LostBBoyBear

Hey everyone! Sorry for the late posting, but family birthday celebrations and getting sick right after does not make for the best of editing mindsets. For perspective, I wrote the final little bit of this chapter last night, and despite being only about three paragraphs long, it took me almost 40 minutes. Oh well, but the nice thing is that due to a few plans being pushed or cancelled, I should be able to pop out several more chapters in a row. If everything goes how I want it to, this story should be complete by next week sometime. And for those wondering or just reading about the Diaper Dimension, just to clarify, in the DD, it’s often canon for Bigs to go a little crazy with their Littles once they begin to bond with them. Breastfeeding only speeds this process up, and I know most of my caregivers have been nice to their Littles in past stories, but they are usually the exception to the rule. So, before anyone goes to think that Nancy was replaced with a robot or something like that, she was a good person, but bonding with Emma has brought out her more negative personality. I clarify about a few things in this chapter and the next few, so just keep reading and questions will be answered. Next, as a reminder, I’m now polling between two stories to figure out what I should write next. The two choices are listed out in chapter 2, so be sure to check them out and let me know. As I will announce my winner in my last chapter, that would be the deadline for you to make your opinion known. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 11: Life Can Be Both Terrible and Fun Sometimes A battle had begun in the one place that was supposed to be safe. After so long fighting with mainly Nurse Bee, she was now gone, and Nancy had resorted to other methods to fill in the gaps of her absence. The ‘Tanassum’ crate had contained enough FOY to last up to a year and my nightly absorption of the lighthouse all took its toll on me. If it wasn’t for my renewed progress at the daycare, I had no doubt that I would have ended up back in the Burrows room once more by now. So, yes, I was at least grateful that I wasn’t locked-in as I once was, but now, my progress seemed to yo-yo based on the time of day. In the late nights and early mornings, I was losing progress. Concepts became simpler and lessons just learned seemed to vanish in a puff. During the day though, I surged ahead and struggled to relearn and hold onto what I could. It was exhausting, but I knew I just couldn’t give up. Not now after I had been through so much already. Maybe ten years ago, I probably would have just sunk into the muck of the fate that Nancy now clearly wanted for me. I knew it was her hormones playing havoc with her personality on one level, but that existence didn’t appeal to me whatsoever. So fortunately for me, in recent years with movements like the pro-Little societies cropping up everywhere, more Bigs were becoming amenable to keeping Littles safe. And, while nothing is a guarantee in this society, I felt that Nancy was pushing her luck with how she was treating me. I felt that it was just a matter of time until something happened to change my life, but until then, I just had to endure the cycle. Being Sunday, the weekend cycle was much worse than those days when I went to daycare. There was no reprieve for me or surge of my faculties. From Friday afternoon to Monday morning, it was all FOY shots, lighthouse trances, and Nancy’s little games with me. The games had begun when Nurse Bee was around, but Nancy had amped them to a completely different level now. Anything I did was scrutinized and either praised or punished, accumulating or being doled out right on the spot. Sometimes this meant that I could receive a treat or a massive spanking at night, but both boiled down to just how much of a Little I acted like. It didn’t take long for me to try and emulate being the best Little I could around her, whether I liked it or not. “Morning, baby,” Nancy said deceptively sweetly as she flicked on my nursery lights and came over to me. Her tone was very sweet, it always was in the mornings lately, but I knew by now it was only that way due to her satisfaction that she knew that now would likely be the time I was most regressed for the whole day. As a result of the lighthouse and some lingering effects from nursing from her the previous night, all I really could manage to say back, was “Na-eee,” in my attempt to call out her name and just proceed with the day. She knew what I was trying to say, but she wanted to milk my current state for all it was worth. “Oh? I didn’t quite catch that, honey. I think someone’s just a little too little right now to form any big girl words, huh? Oh well! Mommy’s got you, baby. Let mommy fix everything, okay?” I remained motionless and silent as Nancy soon picked me up and hauled me over to the changing table. Nancy referring to herself as my ‘mommy’ only occurred in private, but it still bugged me. There was a reason she kept that type of name private as technically, she was still only my caregiver based on state law. She hadn’t adopted me, and with some of the new laws, portal Littles couldn’t be immediately adopted anymore. I still had to be under her care for another month at least until something like that occurred. So, until then, she should have just referred to herself as ‘Nancy’ to me. As I was laid down on the changing table and Nancy began to undo my sleeper from last night to get at my likely heavily soiled diaper, I knew the only exception to the general ‘mommy rule’ was if I referred to her as such, as Nancy referring to herself as my ‘mommy’ was considered a breach of consent. Even in this messed up society, consent was getting to be an important notion for factors like that. So, as such, a regressed Little commenting themselves over the title of their caregiver was just seen as cute. “Oh my!” Nancy exclaimed as she began to peel back the layer of my onesie to reveal my diaper underneath. “Someone’s got a smelly tushie. Yes they do! Yes they do!” I squirmed in discomfort over the notion of my once again heavily soiled diaper. Our nightly nursing sessions had essentially pulverized any hope I had of ever getting out of diapers again by now, and part of me had even accepted that, but I still hated how Nancy always made sure to emphasize it. She then patted my butt, and I could just make out the squish down there. “Ooh! Someone made a big old messy for mommy to clean up. I bet you can’t even really feel that though anymore, can you? Can you even smell it anymore?” She grinned and knew full-well that I couldn’t anymore. It didn’t even take long, but when one’s diaper is nearly constantly wet and those types of smells just become your everyday world, one has very little choice but to get used to them. “I’ll take that as a no, huh? Just like a little baby…” I squirmed in hatred of the woman above me and just willed the time away as she proceeded to change my diaper. It was so strange how I once held her in such esteem, and her hormones causing the change or not, I knew she had crossed a line a long time ago. I doubted that I ever really could forgive her for still trying to turn me back to how I used to be. Regardless, some quick wipes and Nancy soon popped me over to the bath. I could at least feel my limbs and neurons firing back again, so I wasn’t fearful of drowning like I used to be but being so naked and scrubbed thoroughly by Nancy with my bath, it was still one of my least favorite activities. I think by now I would probably kill someone or eat the vilest of mush in exchange if I could just be able to luxuriate during a bath once more in life. Instead, I was stuck with the rough-scrubbing Nancy who made sure to still comment on my helplessness and babyish lifestyle every chance she could. Still, the moment was soon over, and after a quick rediapering back in my nursery, Nancy selected out a multi-colored checkered summer dress that barely went down to my knees. Between the high waist and billowing shorter hem of the dress, I knew full well that it would practically be a miracle if I didn’t flash my diapers off at least once today. My only consolation with the outfit though was the frilled straps at the top and the small white sandals she then attached to my feet. Being a Sunday, I knew the park was a guaranteed trip and I knew that I at least wouldn’t be sweating all day. With a little peck on my forehead, Nancy then picked me up and carried me downstairs to my awaiting highchair for breakfast. Of all her new little habits with me at home, this was actually one I didn’t mind too much. When I was just walking about normally, the stairs were a pain, but doable. Now, with my less than stellar coordination and balance plus the addition of my thick diaper, the stairs were one difficulty that I was just happy to avoid now in my life. And that’s I think why all this rubbed me the wrong way. See, my time in this dimension had a severe and profound impact on my life. Whether I wanted it originally or not, I knew that things would never be the same. My attention span had definitely dropped, my reading ability was still subpar, and my potty training… well, there was none. So, I knew I needed help in my life now, but Nancy didn’t want to help me. I mean I guess on one level she did, but she more wanted to control or dominate me now. If she only assisted me in life and occasionally held my hand when I got scared, I would be okay with that type of existence, but scenes like the one at breakfast showed me that she just wanted more power over me. “Open wide, baby. Let Mommy feed you your num-nums this morning,” she tempted me as she waved the purple rubbed coated spoon in front of me, now loaded with a heaping of peach and spinach. The peach addition made it bearable, but Nancy’s baby talk to me made this one of the low points in my day. On the other hand, I knew if I didn’t comply, my bottom would soon find itself red and blistered from even the guaranteed spanking that would follow. Not seeing any other option, I opened my mouth to accept the revolting mush that was my breakfast. “Oh, that’s it. Someone wants to be mommy’ best behaved little girl, huh?” She scooped inside the jar again. “Now, open up for mommy again, baby.” I complied with her demands again, and so the routine went. She would command and I would obey. For someone like the new Nancy, this power dynamic seemed to almost thrill her to no end. For me, it was torture, but for her, it was a game. Often, she would even ‘accidentally’ miss my mouth and smear it with the goop or have it land back down on my now ever-present bib. “All done!” Nancy finally announced as I swallowed the last of the revolting mixture. She then produced a baby wipe and roughly removed the remaining residue over my mouth. “Stop squirming Emma, or should I get Mister Spanky out again?” she asked, her eyes quickly turning fiery, using her name for ‘big sting.’ Not wanting to give her another excuse to punish me, I quickly shook my head and then remained absolutely still. Nancy smiled back wickedly. “That’s a good girl for mommy. Isn’t it just so much easier to do what I say?” I didn’t say a word, but in my head, I just wanted to fight back with all I had. I wanted to leave Nancy for good by now, but for the life of me, I didn’t know how. So, as a result, any hope of escape or transfer to another caregiver was fading a little more with each passing day. My stomach soon wretched as it digested the mush that had been deposited there. Nancy picked me up and plopped me in the baby bouncer she had erected in the family room for me. I could toddle around inside it, but I absolutely hated how my diaper rode up right where I didn’t want it to. Nancy turned on the TV and then looked back at me. “Okay, baby. You finish this bottle and watch your show while mommy goes and eats and cleans in the kitchen. Just cry if you need anything.” Not expecting a response and likely even hoping that I would cry for her, she left the bottle in front of me and retreated back to the kitchen. I quickly began to down the milky substance before me. Despite the mixture being presented in a baby bottle, I eagerly took it to wash down all the filth that remained in mouth. The grainy texture and odd combination of the baby food from my breakfast was a lot to take in at once, but the bottle, filled with who knows what, was at least a tiny reprieve. My stomach soon bloated, and I knew that my currently at least relatively clean diaper wouldn’t last much longer. A short time later, Nancy was finished in the kitchen, and I was done with my bottle. As she prepared for our traditional outing to the park, where Nancy would meet with some of the other strict caregivers she had met since her new persona had emerged, I sat back and watched more of Princess Poppy. Now, I was at least glad I could follow the story plots more than I once did. Before my shot at the zoo, I would only understand about half of it, and my attention would quickly deviate. Lately, it had been one of my few mercies here at home away from Nancy where I could just forget all my troubles, even if only for a moment. “Okay, baby. Daylight is wasting! Come on!” In seconds, Nancy plucked me out of my bouncer and placed me in my new stroller before heading outside. She had purchased the contraption after I started moving around more. Before, she was often too busy, and I was too immobile to really go outside safely. Now, she wanted to show me off to the other caregivers at the park. Since I got freedom out of it, I never put up a fuss, despite the infantile look that Nancy had heaped upon me within moments. Arriving at the park, Nancy unstrapped me and let me run about a little bit. I wasn’t exactly sure of her plan today, but as my bowels clenched and I dropped on all fours, that wasn’t the case anymore. Her plan was simple but effective as my diaper soon sagged and ballooned outward as I messed myself helplessly. Sadly, while before I would have whimpered or even cried, I knew I had no control whatsoever now, so dirtying my diapers was just part of my routine now. I just braced for the embarrassment I knew was sure to come. “Awww, look at that. Babygirl’s makin’ a messy right in her diapie,” Nancy cooed at me as she looked on with a look of absolute glee. She had to clean me up and that was always a nice consolation, but once again, I knew she wouldn’t afford me any dignity in it either as I saw her set the changing mat right on top of the picnic table. As I finished and Nancy soon retrieved me from the ground, I thought back to all the times I once protested this type of treatment. While I always detested the changing stalls, they at least afforded me some privacy. Being out here in the open, I knew that anyone watching would forever identify me as a helpless baby. I guess to some extent I was now, but privacy was something my at least somewhat adult mind still craved. It was one of the few things that I gained back after the shot from Omega Force that I had not enjoyed. A flip up of my short dress and the scritching of the tapes on my diapers was my cue to shut my eyes and just block everything out. Nancy would try to take every opportunity to clean me up and humiliate me as much as possible while she changed my diaper. Closing my eyes though got everything done relatively quickly. If they were open however, Nancy was sure to show me my previously loaded diaper and belittle me as nothing but a baby with her evidence prominently displayed before me. I didn’t want to give her that satisfaction. “Oh! What a big load you deposited!” Nancy exclaimed as she unfolded my diaper down and lifted my legs high to begin the wiping process. Closing my eyes prevented some humiliation, but Nancy’s persistence still shone through more often than I would like. “Such a smelly, smelly little baby I have on my hands. Good thing I got these extra absorbent diapers for you, huh?” I didn’t respond back, and by now, I knew that Nancy didn’t expect me to either. It was almost a bargain between us of sorts, and it was one I respected to the letter. Less interactions with her meant less ammo she could use on me later if I ever made a mistake or broke one of her numerous rules. Still, her heavy use of creams and baby powders didn’t go unnoticed by me, but I just endured it all as she soon wrapped me back up in a thick diaper and helped me sit up. I opened my eyes and was just thankful a crowd hadn’t gathered around this week. Last Sunday, I couldn’t say the same, but from the group of Bigs I had seen Nancy with last week, that possibility had only been a near miss as they were approaching once more. I wondered if Nancy was disappointed that she couldn’t humiliate me in that way this week. It was a small victory to disrupt her likely plans, but it was still something for my fragile mind to hold onto in this world. Sensing the others coming over and the likelihood of them making my life difficult, I knew I had to take my shot in escaping first. “Nancy? Can I go expwowin?” Nancy looked up from her reorganization of my pink diaper bag and gave me a look that almost seemed to scream ‘no.’ Determined though, I added, “It’ll jus’ be neawby. I pwomise.” Nancy sighed but ultimately nodded her head. “Okay, baby. Not too far. Don’t go beyond the playground on one side or the hill on the other. Got it?” I quickly nodded in acceptance of the nice but relatively small area she had give me to work with today. She then helped me off the picnic table, but before I could toddle off and to my freedom, Nancy grasped my shoulder and spun me back around to face her. “No wondering off, Emma. I mean it. Don’t tempt my patience today if you know what’s good for your bum tonight.” I quickly nodded and just as her friends arrived, she smiled and let me go. It was just in the nick of time too as I saw many of the pro-Big women begin to gather around and gossip with Nancy. “Oh my! Did the little miss dirty her britches?” “I don’t understand why you let her run off like that. Immobile Littles are so much better!” “Ever think of taking her to the doctor and getting a few modifications done? I’ve heard it’s all the rage now in Atlanta!” Each of their comments froze me to my core. Seeing their Littles one day was enough to send anyone into a depression of their own. Having been here for years under their sadistic rule, most, if not all, were heavily scarred and mentally regressed. If any of them knew their names, I would have been surprised. So, wanting to stay as far or as out of sight of them as I could, I soon ducked behind some bushes. “Emma…” I spun around and tried to look for the source of where the faint, but clear, noise had come from. For a moment, I thought I was going crazy, but I heard it again. “Emma… go in the bushes, Emma… Don’t worry about Nancy, Emma… Follow my voice.” Okay, now before this world, I would have either been adamantly against going or just straight up run away from something like that happening to me. In a world of seemingly magical stuffy’s, adults being treated like babies, and portal travel though, my imagination and trust of the unexplained or odd was never higher. So, curious, I followed the voice a little more until I came to a different bush a little closer to the playground this time. I then parted some of the branches in front of me and walked into the bush. Inside was cramped for a moment, but to my surprise, the untangled space of the interior soon grew bigger to the point where I could have probably almost stood up. Instead, two clusters of odd-looking leaves and twigs turned around. “Hello, Emma. How are you today?” “Bree!” I shouted in relief over seeing the commander of Omega Force once again. I felt I owed her everything in gaining my mind and many of my abilities back in such a short period of time. The daycare would have eventually worked, but their shot gave me the edge I had needed over Nancy’s sinister plans for me now. “It’s good to see you again, Emma,” she said smiling at me, her camo outfit slightly rustling in the breeze passing through the bush right then. “I see you’ve taken well to our shot… though… maybe not as well as we might have hoped you would have by now.” “All in the clear, ma’am” Martinez noted behind her. He too wore a complete camo suit as he listened in on his radio and used a camera clearly perched above the bush likely to keep an eye on other Bigs and even Nancy for me. “Thank you, Martinez.” She then turned back to me. “So, what’s happening? Can you report anything since we last met?” I nodded and explained everything about what had happened since the zoo. “… an’ Nancy has jus’ been getting’ mo’ nasty to me evuh since Nuwse Bee lef’ an’ then gave her the dwugs.” “Hmmm…” Bree mused. “Our reports said the same, but do you remember the drug she gave to Nancy, and that I’m assuming is now being given to you?” I nodded again. “Yes. Ih was FOY.” I could tell that Bree instantly recognized the name. “I’m sorry to hear that. That stuff is nasty to any Little taking it. Very potent and even a street drug in some forms. I honestly think it’s a minor miracle you haven’t gone permanently over the edge if she’s really injecting you with it every night… and you said nursing as well?” I nodded. “Geez. You must be very tough or have a guardian in your corner somewhere to have been so resistant to all that muck.” I thought back to my magical stuffy, Patch. I knew he had to be behind my near miraculous continued recovery since Nancy had begun her evil work on me. I couldn’t prove it and every time I told someone about him, they just laughed. So, I just stopped telling people directly or even caring about the why at this point. I really just cared that it still happened and kept me sane against what Nancy was doing to me. As long as Patch remained my stuffy at daycare, I felt I was still at least somewhat safe. “And you said earlier that you weren’t sure where Nurse Bee had gone off to?” Bree asked after a moment fo entering a few things into the computer on her wrist. I nodded. “Yeah… jus’ some pwace called Jimbo? Jingles? Juvenile?” My memory was still spotty in places unfortunately. “Wait,” Bree stopped me in mid-sentence. “Do you mean Juventas?” I quickly nodded and Bree’s face lit up. “That’s wonderful, Emma. That’s good work. Very helpful for our other branches to track her down.” I felt so happy to be receiving praise for once outside of the daycare lately. I used to get new compliments and praise all the time from Nancy, but that hadn’t happened in so long unless I had done something particularly babyish. It was still better than her alternative attitude toward me, but not by much, especially when one of those instances was me helplessly going potty in my diaper. “Boss…” Martinez started up, while still watching the little device in front of them. “Nancy has started to look around. I don’t think we have very long.” Bree nodded at her communications specialist and then turned back to me. “I know all this is difficult Emma, but I just want you to hold on. We’re trying to see if we can find a way all around this where we can get you safely out from Nancy at this point, but we keep hitting some roadblocks.” I sighed, but it was still some bit of hope. “Danks fo’ at weas twyin’.” Bree smiled and rubbed my shoulder. “I know all this must be challenging to deal with, and it’s even harder now that Nancy is in her Big psychosis state of mind,” she explained. “It’s not recognized officially yet, but Bigs hormones can go crazy after they bond with their chosen Little. It can radically change their personality, and while some become only kinder and more caring, others can become stricter and more controlling. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you which Nancy has become…” Sadly, no, she did not. Bree then shifted and I could tell that her and Martinez soon had to leave. “You’re doing good work for us, Emma. We’ll work the problem on our end and find you a way out of this if we can.” I wanted to remain strong in front of her, a fellow Little who even pust most Bigs to shame, but it was hard considering Nancy’s strong negative influence in my life. “Iss jus’ weally, weally hawd. I wan’ to be stwong, buh… I jus’ don’ dink dewe’s a way ou’ anymo’…” Bree smiled sympathetically and rubbed my shoulder again. “Have some faith, Emma. There’s always a way out with these things given enough time, but you need to stay strong until then, okay? Can you do that for me?” It took everything I had, but I eventually nodded. “Emma! Emma! Where are you?” I heard Nancy shout angrily from nearby outside the bushes. I turned to see what was happening to see if she was close by but when I looked back at Bree and Martinez, both had vanished into the wild once more. Now determined to be seen again to possibly prevent a future spanking, I crawled out of the bush again. Curiously, there was a ball in the bush that hadn’t been there before. ‘I wonder… did Bree give me this?’ I shrugged my shoulders and soon emerged on the other side with it tightly clutched in one of my hands. Nancy was frantically looking around and soon spotted me. “And just what do you think you’re doing, huh? I couldn’t find you!” She then grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer. “I asked you a question, Emma. Where were you?” My legs trembled, but still holding the ball I had found, I lifted it up to show her my alibi. “My baw… it wolled away…” I tried to make myself look as innocent as possible, and while at first, I wasn’t sure if my ploy was even going to work, Nancy soon backed off. “Hmmm… I’ll give you a strike one for that instead of punishing you today. You better ask me before you disappear again, or you’ll be in a world of hurt. Got it?” I quickly nodded my head before she let me go and walked back off to her cheering and smiling Big friends. Each had seen what had just happened and each seemed proud of Nancy for how she handled it all. ‘Monsters…’ I then walked off and sighed. I wanted to fight back and tell her that she was being ridiculous, but I had quickly learned that was about the second biggest mistake I could have made, beyond running away from home. Any fight in me that Nancy saw was always sure to be smothered out in the most brutal of spankings when I got home. So, determined not to get any more strikes today, I toddled over to the swings and sat down. I wasn’t alone however, for very long. “Heyya. You o’ay?” a Little asked as he sat down next to me. His dark hair and green eyes were very striking, and his tannish white bunny was also very distinctive. I had seen him in daycare before, but he was considered one of the more leveled-out Littles now and had been assigned to the Oasis room with the others like that. I really could only nod my head, but he seemed deadest on trying to help me. “Imma Chawwee… I seen you befo’ at daycaeh.” He then extended his hand out that wasn’t holding tightly onto his large stuffed bunny. I nodded and shook his hand. “Emma. I seen you awoun’ befo’ as well…” We then started to talk for a while, but not long after, the woman Big I had usually seen him with came right over, smiling the whole way. Unlike Nancy now, she was dressed a little more plainly, but there was an intelligence and kindness in her eyes that was unmistakably that clearly marked her as a bonded Big with Charley. From what Bree had told me though, I felt absolutely confident in saying her bonding had manifested the kinder and more caring version though. “Heya Charley,” she said cheerily to her Little. “You and Hop make a new friend today?” Charley nodded enthusiastically and I felt good knowing I had made another friend here as well. “Yeah! Dis is Emma, Mommy. She’s wiff, uh, Nancy… Dat one fwom da ottuh day…” The woman’s eyes grew big, and it was clear that Nancy’s poor reputation now in the daycare had been spreading. Her morning searches of the daycare for bugs and devices blocking my regression were becoming the gossip of town. Some seemed to admire her while others thought she was crazy. It was clear which category Monica fell into. So, it wasn’t exactly surprising when “Oh…” was about all she could say. It made feel so low being associated with Nancy lately, and I guess it showed on my face. The woman’s own quickly became sympathetic and she crouched down and extended her own hand out to me. “Hello Emma. I’m Monica.” I smiled and shook her hand back. “Goo’ ta mee’ you, Monica.” I wasn’t really sure what to say after that though, but I could see that both Monica and Charley were thinking something together. Finally, Monica broke. “I know the type of Big Nancy is, and I’m sorry if I’m speaking out of turn here, but are you okay? Do you need help or anything like that maybe?” Now I really didn’t know what to say. I could lie and go on my merry way, or I could tell the truth and face the consequences. Foster care and being put up for adoption were best case scenarios in that case, but after rumors that Nancy did nothing to stop, I was nearly convinced that any failures or rejected candidates were shipped off to Garden State Hospital. For perspective, Nancy would have seemed like a blessing compared to that truly terrible place. So, determined not to have that happen, I shook my head. “No… I’m okay... dank you dough…” Neither seemed convinced, but Monica sighed and seemed determined to get me to smile. “Well, let’s see if we can’t turn that frown upside down.” Without warning, she immediately started making fun faces at me. Charley soon joined in and wasn’t as good, but in minutes, I was howling with laughter from their sheer silliness. After a little bit, Monica finally seemed satisfied and stood up before rubbing Charley’s back. “Okay, hun. I’m going to start packing up, but I just wanted to give you the warning that we’re going to need to leave soon to get to that play you wanted to see tonight.” “Da one wiff aww da puppets?” he asked, his voice full of hope and excitement. It was almost hard to even remember those feelings anymore. Monica chuckled. “That’s right, sweetie. You just keep talking to Emma for now though.” Her eyes seemed to arc up and down a little bit as if there was some kind of inside secret between them, and while I was a little sad to be left out, I just continued to try and swing. Monica then left and Charley and I got to talking. First, I just had to know about the Oasis room, and apparently, it was completely magical in all its technology and theme. The room was actually two and was split into two themes. The main Oasis room was essentially just a beach and jungle theme with several water features built into the flooring and walls hidden behind a near transparent glass of some kind. Cubbies and other bits of furniture were adorned like jungle trees or rocks and beautiful flowers grew everywhere. Then, for naptime, the lights were turned off and everything changed to an under the sea theme. Trees became coral sprouts and grassy rocks soon looked like they were sunken beneath the waves. I wanted so badly to go, but I knew that would be a long time away… if ever. “So, Hop, huh?” I asked pointed to his ever-present stuffed bunny. For a moment, I thought I swore that I saw him look right at me, and I briefly wondered if he was magical too like Patch was, but Charley spoke back up to answer my question. “Yeah… he’s wike one of bestess fwien’s. He’s jus’ da bes!” Charley then paused and looked over at me with first suspicion and then an odd curiosity. “Don’ you have one?” I quickly thought to Patch waiting back at the daycare for me to return to him. It was utterly ridiculous on one level, but no matter how hard I tried to act mature, I just couldn’t let him go. “He’s… back at the daycaeh…” “Oh…” Charley said, now seeming a little guilty. “You should ask Mrs. Giwwies abou’ gettin’ him to take home wiff you… dey weally can help out a lot… especiawy if youw sad an’ aww…” I nodded. “He’s jus’ so gweat! He’s a doggy and even had widdle wightnin’ bolts on his wegs…” Charley suddenly became confused and then angry. “I used ta have a doggy wik dat too… I woss him…” “Oh no!” I couldn’t believe my ears that a fellow Little could lose their stuffy. I wanted to run off and form a search party immediately. Fortunately, Charley stopped me just as I was getting up. “Iss o’ay, Emma. He was a bad dog anyways…” His once angry demeanor quickly turned to sadness. I didn’t like to normally pry, but still, I just had to know what he was talking about. See, with my magical stuffy, I thought Patch would never be bad in his life. His job was to protect and just be there for me. Like with all stuffy’s… ‘Right?’ Curious, I couldn’t keep it in any longer. “Wha’ do you mean by dat?” Charley sighed and almost seemed on the verge of tears. “He… he huwt me… wike Nancy an’ you. Mommy told me aftuh she foun’ out. By da time we dih… I didn’ even wan’ him back, so no sadness fo’ me. Buh fo’ you, jus’ be caewful…” I nodded but I knew that Patch would never do something like that to me. We shared a bond, and he was practically my guardian in daycare and in my life now. “I’ll wemembuh dat fo’ Patch…” Charley quickly got a look of confusion. “Wai… my doggy was named Dash. It can’t be him, buh’ that iss his name… o’ at weas ih was…” So, with both of us eventually agreeing that it was just another stuffy entirely ‘Right?’, I had a revelation about Charley. He wasn’t the smartest or the nimblest of us Littles, but he had something that others around here sorely had a burning desire for: hope for the future. I knew I had a lot to do in order to figure out the system still and get to where Charley was at in order to have fun in this life. His circumstances were also definitely different than mine, but I also felt I just had to make sure that I avoided all the obstacles wherever possible on the way to that new dream of mine. That was the hope inside of me trying to breakthrough, but there was another side to all this as well I just couldn’t ignore. As we both swung on the playground, for a moment, I had felt a tiny ray of hope in my fight against the dictatorship that had now become my life. Speaking of which though, I then saw Nancy glaring at me as she quickly stomped over to us sitting on the swings. Seeing my time was short, I eased on back into my swing with the push to just enjoy this time as much as I could. So, for now, I just leaned back in my seat and went higher and higher. Seconds later, I was all laughter and joy with my new friend at the park. Life often didn’t come with such surprises as finding a new friend out here, so I just hoped that my nice feeling would last for as long as it could. Considering what was likely to come, I remembered back to what Bree had told me, and eagerly waited for the right time to flee or to stay strong and hopeful as I waited for Omega Force to help me out in their own way. Nancy still loomed in my life, but no matter what happened later tonight though, I was just glad I had met Charley and Hop. It wasn’t even for long in retrospect, but again, it was that tiny something that I felt made my whole life now just a little more bearable. I wasn’t sure what was next, but considering the fiery hatred seething in Nancy’s eyes as she stomped over to our location at the swings, I knew there would likely be another punishment in my future tonight. I just hoped I could hold on a little longer before something truly terrible and permanent happened to me.

Oh drats! Thanks for catching those, but I guess that's what I get for editing at three in the morning.

Hey everyone! Getting into the thick of the plot now, I hope everyone is ready for what is coming. I plotted a few of the next chapters out a little more thoroughly yesterday instead of editing this one, so apologies for not getting another chapter up, but I think some of the outcomes will be well worth it in the end. Next, as a reminder, I’m now polling between two stories to figure out what I should write next. The two choices are listed out in chapter 2, so be sure to check them out and let me know. As I will announce my winner in my last chapter, that would be the deadline for you to make your opinion known. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 10: Seeing Loss Everywhere Times had only grown tougher being around Nancy recently. I tried to make her happy, going as far as to start drawing her dozens of pictures while my magical stuffy, I dubbed Patch, kept me safe in daycare. It was frustrating to go there and then realize that I had lost something after nursing from Nancy, but at home, things were only worse. At daycare, progression was at least the name of the game, but at home, me being more of a Little was the true goal, Nurse Bee only encouraging Nancy the whole time. The two had become nearly inseparable recently and both seemed to delight in figuring out new ways I had broken some arbitrary rule in which they could punish me and attempt to regress me back. Spankings, timeouts, and loss of privileges all were inflicted on me as punishments to try and tweak their formula like a bunch of sadistic scientists torturing a lab rat. While they were effective on one level and I occasionally retreated into myself and didn’t act as mature as I could, I still burned inside to break free of my former prison that was my body. It wasn’t much, but it kept me going. While I continued that struggle at home, daycare had become much more of a minefield lately as far as the staff were concerned at least. Mrs. Gillies seemed frustrated and perplexed about my whole situation while Miss Valerie and Miss Tully were amongst the chief instigators into Nurse Bee’s activities here. Nothing violent or sinister had happened so far, and I hoped it never would, but I just wondered how long it was until I was proven wrong. To me, it seemed more like a certainty rather than a maybe at this point if nothing happened to prevent it. To my shock though, one day after work, Nancy had just brought me home and was starting to work on dinner for the two of us. Pleasant smells wafted to my nose, and I was just glad to be smelling something other than baby powder or other less kindly smells these days. No doubt, knowing Nancy lately, my food would be spiked with something to make me feel even more babyish, such as laxatives or numbing agents, but I still felt content in the smells for now at least. Suddenly, though, there was a knock at the door, soon followed by a heavy pounding. It scared me a bit and I backed up behind a couch in fear of who was there. Nancy, seemingly just as nervous as I was, approached the door carefully and then slowly opened it. On the other side was a clearly panicked Nurse Bee. “Oh? Bee? What are you doing here so late? Did I forget to write something down on my schedule between us or…?” “No,” Nurse Bee responded quickly. “I came over here on my own, but let me in. We need to talk.” Even I could tell the seriousness behind her voice, and so it was no surprise that Nancy let her in. After a moment of Nurse Bee sitting on our couch and Nancy retrieving her a steaming cup of tea, Nancy sat down opposite of her, clearly itching to ask some questions. “I know you have questions, Nancy… Just ask them…” Nancy sighed and, trying to stay out of both their ways and strictly wanting to stay neutral in all this, I came out from behind the couch and just continued to mess around with a simple Princess Poppy doll that Nancy and Nurse Bee had selected out for me. I wasn’t the biggest fan of it, due to what they were trying to get it to represent in my life, but the fangirl in me with the show still appreciated her in my life. Patch, being owned by the daycare and not strictly mine, had to stay there. My own Princess Poppy served as a nice substitute in his absence at home. “Well, what ‘s going on?” Nancy finally asked. “You obviously seem stressed about something, so just talk to me. Maybe I can help? I’m pretty good at advice and…” Nurse Bee shook her head strongly. “No, no. It isn’t that, Nancy. It’s just that… well, I think I could be in trouble here. There’s a lot going on, but there’s something more pressing tonight as well…” Nancy raised an eyebrow to get her friend to continue with what was happening. “I quit my job tonight, Nancy…” There was an eerie silence and I had to clutch onto Princess Poppy extra tight to keep from dropping her in shock. I thought I was done for and doomed in the daycare with the dynamic and loathsome duo of the new Nancy and Nurse Bee. Now, I felt there was hope. Small, perhaps, but still there at least. “What?” Nancy exclaimed, clearly panicking and just as shocked as I was. “What do you mean you quit? Can you even quit that place? I thought you were just interning there or something?” Nurse Bee nodded. “That’s right. I was, but I was also biding my time until something new came up.” She paused and still seemed flustered tonight. “That all changed this morning.” “Oh?” Nancy seemed both happy for her friend and curious about what she was referring to. Nurse Bee nodded. “I really can’t tell you much, but I came up with a special kind of cream. It’s a little… wicked maybe, but I just submitted it to Juventas to test out with a new position in their company that just opened there. Well, and this morning, I just got the call they want me.” I could see the saddened look on Nancy’s face, but it soon turned to at least one of happiness for her friend. “I’m so happy for you, Bee. I really am.” Nurse Bee smiled back. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I think someone might be watching me, but I’m just not sure.” I quickly thought back to Omega Force. “Plus, with all the heat I’ve been getting from Mrs. Gillies and the other staff members after Emma’s incident and then her sudden rebound, I felt that I couldn’t stay there for much longer anyways…” Nancy’s smile persisted, but the rest of her face soon morphed back into one of subtle disappointment. Nurse Bee saw and rubbed her friends back. “It’s going to be okay though for you two. I know you probably think I’m abandoning you right when you need me most with Emma but let me get something from my car and I’ll be right back. I think it’s going to help you a lot.” In her own little sad state tonight, Nancy nodded and let Nurse Bee leave the house to get something from her car. Nancy paced back and forth anxiously for a while, but finally, we both heard the locking of her car from the outside before Nurse Bee walked back in… but she wasn’t empty handed. “What’s that?” Nancy immediately questioned, looking right at the large crate now in her friend’s hands. It seemed old fashioned, almost handmade even, but I saw a few letters on the side. I had recently discovered my ability to at least identify letters again. Spelling them out was next to impossible beyond some of the more basic, like dog or cat, but I was still making progress. The word on the side though, was anything but simple. So, I decided to spell it out first and then maybe just try and figure it out later. ‘T-A-N-A-S-S-U-M.’ Nurse Bee smiled and set the box down in front of Nancy. “Well, I won’t tell you everything, but when you open it up, it’s got a few surprise bits that should help continue the progress we’ve already made together.” Nancy still seemed crestfallen, and likely seeing it, Nurse Bee sighed. “Look, I’m very sorry, Nancy. I just think things are going to get massively complicated around here very soon if I continue to stay. In fact, my presence might actually hurt you if I’m even remotely correct, so I need to leave for your safety and well-being at minimum,” she explained. “Can you understand that at least?” Nancy still seemed sad over her friend’s departure but still nodded. “It’s tough, but I get that. You’re just trying to protect me…” Nurse Bee nodded back and the two reached and hugged each other. I was still surprised over how quickly they had become friends, but there was a little part of me that still secretly suspected that they were friends for more than just their connection over me. After a moment though, the two disconnected and Nancy wiped a tear away. “I guess this is goodbye then.” Nurse Bee seemed regretful over that notion, but still nodded her head. “It is. At this point, I have to go soon to make it to Losantiville to start work at Juventas immediately, but I’ll be okay.” Nancy seemed happy over that part at least. “Do you think we’ll ever see each other again?” Nurse Bee almost didn’t seem hopeful, but ultimately smiled and placed her hand reassuringly on Nancy’s shoulder. “Of course we will, Nancy. Remember our pact?” Nancy quickly nodded. “Good. If you promise to hold on to that and stay strong, I will too. Got it?” Nancy smiled and then clasped hands, and both shook on their renewed promise together, whatever that was. “Got it. Good luck, Bee.” Nurse Bee gave Nancy one more hug and headed for the door. “You do the same, Nancy. Just remember though, if you ever get in a bind, you can always get ahold of me. If our contingency plan ever comes to it, I know one of the scenarios is a little scary, but we’ll always be there for each other. Just remember that…” her eyes darted to the crate on the couch still. “But also, just remember to open that crate if you ever feel the need. It should be enough for what you really want.” The two hugged it out one more time and Nancy even left the house for a moment to see her off personally. Soon though, I could hear the revving of a car engine outside. Not long after, a still saddened Nancy walked back in and first looked at me and then at the crate. “I guess I better just store this upstairs, huh?” And so, things went uneventfully for the most part at least for a while after that. Nurse Bee still wasn’t replaced in daycare, but Mrs. Gillies just got a local nurse to come out and assist when needed beyond the basic first aid that every staff member was apparently required to know to work there. Still, despite that single shuffle up, things remained mostly the same in my life… including the ‘Tanassum’ box. It lay in my room where Nancy had placed it that first night and while I would occasionally see her stare at it longingly, she never opened it up to see what was inside. Like some sleeping demon waiting at the foot of my bed, it waited. I even had a few nightmares about it, but I just pushed through and hoped things would finally somewhat settle back to normal. Unfortunately for Nancy’s new stance about me, without Nurse Bee pushing her on, her efforts to keep me mentally younger were met with another force at daycare that saw me achieve tremendous strides. Now, I was even running on occasion and finding interest and the ability to actually have fun with some of my old activities there. My colorings after class became more articulate and colorful and I was nearly even able to read, hence why I could read the word ‘Tanassum’ now. If it wasn’t for Nancy’s surely attitude when I came home most nights, I would have almost been happy with my current lot in life. Not perfect, mind you, but certainly better than it had been when Nurse Bee was around. So, things kind of just bubbled along in my life, but all that came crashing down one day when Nancy and I decided to visit the park one Saturday afternoon. The gorgeous summer weather was in full bloom, and though I was seemingly always thirsty, and my diaper was a royal squelching pain half the time in the humid heat, I did enjoy the sunshine and the warmth it provided on my skin. Today, I was visiting with my friends from the daycare while playing in one of the larger sandboxes here near to the playground and open grassy fields. While I was mulling about in my denim skirtalls, complete with a large sunflower on the front of them, Nancy was nearby and occasionally looked up from her book right at me. Her transformation into a new Big woman was nothing short of terrifying and concerning for my future well-being. Now, while I think dressing nicely is wonderful, it didn’t take a genius around here to understand that there are a few types of maternal caregivers around her based on how one looked. There were male ones as well, but I guess after some virus or something like that, they were few and far between, especially on a single level. Regardless, while back on Earth clothing could symbolize anything, here for the carers, one’s clothing almost became a uniform of sorts to denote what type of carer you were. For Nancy, she used to fit into more of the carer category. Nicely dressed, but also seemingly ready to pitch in to help their Little out or play with them whenever. If their makeup smeared or their clothes got dirty for whatever reason, one cleaning cloth later, and they would be back out to do it all over again. Function was typically more important than fashion for them. Now, however, Nancy was now migrating cleanly into the other category… one that tended to sway more towards the pro-Big movement. See, the more fashionable carers were always more concerned with their looks. While there were some exceptions for this category, Littles seemed more like an accessory than a helpless individual to most of them. Additionally, any perceived flaw in their appearance was always met with scorn, so most became a little more hands-off. In truth, I wouldn’t have even been a little surprised if I suddenly found myself with a nanny one of the days. Seeing Nancy’s tall black heels and tight purple short dress combine with her regally done hair and flawless makeup, she now sadly blended right in with the other more fashionable type of carers. “Taller, Emma! Taller!” Lilly commanded me, knocking me out of my own thoughts. Now, ever since I had rejoined the Meadows room and my friends, Lilly had taken on the eldest role in the group. It was a little annoying at some points, but her bossiness was nicely coupled with her genuine warmth and protective spirit… unlike someone like Nancy lately. I rapidly nodded my head and got Anna to help me as well. Since Nurse Bee had left, Anna now seemed like the youngest of the group. It really didn’t matter to either of us, but sometimes I would help her and sometimes she would help me. With sand structures, I usually ended up helping her. “Dank you, Emma,” she said back cheerily to me as we both poured more sand into our buckets to dump on the already impressive looking tower. I smiled back. “Youw we’come, Anna…” I said back, marveling over my newly improved speech. Ever since Omega Force, I was bounding forth in so many ways. My speech had vastly improved over the past few days and instead of being jealous, Anna just celebrated with me. Just as we piled another bucket onto our tower, a ball came hurtling through the air. Someone screamed “Watch out!” but it was too late. The big red rubber ball smacked right into the structure and like some horrific bomb going off, our once pristine and ever-growing castle was soon totaled. “Hey you!” Lilly shouted back to where the voice of warning and red ball had come from. “Weren’t you ever taught manne…” She immediately stopped though when she turned over to face our assailants but froze in fear. I was instantly curious and spun around myself. Unfortunately, what I saw was basically the worst type of assaulters for us Littles: Big children. Now, while Big children and babies were more our size, hence why the Bigs treated us how they did, the Big children were taught from an early age that they were superior to all Littles from the more pro-Big movement type Bigs. It made a certain amount of sense in a terrible, been-here-too-long kind of way, but acceptance like that was just life in this society for any Little. Big children would often, even if they seemed mentally younger than any of us, command and belittle any Littles they came across. Pranks and bullying were common sights from toddler Bigs even to even the most mature of Littles. So now, my friends and I could only gawk in terror as a group of the Big children approached us. It didn’t take me long to spot the bulges in each of their pants, clearly marking them as the younger variety of Big children, but I still braced for the assault I knew would soon follow. As a vulnerable Little with an evolving pro-Big support caregiver, I knew I had to be extra cautious around them. Whatever the truth, I felt certain she would always take their side if it came down to it. “Hey there,” the blonde, a sandy-haired a dimpled Big child said from the front of their group. “Hey,” was about all even Lilly could muster out. From her eyes, I could see the intense amount of fear even the steadfast and more mature Little had right then. He smirked back. “Name’s Dillan. Sorry about your castle, but, uh… like, can we have our ball back?” Lilly now even seemed to be rendered mute, but I could see a spark of kindness in Dillan I often didn’t see in Big children. Feeling on top of the world and eager to get out of the cage I once found myself in, I spoke up instead. “Here ya go!” I then lobbed the ball right over to Dillan’s hands. Despite me being a Little, each of them seemed both impressed and shocked. Dillan was all those things as well, but I could almost see the gears in his head clicking around. “That was… that was a very impressive shot. You ever play ball before?” he asked plainly with a tiny smirk painted over his lips now. I felt it all could be a trap for a Little like me. It wouldn’t be the first time by a long shot after all, but I just felt a sense of truth with his plain-spoken words. So, I nodded. “Yep! Back on Eawth, buh… nah wha’ you awl aw pwayin’ I dink…” Dillan’s group all seemed a little horror-stricken over that notion, but Dillan just kept smiling. “That’s okay. My friends and I picked up pretty quick and we can give you a shot if you want.” I smiled and quickly arose to join him for a little fun. Lilly had other plans though and yanked me back down and whispered angrily to me. “Just what do you think you’re doin’? Don’t’ you know what’s happenin’ with Big children?” I nodded. “I do, buh’ come on. He’s offerin’ an’ I’m goin’.” I could see Lilly wanted to hold me back and was genuinely just looking out for me, but I knew she couldn’t stop me today. So, giving her a little smile, I patted her hand and then soon joined in with Dillan and his friends. Despite my newly reacquired abilities, I was still a Little inside and out. I had the signs all over me, and my speech impediment wasn’t working in my favor. So, it was just inevitable when some of the other Big children on the other team began calling me names. “Hey diaper butt!” Ooh! Did someone go potty yet?” “Baby! Baby!” The names and insults thrown my way weren’t sophisticated and it felt so strange being insulted by a bunch of at least mostly diapered Big children, but that also just made it feel worse. Still, I persisted and once I scored a few goals in the park that day, those insults either turned into silence or even cheers. It was amazing, but I knew I was tempting fate. Lilly would have been right about all of them normally and I could have found myself in a world of hurt, but I also had something I needed to show myself and experience again. I just wanted to feel normal. The diaper hurt that image a bit, but I still ran and felt the wind go through my hair with delight. An hour later, diapers were bulging and soaked, and some had even leaked, but our team had gone on to victory. I was praised by everyone on my team, and I was even now known excitedly as their ‘secret weapon.’ I hadn’t felt this good in a long time, but just as we were making plans to meet next Saturday, I saw a smoldering Nancy on the hill nearby and I knew my luck had run out. Her face was all red and her arms were crossed. I readied myself for the spanking I knew would come tonight, so I just took in the tiny moment of triumph while I still could. I then turned back to Dillan. “Tanks fo’ invitin’ me, Dillan. I gotta go, buh’ it was weally nice.” Dillan smiled. “You’re very welcome, Emma. Be sure to come back anytime. You’ll always have a place on our team here.” I smiled back at him, and we both waved goodbye to each other. I wore that smile with a badge of honor, even when I rejoined the impatient and clearly furious Nancy. I wanted to explain everything to her. I was a good girl, and I hadn’t broken any of her recently implemented numerous rules today, so I thought that just maybe, I could wiggle out of this still. “I…” “Not. Another. Word,” Nancy said plainly but angrily, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists tightly as she did. I could only gulp and wave goodbye to Anna and Lilly who were being looked at by their own caregivers now as well. The big difference with them and my own current situation though was that they were getting fed snacks and being tickled. Possibly a little humiliating as I could just see them start to get their diapers changed on a park bench side by side after, but knowing what likely awaited me at home, I would have taken humiliation over punishment any day of the week. Both could only wave sorrowfully as I was soon buckled into the car and then as Nancy sped off back home. From my stories in daycare, they knew what awaited me. Getting inside our house later, Nancy was silent and dropped my diaper bag in front of the entry way once she had slammed it shut. I tried to plead with her one more time. “No,” she said with an authority and finality that I knew by now not to question or protest. “Upstairs. Now.” Her words were so monotone and cold. There was no sign of feelings or even love. I practically shook the whole time as I trudged into my nursery at the top of the stairs. Further, I even knew to collect the paddle that Nancy had permanently stored in here for a while now. I had named it ‘big sting.’ Nancy thought it was cute, but she now used that name in horrifyingly new ways. Right as I bent over to collect it from underneath my changing table, I felt an immediate smack to my left thigh. It felt like a thousand tiny bee stings and surprised and a little hurt, I spun around and saw Nancy glaring at me with venom in her eyes. I knew I was screwed, but there was a part of me that burned to know why today. “Why you doin’ dis, Nancy? Why?” Nancy’s eyes narrowed and I could almost feel the heat of her angry ripple off her and onto my skin. “Why? Why?” I nodded, knowing full well that a response then of any kind was usually better than nothing. “You were hanging out with older kids, Emma. That’s the problem. You’re just a Little and they were Bigs. You could have gotten hurt or even abused by them. I forbid you from ever seeing them again.” I felt I was already getting the punishment of my life, so I knew what to do by now, but I also wanted to push the envelope just a little bit to try and change her mind about them. Having such a fun day, I didn’t want to accept her ruling over me never seeing them again. “I’m sowwy, Nancy, buh’ dey nah oldah. Dey woe diapuhs… an’ I felt safe… We even won!” Nancy furiously snatched ‘big sting’ out of my hands and quickly popped me on the butt. It didn’t sting this time, but I also knew that it was more for shock value than anything else. “That’s not the point, Emma. I said they’re too old, so they’re too old. Got that?” I should have nodded, but even with all my lessons in how to be a good Little, I had started gaining some of my independent streak back. Unfortunately, it picked right then to rear itself. “Buh’ dey was fine! Iss notta big deal. Dey just babies, wigh? How’s dat wong?” Her fists cracked under her refreshed rage. I was clearly incorrect, and I winced over what I knew was likely coming next. “That’s not the point!” Nancy shot back. She loomed heavily over me and as if to protect myself somehow, I could almost feel my body shrinking as much as possible. “I’m a Big and your caregiver. Whatever I say goes. My word is law, and you will respect that. Do you understand me?” I did, but I just couldn’t let things go. Some things I could tolerate because I didn’t like them, but I also knew they were for my benefit by now. Car seats, highchairs, my diapers, and so many other things were just necessary for Nancy’s ease or to prevent my embarrassment or keep me safe. They were simple to accept if one moved beyond their pure embarrassing symbology, but today wasn’t. I didn’t feel in the wrong today. I played with some friends who could have been a disaster for me but turned out just fine in the end… liberating even. Any normal caregiver who cared in the slightest for their charge could have seen that, and I just couldn’t let that type of notion go. “Iss not faiw! You didn’ use to be dis way… sometimes… I wish I jus’ stayed with Mrs. Tatum…” I said glumly. My words struck true and deep, and I could see them wound Nancy just about as hard as they could. I didn’t want to, but what I said, needed to be said. Nancy was becoming an issue for well-being on multiple levels lately, and I genuinely feared what lay in store for me if I didn’t make a stand at some point. Unfortunately, with my striking words, Nancy’s resolve only seemed to double after a moment. Her saddened face soon changed and morphed into one of pure anger. I was filled instantly with regret, and I barely had time to register anything other than fear as she launched right toward me and started smacking my rear with all her might with ‘big sting.’ It didn’t take long before I was wailing at the top of my lungs. I was thoroughly protected and due to the mush that I had deposited earlier in the rear of my diaper, Nancy hadn’t removed it yet. Each smack echoed off the walls and if it wasn’t for Nancy’s other hand on my shoulder holding me firmly in place, I would have run or at least been hopping in place in tremendous pain. Each strike swatted straight and true and I could feel my mess now suddenly splat against my butt. It was horrible, but what made it truly awful was when Nancy would sometimes aim a little lower and hit my thighs instead. Stinging sensations rippled throughout my lower half, and I lost count of how my spanks I received after 30, but that also wasn’t even halfway through today’s punishment. So, once she stopped, I felt defeated and was a slobbering, blubbering mess. I tried to regain my composure, but each effort just ended in more failure. For her part, Nancy even seemed tired afterward but instead, to my horror, instead of apologizing like she usually did once she was done with my punishment, her eyes scrambled over to the box near my closet. ‘Tanassum’ stood prominently, and my heart sank as I realized that all my worrying was about to become a reality and that whatever was inside was finally going to hit me today. In seconds, she practically ran over to the crate and ripped off the top before peering inside. “Oh wow… you shouldn’t have, Bee…” Her voice almost seemed full of longing and my curiosity of what was inside was poignant but also didn’t last long. “Hmmm… the lighthouse…” Nancy said, holding up a blueish-white cylindrical object that looked very much like its namesake. I’m not sure why, but it instantly filled me with both a deep seeded fear and luxurious calm. As she read the label attached and then looked down into the crate, Nancy almost seemed like a kid on their birthday opening all their presents. Getting a tissue from nearby to at least help with some of my tears, I could only terrifyingly watch as Nancy pulled on a single shot and a tiny vial of some liquid. “Perfect,” she mused looking at the two objects. Frighteningly, she then looked over in my direction and smiled. “Emma, baby. I’ve got something for you… Come here now, or you’ll start tomorrow with a whole series of punishments.” Obediently, and my rear still dirty and stinging, I quickly ran over to her. In moments, she grabbed my arm and injected me without warning. I winced at the pain I soon felt, but an odd and yet somewhat familiar warmth began to spread through my arm. “There,” Nancy said smiling after a moment. “Looks like Nurse Bee is still helping us after all. Now, you should feel nice and sleepy, Emma. When you wake up, and with any luck, I think things are going to be much different.” With that, she put the shot back in the crate and hoisted me up and into my crib. “I think someone has earned an early bedtime tonight.” I whimpered, though fading fast, and then pointed to the current state of my diaper. I could have said something, but I knew that would only make things worse for me at this point. Nancy took my meaning though and grinned wickedly back at me. “Oh that? That’s a You-Ni-Corn diaper, baby cakes. It can take a beating and should last you until tomorrow morning.” Stunned and horrified, but nearly nodding off already, I could only watch as Nancy walked over to my dresser and placed the lighthouse on top. Soon, it emitted an eerie blue glow over the rest of my room. She then went to my door and flipped off the light, further bathing everything in a soft blue hue. If I wasn’t utterly terrified of something from Nurse Bee, I might have been relaxed at that point. “Good night, honey. Somehow, I don’t think you’re going to need the lighthouse tonight, but let’s just see.” And with that, she left my room. Panicking and wanting to escape more than anything, I felt as the warmth from the shot soon began to flow around my brain. Distressingly, everything started to feel simpler and fuzzier. I had felt this way before, and soon after, I entered the Burrows room. I began to softly cry again as I felt that by tomorrow, Nurse Bee would have played her final trick, and I would be back in the Burrows room once again. I hated Nancy being right lately, and today, I felt everything was going exactly her way. I was starting to feel like I was in a no-win scenario, especially as a massive wet fart soon exploded from my backside. It was all terrible and all catching up with me. I wanted to have the hope that I had felt so keenly as I played with Dillan and his friends today but all that had suddenly changed tonight. I had ultimately lost today and as my eyes drifted closed, I just wondered if this time would be my final loss as a soft noise began to float throughout my room from the lighthouse. As the world faded slowly around me into black though, my thoughts became simpler, and sadly, my future only bleaker.

