours into our journey, I felt the familiar pressure in my bladder. "Em," I said, shifting uncomfortably, "I think I need to stop soon." Emily glanced at me, then at the road signs. "Okay, there's a rest stop coming up in about 10 miles. We can... oh." Her voice trailed off as realization dawned. "What?" I asked, though I had a feeling I knew what she was thinking. "Well," she began hesitantly, "if we stop, you'd need to take the diaper off to use the restroom, right? And then... well, could you get it back on properly?" I hadn't thought about that. "Uh, probably not," I admitted. "Maybe we could find a family restroom?" Emily suggested, her tone hopeful. We pulled into the rest stop, but to our dismay, the family restroom was closed for maintenance. A large "Out of Order" sign mocked us from the door. Emily turned to me, her expression a mix of concern and resignation. "Greg, honey... I think you might need to just use the diaper. That's what it's there for, after all, and you did on Friday, so it's not like this is the first time." A flutter of nervousness tickled my stomach. It's true that it wasn't the first time, but still, using the diaper on purpose, in broad daylight, felt like crossing a line. But as another wave of urgency hit me, I realized I didn't have much choice. "Okay," I said quietly. "I guess you're right." Emily squeezed my hand reassuringly. I nodded, feigning reluctance as I released into the diaper. I felt my body tense, then relax as I finished. When I opened my eyes, Emily was watching me with that knowing smile of hers. "That wasn't so bad, was it? Let me just use the restroom quickly, and then we can head straight home." As we drove on, I found myself processing what had just happened. Using the diaper deliberately, in broad daylight, should have felt more momentous. Instead, it felt... normal. The realization both thrilled and terrified me. How had this become my new normal? The chapters of Emily’s audio book marked the hours, but as we neared home I noticed Emily growing increasingly restless beside me. Her leg bounced against the accelerator, making our speed fluctuate slightly, and she kept glancing between the GPS and the road signs with growing urgency. "Everything okay, Em?" I asked, trying to hide my amusement. "Yeah, I just..." she trailed off, biting her lip. "I need to use the bathroom, but we're so close to home." I leaned back, a mischievous glint in my eye. "Oh, you need to use the potty?" I asked, mimicking her tone from earlier. Emily's eyes narrowed, but I could see the hint of amusement behind her attempt at a stern look. "Very funny, Greg," she said, squirming slightly in her seat. "But seriously, can you check if there's a rest stop nearby?" As she squirmed in her seat, I felt a familiar pressure in my bladder. But instead of feeling anxious, I felt a strange sense of calm. I relaxed, letting the warmth spread through my diaper. "You know, Em," I said casually, "there's a lot to be said for the convenience of protection. No need to rush home." Emily's eyes widened as she realized what I was doing. "Greg! Are you...?" I nodded, a serene smile on my face. "Just taking your advice about using what I have. Luckily I’m prepared." I gave her a Cheshire cat grin as I finished, stressing the "I’m". Emily shook her head, a mix of exasperation and amusement on her face. "I can't believe you're using my words against me while you... Oh, forget it. Just find me a bathroom!" As we approached a gas station, Emily practically leaped out of the car, tossing me the keys. "You drive the rest of the way. I can't concentrate like this!" I chuckled as I switched to the driver's seat. "You know," I called after her retreating form, "maybe we should look into some protection for you too. Just in case." Her response was muffled by the closing bathroom door, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't family-friendly. As we continued our journey home, now with me behind the wheel and Emily looking much more relaxed, I couldn't help but grin. "So, Em," I said innocently, "how does it feel to be on the other side of the 'potty emergency' situation?" Emily rolled her eyes, but I could see the hint of a smile on her lips. "Alright, alright. I get it. Maybe I've been a bit... overbearing about this whole thing." "Just a bit," I teased. "But I love you anyway." Finally, we pulled into our driveway. As we unloaded the car, Emily turned to me with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry you had to stay in that for so long, honey. Why don't you take the first shower and get comfortable?" Once inside and properly cleaned up, Emily and I sat down on the couch. She looked at me, her expression curious. "So... how do you feel about all this? Wearing the diaper during the day, I mean. For trips." I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "Honestly? It's... not as bad as I thought it would be. I mean, it's not something I'd choose to do, but... it was kind of convenient for the drive." Emily nodded encouragingly. "That's good to hear. And you didn't seem too bothered by it at the hotel," she said, then added playfully, "It wouldn't surprise me if you started enjoying it more than you let on." I chuckled, remembering the flustered clerk. "Yeah, that was actually kind of funny. I guess I'm getting more comfortable with the idea. It's still weird, but... I don't know, maybe I'm just getting used to it." Emily leaned in, giving me a quick kiss. "I'm proud of you, Greg. You're handling this whole situation so well." As we sat there, discussing the pros and cons of daytime protection, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Part of me was still embarrassed by the whole situation, but another part felt a strange sense of freedom. It was oddly liberating to not have to worry about bathroom breaks on long drives, where I had always been the limiting factor since I was a child. "You know," I said, surprising myself, "it really did make the drive less stressful. I wouldn't mind doing that again." I watched Emily's expression change - her eyebrows rising in surprise before her face softened into that warm, encouraging smile I'd grown to both love and fear. "Really?" she asked, her voice gentle but probing. "You'd be okay with that?" I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Sure, why not? It's practical, right?" As Emily hugged me, expressing her appreciation for my openness, I couldn't help but wonder where this journey would take us next. One thing was certain – life with diapers was turning out to be full of surprises. -- This story, "Empty Nest", is copyright 2024 by me, justforfun. It may not be reproduced anywhere else without my explicit consent.

Anyone on here from Victoria?

He takes 2 wipes from the pack and gives them to her. He takes a third and plays with it

http://www.dailydiapers.com 22 new Photos added 3 new Stories added 4 new Amazon ABDL ebooks featured 91 new Forum members - Now 58,831 friends! 67 people joined the All-New DiaperMates ABDL Personals. Now 8,641 members! New Subscription Tier added to our forums. More storage space, more daily reactions and access to exclusive photos and videos.

thanks. ill have another update or two soon here. plan on splitting the chapters POV between Mike and Roxy. May have one from the POV of Roxy's friend Catalina too. Will definitely have some explanation as to how all this came about too. appreciate the interest in it.

He nods "They soft" "I help you" he likes being a big helper "I a poopy boy" he says actually looking a bit sad He lays down

I always wear a diaper when I go out drinking,it just makes sense.

She carries him "Gentle means I'll touch you soft. Like Mommy and Daddy do. Right?" She puts him on the table sitting up while she gathers the supplies "You help them? You're such a good boy, Benny. I might need your help actually" She gets the supplies and tells him to lay down

Perhaps there is something to glean from other former Verotel clients: https://m.gfy.com/fucking-around-and-business-discussion/1379857-verotel-closing-affiliate-programs.html

That is something I want to get done too

I had it all laser removed a long time ago. Almost nothing grows anymore.

Very good to know. Any chance you could post a close-up photo of the piece that you add and where you tie the retrieval line? ...I'm not 100% clear from cathdiap's photos - unless I'm missing something (which is entirely possible!).

I have a diaper rash right now and I’m not proud of it or ashamed of it. I am treating it with Lil Ilhes diaper paste. I did go to the pharmacy to get some help with treating it. They told me to put a steroid cream on it along with the rash cream.

i sent you a message

This is really masterful work. Thank you so much for writing it!

A very comfy Sunday morning in a wet and messy MegaMax USA diaper. Sooo warm and squishy sitting here rubbing and patting the front of my wet diaper while poopie is squishng but remaining nicely ensconced in my diapee caressing my perineum. I won't be changing right away and will get my morning exercise in my wet and poopie diaper.