Hey everyone! Yay! We’re now over halfway through this story. There’s a lot more to tell and while some of it will just be going over some of the events I already mentioned in my previous story, I promise there’s going to be lots of twists and turns in store. Went to a Littles party yesterday actually and while that was pretty fun, there was just no way I could edit another chapter in time to be put out before my busy day today. Tomorrow is another busy day unfortunately, and while I will try all that I can to get another chapter out, I might not be able to post again until Monday. Next, as a reminder, I’m now polling between two stories to figure out what I should write next. The two choices are listed out in chapter 2, so be sure to check them out and let me know. As I will announce my winner in my last chapter, that would be the deadline for you to make your opinion known. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 9: A Healing Fieldtrip Memory can be a fickle thing in one’s life, especially if one suddenly found themselves in the midst of a post-regression and post-locked-in state like I had. On one hand, I was remembering so many things, but I also found that with every pro I found, a con was sure to follow. Remembering that I’m Emma, and it wasn’t just a term to refer to me as, such as ‘girl,’ ‘Little,’ or any other name, was a positive. Feeling like I was called something else at one point and still not remembering it though, not so much. Remembering all the good times with my friends and Nancy felt so wonderful. Remembering how far I had fallen or the new maternal bond that Nancy now insisted we share however, likewise came with a lot of negatives as well. While her temper had improved tremendously, I felt a fear regarding Nancy’s new personality. At first, I thought she would be thrilled as I began to progress in my maturity, but each time I did, I felt a little cloud of maternal yet potent anger hover over her. Even if it was something as simple as crawling across my nursery’s floor one day, I felt like I was in the wrong. In no time at all, I found myself afraid that at any moment, she would snap and try to get me back to where I was as practically a newborn… by any means necessary. Still, while I was at daycare, which soon almost oddly became my sanctuary away from most of my drama back home, I was reunited with both my magical stuffy and my friends. And, if that wasn’t enough, I was progressing much faster here than anyone else had anticipated. I was still in the Burrows room and probably would be for another three months at this rate, but I could tell that I was quickly being retrained in order to go back to the Meadows room one day. While before it felt like a prison, now however, I felt it was a lofty goal for me to strive towards. “Come on, Emma!” Miss Tully cheered from the end of my crib in the Burrows room. “Crawl just a little more for me. Come on, sweetie!” Her encouragement flowed through me, but I felt something else surging in my body lately. It always seemed to be around my magical stuffy, so I figured it was just him working his little powers on me again. I wanted to question it all a little more, but not wanting to deny my little extra help, I had just accepted his seeming magic more and more, regardless of if I wanted to or not. At first, that lack of control sometimes scared me, but I quickly realized it was pushing me the exact amount I needed to be to get to the next step. So, for today as an example, on what was probably the fifth time I was struggling to make it across the crib, I just wanted to stop. Miss Tully freely encouraged me with all her might, but I was dead tired. I could use a nap for sure, and if post-lunch patterns were anything to be believed, a diaper change as well. Still, I tried to move on with all my might, but it didn’t seem to be enough anymore today. Right then though, I heard something float through my head like it had happened on the first day I reawakened. ‘Come on, Emma… come on… just a few crawls more…’ It was strange and almost ethereal with how little it came through, but it was still there. Moreover, I suddenly felt a willfulness in my limbs that almost seemed beyond me. Now, relearning everything that I had once known, that sensation was just kind of strangely common these days, but today, each of my near useless legs began to shuffle back towards Miss Tully. Thinking it was likely just me, Miss Tully cheered me on. “Thatta girl, Emma! Come on! Come to me. That’s it, baby!” Her encouragement felt babyish, but undoubtedly nice. Halfway through, I almost gave up again as my body began to falter for a second time, but once again, another voice floated through my head. ‘Come on, Emma… you can make it!’ It was the last push I needed to get through the final stretch. With almost a burst of energy, my limbs sped, or at least sped up, all the way to the other side of the crib. Miss Tully immediately beamed down at me and gave me a huge smile. “There you go, Emma!” She then picked me up and started bouncing me around. Considering my previous confinement to my crib, these new sensations that I was just freshly remembering again were nearly pure bliss. It was almost unbelievable to go from being essentially just a lump in a crib to being praised for crawling across the very same object. And things like that just started happening more and more to me. It was a grueling process, but not long after, despite a few setbacks every time I left the daycare and nursed from Nancy still, I had already gained the ability to walk when I could at least hold onto something or someone. Fortunately for me, it was just in time to go to on the field trip to the zoo. Nancy had protested that I wasn’t ready yet, but surprisingly, several of the staff members stood up for me, even going as far as to say that ‘it would help my overall progress.’ Nancy didn’t like that at all, but she begrudgingly accepted, which is why I now found myself being pushed in a stroller by Miss Tully. Despite being able to walk long distances now, like would be required at a zoo, something like a stroller was still unfortunately required. To help my self-image and acceptance of it though, I just imagined myself being carted around like I would if I was a queen of some kind. “Lookie, Emma!” Miss Tully shouted out, pointing over to a large bear. “Isn’t he just amazing?” I could only stare back at the bear for a moment in terror. He was at least triple my size and my head could have easily fit inside his tremendous mouth. I didn’t even see his claws full length but considering that just one of them seemed like a butcher knife ready to come for me, I just wanted to keep my distance. Likely sensing my apprehension, Miss Tully moved on and found several other animals I was interested in. Now, despite the details of my life still being fuzzy from before Nancy and Mrs. Tatum’s foster home, I very well knew that I was from a different place than here and hadn’t ever encountered some of the even just common animals to this place. What they saw as the average equivalent of a giraffe, to me, may have been a long dead or just a myth. So, it was no mistake that I was more fascinated with something like a woolly mammoth than a pond of flamingos, despite their double size here. It seemed pretty boring honestly, but when it thundered out its cry and shook the building, I was instantly hooked. Miss Tully, being who she was, noticed. “Aww! Do you like the woolly mammoth, sweetie?” Still unable to articulate more than a few syllables, I took some comfort that I could now speak in full sentences. If someone could understand them was another matter though, so in this case and not wanting to put up with the complex translation process, I just enthusiastically nodded. Fortunately for me, Miss Tully had been taking a special interest in me and was doting her personal attention sole on me today. So, having a free moment and seeing an opportunity for me to interact with the great beast, she quickly rolled me over to the line waiting nearby. It was a bit tedious and I kinda got bored at one point and began to fuss a bit, but finally, it was our turn. So, to better enjoy the experience, Miss Tully unbuckled me and held me in her arms. “Look, Emma. The mammoth is trying to say hello.” Right in front of us and to my utter amusement, I saw the mammoth approach us and wave its long trunk around. It let out another blast, and while several other Littles seemed terrified being so close now, I just giggled and reached out to touch it. It was an annoying habit I still retained from being nearly completely regressed to feel out the world around me, but today, it actually paid off. “Does she want to feed the mammoth, ma’am?” the zookeeper asked us from nearby. Miss Tully looked down at me and seeing my opportunity to interact with something so unique, I once again enthusiastically nodded my head. Both Bigs chuckled and Miss Tully nodded her head to continue with the mammoth interaction. “Yes, thank you. That would be very nice for Emma here.” “Emma… what a pretty name… no doubt short for Emily, huh?” the zookeeper said normally, but also with a strange note that somehow, she was more than a zookeeper. Miss Tully didn’t seem to notice, but as a keen outside observer now from my still static and somewhat regressed mentality, I had started to notice a lot of things. Fortunately, now, I could actually remember what had happened when I did see something. ‘If only I could remember the same with Mrs. Gillies and Nurse Bee…’ It felt important to remember whatever I saw individually between the two of them, but for now, the zookeeper only smiled back and handed Miss Tully a small bag of peanuts. “Okay, Emma. Let’s try this together first.” I nodded, and smiling, Miss Tully emptied a few peanuts into her palm and used her other hand to guide mine underneath hers up to the tips of the mammoth’s trunk. To my delight, seconds later, each of the peanuts was plucked out. Not being able to help myself and finding everything so amusing now, I giggled loudly. “I guess someone liked that, huh?” Miss Tully asked as she nuzzled with me for a moment. Not being able to contain myself anymore, and not even caring that one syllable versus another to Miss Tully would just sound the same, I didn’t care. I still wanted to be heard. “Dah!” Smiling and guiding my hand up once more with some peanuts, I just giggled in happiness as this time, my hand was on top. And again, the mammoth used its trunk and plucked each of the peanuts away. To be honest, it kinda tickled. Satisfied over a successful time seeing the mammoth and other animals of that enclosure of the zoo, Miss Tully used my smiles and limited input to next choose the birdhouse to visit. “Hee!” I shouted out next, hoping to go to one place in particular. As we walked there, we would occasionally see another cluster or two of Littles from the daycare, but today was specifically Littles Day, so everything was extremely crowded as we meandered through the various spaces. To my enjoyment, I even saw Anna and Lilly here today. I waved to both, and while I could still see their sadness and hesitancy over my present condition, I could also see a spark of joy as well. Being told that your friend may never regain their maturity must have been a bitter pill to swallow, even in this society, so seeing me slowly getting better I had to imagine was a big relief. Getting to the birdhouse, I marveled at the immaculate steel and glass structure all around us practically sparkling in the sunlight. It very much looked like one of the old birdcages from the outside, letting plenty of light in on the inside. Dozens of species of birds flocked around and above our heads as electronic barriers kept all the birds inside as extra safety precaution. It was one of the crown jewels of the zoo, which also meant that today, it was very crowded inside. Miss Tully wheeled me through the enclosure, and we saw birds from all over the world. To the east were birds from Asia, the north side had those from Europa, and the west and south sides had a mix of species all over elsewhere ranging from Australia to Metzlum. In each exhibit of the birdhouse, Miss Tully and I saw each of the birds in wonderment, but for me, it wasn’t enough. I was still strapped in my stroller, and I had been getting antsy for a while now. It might have been my diaper riding up or just the straps being too tight, but I wanted out. Miss Tully tried to convince me otherwise and get me to calm down, but she knew a losing battle when she saw one. Quickly being unbuckled, I practically sprang to the near invisible wall in front of me, separating the visitors from most of the birds. I felt I could almost just reach out and touch one of them, but my hand soundly colliding with the barrier was about as close as I got. Unfortunately for Miss Tully’s soon-to-be frayed nerves, a whole mass of other daycare Littles had just arrived at the group and were quickly crowding me. Now, I wasn’t exactly a slouch anymore as far as my physical abilities were concerned, but it didn’t take long for me to give way and slowly be edged away. Not being too tall either, she didn’t see me, and being too distracted by the wonderous birds, I didn’t even realize I was slowly getting pushed away from her. I thought I heard some woman yelling as I moved onto the next enclosure, but it didn’t take long for me to get distracted and see a dodo bird standing right in front of me. He was so goofy looking, and I wanted to touch him. I knew it was impossible on one level, but my still regressed instincts remained a powerful force in my body. Getting a little too close though, the dodo bird flapped away. “Bih!” I cried out before following the fascinating creature. Soon, I was in a part of the birdhouse that didn’t seem to be very popular. The birds were more ordinary and could be even found locally in some cases, so most groups avoided the area unless they were trying to be alone on purpose or were here on a school field trip and needed to complete their mandatory scavenger hunt. I just wanted to see the dodo bird up close coming in here, but soon, something else caught my easily distracted eye. I wasn’t sure of what it was at first, but my eyes were quickly drawn to the shiny nature of the object on the ground. I tried to will every ounce of my body away from the red shiny spot in front of me, but with my regressed instincts and still partially uncontrollable body, I dashed to it as fast as I could. In retrospect, I probably looked like a cat jumping over a laser on the ground, and part of me wanted to groan over my perceived immaturity with something as simple as an object being shiny, but my movements just powered forward. “Shi! Shi!” It wasn’t long before it darted just out of my reach, so, now hooked, I chased after it. “Shi! Shi! Doh go! Nu! Co ba hee!” With my waddled stance, I ran as best I could after the ever-moving dot. A few corridors, down some stairs, and even through a pair of doors. I had no idea where I was, but the shiny dot soon stopped in the middle of the room. Determined to catch my prey, I leaped over on top of it. ‘I got you now!’ But when I uncapped my clasped hands, instead of seeing my prize in all its glory, nothing was there. Frustrated, I could feel a few tears begin to mist my eyes. In desperation, I looked around, but the shiny spot was gone, and I realized two things with a growing sense of terror. First, I had no idea where I was, now seeing that the bright lights of the birdcage were completely replaced by concrete walls and dim lighting. Second, I started to hear noises all around me. I tried to scamper to the door I thought I had come through, but in seconds, the room was filled by at least five people. I feared the worst and that I was now about to be kidnapped by Bigs and sold into Little’s slavery, as had become horrifyingly popular again, but as my scared eyes opened a crack when I wasn’t immediately seized, I saw they were almost all my size. “Easy, easy, sweetie…” the one a little bit out front of the others said as she held her arms up as if she was surrendering to me. “We don’t want to hurt you. We just want to help…” I only could stare back at her, namely her clothing. Tactical gear adorned most of her body and there were some painted shapes on her shoulders I didn’t recognize, but thinking back, they quickly reminded me of what Sarge often looked when Jimmy outfitted him for one of his mock wars in daycare with the other stuffy’s. “Sodoah?” I asked inquisitively. The other members of the group looked at each other questioningly, but the leader came closer to me and stared deeply into my eyes. “I don’t think you’re asking for a soda, and while my friends here think you’re a lost cause, I don’t think you are.” She squinted her eyes back at me as if she was trying to read my mind. It made me a little scared to be honest. “Hmmm… let’s do this. I ask a few questions and you just nod back. So, first, can you understand me?” I wasn’t sure if this was a trick and the guns a few of them carried definitely frightened me, but the leader just seemed to have kind eyes. I wanted to know more about her and who she was, but not seeing the harm in indulging her question, I nodded. Her face quickly lit up. “Perfect. Now, is your name… Emma?” I nodded. “Good. Is your caregiver, mommy, mistress, nanny, babysitter, or foster caretaker named Nancy?” I wasn’t sure about some of those labels, but I recognized a few as belonging to Nancy, so again, I nodded. She grinned back at her friends. “Three affirmations. Is that good enough for you, Martinez?” One of the shorter ones in the back of the group sighed and then rolled their eyes. “Yeah, Bree. It’s enough. Just get it over with so we can get out of here. Netsky is already getting back chatter of a missing Little. This area’s going to be swarming soon.” The leader, Bree, nodded her head and smiled back at me for a moment, before looking extremely serious. “Sorry, Emma. This isn’t personal. We just need you back in play.” I started to question what was happening, but two of the group soon lunged and gripped me tightly by the arms. I felt a sudden warmth in the front of my diaper, but I was far more focused on what my eyes were now seeing as a giant needle headed straight for me. “Way! Way! Nu!” I tried to struggle as much as I could, but I was still no match for any of those now holding onto me. I did everything in my power to resist, but the other member of the group walked right up to me and stuck my exposed upper arm with the shot without an ounce of hesitation. It hurt something awful, and I probably would have screamed out in terror, but the members were well prepared and quickly plugged my mouth with a massive pacifier. Scared out of my mind, I saw as Bree walked closer to me and forced me to look directly at her. Oddly though, her gesture was soft and tender… not angry or brutal as I might expect in these situations. I was so confused what was happening. Bree then sighed. “I’m very sorry. I know that probably hurt a lot, but since I know you can understand me, I’ll just start talking while it takes effect. As you heard, we don’t have much time left together.” She closed her eyes for a moment and then pulled out a photo of Nancy and showed it to me. “This is Nancy, right?” I quickly nodded, but I also started to feel a funny feeling up in my head. Oddly enough, it almost felt… more awake, but the feeling was intermittent, and I really couldn’t tell if there was a pattern to it or not. Bree sighed again and pocketed the photo. “We normally don’t intervene in your types of situations. We wish we could, but we would never accomplish any of our other goals with everyone needing help. Helcats can focus on that portion of Littles.” She then paused and gestured to her friends. “See, we extract or awaken Littles like you to gather information or force actions into play that are beneficial to us in the long run. For you, we need to see what Nancy does with how you are… or at least will be. We believe she is connected with a dangerous figure high up in the pro-big movement.” I tired to rack my brain about who it could be, but I was still coming up blank, even as they removed my pacifier. “Soeee… No can hewp you…” I wanted to say more, but I then realized I actually could say more. The others in the group giggled over my reaction as my arms were set free. Bree smiled back. “Yeah. That’s the drugs working alright. Say you hit your head or something like that when you’re asked later about your ‘miraculous’ recovery, and they should just accept it. It’s the sad positive and negative with them using new experimental super drugs on us Littles. Outcomes can always vary.” My mind wheeled about with what had all just happened, and while my body still felt very much the same, portions of my brain I thought were long dormant, almost seemed to start waking up. My memory sadly was still massively full of holes, but it was a huge relief to feel more or less like… well, me. Still, even with all my relief, I still had one pressing question. “Who aww you?” Bree smiled and helped me back to my feet fully. “I’m Bree, or Briana, but we’re Omega Force. Part of the pro-Littles movement. We want to help bring about…” But right before she could say another word, a loud beeping noise could be heard. “Boss!” the one they had referred to Netsky called out. “Incoming! Suggest extraction in t-minus two!” Bree quickly looked panicked. “Shoot! Faster than I thought.” She looked back to arm and sighed. “At least we got you pumped up, but now, follow us and we’ll get you topside without getting you into trouble.” I was still so confused, but not really seeing an alternative and feeling they knew a lot more than they were letting on, I readily followed them out, and sure enough, I was soon bathed in the relatively still abandoned upper halls of the birdhouse. “Dank you…” I said back. Bree smiled. “You’re very welcome, Emma. Just stay safe but go. Rejoin Miss Tully.” We both waved goodbye at each other, and I went to find Miss Tully once their team was fully out of sight. It didn’t take long before I saw the panic my absence had caused. Security guards were scrambling all over the place and Mrs. Gillies had even arrived on the scene and seemed to really be yelling at Miss Tully. I instantly felt guilty over having wandered off before, but part of me felt everything was justified on my end at least as my brain had never felt better. So, knowing I just had to get this out of the way, I ran over to Miss Tully and Mrs. Gillies. “Miss Tuwwy! “Missus Giwees! I wigh’ hewe!” I shouted out to a clearly panicked duo near some security guards. I expected they would have been positively thrilled to see me again and seeming much better now, but instead, I just saw dozens of confused looks stare right back at me. The questions that followed seemed never-ending and being a loyal person to the Littles apart of Omega Force that had saved me, I didn’t reveal what really happened. Instead, I just made up some bogus story about falling and bumping my head a bit, just as they had suggested, as I tried to chase the dodo bird. Their hope for a simple explanation was my strength and I was just glad that in my new mental state, I could actually use it. So, satisfied at least for now, everyone got on the bus and left the zoo. Once we were safely back at daycare, though, I could see the worried expressions from the staff and even a few of my fellow Littles. Littles simply did not just poof and get better. Fortunately, My Tully and Miss Valerie seemed on my side. “Maybe it had to do with how she was regressed?” Miss Valerie offered up as an explanation. “What do you mean by that?” Mrs. Gillies questioned suspiciously. Miss Valerie almost responded, but Miss Tully stopped her first. “It’s okay, Val. I’ve got this. I need to speak my mind anyway.” After a nod from Miss Valerie, Miss Tully turned to Mrs. Gillies. “We all respect your hiring decisions, ma’am, but’ it’s just that… well, we don’t really know what goes into Nurse Bee’s formulas that she uses.” “Shhh!” Miss Mindy shushed her coworker. “We don’t want everyone hearing about what really goes on here. We’re ‘Little friendly’ but we’re not ‘pro-Little.’ You want to get sued into the ground?” Miss Tully nodded. “Right. Sorry, but honestly though… we really don’t know anything about what she uses. That’s a problem in and of itself, but maybe there’s a half-life to it or something in certain doses or even whatever formula she used.” Miss Tully then looked around the gathered group and frowned. “Where is the good nurse anyway?” Mrs. Gillies sighed. “She’s on leave. Some personal matter. You know my policy not to pry into certain things outside of these daycare walls. She’ll be back tomorrow anyways… I suggest we ask her some questions then, okay?” The rest of the staff hesitated but then ultimately nodded at the notion. Somehow, I doubted that if any of them had objected truly that they would have noted so then. Regardless, Nancy soon picked me up and as soon as Miss Tully whispered something in her ear, I could already see the burning flames nearly erupt out of her head. A silent car drive later and I knew that tonight was going to be a rough one with her. So, I should have known better, but I honestly had to tell Nancy about my day at the zoo. Not the shot part, but definitely all the animal’s part. She may have been going down a dark path, but there was still some part of me that wanted her to know everything about my day. So, I started up, not even seeing the issue with doing so. “We wen’ to da zoo taday!” Nancy halted and her face dropped. I wondered if I had said something wrong or if she had finally snapped, but I knew that wasn’t the case when her face turned into a wicked snarl. “You got better… I thought Miss Tully was just trying to get me to crack, but how?” I yelled. “How did you get better?” Her teeth gritted against themselves, and she quickly thumped over to me and grabbed my arm and looked deeply into my eyes. “This morning… this morning… you were all cooing and babbles. Walking but still a baby… now…” If I didn’t know any better, she almost seemed disgusted with how she saw me now. I was so confused and more than a little scared. “I’m losing you, damn it! You were mine… all mine! And now…” her emotions seemed to quickly fluctuate between sorrow and anger. I almost felt bad for her, seeing how she had finally accepted her new role only for me to already be getting better by then. It was a small feeling, and to be honest, each time I came home to find her angry over my new ability, that speck of sympathy just grew smaller. Her face then swung back to anger, and she seemed to get an idea of some kind. “The daycare… it was the daycare, wasn’t it?” I just stood there like a statue, neither wanting to get the daycare or Omega Force into trouble. I was stuck between lies or betrayal no matter what, but a cold, slithering voice soon froze my heart. “And just what did you expect?” a somewhat familiar voice asked rhetorically from the kitchen. “That’s just what and who they are.” To my dreaded surprise, Nurse Bee then exited and glared down at me. “They just want Littles like Emma here to take over this country. Pro-Littles the lot of them! Just you wait.” “So, what do I do?” Nancy questioningly wailed. I could feel the pain behind her words, but these two getting together suddenly started clicking within my head. ‘Maybe Omega force is here because of their relationship… but why? What could be so important about Nurse Bee?’ I was still puzzled over the notional conspiracy theory, but Nurse Bee quickly interrupted my thoughts. “I’ll tell you what we’re going to do,” Nurse Bee said definitively. “We’re going to strike back. They hit us, we hit them. Check all the corners of that place for anti-regression devices. Insist on it. After all, they can’t deny you forever.” Nancy seemed hesitant though. “I don’t know… isn’t that crossing a line though?” Nurse Bee glared back. “Don’t you want your baby Little back. Don’t you want your sweet tiny Emma back in your arms like she only was a week ago?” Nancy seemed to hesitate, but Nurse Bee just doubled down. “Look at her, Nancy. She’s already this mature in such a short period. What is she going to be like in a week? A month? Is she even going to need you anymore?” Nancy’s brain obviously was on overload, but with each passing second, her face only grew angrier. Nurse Bee was getting through to her and I knew it wouldn’t be long before her frustrations were taken out on me. “What do we do?” she asked coldly. Nurse Bee smiled back. “There are several things we can do. I’ll do some checking with stock and get you what you need or what I can get on short notice.” She paused and looked back at me briefly before switching back to Nancy. “So, now do you believe me about the daycare being part of the pro-Littles movement around here?” Nancy seemed to think again for a moment, but then just nodded. “I do. I can’t believe I was so stupid, but yes, I do believe.” I had never seen Nurse Bee so happy in my life. “Perfect.” The two then got a whole lot closer to me and looked in my direction with looks of anger, desire, and power dancing in their eyes. “For tonight though, nurse her. Force her if needed but nurse her. For now, it’s something and can tip the scales in your favor over time if they decide to get dirty in all this.” I wished and hoped like I never had before that Nancy would somehow break off this notion and just take care of me in the ways I still needed. I wanted her to be my caregiver more than anything else by now, but Nurse Bee had knotted her up all good and proper by now. So, without the slightest hesitation, Nancy nodded and grabbed me into her lap. I tried to struggle, but both Bigs just held me firm in her lap. Unfortunately, due to my still-present regressed instincts, as soon as Nancy was adjusted and unhooked her nursing bra, my body essentially went onto autopilot. As my lips wrapped around her engorged and somewhat leaking nipple, I could already feel my body giving in. Worse, it didn’t take long for my sucking reflex to soon kick in as well. I tried to fight, struggle, even bite back, back her milk had done its damage to me already. While incontinence, slower thinking, sleepiness, and a slight buzzing feeling were usual side effects, another was its addictive properties. Within seconds, like an addict returning for their high, I took in the milk with greedy abandonment. Soon, my eyes closed. I wondered about Omega Force, and I worried about my future. Plus, Nurse Bee was here and was clearly a bad influence on Nancy. I was powerless to stop any of it though, and as my belly filled with the milkshake-like milk, despite everything, I could only drift off in peace as the effects fully took ahold of me.