Ava visits her family... with a surprise bit at the end. TRY NOT TO GIGGLE CHALLENGE (IMPOSSIBLE) ----- 23 Change My Diaper (I Don’t Wanna) The convenience store’s automatic doors slid open, triggering a soft chime behind the counter. Ava looked up from the stack of lab data sheets she’d neatly stacked behind the counter and spotted an elderly woman with a slight blue tint to her curly hair. “Hi, Mrs. Besaw.” “Ava, I didn’t expect to see you when I walked in here.” Mrs. Besaw walked up to the counter with a slight wobble. “Does Raj have you working back here when you’re home visiting?” “Mom got called into work, so it’s either this or I sit at home by myself.” Ava smiled. “I don’t mind, and it gives Dad time to stock the store, so he doesn’t have to do it after hours.” “You’re such a good girl.” Mrs. Besaw peered at the shelves behind Ava. “Could you be a dear and sell me a pack of Menthols?” “Mrs. Besaw! I thought you quit last year.” “I know, sweetie. I thought so, too, but it’s been a stressful month. I won’t smoke the whole pack; my cribbage group will go through them for me, you know that.” “I think you might be the only lady who puts out cigarettes and tea for her guests.” Ava fetched a pack from the shelf and rang it up on the register. “Is there anything else you need?” “Oh, I shouldn’t, but my grocery store doesn’t stock this brand of lemon drops.” Mrs. Besaw slyly placed a small bag of candy on the counter. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.” Ava winked at Mrs. Besaw. “That’ll be nine dollars and twenty-six cents.” While Mrs. Besaw painstakingly counted out dollar bills and coins, Ava waved to the store’s newest arrival. “Hi, Jeffery!” Jeffery returned the wave as he made his usual beeline for the beer cooler. His fashion uniform of denim on denim on denim was still going strong, but he’d added a pair of cowboy boots and a western hat since Ava had seen him. She hoped that fashion choice hadn’t come with a confederate flag on his truck; Jeffery had always been a chill guy. “That should be right, dear; count it to make sure, won’t you?” Mrs. Besaw pushed her pile of cash over to Ava, who counted it as she put it in the register and printed out the receipt. The grandmotherly lady squeezed Ava’s hand warmly before collecting her purchases and wobbling out of the store. Rather than returning to her data review immediately, Ava rested her chin in her hands and let her eyes wander over the convenience store. Growing up, she’d been embarrassed by the name Singh’s Sundries, but as an adult, she could appreciate how much it had helped her dad fit into Littleton’s New England village vibe while still putting his name on the business. The streets around the shop had become a second neighborhood while Ava grew up, with regulars like Mrs. Besaw becoming honorary family members. The shop’s earth-toned walls were faded in places and the floor worn, but they were always clean and swept. Her Dad was humming to himself as he put bags of chips and hooks in the junk food aisle, which was perpetually in need of restocking. To her surprise, Ava recognized the song. “Appa, I didn’t know you listened to Brooke Rapid.” “She’s the only person they play on the radio these days, and Amrita watches her concerts on TV.” Raj shrugged. “I think she likes Brooke’s sparkly outfits better than the music, though.” “But you’re not a fan, even though you’re on a first-name basis with her?” Ava laughed. “She’s not my first choice for music, but I like her too.” “Then we can listen to her in the car when Bonnie arrives for her shift.” Raj walked around the counter and hugged Ava. “We’re worried about you, kanda. Your amma said you sounded stressed when you called her about coming up.” Jeffery came to the counter with a triple stack of cheap beer cases. While she scanned the beer, Ava switched to Kannada to remind her father that Rohan must have told him about her bad medical news. "Appa, Rohan nanna doctorinda kettavannu nimge helirabahudu." Rohan frowned and said, "Ninna anna yavude vivaragalannu tiliyade iddane. Idella gambhira na? Shalege break beku na?" “That’ll be sixty-five eighteen.” Ava punched the button to send the total to the card reader and shook her head at her dad. It was sweet that Rohan hadn’t passed along details without asking her, but her privacy had come at the cost of Raj being worried enough to ask if she needed to take a break from school. While Jeffery fiddled with the card reader, Ava squeezed her dad’s arm and reassured him that she’d simply needed her parents after some bad news. "Adenu alla. Kashtavada suddi kelalu bekaddu nanna amma mattu appane.” "Nimma amma mattu naavu yavagalu nimmagagi iruve, kanda." Sweet as ever, Raj let Ava know that he and Mom would always be there for her. He patted her back while he said goodbye to Jeffery. “Thank you for coming in, Jeff; please come again! Tell your father we have the spicy corn nuts he likes. It was just a little ordering error; we won’t run out of them again.” “I will do, Mr. Singh, but he might buy you out of them anyway after his dry spell.” Jeffery hoisted his beer and nodded to Ava on his way out. “Good to see you, Ava.” Brooke nearly collided with Jeffery on her way into the store, blurting out a quick apology and scurrying behind the counter. “I’m here! The register clock says I’m not late.” Brooke put her neon-pink purse under the counter and checked her blonde-highlighted hair on the security monitor. She was Ava’s age, with a housekeeper’s stout body and a clothes closet that must have had a portal to Barbieland. “It’s fine, Brooke,” Raj said, handing Ava her crutches. “It’s an extra shift anyway; thank you for coming in.” “You know I’ll always take extra hours.” Brooke leaned over to peek at Ava’s lab reports nosily. “That’s a lot of numbers. You still doing the big brain thing in the big city?” “Ardenthill is hardly a big city.” Ava chuckled as she stuffed her papers in a binder. “It’s bigger than Littleton, but that doesn’t make a city big.” “Ardenthill’s five times our size last I checked – seems big to me.” Brooke smiled. “Good to see you again. Are you staying long?” “I wish. I have to be home tomorrow, so no time to visit with anybody but family.” “I figured that if you were working the counter for extra time with your pops.” Brooke checked the register drawer and logged herself into the computer. “I’m all set here, Mr. Singh. You can get out of here and enjoy your afternoon.” “Thank you again, Brooke.” Raj helped Ava to his car a bit heavy-handedly for her taste, but as her dad, he got a pass on taking care of her. To Ava’s amusement, her dad had a Brooke Rapid song queued up that was precisely the length of his two-and-a-half-minute commute home. Mom pulled up behind them in the driveway. Between her mother’s profuse apologies about being called into work on her day off and her parents insisting on getting food into her, Ava was showered with the parental attention she’d been craving. A less welcome example of mothering was waiting for Ava in her bedroom. Her mom had unpacked her suitcase, including the towel-wrapped bundle of diapers Ava had brought. When she turned to the door to ask her Mom why her stuff was unpacked, she found Amrita in the doorway. “We should talk about what I found in your suitcase, kanda,” Amrita said. “Amma, you didn’t have to unpack for me. I mean, you really did not need to unpack for me.” “I’m a nurse and your amma; I wanted to make sure you had the medical supplies you needed.” “Then what is there to talk about? You obviously talked to Dr. Adams’ office. I’m not excited about the news, but I’m being realistic about needing to wear protection.” Ava sighed. “But the ones you have aren’t medical grade. They’re…” Amrita wrung her hands, lowering her voice to say, “Ava, kanda, they’re like children’s diapers. The kind that everyone on the news is upset about.” Anxious goosebumps prickled across Ava’s arms. Luckily, she’d had a ready excuse for ABDL diapers ever since discovering the scene in Ardenthill. With her muscular issues elevated from “potential” to “intermittent” incontinence, her reason was even more ironclad than before. “Amma, it’s not whatever weird thing you saw on TV. The medical ones are so ugly; they make me feel like an old lady. At least these have colors.” Amrita took a seat on Ava’s bed. The worried furrow in her brows suggested that Ava’s excuse wasn’t doing the bang-up job she’d hoped it would. “Ava, you know you can tell me anything, and I’ll love you no matter what, right?” “Of course, Amma.” Ava sighed and leaned against her mom, closing her eyes so that Mom couldn’t read her expression as easily. “I’m allowed to wear pretty things even if I’m disabled, aren’t I?” “What a thing to say! Of course, you are.” Amrita pulled Ava close and kissed the top of her head. “I worry about you. Especially after someone has already assaulted you. Who knows what people would do if they thought you were part of that ABDL kink.” “I’ll be fine. They already arrested the guy. My girlfriend’s family is ridiculously connected in Ardenthill; they’ve been pressuring the cops and making them run around.” “I’m going to send you home with a basket of kaju katli to thank them for that. But that’s not enough for me to stop worrying.” Ava smiled; her mom’s cashew fudge would earn her some excellent points with Briana’s family. She was sure she could also get in on Briana’s share of it. “They’ll love that, thanks amma. I’ll be more careful, okay?” Amrita didn’t look convinced about Ava’s safety – or her diapers – luckily, the need to make an early dinner freed Ava from the uncomfortable conversation. The rest of her home time flew by. Ava had tears in her eyes to match her parents when she hugged them goodbye. ~~~*~~~ At home in her apartment, Ava went through her physical therapy routine restlessly. A two-hour drive each way hadn’t left room for as much of a family weekend as she’d wanted. That was especially true since she’d returned to Ardenthill early enough that she wouldn’t be anxious about getting ready for the week. Well, she was prepared for the week as soon as she finished her leg lifts, and there was still an entire evening to account for. As she stretched her legs, the yoga mat under her butt seemed especially squishy. Another accident. Ava sighed. She had a lot of reservations about living the way Briana did, but at that moment, Ava would have given anything to have a half-dozen caregivers to pick from. At least one of Briana’s roommates had to be strong enough to scoop Ava off the floor and carry her to a proper changing table instead of the sad little blanket Ava had laid out in a corner of her bedroom. Ava’s phone beeped to let her know that physical therapy was done. Without thinking, she shut off the alarm and dialed Briana. “Hi, Ava!” Despite the way they'd last parted, Briana was as bubbly as ever. “Hey, girlfriend.” Ava laid back on her mat, surrendering her clothes to the sweat she’d worked up. “I wish you were here.” “Me too!” Briana sounded as wistful as Ava was. “I’d invite you over, but Mom and Dad don’t usually let me bring friends over on a school night.” “Is that a hard rule?” Ava knew she should be embarrassed at the whine in her voice, but the way she was feeling, she couldn’t be bothered with such niceties. “Maybe the rules are different if you come over here.” “I could ask Mom.” Briana sounded eager but not hopeful. “I don’t think she’ll say yes, though.” “Please, Briana? Tell her I really need to see you. It’s the truth!” “I’ll do my best, but I have to bring out the big guns. Arnold the Pangolin is going to help me convince them. Also, stay on the phone in case they need extra convincing from you.” Ava giggled. “Please tell Arnold the Pangolin that I appreciate Arnold the Pangolin’s assistance in this matter.” The only reply from Briana was a big giggle and the sound of feet loudly marching on a hardwood floor. Faintly, Ava heard Veronica admonishing Briana for stomping in the hall. That was followed by a surprisingly amusing back and forth between Veronica, Jane, Briana, and Briana’s over-the-top orator voice for Arnold the Pangolin. Despite how pompous Arnold the Pangolin sounded, Arnold the Pangolin was making some excellent points. By the end, Ava wasn’t sure if Briana’s parents had been convinced or worn down by how many times they’d had to say Arnold the Pangolin’s full name. “Ava, they said yes! We can have a sleepover! A big girl sleepover with no adults, even!” Ava squealed in delight. “Yeah! Well, a mostly big-girl sleepover; we’ll both be in diapers.” “Dad is going to bring me. She’ll stay long enough to get both of us ready for bed.” “That’s perfect. She can bring back the fudge my mom made for her and the rest of your family.” “But not all of it, right? I’m in the family, too; I get some of my own, don’t I?” “Of course you do, dummy.” Ava rolled over and kicked her feet idly on the yoga mat. “It’s separated into pretty bags for each person. More importantly, will you share yours with your pretty girlfriend?” “Share? I um – I can share, but didn’t you get some at home?” Briana was whining to match Ava earlier. It was a sure sign of love that Ava found her whines cute. “No way, Amma never lets us have some of the stuff she makes for thank you baskets.” “Oh, she’s strict, huh? I can’t wait to meet her!” “Yeah – you can do that sometime, sure. Anyway, when are you going to be here?” “Soon! I’m packing stuffies now.” Ava giggled. “Don’t you need more than stuffies for a sleepover on a school night?” “Yeah, Dad is packing the rest. She doesn’t trust me to bring all my stuff or something. I’ll be there soon; I love you, Ava!” “I love you, Bri.” Ava sighed happily and closed the call. After her physical therapy, Ava didn’t have the energy to clean herself up. She could have forced herself, but there was always the chance that Jane would be willing to help when she brought Briana over. It wasn’t clear what getting ready for bed entailed, but it had to involve some caregiving and, therefore, sounded lovely. ~~~*~~~ As Jane set Ava down on her changing blanket and handed her a baby bottle, Ava reflected that she had not been prepared for the Briana Bedtime Experience. She was so busy being embarrassed about the bottle that she paid no attention to Jane changing her. Ava’s inattention robbed her of her chance to protest the massive amount of padding that was apparently normal for Briana at night. Her legs wouldn’t close around the bulky nighttime diaper with what felt like at least one booster pad inside it. Whatever was in the bottle was not straight milk, thankfully. It was creamy and tasted like an oat milk drink or a protein shake. Either way, there was more than Ava planned on drinking before bed. Though she hated making Jane undo her work on the huge diaper, Ava felt she couldn’t let the absurd padding go without saying something. “Uh, Briana’s dad?” Ava’s actual protest died on her lips when she realized how much her Littleness had taken over her speech. Before she could gather her wits, Jane fetched a pillow and propped Ava up on her changing blanket. “It’s hard to drink a bottle lying down, isn’t it?” Jane patted Ava on the head. “You should be able to finish now without needing me to burp you.” Burp me?! Embarrassed to her core, Ava hid behind her bottle. Worse, she felt obligated by her silence to start working on the bottle again. It was a good thing the stuff inside was tasty. Jane left Ava’s bedroom and gave Briana a very giggly change into her nighttime diaper out of Ava’s sight. Sucking away at her bottle on autopilot, Ava decided that she had one more out from the situation she’d let herself slide into passively. If Briana’s diaper was one centimeter smaller than Ava’s, she could protest on the grounds of fairness. Ava’s last hope – other than actually asserting herself – was dashed when Briana crawled into the bedroom with her legs splayed by a ridiculously puffy diaper. “Ava! You look ready for snuggles!” “How many diapers did your dad put on you, Looney Tunes?” Before Ava could grumble about Jane’s overzealous diapering directly, Briana’s dad returned from the living room. Ava had never known Jane to be anything but mild-mannered, but she couldn’t bring herself to do or say anything that might get her even slightly in trouble. “She’s going all out tonight because of our special sleepover. Right, Daddy?” Briana grinned at the kiss Jane planted on her head by way of affirmation. “Did you finish your bottle, Ava?” Jane asked. “Uh – almost.” Ava held out the bottle to show the little bit left in the bottom. Surely, Jane would agree that she’d drunk enough. Instead, Jane sat beside Ava and held the bottle to her lips. Briana scooted in to snuggle against Ava, and the Little girl found herself leaning against Jane’s chest, dutifully finishing her drink. No sooner was the bottle done than Jane brought a toothbrush to Ava’s lips. She wasn’t surprised that the toothbrush went in when she opened her mouth. What surprised Ava was that she had run out of annoyance. Begging Briana to come over with a caregiver had come from a place of emotional and physical exhaustion. It was easy to accept Jane’s help passively – more importantly, surrendering to Jane felt safe. When it was Briana’s turn to have her teeth brushed, Ava cuddled quietly against Jane’s side. The next step was being put to bed at a frighteningly early hour. Jane sat on the edge of the bed with an honest-to-goodness storybook, and Ava had to blink away tears. She spooned close to her wiggly girlfriend, listening to the exploits of a brave little girl who journeyed to a land of monsters and taught them to bake cakes together instead of fighting. At the story’s end, Briana trained an adorable puppy dog look on Jane. “Daddy, it’s still early. You could read us another story or sing us a song or something.” “I’m putting you two to bed early because I expect you won’t sleep until some time after I leave.” Jane smiled indulgently and kissed both girls on the head. “Future sleepovers like this will hinge on how I find you tomorrow morning. Happy, well-rested girls will get to do this again. Tired, grumpy girls will have their next sleepover supervised.” “We’ll be good.” Ava nodded sincerely. Being a good girl for Jane seemed important for more than just another sleepover. “I had a long day; I won’t be able to stay up all night.” “Do you hear that, Briana? Ava needs sleep tonight.” “Yes, Daddy!” Briana sounded as sincere as Ava, but she was wiggling far too much for a Little girl who was planning to sleep. “You’ve both had a bottle and a change. Mango is already in his bed.” Jane tucked the covers up to the Little girls’ chins. “Do you need anything else before I go?” “You said you’re coming back early tomorrow?” Ava asked. “That’s right. More than early enough to get you both changed, fed, dressed, and off to school.” Jane stroked Ava’s hair gently. “Then I’m good – thank you for taking care of me.” “You’re a wonderful Little girl. It was my pleasure.” Jane planted a kiss on Ava’s cheek. “I’m good too, Daddy! See you in the morning, and thanks for letting me sleep over!” Briana sighed happily when Jane kissed her cheek. “Remember that you can call Veronica or myself any time tonight if necessary.” Jane packed the diaper supplies in their bag and set it on Ava’s changing blanket. “I’m surprised you didn’t get some kind of long-distance baby monitor,” Briana teased. “Hmm, that’s not a bad idea, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to rig up with a hobby computer…” “Daddy, no!” Briana laughed. “We’re having a big girl sleepover.” Ava giggled. After everything Jane had done for her that evening, she’d never felt less like a big girl. Jane seemed just as amused, though, in her typical reserved manner, that meant a simple smile. When Jane departed, it seemed to happen as suddenly as every other phase of the evening. Ava couldn’t figure out what had her so off-guard about Jane. It could have been the German efficiency everyone teased Briana’s dad about. More likely, she was feeling too Little to anticipate the next thing coming. The theory that Ava was overly distracted gained a lot of weight when she realized she was kissing Briana. It wasn’t like the exploratory kisses she and Briana had shared. Ava gasped and clung close to her girlfriend in response to the passion behind that kiss. The padding around their hips crinkled loudly as their legs entwined. Ava shivered with delight. Though everything felt good, there was something odd about the situation. Ava couldn’t identify a worry or complication, but she couldn’t bring herself to do more than passively kiss either. “I want to touch you.” Briana squirmed restlessly against Ava. Her voice was still Little despite the activity they were heading toward. “In naughty ways?” Ava's brain buzzed with the realization that Briana had no intention of dropping out of Littlespace and might not be able to. That meant that Ava didn’t need to get Big, either. She’d played with people at the Green Fairy but never done more than flirted there. Leah had been accepting of Ava wearing diapers and even mommied her a couple of times, but she hadn’t wanted to have sex with a Little Ava. “Is it okay? I don’t wanna upset you.” Briana was trembling with desire. Obviously, she was aching to put her hands all over Ava, but she was managing to be a very good girl about it. “What kind of naughty touching do you want to do?” Ava nuzzled Briana’s neck. “Under my PJ top? Under my diaper?” “Yes, and I want to kiss you all over.” Briana’s restless hand hesitated just under Ava’s breast. The Little girl moaned when Ava shifted to put Briana’s hand on the object of her desire. “We promised we wouldn’t stay up too late, but we’re kinda small, especially you. I bet there’s time for kissing all over. And touching.” An electric thrill ran through Ava’s fingertips when she slipped a hand under Briana’s PJ top. She’d touched that much on Briana before, especially at the sleepover, but there was no audience or chaperone anymore. “We can be good girls. We can be very good girls.” Briana panted, kissing Ava’s collarbone. “How much is too much for you?” “Your dad did such a nice job with our diapers; we shouldn’t take them off.” Ava teased her fingers along the waistband of Briana’s diaper. “But they’re sturdy enough for us to reach inside if we’re careful.” “That sounds good. For me, other than taking diapers off, you can do whatever you want.” “Me too.” Ava kiss-bit Briana’s lip before squirming out of her PJ top. Briana caught on fast, flailing her way out of her top by the time Ava was out of hers. Skin to skin, everything was warm and tingly. Ava tangled tongues with Briana, groaning softly into the kiss. It wouldn’t be easy to go to sleep at a reasonable hour like good girls – unless they wore each other out. Pleased at her brilliant idea, Ava pulled her girlfriend tightly against her

Still enjoying your updates - congrats on moving and I'm glad everyone survived! You may find it helpful to have a lidded plastic box for your used nappies - I find the Really Useful Box brand really useful (funny, that) and they do some in opaque colours so you don't need to see a 360 marination progress. You could also pour in a cup of diluted scented disinfectant if you wished to nuke any smells. White vinegar also works a treat for any smells and is considerably cheaper (though the smell of the vinegar itself does go when dried). As for drying, good luck! I've seen there's now heat pump driers which instead of using electricity to heat air that's immediately thrown out the window, instead uses it to just move heat from the outside to the inside of the drier which in turn absorbs moisture away from clothes. It may be more efficient but they do cost more up front. You highlight a good point though - we all manage our lifestyles and get to a point where we have everything down to a tee, but it doesn't take much for our routines to fall into disarray and leave us having to find new ways to cope. It's when we have a change of routine that nappies can become a real pain to manage!

I know 30cm is for kids, but it's the perfect length for me, just wish there were some that were a bit thicker in size, but ch12 works. put in a ch12 a few hours ago and plan to have it in until monday morning

No, because the other sites have the same sort of "Enter if only 21" gateway that DD has, and no registration. FictionMania which is primarily a TG story site, and the finest 1990s web design out there, contains quite a number of AB and other ageplay stories, including ones that would include pedophilia, along with some pretty graphic and extreme sexual stories.

I have a fantasy thing for diaper discipline. So, sometimes I do get a diaper rash. Part of my punishment, so to say. Good behavior earns diaper changes and bad behavior leads to extended stays in wet and messy diapers. Don't know if I'd exactly call it being proud of a diaper rash, but I do intentionally wear diapers for an extended period of time to get a diaper rash. My skin is pretty tough and I usually don't get much irritation. Even though I hardly ever use any cream or ointment. My worst diaper rash ever was when I stayed in the same wet and messy diaper for over 36 hours. I wore a contoured cloth diaper that I peed and pooped in and a disposable diaper on over that. I only changed the disposable diaper when it was soaked. Being wet and messy for over 36 hours, with no cream, really gave me a good diaper rash. It was definitely painful. My intention was to give myself a good paddling on my diaper rashed bottom, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. It was painful, for sure.