Hey everyone! Congrats to everyone for making it to about the halfway point in this story. I feel this chapter is very appropriate to mark that point in this story, but things are about to get a lot more interesting. Also, I just want to note that I could have dedicated a lot of time to this next chapter. Originally, it was going to be three separate chapters, but then I realized that it might get a little tiresome plot wise. In that same vein, I know I could have drastically simplified Emma’s thoughts or language, but that makes for a pretty boring or near incomprehensible chapter, so I elected not to in this case. I think the end result works and makes for a much more interesting read. Also, minor spoiler here, but Dash does show up in this chapter as an actual character. Nancy doesn’t know his name, so he’s not named, but I just want to put it out there. Namely, I want to note it first because considering the number of views this story has already garnered, I’m assuming some of you may not have read my previous story. As such, basically just remember that toys come alive when not being watched. I won’t commit to if its magic or whatever, but keep in mind that toys only reveal themselves to Littles in dire circumstances or when they believe they won’t be noticed. It’s not a big part of this story, focusing on Emma and all, but just in case anyone gets confused, that’s the reason for some elements occurring in this chapter. Next, as a reminder, I’m now polling between two stories to figure out what I should write next. The two choices are listed out in chapter 2, so be sure to check them out and let me know. As I will announce my winner in my last chapter, that would be the deadline for you to make your opinion known. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 8: Nothingness, a Doggy, and a Bond The trappings of my life soon became just that. I was a prisoner in my own mind. I didn’t want much anymore and everything around me became fuzzy… unclear as to what was going on. At first, I mourned the loss, but soon, I took comfort in the peace and safety my new life afforded me. I knew it was a dangerous path to head down but considering all that had happened and that I now felt practically all alone in this world, it just felt like a good alternative to what could have occurred to me. See, when Littles sometimes ‘break,’ as I did, we tended to go down one of two routes. Most just regressed their own minds and became mentally like babies from then on out. Recovery was possible but challenging and usually a failure. For me, however, I had gone the other way and I had become locked within my own mind. The major problem of this route for Littles was that their already fragile mind often would regress from sheer disuse or the inability to fight off anyone as they approached with something to further harm or regress them. Unfortunately, I was already starting to feel these atrophied effects take hold of me. While I knew that Nurse Bee’s special shot and whatever happened afterward with the pain in my head could be blamed for some of the problems I was now experiencing, I also knew that the more time trapped in my own mind was now severely degrading it. It wasn’t long before my needs became simple. My emotions were always in flux but my communication with them became very limited as well. A gurgle meant I was happy. Crying meant I was uncomfortable. And anything else that occurred outside my mind was just a physical manifestation of my own body. Even my memory seemed to fade with time. Concepts I had known for years all began to vanish. At first, I was so scared. Imagine forgetting your parents’ faces or the home you grew up in. Time seemed to just not matter anymore though, and it didn’t take long for me to not even mind that something was lost anymore. After all, if I couldn’t remember it, I couldn’t mourn it. Holes were left in my memory, but as the holes started to become the majority of what I could remember, one hole was just as sad, or meaningless, as the next. At some point, I just stopped caring. Between that and my near-constant need for sleep and other basic needs, my life soon merged into a routine. By the end of the second day, I had nearly lost all track of time and the only things I could recognize were those things that continued to be mentioned. Daycare, Nancy, Emma, diaper, messy… things like that, but most of those words had little meaning for me anymore. And each time I closed my eyes to sleep once again, I found I was missing more. I knew it wasn’t long before my current life was all I knew. I would live in the moment, not caring about what was next or what had just happened. Every time I had that thought though, my eyes soon closed once more as I fell asleep in my crib. * * * Nancy looked down at me and I cooed over seeing her face again. I wasn’t sure who ‘Nancy’ was exactly, but she was a pretty lady who kept me fed, warm, and clean. To me, that’s what mattered. “Who’s my Little snookums, huh? Is someone ready to go to daycare?” she asked, clearly not expecting a sophisticated answer back. As usual, I cooed back in response. “I’ll take that as a yes!” Her smile was infectious, and she played with my feet for a moment, before picking me up and taking me to the car. I didn’t like the car or my car seat, so I began to fuss. “Oh, honey. I know you don’t like this thing, but I need to get you to daycare and…” Her phone began to ring, and I started to fuss more as she turned her head away from me. “Oh, shoot! That’s work. I’ve got to take this, sweetie. I’m sorry.” She then popped her phone out. “Hello? Yes, Greg. I’ll be there in a little bit… No, I know that you all wanted me there early, but I just can’t with Emma…” Nancy seemed all upset and I got a little upset as well. I had no idea who Greg was, but I just wanted her attention back on me. She tried to play with my feet from a distance, but it just wasn’t the same. Nancy noticed. “Look Greg, I have to go… I didn’t regress her. You think I wanted this? She’s wonderful and all, but…” She looked back at me with a sad face and then quieted her voice. I could still hear her though. “It’s not my fault. The daycare screwed her up and taking care of a near newborn is hard enough. She had a blowout this morning and… yes… yes… I understand. I will be there as soon as I can…” Sighing, Nancy then hung up and turned her attention back to me. “Sorry, baby. I needed to take that but come on. I’ve got to take you to daycare pronto.” Seeing her attention pop back to me, I only cooed again. She smiled and I tried to as well, but I just heard a little farting noise instead. ‘Weird…’ Nancy tickled me a little bit and then left. Just as I was about to cry out though, she popped back in front of me, so everything was good. She even made this big noise with what we were in, and I cooed over the rattling I now felt in my body. Smiling back at me, Nancy turned on some of what she called ‘music.’ I wasn’t really sure what it was, but I just knew I liked it. So, I cooed back at her again. What felt like a thousand years later, Nancy stopped, disappeared for a moment, but then reappeared and picked me up. I cooed at her touch, but before I could really feel her closeness, I was given to someone else. I began to distress a little. “Sorry, Diana for the late drop-off,” Nancy apologized. “She had a blowout and I hate to drop and run, but I’ve really gotta go now.” The woman, Diana I guess, nodded and raised up my hand a little. “That’s okay, Nancy. We’ve got her now. You run off back to your job.” Nancy then waved at us and took off. Diana waved my already raised hand back to her and it felt kind of funny. I felt I had a new ability as my hand flopped about. It was so cool, but Diana stopped and just sighed. “Well, I guess I best get you settled Emma. No need to wait around out here…” I started to distress a bit, but Diana soon started bouncing me a little in her arms. It was actually kind of fun and I cooed a little bit during the process. Before we had even moved much further though, this one tiny person came up to us. “Miss Dee-Dee! Miss Dee-Dee!” she called out. ‘Who’s Miss Dee-Dee?’ Diana looked down at her though. “Yes, Lilly. Is there something I can help you with?” Lilly, I guess, nodded her head and clutched the doll in her hands more tightly. “When’s Emma gonna come back an’ play with us? Is she any better?” Diana started responded back, though I still wasn’t sure what was happening on whether she was really Diana, Miss Dee-Dee, or was just a special person and had two names. ‘Do I have two names?’ Diana shook her head to Lilly’s question. “I’m sorry, Lilly, but Emma here is on a different level than you are now. She might come back, but you need to be prepared that she might not.” Lilly seemed to listen but then quickly looked distressed and tried pulling my foot from her position below me. “Emma! Emma! Please talk to me! Please! You gotta wake up!” Diana moved me away and pulled Lilly away from me before waving over to a new woman. “Easy, Lilly. You need to stop that. There’s nothing any of us can do now, so you just need to accept this. Until then, Miss Mindy here is going to take care of you, okay?” By now though, Lilly was crying, and I started to get a little distressed myself. “Oh dear,” Diana said as she started to bounce me around again. “Guess someone needs their morning nap and a feed.” My cries stopped and I cooed back. “I’ll take that as a yes then.” Diana then waved to Miss Mindy and Lilly as the two hugged each other. Lilly was still crying, and she seemed so familiar, but the prospect of getting fed quickly snapped my mind off the brief thought. That cycle repeated for a long time after. Maybe a year, or a month… a day… actually, I wasn’t really too sure on the who concept of time anymore, but it felt like a long time. Regardless, nothing changed. I would wake in the morning, Nancy would drop me off and would get more upset every day with me, I would come to daycare and go through that cycle, and then I would be taken home where I would go to sleep again. It was all a routine, but a pleasant one at that. My world had shrunk very nicely and despite Nancy and others seeming distressed around me occasionally, I just kind of accepted my life. It felt safe and easy. But I guess life never stays that way though, and soon, I finally felt like I was cracking up. That patchwork-like stuffed dog that seemed somewhat familiar had wandered into my crib in the Burrows room… and yes, I know how it sounds, but I swear they walked right up to me and even spoke to me. I just assumed it was a dream, but he kept doing it with such vigor that it almost frightened me. Stuffy’s are just not supposed to talk. It’s almost a basic law of nature, ‘I think?’ but after a few more times, I kind of just accepted his presence as he snuggled down next to me after trying to get me to talk for the millionth time. I mean, even if I wanted to or could for that matter, what would I even say to a stuffy come to life? ‘Hi, my name is Emma. You are supposed to be an inanimate object and you’re probably possessed or I’m going crazy… more than what’s normal for what I’ve been through that is. Want to be friends?’ Something like that just didn’t happen, and I kinda just accepted the funny-looking but soft stuffy into my life. On top of that though, I began to realize I almost had a superpower of sorts. I couldn’t fly like the birdies outside or be strong like Nancy was, but I heard everything when most people thought I was just a shell of who I was. I was already seeing the stuffy come to life, but I saw so much more as well. I couldn’t really retain anything, but nonetheless, I still heard everything in the moment at least. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Gillies,” Miss Dee-Dee said while the other large scary woman looked down at me in the crib. I had since managed to remember Miss Dee-Dee’s name and I was so proud of myself. It was small, but I felt like such a big girl for remembering that she was called two names. Two was a big number after all. “She hasn’t changed since Tulia brought her in last week.” “Then I want you to do something different with her. Nancy is threatening to sue us or leave, and because it’s disrupting her work, they’re backing her up as well,” Mrs. Gillies, I guess, said harshly to Miss Dee-Dee. For once, I swear that Miss Dee-Dee seemed scared herself. “But it’s not my fault, Mrs. Gillies…” Miss Dee-Dee tried to defend herself. “It wasn’t my medicine that made her this way. It’s Brit…” “It’s Nurse Bee around here, Diana,” Mrs. Gillies rudely interrupted Miss Dee-Dee. I really wanted to defend my kind carer around here, but I could only just coo and let out a little fart instead. ‘It’s so funny when I do that… Miss Dee-Dee always changes me afterward and blows kisses on my tummy. It tickles!’ I paused, realizing I had lost track of what was being said above me. ‘Shoot! She’s saying something again.’ “…I know it’s really hard to work under these conditions, Diana, but we have rules for the staff here as well for a good reason. You know that, or do I have to remind you again?” “N… no, m… ma’am,” Miss Dee-Dee stuttered out. “I don’t n… need a reminder…” Mrs. Gillies smiled and rubbed Miss Dee-Dee’s shoulder. “That’s very good, Diana. It’s for your own good. Trust me. I’ll talk to Nurse Bee tonight and see if we can’t figure out this little glitch of hers. I think I can calm down Nancy and get to accept everything, but I’d prefer not to have to do that for other caregivers. Six Littles ending up like this is too much and you know I don’t like this type of outcome for our Littles.” Miss Dee-Dee nodded. “Yes ma’am. Of course.” Both looked down on me, smiled, and then walked out of my view. I was more than a little confused of what I had just heard, but I felt there was a big problem with someone called ‘Nurse Bee.’ I don’t think that Mrs. Gillies or Miss Dee-Dee wanted me this way, so maybe I had two other people on my sid… ‘Oh! Another toot! Feels so funny! Everything feels so squishy now! Squishy time! Squishy time!’ I cooed a little in my crib. The stuffy dog would be here any moment and Miss Dee-Dee would come back and remove my squishiness and… ‘Wait… wasn’t I just thinking about something that was said? Done to me?’ I really tried to remember, but another little toot came from all my straining to think. ‘Oh well. I guess if it was really important, I would have remembered it…’ So, all that kept happening. I would see something, panic and think about it, but then forget about it just as quickly. I might remember some of it later, which is the only reason that I could retain anything, but the most I could piece together was that Miss Dee-Dee and Mrs. Gillies wanted to help me out and were sorry and Nurse Bee was bad… I guess. Again, all super fuzzy, but like most things, I just had to live with it. It seemed that would be my life forever, but my new stuffed companion apparently just kept coming to me. Oddly, during one of the visits, I swear I heard a voice in my head and life in my limbs for the first time in forever… a week… a day ago? I really didn’t know, but it was there, or at least it was for a moment. I tried after, but only managed to make out another little fart. Now, I had never had a toy before… at least I think so, so I wasn’t sure why I kept getting this strong urge to hug this stuffy that kept dropping by. He certainly wasn’t new, and his stitching almost scared me, but he stuck by me. No matter what; diaper change, bottle feeding, cries… everything. He would always hide when Miss Dee-Dee or Miss Tully came to check on me and calm me down, but he was always back soon after. It wasn’t much, but he was someone I could cling to and rely on to be there for me in this place. So, when he came back to me one day and laid down for a while after I had arrived at the daycare late again, I didn’t really think anything of it, but was just glad he was here again. Almost instantly though, I heard something again buzzing in my head, but unlike the other times, I could almost make out most of the words. “Wake up… wake up… no one is upset with you… you are a good girl… just wake up…” just started playing over and over in my head. At first, I couldn’t make much of it out, but when I concentrated, by the third time it went through my head, I could hear almost as if someone were directly talking to me. Having just woken up from a nap, I could have sworn it was all just part of a dream, but as my eyes began to flutter open more to their still semi-relaxed awakened state, I heard something new this time. “Emma… wake up, Emma. Wake up for me… show me something… please, Emma… I will protect you… I will make it all okay… just please wake up…” I began to get excited. Hallucination or not, the patched stuffy dog seemed to be trying to reach out to me. There was no one else her, so it just had to be him. Being so far set adrift in a world of nothingness, it was something, so when he walked away from me again, I didn’t like it. So, I tried to muster all the strength I had inside and tried to will myself to do… say anything. Finally, I let out an “Uhhh…” The stuffy stopped and looked back over at me. First, I was elated that he had stopped. Even more though, second, I had made a noise. Having basically just been a passenger in my body for so long… ‘Maybe?’ I still wasn’t sure about things like that, but to me, all this now almost seemed like a miracle. I watched as the stuffy moved closer to me. He almost seemed just as relieved as I was, but as quickly as he turned around to see me again, he began walking away again. Not wanting for any of these miraculous new sensations or ability to go away, I let out another “Uhhh…” Again, the stuffy whipped back around to see me. I wanted him to do anything just so I could test more of myself out. Perhaps it was just a fluke, and I had some bad gas, always possible with a Little, but I just hoped it was something more… something longer lasting. ‘Had I finally found my exit from this locked-in state?’ Curiously though, instead of speaking to me, the stuffy only stared back for a while and then began to gather the blanket around me into a large pile halfway between me and the bars of the crib. In an instant, he went from looking at me to disappearing completely. I began to panic. ‘Where had he gone? He was right there! Is he a magic dog? Do I have some special magic dog just floating around and that’s why he can talk, walk, and I can hear him mentally?’ I wasn’t sure at all, but I definitely knew I wanted him back. So, frustrated, I dug deep and let out another “Uhhh…” To my relief, he popped out from behind the bunched pile he had formed. I still wondered if he was a magical stuffy, but I just cared that he was back again. Suddenly, I felt an odd sensation on my face. It was moving, near on its own and felt like it did when I cooed lately, but I still felt confused as to what it was. Seconds later though, my mind clicked into place and a deep memory popped to the surface and I realized I had no reason to panic. I wasn’t in danger. I was just smiling! Everything felt so joyous, and I just wanted to hug my new magical stuffy so badly. Moreover, I just wanted anything to happen to keep this progress going, and as if he could read my thoughts, his mouth slowly opened. “Emma…” My heart leapt for joy, and I felt myself smile even more. My magical stuffy spoke! I hadn’t just imagined it all, and I wanted to see or to hear more, but I was just so happy that a change felt like it was in the air. And, as if all that wasn’t enough, my magical stuffy walked over to me and nuzzled into my chest. Not being able to do much, but still wanting to acknowledge what he had done, I tilted my body a bit right into him. He didn’t say anything this time, but he seemed happy. That happened for a little while longer, but I could see that he almost looked like he wanted more. As if to confirm my theory, he then leaned over near to my face and looked right into my eyes. “Emma… you’re safe with me. I can be your friend if you want, but just please come out of the darkness. Come back to us, Emma…” As if a key had suddenly been turned, I felt new life within me. Sensations I had forgotten long ago came flooding back to me. My eyes, once so lifeless and still except for the keenest of observers, began to open wider as I looked back at my magical stuffy. “Oh Emma…” he said breathlessly. Everything felt so good… so new and exciting. I wanted to embrace it all and to my surprise, I even began to be able to wiggle about as my body started to awaken once more. It still wasn’t much, and I couldn’t win a race against a snail most likely, but even a little bit of something was still more as compared to when I had nothing. It was an absolutely perfect moment and I had never felt such joy in my life, or at least that’s what I assumed right then. But then something clicked within me. Now, just to be clear, as my faint recollections of my past began to flood in, I started to remember the basic stuff first since I had become like this. I remembered names and faces for the first time since all this began. Who they were was still hazy and I maybe could tell you the difference between the days, but the memories were slowly coming back. And while all that felt wonderful, I realized just how boring my life had become. It was a series of feedings, naps, diaper changes, and being hauled from one location to another. In all my memories, I could only remember being in this daycare, Nancy’s house, and her… ‘Car? Yes… car…’ I had the faintest sense there was more to life than that, but it was just beyond my fingertips. Still though, it was there, and it made me want more. Which is when I realized that I used to have more… and lost it. I wasn’t sure, how, why, or when at that moment, but I just knew I did. Seeing myself lying in this crib and being excited to do more than fart or cry was a serious blow to my happiness. My previous wiggles quickly stopped, and though I was getting my memories back, I was still very much the person I had become. So, with my emotions still in flux and triggered so easily, I broke… again. I deeply worried that this new issue would break me as it had before. I felt all the same sensations surrounding me and the loss that each of them meant. Everything felt so distant, but the images were still there of at least who I used to be on a large scale. I couldn’t remember things like street names or where I was a year ago but faces and things that I had done were becoming much clearer, so my loss now felt even worse. And, when all that began to fade again, I panicked even more. Tears flowed from my eyes, and I would have given anything to stop myself. I wanted an out, but I didn’t see anything. I was in the same room and even the same crib with the same sense of loss. I felt myself plummeting toward the abyss once more, but then I opened my eyes, and through the tears, I saw one difference: my magical stuffy. Hoping and wishing beyond and harder than I ever had before, I willed the last of my being into my arms and shot them straight out to what felt like the most recent constant in my life. I could have missed, and everything would have been over… but I didn’t. My hands clasped around his soft fury body, and I brought him right into my chest as tightly as I could. My tears were horrible, and I surely thought someone was going to help me, but no one ever came. Miss Dee-Dee, Miss Tully, or the volunteers here must have been on break or something, but that still left me. My magical stuffy was wonderful, but I just wasn’t sure if even he was enough. Suddenly though, like before, I heard something float through my head. “Easy, Emma… calm down and relax… listen to my messages… feel them… hear them… relax…” Surprised, but so relieved, I could feel my sobs began to fade out of nowhere. I knew it had to be my magical stuffy, and as such, I felt he was truly magical, so I hugged him even tighter. I felt a little fuzzy and sleepy right then, but at least my cries began to simmer. I had no idea what was happening, but as I gazed down to my magical stuffy, I just felt I had finally found the peace I was looking for. Never wanting to part with him again, I hugged him closer with one arm, but curiously, my other snaked up and my thumb planted itself right in my mouth. Never having the strength to do so before or the desire before all this, it was an odd and yet wonderous feeling. I never wanted it to leave my mouth again, but as my eyes drifted closed, I just felt happy that maybe, just maybe, I could find my way back to who I used to be. * * * Later that night, I was feeling much better, especially after I was able to wiggle my fingers after my nap, but back home, I could see that Nancy was in another one of her moods. I had been distressingly ripped away from my magical stuffy when she picked me up and now, amidst all the chaos, I desperately wanted him back. Further, having remembered some of my past now, I sadly knew that today wasn’t the first time that Nancy had come home upset. Remembering other times, I didn’t know much, but I knew I was a burden to her lately with the lack of my current abilities that she now had to deal with. Still, after my bath, I was snuggled into my jammies for the night and brought downstairs by a now calmer Nancy to my relief. I sat on her lap as we watched Squares and Letters, a show dedicated to younger Littles like me. There wasn’t much of a plot, and I drifted in and out from time to time, but tonight at least informed me, when I correctly guessed what a square was, that I was slowly getting better. Unfortunately, in the middle of the show, Nancy got a call, and I was placed into my bouncer carrier seat nearby to still watch the TV. “Yes, hello sir… no sir, I just got home and…” Her face quickly changed to one of concern and worry. “No sir, I didn’t mean to leave before my meeting was over but Emma and… I understand sir but I really need to… yes sir… yes, I understand that Littlecare is important to the company, but I need to find a way to make things work… yes sir… yes sir, I’ll be in early tomorrow morning… goodnight, sir…” Nancy then hung the phone and seemed like she was about ready to cry. I wanted more than anything to comfort Nancy right then, but as things were, I could remember what had just happened and that Nancy was having work troubles, however, that was about it. Right as I thought she was about to burst into tears though, her head snapped towards me. “You…” I had never seen her so angry before, let alone have it directed right toward me. With my newly rediscovered perception of the world though, I was never more scared in this house than right then. “You… you were punished by the daycare. I read the report, and you did this to yourself!” she spat at me. I could see the tears begin to drip down her face and I knew she was just speaking out of anger and frustration over everything, but I was genuinely shocked over what I was seeing now. “Mrs. Gillies said it was an accident and that you really couldn’t be held responsible for your actions, but ever since you came here, you’ve defied everything!” To emphasize her point, Nancy had even thrown her hands up in the air. “I mean, ever since that first day I met you… it’s just all been about you. You never thought any of us Bigs were right, and now, look at you! Probably can’t even tell if you’re wet or messy right now as compared to before. I bet if I checked, not even that long after I just changed you, you would at least be a little wet!” I wiggled just a tiny amount to see if I was wet, but I really couldn’t tell if I was or not anymore. I suspected that would take a long time to come back… if at all. “And now… I’m stuck with practically a newborn! What got into me to take you in? I must have been out of my mind when I did it. I should just return you to the foster home…” She paused and stomped her foot on the ground. “Damn it! They probably wouldn’t even take you anymore. You’re just a lost cause to pretty much everyone now. Ten years ago, newborns were all the rage, but now? I might as well give you freely to the institution up the street!” It was all a lot to process. I could tell this had been building up for some time, but to hear it all in one fell swoop… I felt like right on the cusp of everything turning back to normal between us, now, was crashing down all around me. For all I knew, in a week I would be locked up with the rest of the deformed or mentally damaged Littles in the nearby state institution. I still couldn’t remember much, but Garden Gate Hospital stood out in my mind as a place to avoid at all costs if any of the rumors there were true. So, tired, emotionally drained from my long and trying day, and now verbally assaulted by and scared of Nancy, my seemingly whole world yet who now seemed set on giving me away, my emotions simply gave way. I tried to hold them back but considering the earlier smile I had managed still felt like a miracle, I was useless to keep from bursting into tears. Unfortunately, Nancy was still upset at me and her whole life now. She tried to ignore me at first. She even walked away and plugged her ears at one point, but I could tell it was no use. I could see hatred and desperation in her eyes. “Shut up! Shut up! Just shut up!” she lashed out at me. It was a terrible moment, but even through the blur of my own tears, I could see that Nancy was at her wits end as well and crying herself. For a moment, she even seemed shocked herself over what she had just said out loud to my poor tiny crying form and cupped her hands over her mouth and shook her head. She didn’t mean her words tonight, and I could see it in her eyes. It still didn’t take their sting or the fear they induced away from my heart, but it was something. It was something even more to see though as she leaped out and grabbed me up. “Oh baby! Baby! Please! Shhh, shhh. I didn’t mean it. I’m so sorry!” she lamented as she began to rub my back and bounce me around. I wasn’t sure I was emotionally ready to forgive her, but my infantile Little instincts were in the drivers seat still and began to lull my cries away. “Shhh, shhh, honey. I’m so, so sorry, Emma. I’m just so stressed. Easy there. Easy. I’ve got you.” My cries continued to quiet down. “There, there. You’re safe. No one’s going to hurt you. No one’s going to take you away. I was just upset, and I didn’t mean all that.” She then paused and sat on the couch as she transferred into more of a cradling position with me looking back up at her. “I don’t even know if you can understand me. I wish you could speak, but if you can still think, I’m just so sorry.” I probably could have said something, maybe even a ‘na’ for her name by now, but I decided to keep quiet still. I wanted to hear what she had to say first. “I took you in as a friend, but I didn’t think of the future. I should have and that’s on me. You were just an adult in your old life. All our commercials say otherwise, but I could see your intelligence when you read at least… then all that got taken away. Slowly, you turned into this… and I just wasn’t ready.” She paused for a moment and looked away briefly at some of my babyish equipment and toys that now littered her family room. “I should have talked to my friends more about you and what to expect, but I didn’t. I should have talked to my boss more, but I didn’t. That’s on me, and there’s no excuse. Punished or not, you put your trust in me, and I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I still don’t know if you can understand me, but maybe show me a sign if you can? Please, baby… something… anything…” I debated for a second if I should just let her wallow in her torment longer, as words didn’t always heal other words said before, but I saw the genuine look of apology and regret in her eyes. I saw the longing for forgiveness the most though, so, having a little more control over my body now, I decided to smile back at her. Not even questioning my newly required ability, Nancy lit up. “Oh honey! Thank you! I don’t know if that’s maybe even just gas, but I’ll take what I can get. Come here, baby!” She then held me close and began to rock me back and forth as she hummed a pleasant and familiar tune. I couldn’t place it for the life of me, but I was just happy over our shared tiny moment. Everything remained like that in such peace and quiet… but then my stomach began to growl. I just ate when I came home, but I guessed my stomach needed what it needed. Nancy quickly noticed. “Oh! I think someone’s stomach just growled at me, huh?” She then slightly adjusted me and prodded around with my diapered rear. “Hmmm… not messy, and you’re probably not uncomfortable, but what about being hungry? Do you want some food maybe?” She looked back at me and knowing my own needs and having the ability to communicate a little better, I smiled back at her. She chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes then.” She stood up and walked away from the family room couch, stepping over a few of my leftover items on the floor. “Come on, baby. Let’s get you fed.” I was so happy. We were communicating much better now and Nancy felt like she was finally accepting who I was as a Little now. I wasn’t sure how long the peace would last, and I still had a long way to go myse… ‘Wait… where are we going?’ I watched as Nancy slowly walked me back upstairs instead of the kitchen to fetch me a jar of pureed Littlefood or to warm a bottle up. As we entered my nursery, I at least knew where we were going, but I still wasn’t sure why. Like the rest of my life, as we entered, my eyes were confronted with the notion that my room had changed as well. Unlike other Littles though, whose rooms were changed out of spite or humiliation most of the time, mine was changed out of necessity. The rocking chair was new, but comfortable whenever Nancy read me a story. The books, no longer read by me, or even held by me, had grown simplistic and overly colorful. A changing table, crib, and my wardrobe had all changed as well and everything had now been bathed in pink, purples, or some kind of pastels that blended in nicely. It was a wonderfully comfortable room, but I was still confused why we were up here to feed me. Sitting down in the rocking chair and cradling me back in her arms, Nancy didn’t seem satisfied with my position for far longer than normal. Once she stopped moving me around though, I was too low to be read to, yet too high to be spanked. It was extremely comfortable though, and I felt I could even doze off quite easily, but I still had to question it all in the first place. ‘Had Nancy finally cracked like I did? Couldn’t I have just been fed before she did though?’ As if to punctuate my pressing concern my stomach rumbled again. Nancy smiled down at me. “You know… Mrs. Gillies and I have been talking for a while now. She’s been a big help in making sure you were cared for with your new disabilities, but she’s been slowly suggesting other things that could help us bond better. One, I even bought pills for, but as it turned out, coincidentally, I found out I didn’t even need them a few days ago. I wasn’t sure if to tell you or not, but I think as a kind of recommitment from me to you, I should tonight.” I was still confused, but my eyes bugged out in further confusion as Nancy began to unbutton her shirt. I could feel the heat radiating off her body and I hoped that’s where it would all end. It didn’t though and I froze in shock as she unbuttoned a clasp on her bra and revealed her chest fully to me. “See baby… I’ve been thinking that I should become something more for you. I’ve just been torn between my work and home life lately, but tonight, I realized I really should be focusing on you. You need me right now, and if my job doesn’t understand in this world, I will just find another. After all, it’s not every day I try to start being a mommy to my Little now, is it?” she asked down to me. Her words were full of tenderness and her touch was as soft as ever, but I saw a twinkling of some kind in her eyes. I wasn’t sure what it was at first, but I soon realized that it was desire. She had shown it before, but now, her desire was to care for me and to be my new mommy. Yesterday, I might have just cooed at the idea, but today, I felt very different. Unfortunately, once again tonight, my Little babyish instincts began to take over right then. Maybe it was the smell coming off Nancy or the sight of her exposed nipples, but still without much control over my body, my face began to head right for her chest without question or much resistance. Being fully aware of everything and still feeling that something was off, though I couldn’t quite place it, I could only view my actions as an outside observer in silent horror. See, while my memory was still fragmented, I did remember a few things about Bigs and Littles, namely about breastfeeding. Just the situation in general was the stuff of most Littles nightmares, but there were also several facts about it, all interesting to observe but not necessarily witness firsthand. Chiefly though, I remembered something about the hormones in women Bigs specifically. Breastfeeding tended to form a bond they couldn’t break. It was similar for Littles, but the bond formed in half the time for Bigs. Worse, the bond tended to come with a few side effects, namely a change in the personalities of the women feeding their Littles. As my lips wrapped around her nipple, I could do nothing but watch in terror and panic over what was going to happen next. Horrifyingly, as my still regressed instincts took over, I found myself growing attached to the milky substance now trickling down my throat. It was difficult at first, and occasionally Nancy would wince and tell me “No teeth,” but my body just seemed to want more of the wonderous liquid. For her part, Nancy only just cooed at me and stroked my hair in clear contentment. Buried deep, I felt the liquid almost tasted like a milkshake and was the best thing I had ever consumed, but my newly awakened mind burned with the shock of everything that was going on. Before today, everything seemed boring but routine. I could have mapped the next years of my life out with no problem. Once I had awakened though, everything now felt like it was so up in the air. Nancy seemed so much more set on becoming my mommy, but conversely, I felt certain that I wanted more in this life. I wanted to run, play, and jump outside. I knew my path back was difficult, if not impossible, but my goals were still there. As I began to drift off and Nancy just continued to smile in near pure bliss down at me though, I had no idea if her possible new personality would even allow me to. No matter what, I just felt the tremendous weight of the future bearing down on me and all the uncertainties and challenges I was sure to face. For now, though, I just drifted off as I continued to suck down the creamy liquid.

Oh, just you wait. Lots of things coming for these characters in this story... and others.

Hey everyone! Well, I made a big oops in the last chapter. Three stories in and some of the names are blending in just a tad. I have made the corrections by now, but for those of you who read it before I could catch the instance, Emma met with Lilly, not Jenny. Jenny is the eventual Little that will claim Victor, but Lilly is the one who claims the doll, Cassie, and who is friends with both Anna and Emma. I do apologize for the mix-up, but everything should be corrected now. Unfortunately, as I was writing this, I also realized that I messed up and called Tyler Taylor. Taylor is only the Little from Mrs. Tatum’s foster home. Tyler is the dwindling Little that was good at art and was the former marketing major. Again, a thousand apologies and these corrections have been made. Next, as a reminder, I’m now polling between two stories to figure out what I should write next. The two choices are listed out in chapter 2, so be sure to check them out and let me know. As I will announce my winner in my last chapter, that would be the deadline for you to make your opinion known. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 7: Thoughts and Hopes All Fade as One I suppose one should always be grateful for what they have at the time. Particularly in this dimension and being a Little, one never quite knew what just happened to be around the corner. Unfortunately, for me and my friends, lately that meant a one-way trip into the Meadows room. Anna was first, just as Lilly and I had predicted. She had waited and told her caregiver later, and while she was given a cookie for being a good girl with the whole situation, she had still wound up in diapers. Lilly was next, as apparently, she had only recently been let out of diapers and into pull-ups. One big accident after lunch and before recess pretty much sealed her fate as she went off to join Anna in the Meadows room. As for me, I was able to last another few days, and while I held a speck of pride over that, I began to have accidents in the Canopy room myself and certain concepts just seemed a hair out of my reach. So, lonely and frustrated, I just abided my time until I got better or worse. By Friday of that week though, I was definitely worse as I flooded my pull-up right on the cusp of making it to the potty. Already out of strikes, I was soon moved to the Meadows room as well. For her part, Nancy just accepted my fate and helped me on Friday afternoon accept my new life a little more by getting me some pizza and ice cream. I overindulged and she insisted on me wearing diapers from then on to help me accept them at daycare better, but I still felt she had my back. Still, I noticed again that her looks towards me had only grown more insistent and caring. I didn’t mind it at first, but I noticed she seemed to do it after each time I had an accident, messed up some way, or even acted younger than I was really supposed to. She always followed it with a hug or a reassurance of some kind, but it had started to unnerve me as the new week began and I interacted with the Littles in my new room at daycare. Now, already Tuesday, I was quickly learning that I was probably still a borderline Canopy and Meadows room Little. On one hand, it felt nice being the oldest again in the room, but on the other, I experienced several… growing pains as it were, adjusting to my new environment. While Lilly had only experienced a temporary surge in her maturity and Anna just seemed satisfied in her new room and all the toys here, I had never experienced this type of place before. In the Canopy room, Miss Valerie, Mrs. Carter, and any of the volunteers were more like zookeepers in an odd sort of way. They made sure to maintain order, provide food and activities, and make sure everyone was happy, but they were mostly hands off if they could be. It wasn’t a lack of effort or anything, but it was just to allow the Littles there the dignity they could be afforded, being the most mature here and all. In the Meadows room, however, dignity and independence like that was nearly a foreign concept. Having over thirty Littles at least in the room at once meant that specialized day plans, beyond allergies or disabilities, couldn’t really be accounted for. So, once a Little was in here, despite likely just coming from the Canopy room, they were often treated just the same as a borderline Little about to go to the Burrows room. The once exception to this was that many of the borderline Burrows room Littles stayed in the playpen, but besides that, though, everything else was the same… which is where my issue came in. “Ju’s use da diapuh, Emma,” Anna encouraged me after snack time. “See?” She then lifted up her own sundress without a lick of shame or care in the world. “I alweady used mine. Iss sorta squishy an’ fun even!” Lilly rolled her eyes at our friend. She was used to everything around here, but I quickly discovered she also had a sense of maturity above the rest, me now being relatively on the same level as her. “You don’ need to roll around or anythin’, Emma, but jus’ use the diaper. The staff here won’ take you on potty breaks… even if you ask.” “Buh’ dat’s so unfaiw!” I complained, even stomping my foot on the ground as I squirmed around trying to avoid what was quickly seeming like the inevitable. “Maybe,” Lilly mused, “but that’s jus’ how they treat us in this room. Better get used to it.” ‘Shoot!’ My mind swirled at the notion of purposefully using my diaper. I was so happy when I finally got some feeling back going potty, but my accidents had only gotten worse if I waited any time whatsoever, which is one of the main reasons I was in this darn room in the first place now. Both my friends just kept looking at me though, and I knew my fate was already sealed in this matter. Yesterday wasn’t so bad as I actually had some legitimate accidents, but with the gunk now completely out of my system and actually feeling the need, in an odd sort of way, this just felt so much worse. So, resigned, I sighed and closed my eyes. “Can you all jus’ tuwn awound? Pwease?” Anna and Lilly both seemed skeptical over the notion, but I just didn’t want them to watch me. And so, as soon as they turned, being good friends and all, I released. A faint hiss could be heard, and my cheeks blushed furiously. If I could hear my release, so could everyone else around me. “Alwigh… you can tuwn awoun’…” I said resignedly afterward. Both did and they comforted me about as best they could. I appreciated the effort but coming from two other diapered Littles whom I already perceived as a little younger than me previously, it didn’t help ease my mind very much. And the day very much continued like that. Snack time soon gave way to story time, which then gave way to sharing time, probably my least favorite activity of all. “Okay, everyone! Circle time! Circle time!” Miss Tully called out. Everyone knew what was happening and it had taken me two days to figure it out, but Anna and Lilly had still been directing me to keep me out of trouble. I was older than them, but they were more experienced here… and listened a little better to the rules as well. Regardless, for the time being, I plopped by my two friends and sat mindlessly pondering anything else than what was going on around me.” “An’ dis is Sarge!” Jimmy proudly announced a little later, holding up the combat action toy that he practically seemed to covet. In fact, he and Tyler had gotten into it the other day over who could play with Sarge, and he was now being severely punished, going so far as to even wind up in the Burrows room occasionally. I nearly shuddered at the mere thought of that horrible place. “Very good, Jimmy,” Miss Tully commented cheerfully to the Little. “And remember… what’s your favorite thing about what you’ve brought to share?” Jimmy had to think for a moment but then pointed gleefully to Sarge’s thick mustache. “Iss so tickly an’ cool!” A number of the Bigs chuckled over the comment, but Miss Tully just kept up her usual smile she used for most Littles. There was a good reason she was the go-to ad hoc staff member who also dealt with those in the Burrows room to assist Miss Dee-Dee. Anna, Lilly, and I all had the theory that being the kinder of the two main staff members here, she would be more accustomed to dealing with the more regressed Littles. They were likely to have more problems and, problematically, more unstable emotions. So, she was perfect for them, but then could also serve as a possible stabilizing influence for anyone dropping down to the next level. I wasn’t sure how much I believed that, but it made a certain amount of sense around here. Unfortunately, I was thinking so much about her position here that I didn’t realize she was calling my name. She never called my name, so I usually just zoned out to just get through the activity, but I guess today was different. I was so deep though that Lilly had to nudge me a bit. “Huh? Sowwy… wha’d you ask?” I asked, starign back up at Miss Tully, a smidge embarrassed now. A number of Littles around me giggled and I blushed deeply, before a knowing look from a nearby Miss Mindy quickly silenced them. “That’s okay, Emma,” Miss Tully conversely piped back. “I was just asking you to share today. Remember what to say to the group?” I nodded but, again, because I was never called, I hadn’t brought anything to share. “I wemembuh, buh’ I…” I looked down in embarrassment and just hoped I wasn’t going to get yet another strike. “I uh… I fowgot…” A few of the Littles oohed as if I was about to get in trouble and I braced for impact, but Miss Tully just spoke softly first. “Now, now, class. Emma just happened to forget today, but that’s okay. I’m sure everyone can remember when they forgot something, right?” Many of my fellow Littles nodded in unison and one even raised their hand. Seeing her strain and obvious desire to share, Miss Tully quickly pointed to her. “Yes, Daphne. You want to add something?” Daphne rapidly nodded her head and even stood up. I think she used to be a vlogger or a stage actress back on Earth, but here in her current more regressed state, that basically just translated to her always wanting to share what was on her mind. “Yeah! Yeah! I jus’ fowgot whewe I weff Mrs. Puff the othuh day!” Many Littles seemed distressed over the news, but the keen observer could quickly see Mrs. Puff, the rather large pink bunny was now safely nestled within her arms. Miss Tully didn’t miss the stuffy now in her arms either. “Well, I’m just glad you got her back.” Both smiled at each other before Daphne sat back down and Miss Tully turned back to me. “Now, Emma… just try and remember to bring something to share next time, okay?” I grumbled a bit, feeling like it was pointless to share with the group, but I nodded to satisfy Miss Tully. Still, I wanted to vent just a little. “Jus’ doesn’ mean I hafta wike it…” I said under my breath. “What was that?” Miss Mindy asked me coldly, her eyes piercing right into me. I froze and shrunk back as far as I could into the circle. “Jus’ thinkin’ Miss Mindy… Dat’s all! Pwomise!” Miss Mindy glared at me and grumbled a bit herself. I don’t think she believed me, but she allowed Miss Tully to continue anyways. The sharing went on for a bit, and while other Littles forgot to bring in something or just made something up on the spot to share quite obviously, Miss Mindy’s focus still seemed to be fixated on me. It was unnerving, but I was just glad that lunch soon came around. Lunch. I used to revel in eating after my whole time with Mrs. Tatum’s foster home and Kathy’s attempt to regress me herself. I could only sigh as I basically had ended up in the exact same spot, but at least I had Nancy. She made up for the depressing loss of my former maturity, but on the other end of the spectrum, my mealtimes here had grown a little iffy since I had come to the Meadows room. While the gunk was still the worst thing I had endured for a meal around here, I was now continually subjected to donning a bib and eating in a highchair. It might have been low on my list of latest worries, but it always felt a bit of a downer in my day, especially as I was buckled in and the tray before me snapped into place. Today was no exception, and I just let out a huge sigh as my lunch plate was placed before me. “Evwythin’ ‘kay, Emma?” Anna asked me, already digging into her own plate nearby. I wasn’t sure how to respond back to her at first. Problem today was that once again, like the one’s Kathy had served me, I was now looking directly back at the dino nuggets… the one’s that gave my stomach a huge problem the next day and made my personal bathroom my best friend. Still, she was my friend, and I felt the truth was better than a lie in this case. “Iss jus’ the nuggets… dey got stuff in dem…” Anna and Lilly both looked at the nuggets on their trays and while Emma seemed oblivious and even confused, Lilly just looked at me with a straight face. “Well, duh!” “Wha?” I asked back, purely perplexed over her easy-going attitude toward them and even more when she ate one nearly whole. “I saw what you saw back at Mrs. Tatum’s, Emma. I know the nuggies have stuff in them to make us use our diapers,” she said matter-of-factly back to me. As if to punctuate her statement, she just continued to nibble down on the big nugget currently in her hand. “But… but…” I was honestly at a loss for words, and while Anna seemed just to shrug and continue eating, I also felt less certain to rely on her for valuable feedback with any of our latest developments. Honestly, I think she was getting something extra back at home that was affecting her mind, what I had no idea, but she just seemed to barrel right through some of our recent embarrassments without a care in the world now. Lilly sighed. “I know it’s a lot, Emma. I really do. It’s jus’…” She then looked down to my crotch and I suddenly became very conscious of the still wet and embarrassingly just-realized sensation that it was a warm wetness. “I mean… aren’t you wearin’ a diaper?” I nodded, still not sure where she was going with this. “Well, from wha’ I can see… usin’ our diapers is jus’ what we need to do here. All these nuggies make it easier, so I say why now, right?” Unfortunately, in my brain right then, what she told me just made sense on some level. My best bet to get out of diaper, Nancy, even seemed to revel and fully embrace my usage of diapers now. Apparently, a changing table was even waiting for me at home tonight, so they just seemed to be a sadly permanent part of my life now. It was a horrifying thought, but as I gave in and the first nugget entered my mouth while a nearby Miss Mindy just grinned, I knew I had made the right decision. That being said, once I was let out of my highchair and wandered around for a little bit, my stomach had already started churning. From a quick prodding of my padding, I knew I was already soaked, so I felt a change was definitely in order now before it became a serious problem. I knew I wasn’t supposed to ask, but I had to imagine Bigs would want to know before a Little leaked, even if they were the ones to tell, right? So, I gathered up my courage and went over to Miss Mindy. Miss Tully was already busy feeding her mentally younger charges, and I think I probably should have waited for her to finish, but I also thought time was of the essence. As such, ignoring the warnings from both Anna and Lilly, I tugged on Miss Mindy’s pant leg. “’Scuse me, Miss Mindy?” She glared down at me. “Can I getta change now?” “No,” was all she said before looking back over everyone. ‘No’ was what I expected, but I felt I was getting to a critical level with my current diaper. It was already soaked, and I could feel something slithering its way in my lower intestines, particularly after I let out a little fart involuntarily. So, I tugged on Miss Mindy’s pant leg again. She looked back down at me with anger and annoyance in her eyes. “What? What do you need, Emma?” She paused for a moment and then added, “And it better not be to ask for a change. That diaper can hold a lot more.” And that was that. Miss Mindy had used her angry eyes, informed me my diaper could hold more, pee I assumed, and she had even shut me down over the one question I wanted to ask her. So, I just mumbled a “Never mind.” It was terrible to walk away from her in my bulging diaper under my skirtalls, but I still gathered my sheer force of willpower to do it. I felt like such an adult right then from that one act alone. Sure, I was in a wet diaper, but I had overcome my own emotions and acted in a calm manner rather than pitch a fit. It was uncomfortable, but I felt so mature. In fact… ‘Oh!’ The nuggets had sped through my system at breakneck speeds, and from the looks on other’s faces, I knew the same was happening to them. Many didn’t register it after, but for me, I just collapsed into a wall and helplessly grunted. I could have made it to the potty in time when I first felt the churning, but now was far too late. Most Bigs would just use that as an excuse as to why to keep me in diapers, and while I hated their circular logic, I was already in diapers and had lost that battle in this dimension. So, I just resigned myself to my mushy fate. Still, I saw several other Littles begin to be changed, so I felt pretty confident that I was going to get one myself, much to my happiness. After the last Little, including Lilly and Anna was changed though, I was still standing there in my loaded diaper. Confused, I went over to Miss Mindy to ask her again, feeling I had a perfectly valid excuse now. “Miss Mindy? Can I getta change? Pwease?” I asked, even using my wide eyes to pressure her. She seemed to be immune to them though. “No, Emma,” she said flatly. “Those diapers can hold a lot more. Maybe before naptime, but they even have a built-in core to prevent rashes. You’ll be fine.” She then smirked at me a little. “Besides, I think you could use some extra time getting used to them. Now, run along before I get mad.” I did as I was told, at least to avoid a likely immediate spanking from her, but I was still dumbfounded. Daycare staff were supposed to be helping me and keeping me safe and healthy. Sitting in a dirty diaper just felt like in complete opposition to that notion. So, in probably my most stupid move ever, I decided that I would find Miss Tully and ask her for a change. While that notion could seem innocent, I also decided to help the process out and force her hand, just in case she felt the same way as Miss Mindy about my diaper. So, desperate and confident in my plan, I walked over to one of the empty changing tables and removed a diaper from the lower shelves. I think it was a Monkeez, but I wasn’t really sure. I just knew it was a diaper, and I felt that Miss Tully would soon change me into it. Not even a quarter way across the room though, Miss Mindy spotted me. “And just what do you think you’re doing?” Her voice thundered across the room, and many Littles scurried away from me. I frantically searched for Miss Tully to save me, but I think once again, she was off helping Miss Dee-Dee in the Burrows room. All I had on my side was a bunch of scared Littles, especially considering the volunteers would rather just spank me on the spot or simply turn me over to Miss Mindy. Even if one was on my side though, they just happened to all be on break now. So, I was basically alone. “I wanna change.” Miss Mindy glared at me menacingly and walked over to me, each of her footsteps almost seeming to pound into the very fabric of the building. I felt utterly doomed and hopeless. “I told you no already, Emma.” Her eyes then darted over to the diaper in my hands. “And why do you have a diaper?” I held it in front of me almost like a shield to protect me from the monster in front of me, just like in one of the books Nancy would read to me before bed. “I wanna change,” I repeated. “I didn’ get one an’ I wan’ one!” Miss Mindy’s focus narrowed, and she quickly bent down to my level before taking hold of the diaper. “Give it to me now, or else,” she warned, but I didn’t let go. Around us, all the Littles had formed and most seemed utterly terrified of what was happening in front of them. Anna and Lilly were both shouting at me, but amongst the ensuing chaos, I really couldn’t make out what they were saying. Considering their advice was likely to just give up right then, I stupidly ignored them. See, probably from some lingering effect of the fogginess I still felt lately, I felt supremely confident that if I just held onto the diaper and Miss Tully came back in, all would be fine, or at least forgiven. I never even considered the possibility that the two Bigs would be on each other’s side, so I just clung onto that diaper with all my might in the hopes of stalling for time. Not wanting to hurt me or cause even large of scene, I could also tell that Miss Mindy was holding back though. So, seeing my chance, I saw her two large hands on the diaper just as my strength was starting to fail me. Miss Mindy, even holding back, was still a Big and much more powerful than me. So, seeing my opportunity, I struck first and fast. It was just a single slap basically to her hands and I knew it would weaken my left arm still holding the diaper as the full load of her pull was transferred, but I felt confident that she would be too shocked, and then I could get the diaper back. Foolish, maybe, but surprisingly, it worked and the whole room went silent in less than a second as they looked on to see what would happen next. It turns out, Miss Mindy’s grip on the diaper actually loosened with both her hands. Seeing and feeling this myself in my full state of arrogance, I thought I was only seconds away from victory. It turned out however, that Miss Mindy was only stunned over such an act by me, so as soon as that feeling faded, her eyes burned like hot coals, her fingers tightened, and with barely an effort, she yanked the diaper right out of my hands. Now diaperless and facing the full might of Miss Mindy, in moments, my luck had turned, and I knew without a doubt that I was a goner. I expected to be yelled at, put down, and punished on the spot, but Miss Mindy, still fuming, merely shook her head. “I’m so disappointed in you, Emma. I was hoping we could make this work, but no… you just crossed a line… one I hope you don’t live to regret with what happens next. You screwed up… big this time, Emma.” Her calm and her simple words almost seemed to hurt me more, but knowing my fate was sealed, so when she said, “Come on,” to me, I nodded and shakily took her hand. “You know what’s next, so it’s best if you don’t struggle.” Defeated and knowing what awaited me next, I only nodded again. Having already proven her superior strength over mine, struggling just felt like a waste now. Timing and fate being cruel, right then, Miss Tully came in but then just froze as she saw the scene before her with Miss Mindy heading out, leading me by the hand, and the dozens of Littles all just staring back at us in horror and shock. They knew I was a goner as well. “What happened, Mindy?” she asked calmly but clearly in shock herself now. Miss Mindy only shook her head in frustration and gestured down toward me. “Someone wasn’t thrilled about a dirty diaper for only a little longer, stole a diaper to change herself, and then smacked me when I tried to stop her.” It was mostly an exaggeration or just a plain lie about what had happened, but with Miss Mindy still holding my hand and my spanking already scheduled for what came next, I stayed silent. For her part, Miss Tully, my apparent savior in all this, just looked at me and shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, Emma. I wish I could help you, but you brought this on yourself.” She nodded back at Miss Mindy and turned back to restore order and happiness to the currently stunned room. Just as I predicted, I entered the cutesy dungeon room and saw the implements of my would-be spanking. I trembled in fear and wondered which one would be unleashed on me today. “I’m sowwy…” was about all I was able to choke out. Miss Mindy sighed as she let go of my hand and walked over to the storage area of spanking devices. “I know, Emma. I know…” She seemed sad, but still just pulled out a new device I didn’t recognize. Instead of a paddle, flogger, or flyswatter, the device looked more like a remote control with electrodes on wires protruding from the top of it. “Wha’ is dat?” I asked fearfully. I hated not knowing things around here. If one didn’t know about it, there was usually a good reason they kept it from you in the first place. “This…” Miss Mindy began, holding up the device, “is to give you your punishment. Now, just go over and get on the bench as usual.” I nodded and laid down on the bench as I had done previously. This time, my bulging diaper squelched against the padding. “Good. Now, just stay still,” she instructed. I nodded and almost yelped as she started sticking the probes all over my backside. “Good. That should do.” She then walked in front of me and showed me the device once more. “Emma, you’re in a new room level here at the daycare, and while that means diapers, highchairs, naps, and a few other bits, it also means we don’t believe in spanking you all.” I breathed a sigh of relief but seeing the device still in her hands and feeling the probes all over my butt, I still squirmed a bit in the knowledge that something was still planned to punish me. “See, before,” she continued to explain, “we felt you knew the consequences and just elected to ignore them and be naughty. Now, we can’t always just assume that, but we still need a way for you ‘younger’ Littles to feel the consequences. We have a few ways of making that happen, but this will still simulate a spanking, but it will only affect your nerves... not your skin or tissues back there.” My eyes bulged wide at the implication of such a device. Miss Mindy nodded and even smiled a little bit. “Yes. That’s right Emma. With this, it’s technically all just in your head. It’s just pain… lingering pain even, but without all those nasty bruises you might get afterward. Punishment without any real consequences. So, considering what’s happening next, I think I’ll just start you off at… let’s say 50?” I squirmed in horror over what she was implying, but Miss Mindy anticipated my movements, and held me down before securing me with a series of straps. “Sorry, Emma. It’s for your own good at this point, but just remember, you could have avoided all of this if you just listened in the first place. Eventually, I hope you realize you’re just a Little and that Littles listen to us Bigs… the adults, no matter what we say.” And with that, she pushed the button. My backside burned instantly. As if the world’s mightiest sadist began raining blows on my rear, I felt every smack as if it was really happening. Right before I lost count at around 15 for some reason, I even managed to turn around just to see no one was there. There was no one, but another painful simulated smack popped my head forward again and I cried out. I then whimpered, begged even, for Miss Mindy to stop, but she would always just reply with “not until 50.” I kept trying anyway as the tears rolled down my face freely. Finally, though, the simulation stopped, and Miss Mindy undid my straps and helped me up to my wobbly feet. “There. I think you’ve learned your lesson. Are you going to be a good girl now, Emma? Are you going to listen to us Bigs… adults from now on?” I felt stripped of all my dignity. I was barely standing and though I knew there were no bruises underneath my horribly soiled diaper, I felt the stings just as keenly. So, not wanting to worsen my punishment and taking the morally questionable lesson to heart, I just nodded. Looking satisfied, Miss Mindy took my hand and led me out into the corridor and back to Nurse Bee’s room. I was surprised to be back here, and I wondered just what was going on. Trying not to be naughty again though, I just kept my comments to myself. “Evening, Mindy,” Nurse Bee cheerfully greeted us. She then noticed me and scanned a sheet in front of her. “Something wrong with Emma? I don’t have an appointment with her today… or is there another paperwork issue around here?” Miss Mindy shook her head. “No, Bee. Emma here has been naughty. Strict order from Mrs. Gillies that if she acted up again today, she would come back here for another one of your… treatments.” Nurse Bee’s eyes lit up. “Ah. I see. I guess I better get everything set up now, huh?” Miss Mindy nodded and then dragged me along back to the comfortable reclined chair. Once I was situated, she sternly looked back at me. “Don’t move. Not even an inch or you’ll be sorry,” she warned. I nodded as fast as I could, still silent as ever, and Miss Mindy gave a signal to Nurse Bee. In seconds, straps popped out, adjusted, and then clinched around my arms. Panicking, I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Wha’s happenin’? Why can’t I move?” I wailed. Miss Mindy ignored me though and just checked each of my straps before turning back to Nurse Bee. “All secure. If you don’t mind… I’m just going to get back to Tulia and the volunteers. Probably need me now more than ever to help get the room back in order. All the Littles know on some level what happens back here, and it can scare a bunch of them… particularly before naptime.” Nurse Bee nodded. “Go, go. Emma and I are just fine in here by ourselves.” Miss Mindy only nodded and left me alone. Still fearful of why I was strapped down, I just stared back at Nurse Bee. “Oh, Emma, Emma…” she sighed, still looking down at a tray before her that she was preparing. “I was hoping we could avoid all this, but seeing that we’re here now, I’ve got a bit of a surprise for you.” “A suprwise?” I asked back, feeling a little happier now. Nurse Bee chuckled a little and nodded. “That’s right. See, I actually know your mom… well, I guess that’s not right though, is it? Hmmm… might change that soon as well… but regardless… see, I’m friends with Nancy. She’s a pretty good person, right?” I nodded. “She’s the best! She weads to me an’ we go to the pawk togethuh!” Nurse Bee nodded. “That’s right. She talks about you so much lately. In fact, I can tell she’s grown quite fond of you recently, and I think I know why…” I raised my eyebrows as she began wheeling over to a locked drawer in the room. “See, I think Nancy really likes how you’ve turned out recently. She’s a good person and I don’t think she would freely admit that, but I think she needs a helping hand sometimes with what she really wants to achieve deep down.” She then pulled out some kind of strange purple vial from the cabinet. “Which is where I come in…” I wasn’t sure where she was headed with all this, or why I was still strapped down in a nurse’s office, but I knew I didn’t like it. My good mood over talking about Nancy’s positive qualities previously, soon vanished. Seemingly satisfied with her tray now, Nurse Bee wheeled over in her chair back to me. “We’ve even had conversations about regressing you more… on the side of course, but she always sticks up for you and tells me no.” She then sighed heavily. “Such a good person, but she needs a little bit of a shove every once in a while… probably why we’re such good friends.” My heart began to race as I realized the looks that Nancy had been giving me lately… I had seen them before. Never on her, but on other Bigs when they looked at their regressed Littles. Nancy was supposed to be my friend and roommate, but now it just seemed she wanted to be my caregiver. Without realizing it, we had both fallen into the trap of our messed up societal roles so easily. “Now, you might be wondering why I’m telling you all this. After all, you could just blab back to Nancy and that would be the end of our friendship… not to mention my just-starting career.” She then set the tray down and brought over a large device with a screen on the front of it. “Well, normally, I would just erase your memory, but with what I’ve got planned for you… I don’t think that will be necessary anymore…” With that, I panicked even more than I already was, but being strapped down and all, I could do nothing as Nurse Bee then rapidly inserted one needle and then the next right into my upper arm. I cried out in pain, but Nurse Bee only looked back at me with a look of pure satisfaction. “Perfect!” she exclaimed. “Just need to give that some time to kick in, but meanwhile, I think some little extra bits are needed to make you a better Little. Goodbye, little Emma…” She then wheeled away, donned a pair of goggles, locked the door, and flipped on a nearby switch. At first, I only saw some swirls on the screen, but soon, words began to appear. Most of them seemed jumbled up to be honest, but after a moment, I started to feel a slight prickling sensation around my head. It became more uncomfortable, and I tried to wiggle out of the chair. The straps kept me securely down though and I began to whimper as my head started to feel a painful buzz envelop every inch of it. I tried to ignore it, to push through, or even to distract myself with anything else. None of it worked. “Owww! Ahhh! Geh me outta hewe! Pwease! Pwease!” I tried to beg in my full-blown panic then, but Nurse Bee just sat back and smiled as she watched me squirm. I tried anything, but soon, my screams of pain and terror echoed off every wall in here. Each part of my brain felt as if it was being zapped by a thousand needles all at once. I cried my eyes out, wailed at the top of my lungs, but nothing changed. I can even fully admit now that it didn’t take much of it until I felt that I would have rather been dead. It was a horrible thought, but I felt I had no way out. Strangely, though, it didn’t take long for my wails to become a mix and jumble of my old words. I tried to beg and yell out for everything just to stop, but everything I said just seemed to become more and more like what I would hear an infant wail. It scared me to my very core, and I just hoped it was from all the pain I was in, but as it wasn’t going away, I felt less and less certain about that hope. To my relief, finally, the pain stopped, and the images just continued to flash in my head for about a minute afterward. I smelled something almost like burnt popcorn and I quickly felt both numb and heavy at the same time. To my surprise, Nurse Bee even unstrapped me, and I tried to escape, but I remained stuck in place. Tears still flowed from my eyes, but only gurgles came from my mouth every time I tried to speak. Grinning, Nurse Bee walked back up to me. “Well, I guess that did the trick. Let’s just see if it really did though…” She took a breath and looked at me dead in the eyes. “You will never be going back home. Enjoy your memories of Earth while you can. I doubt you’ll even remember your name by tonight.” I tried to curse out at her, but only “Buh! Ga! Nu!” seemed to come out from beyond my lips. I panicked but my heart sank as I realized that even now, when I tried to think back to my life, it all exceedingly felt like a fading photo. I could still make out the shapes, but all the details seemed to be vanishing. “Perfect,” Nurse Bee said with a smile. “Now, time for a little performance.” I questioned what she even meant by that, but I then saw her pick up the phone and push the large button next to the center red one I had seen others use around here for emergencies. “Yes, Mrs. Gillies please, Izzy. It’s an emergency!” She paused on the phone and smiled at me before her face flipped once more to one of panic. “Hello, ma’am. Nurse Bee here. It’s just so terrible, but I’m afraid we’ve got another one back here…” I wasn’t sure what was being said, but I knew that Mrs. Gillies was clearly yelling on the other end of the line. “Yes, ma’am. I do apologize, but that’s just how it goes sometimes with these drugs. Must have been a bad batch.” Another pause. “Yes, ma’am. I’m sure Nancy will understand. Miss Donahue is very understanding and I’m sure she’ll find a place in her heart for Emma here.” Another pause, but this one seemed much longer. “Yes, ma’am. I understand. Tulia will be here in a moment and fix her all up. The Burrows room should do her nicely… goodbye…” She then hung up the phone and walked back over to me with a large grin all over her face. “All according to plan. Too bad you can’t tell anyone now what you know though, huh? Probably won’t even remember all this anyway… that is if you don’t crack before you lose it. All worth it though in the end. My friend gets her Little and I proved once again that my machine works.” I wanted to spit, curse, scream… pretty much do anything, but only more gurgles just came out of my mouth. I was horrified over what had just happened, but Miss Tully soon interrupted my thoughts. “Oh, you poor dear.” She then angrily looked back at Nurse Bee. “Happened again, huh? Somehow, I very much doubt that it just happened again…” “Is that an accusation?” Nurse Bee shot annoyedly back. “Not one that I can back up. You and I are going to have it out one of these days with your… medieval practices back here. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t think that’s necessary for these Littles, but for now, I need to attend to Emma.” With that, she picked me up and cradled me against her chest, rubbing my back all the while. Admittedly, it did feel pretty good. “You best stay away from me for a good while. I could have helped Emma out here before, but… you’ve ruined that now, and if there’s another… you better hope that you can run just as fast as you can…” Without letting her respond back, Miss Tully then carried me away. Her body felt amazingly warm and safe and after everything that just happened, she felt like just the thing I needed today. Even entering the Burrows room with her, the place didn’t seem so bad. The dark and calming atmosphere of being underground and the twinkling crystals overhead just seemed to put my mind at ease, even when I was laid down on the changing table. “Oh, Emma,” Miss Tully said sadly down to me, clearly not expecting a response back. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. If I would have known this was the outcome today… I would have never let you go back there.” It was nice to hear such kindness, but I was just focused on the notion that strangely, instead of just removing my diaper, she had also stripped me of all my clothing. “Still, I guess we have to deal with what we’ve got. For you, that just means a dry diaper, some comfy clothes, a bottle, and probably a good nap now. Does that sound good to you at least?” It actually oddly did and to show my agreement with her plan, I giggled back. Miss Mindy looked relieved. “Well, maybe there’s hope for a happy girl yet. But...” she then looked down below my waist. “Oh Emma! Icky, icky, icky. You got poopies all over yourself down here. Such a messy girl!” I felt puzzled. ‘I did? When did that happen…? Or… wait… no… that was the reason I got in trouble in the first place, right?’ My mind started to feel so confused. I tried piecing everything together and holding it tight inside of me, but it just felt like I was trying to grasp onto clouds or gnats. Every time I closed my hands around them, they would just disappear. Miss Tully seemed to pay my mental discomfort no mind though, and with the hands of an expert, she just cleaned me all up, wrapped me in a new even thicker diaper, and zipped me in a footed sleeper. “There you go, Emma. All snug as a bug. Let’s get you settled down now.” She then lifted me up and placed me into a nearby empty crib on my back. I could only gaze up and see the world passing me by. I was a little scared of everything right then, but Miss Tully soon popped back into my view with a bottle. I wanted to refuse it, but just a single brush against my lips, and my mouth simply took over. Copious amounts of milk soon poured down my throat. “Oh?” an unfamiliar voice said a little shocked. “Do we have a new guest with us Tulia?” Miss Tully nodded over me as another woman approached. “That’s right Diana. Emma, this is Miss Dee-Dee,” she then introduced the new woman to me. I was too busy with my new bottle to really care though about this new woman. Miss Tully sighed. “She’s normally pretty interactive with others, but I guess today was just a bit too much for her,” she continued with a saddened face. “Another malfunction back there?” Miss Dee-Dee asked skeptically before Miss Tully only nodded. “Darn shame, but I suppose these things happen. Emma will just have to get used to her new home here at the daycare… just like the rest. Come on. I want to show you Taylor’s progress. He might actually cheer you up today.” Miss Tully sadly nodded, and both then left my field of vision. I didn’t really care though. I just had my bottle and that was really all that mattered. It was so warm… so creamy so… ‘Wait!’ I started to panic right as the last drops were drained away from the bottle. My mind began to spin in several directions. I started to hyperventilate. I was in here… the dreaded Burrows room. I had messed myself and could barely remember it from less than an hour ago. I tried to gurgle out something… anything, but nothing seemed to work to get Miss Tully’s or Miss Dee-Dee’s attention back on me. I was trapped in my new body and my head swam with new ideas and feelings… each more foreign and yet tantalizing than the last. I should be happy over the bottle. I should be happy that I was warm and dry. I should be happy that I was in some comfy clothing. Instead, though, my mind refused to cope with what was going on around me. I only panicked further as everything seemed to be fading around me. The concepts of who I was and what I was doing here seemed to fade with each second. I panicked more and this just made everything worse. With a horrible thought, I quickly realized that I was cracking up. It was always rumored in Littles, but I had never seen it before. The Little would often be so overwhelmed with everything in their life that they would panic to the point where they would lock themselves inside their own minds or just simply regress mentally. Either way, the Little ended up as a newborn, or something very near, with very little hope of ever recovering. With that thought unfortunately, I was just pushed over and into the abyss below me. Nurse Bee had done her work well and I was in a prison of my own making; a seemingly cursed lot of poor decisions, ignoring advice, and valuing my own independence. As everything seemed to drift away from me, all thoughts becoming fleeting and near invisible, I mourned all my losses… or at least the ones I could still remember. I tried to think of my home back on Earth, but soon, only an image of Nancy replaced that, and Earth became just a silly word. I tried to think of my old job, but even that became a concept beyond my reasoning. I tried to even think of my plastic potty that Nancy had just stored, but even that just confused me now. My life was complicated once, but all that was ceasing to exist for me. Minutes later, I stopped caring about pretty much anything that I couldn’t feel or touch right then. I was warm and comfy. I was dry, or at least I thought I was… ‘That lump coming from my rear did feel strange though...’ And, most importantly, I was fed. I did feel sleepy though, so wanting to fill all my needs, my eyes began to drift close. My world felt so big, but right then, my needs felt very small. With darkness encroaching on my vision, I just lay still and waited for oblivion to take hold.