Chapter 39: The Strict Admin “Do you still have that cinnamon crunch seasoning?” Deon asked, opening Emma’s higher cabinets that Emma couldn’t reach for the popcorn seasoning. “I mean, I can’t fucking reach that cabinet and you literally put it in the same place every time.” Emma snarled in annoyance, eyes going to her popcorn kettle, pouring in the popcorn kernels over the oil. Deon was 6 foot and always put the popcorn seasonings at the highest cabinet on purpose to insult Emma’s short height. Deon always liked to tease Emma with either putting things out of her reach, to Emma’s demise. Kylie laughed at them from the stool at Emma’s counter white marble island in the middle of her kitchen, “Deon, she’s not wrong. You ask the same thing almost every movie night.” Deon gave a crooked smile, “I know, it just makes me laugh every time how mad Emma gets.” Her brown eyes bounced to Emma who rolled her eyes. Emma said, “I shouldn’t have invited anyone over… also, why is it always my place?” Emma asked, turning to Deon who came behind Kylie and wrapped her long arms around her, kissing her neck, “And get a room-“ “The man, myth and legacy is here!” Graham cut off Emma as he walked in, boisterous as usual. Emma glared as Graham smiled widely as he walked in with a bottle of Emma’s favorite wine and a cooler, “It’s ‘the man, the myth, the legend’ not legacy, Graham.” Graham closed the door and set down his items as he came over to Emma and held out his arms with a irritatingly wide and knowing smile to Emma as she backed up. “It sounds like someone needs a hug.” Graham said, approaching. Emma backed up into the corner, eyeing her kettle that began popping, “I don’t and not from you. I’m mad at-“ Emma was cut off as Graham kneeled and picked up Emma under her armpits, hugging her as he stood, “A hug will fix everything!” Emma groaned and let out a giggle as he lifted her into his arms, “Graham!” She grumbled as she was forced to hug him back in his arms. This wasn’t the first time Graham hugged her like this, he tended to give her a ‘big hug’ when she was having a bad day. This was of course for other reasons and it felt slightly different now considering that he knew about the whole babying thing. For a moment, Emma’s mind became fuzzy, feeling little in his arms. It was like that switch flicked on and Emma couldn’t stop herself and her internal feelings that Chad had unlocked in the past weeks. Deon and Kylie laughed as Graham set her back down, with a smug kiss to her cheek, “Emmie, I brought you wine and cheese as a peace offering.” He said with his usual Graham charm and charisma. “Peace offering? What happened?” Deon asked, eyes brows raising as she looked between them. Graham went to Emma’s drawer and grabbed her wine bottle opener, “It’s an NDA thing – can’t really say but I think Emmie’s forgiven me.” Emma pressed her lips together to not say more, emptying the popcorn in a few glass bowls. The whole NDA thing never stopped them from spilling before but Emma was happy Graham wasn’t going further to explain. “Understood... I guess?” Deon shrugged, walking over to the bowls and grabbing two. She seasoned Kylie and hers bowl as Kylie got up and walked to the couch, plopping down and grabbing Emma’s remote. “It’s on Hulu right?” Kylie asked the group, flipping through Emma’s apps. “Yup, all the worst horror movies seem to be.” Emma muttered with a slight edge to her voice. Deon’s head whipped to Emma from her tone, “You okay? You kind of seem…” Kylie ended her sentence, “Moody. Are you PMSing or something?” Emma frowned, tilting her head and knowing it was technically almost that time of the month but… that wasn’t why, “No, I-“ Graham cut her off, “She’s starting to date-“ Emma’s eyes glared, “Graham!” Deon and Kylie looked to each other and then to Emma, “You’re dating someone?!” Kylie blurted. Deon muttered, “You’d think you’d be happier not…” “It’s not dating and it’s very… complicated.” Emma growled, eyeing Graham in annoyance that he said anything. Graham put his hands up in defense, “Sorry, Emmie. They should know why you’re being a touch grumpy.” Graham poured two glasses, “Deon and Kylie, do you want any?” Emma rolled her eyes, grabbing her popcorn and walking to the couch to the end she usually sat on with Graham. Deon shook her head, “Nope, we’re good.” Graham brought over Emma’s glass of wine and sat next to her. Graham and Emma usually cuddled or curled up next to each other during movie nights but Emma was obviously cold-shouldering Graham. Graham saw Emma shrunk to her corner and sat, offering her a cheese slice. Emma eyed it for a moment before grabbing a slice. “Uhm, did you change your subscription or something? There’s only kids scary movies here.” Deon asked, taking the remote from Kylie and going to the search bar. Emma blinked as she took a large gulp of her wine, watching Deon search the movie and Deon clicking too quickly to the movie with the child lock icon. She clicked and the prompt appeared to ask for parental permission. The whole groups' heads turned to Emma as her face became red. “Did you accidentally put child locks on your account?” Kylie asked in a joking way with a laugh. Deon and Graham laughed as Emma frowned. Emma had no other excuse as she shrugged, “Something like that.” Graham stared for a second longer, guessing what probably happened and that it wasn’t Emma’s doing at all. Deon laughed as she threw her head back with a clap, “That’s rich. Hoping then we’ll get access granted.” She clicked the ‘request permission’ button before Emma had a moment to think. Emma blinked, her heart skipping a beat and not thinking of the consequences of telling her friend that she was the parent on the account. Emma bit her lip as Deon and Kylie looked over to Emma in confusion at her just sitting there, not moving. “So, uh, are you going to give permission so we can watch?” Deon asked awkwardly. Emma felt her phone ping at a text from Daddy on her phone. She cursed at herself internally on not changing the name as she opened the text, feeling Graham’s stare over her shoulder: That’s a rated R movie, you’re not allowed to watch that. Maybe a kids scary movie for your movie night is more appropriate, hm? Graham howled in laughter as he read the text, slapping his leg at the text he sent her as Emma blinked in annoyance to Chad’s sudden text. To Emma’s further demise, a prompt showed on the screen ‘Your admin denied access to this movie.’ Deon blinked to Emma, “Are you trolling us right now, Em?” Emma frowned, “I wish I was. I think we either have to log into someone else’s account or find a family friendly scary movie for tonight.” Graham was breathless as he rested back and calmed down from laughing, “Maybe we can watch the Don’t Look Under the Bed on Disney plus or something like that. Think that’s a good throwback that’s probably funny?” Graham said, trying to save Emma from Deon and Kylie asking any more questions. Deon widened her eyes and just said, “Fine, I guess…” She went to Disney plus and Kylie just stared at Emma a moment longer in confusion before they watched their movie. Emma dimmed her lights of the apartment and luckily wasn’t questioned for the rest of the night, thanks to Graham’s save.

Keep your pecker up and soldier on! We've been in the same house for over 25 years, and moving would be a nightmare. One day we'll have to - this is an old house that needs a lot of maintenance, and it's bigger than we need now anyway, now the kids have left. Already there are things we can't do any more, often involving ladders or kneeling down (quite apart from the cow incident and an impending hip replacement). And my other half is a bit of a hoarder. Quite honestly the nappy side of things would be one of the easiest things to manage when we eventually have to up sticks. I'm dreading it to be honest. At least you've done the moving bit. Good luck with getting it all sorted out over the next 10 years or so.

Chapter 6- Growing Pains Once I had finished eating, I snuggled up to Annie and nudged her arm with my head, trying to get her attention. She giggled and happily took me up onto the couch, laying in her lap. “So what now?” I asked. “I mean…what do I do all day? I don’t really know how to… be a pet.” “Sure you do. I think you feel it just like I feel it as a Keeper. And we’ll just take it one day at a time. I think today is mostly about bonding, like outside of the Bond. Maybe work on some training a little later too.” Ugh, ‘training.’ It was such a patronizing word and I didn’t like at all what it could mean for me. We cuddled, watched TV, and talked a lot. I told Annie about my hobbies, my friends, childhood, my strained relationship with my family. And Annie told me all about herself; her passions, her family, her values, the books she liked to she read, her guilty pleasures on TV. It was like the first few “get to know you” dates rolled into one, except there were a lot more emotions involved because most of what I was telling her about were things I was losing. But still, it was nice to talk to her like a human for a while, until I was harshly reminded of the difference in our status when she checked my diaper, which I had thankfully kept dry. She stayed by my side all day, and I drank in her attention. I felt high off it. I did have a few dissociative episodes as my life as human collided with the reality that I was now an owned pet. One resembled a panic attack, followed by a bout of crying. Annie just held and comforted me through all of these emotions with a maternal tenderness that enveloped me in warmth. Her voice and her touch were the only things that made sense. In the late afternoon Annie’s phone rang. “Oh! This is my friend Jessica, my old roommate who was a Keeper. Are you okay here if I talk to her for a bit?” “Mmhmm.” I nodded. “Good boy.” She pet my head. “Just stay right here and watch TV. Be good.” She got up and answered the phone. “Hey, Jess! Aaagh, I know I know! Day two. It’s crazy, isn’t it? Who woulda thought?” Annie paced around the house aimlessly while chatting away. “Yes, ‘he.’ His name is Oliver…I know…Well, I was just walking around the corner at work and boom….Yup…. I got him to the pet store and home fine. Hmm, not really. No, he’s been really good! And I’m off work all week so…” She moved down the hall and my attention was pulled away from the conversation when I felt my shrinking bladder begging for attention. I wanted to ask to use the toilet but knew what the answer would be. I sulked at the illogic of forcing me to consciously use the diapers even when I was in control. Now I just wanted to hold it until she could change me right away. Annie must’ve got sucked into her conversation because she had wandered into the her bedroom and plopped down on the bed while she talked. It was becoming more and more difficult to hold my bladder. While fidgeting restlessly, I suddenly noticed the zipper on the left mitt hadn’t been sealed perfectly up my forearm when she put it back on after bathing me. This is my chance! If I could get the mitten off, I could take off the diaper and prove to Annie I was capable of using the toilet on my own like a normal person and had control of my bladder. Then maybe she wouldn’t make me wear diapers all the time! Or at least not use them when I didn’t need to! With my critical thinking diminished, that’s as far my plan got; just get the diaper off and pee in the toilet. No other details or consequences even factored in. I brought my mouth down to the zipper, securing it between my teeth. After a few attempts I was able to drag it down almost all the way. Next I bit at the strap holding the mitten tight around my wrist. It took some gnawing at the buckle and several attempts, but I was finally able to pull the clasp back just enough to loosen it a bit. I held the mitt between my knees as tightly as I could and began yanking my arm up, trying to pry my hand out. It took some effort, but finally my hand slid out of the mitten. Yes! Take that, pet-proof mitt! Ha, I must not be a pet if I could get it off then, huh?! I thought, irrationally. I messily ripped at the tapes the diaper and let it fall off me. I didn’t even bother with the other mitt because my bladder was becoming desperate. I moved down the hall naked on all fours as quietly as I could, stopping briefly to check if Annie was still absorbed into her phone call, before slipping into the bathroom. I fumbled at the leg restraints very briefly, but couldn’t figure out how to undo the clasp holding my knee bent and my bladder was at the breaking point. It was an emergency now. Fuck it, forget them! I tried getting to my feet, using the counter to help myself stand as upright as my forcibly bent knees allowed, with great difficulty. The counter was to my left, so I had to keep my free hand against it for balance, meaning I was going to have to aim my penis with the pet mitt. In my pet-brained desperation, it never even occurred to my to just sit on the toilet. I guess I just wanted to stand and pee like a man. I quickly brought the toilet lid up with my mittened hand and didn’t even bother with the seat. I lined it up as best I could before my bladder gave way. Pee shot into the toilet, but I was unstable and shaky, never mind not even using an actual hand to aim. My stream quickly started splattering on the toilet seat, and I panicked, letting go of the counter to correct my aim, but that meant I lost my balance and slipped backwards. I toppled over, still peeing, and smacked the back of my head hard on the edge of the bathtub. My body landed roughly with a loud thud. I yelped in pain, as urine got all over me and the floor. “Oliver?!” I heard hurried footsteps coming out of the bedroom. Annie’s figure appeared in the doorway. “Ollie! What happened?!” I just groaned in response. She rushed down and took me into her lap. “Are you okay?! What are you doing?!” There was great concern in her voice. “I just wanted to use the toilet,” I said pathetically. She noticed the mess I made. “Ugh, damnit, it’s everywhere! And I just gave you a bath!” There was frustration in her voice now. “How did you even get your mitten off?” she grabbed my hand. “That’s what I get for keeping the cheap pet-paws on.” “I hit my head.” I tried to rub the back of my skull where I felt pain. She quickly brushed my hand away and maneuvered my head under the light to see. “Oh my god, you’re bleeding!” Her anger instantly became worry as she grabbed some toilet paper and dabbed at whatever cut I had just inflicted on the back of my head. Great shame overcame me for having disobeyed and disappointed Annie, my Keeper. I felt like I couldn’t bear it. I’m a bad pet. A bad, stupid, dumb pet and Annie would be better off without me. I’m nothing but a burden. The thought was overwhelming. “I’m sorry!” I said emphatically and emotionally, eyes welling up. I couldn’t help it. My emotional stability was at an all time low in my current state, and failing Annie was too much to bear right now. Her face softened and any frustration left melted from her voice as she said, “Oh, honey, no. I’m not mad at you, I was just scared. And I’m mad at myself. I know you can’t help it.” I wasn't sure that made me feel any better. The implication was like I was just an animal, or a baby. My shame was only worsened by the fact I was lying naked, covered in my own urine. "Your head looks okay. Just a small cut and a bump.” “But I’m an awful pet,” I choked out before a sob. She quickly pulled me up into a hug. “No, you’re not! Listen to me. It’s not your fault. I know this is hard. This is brand new for us both! Your instincts and impulses are all over the place right now. It’s my job to protect you. I thought you would be fine for a few minutes without me watching you, but I was wrong. I need to stop thinking of you as an adult. Your brain is changing so quickly.” Her reassurances helped, but I still felt awful— instinctively for not obeying my Keeper, and emotionally for her telling me I was less than an adult human, no matter how true I knew it was. She cleaned me up with wet wipes as I just sniffled and whimpered. She kept her finger hooked in the ring of my collar as she led me naked, out to the changing mat, where she swiftly re-diapered me, this time with a bulky diaper cover that had a magnetic lock on the elastic waistband. I didn’t dare put up a fight. She then slipped on the better quality pet mittens she had bought. Instead of scratchy leather material, these were soft and velvety on the outside, and colored dark navy blue. They were shaped more like paws and less bulky, but held my fingers just as tightly and were much more securely buckled on, with a little flap covering the zipper so I couldn't bite at it. I wasn't getting these off with my mouth anytime soon. She also replaced my leg restraints, apparently part of a matching set with the paws, and secured the thigh/calf strap so I couldn’t stand. She sat me up close to her and took my head in her hands. “Now, I’m going to put you in your kennel for bit, pet, but this isn't a punishment. This is just so I can get the house a little more pet-proof and review some of the materials on training so that you and I can work on it. Plus, we need to get you used to your crate. But it’s not a punishment. What you did was naughty, but I'm not mad because we really haven’t gone over any rules yet. It’s my job to set your boundaries and make sure you don’t have the opportunity to misbehave or get yourself hurt like that. And I will, okay?” I nodded. I knew it was true. I acted rashly, with barely a plan, and now I had a small gash and an achy head to show for it. Maybe I really can’t take care of myself without her, I pondered. “I want you to say it. Tell me in your own words that you know this isn’t a punishment.” “This isn’t a punishment. This is so you can get some things done without worrying about me ruining everything.” “Hey, no,” she said firmly, taking my chin in her hand and bringing my eye contact back to her. “That’s not what I asked you to tell me. Try again, without the judgement.” “This isn’t a punishment. It’s to get me used to the crate and so you can work in the house.” “Good boy. And you are not a bad pet. You are wonderful and I’m so lucky to have you.” She kissed me on the cheek, “Now, kennel up.” I wanted so badly to object, but I knew I had messed up. She gently guided me into the cage on all fours. It had plastic walls but big, barred windows for me to see out into most of the room and a typical pet cage door. It was big enough I could almost stretch all the way out lying down. She had a blanket and multiple pillows inside. It wasn’t at all uncomfortable, just confining. She made sure I had access to the mounted water bottle and then slid an access hatch open on the top and reached her hand in to stroke my hair, which I gladly accepted. “Good boy. You’re okay, honey. This kennel will keep you safe. When you’re in here, you will feel warm and secure,” she said intently. “I’ll be right out here. Try to take a little nap, okay? Here, I read this is supposed to help.” I was surprised when she reached in and dropped the shirt and panties she had been wearing overnight. I was embarrassed enough to wait until she closed the hatch and turned to leave before I grabbed the clothing and buried my face in it, letting her scent comfort me. As much as she assured me this wasn't a punishment, it was impossible not to feel guilt accompanied by a physical coldness. I had let her down. My wonderful Keeper. And now I was alone in my new cage. After drinking some water through the rubber nipple poking into the cage, I curled up in the lightweight blanket to comfort myself. I heard Annie’s light footsteps around the home. The sounds of whatever TV show was on felt distant as I become lost in thought. Here I was, locked in a kennel, wrapped in a diaper, my body in restraints, and it still hadn’t fully set in that I was a pet. It’s awful to think now, but when previously considering the loss of freedom pets had to endure I always just thought, Well, it's for their own good. They’re not quite human. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be treated with dignity and respect as sentient beings, but they don’t qualify as human in the eyes of the law or society. They can’t vote, or drive, or get married, or live independently. They don’t have jobs, or date, or go get a drink, or have a nice meal at restaurant. They don’t own property, they are property. And for better or worse, now I was Annie’s.