Hey everyone! Whoops and so sorry for not getting this chapter out sooner. My weekend was much busier than I thought it was going to be and I didn’t sit down and edit nearly as much as I wanted to. I do have a nice backlog of chapters I’ve already written, so everyone can likely expect a whole bunch more to be dropping this week at some point. Next, as a reminder, I’m now polling between two stories to figure out what I should write next. The two choices are listed out in chapter 2, so be sure to check them out and let me know. As I will announce my winner in my last chapter, that would be the deadline for you to make your opinion known. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 6: No More Strained Peas, Please! Ick! I hated being sick, but as I awoke before the morning light had even drifted into my bedroom window, that’s exactly what I was. So, nauseous, feverish, wet, and just crummy feeling all over, I cried out for Nancy from my bedroom. “Nancy! Nancy!” Now, today was likely the worst day to get sick in the history of ever as a Little, not that there was really ever a good time, but Nancy had a very early meeting today. She had made arrangements with Miss Mindy, the staff member who was staying overnight with some of the long-term stay Littles, to look after me early in the day as well. At one point, Nancy had suggested that I just spend the night instead but being a little scared of being practically all alone there and likely sleeping in the Burrows room, I shook my head about as hard as I could seconds after she suggested it. Back to this morning, seconds after I had called out, I heard the thumping of steps pounding outside and then saw my semi-cracked door burst open. “Emma! What is it, honey? Are you okay? Is someone trying to hurt you?” I shook my head and I wanted to explain what was going on at the unearthly hour, but I guess my body thought it could explain it better than I could. So, in seconds, what I thought was just a little burp maybe, turned into a scene from a horror movie as I helplessly puked right there on the bed. “Sick, Nancy…” I feebly said. Nancy’s eyes bugged out and she immediately rushed to me, her pajamas flapping loosely around her as she did. Then, using the near precise movements of some type of trained acrobat, she twisted around the muck I had just spewed and went to hug me. “Oh, you poor thing! This is just no good at all. You must feel awful, sweetie.” In that awful feeling state, I could only nod and take comfort in her embrace. It was kind of a weird thing happening lately honestly. Nancy and I had become closer, like friends would naturally do, but there had been a few times where I had almost scared myself with just how much I was relying on her for a few daily tasks now. For instance, ever since that first night of diapers, I had worn one each night afterward. I wanted to protest, but every next morning as well, I woke up wet. This morning was no exception. Nancy began fishing around my covers and started to unpeel the soiled sheets in front of me. After a moment though, her hand snaked between my legs. I almost asked what she was doing, but when she just prodded around the front of my diaper, from the past few days of this, I knew she was just checking me. “Wet again. I guess I’ve got a few messes to take care of this morning, huh?” I only nodded and just let Nancy go about her now almost routine morning business. My pajamas and sheets covered in my puke were different, but the rest seemed very much the same, including her helping me with my morning bath. Now, before I wore a diaper to bed each night, Nancy had given me some privacy, but she had been more insistent lately that to prevent infections and the like, she would help me with some of my harder to reach areas at first, but it didn’t take long until she just did the whole thing. Not wanting an infection or to smell like pee going to daycare, I had just accepted the help and now almost saw bathtime like a personal spa day. Today, feeling sick, I only luxuriated in her tender touches even more. So, after a warm bath where she left me to just soak for a moment, I felt a little better, but I was still nauseous, feverish, and just achy all around. Nancy saw and plucked me out before helping me back to my room. “Okay, sweetie. Now, normally, if you were sick, I would just let you stay in your pajamas, but we don’t have long even before I have to drop you off at daycare.” I nodded and saw the very beginnings of the early morning light begin to creep in through my bedroom window. Nancy seemed to hesitate and if I had been more conscious at that moment, I probably would have asked more questions. Instead, she then sighed and looked back at me. “Emma… it’s just for today, and I would keep you here at home if I could, but going to the daycare while you’re sick… they have a certain policy…” Even in my sickened state, my mind whirled with the possibilities of what that could mean, but my eyes only looked on in horror as Nancy produced an object that I had become distressingly all too familiar with at night. “No, Nancy! No diapuh. Please!” “Shhh, shhh,” she said, trying to calm me as she stroked my back. It helped a little, but the diaper today just felt like too much with everything else going on. ‘What would my friends at daycare even think? Would I even still be allowed to stay in the Canopy room after?’ As my head felt like it was about to burst, Nancy just calmly went about her tasks and in my weakened state, I just let it happen. In minutes, like before bed, I was thickly diapered once more. As she then began to dress me in a cutesy weather-themed shirt, skirtalls, and some white tights, she kept trying to soothe my jangled nerves. “It’s okay, honey. The staff has promised that sick Littles who are potty trained can still use the toilet if they feel the need. The diaper is there just as a precaution… nothing more. I promise. It will all be okay.” I sniffled and while a part of me definitely wanted to believe her, being a Little here and seeing all the consequences of being one in this society, I wasn’t sure if I could trust the daycare to keep that type of promise. Still, I didn’t have much else to go off or even a choice really in the matter, so I just let my hair be braided into two side pigtails and then be led out of the house as soon as my shoes were strapped on. Moments later, I was buckled into my newly acquired and more secure car seat, and Nancy drove me to daycare. I protested for a moment, but a quick video shown by Nancy over the potential fatality to me if we were ever in an accident without one, quickly persuaded me otherwise. As soon as we parked, Miss Mindy was already waiting for us at the front door with a blanket no less. Nancy then quickly handed off my bag and gave me a reassuring but quick hug. “I promise, Emma. Everything will be okay. Just go with Miss Mindy here and she’ll help you out, okay?” I felt like I was going to puke again and the roller coaster that was my emotions this morning and even lately prevented me from doing anything more than just nodding back to acknowledge what she said. As Nancy stood back up, Miss Mindy offered her own hand to me. “Come with me, honey. Let’s get you all settled…” I took her hand without incident as Nancy waved goodbye herself and then peeled out of the parking lot. Once her car had disappeared, Miss Mindy looked down at me and I think for the first time, I think I saw her flash sympathy my way instead of annoyance. “I heard you weren’t feeling well today, so I’m going to just be helping you out a little extra, okay?” Again, in my current state, I really could only nod. Then, out of nowhere, Miss Mindy scooped me up in the blanket and carried me back inside. I was so shocked, and her arms felt so comfortable and safe, I didn’t protest in the slightest. To my despair, we then entered the Meadows room where I saw a single cot on the floor. “This is just temporary sweetie. Nothing permanent, but it’s closer to the Burrows room where I need to keep a pretty regular watch. I want you to go back to sleep for a little bit, but don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything… including a change.” I blushed heavily over her knowledge of my current padded state, but just allowed myself to be placed down on the cot. It was a little firm, but the bedding was very soft, and my eyes soon drifted closed. “Sleep tight, Emma…” With that, the door soon closed, and everything faded to black. Sometime later, I was reawakened by Miss Mindy rubbing me gently. “Morning, Emma. Come on honey. We’ve got things to do.” I began to stir awake, and Miss Mindy smiled back at me. “Sleep well?” In my still tired and sick state, I nodded. “Yeah… but I still feel weally bad.” Miss Mindy simply stroked my hair and then helped me get up. “Hmmm… I was afraid you might say that. Everyone else is just about to join us for the day, so let’s get you some breakfast. And if you had a little accident, I’ll just check you after, okay?” I blushed over the insinuation, but just allowed myself to be carried off and even be placed in a highchair. Not feeling the best, I just allowed yet another babyish event to happen to me. Feeling how I was, I wasn’t exactly sure if I could protest or not… at least until Miss Mindy returned with the nastiest green paste that I think I had ever seen in my life. “Wha is dat?” I asked, tired but now alert as to what had just been placed in front of me. “It’s a special mixture. A bunch of stuff really, but lots of peas and some ingredients that will make you feel just right as rain.” She then spooned a giant glob of the paste into a spoon and held it near my mouth. “Now, just open wide.” Seeing as it had the potential to make me feel better and knowing the far exceeding medical advancements of this society beyond Earth, I didn’t see it as a trick and opened my mouth. The goop entered and landed on my tongue. I nearly vomited right there. Now, before I’m written off as just some picky Little who wouldn’t eat their greens, I was very much the opposite back home. While a few foods could trigger my gag reflex, I was at least adventurous and tried most things at least once. With the increase of global trade in the past few decades, this meant that I had consumed most of the edible items that had ever crawled, slithered, or oozed at one time or another. This greenish blackish paste though, was something else entirely. Besides the revolting, almost pestilential smell wafting up toward me, the flavor was near indescribable. While I could detect a hint of peas in the gunk, it tasted like the smells one would get from dirty socks, pond water, three-day old trash, and maybe just plain mud that surrounded an outhouse. It was horrible, so I felt pretty justified in holding up my hand to stop Miss Mindy’s next spoonful. “Please… I’ll eat anythin’ else… just not that… please…” Miss Mindy stared back at me, unblinking for a moment, but then shoveled another spoonful right toward my mouth as if I hadn’t said a single word of protest. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to take ‘no’ for an answer afterward either and the lower half of my face ended up smeared all over from the accidental spillage from my refusal. She tried yet again, but the results were only about the same. Miss Mindy sighed in annoyance; her previous cheery morning smile now vanished. Sadly, for me, she was notorious for her short temper with uncooperating Littles. “I’ll give you one more chance. Three strikes and that’s it… kind of like in your baseball games I believe? I think that’s more than fair in this case as well.” Normally, I would agree with her, but this watery paste was a different matter. So, for the third time, she scooped up the goop and held it to my lips. Not wanting to puke, I kept them sealed. She retreated and I waited for my ensuing punishment for my ‘bad’ behavior. Instead, beyond just smearing it on my lips again, I could see that Miss Mindy’s patience had run out, but she only placed the spoon back down on the tray in front of me. Further and to my surprise, she then just started tickling me. In seconds, I almost even felt better from the giggles that poured out of my mouth, but my it turned out my initial instincts were correct. I was totally vulnerable right then and I soon found out that it was all just a trap. “Got you!” Miss Mindy yelled out as she grabbed my right wrist and shoved it in a hidden cuff attached to the underside of the highchair tray. Before I could even let out a shriek of surprise, she already had my other hand attached as well. “Wha’ was dat fo’?” I asked, now trying to get myself out of the cuffs. “I just want you to eat your breakfast and feel all better, Emma.” She then offered the spoonful of gunk to me once more. “Now, please open up. For me? Please?” Despite being trapped, it had not affected my stance of the muck or my tastebuds, so despite knowing what would likely follow, I still shook my head. “No. I won’ eat it. You can’t make me!” A sly, cold yet playful smirk appeared on Miss Mindy’s face. “Wanna bet?” Her words and face froze my blood in an instant. Betting with Bigs always meant a trap, and I should have known better than to tempt fate. I had no idea what she planned, but I watched in horror as she then reached into her pocket and took out a small black device. “Wha’s dat?” I asked, my eyes growing wide at the sight of the unknown object cradled so delicately in her fingers now. She paused at her near marvel at the object and turned her attention back to me. “Do you still refuse to eat your breakfast?” Still fearful of the remote and her plans with it, but also still not wanting to eat the gunk, I shook my head. “Shame…” Without another word, she clicked the device. At first nothing happened, but then like a train out of nowhere, it hit me with its full force. Electric shots rippled throughout my body that I soon realized were coming from the cuffs. It wasn’t enough to be painful per say, but it almost felt like one of those prank balm electric buzzers… but running throughout all my body. Partially in shock and partially in just sheer discomfort, I let out a little squeal. Miss Mindy got closer to my face and held the remote up as she stopped it and let me rest for a moment. “How about now, Emma? Still feel like telling me ‘no’ over such a simple thing this morning?” I was afraid of the device she still held and that she would use it again, but I had just enough fight left in me to shake my head. I couldn’t give in and eat more. “I won’ eat anothuh bite! You can’t make me!” Miss Mindy sighed. “I guess we need to do this the other way then…” In moments, with me still helplessly trapped, she produced a pink and purple bib and attached it around my neck. “If you’re going to behave like a Little, sick or not, I’ll just have to treat you like one.” And so, she did. She tried spoonful after spoonful, but each just smeared along my face and dropped right into the pocket of the bib. At one point, she even tried the airplane method and tickling the soles of my feet, but I still wouldn’t give in. “Emma… please just cooperate,” Miss Mindy finally said again, this time almost seeming desperate in her pleas to me, as if she was almost trying to save me. By now, I felt it was a matter of principle and for my own safety to keep telling her ‘no.’ That mush felt like a trap if I had ever seen one, so my defiance remained just as strong as ever. “I won’t eat anothuh bite! You can’t make me!” I repeated, even scowling my face back at her this time. “Oh?” Miss Mindy asked a little sarcastically, her demeanor changing once again after hearing my continued defiance. She gave out chances and felt guilty about what she was doing, but once I kept refusing her, it essentially gave her permission, nearly guilt-free, to take all this to the next level. “Does the big girl think I can’t get her to eat her yummy num-nums? I guess a certain little miss is a bit too under the weather and doesn’t remember this little device, huh?” She then quickly popped up the small remote control again from where she had briefly store it before. “No…” I think my eyes must have bugged out of my skull right then. The previous shock wasn’t painful or anything, but it also felt highly motivating. I was so confused at why she was forcing me to eat all this to the point of shocking me, but in the end, I supposed that I was still just a Little around here. A Little just did not say ‘no’ lightly to a Big. I could see the determination in Miss Mindy’s eyes to push that horrible button again, but I wanted to try one more time to get out of this whole mess. “Please, Miss Mindy. Please. I… I didn’t mean it… I… I’ll be g…good for you…” Miss Mindy only stared back at me and sighed as she moved the remote up closer to my face to ensure I knew what was about to happen. “I’m sorry, honey, but rules are rules. You’ve been very naughty refusing to eat and making a mess this whole morning, and there are consequences for not eating your breakfast when you’re told to, little girl.” Almost with a resigned contempt for her job, she then clicked the button in the center of the device she was holding. This time, another huge jolt shot into my body. I went rigid for a moment, and I gritted my teeth to keep from crying out. I was diapered, covered in mush, wearing a bib in a highchair, but I wanted to at least control one part of my being right then. Not being able to control much else, I chose to control what came out of my mouth, obscenity or other. My body on the other hand… it had no such feelings, and if wasn’t for my two arms being strapped firmly to the tray, I’m pretty sure I would have shot right out of the chair from my response to being shocked. I could feel my muscles strain under the sheer load that was being amped into them. I just hoped for release… I couldn’t take another moment, and from Miss Mindy’s resigned expression, she could see it as well in my face. She knew that she had made her point to me and was the winner this morning. And like that, Miss Mindy clicked the button once more and my form slackened. I was in a pained daze as she even went so far as to release me, so I finally let out a little whimper. My mind was all a jumble and I swear I even saw that tattered old stuffed dog walking outside for a moment, but I just waved the thought out of my head. I had enough problems without thinking that I was losing it in here, despite the fact that I oddly wanted nothing more right then than to just give him a big hug. Still, I knew I had to refocus, so I looked up at Miss Mindy after a moment, utterly defeated by her use of force on me. No spanking this round, but the harmless but painful shocks had done their work just as well. “Please… please, no mo’. I’ll be a good giwl… I’ll be a good Liddle. Jus’ please… no mo’…” Miss Mindy sighed and placed her tiny remote back in her pocket. “I’m sorry, Emma. I really didn’t want to do that, but you have to eat this stuff and learn your place here.” She spooned another helping of the green muck and held it near my lips. “Please. Just eat it. I don’t want to have to punish you again. Just be the good girl I know you already are…” I meekly nodded and slowly opened my mouth. Miss Mindy took no time shoveling the hunk of goop right onto my tongue. I nearly puked right there yet again, but I didn’t want to take my chances and kept swallowing about as much and as fast as I could. Not long and 19 spoonful’s later, I was done, and Miss Mindy just wiped my face off and carried me over into the Canopy room to my relief. Miss Valerie was already there, and she immediately got me settled underneath the treehouse to the rear of the room. I used to go there to be alone when I read, but for today, it was just my sanctuary as I recuperated from being sick and my ordeal this morning. Feeling defeated, bloated, and still sick, I just laid there in resignation. Soon though, the rest of the Littles entered and both Mrs. Carter and Miss Valerie shooed everybody away from me ‘until the proper time.’ I wasn’t sure what that meant, but about an hour in, Miss Valerie came up to me and guided me once more into the backroom. Thinking I was going to get a spanking from my naughty behavior, I began to shake and even whimper a tiny bit. Miss Valerie stopped and crouched down to my level. “What’s wrong honey? Are you going to puke again? Are you hurting still?” I shook my head tearfully. “I jus’ don’ wanna get spanked, Miss Valewee! I know I didn’t eat like a I was s’posed to dis mownin’, but Imma good girl. Weally! I pwomise now!” Miss Valerie seemed perplexed for a moment, but as if a light bulb suddenly went off in her head, she smiled and shook her head. “No, sweetie. You are a very good girl and I know this morning was just a difficult moment. We all have those, but no. Now, I’m just taking you to see the nurse. You’ve got an icky nasty bug in you. She’s going to help you get it out. Don’t you want to feel better?” It felt like the most stupid question in the world, but wanting to respond before Miss Valerie thought I was being rude to her, I quickly nodded my head. It only got a smile from her and an outstretched hand once she stood back up. “Come on, Emma. Just follow me.” I nodded again and took her hand. I just hoped the nurse here would be nice to me. Strangest thing though, as soon as we entered the clinic in the backroom, I could’ve sworn I had been there before. The walls, the posters, and even the doctor in her thick glasses all looked familiar, but I had never been in here before… right? Regardless of my own odd semi recollections, Miss Valerie then led me to a very soft reclining chair and propped me on top. “Now, Emma. This is Nurse Bee. She’s going to give you a shot, and it might sting a bit, but I’ll be right here for you. You can even hold my hand if you want.” Needing no other prompting, my hand immediately shot to hers. The two chuckled at the sight and Nurse Bee then walked over with a tray and a very large and scary looking needle on top of it. “Miss Valewee!” I cried out, clutching her hand tighter. “It’s okay, honey,” Miss Valerie tried to calm me. “It’s just a little shot. A tiny booboo and then it’s all over with, okay? You’ll feel much better after. Promise…” I did not believe that type of lie that it was just a ‘tiny booboo,’ coming from a Big or not, but I just nodded and stared back at Nurse Bee and the gigantic shot she was approached with. It glistened under the stark lighting in the room, and posters of ‘hang in there’ and ‘feel better soon,’ did little to comfort me. I squirmed a bit, but I could quickly feel the enrapturing arms of Miss Valerie keep me still. Nurse Bee grinned down at me and set the tray down before picking up the shot. “Now, no wiggles, you hear Emma?” I did, but that shot scared me more than just her words. Regardless, Nurse Bee approached and then held my arm in an even tighter vice grip and plunged the needle down into my soft upper arm. I screamed in pain as the needle entered. Tears soon followed. Oddly though, right as I thought I couldn’t take it anymore and hated the whole world right then, I just felt like hot chocolate had been pumped into my arm and an odd calming type feeling flowed throughout my body. Miss Valerie and Nurse Bee smiled at each other afterward. “Perfect. It’s already taking effect.” Miss Valerie let go of me and pulled me in tight. “It’s okay, sweetie. Soon, you’ll feel just as right as rain. I bet…” But that was the last I heard. Darkness quickly overtook me. When I groggily opened my eyes again, I felt different. Still a little foggy, but my fever and my nausea had vanished like some cool magic trick. I rubbed my arm and spotted an Adventure Sam band-aid where the needle had gone in. It was still sore, but the lack of achiness in the rest of my body almost made up for it. “She’s up! She’s up!” Anna soon cried out as she bounded over to me, now just realizing I had been asleep underneath the treehouse after getting my shot. “Anna… how long was I out?” I asked, still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. “Uh…” Anna then stared over at the clock, but I realized to her, a borderline case for the Meadows room by now, reading the clock might as well have been me asking her to quote poetry in the strange Agnustralete language. “A secon’ maybe?” she clearly guessed. Miss Valerie was nearby and chuckled a little before ruffling Anna’s hair a bit. “Good try, Anna, but it’s more like just under two hours, Emma.” I stared at both in shock, and I worried if anything had been done to me. I still managed to avoid getting tricked around here ‘Right?’, and other than some fogginess in my brain and some of my abilities, I was still relatively unscathed. I didn’t want to break that record now. I think Anna saw my distress though and leaned in and rubbed my shoulder. “Iss okay, Emma… I looked ou’ fo’ you mos’ of da time, but comm’on! It’s weecess alweady now!” In a second, my dour demeanor lit up like a Christmas tree, and needing no other prompting, I ran outside with Anna to join the others already filing out. It was another beautiful day here and the clouds and birds all seemed to be out just for us Littles. Feeling the effects of near post-sickness happiness, my energy levels beckoned to be tested. With Anna by my side, we ran around and made full use of the nice day. Half the time we were just telling each other stories about something funny on TV or that we saw outside of daycare, but the other times were just filled with make-believe. It was a little childish, but I didn’t care. I just wanted more of this wonderful feeling that was now surging through my body at breakneck speeds. In fact, I was so preoccupied by our fun together that I kinda ignored two things. The first was another girl Little who kept staring at us from the corner of the playground. She seemed lonely and as if she wanted to join in with us. It was almost a little unsettling for a moment as she stared at me in particular, but the way she would avert her stares every time I looked back over directly, told me she was probably just shy. Secondly and more unfortunately, I ignored the full feeling I had in my lower gut. According to Anna, I had essentially skipped lunchtime, so I just chalked up the feeling to having maybe skipped a meal. I was wrong. Anna and I were climbing up to the top of the playground, or at least the second tallest tower, with the first being just a little too scary today for whatever reason. My diaper had been bunching up for a while now and the hot day and the sweat I could feel accumulating there was making it even more awkward. Still, I wanted to have fun, so I just ignored it as I stepped onto the rope ladder up to the top. I then looked up to Anna, who I was grateful hadn’t noticed or at least still hadn’t teased me about my diapers. “Hey Anna! You gonna watch Pwincess Poppy tonight?” She stopped for a moment on the rope ladder and looked back down at me. “Oh yeah! Fwankie said ih migh be a wepeat fwom a wong time ago, buh I never saw when dey wen’ to da bubbauhgum caves. Have you?” I shook my head. “No. I don’t think I…” Anna then looked at me curiously. “Emma. You ‘kay?” I nodded my head and strained a bit. “Yeah. Just a widdle… hawd getting’ to the top!” I grunted a little more as I lifted my leg to the next wrung up. “You sure ‘bout dat?” she questioned skeptically. “You almos’ wook wike… wike…” She then lowered her voice. “Wike you goin’ poopy.” I was about to shake my head my head about as fast as I could over such a ridiculous suggestion, but to my horror, a loud fart sounded from my backside. “I… no!” I farted again, and now that I was noticing, I could feel a lump start to push out of me. I tried to clench, to hold off, to will it back in, but it was all no use. “Look!” another one of the newer Littles shouted. “Emma’s pooping everybody!” I froze in horror and just wanted to bury myself in the ground as quickly as I could, but for now, like a bug caught in a web, I could only just freeze there in horror. “Pottypants! Pottypants!” “Stinky girl!” “What a baby!” and so many other insults being lobbed toward me began to ring out over the playground. In my defense, I wouldn’t have been the only one going potty in my diaper, but all of them were taking naps. As if my day couldn’t get any worse, that sudden realization hit me like a ton of lead. ‘There are other diaper wearers, but they’re all taking naps now because they’re in the younger classrooms… Does that mean I’m…?’ I didn’t have the willpower today to finish that thought. Fortunately, Miss Valerie was outside today, and I guess was on the watch for these sorts of things. As she came to collect me and then guided me back inside shamefully by the hand, I just ducked my head away from all the jeering going on. “It’s okay, Emma,” Miss Valerie soothed me once back inside and headed outside of the classroom, much to my confusion. “These things happen…” “But not to me!” I wailed, feeling the paste-like bulge in the backside of my diaper… one that I felt confident that I was too mature to wear this morning. My confidence over that notion now felt like it was eroding faster than a beach at high tide. Miss Valerie sighed and stooped down to my level while taking both of my hands in hers. “Sweetie… Miss Mindy told everyone on the staff here what she fed you this morning. That stuff… there’s a reason why we ask all sick Littles who get it are put into diapers. It hurts your ability to know when you have to potty, sweetie.” Finally, I felt like I heard some good news, and even through my tears and sniffles, I looked up at Miss Valerie with hope. “So, I’m notta baby?” Miss Valerie chuckled for half a second and waved her hand about a little. “Well… you’re a big girl compared to most here, but for the Canopy room…” she then shook her head and rubbed my shoulder. “I wouldn’t think about any of that, Emma. For now, let’s just get you changed, okay?” Not wanting to sit in my full diaper for long, I eagerly nodded, and smiling, Miss Valerie knocked on the door I had just noticed that we were nearby. It soon opened and Miss Tully stuck her head outside. “Hey Val. Hey Emma. Are you here…?” Her nostrils then flared, and her eyes darted right towards me and my bulging midsection. “Uh oh. Did… the thing happen to our guest here, Val?” I could see Miss Valerie nodding from the corner of my eyes. “It did. Emma here is feeling right as rain now but had a bit of an accident. She’s a little sad about it though, so treat her gentle, okay?” I hated being talked around like that, but I also remembered my seemingly unstable emotions lately. I felt like I would cry at the drop of the hat, so a little part of me appreciated the potential for a little bit of ‘gentleness.’ Miss Tully then looked down at me and smiled as she held out her hand. “Come on, Emma. I bet that doesn’t feel too good, huh?” I sorrowfully shook my head. “Then let’s get you changed proto, sweetie.” I only nodded my head at her wonderful notion and waved goodbye to Miss Valerie. Inside, I then marveled at the forested side of the Meadows room split evenly with the more traditional meadowed area and farm. Many of the Littles were all napping and my nose was immediately assaulted with a mix of baby powder, used diapers, and disinfectant. It was odd, yet also strangely homey in here, but Miss Tully just weaved me around all the laid-out cots and right over to the changing table. I remembered seeing it the time I had been in here before I got my last spanking, but today, it was taking on a whole new meaning. Then and now, it represented a horrible milestone in my new life, but I couldn’t help but feel a little relief now as well. My diaper swayed heavily, and I definitely did not want to sit down at all, so getting a change, despite the implications in here, felt like a welcome relief. “Up you go, Emma,” Miss Tully said as she reached down and picked me up. I knew what was coming next and I shut my eyes as tight as they would go as she then deposited me onto the surface of the changing table, smooshing the mess I had accidentally left back there. It was horrible. “Shhh, shhh. Easy there, Emma,” Miss Tully then tried to soothe me herself. “Just lie back and I’ll have you clean in a jiffy. Just behave for me, okay?” I nodded. “Jus’ pwease huwwy…” I shakily said up to her. “Dis is awful…” Miss Tully sympathetically nodded and eased me back onto the changing pad before even buckling and tightening a strap over my stomach. “Okay, Emma. Deep breaths and all this will be over before you know it.” I nodded again and Miss Tully proceeded to quickly remove my shoes and then pull down my tights. The smell just kept getting worse the more she removed from my lower half, and when I heard the scritches from undoing the tapes of my soiled diaper, I wasn’t prepared for the stench that then assaulted my nose. It wasn’t as bad as I had imagined, and I even got used to it after a moment surprisingly, but it was still terrible, both in it’s smell and in the knowledge that it had come from me. Several wipes later though, Miss Tully smiled back at me. “There. All clean. Let’s just get you wrapped up again and you’ll be off playing before you know it.” I yawned and nodded back at her. She looked at me a little oddly after that, but she just continued to go about her duty in the daycare. Minutes later, wiped and powdered, I was securely wrapped back up in my fresh diaper. The experience was horrible, but oddly comforting by the end. Despite the muck that had accumulated in my diaper, from Miss Tully’s excellent job, I now smelled and felt ten times better than before. My smile soon disappeared though as I saw Miss Tully wrap up my diaper and throw it in a pail nearby. The padding was mostly definitely used, and a small smell seemed to waft from the toxic waste dump that was once wrapped around me. The concerning part though, was that the center line on the diaper had turned blue and there was a distinct yellowish color to the padding. I had messed myself and that was horrible, but what was worse, I really couldn’t remember wetting it either. With that terrible thought in my mind and a goodbye hug from Miss Tully, she helped me back to the Canopy room. Though I was relieved to join my fellow Littles back in here. The wet diaper and the stares were hurting my already fragile ego, so by the time I sat back under the treehouse and wrapped myself in a comforting blanket, I was about ready to cry. That’s when Anna found me. “Oh no, You ‘kay Emma?” she asked, peering in and then joining me. I shook my head. “I jus’ got changed in the other room after messin’ myself in front of evewyone hewe! I feel wike such a baby!” “Please don’ say dat, Miss Emily…” I heard a familiar voice say to me. I looked up, and there was Lilly, the Little that had held me back from Kathy back at Mrs. Tatum’s foster home. “Lilly? Is dat you?” I asked, fully knowing the answer already, but just not believing my eyes. Despite all that experience being less than two months ago, it almost seemed fuzzy now… ‘Must still just be that gunk I ate this morning…’ She nodded. “Yes, Miss Emi… Emma. It’s okay, though. You were sick today. Anna an’ I have been havin’ potty problems already today… right Anna?” We both looked back at Anna, and she sorrowfully nodded her head. “Anna?” I could tell something was bothering my friend. Lilly was right and my problems suddenly felt so much less. It was a bad day, but all this would pass. For Anna though, something was happening right then to her. “Wha’s wong? Tell us… Pwease?” Anna sighed and looked around for a moment before unbuttoning her pants and showing us the front of her pull-up… her very wet pull-up… “Oh Anna…” “When’d that happen?” Lilly questioned. “We met while Emma was asleep earlier an’ we both had an acciden’… You already had anothuh?” Anna nodded. “Ih jus’ happen’d… I don’ know. Should I tell Miss Vee?” Lilly and I both looked at each other, not really sure what to tell her. Being a Little was a tricky business in this society, and so many things could just be triggered so easily. See, if Nancy said she was wet here, she could be deemed too immature to stay in the Canopy room and be demoted down to the Meadows room and then back diapers. If she waited until her caregiver got here and announced it then however, she could potentially leak or just end up in diapers at home and wind up back in them here. Same outcome, but just two different ways to potentially get there at this point. “I’d tell…” Lilly pronounced finally. “But I could see it either way…” I nodded. “Same, but I think you should wait. If you wait, your caregiver could be nice to you about it. Here…” I thought back to Nurse Bee and some of the odd things I had noticed since I had come here, “maybe not so much…” Lilly nodded. “Good point. I agree wiff Emma now. You should probably just wait, Anna… I mean, if you have to potty, I’d tell, but I’d jus’ wait otherwise…” We all agreed and were soon cracking jokes about the state of our lives. It was nice to catch up with Lilly again and she was just happy that I was safe and still mentally intact. Apparently, a few of the other Littles back from Mrs. Tatum’s weren’t so lucky. Still, it was a nice end to a trying day. I knew that Nancy would soon pick me up and I could go back to pull-ups during the day… or at least that’s what I thought at first. Unfortunately, right as we were all laughing, I felt a tiny, but still present warmth in the bottom of my diaper. I tried to tell myself it was just nerves or something like that as a brief problem in holding it in, but after I rocked forward and felt a small squish, I knew the truth. So, like Anna, my fate at the daycare now also seemed to be in question. I just hoped it was the gunk that I had been fed this morning, but seeing everything in my life lately and Miss Valerie’s hesitation over when I asked her if I was a baby, I just wasn’t sure anymore. It was the sadly typical uncertain life of a Little here, but like everything else, it was just something one had to accept here or else. After all, every Little knew here that it could always be worse.