Your wish is my command, or something. I'm still recovering from the election and other business, but I'm trying to get more writing done. Next up, Briana FINALLY gets to see her Mom's witchy stuff in action! There are some traditions out there that think tapping into your childlike self is just fine and dandy! 22 Pole Dancing Baby Wedged between Melody and Gary in her car seat, Briana was far too restrained by her harness for how bouncy she was feeling. They were finally getting to see Mom in action as a witch! Not only that, but they were on a road trip, too. The journey had taken them out of town but away from the highways, onto smaller roads that passed fancy houses with big yards. From there, they took a gravel road up a hill, with trees packed so closely that they went slap, slap, slap against the car’s mirrors. Briana couldn’t decide what was more exciting, the box of ritual stuff her mom had packed into the trunk, the box of donuts from Klemm’s – which Dad had driven two hours to pick up, or the fact that she’d convinced both Melody and Gary to come to the event. Melody had immediately said no when they were first asked. Like a good girl, Briana hadn’t asked again but hadn’t stopped talking about it either. Her sib’s progression from rolling their eyes to asking questions to grudgingly agreeing to go had been some of the most fun Briana had had with Melody in a while. In contrast, Gary had been an easy one. Ava was out of town visiting her parents after the disaster at the Green Fairy, so there was no choice to be made between boyfriend and girlfriend. As usual, Briana’s bestest boy was up for anything, though he checked with Veronica to make sure it was okay for him to come along. “Mom, you said there was going to be dancing, right?” Briana bounced as mightily as her car seat straps would allow. Gary tickled Briana out of her bouncing and into an equally energetic squirm. “There will be a maypole dance that’s part of the ritual itself, yes.” Veronica looked back from the front passenger’s seat, smiling. “After the ritual, people are free to dance as much as they’d like, and we often do, at Beltane.” “Mommy, I’m so excited. When do we get there?!” “Technically, you didn’t say, “Are we there yet?”, but you know that was the same thing,” Veronica smirked. “Gary, Melody, you know what to do.” “Nooo!” Briana giggled wildly as she was tickled from both sides by her boyfriend and sibling. By the time they relented, she was a contrite Little girl with slightly soggy pants. Dad rounded a final curve on the road and pulled their car onto a gravel parking strip at the edge of a beautiful meadow. At the center of a circle of clipped grass, brilliant streamers flapped in the wind from the crown of a carved wooden pole. Beyond the cut grass area, the meadow was wild with tall grasses and sprawling patches of wildflowers. The lawn itself didn’t look like it had been mowed with a machine; the grass was ankle-deep, long enough for clover to thrive uncut. There were people in quirky, colorful outfits on the lawn, setting up what looked like four metal firepits, though only one had wood stacked in it. The tree branches bordering the meadow were decorated with flowers and what looked like packages of baked goods wrapped in colorful cellophane. Someone was singing along to another person’s harp playing. Universally, the people in the meadow were smiling and laughing in obvious good spirits. It took an eternity for Gary to get out of the car and release Briana from her car seat straps. When her sparkly pink shoes touched gravel, she scampered away to greet a woman in a green dress with yellow leaves printed on it. The woman had long black hair with wavy streaks of gray throughout. Age-wise, Briana placed her somewhere between Mom and Grandma, with mid-forties as a solid guess. Briana had chosen her most spring-like outfit for the occasion: a creamy yellow blouse under a baby blue overall dress and sparkly white tights. Her red hair was coiled up by a glitter-encrusted wire with plastic flowers Briana had glued on herself. She grinned at the woman, hoping her blush was properly sparkling in the sunlight, and offered her hand. “Hello! I’m Briana!” “Welcome, Briana! I’m Madison, but I’m known as Ashen Wolf in the coven. I’ll happily answer to either.” She shook Briana’s hand and pulled the Little girl forward for a kiss on both cheeks. “Thank you for brightening our Beltane with your very sparkly presence. Blessed be.” “Thank you for inviting me!” Briana performed a quick turn to show off the spinniness of her skirt and crashed into her Mom’s arms. “Ashen Wolf, Blessed Beltane.” Veronica firmly but warmly contained Briana with a hug. “I see my daughter precedes me.” “Blessed Beltane, Moonshadow.” Ashen Wolf kissed Veronica on her right cheek. “She’s every bit as darling as you told us she would be.” “Is that your coven name, Mom? Moonshadow?” Briana squirmed out of her mom’s grasp, only to be lifted into Gary’s arms with a squeal of delight. “The witch’s name I chose is The Witch of Moonlight Shadows, but that’s a lot to say in casual conversation, so my coven often calls me Moonshadow.” Veronica motioned to a man in a green and white ballet outfit with a skirt like daisy petals. “Dancer in the Autumn Mist is another one who went for a phrase name, but we usually call him Dancer.” “I want to meet everybody!” Briana threw her arms out expansively. “So mote it be.” Ashen Wolf winked mischievously. “Do you mind if I introduce our newcomers while you set up, Moonshadow?” “Not at all. I’ll introduce them to you since they’re a touch more restrained than Briana. This is Gary, Briana’s boyfriend, and this is Melody, my child. Briana’s pronouns are She/Her, Gary’s are He/Him, and Melody’s are They/Them.” “Wonderful to meet you both. You may have heard, but I’m Ashen Wolf or Madison. She/Her.” Ashen Wolf motioned to the clearing. “Now that you’re here, we have all our participants, so it’s a perfect time to introduce you.” While they traveled around the circle, Mom and Dad produced the donuts they’d brought to oohs and ahhs from the coven. Regally elevated on Gary’s hip, Briana met the coven members in twos and threes. There was Dancer, Sapphire Sky, and Sage of the Rushing Rivers, who went by Sage. It’d been Sapphire Sky playing the harp and Sage singing. Sapphire Sky’s dress style was non-binary, to go with their They/Them pronouns. Briana was excited to see Melody perk up at Sapphire Sky’s short hair and masculine clothes that nicely complimented their earrings and makeup. Briana and Melody shared a grin when Sapphire excused themselves to check out the donuts. They met Lapis River and Frost Willow, who were blessing a bowl of water on the West side of the lawn. Briana was excited to see them casting salt into a candle flame during their incantation but noticed that Melody looked uncomfortable. She wished she could give her sib a quick hug, but there was no getting out of Gary’s arms, and anyway, Briana was having a lot of fun being carried. Birch Bark and Kukui Pueo were lighting a pile of incense in the firepit on the East side of the clearing. By far the youngest of the Coven, Birch Bark was younger than Briana’s Big self, probably in her first year of college, if she was in school. In contrast, Kukui Pueo had an ageless face that could have belonged to a twenty-year-old woman or a fifty-year-old in excellent health. “Is it okay if I ask what your name means, Kukui Pueo?” Briana was glad she’d managed to get the accent close to the pronunciation she’d heard from the woman. “It’s Hawaiian. The Kukui is what you’d call a Candlenut tree, and Pueo is our owl. Both the tree and the bird are associated with wisdom and the spiritual realm in Hawaii.” Kukui Pueo pronounced Hawaii as Ha-Vai-Ee, which Briana resolved to work on doing herself, but not without some practice. “You must be a very wise witch then!” Briana said excitedly. “She is.” Birch Bark said, looking reverently at Kukui. “Maybe.” Kukui Pueo shrugged and laughed. “All I can claim is that I’ve asked the Kukui and Pueo to bless me with some of their wisdom.” “What’s the incense for? Are you going to do a blessing on it like they were doing on the other side for the water?” Melody’s blurted-out question was a mild surprise to the witches but a big one for Briana. They didn’t look more at ease than at the water ritual; if anything, Melody was more agitated. Be cool, Sib! These people aren’t like the mean religious people your mom used to hang out with. “We have representations of four classic elements at each cardinal direction.” Birch Bark said. “It’s not as easy to contain air as fire, water, or earth, so we put incense here to mark the East.” “The incantation is a simple cleansing spell with fire, water, salt, and breath from our bodies,” Kukui Pueo added. “It’s a short and easy chant to learn; you’re welcome to participate.” “No, that’s okay,” Melody said quickly. Gary nodded. “I’d like to watch if that’s alright.” Briana nodded along with Gary, not wanting to be the only one joining in. “Of course,” Kukui Pueo said. “Birch Bark, would you like to speak the incantation?” Birch Bark was eager, kneeling before the incense brazier with a candle in a small water dish. “Salt and Water, Visible and Invisible, Self and World, be cleansed!” Kukui Pueo dashed salt across the candle flame, causing a tiny spark before the crystals fell into the water. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and breathing across the candle as Birch Bark continued the incantation. “By the Living Goddess, the Goddess who is the Merciful Huntress, and the Goddess who is born anew, I cast out everything harmful in this offering. By the Fertile Goddess of the Field, with the Horned God intertwined, let our offering take in the healing essence of life.” Birch Bark took a deep breath. Joyous concentration was written on her face as she loudly proclaimed, “So mote it be!” “Beautifully done, Birch Bark.” Kukui Pueo kissed Birch Bark on the cheek. “Is that the new incantation you’ve been working on?” “Yes.” Birch Bark blew out the candle and stood. “It took me a while to find the words that express cleansing to me.” “You’ll have to share it in detail at the next esbat; I think it’s a good candidate to update our cleansing incantation,” Kukui Pueo said, to which Birch Bark beamed proudly. “So you just make up whatever you want?” Melody asked, frowning. “I suppose that depends on where you think creativity comes from.” Kukui Pueo seemed unbothered by Melody’s abrupt question, but Birch Bark was frowning back at Melody. “If you think it comes from inside us, then yes, we create incantations that match the feelings we experience in our rituals. If inspiration from the outside is something you believe in, then the Goddess gives us those words.” “But which one is it?” Melody bit their lip, looking as upset as they did during an argument. “Which way is the right way?” “Both and neither,” Kukui Pueo said gently. “Wicca isn’t about right answers or dogma. It’s about each witch finding her own way to truth and love. The right answer for any witch is the answer that’s right for her. There are wrong ways for witches to treat and interact with others, but no wrong way for us to have a relationship with the Goddess, as long as we’re being honest about that connection.” Melody did not look satisfied with that explanation, but the petulance had left their tone when they asked, “What’s today’s big ritual about? What are we supposed to be feeling?” “Beltane is about new beginnings, nature’s renewal, and physical love,” Ashen Wolf said. “Did your mother explain what will happen during the ritual?” “She said we’ll listen to an incantation, pick a ribbon while saying something about what the color means to us, and then dance.” Melody crossed their arms uncomfortably. “Knowing Moonshadow, she told you more than once that you don’t have to participate, but I’ll reiterate that now,” Ashen Wolf said. “It’s alright to be uncomfortable if you’re willing to challenge that discomfort. If you’re opposed to participating, please don’t join in, as you’ll sour the energy of the ritual.” “I want to – but I don’t understand all this moon logic. I – I’m worried I’ll be a fail-witch.” Melody’s face was beet red. Briana sat in Gary’s arms with her mouth hanging open. Of all the things she’d expected from her sibling, an intense desire to ensure they correctly participated wasn’t one of them. “You’re worried about making a mistake?” Birch Bark asked, her frown cleared by an understanding smile. “No problem, we have a protocol for that. If you make a mistake, laugh and keep going. You’re not responsible for a critical part of the ritual, so any mistakes you make are just an opportunity for humor, which is important today anyway.” “That’s right.” Kukui Pueo said. “We believe every person has three selves; the most important for Beltane is the Younger Self. That’s the self of intuition, emotion, laughter, and impulsivity.” “So the younger self is basically my sister?” Melody smirked. “See, Bri? Even Witches think you’re a baby.” Briana giggled. “Then I am a very special guest today!” Ashen Wolf laughed along with Briana. “You are indeed. It looks like we’re starting soon. Melody, do you have anything else to ask before the ritual begins?” “No – I think I’ve got it. Can I stand next to Briana when we do the thing?” Melody took Briana’s hand tightly, giving their sister a relieved squeeze when the witches assured them they could stand next to anyone they wanted. ~~~*~~~ The final preparations consisted mainly of arranging everyone in a circle. Briana had Ashen Wolf on her right side and Melody to her left. Gary had been shuffled a few places away as the circle came together, which was fine because she could see his face that way. Importantly, Melody had Mom on their other side. Despite their earlier joke about Briana being the Younger Self incarnate, Melody looked nervous again. Dancer lead the group through a simple breathing exercise, encouraging them to breathe with their bellies. Briana took in air deeply through her nose and exhaled hard through her mouth until she was lightheaded. Mom looked perfectly serene and in her element. Kukui Pueo might have said there were three selves, but Mom seemed to have a lot more than that. There was Mom, the most important of her selves as far as Briana was concerned, and the one the Little girl knew best. But there was Veronica, the competent academic woman as well. There was her mom’s political face and the soft younger sister's face she showed to Aunt Kiara and Grandma. At the start of the Beltane ritual, Briana saw a new Veronica in her mom’s intense gaze and calm face. That had to be Moonshadow, the woman that all the interesting people Briana had met today obviously respected and loved. Suddenly, Kukui Pueo spoke up, her voice carrying across the clearing like a trained orator. “The Wheel of the Year has brought us to the time when the earth bursts with flowers, when the green shoots rise unhindered, and the sun’s warmth reaches to the core of ourselves. Euphoria and Desire will meet in you as the Maiden of Spring meets with the Lord of the Waxing Year. As nature is renewed, we are rejuvenated and reunited with the feckless and earnest youth of our self. Dance with your heart. Sing with your life force. Listen to the world. The Goddess is coming!” Mom – Moonshadow – drew a shining knife with a silver handle from her dress’s belt and cut it across the air over the incense brazier. “Hail, Heralds of the East, singers upon the wind! We invoke you by name: Arianrhod, Nihil, Anu, Senuna. Come and dance with us! By fire and air, salt and water, your place is prepared.” A quarter turn across the circle, Sapphire Sky pulled a dull iron knife from their belt and sliced it across the fire pit. “Hail, Artisans of the South, powers of transformation! We invoke you by name: Brigid, Hestia, Nusku, Gibil. Come and dazzle us with your gifts! By fire and air, salt and water, your place is prepared.” Birch Bark had a chef’s knife in her hand; she waved it across the water bowl. “Hail, Lifegivers of the West, bearers of the eternal womb! We invoke you by name: Boann, Rán, Amphitrite, Nanshe. Come and renew the world with us! By fire and air, salt and water, your place is prepared.” Sage gestured with an old pocket knife over the bowl Briana remembered had dirt or sand in it. “Hail, Guardians of the North, welcoming hosts of the natural world! We invoke you by name: Danu, Jord, Ninmah, Ki. Come and feel the rhythm our bodies make upon the earth! By fire and air, salt and water, your place is prepared.” Kukui Pueo spoke again; the intensity of her incantation raised hairs on Briana’s arms. “The circle is cast. We are between the worlds where clay meets dreams. The Goddess is in us, we are her. In perfect love, and perfect trust, we begin our ritual.” Veronica turned to Sapphire and kissed them on the lips. Sapphire passed the kiss to Jane, who passed it sunward – the witchy word for clockwise – around the circle until Ashen Wolf kissed Briana, and she passed the kiss to her sibling. Melody closed the circle by kissing their mom’s cheek. “Take a ribbon and say what the color means to you. Dance with us. Let our bodies and the ribbons bring our power together until it is wrapped as a gift for all assembled.” Veronica reached for a pale yellow ribbon and said, “I choose a soft yellow for the new dawn in my life.” Other people stepped forward from their places in the circle without any apparent order. Some of them were as poetic as Veronica was in her Moonshadow self. Others, like Ashen Wolf, gave invocations as simple as “I choose blood red for my health.” Briana looked at Melody, who seemed as nervous to step forward as she felt. More than half the circle had chosen ribbons already. With an encouraging smile at her sib, Briana dashed forward and grabbed a bright blue ribbon that matched Melody’s hair. “I choose blue, for the sibling I didn’t know I needed, until they were already part of my heart.” Melody smiled and blushed, like the cutie Briana knew they always were, no matter how gruff or gamery they pretended to be sometimes. More people took up ribbons until only Dad and Melody were left. Dad gave Melody an encouraging nod, and Melody stumbled forward. Their hand hesitated over the last two red and green ribbons. They took the green one and, in a shaky voice, said, “I choose green for growth.” Briana could tell there was a lot behind Melody’s simple sentence, which made her want to listen to everyone repeat their choices so she could re-evaluate the simple ones. That wasn’t how the ritual worked, though. Dad already had the red ribbon in her hand, and she spoke as simply as Melody. “I choose red for love.” Sage began singing, joined by Lapis and Dancer. Participants raised bells, tambourines, and other noisemakers all over the circle. On the heels of the music, the dance began. Despite Mom’s explanation of the dance, Briana had been worried that she wouldn’t know what to do. In practice, it was easy. She spun arm in arm with Melody, laughing, then stomped her way in and out of the people dancing in the other direction. On the next round of spinning, she had Gary as a partner, and it was on to weaving their ribbons once again. In far too short a time, the ribbons were tight against the maypole. Briana spun away from the pole, not ready to stop dancing yet. To her delight, no one else was either! She grabbed Gary and pranced joyfully with him, squealing when he lifted her and spun her around. The music continued, and the dancing did, too. Even Melody was still dancing, though they looked embarrassed. “Melody!” Briana grabbed her sib’s hands and danced with them and Gary in a circle until they were both laughing like idiots. Everyone was laughing, spinning, and generally letting themselves be silly. Mom and Dad were switching between traditional folk dancing and twerking their butts at each other, which sent the entire circle into helpless laughter. Laughter replaced the song they’d danced to, but the bells lasted as long as people’s bellies were quivering. When quiet settled on the group, Veronica put out her hands. One by one, people linked up with smaller groups, joining together until the circle was reformed, with everyone standing in different places. “We renew ourselves with laughter, with youth, and with play,” Veronica said. “Let us take a quiet moment in this power to feel the roots of our past that have led us to this place. For persons loved by the members of this circle who are not here or who are absent, we bring your memory into our circle. Friends far away and family who have gone on to the worlds invisible, we breathe the world’s new life into your names. In the Goddess and in our hearts, you are present, and you live forever.” The circle fell silent. Melody closed their eyes. Hastily, Briana did as well. Almost everyone important to her was present, except for Ava. It felt weird to focus on her girlfriend when she was holding Gary’s hand, so she added the friends and temporary siblings she’d known in her chaotic days as a foster kid. Those days had been hard, but there had been good people around who helped her get to the family she had now. With a happy sigh and misty eyes, Briana embraced each of them in her mind. She couldn’t help but steal a kiss from her memory of Ava, but she knew Gary wouldn’t mind. “Come back to us. Come back to the circle. Wonderful friends and beloved companions, we have raised the Goddess in our midst. We release the circle now, but the Goddess is here, always. Together, we rejoice and live, and most of all, we feast!” Veronica ended her incantation with a laugh. Briana opened her eyes to see Veronica ritually cutting the air with her dagger – which she’d said was called an athame – at the south point of the circle. Kukui, Frost, and Birch cut the other cardinal directions at the same time. A change rippled through the participants; Briana could feel the built-up energy of the ritual released. “Grab a donut or anything else you want.” Sapphire shamelessly jogged to a tree to grab the jelly donut they’d been eyeing since Veronica opened the boxes. The rest of the celebration was a delightfully casual time of eating, dancing, and chatting. Though no one in the coven seemed like a serious or grim person in their regular life, they were obviously having a good time being more silly and playful than usual. Several coven members leapt over the fire pit, shouting things they wanted to leave behind them, like they were making new year’s resolutions. Briana’s begging to jump over the fire herself got her a swat on the butt from Mom, but a playful one. The mood was too good to ruin with a tantrum, so Briana accepted her Little status and let the fire thing go. The vibe – as Melody would say – was so playful that Briana felt comfortable enough to crawl around in the grass. No one seemed to mind; in fact, Dancer joined Briana in crawling and helped her start an impromptu game of crawling tag. The game ended with the participants and those watching laughing as they lay about in the grass. Briana was unsurprised to need a diaper change toward the end of the celebration. What was a surprise was that Melody was popped into the car alongside her, getting a change from Mom while Dad changed Briana. In response to Briana’s questioning look, Melody blushed and threaded their fingers through Briana’s. “It’s like – today’s about the Younger Self, or whatever. You were having fun being Little, so I, um – I wanted to be more Little, too.” “I’m glad you had such a good time, sib.” Briana kissed Melody on the cheek, making her sib more bashful and their smile bigger. Despite the bulge it put in their shortalls, Melody didn’t object to having their pullup swapped for a diaper. Hand in hand with Briana, they rejoined the coven for another bout of silly dancing. When the coven began cleaning up, Briana still wanted more, but not too much more. It’d been a fantastic afternoon from start to finish. She watched as their braided ribbons were cut off the pole and discovered that the wrapped ribbons would be hung in the coven’s main ritual space for the coming year. While Ashen Wolf and Melody put the fire out properly, Briana danced around the maypole, scattering the Earth offering around the grass. As per Mom’s instructions, she left a handful to combine with a like amount of fire ash, incense, and water. The mixture went into a cool pink bottle that Frost Willow sealed with cork and wax. Cool things were happening all over the lawn, and wonderful people were gathered – especially Birch Bark, who snuck Briana the last donut. Briana generously shared her donut with Melody and Gary on the ride back. The car was buzzing with conversation about the Beltane celebration, which should have amped up Briana’s already intense excitement. Instead, the gentle rocking of the car on gravel and her impending sugar crash had Briana napping before the car reached a paved road. She woke at home, snuggled up to Gary on the living room couch. With a happy sigh, Briana stretched and kissed her boyfriend. “Hi, sexy boy. Did you have fun today?” “I did, though I know for sure now that joining a coven won’t be my kind of thing. I’d be up for going to another seasonal festival.” “I dunno if I want to be a witch or not.” Briana squirmed into a straddling position on Gary’s lap, discovering a substantial squish in her diaper. “Do you think Melody had fun? I think they did.” “I think they did, but I’m not sure if they’ll go to another one.” Gary patted Briana’s rear. “What do you say we get you changed and ready for dinner?” “Okay! Are you babysitting me today? Can I sleep over at your place?” “Yes, and yes, baby girl.” Gary gave Briana a long, slow kiss that left her as blushy as Melody had been during their diaper change. “If you hadn’t asked, I was going to.” “Then carry me upstairs, babysitter boy!” Briana grinned. “Oh, I want to wear a new outfit at dinner.” “I’m surprised your Mom and Dad can keep up with your laundry, you little clothes horse.” Gary chuckled as he hefted Briana up. “I have to do my OWN laundry.” Briana declared proudly. “I guess you can change outfits as much as you want.” Clinging to her boyfriend’s warm chest, Briana made a soft, happy noise. She’d wanted to see her Mom’s religion in action since she’d heard that Mom was a witch, and the result had been more fun than Briana could have imagined. To have it followed up by a sleepover at Gary’s sealed the day as a super awesome one. I can’t wait for the next witch thing! I hope Mom lets me go next month, too!