Haha. This message works just fine. I read the comments here most of the time everyday when I'm writing a story, but personal messages work just as well if others want to go that way. No need to send smoke signals or air baloons up to get a message across.

Hey everyone! Rolling right along here, I felt I needed to add this type of chapter in here to flesh out the world a bit more and add some context to the other chapters coming up with the growing bond between Nancy and Emily. This world may still be a little sketchy, but there are still some bright spots and I think I was able to capture the two sides pretty well here. Going forward, I will try to add another chapter tomorrow, but my day is seeming a little packed, even to edit the next already written chapter. So, bonus if I have the time tomorrow, but otherwise, the next chapter should be up sometime Sunday. Next, as a reminder, I’m now polling between two stories to figure out what I should write next. The two choices are listed out in chapter 2, so be sure to check them out and let me know. As I will announce my winner in my last chapter, that would be the deadline for you to make your opinion known. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 5: A Peaceful If Not Odd Existence Waking up around my usual time, I saw the sun shining just like in one of my drawings, and things only seemed likely today to get better, after all, it was a Saturday. Now, Nancy always liked my drawings, and though they weren’t very good, I still liked making them for her. It was kind of fun and that and a few activities, like those I had planned for today, seemed to make up for some of the more… concerning things recently. Reading was getting to be a little more difficult, but I easily offset this with just sticking to some of the more picture-heavy books. It was a loss, but my new friends at daycare more than made up for it with my newfound free time. I also found myself tripping as I was walking and then stumbling over my words more times than not lately. A few crying fits, some Band-Aids all over my skinned knees, and a hug from one of the daycare staff or Nancy usually helped me through it all. The worst though, was my pull-up. Despite finding a new show I liked with Princess Poppy from her cheery face on them and my love of their pink softness, they represented a point of failure in my current life. Each morning, I woke up all fresh-faced and happy, but my pull-up was sadly damp or even to the point of being soaked. My cheeks would flush with embarrassment, like this morning, and of course, Nancy would soon enter to witness the scene herself. “Oh, dear. Another accident?” she would always ask. I could only tearfully nod, but Nancy did her best to help me clean up and don a fresh new pair for the day. It was horrible, but it revealed one positive in my life that had been growing for some time now. The day had progressed and while Nancy had a few tasks in the morning, she was now happily sitting cross-legged on the other side of the tea tray from me and was finely sipping down some tea from her own cup. Unlike daycare though, Nancy made the extra effort of actually using real tea in our little play times. Teatime with Anna was great and all, but I treasured my times with Nancy since I had rediscovered my love of the event. “Can I have mo’ sugah?” I asked as cutely as I could to Nancy. “And what’s the magic word?” she popped back, staring at me with one eyebrow raised. I sighed, but I knew she was right. We had been working on my manners, but the process was still a little slow. “Please Nancy? Can I have mo’ sugah?” I stared back at her with my large glassy eyes, the same look that Anna used on me before but was now teaching me back at daycare. I didn’t have much these days, but I definitely was perfecting this skill as best I could. Nancy rolled her eyes and sighed in a more joking than cruel or annoyed way. “Oh, my aching heart. Put those eyes away missy, but just stop before I keel over from my heart breaking.” She even gripped her chest. “I’ll get you more sugar… just please… no more.” I giggled and held my teacup over to receive some more sugar in my cup. Bigs like Nancy always liked their tea bitter, but I, like most other Littles here, was developing quite a sweet tooth lately. Beyond some of my more recent… setbacks, it felt like it was becoming my fatal flaw. Still, despite my previously mentioned setbacks, I knew things could be worse. For instance, Tyler was plummeting down faster than me at daycare recently and had already ended up in the Meadows room. After I went there to borrow some wipes from Miss Tully, I was terrified of ending up there myself after seeing him toddle about thickly diapered and all. Miss Tully just stared at me for a while as I retrieved another pack for the Canopy room, and I swore I could feel a shiver down my spine… almost as if she was telling me with her eyes, ‘Soon… you’ll be in here too.’ I nearly shuddered at the notion even now, but just decided to focus back on Nancy. We hadn’t received much together time lately with her super important job, and while a part of me still wanted to go back home, I felt like if I did, I would miss her the most of everyone I had met here. There were a few odd moments where she would give me this look that I swear was some strange cross between happiness and relief, but something always came along and distracted me before I could think about it more. “Penny for your thoughts, Em?” Nancy asked me, now setting her tea down. “Oh! I…” I wasn’t sure what to tell her, as I didn’t want to share any of my recent curiosities with her. I thought I was caught in the middle of an unwinnable situation, but then, I heard a bird chirp outside. ‘Yes! That’s my way out!’ I pointed to the nearby window. “It’s just so pwetty out! Biwds chiwpin’ and sun shinnin’” I mused contentedly, really trying to sell my act of omission to her question. Nancy, it seemed, took the bait. “Oh, you noticed, huh?” I nodded enthusiastically and she just chuckled. “Well then. I guess there’s only one thing to do. How about a walk to the park today, huh? Would you maybe be interested in that?” I looked back the window showing the outside world and saw all the birds flying overhead and the nearly cloudless sky. It was a beautiful late spring day, and everything seemed to pull me outside, but once again as of late, two things scared me out there that I had come to fear more. First, other Bigs beyond those I had already met were really starting to make me nervous. There was more than one occasion where I stuck closer to Nancy and almost wanted to grab her hand. Not necessarily in comfort mind you, but more as to show that I had already been ‘claimed.’ I really wasn’t and I still wanted to go home, but they wouldn’t know that, and I would therefore be safe. Second, though, my pull-up was a constant reminder that I was wearing them for a reason. The last thing I wanted was a near miss like had happened a few other times in the past week. Still, the pull of the outside was stronger than my fears. Besides, I would have Nancy by my side. So, I nodded my head and smiled about as wide as I could. “Can we? Please? Do you weally mean it?” Nancy chuckled and quickly got up. “Of course. Now, put your cup back on the tray and then you try and go potty for me, okay?” I bounced up to my feet and nodded as I set my cup back on the tray as instructed. Nancy just smiled and left with the tray while she left me to do my business. Right then, I was just grateful I wouldn’t have to mount the stairs like I used to when I first came to live with her. See, the house was designed for a Big in mind, so every step was a really big climb for me, and with my pull-ups… my near misses would have been full-blown accidents right on the stairs if not for the tiny potty in the downstairs bathroom that Nancy had set out for me last week. A little humiliating for sure with its babyish designs of diapered princesses, and I always found that odd, but when I had to pee, it might as well have been the greatest gift ever to me. So once again, I popped in the bathroom and only closed the door to a crack, just as a precaution in case something did happen and Nancy needed to help me out. Still, once I dropped my tights, I waddled over to the potty and sat down with my pull-up soon yanked to my feet… thankfully, still dry. “Whew!” I said out loud as a rush of pee soon could be heard splattering on the inside of the plastic surface beneath me. I was a little worried that I initially didn’t think I needed to go so bad, but I still had made it, and that’s what counted in the end around here. “Everything okay in there?” Nancy asked from the kitchen, a few clinking noises following her words as well, likely coming from the dishes she was now washing. “All good! Made it jus’ in time. No accidents today! Pwomise!” I shouted back. “Very good, Emma!” she praised me. I always loved it when she did that lately. I didn’t even think twice about announcing my business to her anymore, as just as long as I got that praise, followed by that wonderful tiny warm feeling all over, I was happy. I had to imagine that it had been a trying week for Nancy. I felt that she was still happy, maybe even happier than when I first met her, but I could tell that between her job and my new… oddities, like the potty for me, she was also more stressed out than ever before. I blamed myself, and I almost considered going back to Mrs. Tatum’s, but Nancy insisted I stay. She called it a ‘burden of a caregiver,’ but I just was more paying attention to the fact that she told me I could still stay with her. Regardless, I soon finished up, used my potty stool to wash my hands while I sang the ‘Happy Birthday’ song and then exited, feeling prouder than ever. Nancy was still packing a few things up though, so I just plopped myself on the couch and started reading another book. It had silly pictures and was always a guarantee to put me in a good mood lately. Finally, Nancy had packed a bag that now hung from her shoulders, and while I hadn’t watched her pack it, now trusting her to do so for me, I almost could guarantee that there was at least a few snacks, a jacket and some drinks for both of us, and maybe even some chalk, coloring books, or a small book in case I got bored yet still didn’t want to go back home. Unfortunately, I also knew there was also likely a change of clothes, some wipes, and a fresh pull-up… just in case. So, resigned but happy, Nancy and I walked out of our house and strolled down the sidewalk to our local park. It was really a beautiful day, but I also had a teensy bit of trouble keeping up with Nancy. Every step she took, I had to take two of my own. It soon became a bit exhausting, and I was momentarily distracted by another Little riding in a stroller. They seemed so happy… so at peace… so… I shook my head. ‘Where did that thought come from about a freakin’ stroller?’ I momentarily paused, completely in disbelief with myself. Nancy noticed. “You okay, Em?” she asked, stopping herself and turning around. “You need to go potty, or…?” I quickly shook my head. “Nope! Just a little sweepy. It’sa lotta walkin’.” Nancy only smiled and waved me forward. “I know, honey, but it’s okay. We’re almost to the park and you can just sit for a minute if you need to, okay?” For some odd reason, as soon as she mentioned the prospect of being close to the park, I felt a sudden surge of energy ripple through me. The park was so close, and we were both now wasting time. So, after nodding, I took off. Nancy just laughed behind me, and despite my exhaustive pace, from her much longer legs, she easily kept up with me. Finally, a block later and out of breath a little, we made it. The park was just like any other I had seen back home, but this one was actually sized for me. While that was worrying on one level, there was a growing part of me that actually became excited to see playground equipment lately. Now, I know many people from back home would probably judge me for that notion. I even judged myself the first time I swung on one of the swings or giggled going down a slide, but everyone back home hadn’t been through what I had. When one’s day is filled with sing-alongs, oddly colored food, and above all, the condescension of everyone taller than you, a playground is just pure freedom. On a beautiful day like today, I made sure I took full advantage of that. While Nancy parked herself on a nearby bench, I went off to find new adventures on the playground. It just so happened the whole thing was built like some giant plastic and metal abstract castle, but to any Little with an ounce of imagination like me, it might as well have had a sign that said, ‘All Princesses Welcome.’ To me, it was perfect. Today, I just happened to be the oldest Little here. The other two that joined my game instead of running off to go play in the sandbox like the other younger Littles had, ‘I mean, gross and scratchy, right? Who needs that?’, were Jimmy and Donny. Both were in daycare with me, but both had been assigned to the Meadows room, though Donny seemingly not far off from joining the even younger Burrows room. I kind of felt bad for the tiny guy, seeing that room as little more than a holding facility for those too young to basically do anything, but he was perfect to be my leading dragon today. “Okay, Donny. You just sit here,” I instructed him, using his subpar walking skills to my advantage, “and jus’ say ‘grrr’ or ‘rawww’ evewy once in a while, o’ when I tell you to, ‘kay?” Donny looked up at me, and due to his thumb firmly pocketed in his mouth, he just giggled and nodded. I wasn’t sure how terrifying he was going to be at being my scary dragon today with his thumb in his mouth like that, but still, he at least seemed happy to play his part. So, I then turned to Jimmy. “Okay, Jimmy. You’s goin’ to be my knight in shinnin’ awmo’. Sound good?” I asked, already knowing what his answer was going to be. Apparently, in his former life, he was quite the ladies’ man and seeing his still-chiseled jaw and deep eyes, it wouldn’t surprise me. Anyone seeing him now though, clearly diapered and on his way down the regression pole, wouldn’t be faulted for doubting that story. For my purposes however, he was perfect to be my brave warrior. As expected, Jimmy nodded quickly. “I’ll save you, mi wadee!” My would-be hero even dropped to one knee and picked up a nearby stick as his trusty sword. I just smiled at how perfect all this was turning out to be. So, all set, we began. I perched myself in the tallest tower, being sure to grip onto the railing up there, at least just to avoid being reminded to do so by Nancy… again. She made a bit of a scene last week and some of the more taunting Littles couldn’t help but laugh at me afterward. Determined to not repeat that mistake again, I held firm with one hand, and then called out to my hero below. “Oh, Siw James!” I cried. Jimmy didn’t turn and then it struck me what was wrong. Unfortunately, I started to notice that some of the younger minded Littles began to forget bits of their old life. It scared me something awful at first, but I just learned to cope with it like most other things around here. Jimmy probably only was ever called ‘Jimmy’ now, so that’s probably all he knew. Sighing a bit, I started again. “Oh, Siw Jimmy!” I cried out again. This time, he turned up to me. “My wadee!” he called back, more squealing than chivalrous, but it was still what I was looking for. Smiling, I looked down and hoped everything would work out today. So, a good time later, Sir Jimmy and I, the Princess Poppy, navigated the hallowed halls of our castle and then the wilds of my surrounding kingdom. Donny just sat in fascination as he watched us, and just to keep things interesting, occasionally, I would point to him to make his noises. To my surprise, he usually took his thumb out of his mouth, even if just temporarily, to say his line. Some spittle and drool fell out onto his shirt and the mulch underneath him half the time, but he still was a very good dragon for our playtime today. Finally, we were getting to the end just as I could tell the day was getting late. I felt a tiny urge to go potty, but seeing we were so close to the end, I just pushed through. Honestly, for a second, I was a little envious of Donny and Jimmy, both of whom clearly used their diapers since we began, but I quickly brushed the thought aside. I was not a baby. “Huwwy, siw Jimmy! The dwagon is this way!” I called out, donning my own trusty sword stick. “Yes, mi wadee! No mo’ bad dwagon aftuh I get dem!” he heroically charged. We both then ran headlong right into the underside of one of the slides that just happened to be where Donny had crawled off to at one point. It made a convincing cave as we approached, and I then pointed to Donny. Once again, he popped his now likely dirty thumb out of his mouth. “Grrr! Rawww!” he shouted. “Oh no! We doomed!” I clung to Jimmy’s arm, and for a second, I thought he almost looked at me the way I would expect any date back home to, but doing a little of improv I guess, Donny yelled out again when I hadn’t even cued him and stopped the moment. “Rawww! Fiah!” He then half-spit, half-gurgled and looked angrier than I had ever seen him. It was hard to understand what he was doing, and it wasn’t part of my plan, but those noises plus ‘fiah’ and being a dragon, to my delight, I just assumed he was spraying fire. Smiling and taking the moment to act a little fearful, I looked back at Jimmy. “We done fo’ Siw Jimmy. He’s spittin’ fire!” Jimmy patted my interlocked arm with his and gave me a tiny little smile. Something told me, that despite his well-used diaper and the large cartoon bird on his shirt, there was still a tiny part of him in there. “Togethuh…” I nodded, smiled, and we both then turned and ran at Donny, both our stick swords pointed right at him. Donny gave one last “Raww!” to us, but Jimmy poked him first. It was just a tiny jab, but I could already tell that Donny’s regressed emotions were getting the better of him. Panicking and not wanting to cause a scene, I adjusted my original ending a bit. I bent down and tried to seem sad. “Oh! Wha’ have we done! This poh lonely cweatuh…” I then had an idea and snapped off one of my purple hair clips. “With dis… potion of healin’… I…” thinking quickly, but knowing my audience, I just made up the first thing that popped into my head. “This will heal you!” I then bopped the hairclip right onto Donny outstretched belly. Nothing happened at first, but to add a little extra magic at the end, I started to tickle his belly. In seconds, he was a fit of giggles. “Da Dwagon is healed! He goo’ now?” Jimmy asked innocently as I reclipped my hair clip. Seeing his wide hopeful eyes, I nodded. “Yes, Siw Jimmy, we saved the dwagon an’ the land. He shall be a good dwagon fwom now on!” We all then hugged over our successful journey, but it seemed right in the nick of time, as both of their caregivers began to call them over. I waved goodbye as each left, and I sighed in happiness, but the moment didn’t last long. Right then, though, my bladder twinged, and my eyes bulged in fear. “Oh sh…!” I looked around and gratefully spotted Nancy. I then ran over to her. “Nancy! Nancy! I need help!” I yelled out in panic. Worrying something was desperately wrong with me, Nancy bolted up and ran over to me. “What? What is it? Did you get hurt? Did those boys hurt you?” She even began checking my hair and then my eyes. I quickly stopped her, my urgent need only growing stronger. “No, Nancy… I have to… have tuh…” I then crossed my legs and started to squirm helplessly. No matter how bad I had to go right then, I just couldn’t get myself to say ‘potty’ out loud. Stupid? Maybe, but it is what it is. Looking down at my obvious potty dance, Nancy’s face became a little calmer, but her eyes took on a look of recognition and urgency. “Oh. I see. Well, come on there!” Without thinking or taking a second to ask, she grabbed my hand, wheeled around to retrieve her backpack, and ran across the large lawn in the park to the restroom at the top of the hill. Gratefully, no one was inside, so Nancy made quick work of undoing my pants and dropping everything before resting me on the large white potty inside, still holding onto me so I wouldn’t fall through the extremely large lid. I saw the door wasn’t even shut for the first few seconds, but I honestly couldn’t care less. I was just so relieved that I had made it, and looking down, hadn’t leaked out into my pull-up. Like me, the real Princess Poppy remained dry and as happy as ever. Beaming with an almost unusual amount of joy and pride, Nancy then helped me off the potty and readjusted everything back into place. Once back out of the stall, she bent down and looked at me face to face. “Emma. I’m just so proud of you. I know everything’s been a bit difficult lately, but you’ve handled it so well. You’ve made me so happy, understand?” Just feeling her radiant praise once again, I only nodded back in relief and happiness. For her part, Nancy seemed positively thrilled, and after a good handwashing, we both then walked back outside. Before we did though, I saw the large me-sized changing tables in the corner of the restroom. Seeing as the potties were Big-sized and the changing tables were my size, a tiny fear managed to slip into my head. Still, once outside, realizing it was getting dark, Nancy and I headed back ho… to her house and then made and ate dinner together. Once all that was done, Nancy and I watched a little TV before bed. While I knew she liked her procedural dramas better, I had recently taken a keen interest in, who would have ever guessed, Princess Poppy. I wasn’t sure what it was, but she just spoke to me in a way that so many other characters on Littles TV didn’t. She didn’t make me feel fuzzy or loopy after… just more like I had learned an important lesson. It might have been sharing or not telling lies, but I still found it endearing in a way that I couldn’t shake. Regardless, I yawned, and chuckling, Nancy turned off the TV and looked back at me. “Okay, missy. I know it was a fun day and all, but I know someone who needs to get their rest. It still felt way too early, but yawning again, I just sleepily nodded. After helping me back up the stairs, Nancy drew me a quick bath and let me do my own business. I kept slipping with the soap, and Nancy offered several times to come in and help me, but I still felt a streak of some kind of independence. Fading perhaps, but it still lingered, so I always said no. Once all that was done though, Nancy waited for me in my room alongside my pajamas and maybe even something behind her back. Usually, she would just help me with my pull-up and pajamas, but this felt different somehow. Worried, I asked, “Is somethin’ wong?” She shook her head and just patted the bed beside her. Nodding slowly, I sat next to her before she sighed. “Emma… this morning, and a lot of other mornings recently in fact… your pull-up… it’s been a little wet.” I looked down at my feet in shame. “I’m sowwy…” My voice even cracked a little. Nancy then pulled my head gently to look at her right in the eyes. “Look at me, sweetie. I want you to know that I would never blame you for something like that. You can’t help it. It’s just something that happens to a lot of Littles here over time. You must have just hit that limit recently.” “Buh so much… it feels so hawd!” I felt I was on the verge of tears, but right before they started to fall, Nancy pulled my towel-only clad body into hers. Oddly, her warmth just kinda felt nice… safe even. I still felt upset, but my tears subsided for the moment at least. “Honey… life can be hard sometimes. It’s how we face it that matters.” She paused for a moment and then smiled down at me. “Think about when you were a princess today.” I nearly recoiled in shock and tiny bit of embarrassment. “You saw that?” Nancy chuckled. “I did, but don’t be embarrassed. It was nice seeing you so happy out there, but at the end, before you came running up to me… I saw you save the dragon. Because Donny was upset, right?” I nodded, marveling at just how well she was getting to know me and my usual outcomes in those scenes. Most of the time, the dragon would be slayed, but since Donny wasn’t, Nancy likely knew there had to be a reason. “Exactly. You changed the outcome based on what you were witnessing,” she began to explain. “Donny was upset, and you reacted. You didn’t just sit there and let him cry… you made an effort to help him… help the situation.” She then reached behind and pulled out something that made me tremble in fear more than anything else in this world. “Like that situation, I think we need to react to this one you’re having at night.” She then moved the diaper closer to me. Nancy though, saw my fear of the crisp white object, and hugged me a little closer. “It’s okay, Emma. It’s just a diaper. It’s not bad. Just a little more protective than your pull-up. If you like it, I can get you some Princess Poppy diapers even, but tiny steps first. Are you willing to try it out for at least one night? Just in case?” I thought about it about as hard as I could right then. At daycare, everyone knew that diapers during the day were a one-way ticket into the Meadows room. As it was, Anna was nearly there and I had comforted her after she wet her dress the other day, but that didn’t mean that I wanted to join her. Wearing them, even at night, felt like such a big leap downward. I still wanted to go home after all. What would my students or even friends say if they ever found out? Still though, the diaper lingered in front of me. It was nearly completely white, save for a few pink and purple swirls along the waistband. Not babyish to my relief, but the whole concept felt babyish enough as it was. Seeing the pail Nancy had set up in my room though, I knew she was right. I was so wet this morning and very uncomfortable after just a moment in bed. If it was just for one night, I felt I could at least try that. So, regretting everything and fearful of what was next, I just nodded. Nancy limply smiled and then gave me a tighter squeeze. “I’m very proud of you, Emma.” We just sat there for a moment, the diaper still calling out, but finally, Nancy spoke back up. “Let me just help you with these, okay?” I could only helplessly nod back to her. Then, as if in my darkest nightmares, despite my reluctance to wear them for one night, I let her ease me to my feet as she then produced a single changing pad and laid it on my bed. It was all covered in tiaras, diamonds, and was of course pink to my small delight, but it still represented something nearly unthinkable to me about a month ago now. “Okay, honey. Just keep breathing and all this will be over in a sec.” Again, I could only nod, as she then removed my towel and gingerly guided me back onto the pad. I had never felt so vulnerable in my life, and I just squeezed my eyes in terror as I began to hear the tell-tale rustling of plastic right above me. In moments, it just got worse, as I felt Nancy’s hand firmly grip my legs and lift them to the ceiling. I had been vulnerable here before. My three spankings in daycare were evident of that, but Nancy… she was different. At first, we just seemed like roommates, but there was a tiny voice in my head that had been growing recently. I thought it was just the usual dynamics of being small in this dimension, but the more I thought, the more I couldn’t deny something I horrifically thought about one day. After all, though I’m sure some situations existed this way, one roommate doesn’t diaper the other. Here, in this dimension however, another title was applied to that person, but I just couldn’t find the power inside of me to even think it right then. Regardless, my thoughts soon shifted to my own situation where Nancy glided a cold wet wipe along my unmentionables, or at least that’s what Anna tried calling them the other day. Feeling so exposed, humiliated, and terrified, I even whimpered a little. “Oh, I’m sorry honey. I know their cold, but just one more moment. We’re almost done.” I just mournfully nodded back, and Nancy kept right on going. As she said though, soon after, I coughed a little as I smelled the horrible scent of baby powder. ‘Oh gosh! Does this make me a baby now?’ I just tried shaking that thought away. It was just for tonight, but as Nancy sealed the front of the impossibly thick foreign diaper up between my legs, my confidence in that notion wavered a little. “Okay, sweetie. You can open your eyes now. It’s all done.” I did and looked down at the near cloud-like garment surrounding my lower half. I was mortified but couldn’t help but poke at the terrible thing. I think I would die on the spot if anyone knew about this, but Nancy just patted my shoulder and helped me up to finish the nightly routine. It was getting late after all. Smiling gently, Nancy then helped me into some pink polka dotted purple pajamas, leaving nothing to the imagination to my shame over what I was wearing underneath, guided me as I brushed my teeth, and then tucked me in for the night. As usual, she left my bedside table light on and a book for me to read. I often would pass out while reading it lately, but I always noticed it was neatly placed back on my nightstand in the morning. I knew at that moment that Nancy would check up on me during the night, and to be honest, it just kind of made me feel safe for some strange reason. Tonight, though, just as Nancy started to leave, I asked her a single question that froze her in her tracks. “Nancy… can you wead to me?” I almost thought I broke her for a moment, but she spun around and looked at me like she did whenever I would mess up something for the first time. Instantly, I felt I had done something wrong. “What did you say to me?” I cowered in fear that I was about to get in trouble, but I just repeated my question. I mean, to be frank, I was having some trouble reading lately, and Nancy was there, so I just had to ask. I’d rather ask than not at least hear a story before bed. “Please don’ be mad, Nancy… jus… can you wead to me?” I offered the book, almost acting like my shield, up to the Big. Nancy took the book in seeming bewilderment, but to my relief, simply grinned down at me. “Of course I will, Emma. Don’t ever be scared to ask me something like that, okay?” I just nodded and smiled back. “Good. Now, scoot over.” I did so and Nancy flipped open to the first page after settling in. “Once upon a time, there was a farmer named George. George lived in village far from anywhere else but dreamed of adventure.” I smiled and feeling a little sleepy, I really didn’t mean to, but my head slowly drifted over and onto Nancy. At first, she seemed startled and paused before flipping the page, but then just leaned her head against mine and continued to read to me. I felt that I could still read the illustrated pages in front of me, but Nancy was here, and she now just seemed happy to do it. I felt like we both won tonight, and in this world, I felt that was never a bad thing. So, I just snuggled into Nancy further, and listened to her as I drifted off, peaceful and happy.

Hey everyone! I did a whole bunch of writing and planning for the next few chapters yesterday and felt that might be a better move than rushing to edit this. I’m hoping this bulk work I did will make it so that I largely won’t have to both write and then later edit chapters in the same day. It’s doable but with some of the longer chapters, it can be a lot. Next, as a reminder, I’m now polling between two stories to figure out what I should write next. The two choices are listed out in chapter 2, so be sure to check them out and let me know. As I will announce my winner in my last chapter, that would be the deadline for you to make your opinion known. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 4: Gripping Onto What’s Fun Only… and Failing Oh boy, do the Bigs around here have some potent food choices. I thought that some noisy toots or having to pee really bad was an issue, but there is nothing quite like feeling hungover for hours after eating whatever caused me to still feel fuzzy when I got home after daycare. Nancy seemed a bit concerned and asked me a bunch of funny questions, but by the next morning, the buzz and fuzziness had largely faded and I just kind of felt at ease. In fact, it was the first time I felt okay about anything in my life here in a long time. Nancy still seemed a bit perplex, but she just kind of went along with it, even going as far as to say the old standard of ‘if you’re happy, I’m happy.’ I could see a look behind her eyes that made me question that statement a little bit, but she was Nancy. She would never lie to me, and I mean, she had started to cut off my crusts lately. Who would cut off your crusts and would still lie to you. No one… that’s who. So, life continued just very much as it had. I noticed a few oddities, just kinda feeling a bit numb and forgetful about certain things, but I was still the oldest Little in the Canopy room and that had to mean something. To be frank, a bonus of being just a teensy bit forgetful was that I was able to read a bunch of the books I had before. I stumbled over a word or two, but no one uses them outside that book, so I didn’t really care. I got the gist of it after all, and I was still a smarty pants around here. To even further prove my maturity, I even upped my rejection of other Littles when they came up to me and asked me to play. Before, I sometimes agreed to play with them if it was in my best interest, such as blending in on days where I thought the staff was suspicious of me, or if someone like Mrs. Carter or Mrs. Gillies was upset at me for one reason or another. I was a good gir… well behaved, and I think that’s all that should have mattered, but still, I wanted my status to stay that way as much as possible. So, for today as an example, this one Little, Anna, came up to me. She was a tiny firecracker of a thing, and from her pull-ups just peaking ever so slightly above her waistband of her jeans today, I knew she wasn’t going to be in this room for much longer. “Pwease pay wiff me?” she begged, her eyes becoming like round saucers in her down-pat begging act. Fortunately, after so many times with Littles here by now, I was practically immune to it. “No, Anna. I said no and I meant it. Go find one of the other Littles. I need to finish my book before snack time today.” “But you pwomised!” she countered. “Iss jus’ some tea pawty dis time. I pwomise!” I scratched my head and tried to remember ever promising such a thing, tea party or otherwise. It was a major downside of my memory being a little problematic, but I just chalked it up to my exhaustion levels. I mean, I was getting super sleepy around the afternoon time lately after all, so it just made sense. Still, I just shook my head fiercely. “Doesn’t matter what I promised you, Anna, if it wasn’t today. Unless you can tell me when, then I must have meant it for the day I said it. Not my fault you didn’t remember or didn’t get to me in time that day.” I felt so triumphant as I foisted the blame back onto Anna. For her part, Anna just stood there for a moment and scratched her own head trying to remember when it was and what exactly I had said. Being the more regressed of the two of us, I knew my word would mean more than hers if it ever came down to it. I couldn’t remember promising anything, but if she couldn’t either, I felt pretty justified and off the hook for this go round. Finally, Anna broke from her head scratching. “I can’t remembuh, but pwease, Emiwy! Pwease!” The poor Little was now even succumbing to clasping her hands together and pleading with me even harder now. It was a rare form to see most Littles get to that level, and I will admit that I cracked a little, but I ultimately still held my resolve. “No, Anna. Not now. I need to find out what happens to my hero James as he climbs the grape vine to find the ogre and save his village. I don’t have time for tea now.” I was being truthful and the book, complete even with pictures, was fascinating to me. Still though, I looked at Anna, and her wide eyes seemed to be on the verge of bursting into tears any moment now. Seeing Mrs. Carter casually glance our way every once in a while, I knew I had to back up and try to resolve this mess before it got even worse. I was already on strike one today for refusing to come to sing-along time this morning. I never had to before and I was more mature than others and I had a book to read and… I shook my head, trying to get back on track, and resumed looking back at the still begging Anna before me. I sighed audibly, still seeing the ever-watchful Mrs. Carter looming nearby. “Fine. How about later? Okay? Will that make you run off and leave me alone right now?” Anna’s pleading stopped, and again, she seemed deep in thought, this time stroking her chin, but soon, a smile appeared across her lips, and she nodded her head enthusiastically. “Yes! I’ll ask you waiter. Tank you Emiwy!” I nodded and made sure she toddled off far away from me. Satisfied she was bugging someone else now, I resumed reading my wonderful book. Of course, I had no intention of playing with her or even having tea later in the day, but she didn’t need to know that. All I knew right then was that I had likely been spared strike two and an immediate march over to the punishment room. My butt was still sore from last week when I went there again for refusing to eat my veggies at lunch time. They were all green and squishy, so refusing, I got a spanking. Unfortunately, since my first encounter with Mrs. Gillies, she had insisted on me participating in more Littles activities than I used to. Stil trying to maintain her custody of me, Nancy didn’t object and actually encouraged me to participate in order to blend in better. I didn’t like her much for that, but I couldn’t deny that she had a tiny bit of a point, so I eventually forgave her. Plus, it didn’t hurt that she offered me a freshly baked cookie later that night as an apology for hurting my feelings earlier. Today, though, to my chagrin, was art day. Now, being the English major I was, I supported the arts program in all their renewed refinery back on Earth. Artists and their grand designs were springing up everywhere back home, but just because one supports something, does not mean they can do it themselves. For me, I could appreciate a good Picasso or Monet any day, but I was near useless when it came to doing anything like that myself. Still, when Mrs. Carter and Miss Valerie told me to do something lately, I tried to do it. “Alright everyone,” Miss Valerie started to announce excitedly, “today is art day!” Many of the Littles around me cheered. I did not. “Yes. Now, some of you will be working with markers or the crayons with me, but others of you will be working with paints with Miss Valerie,” Mrs. Carter pointed out, holding up a bucket of crayons and markers while also gesturing to the easels at the other end of the room near the treehouse structure there. I groaned, but I knew that painting was just downright messy, so I ended up joining Mrs. Carter and a few other Littles with the markers and crayons. “So… do we get a prompt, or…?” I tried to ask without sounding too much like one of the drooling Littles around here. Mrs. Carter only chuckled. “Well, Emily, you can just choose to do something on your own or we have these very easy lined drawings all lined up for anyone who wants them.” I hesitated for a moment, but when I saw most of the Littles wearing pull-ups quickly snatch the lined drawings, I elected for the blank piece of paper instead. “I’ll just stick to using my mind. Shouldn’t be too hard…” Mrs. Carter just smirked at me and walked away to help a few of the other Littles. Time dragged on a bit after that. It took me at least 15 minutes to decide to just draw a house and a nice day to fulfill the needs of the assignment, but I kept messing up the lines. I wanted it to be perfect, and I started grumbling heavily to myself. “Easy there, Em,” Tyler noted from next to me. “It’s just to have fun here. No need in giving yourself a migraine…” I always liked Tyler. He was kind to most everyone, seemed to be a little possessive of things that belonged to him, but he also seemed to be one of the few around here that I could talk to even remotely normally. “Easy for you to say… didn’t you mention being an art major or some such?” Tyler shook his head. “Technically no. Former marketing major but in truth, I almost did consider choosing art. Still… just takes a little skill and some imagination around here.” He then rested his crayon down and held up the piece of artwork he had been working diligently on since I started. “Geez…” My eyes darted around his beautifully crafted image. It was a self-portrait but was entirely down in crayon in ways I had never even considered before. Having only 12 colors to choose from, he nearly effortlessly blended many of them together to create highlights and shadows everywhere. “That’s… it’s…” “So lovely!” Mrs. Carter rudely interjected from behind us. “You should be very proud of that, Tyler. I think we should stick that out front to show off.” Her eyes then darted over to my sorry excuse of a drawing. “And Emily… that’s a very good effort. I’m sure Nancy will just love it. Is that your house back on Earth, sweetie?” I could feel the condescension and her tone used exclusively for younger Littles just dripping off each of her words. I nodded, and seemingly satisfied, Mrs. Carter walked off. Feeling my emotions suddenly surge as they oddly had been recently, I quickly ripped up my paper. “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” “Hey!” Tyler tried to yell out to stop me, but it was too late. He looked a little crestfallen as he stared back at me. “That was really good, Em. You should have kept that…” I just angrily hmphed and folded my arms. Tyler seemed a little hurt, but I didn’t realize someone else had been watching and listening in. “It’s okay, Tyler,” Miss Valerie said warmly from behind us. “You have a wonderful piece of artwork, and I think Emily here just needs something different today.” She then held out her hand to my crossed arms and smiled at me patiently. “Come on, Emily. Let’s see if painting is more your style today.” Seeing her invitation more as a command than a request, I sighed and took her hand. “Bye Tyler… I really did like your piece…” He smiled back at me and waved goodbye. “Thank you, Em. Just have fun today, okay?” I didn’t have time to respond back as Miss Valerie wasted no time in dressing me in a large billowing smock that covered all my clothing from my neck down to my feet. Seemingly happy with her work, Miss Valerie stood back and smiled. “Wonderful. Washable and even edible paint, but no sense in getting it on your clothes needlessly, huh?” I just nodded and wanted to get this portion of my day over with. Miss Valerie kept smiling and brought me to a now empty sheet of paper hoisted up on an easel. It seemed even more daunting to me than my previous sheet with the markers I was using, but Miss Valerie just pushed the paints and brushes right up to me. “Here you go, honey. As Tyler said, just have fun!” With that, she then left me, but I still felt stumped. I had already tried and personally felt like I had failed with my rendition of a house, so I had no earthly idea what to paint now. Ten minutes passed and I noticed that many of the Littles had begun to disperse to go get cleaned up with some of the volunteers today. Groaning over a bunch of college-aged and high schoolers seeing me struggle with something like painting, just got me all twisted inside. Before I resigned in abject failure though, Miss Valerie came back up to me and sighed. “Still no painting, huh?” I shook my head sadly. She then patted my shoulder. “Here. Let’s try something else.” She then grabbed a brush and splattered a few dollops of paint on the paper plate in front of me. “Okay, I won’t subject you to finger painting today, but we can at least make something for you to take home to Nancy today.” “But I don’t think I can do it, Miss Valerie!” I accidentally whined back. I meant it more as a protest, but once again, my cloudy emotions seemed to be taking over. “I’m terrible at art! Always have been!” “I don’t think that’s true, but even if you think it is, that’s okay, dear. I have something else in mind anyways.” She then grabbed something from her pocket and stretched it out. “Alright. Eyes closed, but just in case you want to peak…” Without so much as another word, she wrapped the long cloth around my eyes. “But I can’t see!” I protested, but it was no use. In seconds, everything was either shades of black or there were just some slips of light coming from underneath the cloth, but it was just of the floor and my feet… nowhere near close to the sheet in front of me. Miss Valerie chuckled. “That’s okay, sweetie. Right now, we’re just going to have fun.” And with that, she took a hold of both my arms and held them out before me, like I was some half-dead mummy or Frankenstein’s monster. Before I had a chance to protest, Miss Valerie cut me off. “Now, before you complain, I just want to do this one thing. I’ll hold you up and decide the color, but you just move your arms with what feels best, okay?” Seeming trapped and helpless, I felt couldn’t do anything but nod. “Perfect! Alright… here we go!” Miss Valerie then thrusted me downward and up. It felt strange to be controlled and yet not in control as well. My brush definitely hit the canvas, but not being able to see anything, I just moved about between long strokes and sheer wildness. I could quickly feel splatters of paint coating my hands and arc out to my chest. I hesitated. “Keep going, Emily! You’re doing really great. Just tell me when you want to switch colors.” “Switch!” I belted out immediately. I then dove down and popped back up moments later. From the splashing of the water on my hands, I knew I was making a mess, but Miss Valerie didn’t seem to care. She even started making race car noises behind me and started to turn the whole thing into a game. I would shout, “Switch!” and she wound dunk me down again and then back up all while humming and grunting out like we were in some car race or on a rollercoaster. “Vroom! Eeek! Dunka dunka dunka! Vroom! Vroom!” It was so silly… she was so silly, but it didn’t take long of the utter ridiculousness for me to begin to crack a smile as well. Being tossed around, practically smeared in paint most likely, and just waving about like some madwoman, it was hard not to. Finally, Miss Valerie halted me into position. “Alright, I think that’s good. Just stay still and let me help you out here.” I did as I was instructed, and the blindfold was quickly removed after my brushes were taken from my hands. Before me, the whole area, wisely protected by plastic sheeting and newspapers, was covered in splashes of paint, nearly too numerous to list, but when I stared at the canvas, it wasn’t anything, but it was also something. I wasn’t sure what, but I just marveled at the array of colors used and I almost couldn’t believe that had sparked from Miss Valerie’s and I’s chaotic dance of sorts. “We did that?” Miss Valeria chuckled as she began to use a wet wipe to clean the bulk of my hands. “No, sweetie… you did that. I just helped you carry the load for a bit. I took away all your judgement and worry over what you were doing. And, if I’m not mistaken from a few of the giggles I heard you make out, I think you had a good time as well. Am I right?” It was hard to swallow all that at once, because she was essentially insinuating that I just let go of everything here, and while that worked for the art world a lot of times, I also had to read between the lines as well. I couldn’t just outright tell her that I wouldn’t give into their infantile designs for me, but I also had to say something. So, I just kind of looked down and nervously bit my lip and rubbed my shoes together. “I guess…” Miss Valerie smiled, and I was grateful she didn’t push the matter further. “Okay. I got most of that paint off, but I think you need some sink time as well. So, off to the potty room with you. Scoot!” Not needing to be told twice, I marched into the bathroom with Miss Valerie. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but after thoroughly washing my hands off with most of the rest of the paint, Miss Valerie just kind of stopped in front of the door as I started to walk out. “Forgetting something?” I tried to rack my brain to think of anything she could be talking about, but I just came up empty. “No… I don’t think so?” Miss Valerie sighed. “Hmmm… well, if you need me to remind you… the potty, Emily… do you need to go potty?” Her hand gestured toward the diminutive stall I had been using so far in there. Seeing so many around here demoted to pull-ups I just had to pause for a moment, and really think if I did or not. I didn’t want to have any slip-ups and earn myself another strike, but I didn’t feel the need at all. “No, Miss Valerie. I don’t have to go…” Miss Valerie seemed a bit put off by that notion, but ultimately just accepted it and let me rejoin the others. Once the art supplies had been cleaned up and the artwork placed on drying racks, the rest of the staff got lunch prepared. It was pretty standard fare, but I guess there was a surge of us in the Canopy room recently, as they even brought in Miss Mindy from the Meadows room to supervise the event. Several Littles were scared, knowing exactly what types of Littles she looked over, but her warm smile and buoyant personality convinced most of them that she was only here to help today. I was less convinced. Still, after lunch was over, everyone mulled about their day. Another round to the potties for most of the Littles, but I just kept reading my book about James and the ogre. It was just getting to the good part when Miss Mindy walked over to me. “Enjoying your book, honey?” I stared up at the tall curly redhead, but I think her nice smile threw me off a little. “Oh yes. I just got to the part where James is taking the magical flute from the treasure room!” Her eyes beamed down at me, and she even lowered her face to mine a little. She seemed less threatening closer to the ground with me, but I could still tell something was cooking behind her eyes. “That’s wonderful, Emily.” She then paused and looked at the rest of me. “Emily… do you need to go potty?” I probably should have been expecting that type of question considering that almost every Little in here just went or had an accident of some sort, but I honestly didn’t feel the need to go. So, trying to act as casually as I could about it, I shook my head. “Nope! I’m all good. Thanks for asking!” Trying to shuffle her away, I smiled widely and then dove back into my book. My ploy didn’t work though as Miss Mindy pulled down my book only seconds later so that I now faced her again. “Emily… I think you do need to go. Miss Valerie says you didn’t go before lunch, so you’re either not drinking enough, or you’re lying to one or both of us now.” I was starting to feel a little defensive right then, but I still tried to remain calm. It was a classic Littles trap, but I didn’t realize it at the time. I just wanted to read my book to see how it would end. Nothing sinister or anything like that, and besides, I really didn’t have to go. Maybe in an hour, but not then. “I’m not lying,” I tried to defend myself. “Honest…” Miss Mindy still didn’t seem satisfied with my answer, hesitated for a moment, and then yanked my book away from me. “Hey!” Miss Mindy held the book just out of my reach, and I tried to claw it back. “Tsk, tsk,” was about all she said back to me, and frankly it just kind of got me more annoyed and more desperate to just go on with my day and finish the book. I was so near the end, but I couldn’t remember it from when I read it before. So, I persisted. Now, I just want to go on record and say that the Littles guide I read might honestly be a ploy for Littles to regress themselves. It practically hints at just submitting to Bigs by the end, but as I was finding out, it was also leaving out huge bits of useful information. First, not all Big advice is bad, seeing as if I had listened to even a single one of them, I might have even been home by now. Second, a Little should always carry their passport with them, even beneath their clothing. It’s your lifeline and your bags can always be stolen… your bra or even underwear, possibly, but not so easily. Third and finally by now, I felt it should have listed something about moving your hands fast back toward a Big. It might have just been some playful shoving or trying to get something just out of your reach, but it just took a second for something to go terribly wrong. And something did go wrong… Trying to snatch my book back, Miss Mindy almost seemed to be toying with me by now. Several Littles looked on in horror at the scene unfolding before them, yet no other Big was there to put a stop to it. If they had, I might not have realized that Miss Mind suddenly arced back her hand just a little out of my reach, or that just under the book was Miss Mindy’s face. It took only a split second, but reaching out further, I lost my balance, and my tiny palm came crashing down and smacked Miss Mindy right in the face. A ghastly shock echoed throughout the room. Everything at once felt like it had stopped. Miss Mindy seemed truly unhurt but seemed definitely perplexed over what had just happened with her face and my hand. For my part, I nearly froze as I stared back at my hand like it had somehow betrayed me. I knew it was just my fault, but I knew whatever happened next wasn’t going to be good. So, even for a moment, it felt nice to blame someone or something else other than my own fault. Regardless, Miss Mindy’s expression soon grew dark, and she bolted up. Her full height stood strained above me and I nearly whimpered at the realization of what was now likely to happen. I was in trouble for sure, but I just didn’t know how much yet. “Emily Breckenridge!” she thundered. ‘Shoot.’ I could only look back up at her in fear. “I guess someone decided to be extra naughty today. Pity…” It was less than I was expecting, yet I still felt certain I would be visiting the back cutesy dungeon I had twice before. So, it wasn’t exactly a shock when she hoisted me up into the air and then under the crook of her arm. Then, however, she spoke, and my blood froze and then boiled. “I guess I was too hopeful to expect a Little like yourself to be ready for the potty just quite yet. Shame… Oh well!” she said so nonchalantly. “Afraid the training panties just aren’t going to cut it!” I think I nearly wet myself right there. I was a good Little, but I really just didn’t need to go. Plus, I had only just hit her by accident. Surely that had to mean something, right? But the Littles parting right down the middle to allow Miss Mindy to pass through outside the room seemed to prove me dead wrong. Unfortunately, unlike the back room I was expecting, she exited the Canopy room quickly and entered the one place I really didn’t want to be: Mrs. Gillies’ front office. To my horror, Mrs. Gillies was already there waiting for us. She wheeled around in her chair, and I could see a cabinet full of monitors that she promptly closed. “I already know, Mindy.” She sighed and looked right at me. “Anything to say for yourself missy?” I gulped but I knew this could be my one hope at redemption. I meekly nodded and looked up at my captor and would-be punisher. “Please Miss Mindy. It was just an accident. I didn’t mean to hit you. I’m really, really sorry!” I tried my best to look my most pitiful and while I thought I was definitely getting better at it; I don’t think it was quite where it needed to be to be effective. Miss Mindy sighed and shook her head. Before she spoke a word, I knew my fate was already sealed. “Oh well. I know you’re already sorry about that, Emily. I was hoping you were going to say something else, but,” she then looked back over at Mrs. Gillies, “with your permission, I think the next bit should do well today?” I had no idea what she was talking about, but Mrs. Gillies folded her fingers, leaned back in the chair, and then sighed. “I really hate to do it, but I will trust your judgement in this matter.” With that, Miss Mindy just nodded and hauled me out of the office. Realizing my fate was likely sealed, but not wanting a spanking, I tried for plan B and fought back as much as I could. I was already in loads of trouble by now, so it just felt like my next logical choice. “Let me go! Let me go!” I began to wiggle as if someone had just poured ice down my panties. Now, ‘quit while you’re ahead’ is a useful phrase that I feel every Little should cherish and memorize no matter what their circumstances in this dimension. In retrospect, thrashing about was not the move to make right then, as when we passed by the front desk, Miss Mindy grabbed a ruler and gave me three swats to my exposed rear. “You! Will not! Kick me!” I barely felt the pain, but I also felt I hadn’t done anything wrong on purpose. It was so unfair, and the tiny spanking only furthered my emotions as they began to go haywire. I wanted to listen to her… I really did, but my mouth and body had other ideas. “No! No! Let me go! I didn’t do anything wrong!” “Unbelievable…” Miss Mindy just shook her head. “Guess we need to make pit stop first. She then resumed her walking and to my horror, she entered the Canopy room. Almost every Little just stared at me in horror, but Miss Mindy just ignored them and went over to my cubby and to the container at the top that contained my mandatory change of clothes. “Hmmm… these seem a bit inappropriate today…” Miss Mindy then dumped my spare training panties out and instead replaced them with a pair of pink prince pull-ups. Remembering what she had said earlier about not being ready for training panties, I was too shocked to say anything. “Perfect! These should do nicely. Now, just one more stop.” Miss Mindy then took me down the hallway outside, and unfortunately, right into the Meadows room. Fearful that everything was falling down around me now, I popped out of my stupor and began to thrash around more. Despite my ruckus, Miss Mindy’s grip just held firm. “No! No! You can’t do this to me! I want my panties back, you stupid cow!” I cursed. I had no idea where those words were coming from, but I knew they were bad in so many ways for me, particularly when a few Littles covered up their ears inside the room. “Tsk, tsk…,” Miss Mindy chided me, like I was the bratty young child I guess I was now looking like as I still fought her every step she took through the room. I swear I saw that old, ugly dog again, but I was too preoccupied by all the smells and the awaiting rear door of the room and the spanking I knew was on the other side. “Such a shame. You were such a good girl for us since you started coming to daycare, little miss. I guess we were giving you just too much slack in the Canopy room. No worries… we know just how to handle your type…” Miss Mindy continued, trying to reposition me better as I still wildly kicked around. I didn’t hear her though. I was in my own little world by then. “I want out now!” I just continued to wail, likely to my own further punishment later. “Wait until Nancy hears about this! She’ll have your job! Get off me now, you stupid bi…!” Before I had a chance to say anything further, Miss Mindy popped me on the butt again, this time with her freehand. Then, sighing, Miss Mindy just continued and nodded at the most notable daycare worker beyond herself working in this room. “Evening, Miss Tully. Just showing Em here her likely future…” Miss Tully just looked over to me, smiled, and gave me a little wave. Miss Mindy’s words and Miss Tully’s welcoming wave were a shock to my system, but before I had a chance to even register them, Miss Mindy just continued to carry me away and out the back door of the room. Soon, we were in the cutesy dungeon once more and I was lying back down on the bench with my panties and jeans around my ankles. Miss Mindy elected the long wooden paddle and lined up her shot from behind. I braced for the impact, but she then just sighed instead. “You know… it didn’t have to be this way. If you just behaved and listened, all this could have been avoided.” She heavily sighed again. “I just wanted you to go potty. Even just to try and then I would have known you weren’t lying. I think you just get yourself way too scrambled and overthink everything around here, and from what Miss Valerie told me, I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks so either. I guess we’ll soon fix that though…” My mind spun at what she had just said, but one swift smack by the paddle to my poor butt, sent those thoughts spiraling away. Today, I wasn’t even sure how many spanks I would be receiving, but I lost count after 20. After… uh, the numbers seemed fuzzy, but I just focused on the pain erupting from behind me. By the end, I was a complete mess, and unlike Miss Valerie, Miss Mindy immediately took me away and, to my everlasting sadness, to the back room once more. “Oh, hello again, Emily,” Bee said, smiling as Miss Mindy escorted me into the room and set me down on the restraining large armchair again. I didn’t respond and she stared back at Miss Mindy. “Everything okay? She’s not broken, is she? You know that messes with and can even invalidate my results.” Miss Mindy groaned and rolled her eyes. I remained silent and submissive to whatever their whims were. I didn’t care anymore. I just didn’t want another spanking. “Yes, Bee. I remember, but this little mischief maker smacked me in the face, threw a temper tantrum all throughout two classrooms, and refused to go potty.” It was an exaggeration, but I knew better than to correct her. “Oh my!” Bee then looked back down at me. “Little troublemaker indeed. Guess the first time didn’t stick. Can’t say I’m surprised with their lot though…” Miss Mindy nodded and backed away. “You got this? I think Tulia is going to need my help pretty soon back in the Meadows room.” In a second, the restraints clunked over my wrists and Bee smiled back. “Not anymore. Go, go. Little Emma and I are going to have a little fun, aren’t we?” she asked, now looking back at me. I still didn’t respond. “Oh. I think someone’s shy…” her voice was barely above a whisper like it was some secret or with the possibility of me being offended. I knew it was just a joke at my expense though. Miss Mindy smirked and then left. Oddly, I felt this place seemed familiar, as I really just knew of ‘a backroom,’ but I just couldn’t quite place it. Just as I was trying to figure out why it seemed so familiar, Bee poked a needle right into my arm. “Ow!” I could quickly feel the tears swim to my eyes and a warmth spread throughout my body. “That hurt!” “Awww…” Bee mocked. “Just a little prick, but I know just what will pick you right up.” She then wheeled away in her chair briefly and came back with a big scary-looking machine. “Okay, now just smile for the camera, Emma!” It didn’t look like a camera, but I stared back into the big screen getting into place before me. At first, I thought it was nothing but a likely broken, black screen, but soon, it popped on and an array of colors began to flood my eyes. “So… pwetty…” “That’s right…” Bee said, smiling just out of the corner of my eye. “Just look at the pretty images and relax, Emma. Just relax… that’s it… godd girl...” I quickly felt myself relaxing. Everything began to buzz and feel fuzzy. The pictures were funny. ‘Is that Nancy? Ooh! Bunny! Oh… I feel so… relaxed… happy… peacefuwl…’ I swore I felt a warm sensation in my panties, but the feeling soon went away. I was too sleepy to care anyways… The colors made me feel so many things. I didn’t want to close my eyes. I didn’t matter though. What I wanted didn’t matter. I was just happy… I was calm… relaxed… I was sooo sleepy… * * * I felt an odd tugging sensation and cold underneath my feet. My eyes slowly opened and then popped open all at once after seeing what initially greeted them. “Wha…?” “Oh good, sweetie,” Miss Valerie smiled up at me as she finished removing my training panties. “You’re finally awake.” Her face then turned a little sorrowful. “Sorry honey, but you kind of had an accident after you nodded off. It’s okay, but I think your training panties just aren’t doing the trick anymore.” I was so confused and my tushy really hurt. I tried to look for answers… I didn’t like being confused, but that’s when I found my pants and training panties off to the side… wet. “Oh no!” “Shhh, shhh,” Miss Valerie tried to calm me. “It’s okay. Really, Emma. It’s just a little accident. I just need to clean you up a little bit and everything is going to be just fine. I promise, okay?” “’kay…” was about all I could say right then in my dejected and confused state. I felt adrift and more than a little upset, but Miss Valerie said it would be okay, so I just trusted that she knew best. I looked down and I shivered as the wipes rounded my skin and wiped me clean. It was a little uncomfortable, but I was getting all clean again from my little accident. In the end, that’s what mattered. ‘I hate feelin’ all icky! Yuck!’ “Okay. Much better,” Miss Valerie said after tossing the last wipe away a few moments later. She then reached over and ruffled out something pink and kind of poofy. “Now. Just be a good girl for me and step right in. In fact, it’s just like you did with your training panties, okay?” I nodded and braced myself on her shoulder and then placed both my legs into the garment as she told me to. Miss Valerie then slid them up my legs and into place. They felt a little bulky and I worried that everyone was going to see and make fun of me, but I did like the princess on the front. She seemed so familiar, but I just wasn’t sure why. Regardless, I liked her and even the pink. I made feel all pretty… ‘Like the princess!’ Miss Valerie looked at me weirdly for a moment, and I felt like such a poofy head for forgetting the most obvious thing. “Sowwy, Miss Valawee… thank you so much. Dey so pwetty!” I showed my new pull-up off proudly to her. Miss Valerie only smiled back and ruffled my hair. “I’m so very glad, Emma. You were a very good girl.” She then bent over and grabbed something from the floor. “Now, let’s get these leggings on you so you can go back out and play.” I just nodded and once again, braced against her as she slid up my purple leggings. A little self-conscious over the slight bulkiness my leggings showed off with my new underwear, I reentered the Canopy room slowly. I saw a bunch of Littles looking at me and I squirmed in place thinking they were all judging me. Fortunately, it seemed I still had one friend here. “Emma! Emma!” Anna called out to me, running over. “Taywo goh in twoubuh!” I gasped in sadness and shock. “Buh’ he was so good. His awt was awesome and supah cool!” “Yeah!” my friend agreed. ‘She was my friend, right?’ “Buh someone stohl da paint he was usin’. Big fight an’ awl!” I gasped and we continued to chat for a little while longer. I hoped to see Tyler back here so I could offer him my support and a great big hug, but unfortunately, after some time, I still didn’t see him. Once again though, Anna was there for me. “Emma?” I looked back up at my friend. “Yeah?” “You wanna pway wiff me?” she asked nervously. I worried she didn’t want to be with me anymore, but when I saw she looked like she was the one who was going to get rejected, I just nodded my head really, really quickly. “Uh huh!” “Yay!” she celebrated. “How ‘bou’ some tea?” I smiled and nodded enthusiastically again. I knew I would have to leave soon, and while that meant that Nancy was coming here to pick me up… ‘Oooh! I can’t wait to see her!’ I then quickly thought of the cool new painting I had made today and even wanted to show off my new pull-ups! I mean, they were pink, and the princess was pink. ‘Did that make me a princess?’ I smiled but I quickly wondered how I got into thinking I was a princess in the first place. My thoughts felt like they had all just gone through a mixer. ‘Were they always so hard to wade through? Wait a sec… wasn’t I thinking something else before the princess thing and the pink bit?’ I stopped and tried to remember. ‘Ugh!’ I realized I had gotten off topic, but after focusing as hard as I could while Anna went to get the tea set from nearby, I remembered it! What I was thinking was that even though Nancy would be here soon, I was glad for friends like Anna. In an exciting and yet sometimes scary place like daycare here, making or bonding with a new friend was the best thing in the world.

Hey everyone! Blasted small emergencies and last-minute events I couldn’t get out of cropped up and delayed me releasing this chapter last night. I’m hoping things will be a little more settled and I can just start popping these off daily, as it actually is pretty fun to write. As a reminder, I’m now polling between two stories to figure out what I should write next. The two choices are listed out in chapter 2, so be sure to check them out and let me know. As I will announce my winner in my last chapter, that would be the deadline for you to make your opinion known. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 3: Smash and Spank and a Surprise My best laid plans actually succeeded for once in this dimension, and in no time flat, everyone at the foster home was informed that I was going to be leaving to live with Nancy by the end of the week. Mrs. Tatum and the Littles were of course devastated, and while I wanted to tell them the truth about why, Kathy’s looming presence deterred me significantly. Unfortunately, Kathy only doubled down on her efforts to humiliate me in my time left, and I almost wet my training panties one day after she held me back from using the potty to finish coloring her a picture. In the end though, Nancy swung by the next day and rescued me back to her own home. Like so many others around here, the home was massive by my standards but according to Nancy, it was just a ‘decently sized place.’ She could have afforded something larger, but she preferred to use her money wisely and she said she didn’t need much. She hinted at that possibly changing, but I was so enamored with my new room free from Kathy that I didn’t really pay that much attention to what she was saying in that particular instance. So, the next week rolled on and I was enrolled in the local daycare for when Nancy was at work. It was actually a pretty interesting place at first and I had been assigned to the Canopy room while I was staying there. To me, it felt like some novelty party room themed to the jungle or the tops of trees, but it was at least pleasant enough to get me through the day. To my chagrin, it meant that I was placed with some already regressed Littles though, but I soon found the book nook in the room and was happy to just sit back and do some reading. Back at home though, things were even better. Living with Nancy, despite the fact that we were a Little and Big living together, she almost went out of her way to accommodate me almost like I was just her roommate. I guess I essentially was, but both of us always kept in mind that sort of boundary ceased to exist beyond the four walls and when the new LPS agent came to inspect the house at the start of my second week here. “Okay, let’s see… training panties, child-proof locks and safety covers over outlets, no choking hazards, nothing sharp or toxic if ingested…” Nancy was running down the list of things she knew the agent was going to check for and that could be a problem that would result in her paying a fine most likely and me being sent back to the foster home. I still wasn’t a big fan of wearing training panties still, but Nancy had demonstrated two things to me since I had arrived here that made me at least tolerate them better than I had before. First, normal underwear my size was rare and half the pairs we found, we discovered actually had regression properties of some kind laced within the fabric, so the risk was just too great to chance it. Second, and more important though, due to the society’s notorious traps for regressing Littles and laws stipulating wet pants without protection could lead to severe punishment, training panties at least offered somewhat of an out… just in case. So, wanting to contribute a little today, I did my own part and made sure that I was in a calm state of mind to answer the questions I knew were coming from the LPS agent. I had even tidied up my room and ensured with Nancy that my sheets reflected a more juvenile style than I might have been used to. We had selected them together, and despite the fact that princess motifs on the bedspread weren’t ideal, I knew it could be much worse. Then, Nancy and I froze as we heard the doorbell ring. Nancy breathed in and exhaled loudly. “Okay, Emily. Just take one step at a time and don’t panic. Just as we rehearsed, okay?” I nodded silently and braced for the agent’s entrance myself. Nancy and I had been worried about our little balancing scheme between me keeping my freedom within the house and being a Little outside of it. Today, those two worlds would be colliding, but I knew that if we were able to pass this inspection, things would be much smoother in the future. Nancy then opened the door with all her might and sported a wide, friendly smile. “Hello there! Come on in!” The monochromatically dressed agent walked in and her eyes immediately began to dart around the room. She then pulled out her badge and flipped it open so we could see the shiny ID and metal badge within. “Agent Vanessa Dawson. LPS. I’m here to conduct a Little and caregiver inspection today. Do you consent to my search of your house?” I swear she must have had Botox or something because her whole face, beyond her mouth hadn’t moved so much as an inch in that entire time she was talking. Nancy, likely sensing the seriousness of the new agent, nodded resolutely. “I consent.” The agent nodded back herself and popped open her tablet to a page where Nancy would need to sign. After she did, it was then my turn and I handed the heavy tablet back to Agent Dawson with Nancy’s help once I scrawled my own signature at the bottom of the form. Agent Dawson reviewed the file and looked over it carefully before moving her screen to a different page. She then stared back up with her still undiscerning face. “Now that’s all settled, I will begin my investigation. You may join me if you wish, but absolutely no talking when we first enter a room. You may once I give you the signal to do so.” She then looked directly at me. “That goes for you too. So, do you both understand?” We both nodded and while Nancy went off with her during the inspection, I elected to stay downstairs and read a few books Nancy had purchased for me. A lot of them were above the usual Little’s reading level, but we had hidden those away for today. Instead, I perused through a few of the others directed more towards Big children. Simple still, but there was at least more than a single basic sentence on each page. I soon became engrossed in the book of the tiny beaver, but not thirty minutes later, Nancy and Agent Dawson returned from the inspection upstairs. “Oh yes, we have a nighttime routine,” Nancy continued. “Most of the times it’s the usual fair, but I’ve also included reading to her at night as well.” Both then noticed me with the open book in my lap. “As you can see, she’s quite the reader.” “I see… very interesting…” was about all Agent Dawson said then or any of the other times I overheard her respond to something that Nancy had just said. I could feel the desperation practically ooze off Nancy that all this would go well and a search of Agent Dawson’s facial features to confirm that. To her growing annoyance though, I could tell she saw that the agent wasn’t going to break for her today. The two walked around a little more and Agent Dawson even made some embarrassing comments about the potty chair that Nancy had set up for me in the downstairs bathroom. It was purple and decorated with fairies, but I honestly didn’t mind this one. I suppose it might have had something to do with the fact that I had few other options around here or wasn’t forced to use it like with Kathy, but it was more likely the fact that I could actually sit on it without help as compared to a normal-sized Big toilet, and that Nancy wouldn’t watch me like Kathy had started to do in the end. The two kept talking, but finally came back into the room where both then looked at me. Agent Dawson spoke first. “Emily. I need to ask you some questions and then I should be on my way, okay?” “It will be okay, Emily,” Nancy reassured me. So, feeling the tiny confidence that Nancy had instilled in me, I nodded. Agent Dawson then smiled and sat in front of me, and Nancy went outside to wait on the back porch as per protocol. “Now then…” Agent Dawson reviewed her notes a little more. “Let’s just get to these. No pressure whatever your answer, but just tell me the truth, understand?” I nodded. “Good. First, are you fed enough here?” The question was straight forward, but I had to think about it for a moment. “Uh, I think so. Definitely more than I was at the foster home though.” Agent Dawson and scribbled out some notes. “Are you satisfied in your current living situation?” The question was a little harder, but I also knew what I should say, or at least not say. Any hesitation or bumbling around my answer could be viewed as either me lying to her or trying to cover up something else more nefarious. So, I answered about as quickly as my mind could register the question. “Yes. It’s very nice here compared to the foster home.” Again, Agent Dawson nodded and took some more notes. “Are you abused?” I knew this question was coming and I found out later was the main reason that the Little and potential caregiver had to be separated during the questionnaire portion of the inspection. Knowing this question was the biggie of the lot, I responded right away once again. “Absolutely not. Quite the opposite with Nancy actually.” I swore I could see the tiniest hint of a satisfied smirk appear on Agent’s Dawson’s face, but she nodded and only continued to write her own notes down. “Okay, lastly, do you have a favorite thing to do here?” “Hmmm…” I felt this question was a little more to try and end on a positive note with Littles, just to associate the agent with pleasant associations with their visits, instead of the dread that both Nancy and I had been feeling beforehand. In this case, though, what should have been an easy question was actually a little hard. I wanted to say being free to do what I want and not dictated to like I was a mentally regressed Little, but that would have broken everything that Nancy and I were trying to accomplish here with my secretive double life. It wasn’t exactly illegal to be a mentally older Little, but it may have been frowned on by some and could just lead to more issues down the road. So, instead, I just answered the most obvious way I could. “I like being able to read here. It let’s my mind wander and my imagination feel free.” I wasn’t sure if that was completely the answer that Agent Dawson was looking for from the expression on her face afterward, but it had the benefit of being both true and an answer I knew she really couldn’t object to. Then, after scribbling her last note, we both stood up. Nancy saw from outside and re-entered. “So, did everything go well?” Agent Dawson sighed, and I think both Nancy and I held our breaths in tense nervousness. “I think so. I’ll need to file all this paperwork officially, but I can say that there at least weren’t any red flags I noticed today.” Both Nancy and I exhaled loudly. “I’m very glad to hear that,” Nancy said finally. She and Agent Dawson talked a little bit more, but I knew I needed to take the time and get ready for daycare. Nancy and I had elected for an early morning inspection today to interfere the least amount possible with Nancy’s job. Apparently, she still had to miss her morning meeting, but we could both continue with our days as if nothing much had happened if we still left within the next 15 minutes. For Nancy, that meant more board meetings and pitch formations for future projects of her company. For me, that meant Little Friends Daycare. As Nancy finally ended her conversation with Agent Dawson and we both then loaded into the car, I couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive of what today could hold for me. I can fully admit to the fact that I might have jumped into Nancy’s embrace a little too quickly, but it was to get away from Kathy. I thought she was the worst it could get for a Little here and eventually lead me to just some thumb-sucking drooler of a Little without a hope in ever going back home. I was wrong. At daycare, while the rainbow façade was pleasant and the staff were all kind and caring in their own ways, I hadn’t anticipated the interaction with other Littles that I would face. As the daycare was fully staffed and did not need a reader, plus my ‘covert’ sneaking around with Nancy, meant that the one constant distinguishing factor between me and the other Littles of reading aloud during story time, was no more. At first, it wasn’t so bad. Most of the Littles left me alone and there was a plethora of books, but I was the new Little around here and some of the more regressed Littles, who bordered on if they should be placed in the Canopy room or in the younger Meadows room, didn’t seem to fully understand the concept of the word ‘no.’ I was quickly learning though, that my ‘no’ and their ‘no,’ were two very different things. “Pway wif me?” one of the Littles asked, toddling up to me today after I had settled in and was reading another book by myself. “No,” I said firmly, but the Little just wouldn’t leave. I tried to ignore them, but I saw the Little then began to pout. “Pwease? I wanna pway wiff you...” “I said no,” I repeated a little louder… too loud, I guess. “Emily!” Miss Valerie admonished me. “We use our inside voices around here.” I nodded and sighed. “Yes Miss Valerie.” I then looked back to the Little in front of me. “Please, kid. I just said no. Go play with that stuffed parrot over there or some other toy like that, or even just another Little for that matter. Just… not me, okay?” The Little nodded and toddled off, clearly dejected, but seemingly fine. I guess they weren’t though, as not five minutes later, I saw them crying and pointing over to me. ‘That little snitch!’ I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong except to say ‘no,’ but those were Earth rules for fellow adults. Being in daycare as a Little, I was finding out just how much the rules around here could be different. Soon, Mrs. Carter marched over to me with her hands on her hips. “Young lady,” she began sternly, glaring down at me from high above. Nervous from her tone and demeanor already, I slowly placed my book down and peered back up at her. “Yes, Mrs. Carter? Is there something wrong?” I tried to play innocent victim as much as I could. From her face though, I don’t exactly think Mrs. Carter bought it. “Don’t play the fool around here, missy,” she nearly spat down to me. “It would do well that if you want to play that angle, I suggest you stop reading the books meant more for the staff than for you Littles.” I glanced down at the book, and I guess Histories of Atlantis to Atlantica would have been a little advanced for most Littles around here. “Sorry…” I then looked back over at the now sniffling Little being rocked around by Miss Valerie. “I just didn’t want to play with them today. I might be a Little, but I’m not that type of Little.” Mrs. Carter frowned. “Just watch out. You’re on thin ice already around here. I would hate for Mrs. Gillies to find out anything more that you’ve done wrong.” I gulped instinctively as Mrs. Carter walked away. Mrs. Gillies was in charge of the whole daycare, and while she would probably do anything to protect her Littles, I also got the distinct impression that she wasn’t the type to be lenient with troublemakers. Despite just wanting to live out my time here until I was going home in one piece, I guess that meant me. A few days later, my reputation hadn’t improved any around here with the staff. Most knew that I was just biding my time until I went home from a slip-up that Nancy made, but I felt a few were giving me odd looks as well. I just chalked it up to them trying to figure out if I was scheming something or going to be problematic for the day, but I guess I should have been a little more careful. I mean, it wasn’t exactly my fault. Being an adult woman, I was coming from Earth here and without any regression procedures or hypnosis done on me, so I was still very independent and thought of myself as an adult. A Little here for sure, but more of the type of classification that on Earth I would be known as a human woman. Not an insult or a judgement on my mental capacity, but just who I was. Looking around even now, there were many types of Littles, but something told me that the staff mostly just lumped us all together. In the Canopy room, most of us were fairly mature and I reveled in being one of the most mature, but that also came at a cost. While for most of the day, I could just lounge about and read to my heart’s content. Playtime and mealtime though in this room, were a different matter. First, I did not want to play dolls or drink at some stupid tea party. That was for babies straight up and I didn’t even entertain the idea. Mrs. Carter and Miss Valerie tried to convince me otherwise and to be a ‘team player,’ but I didn’t want to do some things and I felt I shouldn’t be forced either. So, I was placed further on their ‘problematic Littles’ list, but mealtime was worse. Having been privy to many of the secrets behind the scenes at Mrs. Tatum’s foster home when I helped her out, I knew what a lot of what they were serving was here. The nuggets had the laxative, the milk was just… weird, and the milosauce could be disastrous for any fully unprotected and unsuspecting Little. Some of those issues I had come by literally just reading the labels on the packages, but other times… I’ll just say that I was very grateful that I practically had a bathroom to myself in that foster home. Regardless, I often refused to eat what I was given here for lunch or snack time. Sometimes, some of the kinder workers would notice my plight and would give me something else, but others were more insistent I stick to what the other Littles were given. Mrs. Carter was the more insistent type. “I don’t care what you think you know. Nancy has put us in charge of you during the day, so what we say, goes. Understand, Emily?” I looked at the revolting mush cup before me. I guessed it was an array of fruits mashed up into a plastic cup, similar to milosauce, but I couldn’t be sure. The milosauce was kind of a tannish yellow, but this… I just saw mixtures of brown, red, and purple. “Please… just anything else…” “No,” Mrs. Carter reiterated adamantly. “You either eat this, or we tie a bib around you, I feed it to you personally, and then we tell Nancy when she gets here to pick you up that you were naughty today. How’s that sound?” Her threats were not hollow, and despite Nancy and I being more of equals in about the biggest way we could in our arrangement, I didn’t want her getting a negative report back. She would probably lecture me on me blowing my cover here and that I would get sent back to Mrs. Tatum’s and she would be in trouble with the LPS. Not desiring that fate for either of us, I spooned the alien looking mush and shoveled it into my mouth. I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting, but a myriad of flavors soon assaulted my tongue. Combine cod, rutabaga, raspberries, and maybe spinach or cucumber, and you might just begin to know what I was tasting right then. Seeing Mrs. Carter’s smug smile and anticipating look though, I swallowed it whole. I had to fight my gag reflex about as best I could, but it stayed down. Mrs. Carter’s smile grew, and she then leaned down. “Good girl,” she whispered, “very good girl.” It took all I had to not slug the woman right there for her condescending tone, but she walked off and I continued to down the revolting goop in front of me. Five minutes later, it was empty, and I felt nauseous, but I was allowed to leave the table at least. Not thirty minutes later, however, my suspicions about the mush were proven correct. My guts had been rumbling since I had sat down to read my book. I just wanted to focus on the prince slaughtering the dragon in that particular story, but my stomach, and later bowels, had other ideas. I tried to pass it off as maybe just gas, but right about at that thirty-minute mark, I could quickly feel that it was so much more dangerous. Seeing all the padded rear ends around me, I knew just what was at stake, so I put my book down, to ensure it wouldn’t be ruined from being tossed and that I would be punished as a result, and walked over to the bathroom as gingerly as I could. Now, being that it was the Canopy room, the bathroom adjoining the play area was actually both Big and Little-sized. I wasn’t sure how many Littles were actually making it or even using the potties there, but another grumble from my rear left me little time to contemplate such mysteries in this place. So, I made it over to one of the stalls there, conveniently, a little lower to the ground to ensure privacy, and I let loose. It was terrible and the smell could probably kill some species with any degree of breathing issues, but still though, I had made it. I was erupting hot magma, but I had made it. Unfortunately, even as I washed my hands and exited triumphantly, my success was to be short lived. There, Mrs. Carter was waiting for me sporting yet another scowl etched across her face. “That’s one,” she warned me. “You wait for one of us to take you. You know that.” Feeling put in my place and not wanting to cause a further scene, I nodded. “I’m sorry…” Mrs. Carter grumbled but walked off and left me feeling an odd mix of emotions. I had made it to the potty, a feat that I was noticing from all the crying, that others had not managed themselves. Those donning training pants or panties seemed mortified, but those already in pull-ups seemed devastated. Considering the removal of their name from the pasted tree of Littles in this room in the back corner afterward, it wasn’t hard to deduce that the staff had demoted them both down to the Meadows room and to diapers. Despite my first strike of the day, I knew it could have been worse. And the day continued much like that. The Canopy rules might have been a little more restrictive, but I also knew that we didn’t have naptime like the other rooms in this daycare did. Most of the time, that meant were able to go outside. I wasn’t much for the mud out there sometimes, but the pleasant breezes and sunshine was always a welcome relief. Today though, it was raining, which meant that I was able to stay inside, but that also presented me with a looming problem. Despite the catalog of books in here that weren’t childish, many also seemed to contain propaganda that would always insinuate Littles as hapless and defenseless beings that needed to be cared for. Knowing some of my fellow Littles here, it was an accurate statement for them, but not for everyone… including me. So today, I realized that I had run out of books to read that fit my selection criteria of avoiding both types of books. I mulled about, but when I realized that only left me more open to being begged to join in playing with the other Littles here, I tried to figure out another solution. Just as I was about to read Knowing the Signs Your Little Is Ready, a clear front to eventually get Bigs to demote their Littles back to diapers, I remembered the front lobby had a stack of magazines for awaiting caregivers. I knew it could be a little risky getting to them, but I rationalized that I would just be staying inside the building, so no harm done… right? Having already memorized the patterns of everyone around here when I was bored last week, it didn’t take me long to have realized there was a gap in the staff’s monitoring of the room’s main door, particularly on days where Littles didn’t get the opportunity to burn off their excess energy due to bad weather. “No Timmy! Don’t eat that!” “Put those scissors down Brian!” “That’s not a potty Sabrina!” Smiling a little at my fellow Littles perfect unintended distractions, I knew that it was just possible that both Mrs. Carter and Miss Valerie would even know that I was gone. Sensing my time had come, I quickly slipped out the door and ran down the hallway to the front lobby. Izzy was once again on her lunch break, and I was just tall enough to undo the latch of the front gate to the lobby. In seconds, I was staring at the rack of magazines. “Oh, perfect!” I exclaimed, picking up a magazine that almost looked like the ones I read back home. I knew I probably couldn’t get any nail polish advertised on the front cover from Nancy, but I also saw that there was a whole travel section in the back. “Hmmm… might be inter…” “And just what do you think you’re doing?” I heard a voice thunder. I nearly dropped the magazine on the ground as I spun around to face the voice. There, standing before me and mad as I had ever seen her, was Mrs. Gillies. It didn’t take a genius to realize how badly I had screwed up. “I asked you a question, Emily…” she said impatiently. “Uh, I…” I stammered out. Her sheer size nearly blocking the rainbow-painted wall behind her was enough to cower any Little, let alone just me all alone and doing something I knew I probably shouldn’t have. “I just wanted to, uh… read. I didn’t even leave the building or anything… I just wanted to see and to learn and to…” Mrs. Gillies snapped her hand up to stop me. “Stop. Just stop, Emily.” She shook her head in clear disappointment. “I thought I could trust you as one of the older Littles here, or at least a Little that the others could look up to. I mean, what would the others think if they saw you up here? Don’t you think they would want to follow?” I hadn’t actually thought about that, but Mrs. Gillies only pushed the issue further. “And what if the door had been unlocked. We get packages in here all the time and mistakes happen. So, what if one of your followers escaped and were kidnapped? Or what if they got hit by a car out there?” Her voice thundered now and yet contained a note of sadness over all of it. She was right of course, but I felt I needed to defend myself. “But no one followed me. It’s just a book, Mrs. Gillies…” I tried to offer up as a counterpoint to her argument. I don’t think it worked. Mrs. Gillies shook her head. “Unbelievable… I thought… hoped you would be different here, Emily. I guess I was wrong…” For a moment, I thought she was just going to walk away in disappointment. No doubt Nancy would have gotten a report about my single, now likely double strike, and I would be yelled at when I got home, but I felt pretty safe that I was still fine. Mrs. Gillies, it seemed, had other plans. In a second, she launched herself back over to me, hands first. I had barely enough time to put the magazine down when her hands scooped around my torso. I wasn’t a shorty back home by any measure, but Mrs. Gillies lifted me up like I was just some featherweight pillow into the crook of her arm. “Put me down!” I squawked at my captor. “It was just a magazine. Let me go!” I began to struggle and despite my best effort, Mrs. Gillies only hauled me further back into the main area of the daycare. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the hint that I would be going straight to the back of the daycare, where other naughty Littles went, whether I wanted to or not. So, when I began thrashing about and kicking wildly, I didn’t think of the consequences… or where my legs were kicking. In a second, my leg hit a large lamp, which then toppled over and pulled the phone sitting next to it to the ground. In less than a blink of an eye, the phone practically exploded into several tiny pieces, the lamp cracked, and the lamp shade was permanently ruined. In horror, I stopped kicking, but Mrs. Gillies halted and looked back at the now broken lamp and phone on the ground before sighing. “I guess I was very wrong about you Emily… shame too…” She paused, looked down at the shattered objects on the floor, and then turned around. “That’s two and three…” My heart practically stopped, and my body went limp. Now that my brain wasn’t simply lashing out and being hauled away, I knew strike two meant that I was going to the backroom. Other Littles that had been punished for one discretion or another went back there and would come out minutes later filled with tears and, more often than not, a sore rear end. I was dreading that, but something was different about the Littles that got to strike three. I wasn’t sure what exactly, but they had definitely changed somehow. Passing by one of the ugliest stuffed dogs I think I had ever seen in front of a near drooling Little, Mrs. Gillies finally stopped after passing through the Canopy room where several of the Littles had ‘oohed’ like they were in elementary school… appropriate I suppose. She then went through another door that only the staff used and found Miss Valerie sitting and eating a candy bar. She immediately bolted to attention once she saw Mrs. Gillies. Her face was full of panic. “Mrs. Gillies. I, uh, I swear, I was on my break and…” Mrs. Gillies held her hand up like she did to me to stop Miss Valerie. “Easy there. I don’t mind you taking a break. Today would have been recess if it wasn’t for the waterworks opening everywhere outside today. I know how these rooms can get on days like today and breaks are actually a little encouraged for you all to destress a little. Which is why,” she then peered over at me, and Miss Valerie spotted me as well, “I want you to take Emily here into the back room and then to meet Bee. For now, I will help out Mrs. Carter in the Canopy room.” Miss Valerie seemed stunned for a moment, but after swallowing what I could imagine was a little piece of candy still in her mouth, she nodded. Mrs. Gillies set me on the floor and Miss Valerie held her hand out. “Please take my hand, sweetie.” I could only gulp, comply, and then look back as Mrs. Gillies waved goodbye to me with a giant grin as if she knew something I didn’t about what awaited me next. Stunned and unnerved by everything, I almost wanted to bite Miss Valerie’s hand in desperation and then flee as best I could to a safe zone far away. Passing through a heavy door into what only could be described as a cutesy dungeon of sorts, I quickly decided not to. “Okay, sweetie. This is your first time here. I hope there isn’t another time, but I guess that will just be up to you.” She then gestured to a bench of sorts with padding on the top. “Take seat, chest on the top and bend over. Once you’re situated, don’t move an inch.” Instantly, I knew my fate. It was a little more elaborate than what Kathy had done with me, but I knew the preparation for a spanking by now when I saw it. So, not wanting to make my fate even worse, I just complied as quickly as I could. Behind me, Miss Valerie proceeded to nearly fondle a whole bunch of implements hanging off a rack, but finally chose the ping pong paddle and walked back over to me. “Not very traditional I grant you in some of these cases, but I think it will do the trick for today.” Seeing the large red surface, I just winced and hoped that all this would be over soon. “Okay. Seeing what you have next… I guess just 10 will do today…” she said, rubbing the paddle and then gliding it over my butt. I shut my eyes about as tight as they would go after that. I still trembled in fear, but it only got worse, when she suddenly hiked up my skirt for the day and then yanked down both my tights and my training panties, today’s pair marked by little, tiny hearts. I could hear Miss Valerie chuckle for a moment, but I didn’t have time to contemplate it for long. The first smack roared into me like a freight train. Kathy was sadistic and strong, but Miss Valerie was clearly practiced and powerful. Each smack I felt seemed like the equivalent to two of what Kathy could produce. I was in tears by the fifth smack. My delicate rear throbbed, and the sheer pain wouldn’t go away by the eighth. Still, after ten, Miss Valerie hung the paddle back up and allowed me the dignity to stay there on the bench for a moment before I then lifted my own tights and training panties back up. Despite my punishment, I vowed right then that I would escape this place no matter what as soon as I could if any of this happened again. Nancy was wonderful, but she wasn’t worth what was now occurring at the daycare. Regardless, Miss Valerie then sighed and popped me out of my own thoughts. “I’m sorry about that, Emily,” she said with an almost odd, noted tone of concern. “I really don’t like doing that, but you need to learn to behave. You should know that Mrs. Gillies always gets her way in the end. One way or another…” I wanted to ask what she meant by that, but she only held her hand out once more and towed me to the next room. I wasn’t sure what to expect after the pink and purple room I had just come from, but a medical lab with spots of color and toys was not it. A woman sitting down at the far end of some lab equipment then looked up and placed her glasses on the table in front of her. She quickly saw me being dragged along. “A new girl, Val?” Miss Valerie nodded. “That’s right, Bee. Just a single dose though today, okay? Mrs. Gillies doesn’t want her overdone. Just needs to learn a lesson… got it?” Bee got up and rolled her eyes a little. “I got it, I got it, okay? I’m sure… Emilly and I will get a long just fine. Isn’t that right, sweetie?” I was petrified of the room and of this new woman already as I was being introduced to her, but my mind swam with tons of other questions… namely, how did she know my name? I could hear Miss Valerie sigh again and she then pulled me across the room and got me to sit in a large, padded seat. “Just rest your arm there, sweetie,” she said dejectedly while pointing to the arm rest by my left arm. I quickly complied, still feeling the enormous sting from the spanking I had just endured. I thought that if I complied, I wouldn’t be punished anymore. Making a few clinking noises, I saw that Bee started to prepare something that I couldn’t quite make out. “Is it in place and are we doing the standard first time?” she then asked. Miss Valerie sighed yet again. “Yes… standard and in place.” “Good…” Bee said a little too sinisterly for my liking, but before I had a chance to ask, straps quickly popped out and cinched themselves around my chest, arms, and legs. “Hey! What the hell are you all doing?” I asked in protest, struggling in vain to get loose. “Ooh. Naughty, naughty,” Bee chided me. She then turned around and my eyes bulged out when I saw the shot that she was now carrying back to me. “We’ll fix that right away though… won’t we, Val?” Miss Valerie seemed to be in pain herself and numbly nodded. “You take care of things here… I’ll be… outside.” She then got up and left me alone with Bee. Despite her having just spanked me, I already missed her… or at least compared to the evil doctor-looking woman now approaching me with a giant needle. “Okay!” she said way too cheerfully. “Just one prick and it will all be over.” I tried to struggle, but the straps were too tight. Unfortunately, the ones on my arm were even tighter and the extra straps employed held my upper arm completely in place. I couldn’t even wiggle it more than a millimeter I suspected. The needle plunged quicky into my arm and I swore with the force Bee used, the darn thing would have gone right through. Instead, I just felt the hot liquid enter my arms and quickly get pumped around my body. It was a foreign invader and it burned wherever it went. Oddly though, after a moment, the burning feeling went away, and I was almost left with a buzzing sensation, like the kind you would feel when you were drunk. It wasn’t exactly unpleasant, and I felt almost a whiplash of sorts going from such pain to such pleasure so soon after. Bee smiled down on me. “Perfect. I can already see that it’s working. Shame it’s not more today but considering where you just came from and a few other little secrets I know, I’m pretty sure you’ll be back. Too bad you won’t remember though!” She then cackled a little as she got up and started bringing over another device. “What do you mea…?” but that was about all that I could make out. The buzzing sensation increased, and Bee quickly swung the large machine and a monitor in front of my face. I didn’t think much of it at first, but with each passing moment, I felt more drawn into the center of the pretty colors I started to see… more focused… more sleepy… happier even… I swore I even heard a tinkling noise as my eyes began to droop. I was almost a little scared, but at the same time, I had oddly never felt better and even the stinging in my rear had dissipated. It was nearly pure bliss. I wanted it to last forever, but my exhaustion ruled me more than anything else. Soon, my eyes shuttered close and everything faded to black. * * * My eyes bolted open. ‘Wha…? Where am I?’ My mind turned over and tried to put the pieces of afternoon back into place. Other Littles were just waking up that had taken impromptu naps as well I guessed as myself, but a few also seemed they would be demoted down to something more protective at night. Panicking, my hands shot between my legs, but I sighed in relief. ‘Dry… that’s good at least… Nancy would have been so upset with me over ruining my pretty training panties.’ I smiled at the sensation of being so much older than all these other babies. I could read and write and go to the potty by myself. I was a big gir… I shook my head. I guess I was still just coming out of my post nap slumber and was a little foggy. My arm hurt a bit and my butt definitely stung, but it was just kind of hard to figure out why. It strangely felt like a hangover when I used to drink… ‘When I was a teacher? Was I a teacher?’ I shook my head again and just hoped that my fuzziness would go away soon. It was super frustrating. I guess to some extent, a little later though, it kind of did. To be blunt, I was a little more distracted by then with some of the looks that other Littles or staff were giving me, but I just shuffled it off as both of them being weird in this funny place. I mean, they even had birds in all those lush tree branches all above me. I gazed in wonder and at all the beautiful colors up there. I was so engrossed though, that a book soon slid off my lap. Curious and not remembering the ending, I reopened it. Fascinated with the tale in moments, I just buried my head in a book and just really hoped that the prince would be okay and make it back to his castle and his one true love. ‘It’s so romantic!’ I never read the ending though, as right when he slayed the scary monster, Miss Valerie called out my name. “Emily? Emily?” She then spotted me and smiled. “There you are!” Her arms then waved me over. “Come on! Nancy is here for you out front!” I smiled widely and placed the book back where all the others were neatly stacked. I then made sure to gather up my bag and I was so giddy with excitement, I nearly skipped to the front lobby. It was all so easy and wonderful, and as a bonus, Miss Valerie was so nice to me. I mean, she even held the lobby gate open for me and gave a glowing report back to Nancy about the type of day I had. I was a little glad about that too because some of it still seemed a bit hazy, but I was just so proud of the good day I apparently had here. Nancy strangely seemed to give me an odd look of sorts after, but in the end, I was just happy that we were going home now. As a cherry on top, Mrs. Gillies even stepped out and noted my growing progress here at the daycare, which definitely elicited a smile from Nancy this time, much to my delight. ‘I wonder if I’ll get some ice cream tonight as a treat?’ I still felt a little strange, but if Mrs. Gillies, Miss Valerie, and Nancy were all happy, then I just supposed that everything was good. After all, if they cared about me, then all was good, and their happiness would be mine and I would be safe from all the evils of this world.