Stay tuned. I now have the next one. Chapter 7 Charlotte’s eyes shot open as she immediately noticed the warm glint of sunlight resting on her nose. But it wasn’t the sun that jolted her awake. It was something underneath her. Something down in her groin. A growing discomfort and intense ache that she felt from a full bladder. But it felt more full than that. And if Charlotte didn’t act quick enough, that full bladder would be released in the queen bed in one of her aunt’s guest bedrooms. Charlotte swiftly freed herself from the tangle of bedding that she was wrapped in and landed on the floor, feet first. She once again pressed her hands against her crotch in a desperate attempt to pinch the flow of pee shut. But this time, she felt something…soft. It felt like a soft and smooth texture when she was cupping her hand around her crotch. And because of what she was feeling, she felt some kind of padding block her hands from feeling her skin through her pajamas. A soft rustling sound could be heard as she pressed the fabric of the pajamas against the smooth padded texture in a futile attempt to reach her skin. But this was the least of her worries. Charlotte dashed out of the bedroom, holding one hand against her groin as she hurried into the nearby bathroom. She closed the door and tried to pull down her shorts but realized that she was not wearing her shorts anymore. Instead of being in her satin pink pajama shorts, she was in a mint green nightgown. She pulled up the nightgown, and when she realized what she was wearing, she gasped. Charlotte was wearing something that looked like an adult Pull-Up. The shock was enough for her to release her bladder, which sent a steady stream of pee into….what is this? A Pull-Up? “Oh. My. God.” Charlotte was mortified as the stream of pee continued filling the garment. The garment began to expand and swell around her legs as the thirsty garment soaked up the pee, turning it into a gel. Charlotte pulled the garment down and sat on the toilet, hearing the rest of the pee come out in small trickles. Each trickle was mocking her. Reminding Charlotte over and over again that she failed to make it to the toilet. Charlotte lifted up the pink soaked garment, which felt heavy in her hands. From when she was originally wearing it, it was at least 3-4 times bigger than when she first wore it, due to the swelling moisture that was inside it now. Then it hit her. Those garments that were in her drawer. This was one of those nighttime Depends. Charlotte could not believe this. Charlotte just knew that she did not pack a single one of those nighttime garments. These…adult Pull-Ups. All she packed for staying overnight at Aunt Darlene’s was panties. How then was she now wearing a diaper? And even worse, she totally soaked it before she could even reach the toilet. All it took was one jolt of surprise for her to release the bladder that she was trying so hard to hold. This made the whole matter of wetting her aunt’s guest bed inconsequential, as she would’ve filled this Pull-Up instead of the bedding. And she did fill it, completely by accident. Charlotte glanced in the mirror to realize that her face looked thinner and more sculpted. She pulled off her nightgown and examined her whole body. Her breasts were just as full as before but looked more evenly toned. The skin was more clearly toned and her waist felt even thinner. Charlotte could remember weighing 94 and a half pounds when she last weighed herself just last night before bed. So, she stepped onto the scale and weighed herself again. 94.8 pounds. Charlotte lost 3 pounds overnight. Oh. My. God. Charlotte knew that this couldn’t be water weight, as she always kept track of water retention. With the normal extra water weight, she would’ve weighed 99.4 pounds with the extra water in her. Charlotte just peed, so there was no extra water in her that would make her weigh any heavier. Just the normal fluids keeping her body healthy. Her water weight today would have her at 96.8 pounds. This was simply unbelievable. Charlotte looked into the mirror again, knowing that she looked leaner and more fit than she ever felt in her life. Her waist, she guessed, was at least two inches smaller than it was last night. She could feel the energy flowing in her body and knew that her metabolism was faster today. Charlotte glanced at her bra, realizing that it was a much cheaper brand than what she usually bought. So was her nightgown. In fact, Charlotte knew that she didn’t even pack that nightgown. What happened to all the clothes that she packed? Charlotte put all these questions on hold for a while as she took a quick shower. She scrubbed her pelvis and…well…her vagina clean, as the idea of having urine all over herself felt totally gross. After the shower, she found two towels in the bathroom’s small linen closet and wrapped them around herself. Catching one more glance in the mirror, Charlotte still couldn’t believe how healthy she looked. Charlotte looked…beautiful. All the features that made up her body were proportioned to near perfection. Charlotte couldn’t really explain it, but her mood felt different. As she was leaving the bathroom, she could hear the faint sound of voices coming from a discussion between her aunt and her mother downstairs. Are………….pick……….Charlotte?......Heather………..no problems…..Did…….pack……long night……sleeping?.................Allison………Everything’s clean…………..go…………Charlotte………..yet? Charlotte walked towards the staircase to hear the conversation a little better. “No. Please let Charlotte get her beauty rest. She’s going to need it for the marathon tomorrow.” “That’s right! The Labor Day marathon! I know that I will be attending it.” “That’s good, Darlene. I am so proud of my Char. Can you believe it? It’s her first marathon!” “Yeah. It sounds like she’s pretty excited for it. Heather’s going to just love it. She really loves to run! She’s the fastest in the Dashing Ducklings group. I definitely see her being just like Charlotte one day. Now Darcy, we both know about Charlotte’s little bladder problem. Did she pack her…you know…her special underwear?” “You mean her Depend Night Defense? I hope that she did. She usually makes it a habit to pack them.” Charlotte returned to the guest bedroom in total disbelief. She could not believe what her mother said. She was totally wrong. This was not Charlotte’s first marathon. In fact, it was her sixth one. How could her mother miss the first five? It just didn’t make sense to her. Just like it didn’t make sense to wake up in adult Pull-Ups when she knew that she was wearing panties just the night before. Charlotte returned to her overnight bag, only to find that it looked totally different. Instead of it being in her usual black colors and fancy material, it was just a sturdy pink fabric. She unzipped it to find various other clothes that she didn’t remember packing. She found a couple of pairs of panties in there (thank God) and one more of her nighttime Depends. Different clothes, a different bag, and her body felt totally different this morning. None of it was adding up. Charlotte put on a pink bra and found a denim skirt. After the bra, she put on a pink camisole. She then put on a pair of pink panties, followed by the denim skirt. She decided to wear her hair down today, since her hair seemed to be the perfect length, resting just a couple of inches below the back of her neck. Charlotte then rounded up her things and noticed Bobo lying on the bed. She gently grabbed the stuffed bear and threw him into her overnight bag, softly pushing him into her other clothes before zipping the bag shut. She then suddenly realized that she had forgotten something. The soaked Pull-Up! It wasn’t Heather’s, but her’s that was sitting on the floor in the bathroom. She grabbed the soaked garment and shoved it into the trash bin. She found both her mother and Aunt Darlene downstairs, still talking to each other while they casually sipped cups of coffee. Darcy arched her face up to notice her daughter Charlotte standing there, holding her overnight bag. “Good morning, sweetie! Did you do a good job as a babysitter last night?” Charlotte nodded. “It wasn’t too bad.” Darcy valued her daughter’s privacy, so she gently waved her into another room, which was Daniel’s office area. She took Charlotte’s bag and unzipped it. She pulled out only one of her Depends. “So you packed them? And it looks like you wore one, too. Was it dry, dear?” Charlotte’s face reddened and she shook her head sadly. “I had an accident just before I sat on the toilet. Besides that, I was dry all night.” Charlotte couldn’t believe that she, a 27-year-old woman was giving her mother a full report on her toileting habits. Darcy gave Charlotte a soft pat on the back. “That’s great, Char. You were almost dry, but since you had an accident in your Depends, you weren’t completely dry. But don’t be discouraged, honey. You had two completely dry nights this week!” Now Charlotte knew that this wasn’t making sense. There was not a single night that she wore Depends this week! It was only this morning that she noticed that she was wearing one. And how she ended up in the adult Pull-Up was still a mystery to Charlotte. Darcy offered Charlotte a wonderful breakfast that Darlene had made a little earlier. There were three pancakes, two sausage links, and a small mound of scrambled eggs. Charlotte drenched the pancakes in maple syrup and spent the next few minutes devouring her breakfast. The extra sugars and fats didn’t bother her, as she knew that her metabolism was running way too fast for any of it to even matter to her. Her energy was burning that quickly, so the delicious breakfast satisfied her. After the breakfast, Darlene paid Charlotte $200 and thanked her for babysitting Heather and Allison. Charlotte then walked home with her mother, thinking about buying that fresh bottle of Crystal Dragon. Charlotte just couldn’t wait to try it again! But as Charlotte was approaching the driveway, her heart sank. Her Diamond Black Rolls Royce Phantom was no longer sitting in the driveway. Sitting in its place was a black Lexus LS 500 sedan. Now this really wasn’t making sense, as Charlotte no longer had a Rolls Royce, but a much cheaper luxury car. One that looked familiar. She didn’t want to ask her mother any questions about her car yet as she now needed that Crystal Dragon to help her escape from all the unusual things that were happening to her. And at this point, they were now starting to feel overwhelming. Charlotte glanced at her mother, giving her a desperate stare. That urgency filled her eyes. Charlotte wanted something. No. She NEEDED it. And she was going to get it at any cost. “Mom?” Charlotte asked. “Can I go and buy something to drink?” Darcy nodded. “Go ahead, Char. I know that you like your Pepsi. Go ahead and buy some, dear.” Charlotte nodded, and dug into her purse to find the key fob that went to her Lexus LS 500 (she was secretly sad that her Rolls Royce Phantom was gone). She pulled out the fob and unlocked her car. After that, she got in the car and flung her overnight bag into the backseat. She started up the car and she was off. Charlotte entered the Langford Liquor Store. She perused the aisles and found a bottle of Crystal Dragon sitting where she bought it a couple weeks ago. Excited, she grabbed her prize and approached the counter. Her excitement faded when she realized that she had to wait behind three other people. Fortunately, none of them took too long and Charlotte was the next customer in line before she knew it. Charlotte happily sat the bottle of Crystal Dragon on the counter, only to hear those two words again. “ID Please.” It was the same middle-aged woman as before, so she would have to recognize Charlotte! Charlotte waved and smiled. “Hello again!” Charlotte grinned. “Remember me from two weeks ago? I’m here to buy another bottle.” The middle-aged woman gave Charlotte a very confused stare. “I’m sorry, dear but I don’t remember seeing you a couple of weeks ago. In fact, I have never seen you in here before. ID Please.” Charlotte nodded. “Right!” She rummaged through her purse and found her wallet in her change purse. She handed the middle-aged woman her California Driver’s License. The middle-aged woman inspected the license, but then handed it back to Charlotte, shaking her head. “Sorry dear. You need be 21 years of age or older to purchase and consume alcohol. But dearie, you are so very close. Come back in November on your birthday.” Charlotte couldn’t breathe. Her heart sank and she could feel a chill running down her spine. She glanced at her Driver’s License. There has to be a mistake. She’s still 27, right?” But Charlotte saw the date of birth. And what she read sent more chills down her spine. The date of birth now read 11/8/2003. ‘No. Just no.’ Charlotte was not 27 years old anymore. She was now 20. “I slipped back another 7 years,” she quietly said to herself in a panic. This clearly explained why she looked so beautiful. This clearly explained why she had so much energy now. It explained why all her clothes were different and why her car was different. And sadly, it explained why she could no longer purchase and consume alcohol. Yes, Charlotte was still an adult, but she was not quite old enough to buy alcohol yet. Charlotte now looked embarrassed as she was now holding up the line, which had two people behind her. She held out the $200 that she earned from her aunt. “Do you have…soda here?” The middle-aged woman nodded. “We do, dear. What can I get you?” “Pepsi.” Charlotte said, as she craned her neck down to face the floor. The middle-aged woman nodded. “Pepsi? Do you want a box of 12 cans? I also got it cold in 20-ounce bottles. Or do you want a 2-liter?” “12 cans,” Charlotte said with a sigh, still facing the floor. A moment later, the middle-aged woman came back with a Pepsi 12-pack box. “It’s $9.99 dear. Can you please look this way?” Charlotte reluctantly glanced at the woman and handed her a 20-dollar bill. “Look dear,” the middle-aged woman said, sighing. “I’m sorry. I can’t sell you the Crystal Dragon. It’s the law. Now I know that you’re bummed out about it and all. Just come back in a couple of months when you turn 21 and you can buy that drink. Okay dear? Oh, and $10.01 is your change, dear. Do you want a receipt?” Charlotte grabbed her change and shook her head. She then grabbed the box of Pepsi and left the store. Now feeling dejected, Charlotte drove home with her Pepsi. She just couldn’t believe that she was now 20 once again. First, she was 27 and now she was 20? When she first drove to Langford from Beverly Hills, she was 29. She was now almost 10 years younger and tragically enough, she still didn’t know how it was happening. Charlotte parked her Lexus in the driveway and grabbed both her Pepsi and overnight bag out of the backseat. She entered the house to find her mother enjoying a can of Budweiser. ‘What a way to rub it in.’ Charlotte told herself. While Charlotte already knew the answer now, she just wanted to hear it from her mother. “Mom?” Charlotte said, placing the box of Pepsi on the kitchen island. “I’m home.” Darcy smiled when she saw her daughter standing there next to her favorite soda. “I see. So you got your Pepsi, sweetie?” Charlotte nodded. “Yes, but…” The uncertainty was now bothering Charlotte. “Mom? What year was I born?” Darcy laughed. “What year, Charlie? You know when you were born, hon! You were born in 2003!” This again sent chills down Charlotte’s spine. 2003. She knew that it was supposed to be 1994, but now her mother was speaking it to her like it was a fact. But then, Charlotte’s brain started to hurt. Could she have been born in 2003 all along? It made more sense to her the more she thought about it. ‘But why then was I remembering a different birthdate?’ This was making even less sense to Charlotte now. Charlotte then began to think about Lexi and Maya. While she just hung out with them last night, it felt a lot longer than that for some reason. Everything started to get all fuzzy in her mind. All the fun sleepovers. All the time that she spent with them at Langford. It was now becoming very hard to remember. Why is it getting so hard to remember? Even the embarrassing accident that she had at Lexi’s last week. It felt like…a false memory. Like something that never happened. Then what really happened? What is her real timeline? Charlotte just couldn’t figure it out anymore. All she knew was that she was 20 now and was turning 21 in November. Then she felt a warmth in the soles of her feet. The warmth danced up her legs and through her whole body. It then flooded into her heart. That’s when Charlotte realized that she was still wearing her running shoes. And while a few things changed with her body, her running shoes still fit her feet perfectly. And surprisingly enough, they still looked as new as the day her mother bought them. Charlotte smiled when she saw the white and pink Bottega Venetas gracefully adorning her feet. She loved the shoes and enjoyed every minute that she wore them. And at this point, everything just felt so…good. It all felt so right. Even Charlotte not being able to purchase or consume alcohol. She now couldn’t even remember the taste of alcohol, with the exception of the rare instances that she needed cold medicine. Her being younger. Her morning accident with her Depends. Her mother monitoring her toileting habits. All her worries, concerns, fears, and regrets all melted away. Nothing else mattered. Charlotte was calm again, surprised at how quickly she accepted her new reality. But part of Charlotte still wanted to remind her that this really wasn’t the case. That in mid-August, Charlotte was becoming a very popular supermodel and was only visiting for 17 days. That something was wrong, and Charlotte had to figure out how to correct it. Her mind was almost screaming at her. You lost two years and then another seven. How is that even normal? Aging in reverse? What cosmic occurrence was responsible for all of this? Was it all a dream? Am I dreaming right now? If I am, how do I wake myself up? This part of Charlotte kept warring with the side that wanted to maintain tranquility and peace. Just then, Charlotte could hear the text message alerts buzzing from her cell phone. Could it be from…who were they…Lexi? Maya? But none of the texts were from Lexi or Maya. Instead, she saw them coming from Lauren and Monica. ‘Wait. How do those names sound so familiar?’ She knew that she heard Lauren somewhere, but she just couldn’t put her finger on it. And Monica? Yes. As strange as it was, Charlotte felt like she knew both of these girls quite well. But how? What if she didn’t know them at all? What if Lauren and Monica were just wrong numbers? Charlotte decided to switch her phone to silent and took it easy in her room before getting ready for bed. Yes, Charlotte was getting ready for bed even though it was 3:30 in the afternoon. Considering the length of the marathon tomorrow, the reason was clear. Charlotte had to wake up at 2:00 AM and be ready to leave for San Francisco at 3:00 AM. The Labor Day Marathon started at 5:15 AM, and runners were expected to line up by 4:15 AM. What this meant was a very early bedtime and a careful food regimen so that Charlotte had the calories needed to complete the marathon. This worked out to around 100 calories per mile so Charlotte’s breakfast needed to be a whopping 2,600 calories. This was no issue since Charlotte has consumed 1,000 or more calories when she does any run that is 10 miles or more. Charlotte hugged her mother before going off to bed in the afternoon. “Good night mom,” she said with a warm smile. Darcy knew how important tomorrow was for Charlotte, so she gave her a supportive grin. “You’ll do amazing tomorrow, sweetie. You have placed first in so many 5K’s before. Just to let you know, we will be near the finish line. It will be me, Aunt Darlene, and Uncle Daniel. Also a few other friends that we know will be there. Sleep well, honey!” Charlotte nodded and gave her mother one more hug before retiring to her bedroom for the night. Charlotte then thought about her 17-day vacation in Langford. After the Labor Day Marathon tomorrow, she will have one more full day before heading back to….Beverly Hills? No. ‘That can’t be right…’ Charlotte thought. Charlotte bought her “Barbie Dream House” mansion in Beverly Hills when she was 27. But there was only one problem. If Charlotte really was 20 now, she wouldn’t be driving back to Beverly Hills, but Los Angeles. She would be at an apartment with…Lexi and Maya? No. Lexi and Maya have their own mansions in Beverly Hills. Lexi lives in Bel Air and Maya lives in another nice area. Then who would her roommates be instead? Would she be by herself this time? As Charlotte tried to think of her purchase of her mansion in Beverly Hills, it was very hard to recall. The more she tried to remember, the more that it just seemed like a dream to her. Did Charlotte only have a dream of buying this mansion? Of being famous? Charlotte’s mind was spinning in confusion, and she didn’t really know what to believe anymore. Both her past and her present were spinning around all tangled in knots and Charlotte now couldn’t tell which was which. And just who was Lauren and Monica? How did she get their numbers? How did they get hers? Both questions only added more to her confusion. Charlotte, now in her pink nightgown, crawled into her bed and clutched Bobo tight by her side. It felt strange going to bed at 4:30 in the afternoon, but she needed plenty of rest for the marathon, since she needed to be up at 2 in the morning. She never bothered to put on a Depends Night Defense as she figured that she could just make it to the toilet like she always does. Afterall, these frequent accidents had to be only a phase. A phase? She hoped that it was a phase. “Don’t you think it’s a phase, Bobo?” she asked her wise stuffed friend. “WHAT? What do you mean it’s not a phase? Bobo, I thought that you were wise. You are? What you just told me wasn’t. You know me, Bobo. This is only a phase, and I do not wet the bed.” Charlotte tossed and turned in her bed as her mind shifted back to the suspicious acquaintances on her cell phone. Lauren. Monica. Why do those names suddenly seem so familiar now? This was beginning to both frighten and confuse Charlotte. It frightened her since she somehow felt a familiarity and strong connection with both of them. It confused her since she somehow still knew that she never met the two girls in her life. But these strange memories of them were beginning to fill her mind. At first, she thought that the memories were her spending time with Lexi and Maya. But as she tried to visualize each flashback, the two girls looked different. There was something different about them, and she knew that they were not Lexi or Maya. They were two strangers that she was now spending time with. The memories now reminding her of a past that she never remembered. Because, Charlotte thought, this past never even happened. “But Lexi…and Maya…” she thought. “What about them?” She tried to recall any memory that she ever had spending time with Lexi and Maya. Her brain hurt. Nothing. She could not remember anything with these two girls. “Did I never spend time with Lexi or Maya in the first place?” she thought. “I don’t even know anymore…” Charlotte embraced Bobo tighter as her mind continued to spin around in a carousel of confusion. But the carousel began to stop spinning as Bobo’s smile calmed Charlotte. That Bobo knew how to be happy, and maybe that’s all Charlotte needed to be right now. Sure, there are some weird things going on right now, but she decided to put it on hold for now. She needed to get her rest. She had a marathon to run. Charlotte’s eyes pinched shut as her restless mind that was once filled to the brim with confusion was now finally empty. Charlotte was roused awake to a jingling sound coming from her cell phone. It was her alarm. The time read 2:00 AM. Charlotte rolled around, feeling something…moist. She felt it all around her back and her waist, and even down her legs. But all of it felt cold. She yanked back the covers and glanced down at the fitted sheet. There was a wet patch that covered the entire middle section of the bed. As she got up, she could feel the moist nightgown stick right to her skin around her legs. She tugged on her nightgown to peel the sodden garment free from her legs. But when she stood on the carpet, the soaked part fused right back onto her leg. Charlotte could not believe it. She actually wet the bed. And it was not just a little puddle, either. The puddle covered the middle section of her bed, and her nightgown was soaked from top to bottom. Charlotte was mortified, shocked, and ashamed. Drops of urine dripped onto the carpeting as she walked out of her bedroom. She hurried into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. “I cannot believe it!” Charlotte panicked. “I am not a bedwetter! The last time I wet the bed was when I was five! FIVE!!!!” Tears of frustration ran down her cheeks as she removed the sodden nightgown, having to peel off the saturated portions that clung to her skin. And to her frustration, her bra was also soaked. She removed her bra, piling it on top of her soiled nightgown. Then her panties. They were the most soaked, so those took the same effort in removing that she spent on the nightgown. Charlotte wasted no time getting into the shower to wash all of her accident off of her. She scrubbed her breasts, her arms, her hands, her chest, her stomach, her waist, her pelvis, her vagina, and then her legs and butt. With her skin spending the whole night soaking in pee, it was a little red and irritated, so she carefully cleaned the tender skin. This was not supposed to happen. In all the years that she has lived, she has never wet the bed as an adult. So why was it happening now? What was it? It was…It was…A frustrating mystery. A mystery that Charlotte the Super Sleuth would have to solve. All she needed were the clues to solve the mystery. “Is it?” she questioned out loud. “My age?” Charlotte was 29 when she arrived at Langford in mid-August. Something strange was making her younger, since she was now 20. Could that same thing be causing her bladder problems? ‘Hmm…Maybe….It could be.’ Super Sleuth Charlotte would solve the case as she never gave up on a mystery. ‘It was like…what? Yeah! That show! Blue’s Clues!’ While Charlotte didn’t watch Blue’s Clue’s anymore, she could remember watching it all the time as a little girl. She was very good at finding all the clues. Now, she had to find all the clues to solve her own mystery. For now, she had to finish getting ready. Charlotte stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in two towels. But as she walked into her bedroom, her mother was there, glancing at the bed sheets. “Charlotte sweetie…” Darcy said with a disappointed look on her face. “You didn’t wear your Depends. Haven’t we talked about this before? Now you have been fighting me on this a lot lately. If you don’t wear your nighttime underwear, you wet the bed. See? Your bedding is now totally soaked and I’m going to have to strip off the bedding and get it into the washer before we go to the marathon. It’s a good thing that the mattress protector is on there. That mattress would’ve been ruined from that accident. Charlie dear, try to remember to wear your Depends to bed, okay?” Charlotte’s face turned red. “Mom, old people wear those…Depends!” Darcy frowned and shook her head. “No dear. They’re not just for old people. There are actually a lot of women that have bladder issues. Now, how many times do we have to repeat this same discussion? We have a half hour before you need to go. Get into your racing gear, Char.” Charlotte watched her mother strip the soiled bedding off and waited for her to leave before she began to get into her gear. She put everything on. Her sports bra, her tank top, her panties, her shorts, her tab socks, her headband, her sunglasses (for when the sun comes out), and the piece de resistance: her running shoes. Charlotte sat at the foot of her bed and smiled as she slipped her feet into the shoes. The warmth from the shoes. The warmth that traveled from her feet, up her legs, and into her heart before filling her whole body. It felt…good. It felt…right. Charlotte was at home in her running shoes. And as often as she used them, they surprisingly looked brand new. Charlotte agreed with her mother to meet at a McDonald’s on the way to the marathon. Charlotte would order a breakfast that would give her the 2,600 calories that she needed to run the whole race. One big breakfast, two sausage McGriddles, two hash browns, one large orange juice, and one large mocha brewed coffee with extra syrup. And with all those fluids, she would definitely want to use the bathroom before the race. And to offset the dehydration from the coffee, Charlotte had two stainless steel 24 ounce bottles filled with ice cold water ready. One would be before the race, and one would be after the race. Charlotte was stopped at a 24-hour McDonald’s that was halfway to San Francisco. She ate her high calorie breakfast and drank all her orange juice. She saved the coffee for her car and would be sipping it all the way to the starting line of the Labor Day Marathon in San Francisco. Charlotte arrived at Embarcadero Plaza and parked in the parking lot. There was some slowdown when she arrived in San Francisco, so it was smart for her to arrive early. The time was 4:02 AM, and the lineup for the race would begin in a little more than 10 minutes. Charlotte exited her Lexus, feeling the cool and crisp air of the early morning. As she began to walk towards the starting line with her water bottle, a large white stretch limousine pulled into the parking lot. ‘Now who is this?’ Charlotte wondered. Was there someone famous that was running the marathon? The driver of the limousine exited and opened the passenger door of the limousine. Charlotte began to walk towards the starting line when she was met with an interruption from behind her. “Charlotte!” She turned around to see a woman slightly taller than her with blond hair done up in a nice braided ponytail. She was wearing a very fancy white dress with white slippers. It was as if Cinderella stepped out of her stagecoach to greet Charlotte. Tagging along with her was a woman that was exactly the same height as Charlotte. She had brown hair that she wore down that ran two inches below her neck. She wore a frilly orange dress with matching orange slippers. The girl with the orange dress sighed. “Charlotte, didn’t you get any of our texts?” “Monica,” the white dressed girl sighed. “I’m sure that Charlotte has a reason as to why she hasn’t responded to us. Don’t you, Charlotte?” Charlotte was flabbergasted. Both of the girls looked very familiar, but she couldn’t quite put a finger on who they were. She knew that the orange-dressed girl was Monica. ‘Wait. Monica?’ She checked her texts. ‘So this is the same Monica?’ She glanced at the white dress girl. “And who are you?” “Very funny, Charlotte.” The woman said with a grin. “I’m Lauren Ashcroft and this is Monica Swanson. We’ve only been your friends since the first grade. Now I know that you’re being funny right now, but we can save the comedy routine for later, okay?” Charlotte was dumbfounded. Just who were these two girls and how did she know them so well? According to what Lauren just said, they have been friends since the first grade. “So we have all been friends since the first grade?” she asked them. Lauren shook her head. “No. You were in the third grade when we first met. Don’t you remember? We were in the Langford Junior Trail Blazers and both Lexi and Maya co-taught the class.” Charlotte gasped. Lexi? Maya? So her best friends taught her cross country running when she was in the third grade? Everything just kept getting stranger and stranger. So this was how she met them? Monica grinned. “Yes Char. We always looked up to you in the Junior Trail Blazers since you were a couple years older than us. So we all decided to become friends.” Charlotte nodded. “Um…okay? Well, I hate to break it to you both. Those dresses are not suitable for running in.” “Again with the comedy!” Lauren said with a smirk. “Didn’t you read those texts? We’re going to watch you run the marathon! We’re going to be at the finish line with your mom and your cousins. Now, I think that you should begin lining up. We’ll talk later. Good luck!” Monica nodded. “We’ll definitely talk since we’re totally going to hang out later. See you at the finish line, bestie!” Both Lauren and Monica walked beside Charlotte, making their way towards the crowd that was forming off the roads while Charlotte was walking towards the street where the marked course was. Her marathon bib was pinned to the front of her pink sport tank top. The bib was sky blue with the name “CHARLOTTE” in white letters. Her number, which was 22879, was in bold white font. Her black hair was done in a tight braided ponytail, with her headband securing it. Charlotte saw the starting line and was about to approach it when she felt a strong need to pee. Then she felt a pain in her stomach, followed by a loud churning sound. Not only did she have to pee, but she had to poop even worse. Fortunately, there were a row of port-a-pottys right near the starting line. Charlotte found a vacant port-a-potty and scurried in, locking the door behind her. She lowered her panties and shorts at the same time and sat down. She began peeing a stream, and made her deposit, hearing a few thick logs plop into the holding tank inside the port-a-potty. About 10 minutes later, she finished wiping and used the foaming hand soap that was provided. Once outside, she washed her hands off at a washing station, with water that was dispensed by pumping it with her feet. Now clean and with an empty bladder, Charlotte walked onto the road towards the starting line, where she now saw hundreds of runners beginning to line up. Minutes later, it swelled into thousands. Finally, it was the last 20 minutes before the marathon started. Charlotte had to pee again, so she rushed into a port-a-potty to go one last time. At around 5:10 AM, a loud voice came over the loudspeaker. “Hello? Can I have everyone’s attention?” the male announcer asked. The crowds of runners all began to quiet as they heard the announcer’s voice. “Thank you. The San Francisco Labor Day marathon will be starting in just 4 minutes. The race will begin at the sound of the horn, and anyone who crosses that line before the horn WILL be disqualified. No unsportsmanlike conduct, receiving outside assistance, possessing prohibited items or leaving the course. The front of your bib must be worn on the outside layer of your clothing and must be visible at all times. And any runner found using a refunded bib WILL be disqualified. You all have six hours to complete the marathon. Failure to complete the marathon within this time will result in disqualification. Aid stations will be available for every two and a half miles of the course, so all runners can feel free to help themselves to a cup of water. After the water is finished, runners must dispose of their cups properly in any of the waste bins provided at each aid station. Any runner caught littering will be disqualified. Participant medals will be given to every finisher, and the top three finishers will receive a digital 3D award that will be emailed to them. To everyone participating in this marathon, I wish you all the best of luck. Runners, take your marks.” Charlotte was in the process of finishing her pre-running stretches to warm up her muscles. She then alternated both legs up and down on the paved road near the starting line. It was now 5:14, with about 10 seconds left. “Runners get ready.” The announcer said. “On your mark, get set….” A loud horn was blasted, indicating the start of the race. Charlotte and the thousands of other runners began to run. Right after the blast of the horn, Charlotte started her stopwatch and was running, already passing numerous runners. Charlotte was expecting her world to disappear around her like it usually did. But that didn’t happen this time. Instead, Charlotte was sprinting, passing numerous runners every second. And to her surprise, she was already passing the Transamerica Pyramid. Shortly after that, she passed the Coit Tower, which marked her very first mile. At that point, her stopwatch read 5:20. Charlotte could not believe it. She was actually running a mile in under 5 minutes and 25 seconds. That was her record, but she now easily broke it by five seconds. The number of runners that she passed kept getting fewer and fewer as she pressed forward. By the time that she passed the third mile at Fort Mason, there were only two runners ahead of her. She maintained her speed and passed the first one. Then, when she entered the fourth mile in the Presidio of San Francisco, she finally passed the first-place runner. An African American male that looked to be in his late 20’s. When the man saw that he was passed by her, he gasped. “Wow! I can’t believe it! You got some talent, ma’am!” Everyone in the crowds were going wild as they watched Charlotte continue to increase her distance between herself and the man that she just passed. After two more miles, Charlotte decided to grab a paper cup of water from the aid station. She ran towards the station and grabbed the cup, while still maintaining her pace. It was a shock to see thousands of runners behind her now. For her, it was always seeing people in front of her. But wait! Did she really run those other five marathons, or was it all a dream? Charlotte tried to remember those marathons, but her memory of them was very hazy. ‘That’s strange. I ran them! Didn’t I?’ But from what her mother said in eavesdropping on her, this was Charlotte’s first marathon. And if these strange events were happening as they were, it was as if Charlotte never ran the previous five marathons. Only the fantasy marathons that she ran in various cities around the world during her practice runs. The seventh mile was right before the crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge. Charlotte crossed the bridge, empty paper cup in hand, still maintaining her 5:20 pace. After crossing the bridge and the eighth mile, Charlotte found another aid station. She threw away her cup in the waste bin and quickly grabbed another full one without breaking her pace. She circled around the Golden Gate National Recreation area and doubled back towards the second crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge. Mile by mile, Charlotte kept running, never losing her pace for a single second. And even at this pace, Charlotte felt like she could go faster, but she didn’t. She simply maintained her pace since she felt that it was just right. By mile 15, she picked up a new cup of water at a nearby aid station and entered the downtown area. She disposed of her water at an aid station in Golden Gate Park and crossed her 17th mile. She then circled Stow Lake to cross mile 18. After that was mile 19. After she crossed mile 20 at Haight Ashbury, a rather unpleasant feeling began to creep into Charlotte’s groin area. She had to…no. ‘Not now!’ Charlotte had to pee. And with only 6.2 more miles to go, she could not stop for a bathroom break. Charlotte’s urge to pee worsened as she continued for another mile. She was running down Laguna street, past another aid station. But as she turned on the 22nd mile on 16th street, her bladder reached its absolute breaking point. “Oh…oh no…..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhooooooooohh!!!” Her body gave Charlotte no warning as torrents of pee began to flow out of her, soaking her shorts and splashing urine along the trail that she was running. Her pee trail continued for a while until her bladder was completely empty. Then the remaining pee ran down her legs and hit the surface of the road in small droplets. Charlotte could feel the uncomfortable moisture in her groin area as she continued to run without stopping. Then it hit her. She had to run the remaining 4.2 miles completely saturated in pee. Those last miles were miserable as each one felt more and more uncomfortable. The moist fabric from her panties and shorts were chafing badly, making Charlotte wince in discomfort. Charlotte then passed her 26th mile after passing Oracle Park. The chafing of her wet shorts was driving her crazy and really starting to hurt. Then…. Finally. Charlotte saw the finish line. Just before it, she saw her mother in the distance, with Aunt Darlene, Uncle Daniel, Heather, Allison, some of her other friends, Lauren, and Monica. Darlene’s face became that of shock when she saw her daughter with sopping wet shorts. That, she knew, was not sweat. Her poor daughter peed herself. But Charlotte’s eyes were now fixed on the finish line. The crowd cheered as Charlotte broke through the tape with an impressive time of 2:19:38.76. Charlotte looked down at her soaked shorts after she finished. While Charlotte was supposed to be happy about finishing first, all she could think about was what had just happened. Charlotte peed herself while running, and thousands of people in the audience saw her do this. And many thousands more on TV. “Oh my God!” Charlotte cried, as streams of tears began to run down her face. For Charlotte, this was not a time for celebration. If anything, Charlotte only hoped that she would not die from embarrassment.

Chapter 13: Dial M for Movie Night As we finished clearing the dinner dishes, Emily turned to me with a smile. "Hey, how about we curl up on the couch and watch a movie tonight?" I nodded, always grateful for the chance to spend some quality time with her. "Sounds great. What did you have in mind?" Emily bit her lip, her eyes darting to the side before meeting mine. "Hey, um... before we start the movie, do you think maybe you should... you know..." She gestured vaguely towards my midsection. "What do you mean..." Emily lifted an eyebrow and I caught on. I felt my cheeks flush, a mix of embarrassment and indignation washing over me. "What? No, Em, come on. I'm not a child." Emily's voice was gentle but firm. "I'm just thinking ahead. What if you fall asleep?" I crossed my arms, feeling defensive. "I haven't had any daytime accidents. What if someone came over? What would they think?" Emily rolled her eyes. "Greg, it's just us tonight, and you have been having a lot of wet nights. No one else is coming over. And even if they did, they wouldn't know unless you told them. So let’s not chance it on the couch." As we argued, a vivid memory suddenly flooded back to me, transporting me to a moment from my childhood. I was about seven years old, and the excitement in our household was palpable. It was a rare treat - my father had rented a VHS tape of a popular movie, promising a special family movie night. My mother's voice rang out, clear and authoritative: "Everyone needs to be ready for bed before the movie starts. Pajamas on, teeth brushed!" Eager to comply and not miss a moment of the film, I raced to my room. I quickly changed into my favorite pajamas - soft flannel adorned with cartoon characters - and vigorously brushed my teeth. The minty taste still lingered in my mouth as I prepared to dash back to the living room. However, my mother intercepted me in the hallway. "And you," she said, pointing directly at me, "need a diaper on." My "problem" wasn't a secret in our family, but having it announced so openly stung. I caught the smug looks from my brothers, particularly my youngest brother who had recently achieved nighttime dryness. Their smirks made my cheeks burn with embarrassment. With heavy steps, I followed my mother back to the bedroom. As I sat on my bed, the crinkle of my bed echoed the crinkle of the diaper as she pulled it from the large blue box, a smiling baby on the front, proudly proclaiming "Luvs Super Baby Pants - Extra Large Size". As she lifted my feet, slid the diaper under me, and then gently let me down on the thick diaper, I felt a mix of emotions. The shame of needing this protection warred with the relief of knowing I wouldn't wake up in a cold, wet bed. She quickly did up the tapes, sealing me in. "These are getting pretty small on you," Mom said with a sigh, not really talking to me, "If you keep this up we're going to need to find something bigger." When we finally emerged from the bedroom, I was acutely aware of the diaper's presence. It felt enormous under my pajamas, and I was certain everyone could hear the telltale crinkle with each step I took. Wearing a diaper outside my bedroom was rare for me, and as I got older it became rarer and rarer, especially now that I was alone in wearing them. The walk to the living room felt like an eternity, my shame growing with each passing second. Back in the present, I shook my head, trying to dispel the memory. "Let's just wait until we go to bed. I don't want to walk around like that." Emily sighed, her patience wearing thin. "Greg, I understand this is difficult for you, but please try to work with me. It's just a precaution." We went back and forth for several minutes, my stubbornness matched only by Emily's persistence. Finally, exhausted by the argument and seeing the determination in Emily's eyes, I relented. "Fine," I grumbled, my voice laced with frustration. "I'll wear the stupid diaper. But I'm not happy about this." Emily's expression softened. "I know, honey. Thank you for understanding. Do you want me to help you put it on?" I was about to snap back with a sarcastic remark, but something in her tone made me pause. There was no judgment in her voice, only care, and the reality was that she had been helping me put it on every night so far, so it wasn't exactly a new thing. Reluctantly, with a sigh, I nodded. "I... I guess that would be helpful." We made our way upstairs, and Emily pulled one of the MegaDry diapers from the package. As she positioned it under me, drew it up between my legs, and adjusted the position, her movements were gentle and efficient. Emily smoothed down the front of the diaper, her touch gentle. "There we go. How's that feel, honey? Comfy? Not pinching anywhere?" "It's fine," I admitted, my voice softer now. "Thanks, Em. I'm sorry for being so difficult about this." Emily stood up and gave me a hug. She handed me my pajama bottoms and I slipped them on before heading back downstairs, the noise of my diaper barely dampened by the pajamas over it. As we walked, I couldn't help but feel self-conscious. "Em," I said quietly, "do you think it's... noticeable?" Emily glanced at me, her eyes scanning my appearance. "Eh, not really. The pajamas hide it well. No one would know unless they were looking for it." Her words provided some comfort, but I still felt exposed as we made our way to the living room. The bulk between my legs was a constant reminder of my situation, and I found myself walking a bit awkwardly, trying to minimize the sound and movement. We settled onto the couch, Emily snuggling up against me. The thick diaper between my legs was a constant presence, but as Emily started the movie and rested her head on my shoulder, I found myself focusing more on the warmth of her body and the comfort of our closeness. "Do you mind if we watch this?" she asked, gesturing to the TV where she had queued up a movie. I didn't even look, it didn't matter right now. "Sure, sounds good, honey." A movie started, a RomCom that she had been talking about. I tried to focus on the movie, but my mind kept wandering. As I shifted on the couch, trying to get comfortable with the bulky diaper between my legs, Emily gently guided my head to her lap. I felt Emily's fingers running through my hair, her touch soothing and familiar. I felt my eyelids growing heavy as the movie's dialogue faded into background noise. The warm thud-thud of her heartbeat and the soft, secure feeling of the diaper combined to create a cocoon of comfort that I hadn't realized I'd been craving. As I dozed, my mind wandered through the events of the past few weeks. I was surprised by how quickly things had escalated, from my initial "accident" to now wearing diapers regularly. Part of me felt guilty for the deception, for allowing Emily to believe this was a medical issue rather than... well, whatever it actually was. But another part of me reveled in the care and attention. Emily had been so accepting of my situation. She seemed to be taking my supposed accidents in stride, even if she was going a bit overboard in protecting herself from being peed on. Which, of course, meant that she had actually insisted on the diaper I currently wore. It was a strange turn of events, but one that was allowing me to explore that deep-rooted feeling I'd buried for so long. And I was doing it without facing the disgust she had shown years ago when I'd mentioned wearing a diaper by choice. It was a convoluted path, but somehow, it was working. I knew I'd have to come clean eventually. The guilt of my deception nagged at me, even as I reveled in the comfort and care Emily was providing. But for now, as sleep began to claim me, I allowed myself to simply enjoy the moment. The gentle rise and fall of Emily's breathing, her fingers still absently running through my hair, and the snug embrace of the diaper all combined to lull me into a peaceful slumber. At some point, the movie over, Emily roused me gently and helped me upstairs. I went sleepily into Abby's room and lay on the bed. Emily's hand moved across my midsection, her fingers tracing the outline of the diaper. I kept my eyes closed, torn between embarrassment and an unexpected comfort. The gentle pressure as she checked for wetness sent a shiver through me. It was oddly reminiscent of how she used to check on Abby, and I found myself longing for that same care and attention.. As Emily's fingers carefully prodded and assessed the diaper's state, memories of her caring for Abby flooded my mind. I recalled the tenderness in her voice as she'd ask, "Do you need a change, sweetie?" The gentleness of her touch as she'd check, always making sure Abby felt safe and cared for, never shamed. Now, feeling that same touch on me, I was struck by a confusing mix of emotions. Part of me felt infantilized, reduced to the state of a child needing their diaper to be checked on. But another part - a part I was almost afraid to acknowledge - felt deeply comforted by Emily's care. The warmth of her lap beneath my head, the soothing rhythm of her fingers in my hair, and now this intimate check - it all combined to create a cocoon of safety I hadn't realized I'd been craving. As Emily's hand retreated, apparently satisfied that the diaper was still dry, I felt a fleeting sense of loss. But then her fingers resumed their gentle stroking of my hair, and I allowed myself to sink deeper into the comfort of the moment. My last coherent thought before sleep fully claimed me was a mix of gratitude and wonder at how understanding and supportive Emily had been through all of this. Despite the awkwardness and embarrassment, I felt closer to her than I had in years. And as I drifted off, I hoped she felt the same. -- This story, "Empty Nest", is copyright 2024 by me, justforfun. It may not be reproduced anywhere else without my explicit consent.