Hey everyone! Sorry about the later posting than I was expecting originally. I was all set to edit this chapter last night, but then an emergency came up and I had to push it after my busy day today. Should be able to pop several more of these chapters out this week, so stay tuned. As promised, located next are the two ideas for the story after this one. I usually will give three options, but these were too close to call last time, so just let me know which of them you all would prefer for what I write next. If they are nearly tied again though, I will take the runner-up and add it to my next poll with already some backing behind it. Bethany Set as a semi-sequel to The Opening, follow former drug runner, Bethany, as she strives to find herself a better life that has been promised in the newly discovered dimension, tentatively called, ‘The Amazon Dimension,’ though some have begun calling it another name due to the ever-increasing rumors of something awaiting all portal Littles on the other side. Join Bethany as she looks to turn her life around there and maybe even find a redemption of sorts and something else in the most unexpected of ways. Watch out though, in this new world, new and even greater dangers than the ones she left lurk around every corner. Tell Me More Sequel With this shorter story, continue with Dr. Trisha Mengell from Tell Me More as she dives further into the lives of her patients following the FOY incident over a year ago now. All seems as well as can be with her various Little patients until she notices a frightening pattern begins to develop over time during each session. While it could be nothing and just a fluke in the city or her patient’s mind’s turning softer and more imaginative, follow the good doctor as she explores the truth behind what she might suspect within the very system that she herself is a part of. Moving forward, I will be trying to post as much as I can, barring any emergencies that happen to crop up. My goal is to try and finish this story before the end of the month and try to go quickly with my next one as well so that I don’t have another break coming up next month right in the middle of my story. It’s not the worst, but it’s a big pause that I would like to avoid if all possible. Fingers crossed, but I will let you all know here if anything changes with this plan. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! Chapter 2: Being a Little Can Be So Complicated Sometimes William Shakespeare once wrote that ‘Hell is empty and all the devils are here.’ Well, I highly doubt that old Billy ever came to this dimension or spent time in a Little’s foster home facility before, but I have to imagine that he experienced at least the next worst thing. See, Nancy and I talked for a long while, but being a shivering Little who’s been bruised and had their clothing ripped into who is also seated between two major players in dealing with Littles, I had no chance of escape it turned out. So, the police had taken me in, but Nancy had essentially assigned herself to me to be my proverbial guardian angel. I don’t even think they believe in that type of stuff here, but she made sure that I was treated well and at least sent to a nice foster home until further plans could be made for me. I wanted to be grateful that I hadn’t ended up worse, like I had heard happened to so many others, but my times at the foster home were trying to say the least. Despite the fact that it was determined and pushed by Nancy that I would be treated ‘older’ amongst the other Littles, I later realized that age is pretty much all relative here when it came to the treatment of my kind in this society. My current multi-colored and star-adorned white training panties, green tights, black Velcro shoes, and cotton dress with the words ‘super awesome’ did little to assuage me that I was really the ‘big girl’ others claimed I was. I suppose, now looking around the room once again to ground myself in my new reality, that things could always be worse. After all, I was wearing leg coverings of some kind, I could walk around, and above all, I wasn’t wearing diapers. Training panties were no picnic, but I knew the same qualities I took pride in that I still had, could not be said for some of my fellow foster Littles. So, since I had gotten here late that night and was given my intro bag for ‘big girls,’ I had been assigned to the older of the three levels assigned to us Littles. Currently, I was the only one up here in the oldest of the rooms, but I was assured by Mrs. Tatum, the supervisor foster mom here, that it wouldn’t stay that way forever. That was two weeks ago, and I quickly realized that being untouched or at least considered a ‘big girl’ around here was pretty rare. Most who came were assigned to one of the lower rooms. It was lonely existence most days, but fortunately, I just busied myself in reading. Mrs. Tatum had a wonderful library, and though most seemed to cater toward the belittlement of Littles in some form or fashion, they still provided me with a way of passing the time. I had already breezed through about six of them, and it would have been more if not for a certain task I was asked to provide, even right now by a few of the other Littles here. See, Mrs. Tatum was only one woman. While her daughter helped during some afternoons, nights, and at least part of the weekend, the other times she had to rely on government-provided volunteers. Seeing I was a teacher and avid reader though, I was gingerly asked if I could provide story time to the other Littles here to give the Bigs at least some free time. Feeling an underlying tension and authority just swell around the kindly but intimidating Big, I accepted my new role. “Miss Emily! Miss Emily!” Taylor, one of the mildly regressed Littles shouted as he pulled on the hem of my dress to get my attention as I had previously buried my head in a book. I gently flopped the book to my chest and peered over at the early 20-something Little now before me. His midsection bulged in a way that could only mean one thing and he was constantly sucking on his fingers when not yelling, laughing, or getting my attention, but he was still okay by me. “Yes, Taylor?” I asked, almost having to distance myself with the other Littles and treat them like the toddlers or babies they often acted like. “Wead to us?” he begged, his eyes bulging practically with tears. He had gotten good at trying to convince me to play with him and his friends, or like now, read to them. Very good. I rolled my eyes and groaned a little bit, having just stopped in the middle of the climax of my own story, but I knew the concept of waiting wasn’t big on most of the Littles here, so I sighed and set my book down. “Okay, but just one for now though, okay? I know it’s nearly naptime and Mrs. Tatum wants you all to get at least one nap in this afternoon.” “Awww!” he said in frustration, going as far as to even smack his foot on the ground. I then stood up and while we almost stood eye to eye, something about the loss of height for some Littles coming through the portal still and his mentality, I could feel him shrink under my watch. It was disheartening to see the former marketing major college student behave in such a way, but after one Big commented on how cute it was that I was playing with the babies one day, I felt the more separation between us, the better off I would be at least. “You know the rules, Taylor. I don’t make them, but just try and be good for me. Can you be a big boy and do that for me?” I then played along with his little game of conspiracies of Bigs everywhere and looked around to see if anyone was listening in before I then leaned over to him and whispered. “I even heard there might be a treat for some of you all if you were behaved today…” His facial features immediately became shocked, and his body went rigid like he was some soldier on parade. I half expected him to salute me right then. “Oh! I’ll be good! I’ll be good! I pwomise!” With that, he then speedily took off back to his level’s playroom, where I knew the rest would be waiting as well. I of course was stretching the truth a tad, just to keep him and the others in line, but given Mrs. Tatum and the way she cared about those under her watch, I highly doubted that there wouldn’t be a treat of some kind tonight. Taylor and the others didn’t need to know that it really wasn’t contingent on their behavior for me during story time. It could’ve been bad if they ever caught on, but for a few moments each time I reminded them, I knew each of the Littles I was about to confront during story time would be on their best behavior, just like always. So, I sighed and went downstairs to the toddler level room. Mrs. Tatum had converted it and the other floors for us Littles into three parts. They were comprised of a single large room and bathroom beyond the hallway outside of them that contained the staircase between levels. This way, the door could be closed to each room easily to allow for naptimes but still have a wide-open space inside for playtime or sleeping when the time was right. Now, when I walked in, each of the Littles were messing around with their own toys, playing make believe, or coloring. As soon as I stepped beyond the threshold though, the six Littles in the room immediately swarmed me. “Woah! Easy there, you all!” I panicked slightly as each tried to climb up on me as if they were really children and I was the adult in this society they thought I was, rather than just everyone here being an adult. Still, despite my outfit and the bruises I was sure to get by tonight, it was nice that I was able to feel mature for one single moment around here. When a Little nearly headbutted me though, I had to put my foot down. “Floor now, or no desert tonight!” A series of gasps flooded the room and every Little hit the floor as if someone had just announced there was an incoming mortar strike. One of the Littles, Justin, quickly looked up at me with wide eyes. “Pwease, Miss Em. We be good. Wight?” he asked as he turned around and asked his fellow Littles. Most nodded right away. Satisfied, he turned back to me and gave me the biggest pleading face I had seen yet here. “Pwease still wead to us?” I chuckled a little at the sight before me. “Oh, alright. I can’t say no to that face, but I need everyone to be on their best behavior, okay?” Each of the Littles before me nodded once again and I took my seat over on the rocking chair in the corner of the room by the shelf of books. Of course, the wood and blue chair showed me just how I small I really was in this world, but only people like me or the Bigs here could sit in it. So, to most everyone else here, it was practically my throne and I smiled as my subjects gathered before me. “Okay… which book did you all want to listen to today?” Each Little started sputtering several titles all at once to me, but I looked over the room and when I saw that Izzy was raising her hand, I raised my hand to quiet the room and then chose her. “Me?” she asked nervously. I nodded. “Yes, Izzy. I chose you today. What do you want me to read aloud today, huh?” The Little scanned the books still not picked off up the floor and then to the ones on the bookshelf. I could see she was struggling to see, or maybe even to read them, and I almost offered to help her out, knowing full well that many Littles sadly lost their ability to read, but she then piped back up. “Uh, can you read If You Give an Alces a Koulouri?” I smiled and nodded. It was quickly becoming one of my favorites to read aloud, as not only was it silly and therefore entertaining to the Littles before me, but because it largely dealt with animals, it was one of the few that didn’t put us Littles down or just outright praise the Bigs. So, smiling, I picked up the book from nearby and opened it to the first page. “Can everyone see?” I saw every Little enthusiastically nod their heads. “Okay…” I then looked to the first page and began. “If you give an alces a koulouri…” I lingered on the page for a moment so everyone could see the moose-like creature on the first page, but using my experience in reading to kids, which is practically most of them were mentally, I then flipped to the next page. “Then he’ll want some cream cheese to go along with it.” A few of the Littles giggled at the humorous imagery and I continued on, knowing that I had them hooked now. Several pages later, filled with the alces ending up with a bunch of koulouris on their wide antlers, and then one more book after that by popular demand, I could see that many of the Littles were already starting to nod off. I still finished the last book, but as soon as I closed the page, I saw a smiling Mrs. Tatum standing nearby. “Thank you, Emily. I think you might just have the magic touch.” I blushed a little at the praise, but I was just glad it was something positive said about me. “Maybe, but I think everyone was tired from the outing in the park earlier today. That really seems to do the trick.” Mrs. Tatum smiled and entered the room fully while two of her volunteers came in behind her. One was a Middle and the other was a Big. I got the distinct opinion that both minded my presence here, but both also took advantage of their time off when I read any of the stories aloud and distracted my fellow Littles. Sensing that it was now naptime, I soon exited the room. Before I did though, Mrs. Tatum gently and briefly paused me. “Are you sure I can’t interest you in a nap as well? Might feel nice.” I hated her persistent question, despite the fact that I was a little tired. The problem was though, I knew it was a loaded question. While I waited for a new passport or for the local government to determine what should be done with me, I had to wait here under the watchful eye of Mrs. Tatum. She was a lovely woman, but she was still a Big and given what I had already experienced, I felt that my maturity was already on the line in this house. My training panties were evidence enough of that. So, I quickly shook my head. “No, thank you though. I might rest a bit upstairs or just get a little more reading in.” Mrs. Tatum nodded but one of the other volunteers briefly scoffed. I ignored it and Mrs. Tatum probably just chalked it up to her now having to deal with a dirty diaper. It was just life around here and I quickly retreated to my room upstairs before any further incident could occur. A few hours later, I found out that Mrs. Tatum had to leave for some errands in town. It wasn’t far, and I could even see it sparkling in the sun from my large bedroom window, but I knew her errand fell right in the middle of dinner time. Now, I’m not picky necessarily and spice is pretty alright with me for most dishes, but mealtimes had become a bit of a bane of my existence here. Beyond the food even, Mrs. Tatum allowed me to eat with the adults at a later time, but when she was gone, her persistent and strict volunteer, Kathy, did not. “I don’t care what Mrs. Tatum allows you to do, Emma. I’m in charge when she’s gone. Not you,” she commanded down to me while in the kitchen. “You will eat with the other Littles and those of us who are actually adults.” “It’s Emily…” I reminded her for at least the third time today. “Come on… just let me please show you that I can at least…” “I said no!” Kathy practically spat back at me. “Do I need to remind you of your official place here? Despite what you do at reading time and what Mrs. Tatum lets you get away with, you’re still a Little. And don’t you go off and forget that. I promise you don’t want me to remind you.” Her words were cold and the only feeling I even remotely felt with her was dominance and ego. I knew my added presence here was a rub on her position as she used to read stories to the Littles herself before I came along. Mrs. Tatum couldn’t decide between us unfortunately, so we left it up to the Littles instead. It was a blind vote and only Mrs. Tatum and the Littles knew the exact final tally, but in the end, Kathy was no longer in charge of story time. Sulking a little, I cherished the fact that I at least was allowed to eat in a relatively normal booster seat at the table rather than the highchairs the other Littles had to endure themselves. Still, my demotion under her watch was a blow to my ego that was hard to swallow. Further, that evil wretch also ensured she gave me Big food to eat after I first asked for something more mature than the smiley potatoes or dino nuggets I had first been served here. It wasn’t always a problem, but for whatever reason, I guess most Bigs had a different palate than ours and most of their food was horribly spicy. I had learned how to cool it down or mellow out the flavor, but I’ll just leave it that the first time I experienced the new food, fire had practically erupted in my bathroom later that night. Regardless though, I got through another meal and was only able to get through another chapter before Mrs. Tatum popped her head in my cracked door, one of the rules being that I was never allowed to shut it. “Time for bed, Emily. Start getting ready and I’ll check on you in a bit. No dilly dallying,” I nodded and sighed as I started getting ready for bed as she had noted. I had fought with her at first with my bedtime being so early, but without a nap during the day and the fact that I had to expel twice the energy the Bigs did just to keep up with them, meant that I soon didn’t mind it and was even grateful for the fact that it was later than all the other Littles here. What I did mind though, was all the checking Mrs. Tatum would do before she let me go to bed. I know she was just doing her job, but as I was the only one in the big room up here, I think she lavished more attention on me than some of the other Littles. So, even as I finished everything, she would still come in and start going through her list. “Wash your face? Jammies? Brush your teeth? Go potty?” I would nod in the affirmative to each of her questions, and I knew I wasn’t upsetting her at least, but the routine was starting to get a little tedious, particularly the annoyingly persistent potty question. Once she was satisfied with all my answers though, she wished me a goodnight and began to leave the room, but something had been bugging me though and I quickly spoke up. “Is it always going to be like this?” Mrs. Tatum froze in the doorway before sighing and returning over to me. I could see she wanted to give me hope, but I could also see the hard reality of this world was jutting in as well. “I don’t think so, honey… I wish I really could give you a better answer than that, Emily, but it’s just so hard to say these days. You never know what’s going to happen next with all you Littles.” She sighed again. “I will say this though… if I can, I’ll try to keep you safe as best I can until you leave this place.” It wasn’t much, but it was that tiny sliver of hope I had been searching for to hear from her tonight. Kathy was getting to be a big problem and I worried about her doing something rash with me every day that she volunteered here and was solely in charge. “Thank you,” was about all I could say, and Mrs. Tatum just nodded and left my room before flicking off the lights. The next two days proved very much the same, but come Tuesday, Mrs. Tatum announced that she had to leave up north to new Columbia to visit her sick sister. She promised she would be back by Saturday night at the latest, but unfortunately, her absence only meant one thing to me: Kathy was now in charge. I quickly felt nauseous. At first, I think the two of us just honestly avoided each other as much as possible, but later that night, I could see the power in her head had been building and selected dinnertime to unleash her wrath on me. I didn’t even question my eating with the rest of the toddler level Littles as I had before, and I was expecting my usual meal of spicy Big food. With how I prepared it now, it was almost bordering on pleasant, but Kathy had other ideas. “Alright everyone, dig in!” she cheerfully chimed from the kitchen as she and the other volunteers then walked in and placed our plates of food in front of us. It didn’t take a genius to see what was wrong with my plate tonight. “Wook at that! Miss Em’s eatin’ the same thing we are!” Taylor noted to the rest of the table. I could feel the hot blush envelop my cheeks as I looked down and saw the vegetables, fruit, and of course, dino shaped nuggets. “Uh, what’s this?” “It’s Littles food, silly. You eat it,” Kathy almost seemed to joke. The other volunteers snickered in the corner as they left to finish preparing their own meal for later. I grimaced and looked down at my plate again. Admittedly, the fruit, vegetables, and even the small pond of ketchup-like substance in the corner of the plate were all fine. The nuggets though… having helped in meal prep for the Littles before, I knew the dirty secret that they were actually the cauliflower kind, but I also concernedly knew that they contained a mild laxative and some potent fiber. For unpotty-trained Littles, it just meant they didn’t get backed up. For me though… “Please, Kathy…” “Uh oh,” she mocked in her sing-song voice she mainly used on the other Littles. To them, it was almost playful, but to me, it was just meant as an insult. “Looks like someone doesn’t want to eat their veggies.” Several of the Littles gasped and I knew I had to handle this carefully. I couldn’t just outright say the reason I didn’t want to eat the nuggets but eating them was a whole other problem as well. “Kathy… I…” “Oh no. We have a picky eater. Let’s start the countdown everyone!” Most of the Littles nodded and I could feel my position weaken amongst them. Before, I was their superior, but now, I was being treated just like any other fussy Little. “One!” they began. I tried to utter out an excuse, but everyone followed Kathy’s lead and they jumped to “two!” before I could. “Kathy… please!” I tried begging again. “I can eat the veggies, but…” “Three!” everyone shouted. There were no halves, quarters, or even eights or thirds getting to three. It was just plain old successive ‘three.’ The word resounded in the dining room and every Little immediately looked at me and then up at Kathy. “Tsk, tsk…” Kathy chided as she shook her head in disappointment. “I guess someone needs a little trip over to the timeout stool…” Every Little here knew about the stool and had experienced it for themselves in the living room at one point or another. It was in the front of the house and prominently situated underneath the naughty chart there to show any visitor or the family when watching TV that the Little seated there had messed up. I had sat there only twice by now, both when I first got here, and my negative behavior was marked by the corresponding two stars. Now, I would be getting a third. And so, it went. Kathy marched me over from the table to the stool and made me sit there for thirty minutes to think about my naughty behavior. In retrospect, I suppose the lesson was for me to learn that I was just like any other Little under Big rules, but I only sat there that night and fumed. In the end, as usual, I still had to eat my dinner, and before I went to bed that night, I could already feel the effects when I went potty as part of my still-present night routine. The next day, once again, I just tried to avoid Kathy, but I was just interminably grateful that I was alone and practically had the bathroom on my floor to myself. Some Littles from downstairs would use it if they could, or one of the volunteers would use it if the one made for them up or downstairs was full, but today, I occupied it the most often. I didn’t have any accidents, but my bowels were wrecked from just the six nuggets I had eaten forcibly last night. For her part, Kathy just despicably grinned at me the whole day. Unfortunately, her toying with me didn’t end there. By Thursday though, I think my resignation and focus on only my bowel issues on Wednesday had left her wanting something more from me. So, my day began with my shower, but when I returned, another volunteer was there. “Look,” Tawnya began, her face looking like she wanted to be anywhere else but there right then. “Kathy scares me as well, and so when she asks me to do something, I do it.” Her eyes then darted over to an outfit on my bed. “I’m sorry…” My eyes widened as I more closely examined the outfit she was pointing to. At first, I thought the checkered seafoam green dress was just like any of the others I had worn here. It had a bow and was shorter than most of the others, but it wasn’t too terrible. Then I saw that I was only going to be able to wear the dress… without any tights on underneath it. “I can’t wear that!” Tawnya sighed. “Please, Emily? Please can you just wear it today? I have a job to do, and Kathy selected that outfit for you specifically. Training panties as well…” My eyes raced back over and saw the thick panties colored in a similar seafoam green with a large whale printed across the butt. My heart raced and I felt that I was eternally doomed if Kathy was to stay here and rule over me, but I resolved it within myself that Mrs. Tatum was really the one in charge. I only had a few days to go, so to keep the peace and for the sake of Tawnya, I just nodded my head. She smiled back at me and helped me get dressed in the new outfit, yet another requirement that Kathy had insisted on lately. I would have protested as well, but I just had to put it out of my mind that I was standing in front of this Big in the nude. I wanted to punch Kathy so hard right then, but I knew grumbling wouldn’t do me any good, so I just braced against Tawnya’s shoulder as she ruffled the panties up my legs when I stepped into them. Finally, the process was done, and I subjected myself to another breakfast with the other Littles, which was followed by another trip to the park. The place was wide, free, and Little friendly, so Mrs. Tatum often took us here to expel our energies. I resigned myself to just reading today, trying to keep my dress as low as I could so I wouldn’t accidentally show off my training panties to just any stranger walking by. It didn’t help that there was also a breeze, and once again, I could see Kathy’s wicked grin every once in a while, when I would glance over at her. Still, we all got back to the foster home in one piece and just in time for lunch. My crust was cut off, my plate was in the shape of a rhino, and my utensils were all plastic, but it was still a good meal. Unfortunately, I also felt a need to pee right then. So, without thinking, I just got up from the table, remembering rule three of the guide for Littles I had read before coming here: if you feel the need to go and there is a bathroom nearby, use it immediately. “And where do you think you’re going?” Kathy sternly asked, looking in from the kitchen. I froze and answered back as politely as I could. “Just to the bathroom…” “You have to ask before you can go potty, Emma…” she shot back with a glare right in my direction. I practically had to stick my fingers in my eyes to keep them from rolling over that statement, but I nodded instead and kept calm. “I’m sorry. May I use the restroom?” I asked, making sure I used the proper question. ‘Can I use the restroom’ was almost universally known as the death knell for any Little as it always raised a legitimate concern with Bigs about Littles; could the Little in question actually go potty? The English teach in me would have been mortified if I tripped up on that sort of trap around here. Regardless, though, Kathy smiled. “Of course you can, honey.” I nodded and ran upstairs. Unfortunately, someone had left their toys on the second floor by the younger Littles room. The Littles in there rarely left their room and were attended to by two separate near-constantly watching volunteers. The house only had two Littles that mental age now and both were practically newborns, having been found in some kind of back alley testing facility. Even then though, it just made Bigs seem to desire them more and there was already a couple willing to take both home by next Tuesday. Regardless, the plastic train stubbed my toe, and I willed everything in my being not to curse out loud right then. I was successful though, and I continued up to my floor. Just my luck though, I had caused a commotion, and it didn’t take long for Kathy to quickly follow behind me up the stairs. “Everything okay?” I nodded and just hoped she would go away. She didn’t. “You have to be more careful on the stairs, Emma. Maybe you just need a little extra help today. Let me go with you.” Before I had a chance to respond, Kathy took my hand and led me up the stairs, her grip near vice-like. Panicking, as we rounded the corner, I took the opportunity of our weaker connection, and I wrenched my arms from hers. “Get off me! I don’t need your help!” Kathy frowned immediately. “Don’t you take that tone with me, missy!” I just walked away, trying to avoid conflict, and still having to pee. I had miscalculated though, and it had the opposite effect. “And where do you think you’re going?” Kathy asked, her hands now situated on both hips and her breathing turning almost into a snarl of sorts. “You apologize to me right now!” At the single moment, I realized I had two options. First, I could apologize, humiliate myself and possibly even show Kathy that I needed her help… at least in her mind. Second, though, I could refuse, and she could get angry and likely punish me further. Seeing as she was already angry though, and the first could just lead to more problems in my future, I shook my head. “No!” As if the hallways had suddenly turned into an echo chamber, my voice seemingly bounced off the walls and appeared to almost shake Kathy right where she stood. For a moment, I thought she might even back down, but sticking to character, she didn’t. “No? What do you mean ‘no?’” Her tone quickly became darker, and her hulking presence inched closer to me as she looked down on me in fury. “You don’t say no to me! You got that? I am a Big here and you are a Little! I don’t care who you used to be or that you’re trying to go back home. You’re in our world now and you’re nothing but a Little. You’re either going to learn your place or you’ll be sorry.” With that finally spat, she yanked my hand and dragged me up the final leg of stairs to my floor. I quickly wondered if I had made the right call in defying her, but something was telling me that I hadn’t. Kathy then quickly stopped in front of the bathroom and my heart dropped. “Decision time. Either be the Little you are or face the consequences. There is no third option.” I looked in the bathroom and saw there was now a child’s potty sitting on the ground next to the smaller toilet, horrifyingly now locked with a heavy-duty mechanism arcing over the top. Even if I said no, I would still need help to get it off or instead just use the little purple potty now in there. At that moment though, I also realized that Kathy was insisting she go in with me while I did my business. Since I was given the training panties on day one here, it was a thought that had utterly terrified me of being watched like a little kid fresh off potty training. It seemed according to Kathy, today was going to be the day that I would cross that line in my potty habits, and I wasn’t sure if it was a line that could ever be recrossed or undone. Now, admittedly, I know a lot of people probably would have just given in, just like I knew before as well that they wouldn’t have turned right at the statue down the alleyway. I know those things and that I’m not perfect either. I was a fully independent and successful teacher back on Earth… no executive I will admit, but one just doesn’t turn off being an adult in these types of situations. I challenge anyone else not to put up a little fight or struggle to maintain their independence at least a little bit in situations like these. So, despite hating myself as soon as I did it, I shook my head. Sadly, it turned out it was the last straw for Kathy. Anger flashed across her face. Her movements were swift and deliberate as she grabbed my wrist once more and dragged me into my room. The basic décor stood in stark contrast to the other more fun and cutesy rooms of the house, but I had always appreciated that. Now, the starkness just gave me less to focus on as Kathy glared down at me. “Don’t you move one muscle.” Her voice was calculating, and I could almost feel myself wince as she then left and went over to a door on one end of the room. It had been locked the whole time I had been there and had just assumed it was another closet in here next to mine. It wasn’t. “Hmmm…” Kathy mused as the door finally opened, “which one today?” I tried to get a better look, but her large Big-sized body just blocked nearly every inch of the narrow opening. “Aha! Perfect!” She retrieved something and quickly closed the door back up before walking back over to me. I tried to make out what was now in her hand, but when I did, I wished I hadn’t. There, all bright red and shiny even, was a long spanking paddle. Holes filled the end that was a little over the length of her hand, making the whole thing just a shade under three feet in total. I gulped as she strutted back over to me with it swaying ominously from her hand. She sat down, smiled sadistically at me, and then patted her lap. “Come, Emily. It’s time you get acquainted with another punishment that most Littles experience at least once. Something’s telling me you’ll be fast friends with it quite soon though.” I eyed the spanking implement balanced gracefully in her hand and my knees seemed to turn into jelly. I wanted to move, but I was finding it hard to take a step further. “I meant now! Don’t make me come over there!” she thundered at my slow movements. Despite nearly collapsing at each step, my fear of her only making things worse for me was a powerful motivating factor. “Turn around,” she then commanded me. I nodded and turned, and to my horror, I could feel her giant hand snatch the back of my training panties and drop them to my ankles. My face flushed with embarrassment, but I didn’t have long to feel it. “Over my lap… now!” I hopped right to it and eased myself over her lap. Her things provided ample room for me to lay down on, but I could still feel the heat rise in my cheeks and my whole body become very uncomfortable as she lifted my short skirt up towards my back. I couldn’t see it, but I knew she now had a perfect target across my vulnerable behind in order for her to ‘teach me a lesson.’ “It didn’t need to be this way, Emma…” Kathy started, almost seeming disappointed in me. “Now, as this is your first spanking here, I will go easy on you. I think just 15 smacks in a row should do.” I could almost feel myself shaking in fear as she began to rub my butt all around. I think it was to prepare my skin or something like that, but it just gave me more time to contemplate my ultimate doom. Under this roof, I felt I was already losing so much of who I was. I had only been here now for a little over two weeks, and there were some rumors that a new passport lately could take three months to be renewed. It didn’t bode well for me at all. “Okay, ready?” she asked in a surprisingly mellow voice. I wasn’t sure why the change was present, but my best guess was that now was business more than her pleasure. Before, intimidation was critical, but now, a lesson being learned seemed more important to her. Regardless, I just nodded my head and braced for impact. “One!” she called out. The first spank hit me like a linebacker and sounded like a thunderclap. I bit my lips to keep from yelling out, but by the sixth, I just couldn’t help it anymore. Fire began to scorch every inch of my posterior and I tried to keep my squirming down, but after each of the thousands of needle-like blows hit me, my who body would go rigid, and I would involuntarily struggle to be free. Still, Kathy was relentless in her punishment of me. AS if she was painting a canvas, soon, there was not a single spot that didn’t ache or scream in pain. I was quickly reduced to a puddle of tears, and my only relief came when Kathy finally reached the magic number, 15. She rubbed my butt for a little longer and even applied some lotion to it. It stung something awful at first, but after a few moments, I felt eh sweet relief of pain, even if it was just for a single moment. Seeming satisfied now, she then carefully helped me stand up again. “Now, are you going to be a good girl for me and listen?” I wanted so badly to tell her no or to screw herself, but my butt just throbbed and ached for me to say otherwise. Not being able to form the words though, I just nodded. It seemed like it was enough and Kathy just smiled and led me to the bathroom, where, under her supervision, I finally relieved myself. “Good girl!” she praised. My cheeks flushed again, but once more, my butt just screamed out to me more than anything else. Still, Kathy seemed happy for once and led me back to my room and turned out the lights so I could have ‘a little alone time.’ I cried myself to sleep and just hoped something would change. Nothing did, but I was about the most compliant Little ever, so even into Friday, all seemed okay between Kathy and I now. By the end of the day though, I could tell she was itching to reassert her authority over me, whether I warranted it or not. So, after dinner, I retreated upstairs with the other Littles. “Oh, Emma?” I turned around and faced my tormentor and many of the other Littles did as well. “I think you’ve had a long week and with tomorrow being Saturday and all, I think you should have an earlier bedtime tonight. How about you have the same as the rest of the toddler Littles, huh?” Despite my bruised posterior, I could feel the anger swelling up inside of me. I wanted to be compliant to at least avoid being punished, but this time, I hadn’t done anything wrong and yet I was still being degraded like all the others. It was too much right in that moment, and I stepped forward… but I felt a hand quickly stop me going further from behind me. I looked back and another Little, Lilly, gravely shook her head. I could tell she was scared for me right away and not wanting to upset her while also seeing the wisdom of her restraint, I nodded. So, I then looked back up at Kathy and summoned just about all the will I could muster to smile politely back at her. “That sounds like a… good idea. Best to be awake tomorrow…” Kathy sickeningly smiled back at me, and I just took it in and retreated back upstairs with the rest of my kind. Lilly soon confronted me as we ascended the stairs. “You getting’ in trouble is jus’ bad, Miss Em.” I nodded in resignation. “I know Lilly. I just… it’s hard, you know?” I could tell she wasn’t completely sure if she did know, but from what I had gathered since, everyone knew about my punishment yesterday and everyone here had received it at one point in their stay here. Despite my lack of information, I knew that if nothing else, though, she was trying to help me out and prevent what had already happened to me from getting worse. “Yeah,” she said a little hesitant. “Just be careful. Dis area’s dangerous for dose who don’ follow da rules, in here or out dere…” I acknowledged what she told me, but it was just a concept that didn’t seem to want to stick in my head. I of course would try and avoid being punished, but there was just a sense of being an adult that I couldn’t shake. Regardless though, I just settled down for the night an hour early and hoped that tomorrow would bring me just that. Now, Saturday is family day around here. Of course, we Littles don’t have family here in this dimension most likely, but it was a day set aside during the week that we all looked forward to for one reason or another. See, it was where prospective caregivers would come and meet with, or even rent out, one of us for the day. The hope was to build a bond between us and them that could ensure a proper fit and later smooth transition if they decided to begin the adoption process. Unfortunately, being the mental age I was, my prospects were usually fairly slim, so my potential escape plan from Kathy later would always come up short. Further, once any Big beyond that hurdle found out I was applying for another passport as well, Mrs. Tatum had informed me that it was practically the final nail in my coffin against me for most. So, as a result, I had spent the past two Saturdays with Nancy, and I didn’t mind one bit. Of course, Nancy would still come around during the week when she could, but her job as a high-level executive at one of the local bigwig companies this week meant that today was the first time I had seen her in a week. From the other times she had come here, she knew about my various struggles, but after this last week with Kathy, I now had a whole new set of problems. “So, she even spanked me on Thursday and sent me to bed early yesterday,” I explained to Nancy once we exchanged our usual pleasantries and she apologized for not making it here sooner. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Emily,” she said was a sad face. Her eyes then scanned over me and I could see her eyebrows raise just a bit. “I see she’s also selecting some… different outfits for you lately?” I looked own at my outfit, this one only composed of tight dark pants and a shirt that spouted the phrase, ‘#1 Princess.’ It was a bit mortifying, especially considering my training panties puffed out against the dark fabric. “You could say that…” We talked for a little while longer, even going so far as to walk around outside as we did so. Kathy almost denied us leaving the foster home, but Nancy got her way in the end after some selective and strong words. Oddly, that type of force against my latest foe had made me see her differently after that. Nancy was a Big, so I wasn’t naive and a little nervous about that, but I would have been blind to say that she wasn’t at least a bit protective of me. It wasn’t much, but at the same time, something was telling me that this week with Kathy, now that it had happened, wouldn’t be the last. If I stayed here, I wasn’t confident that I would be making it back home as the same woman I had left Earth as. So, a new thought popped into my head. It was so simple, and a huge risk on my part, but faced with my current options, it at least seemed the safest path away from Kathy. Mulling it over a bit more, once we passed the swing set that I had come to know so well over the past weeks, I told Nancy my proposal. For her part, Nancy just listened and to my relief, actually seemed to give it some legitimate thought. Still, I could see her hesitancy as well. “I don’t know, Emily… me taking you in from this place? It’s a lot to ask…” I nodded my head. “I know Nancy, but I don’t think I’m going to make it here. Mrs. Tatum and the other Littles are great, but Kathy… I’m just not sure how long I can stay as who I am if she’s treating me like the helpless Little I think she wants me to be. I just feel that something is going to happen and it’s going to cause me a lot of issues down the road. Does that make sense?” Nancy nodded and we then walked another block as our conversation switched around a little. Finally, as we came to a large tree just off the path, she looked back at me. “Okay… I’ll do it, but you need to know, because of your situation and all and my job… there’s going to be some stipulations…” My mind raced with the possibilities, but at least she had said yes. I was so desperate to get away from Kathy and her schemes, that if Nancy asked me to do her laundry every day as that stipulation, I think I would have agreed to it in a heartbeat without much thought. Still, a little voice in the back of my head wanted to know more. “What sort of stipulations exactly?” Nancy smiled. “Nothing hugely impactful, but because of LPS and all, we need to keep up a front for them. At home, you could be free and go to bed at midnight for all I care, but if they ever came over, I would need you to act like the best Little in the world. The slightest hesitation or bad behavior, in their minds at least, and the jig would be up.” She paused for a moment and scratched the back of her head. I braced for what was coming next. “Also… I have a job and I can’t leave you at home by yourself… that would only lead to many things only being worse… for both of us actually.” I didn’t like where this was headed, but I was weighing any options she told to me against what Kathy wanted now and likely in the future. As long as it wasn’t diapers, I felt confident that I would say yes to almost anything. “Go on…” Nancy sighed. “Well, for Littles, there aren’t too many options for during the day, but I think I saw an ad the other day for… to be honest, a daycare.” I think she was waiting for me to bolt, but I just stood my ground. “Yeah… I know it’s probably not ideal, but this place specializes in curated times to occupy your day based on your mentality. It’s got multiple levels for dealing with Littles and is some of the most top tier care in the city. We can always find something else, but what do you think?” Her stipulations weren’t diapers and before, I knew that was about my only caveat in whatever they turned out to be. I had so many other questions, but for now, on the surface level at least, Nancy had presented a way forward to me that just might work. Daycare admittedly, but it was something that seemed better than what fate awaited me with Kathy if I stayed in Mrs. Tatum’s foster home. So, with a sigh, I nodded. “I’m in.” Nancy smiled and we both began walking back to the house to start filling out the paperwork. I would still have another few days at the bare minimum for the paperwork to go through and for Nancy’s house to be inspected by LPS first, but I knew I was taking a big leap into my future. Nancy seemed much better than Kathy though, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped everything would be fine for a few months until I could get my passport back.