Milena is a practitioner of a very "alternative therapy" that nevertheless helps people. She has her first patient since Mikey arrived. Mikey, meanwhile, has a lot on his mind himself and when he curiously sees the patient leave he notices that the usually locked therapy room door is open... --- If you enjoyed this you can skip the wait and see the next update RIGHT NOW: https://www.patreon.com/posts/mikey-milena-82110756 --- Patreon is my ONLY source of income and it is the support of my readers that allow me to write as much as I do. My Patreon is FAIRER than ever. If you decide to support me you will only be charged on the day you support each month (so if you sign up on the 22nd you won't be charged again until the 22nd of next month), this is different to a lot of Patreons which charge you on the day you sign up and then the 1st of each month. For $5 a month you can see every update I post one week before everyone else. For $10 you get early access PLUS 46 stories EXCLUSIVE to Patreon. There are more tiers and rewards available. You can find them all here: https://www.patreon.com/Elfy88 Any and all support is really, really appreciated. It helps me to pay the bills and buy the nappies! --- “There you go, good boy.” Milena gently stroked the hair of Alex Rodriguez. Alex had been referred to her when conventional methods of therapy failed to help him with past trauma and anger management issues. She had listened to Alex’s story and then got to work with him. Six months later he hadn’t had an angry outburst in the last couple of months and had made major breakthroughs with his past. Milena looked down as she cradled Alex’s head against her breast. The young man was wearing a crinkly white diaper underneath a stretchy red onesie. He was laid across Milena’s lap in the crib with his eyes closed as he gently fed from her breasts. Milena leaned her head back against the headboard and closed her own eyes. She squirmed slightly as she squeezed her legs together. She could feel herself slick with excitement. She couldn’t help it and it wasn’t why she did this job but sometimes she found breastfeeding to be very exciting. She never orgasmed when a client fed from her but she certainly found it very exciting. Looking down at the breast that wasn’t currently in use Milena could see some milk beading on the tip of her nipple. She bit her lip and held her breath for a second as Alex shifted and latched on tighter to her breast, he quickly regained his rhythm. Breast feeding was a key part of Milena’s therapy which also used regression techniques. She spent a lot of her time feeding her patients and that meant her breasts were full often. She produced so much milk that in addition to her patients she also had to pump often to prevent leakage. As Milena’s breast was slowly sucked by Alex she felt a building of tension deep within her body. She took some deep breaths as she tried to keep her body as still as possible. The pleasure built and built but refused to crash over her. She was torn between being desperate to cum and wanting to maintain her professional aura. It didn’t matter in the end. Milena was left feeling a little frustrated as she was taken to the edge of orgasm but not pushed over. This was how breast feeding usually went for her. She found it pleasurable but could never quite finish. “What a good baby.” Milena whispered. She could tell her voice was a little huskier than usual but she hoped it was only obvious to her. Alex’s face flushed red as he finally let go of the nipple and shifted around to get the other breast. He hungrily latched on like a baby desperate for more food. Milena stroked Alex’s hair and her thoughts turned to Mikey, she thought about the bags of milk at Nadine’s house and the diapers Mikey clearly still needed. She had found herself deep in thought about Mikey quite often recently, often zoning out as she considered the young man. Back when Milena had been in college the straw that had broken the camel’s back had been when Nadine heard Mikey call Milena “Mommy.” Milena had not seen an issue with it, they were a little family unit after all, but Nadine had been very uncomfortable. That night the two large-chested women had an argument that woke the neighbours. Nadine brought up how Milena’s breasts were very sensitive and accused her of getting sexual gratification from feeding Mikey. Milena was shocked and denied everything before saying she was a better mother for Mikey. Milena had regretted her comments immediately but was too angry to apologize and after the argument it was over for the two of them. Milena moved out and she never spoke to Nadine again. It was why she was so surprised to be the person Nadine had wanted Mikey to go with after the accident. Maybe she had been listed as a contact ages ago and the file was never updated. Milena felt a sudden wave of concern, what if Nadine had never wanted Mikey to come here in the first place? “I think our time is nearly up.” Milena said as she stopped reminiscing and looked over to the clock, “Are you feeling relaxed again? Going to stay out of trouble?” “Yes, ma’am.” Alex replied as he pulled his face away from Milena’s chest. He had a big smile and looked incredibly relaxed. He wiped his mouth as he stood up. “Are you going to be good for the next two weeks till I see you again?” Milena asked as she stood up and put her bra back on. Alex nodded his head quickly as he watched his therapist put her huge breasts away. Milena’s shirt was buttoned up hiding the fleshy orbs underneath. She ruffled the man’s hair again. “Good boy.” Milena smiled, “Let’s get you changed and on your way.” Alex hopped up on to the changing table and laid back. Milena walked over and stood between his legs. She removed the tapes from the diaper and let it spill open. With a handful of wipes she gradually cleaned the wet crotch of her patient. She had to smile as Alex sighed blissfully. Alex had been a major success story for her, someone who really benefitted from her attention. A new diaper was unfolded and slipped underneath Alex’s butt. Milena sprinkled some baby powder over waiting man’s genitals and then pulled the front of the diaper up to cover his crotch. When she had taped the underwear tightly closed she gently patted the crotch a couple of times. As she stepped away Alex jumped down from the table and put his pants back on. “Thank you.” Alex said as he wrapped Milena in a quick hug. “It’s my pleasure.” Milena said though she was sure her patient didn’t know quite how much pleasure, “Come on, I’ll see you out.” Milena followed Alex downstairs and let him out with a final wave goodbye. As she closed the door she went to her usual post-appointment ritual of a nice hot cup of tea. She walked into the kitchen to start preparing the drink. As she waited for the water to boil she felt a wetness on her chest. “More? Come on girls, enough is enough!” Milena spoke to her breasts as if she could talk them into stopping production. With a raise of her hands Milena could feel two wet spots already appearing on her shirt. She had always been prolific at making milk which helped her professionally but could be very annoying at times. She usually milked herself often but since Mikey had arrived and all the upheaval that had come with it she hadn’t been quite as attentive to her breasts as she usually was. The bags of milk Milena produced could be useful in a lot of different ways. Some of her patients paid a little extra to take some home with them and she sometimes used it in her own drinks. Milena needed to check her stocks of milk so as she waited for the water she walked over to the door to the basement. She started going downstairs and then stopped halfway, she looked over to the freezer with a frown. The freezer door was open and had clearly been so for a little while. Some of the freezer ice had thawed and dripped down on to the floor though as Milena got closer she could see most of the milk was still frozen. She tried to remember when she had last been down here, when she had last opened the freezer door for any reason. “Wait a minute…” Milena crouched down in front of the freezer and looked inside. There was a very clear gap where a bag had been taken out. Milena could see the outline of the bag that had been there from the ice that had built up around it. She traced it with her finger and frowned in deep thought. Milena remembered the milk at Nadine’s house again. Whilst she had been with her patient there had been only one other person in the house. There was just one other person who might’ve experienced breast milk in the past and missed it. There was just one person who could’ve come down to the basement to help themselves… --- Mikey heard the door that Milena had disappeared into open. There were two sets of footsteps that walked past his door and went downstairs. He waited for a few seconds before scooting over to his door and opening it a crack. He tip-toed to the top of the stairs and carefully leaned around the banister to look down. He saw Milena waving goodbye to someone. He was about to go back to the room when he noticed something was different. The door to Milena’s therapy room hadn’t been closed. It was still open a crack and the lure of curiosity was too much for Mikey to ignore. He heard Milena walk through to the kitchen and he slowly walked over to Milena’s work room. He didn’t know what he expected to find, he was just extremely curious about the room Milena had never let him see. She was a therapist, Mikey expected rows of bookshelves against the wall and a couch for patients to lay down on. “What the…” Mikey’s breath was taken away as the door creaked open. It looked like the room beyond the door didn’t even belong in this house. The pastel nursery was not what Mikey was expecting and he walked into the room with a look of wonder on his face. Suddenly the milk in the freezer made a little more sense and Mikey wondered exactly what was going on in here. Mikey walked over to a long table with a soft surface. On the shelves underneath he saw big padded rectangles, he gasped as he reached for what was clearly a stack of diapers. These diapers were very different to the ones Mikey was used to. He always wore plain medical diapers. The sort of thing advertised on television to old people with continence issues. These diapers were bigger, thicker and adorned with cartoon pictures of teddy bears and building blocks. These looked just like baby diapers that had been scaled up for adults. He put the diaper back as he found it, he definitely didn’t want Milena knowing he had snuck in here. As Mikey looked around his attention was taken by something lying on the top of the chest of drawers. In the room full of oddities it was a particularly small one that drew Mikey’s attention. A small baby blue pacifier was sat on top of the drawers with it’s amber teat facing away from Mikey. It had the words “Baby Boy” stenciled on it. Just like the diapers this pacifier was scaled up as if to fit an adult. As much as the milk had satisfied him he still missed the other part of breast feeding. The feeling of a soft nipple in his mouth squeezed between his lips as he sucked, he needed that tactile sensation. The amber teat sat on his tongue and filled his mouth. Mikey debated internally whether to take the pacifier or not. He was spurred into action when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Without giving it another thought he grabbed up the small pacifier and stuffed it into his pocket. He hurriedly left the room, closing the door behind him, and went back to his bedroom. He had just managed to sit down in front of his computer when Milena appeared in the doorway. “Everything OK?” Milena asked. Mikey nodded as he looked up from the screen. He turned and for the second time in as many minutes found himself open-mouthed and speechless. Milena’s breasts which were prominently stuck out in front of her as always had two wet patches right where the nipples would be. Mikey quickly turned away with cheeks blushing, he couldn’t help but notice his mouth was watering. When Mikey heard Milena walk away he quickly hurried over and closed the bedroom door. With some degree of excitement Mikey returned to his bed and pulled out the pacifier. He looked around guiltily before pushing the latex teat into his mouth. As Mikey sucked on the pacifier like he was so used to with breasts he felt relaxation come over him like a wave. Mikey went to his computer and sucked happily for the rest of the day. The only times he took it out of his mouth was when he had to go downstairs for dinner. He said nothing about what he had found in Milena’s therapy room though his curiosity burned intensely. That night Mikey put on his diaper had usual. As he taped the disposable underwear on he couldn’t help but think about those baby printed diapers in the other room, he wished he could have one of those. Before he fell asleep he looked at the pacifier one more time. With a smile he placed it inside his mouth and closed his eyes.

After a humiliating accident Mikey and Milena have a discussion. Afterwards Milena has to take some time to see a client whilst Mikey gets a craving he simlpy MUST satisfy. --- If you enjoyed this you can skip the wait and see the next update RIGHT NOW: https://www.patreon.com/posts/mikey-milena-six-81767712 --- Patreon is my ONLY source of income and it is the support of my readers that allow me to write as much as I do. My Patreon is FAIRER than ever. If you decide to support me you will only be charged on the day you support each month (so if you sign up on the 22nd you won't be charged again until the 22nd of next month), this is different to a lot of Patreons which charge you on the day you sign up and then the 1st of each month. For $5 a month you can see every update I post one week before everyone else. For $10 you get early access PLUS 46 stories EXCLUSIVE to Patreon. There are more tiers and rewards available. You can find them all here: https://www.patreon.com/Elfy88 Any and all support is really, really appreciated. It helps me to pay the bills and buy the nappies! --- “What’s going on, Mikey?” Milena asked when Mikey sat down on the armchair next to the couch she was sitting on. Mikey was still in shock. He couldn’t believe Milena had seen his diapers yet alone the situation that led to him holding one. He was mortified and he brought his knees up to his chest to try and make himself as small as possible. He was supposed to be an adult and yet he had filled his pants helplessly, even Jack was bigger than that. Mikey remained silent. He didn’t know if there was anything he could say to make this better, he didn’t know if he could resuscitate his dignity. He couldn’t even look up at his new caretaker. If Mikey saw the disgust he was sure was on her face he thought it would break him. It was just like at school when people would find out his shameful secret and he was ostracized. “I can’t help you unless I know what’s going on.” Milena’s voice was very gentle. She leaned forwards on her seat and her heaving chest became more prominent. Mikey snuck a look up at Milena and saw her breasts practically spilling out of her shirt. He tried not to stare but his mouth was practically watering as his mind went back to his mother and the milk she used to feed him. He couldn’t help but be distracted, drinking from his mom was the most relaxing thing in the world and now he couldn’t do it despite the very stressful circumstances. He never thought he would be jealous of a three-year-old but he here he was wishing he was Jack. “Is that why your bed has been wet?” Milena asked, “Do you need to wear diapers?” It pained Mikey but he nodded his head slowly. The walls of adulthood he had built so precariously were crumbling under the smallest interrogation. He cheeks blazed with embarrassment, they acted like a beacon of shame. “Your accident just now… Do you need to wear them in the day?” Milena asked. Her voice was so gentle. “No!” Mikey quickly said. The exclamation surprising himself as much as Milena. Milena sat patiently and waited for Mikey to continue. “I… I wet the bed.” Mikey said quietly as he stared determinedly at his feet, “I’m a bed wetter. The accident just now was a one off.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” Milena asked softly. “Because I’m supposed to be an adult!” Mikey’s frustrated statement seemed to explode out of him, “There’s no one looking after me now. I have to be a proper adult and forget all these stupid babyish things!” Finally putting voice to the things he had been feeling since the crash Mikey felt tears start to flow as a sob closed his throat and made him take a deep shuddering breath. He hid his face behind his palms. “Oh, sweetie.” Milena stood up and walked around to where Mikey sat. She crouched down in front of him and reached around to hug him. Her shirt quickly grew wet from his tears but she remained there like a rock for Mikey to cry against, “I’m here to look after you.” Eventually the tears started to subside and Mikey pulled back away from the cuddle. To Milena he looked so small and lost, she could see he desperately needed someone to tell him everything would be alright. “Mikey, do you not what one of the most grown-up things you can do is?” Milena asked softly and with a small smile. She watched Mikey think for a second as he shook his head, “Admit when you need help. It’s really, really difficult but shows a great maturity. If you need to wear diapers at night the grown up thing would be to do it rather than causing all this stress trying to do something which may not be possible.” “I know, but…” Mikey paused and sniffed loudly, “Everyone else made fun of me.” “And I’m telling you now.” Milena looked into Mikey’s eyes to show him how sincere she was being, “If you need to wear diaper at night that is fine. No one in this house will judge you for that. Ever.” Mikey sniffled as he looked down at the floor. He used the bottom of his shirt to dry his eyes. “You know… If you need help with your diapers I would be happy to lend a hand.” Milena offered warmly, “Putting it on, taking it off… Whatever you need.” “I’ll be fine.” Mikey replied quietly. He could feel the temperature rising in his face. He was embarrassed that he had to even think about it. He used to love the way his mother took care of his diapers after all. There was a brief silence before Mikey suddenly leaned forwards and wrapped Milena in an even tighter hug than before. Milena patted his back and yet again felt her shirt get wet from the young man’s tears. Once Mikey pulled away the day returned to a relative normality. Milena spent her afternoon and evening in front of her computer doing work whilst Mikey kept mostly to himself in his bedroom. The two got together at dinner and throughout all their conversation the subject of what happened earlier never came up. That night when Mikey closed his bedroom door to get ready for bed he went over to his drawers and took one of his diapers. He laid it out on the bed and sat down on the soft padding. When he had lived with his mom she would often come in to put him into the diaper, it was a nice intimate moment that really helped the two bond. Mikey could do it himself but it never quite felt like it fit as nicely. He thought about Milena’s offer again and whether he should get her to help him but after a few seconds he laid out his diaper himself. When Mikey woke up the next morning he was unsurprised to see that the diaper was soaked but the bed remained dry. He took the diaper out to the trash once he was dressed for the day. He developed a routine and he was left to look after his diapers which still felt at least a little bit grown up. Just when he was starting to fear he was running out of diapers he walked into his bedroom to see a new pack sitting on the bed, Mikey appreciated Milena keeping it all low-key. A week after his first night back in diapers Milena knocked on the door. It was early afternoon and Mikey had been relaxing with his feet up reading a comic book. He told Milena to come in and saw she was dressed a little differently to how he was used to. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail instead of hanging free and her face had make-up on. She was wearing more formal clothes than usual though they did little or nothing to hide the bosoms underneath. “So, you know I’m a therapist, right?” Milena started, “Obviously I took some time off to get you settled in but I have a client coming today. We’ll be just down the landing, you don’t need to do anything I just wanted to let you know what was happening.” “OK.” Mikey replied simply. “Alright, I’ll need you not to disturb me whilst my patient is here.” Milena continued, “Unless it’s an emergency, of course.” Mikey smiled and nodded. “Thank you for being understanding.” Milena smiled and closed the door again. Mikey went back to his comic book but found himself distracted again. Just looking at breasts was enough to make his mouth water these days. He was so thirsty for something that was unavailable and he hated it. Not for the first time his mind drifted down to the basement and the contents of the freezer. The temptation was strong. The doorbell rang twenty minutes later and although Mikey stayed in his seat he stopped what he was doing to listen. He heard Milena go downstairs and answer with enthusiasm before both her and the patient’s footsteps came upstairs. They walked past the door to Mikey’s bedroom and into the locked room. Mikey couldn’t help himself. He knew Milena would be occupied for some time and he had a desperate craving he needed to satiate. He climbed off his bed and, as quietly as possible, headed down to the basement. He could feel his heart hammering as he approached the freezer. It felt like he was heading to grab the elixir of life and he wouldn’t have been surprised to open the door and find it all gone. As the door pulled open Mikey could see the freezer full of bags. The white liquid within could only be milk and Mikey licked his lips as he reached inside. The bags were heavier than he expected and if this was indeed from Milena’s breasts then she was certainly expressing a lot. He still didn’t know why she was doing this but that question could be saved for later, right now he needed to get one of the bags back to his room. Mikey felt paranoid about being caught so pushed the bag up under his shirt. He exhaled suddenly as the coldness touched his skin. He hurried up the stairs of the basement and back up to his room as quickly as possible. When he closed the door behind him he let the frozen bag fall to the ground. Mikey felt like a teenager who had just stolen one of his father’s cigarettes. He guiltily looked at the bag now lying on the floor. He picked it up and placed it on his bed. He had waited for this for so long. He knew he had to wait for it to thaw but he was so impatient. He wrapped the bag up in his cover and went over to his computer. Knowing he needed to wait Mikey loaded up a video game and started playing. He was desperate to distract himself but he found himself constantly checking the frozen milk for any signs of thaw. He was so impatient that despite it being a warm day Mikey turned on the radiator and placed the milk next to it. He finally felt like he was making progress as he saw a little bit of liquid milk sloshing about in the bag. Mikey’s excitement rose another several notches. He forgot about the computer now and just watched as the milk slowly returned to liquid. Eventually there was a pool of milk in the bag that was big enough to drink. He grabbed an empty glass from his bedside table and carefully tipped the bag into it. As the glass came to Mikey’s lips he found himself shaking. It wasn’t his mom’s milk and he wasn’t sure if anything could ever be as good as hers but he just needed the drink so much. He tipped the glass back and could see the sweet white liquid slowly get closer and closer to his lips. As he felt the first drops hit his tongue he felt every muscle relaxing. He hadn’t even realised he had been tense. As he gulped the milk down he closed his eyes and smiled. He put the glass back on the table and flopped backwards on his bed. Over the next hour the milk melted completely and Mikey poured it all into the glass to drink. A part of him felt guilty, this was an intimate thing after all but his desperation for human milk pushed his scruples aside. As he basked in the afterglow after finishing the last drop his mind returned to the question it had been asking when he first saw the freezer. Why on Earth did Milena have so many bags of what was unmistakably breast milk?

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