As with my previous stories, this one contains several elements inherent to the pre-established 'Diaper Dimension.' These include, but are not limited to: Diapers and their usage for their intended purpose Breastfeeding Non-consensual mental regression through various means (Including possible drugs, hypnosis, and/or surgery) References to surgery to achieve various nefarious goals Humiliation Giants, aka, Amazons or Bigs Predominantly female domination (some male) Babying of adults (perceived or otherwise) Experimentation on humans Kidnapping Coerced or manipulated actions through possible means of white lies, gas lighting, or incentives Mild language or use of explitives Depictions of death, illness, or handicaps Graphic imagery associated with any of these warnings This story has not been labeled as mature, due to a lack of specific references to anything overtly sexual, but this warning serves as a 'turn back' point for any readers who do not wish to read about the previous warnings. Lastly, this list is subject to change during the course of writing this story. While most of the plot is ironed out, more warnings may be added if needed. For those readers interested or do not care about the warnings listed, please enjoy the following story or for the first story, go to the following link: https://www.dailydiapers.com/board/index.php?/topic/86107-a-stuffys-tale-one-bunnys-journey-in-the-diaper-dimension-chapter-17-complete/ For those interested in the sequel to the first story and the near parallel story of this one, go to the following link: https://www.dailydiapers.com/board/index.php?/topic/90405-dashs-redemption-a-stuffys-tale-and-diaper-dimension-story-chapter-15-complete/ Hey everyone! So, as promised, this is the follow-up mostly concurrent story with Dash’s Redemption. I know that story didn’t prove to be the most popular of all the stories I’ve written, but I think this one should be a little more of the standard fair, and to be blunt, I’m almost kind of using this as a bit of a palate cleanser before moving on with my other stories this year. Further, due to how this one even popped up and the fact that I’m going to probably be shying away from other stuffy’s tales in the near future, I just wanted to finish this one up right away, rather than waiting a long time on it. If I continue to do the voting for the next stories from you all, I have a feeling I wouldn’t get to this story for a very long time, if ever. So, I’m doing it here and I’ll probably be going very fast through it. Unless something massively changes, expect successive days of chapter postings. Also, just as a tiny warning here, there is a particular scene that could be troubling to some readers in here. I do have my little warning previously, but I just wanted to add another one here. It doesn’t last long, but I just wanted to ensure that everyone knew about it first. Also, on that note, Emma’s story has already been partially written out, and sometimes, to fall, things need to break a bit. Please keep that in for the other chapters as well… Moving forward, right now, this story is standing at about 16 chapters. While that’s about twice the length I was originally thinking it was going to be, I think you all will definitely enjoy the fleshed-out characters more and some of the implications and connections I’ve added here. All that being said, I’m only going to be polling two stories this go around. As I stated at the end of my previous story, because this story wasn’t even on the list, the polling will just be between the Tell Me More sequel, or the Bethany semi-follow up to The Opening. For those of you just reading this story, I will be sharing these two options at the start of my next chapter. Lastly, just to clarify, when I said that I was going to ‘retire’ the age regression virus story, I only meant that I wasn’t going to include it in the polling for just the next few stories at least. I may consider asking about second choices, which admittedly could have changed the outcome of what I was seeing you all wanting this round, but I’ll keep that in mind for a future story poll after this one. For now, in the year of mostly sequels, I usually include in the poll two sequel stories, and one new story, and at the moment, I will just be including another completely separate story instead of the age regression virus story. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this first chapter of my next story! Chapter 1: I Was a Teacher on Break Well, I finally made it here. A month of research and continuous travel agents talked to, had all led up to me being here… in another dimension no less. I of course had been born before they came, but now, almost 20 years later, it just felt like a distant memory. The therapist I used to see said it was repressed memories or some nonsense like that, but basically, I always just remembered the race of Amazons, sorry, Bigs, in my life. Alternate dimensional theory was now a cornerstone of most college courseloads, but still… being here and seeing everything, really was just something else. I had heard the rumors about this place, but I had always just chalked them up to paranoid people trying to get in the way of everyone enjoying our new paradise on Earth. After all, life expectancies had essentially doubled and things like medicine, energy, and education were all on the rise. In retrospect, it’s probably why I became a high school English teacher. I was Miss Breckenridge, or Miss Emily if they were trying to suck up to me somehow, but it was a solid job, and I got most summers off if I chose to. With our salaries much higher than decades before, teaching had become the hot new career for aspiring academics. That being said, despite all the changes, raging teenage hormones and attitudes did not. So, out in Arizona, when the summer session was coming up in the beginning of May, I decided to spread my wings a little bit and try something new. * * * “Are you really going?” Vicky asked me skeptically, her history teacher roots making her highly suspicious of any country or race coming to another, where one was drastically more technologically superior to the other. “What if it’s like the Aztecs and the Spanish… and we’re the Aztecs?” I could feel the raw apprehension in my friend, and I stopped packing up my room for one moment to try and ease her mind. “Relax, Vicky. You worry too much about that sort of stuff. It’s been over twenty years since they came, and we’re all still here. No smallpox or invading army turning us into slaves.” I was actually quite impressed I could still remember her nerdy little reference and shoot something back to her myself. There was a reason I was an English teacher instead. She just shook her head though. “English teachers… you all are just dreamers… I bet you imagine yourself like some brave new explorer going over there, huh? Like in one of your precious books?” I smiled. “Oh, yes. Emily Breckenridge… explorer extraordinaire!” She lightly shoved me on the shoulder. “I’m serious, Em. Jus be careful, will you?” She then lowered her voice and walked slowly closer to me. “Look, I just read this article about some guy that went over there. There’s some freaky stuff going on. Like treating you all like… babies.” I rolled my eyes. “Give me a break, Vic. I read the same stupid article as well, and the five stories that have been published like that since I was a teenager, as opposed to the hundreds of positive stories. I mean, did you happen to read that it was posted in some tabloid piece originally? I think it was even nestled between Aliens replaced my cousin and the fountain of youth being discovered near some daycare in Florida in that issue. You can’t believe everything you read. I might be a lowly English teacher,” I joked, “but take it from me… you can’t believe everything you read. I mean, you don’t really think that Mr. Darcy was real, do you?” Now, it was Vic’s turn to roll her eyes. “Fine, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She then retreated back to my classroom door before turning back to me with a face I could only recognize as worry. “Just promise me you’ll be safe, okay?” I sighed and paused once again as I packed all my stuff up for the summer. “Yes, Vic. I will be as careful as I can be. I’ll even stay in contact with the embassy as soon as I get settled, okay?” My friend just nodded, heaved a great sigh, and left my classroom. I could tell that she was legitimately worried about me, and to be honest, I was no fool and had done my research. It was almost a hobby of mine now I had spent so much time on it, but I had thoroughly investigated every company and agency getting people over there. After numerous searches, I had finally found a tour group that seemed pretty open and widely expansive across the country. Plus, they boasted, with real statistics, a 90% success rate, even over multiple trips. For perspective, the next highest was only at 70%. So, armed with my new knowledge, I packed my last To Kill a Mockingbird marked-up copy away and headed back out to my car. I refueled at the nearest EV charging station, went home and retrieved my travel suitcase, passport, and papers, and hailed a driver to take me to the nearest rail station. The new rails were all the rage lately to get between the states and plus, they connected most of the country together now. Having one just on the outskirts of Phoenix, I was able to get to most places in the country in half the time it used to take. To my delight, that included the portal facility out in Nevada. Unfortunately, they were still constructing the one to serve the greater Arizona area, but with the rail lines, I was just as happy to go to a main transport hub, instead of bouncing around the country to get to your intended destination like before. So, one 300 mph trip later, I rocketed into place right in front of the portal facility now gleaming before me. “Miss?” a kindly woman waved at me. “Checking in today?” I nodded and rolled my bag over to her. “Yes, uh, one flight to Virgan,” I informed her as I grabbed the ticket in my top suitcase pocket. It was hard not to get frustrated with the paper copies, but apparently last year, some poor guy was sent to Australia on their side because his electronic ticket was hacked by Big spies on this side of the portal. I wish I could say that it was an isolated incident. “Hmmm… Virgan. A very exciting and upcoming place. Come this way,” she beckoned me inside. I, of course, followed behind her and to the travel desk located just inside. Some portal facilities acted just like any other airport terminal, while the one here in Nevada favored the more ‘personal touch.’ According to their website I had read up on a month ago, it led to less unfavorable incidents. ‘Less though… not none…’ The lady quickly helped me along and after checking that I was all set, she handed my ticket back to me. “Perfect. You’re all set, and it actually looks like we’ve got a portal coming right up to Virgan in the next 15 minutes.” She then pointed to a hallway behind her, marked with a giant number ‘1’ on both the walls and even the flooring. “Just follow the hallway down here and get into the tram. Only that tram and just go to the gate they tell you after. Hold onto your ticket no matter what.” I nodded with the seriousness she intended in that last part. I for sure didn’t want a mix-up and end up in aplce like Honshu. Still, I smiled back. “Thank you.” I then resumed wheeling my bag and made sure I stuck to the single designated ‘1’ hallway. Minutes later, it ended, and I hopped onboard a tram service in the car marked with another giant red ‘1.’ The cars in front of us were then marked with a blue ‘2’ and green ‘3’ right after. “All aboard. Leaving for portal building in ten seconds…’ the electronic voice called out from the speakers above. I closed my eyes for a moment and only reopened them when I felt a lurch and could feel the warm sunlight from outside bathing the car. There wasn’t a town for miles around and even the main hub of the portal facility was separated from the actual portals themselves. One expert cited radiation, another explosion, but another more ludicrous theory was that the original portal almost blew a hole in the dimensional fabric of space time… or something like that. I was grading papers at the time and for most of us living on Earth still now, as long as the portal remained stable, the old reasons of why the separation mattered less and less with each passing year they remained safe. In the midst of my thoughts, the car lurched to a stop right at the height of the looped track and in front of the actual portal building. Inside seemed pretty plain, but once again, I just followed the large red ‘1’ on the floor and from the signs overhead. Those from cars ‘2’ and ‘3’ still had to wait for their portal to be recalibrated and relocated to another region of the other dimension. Finally, though, I showed my ticket once more to a tall, burly man waiting by a pair of revolving doors, and satisfied I was who I claimed to be, I moved past him and to the large room on the other side. Rumors had swirled for years about the specs and veneers of the portals changing, but they still looked like they did for the past almost 15 years now. Circular hubs vibrated and pulsed as the energy coils recharged while several bumbling scientists muddled and fussed with the bevy of controls and dials before them. Occasionally the lights would flicker, but since none of the scientists below seemed the least bit concerned, I felt pretty confident that nothing was amiss. Seeing a few others have their tickets be inspected and then directed elsewhere, I stepped up and made sure my ticket was already out of my suitcase. “Ticket, please,” one of the younger scientists, dressed in the stereotypical lab coat, asked me. “Richt… here you go.” I handed him the ticket once more with a smile. He just took it without any overt sign of emotion before handing me a single blue triangular pill. “Good. Just in time. Group 4, down in front by the portal,” he said, readjusting his glasses while gesturing over to the large crowd of people there now. “Take the pill before and just give the coils a time to recharge and you’ll be off in no time.” I nodded and followed over to the rear of the line before swallowing the pill whole. Just as I got in line, though, the coils began to vibrate even louder, and the scientists panicked briefly. I wondered if I should, but at the last second, one of the more elderly ones cranked a handle all the way to the left and the vibrations turned into a low pitch, like a low note had just been plucked on a base guitar. It pulsed for a moment, before the whole place shook once more and then stopped as liquid then seemed to fill in the previously empty circular device on the platform above the crowd of people that I was now a part of. As soon as the seemingly calmly bluish liquid touched though in the center, it let out a final twang, sucked in and out, and finally, was still. The resulting surface still shimmered with an unearthly blue and seemed about as reflective as glass and as full of life as a bubbling stream. “Beautiful, but ugh! Popped my ears I think…” I mused out loud while trying to blow my nose to fix the fullness I felt in both ears. “Yeah... these things have a tendency to do that,” the man in front of me said casually, turning around over his shoulder a little bit. “Punching a hole in the universe or something like that. Popular Mechanics ran an article a few months back… I think that’s what it said…” He seemed less sure at the end, so I wasn’t sure if I was getting the full picture of the article, but it still made sense. “Right… guess this stuff isn’t for amateurs anymore…” I said half-heartedly, recalling when the technology was released to the public and a few start-up companies tried to make their own. As people began to enter, I remembered the results were… unfavorable, or at least from what I’ve been told. Then, after the man in front of me went through the portal, I stepped up, my ticket was ripped in half and the scientist there gestured to the portal. “Whenever you’re ready…” I nodded and took a breath. ‘Just like an explorer in one of your books, Em… just go right on through… it’s a whole new world.’ I took another breath and as the final bit of air released from my lips, I stepped forward and bathed myself in the shimmering metallic blue in front of me. All at once, I felt my body being stretched, on fire, contorted, deep frozen, and smashed like a ripe tomato in the summer. It was awful and I wanted to puke. My legs dangled in the air, and I swore I could feel wind in my face as the ripples of thousands of explosions of color rocketed before my eyes. Just as I began to completely freak out though, my feet touched solid ground again. “There you go, missy,” a loud booming voice above me noted. “Easy does it.” I felt a hand guide me by the shoulders, and it honestly took me a minute to see that first, I was in a very different and almost elegant building compared to the near-warehouse one I had just come from, and second, the hand on my shoulders actually seemed to almost be able to reach both of them, being so large and all. I almost yelped out a bit of surprise when I looked up and there was a woman staring right back at me. “Hey there, let’s get you cleaned off, huh?” I panicked and almost wanted to run away right there, but the woman just guided me to what almost looked like one of those old phone booths my grandparents used to use. Instead of a phone inside though, as soon as the door was closed, the whole chamber filled with a whiteish, greenish smoke. I felt I had arrived at my ultimate doom, but not even three seconds later, all the smoke was sucked away and the woman guided me back out. “Perfect! All clean and sterilized. Now, just right down those steps and to your destination!” Her tone unnerved me, and it took me a second to pin down why. It wasn’t condescending... quite the opposite in fact, but with a mild amount of panic, I realized it was that same type of sing-song voice that was used in customer service… crossed near seamlessly with the tone one would use with small children. ‘Damn! I knew I should have worn my leather jacket over here instead of my light blue sweater!’ I was in this dimension for less than two minutes and I already felt marked. It didn’t seem to matter much though, as another Big then escorted me to a singular waiting room. “Please. Wait right here and have a cookie and some juice. You might have lost some sugar on the way over here with our new methods and from the pill you took.” I nodded listlessly, parked my suitcase in front of a chair, and grabbed myself an oatmeal cookie and what appeared an awful lot like grape juice, though it was called ‘uva’ juice. I almost even opted out of drinking it, fearful of all the nasty rumors I had heard about Bigs spiking drinks or whatnot, but feeling lightheaded, I figured it was better to drink it now rather than pass out later. Feeling rejuvenated after a moment, I saw there seemed to be an almost unending stream of travelers arriving after me, so, my juice empty and my cookie eaten, I stood up and pulled my suitcase along with me. One hallway, covered in pictures of happy tourists, later, and I was standing outside at what looked like a bus and taxi depot. “Ticket, ma’am?” a voice asked me. Now, I was prepared to be surrounded by the whole giant lot of them, but as an adult, once just gets used to the notion of most other adults being about your height. Standing a few inches under 6 feet tall, at worst, I just had to look up a little… no need to readjust where I was standing to not hurt my neck. The Big before me though was not anywhere in the ballpark of six feet tall. “Ticket, ma’am?” he asked again, his expression almost seemingly asking if I was okay as well. My eyes just stared up at this being, who despite looking like he had just graduated high school, seemed to be almost twice my height. “Uh… uh… here…” I shakily said, retrieving my ticket and then handing it over to him, still in awe of the differences in our sizes. Inside, I was half-dazed, but now here in the full light, my senses were feeling a little overwhelmed at the view before me. For a moment, he seemed to dislike my awe, or was just impatient, but once he looked at my ticket, his smile returned. “Oh, look at that. Local travel. Wonderful! I’m sure you’ll just love our city! Loculofus is the best kept secret in Virgan!” I could see right through his sales pitch, but in truth, I wasn’t really sure how long I was going to be staying in the capital of Virgan. Still, it was a nice greeting at the start of my trip here. “Uh, I hope so. Can I get a ride, or a…?” He wasted no time and held up his finger to stop me. “Wait one moment.” Then, with the speed and power of a train whistle, he parted his lips and blew into fingers, creating a high-pitched sound. A car quickly pulled up. “Here you go, ma’am. First ride is included with your transport. Be careful out there but enjoy the city!” I nodded and quickly loaded myself and my suitcase into the car, before he shut the door and waved goodbye to me. “Thank you!” I quickly shouted as the car began driving away. He smiled, nodded, and then just went to help the next in a string of us new portal Littles here. The driver had to navigate some pretty odd ways out of the portal facility, but as he began to make his exit, he finally piped up. “Where to, miss?” I was so distracted by all the differences from back home that I had completely neglected to tell him where to go. “Oh! Sorry about that… uh… just once sec…” I then pulled out a map I had purchased beforehand of the city on my phone. There was a whole slew of apps now dedicated to helping Little tourists like me, and this one had received the best reviews so far. “Uh… monument park, please?” He hesitated for a moment, but still nodded his head. After a few routes onto the main highway system, I saw my first glimpse of the steel and granite city, all refined in its splendor after the reconstruction from the last Height War, or at least that’s what my travel guide said. It filled me with excitement, but the driver then spoke up. “Uh, miss? I’ll take you to where you want to go… free charge and all, but are you sure about wanting to be dropped off at monument park?” “Yes…” I said confidently, but the way he was looking back at me and seemed nervous, caused a few cracks to form in that feeling. “Uh, just out of curiosity, why do you ask? Is there something problematic there now?” He quickly shook his head. “Oh, not at all. Just that… well, most Littles want to go to their hotel first. As I said, I’ll take you where you want, but I’m just putting it out there.” For the briefest of moments, I considered what he was telling me. I had two things I knew though that went against his advice. First, most Littles went to their hotel and ended up having a problem anyway… some hotels even being centers of regression programs apparently. Second though, I had looked up the distance on my phone before I left and saw that there were beautiful monuments in the park, and it was only about nine blocks to my hotel. To a daily walker like me, it didn’t seem so bad. I shook my head. “No. Thank you for your concern, but I want to see the park while I still have the chance. I don’t think the walk will be too bad anyways.” He nodded and continued driving. Not long after, we pulled up and I could see the petals blooming on all the trees lining the park and the avenue beyond it. I got out, breathed in the fresh air, and then leaned back over and thanked my driver. He nodded back and sighed. “Good luck.” With that, he drove off and I was all alone. Now, I had grown up in the rubble of what was once our country after all our own wars and crises. It had toughened me up a bit and being alone on the streets wasn’t exactly new to me, so I just rolled my suitcase along and began to take pictures of all the art decorations and sculptures dedicated to the past heroes of Virgan. Military seemed to be the most prominent, but as I continued, I saw a few scientists, creators, and lawmakers as well. Curiously, all were sculpted the exact same size, despite the obvious markers at the base of each denoting, Big, Middle, or Little. I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it, but a very long block later, I decided to stop for lunch. The line was a bit odd, to see from the outside with the varying heights and I will admit, it was the first time I was truly intimidated here, being sandwiched right in between two Bigs, both of whom looked at me with a look I didn’t quite recognize. A little more sleezy and I thought that they would have hit on me, but a little softer, and I would feel like they were my dad about to ask if I needed any help like it was my first day of school or something. I didn’t really like the look and just focused on my order and getting my food. “One hot skylos, please?” I asked the man at the counter. He almost seemed to grumble, but then turned around and caught sight of me. He paused for a moment and seemed almost perplexed for a moment as he stroked his stubbly double chin. “You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked gruffly but with a warmth I didn’t really expect. I shook my head. “Is it that obvious?” He laughed and some of the other Bigs did as well, but a few just looked impatient. “You could say that. See, what you just ordered is about a quarter of your entire body length.” He then looked at me up and down and smiled. “Seeing as you’re new and just out the portal, I’m gonna give you two pieces of advice. First, look up extensively what you’re going to buy before you do. Not everyone’s gonna be as nice as me.” A few of the previously impatient Bigs chuckled. The vendor briefly looked up in annoyance but then came back to me with a smile. “Second, just get off the street and get to where you’re going fast. This area ain’t the best for you types and all. Got it?” I swallowed at his last warning and quickly nodded. He smiled widely back and reached in and gave me a normal sized looking what I would call, hot dog. “Here. No charge. Just get to where you’re going pronto. Good luck.” I tried to pay him after, but he just insisted on the goodwill gesture. So, I soon found myself hurdling down the block about as fast as I could. I only got about two blocks before I just had to stop. I was feeling faint, and my stomach was nearly gnawing me in two. Not liking it, but feeling I had no choice and listening to my stomach over the vendor, I sat down. I tried to eat about as fast as I could of the hot skylos, but for some reason, it seemed to fill me up much faster than I was used to. Not intent on puking today, I slowed a bit and tried to plan out my trip. See, I had planned out most of this trip already, but I had given myself two options, of which, I would just cancel one when I figured out what I wanted to do. Going north, I could hit Libertalia’s capital city, New Columbia, and eventually make my way up to New Eboracum City. Both cities and all that lay between were practically the same as where I had just come from, but being in the north, it was usually safer for Littles. On the other hand, I could go south to Carolusa and eventually Flosus. I would hit a few cities but going south meant more of an emphasis on the natural wonders. Waterfalls 200 feet tall weren’t uncommon and the mountain views were voted as some of the best on the east coast. On the flipside though, being the south, Littles didn’t tend to do better down there. Still, as soon as I finished my last bite, I knew I had to table the decision until later. Unfortunately, I only got about a block further when I realized just how long the blocks were here. First, I was already battling the longer stretches of the two types of blocks, as every block east or west was about two going north or south. Additionally, because of the supersized everything here to accommodate the Bigs better, that amount could easily be doubled again. So, while I had read nine blocks to my hotel, I probably should have read it more like 36 blocks, and right now, I had only just about the halfway point. Tired, sore, and still running on fumes from the amount of energy the portal travel had taken out of me, I stopped and looked at my map once more to see if there were any shortcuts to the hotel. From what I could see, there weren’t any, but I finally saw a friendly-looking couple walking my way. Both being Bigs, I knew it was a risk going up to them, but I was desperate, so I decided to take my chances. “Excuse me?” I asked the pair once they got withing talking range. Both stopped and looked down at me with large smiles. “Yes? Can we help you, miss…?” the woman asked nicely. “Uh, Emily,” I replied back a little hesitant over giving my name out. Still though, I wanted their help, and I didn’t want to offend them by keeping that secret, or if they were the tricky types, I had heard that some Bigs viewed a Little not giving out their name as an admission they were too young to know it. “Good to meet you, Emily,” the man spoke up. “I’m Jim and this is my wife, Lilly. How can we help you? Are you lost?” I noticed he was eyeing the map on my phone. I blushed and nodded. “Geez. I guess I’m a little too obvious out here with my map and all.” “Just a little,” Lilly said, still smiling. “Might want to memorize the route and look at it sparingly.” I nodded. “Definitely, but I need to find my hotel… the Hotel Eirinison?” “Ooh. Fancy schmancy. It’s just up the street here,” Jim said, pointing in the exact direction I was headed. “Right, but…” I gestured to my suitcase still rolling behind me, “do you have any suggestions for getting there quicker? A shortcut maybe?” Both seemed nervous and looked at each other before nodding. Lilly turned to me. “We do and it’s a cut-through alley just ahead beyond the statue of the Little soldier up there.” I looked beyond and saw it. “It will lead you straight through to the other side...” “But we strongly suggest you stick to the park and street path you’re on now,” Jim emphasized while Lilly nodded her head in agreement. “It’s a little longer but it’s safer.” He paused and looked back to where they had just come from. “You can also cut over two blocks from here after the metal sculpture. It’s not much but it will save you a little time later.” “Well, thank you both.” I then stuffed my phone back in my pocket and we both said our goodbyes before departing back our separate ways. Strangely though, as they left, I also received my third ‘good luck’ today from them. Each of the three had been said in about the exact same tone after each had warned me about a potential danger. With each ‘good luck’ before, I had listened to and then ignored their advice and as I came to the Little soldier statue as Lilly had pointed out, I was at yet another decision. The Little soldier stood proud and tall, but I could also see the fear in his eyes as if he was looking at someone particularly frightening before him. I definitely wondered about that war, seeming to be the last in all the major conflicts here, but now, I felt I just had to summon the courage that soldier once possessed as well. It didn’t hurt my resolve either that ‘Hotel Eirinison’ was emblazoned on the building front I could see right at the end of the alleyway. So, sighing, I turned right instead of just continuing through the park. Oddly, the whole city seemed to have been rebuilt following one of the apparently more severe bombings here during the war. According to one source, the vileness of some of the Bigs toward Littles in the south stemmed from the Great Height war as many Littles captured or invaded cities to the point where mass bombings had to be conducted to win them back. Still, most news articles purported the south was fully swinging back and most cities only blazed with light and progress. This alleyway though, seemed to be immune from all that progress. An asphalt street snaked its way in between the facades of two brick buildings, both worn and even crumbling in a few spots. Downtown had now become a mix of both the new and the old, and from the looks of it, I was definitely in the old part. About a minute later and almost to the other side, I thought I heard a clinking behind me. I turned to look, but I didn’t see anyone, so I just kept walking. Another clinking. This time, I spun around faster. Still no one, but now, a single cardboard box wavered slightly on top of the trash from the backdoor of what I could only guess was a restaurant. Nervous, I turned back and saw the hotel sign, closer than ever. Right then, I heard another clinking sound. This time though, when I turned around, I came to face-to-face with a single Big. “W… who are you? Wh… wh… what do you want?” I could feel my pulse racing. He cocked his head to the side. “Lost are you, little one?” He smiled and I could see him flash a pair of yellow teeth, matching horribly well with his tattered clothing. I wanted to retreat, and I even backed up a little bit, but then, I heard another clinking sound behind me. This time, I only turned a little, to keep the other crooked teeth man in my view still, but to my horror, I saw the other end of the alley was now blocked as well. “Hello, sweetie…” the well-manicured man said confidently, walking a little closer to me. This one was dressed much nicer than the other one and the bearded mute man by his side. Whereas the other two’s shoes were patched or dirty, his shoes shined. “Please… just leave me alone…” I hated how I sounded so weak, and I really wished I had just listened to the other Bigs, but I knew it was too late. I thought about yelling out for someone to help, but the crooked teeth one came closer, and his coat opened a little to reveal a large terrifying knife hanging from his belt. It silenced any of those notions pretty quickly, especially considering the knife seemed like it could have easily split me in two. The three just sinisterly laughed, as each stalked ever closer to me. I could feel my stomach in my throat, and I tried to see a way out of this, but I was failing at every angle. There were more of them, and each was twice my height. Also, once again, they gave me the same look between creepy and caring. If I could have crawled out of my skin right then, I would have. “I think she wants to play, boss…” the crooked teeth man taunted, laughing dumbly at his own joke after. The mute man just smiled, and the rich man’s eyes lit up. “Perfect. Just who we were looking for.” Each got within striking distance and the rich man stared back into my eyes with both desire and satisfaction. I could only imagine in terror what he had planned for me. “Now, sweetie, you stay quiet, and my boys won’t have to get nasty. You got it? Nod if you do, darling.” Remembering the knife, I slowly nodded and allowed myself to be escorted by the three back down the alleyway and away from my hotel. The mute man took my suitcase as the crooked teeth man handed it off to him and the rich man pounded on one of the doors. I could hear music inside and I looked up to see where I was likely headed. To my horror, I saw a single clearly regressed Little pressed up against one of the panes of glass above me. They seemed so lifeless… almost dead even and I felt very different than them, but I knew with all the technology of the Bigs, both good and bad, the distance between me and that Little was uncomfortably close. So, seeing the three men momentarily be distracted by their own dealings, I knew it was a small opportunity, but I saw my opening. Despite the threat of the knife I had seen, fear of whatever happened to that Little happening to me was a bigger motivator. Then, in fear and taking a quick breath, I ran. I didn’t get far though when the crooked teeth man caught up with me. His hand grabbed onto my blue sweater, but I just yanked out of his flimsy grip as he almost started to brag back to the rich man. Unfortunately, the force catapulted me forward and smacked me into the side of dumpster. Still, undeterred, I got back up and ran once more. “You idiot!” the rich man admonished the crooked teeth man. “Don’t damage the merchandise. You know what a prime Little like that would go for!” Meanwhile, the mute man had just kept running and tried to catch up with me once more. I was doing pretty well, but his strides proved too much though and he lunged out to grab me. He succeeded but I guess he also liked to play with his prey. He then began to push me around a little. It wasn’t much, but a few gentle shoves here and there in the decrepit alleyway quickly tore holes and seams all over my clothing. For their part, the crooked teeth man and rich man only chuckled amusedly at my torment as they walked closer. Finally, the mute man stopped, but I then realized his widened stance and his beckoning face just wanted me to charge him. So, in hope I could bust my way out, I did, and he caught me by the scruff of my neck once more as I tried to wiggle loose when I failed to. My wiggling didn’t work but I also realized he had left himself vulnerable in trying to control me more. Seeing the opportunity, with myself half-cocked and one foot already in the air as I teetered over the pavement, I used my free leg and kicked him right in the crotch as hard as I could. He yelped in pain, let me go, and dropped to his knees in agony. Unfortunately, I guess it had just rained here and I dropped right into a puddle of water. Still, I could hear the angry shouts of the rich man echo off the alleyway walls. “Go! Go after her! Don’t lose her before she gets back to the street!” I then realized that the alleyway had been chosen on purpose by these Bigs. It represented a dark territory for authorities to patrol and while Littles weren’t treated well in the south here, there were still some rules. So, looking ahead and seeing the street only a quick run away, I knew if I could make it, I would at least be safe from them. So, I ran for it. I could hear the panicked thuds and splashes of the shoes running behind me, but I didn’t dare look back until I was safely out of the street once more and touching the Little soldier statue. I stared back defiantly at the three now defeated men before me. Each could have squashed me like a bug, and I felt triumphant as they soon left and vanished into one of the nearby buildings. Unfortunately, my feelings of triumph quickly ended. The mute man, before going back into his hiding place in one of the buildings, sneered at me as he retrieved my suitcase and took it with him. All my clothes, passport, and money were held within that bag. I had my phone still, but now, I was wet, bruised, and penniless in a land in an entirely different dimension other than my own. Still, I felt I had to press on and at least get into the Hotel Eirinison. Unfortunately, as I grimly suspected when I started walking over there, garnering numerous looks of shock and pit from nearly every passing Big on the way, they wouldn’t let me check-in unless I had my passport from the portal travel bureau. As it stood, that single laminated card was in my suitcase and had taken me a month to obtain it back home. Here in this dimension, I heard rumors about where some took three months to get a new one… if they even made it that long. So, on the verge of being destitute, I went back outside and sat on a park bench by a tall radiating fountain. The city shimmered all around me in glorious magnificence and technological might, but I was now trapped in the same scenario I had worked so hard to avoid in the first place. ‘Shit and double shit! What the heck do I do now?’ I cursed my independent attitude prevailing against the advice of the other Bigs. If I had only listened to even one of them now, I might have been safely tucked upstairs in my hotel room planning out the rest of my trip. Instead, I was now outside and in a world of hurt. And it only got worse as I looked around. To my left, I saw a police car and cops get out and detain a clearly homeless Little. They seemed so scared getting hauled into the back of the police cruiser, and I morbidly wondered what waited for them at the station and afterward. I felt a shiver of fear creep up my spine, and though I was nowhere near looking like that particular Little, my scuffle with the three hadn’t left me too much better off. Then to my right though, I saw what looked like a religious service talking to and helping out another homeless Little as they offered them blankets and hot soup. It was unusually cold for early May, even around here, but my partially soaked clothes clung to me tightly and the wind seemed to pass right through them. I would have availed myself of the free service right then, but as I looked at them closer, I recognized the logo on their front smocks as the Acolytes of Artemis. They were a charity organization dedicated to helping the poor and needy Littles of their world. It was a perfectly wonderful calling for many Bigs, but underneath it all, lay the foundations for the ruin of every Little who sought their services. Most, it seemed, were simply lost to the system, and were never seen again. I shook my head at the notion and just wrapped my arms around myself. It provided little, but some comfort. At the same time though, the reality and desperation of my situation began to settle in. I still had my phone, and I could go to the Earth embassy in the city for sanctuary, but the process was always complicated without a passport. It was possible, but it would take time and most Littles weren’t allowed in until they could at least be verified. As a result, many kidnappers were said to be lurking right outside the gates for desperate and unsuspecting Littles. Worse though, here, I knew the embassy was at least 15 blocks away from my hotel. Having just walked nine to get here and being totally exhausted now, I didn’t like my chances. It was all just too much to deal with. I was a strong independent woman. My time on the streets in a crumbling city before I was 13 had taught me a lot, but it was my hometown. I knew each alley to avoid and where the best free food was on garbage days. I had fought my way out of that mess, but now… I felt I had nothing. So, not seeing a way out, I just dropped my head in my hands and began to softly cry. Now, I know I shouldn’t have, but sometimes, emotions just bubble to the surface whether you like it or not. Crying though, and so obviously, I was making myself vulnerable to any passing Big. I was surprised it took longer than five minutes for one to finally stop and slowly sit next to me. “Tissue?” she finally asked with concern in her voice and holding a large single disposable sheet in front of me. I didn’t want to accept the offered item, but I knew my face was probably a mess and I hated to turn down such a generous offer, even if it was a stranger. “Thank you…” I said quietly, trying not to reveal my ruined face to the Big. From my quick glance at her though, I could see her blonde hair practically shining in the day’s sun, and I could see a little hopeful smile play across her lips as I took the tissue from her hand. I then blew my nose and dabbed off my cheeks. “There… much better, huh?” I nodded. “Thank you, uh… sorry, I didn’t get your name.” She smiled and outstretched her hand to mine. “Nancy. Nancy Donahue. Good to meet you…” “Emily. Emily Breckenridge,” I replied, with a smile on my face, shaking her offered hand. I had no doubt that my makeup was ruined, and I still had no plan, but right then, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Whomever this Big woman was, I felt that things were finally going to turn around for me.

Hey everyone! Well, this is the final chapter. It’s a bit shorter, but with what I have planned next, I think it ends on a pretty good note for these characters. Besides, nothing is written in stone that I can’t write another stuffy’s tale with these characters in the future as well. Now, I know some wanted one of the daycare workers to adopt Emma, but I think each of them was too engrained in their own ways and I hadn’t established their connection well enough by the end to even think of them as an alternative to take her in as their own. I also wanted to place more of an emphasis with this story on both Dash/Patch and Emma. Adding these more random characters of Jimmy and Lilly at the end I think allows for that. They are still part of the story, but because you don’t know them as well, you get the same trepidation about them as Emma and Dash/Patch might, while also being able to almost forget them in a sense yet know Emma is now in a good place. Of course they are important, but I don’t want anyone’s focus to come off them, and I think the way I did it, achieves that goal. Now, moving forward, I also did this, because like I said before, I am going to turn Emma’s perspective into a story itself. Rather than waiting though, I want to announce her that I am actually just going to write it next. I’ve already loosely plotted most of it out like I usually do, and I think it will serve as a nice side piece to this story, or another story in this original ‘trilogy’ of characters. Due to some time considerations, this story should be coming to you soon and quickly with each of the following chapters. Keeping that in mind, I know I’ve asked continually in this series for what you all want to read next, and I will acknowledge here and now that Emma’s perspective wasn’t on the list. So, I’ve decided that I won’t put up a poll of three in my next story and will do a new poll just for the stories of Tell Me More and the Bethany story. By the end, both were nearly tied for what you all seemed to want next. Along the same note, I also believe that I will ‘retire’ the age regression story for now in the next poll I do and will be sure to include another story that I think you all may enjoy as well. Next, I just want to say that I will also be updating the reference guide once again, but I think I’m going to do it in stages this go around. There wasn’t a lot to be added from this story, but I’ve been doing a little world building for the other stories I have been fleshing out in between these chapters and more definitely needs to be added now. Along the same note, thinking about some of my stories and that just listing out cities and states could be confusing, I have also created a map. For now, it’s just Libertalia and I’ve only made a few modifications to it, though many things may be subject to change as my stories progress. I’m trying to create a map of the entire world as a few of my future stories will definitely be more international, but it’s a smidge difficult when I want some of the land masses to change to fit my established narrative. Libertalia though is named differently, but the land mass is practically the same. The same can’t be said for a place like Catalon (our Spain) due to the earthquake that wiped out Atlantis being shifted more to the east. It’s a bit of a deeper dive, but all that will be explored in a future story. Finally, I just want to give a shoutout to anyone who supported and read this story. It’s definitely one of my least popular stories ever, but that’s okay. I had fun writing it, and at the end of the day, that’s why I do all this. All of your all’s comments are wonderful, but if the writer can’t have a little fun as well, I believe the stories would soon fail regardless. I hope my next story will prove to be more popular, but for those of you that read this one, I thank you very sincerely. And last but certainly not least, I hope everyone enjoys this next and final chapter of this story! Chapter 15: An Adoption and Some Sunshine Makes an Opening The feeling of Spring was in the air and as the gentle breeze floated past, white and pink cheery blossom petals reigned down on the car as Jimmy and Lilly got out to retrieve Emma and I from the rear. It had become routine, but today, we had been invited to another Little’s official adoption party. As the car door of the van opened and the beautiful day’s weather wafted in, I couldn’t believe that Emma’s own was already over six months ago. Today, however, her friend Jenny was being adopted to a wonderful new daddy that I had met on several occasions by now, after the two had met during recess one day at daycare. Of course, her stuffy, Victor, and I were pretty great friends by now and he just adored her, so all seemed nearly perfect with this new journey they were about to partake on. For us though, since Emma had been adopted by Lilly and Jimmy, life had spun about so quickly, and while it was a sad day when I left the daycare as a permanent resident, I was beyond thrilled to finally have a home of my own where I finally felt welcome. It was almost strange to be walking into someone else’s house as if you had lived here all your life the way they were treating us, but neither of us minded. Her bold new pink and purple nursery and a fresh batch of oatmeal cookies easily settled us both in pretty quickly to this new lifestyle. As the newly dubbed ‘Patch,’ I was also the talk of the daycare for months after my adventures in trying to save Emma and Pete. New toys could scarcely believe the tales Pete, Carmen, Tops, and Poodee would share about me when I wasn’t there. It was a little annoying at times when I walked around during naptimes and met a new toy to the daycare, but I was just happy I wasn’t the talk of everyone anymore due to my negative qualities. That old ‘Dash’ was now long gone, and my new persona only reveled in making Emma happy beyond her wildest dreams. I still used my messaging on her occasionally, but it was usually only to write some wrong that occurred in this complicated and messy world. Most of the time these days, that came in the form of some secretively hypnotic object or tv show. For example, last week, Emma was watching Lyle the Giraffe, which seemed innocent enough until she started drooling on herself and bouncing up and down on her heavily used diaper. It took three hours that night just to erase the twenty minutes that she had watched of that one show. Since then, though, Jimmy and Lilly had blocked the Pennycade Jr. channel, quite well-known for its heavily laced hypnotic programs that appealed to most Littles. Regardless though, things were pretty great, even on the Nancy front. Despite what had happened a few months ago, where Jimmy and Lilly really showed their commitment to Emma that night, she had long been put away. Emma still had an occasional nightmare about her, but they had largely ceased after we saw an… interesting update about her in the news. Somehow, after seeing that, I guessed that Emma was no longer truly scared of her anymore. Still, as Lilly helped her out of her car seat and realized she needed a quick change in the back seat, I knew the damage had already been done to Emma. Her vocabulary and enunciation of words had improved, but there were still several stumbling blocks with anything that seemed even slightly mature. Books like Mommy Does or The Little and His Friends Find Some Treasure were perfectly fine if she wasn’t stressed, but anything more and she just got Lilly to read it for her. Coordination, memory, and critical thinking skills also showed their own signs of issues but considering that most days Emma was just content to giggle and play with her friends, I just resigned to the fact that some things were okay being less complicated than they used to be. Then, once changed, Lilly popped Emma back on the ground and as she cleaned up, Jimmy took the Little’s free hand, my form being hugged tightly by her other. “Ready for the party, honey?” he asked in his usual sweet way. Small sayings and actions like that and considering all that had happened in the past six months, I was very happy with whom Emma ended up with. Emma nodded. “Yes! I can’t wait to pawty wiff my fwiends.” Okay… so maybe she still struggled with her ‘r’ and ‘th’ sounds, but she was definitely able to make her points better now without a translator. “Don’t forget your present, dear,” Lilly called out from the back, wrapping the final tape on the used diaper with the wipes tucked neatly inside. “I’ll get it,” Jimmy noted. Lilly nodded and went to dispose of the heavily used diaper nearby in the designated receptacle that all parks now possessed. It was all just routine for the two loving caregivers by now. Jimmy then went in the back seat and retrieved the purple package with dark lace ribbon entwined all around it. Of course, Lilly had wrapped the gift herself, but Emma was still there to lend a spare finger when she needed something held and had insisted on the color design herself. After all, it was for Jenny, and she was a little different than most Littles. Her daddy was also a little strange compared to other Bigs and ran the local theater, but Jenny took the cake for being different with other Littles. While Emma always chose playtimes involving tea parties or princesses, part of her conditioning or not I’ll never know, but Jenny always chose things like playing a mad doctor or everyone going on a monster hunt. I thought it was hilarious and Victor had finally found a Little that loved him for who he was, so she was alright in my book. As we all strolled into the park to find the other guests, I was feeling nervous in a way that I hadn’t felt in months. Life was pretty simple between playtimes and events at the daycare lately. It was all so simplistic but living in the same town that she had before, Emma was bound to meet other Littles… including Charley… and Hop. At first, I couldn’t believe it when I found out the two Littles, my past and current Little, were friends. Apparently, when Emma was feeling bad after her progression and Nancy had laid into her one day, the two had met at this very park. It was a popular spot for Littles, so it just made sense. Still, I was a little shocked when she had told me one day that she had met another really interesting stuffy that Charley had named Hop. Of course, she had no way of knowing about our past connection, but I still dreaded the day that one day, we might meet. Seeing Monica, Charley, Hop, and Leo, his newest stuffy, all over there offloading their own gift for Jenny, I knew that day had finally arrived. I braced for the worst. Still, that potentially climactic moment was able to be put on hold as the Littles all opened up the presents first and then ate a whole bunch of chicken nuggets and mac n’ cheese, as per tradition it felt like at events like these… I mean, heavens above help a Little who was lactose intolerant around here. Regardless though, after a barrage of fun and excitement, the Littles now had energy to burn and as Jenny’s new daddy had suggested, a game of tag might just be what everyone needed before most everyone had their traditional afternoon nap. So, all us toys were left on the picnic table while the Littles went off to play. Almost immediately, once everyone was off and distracted by the Littles playing, Hop turned to me with a glare. “Well, well, well… if it isn’t my old pal, Dash…” he said, clearly remembering our negative times together almost a year ago now. “It’s Patch actually,” I corrected. I wasn’t sure if Hop just didn’t know or was calling me my old name to remind me of my old mistakes. “Oh, really?” he asked, almost mockingly. “Hey,” Pete intervened, Vivian having brought him as well today. In fact, many of us daycare stuffy’s were here today, and I could see them tense up as Hop and I faced each other once again. “Ease up, Hop. This here is Patch now. He’s a changed toy.” Hop eye’s focused in on me as he began to get closer. I felt like a specimen under a microscope, and I could see everyone holding their breath practically as he stopped in front of me. The last time we had been this close was in our fateful duel back at daycare. I felt so superior and smug back then, but with his extra height with his raised ears and my patchwork body now, that feeling was long gone. “Hmmm…” he muttered, seemingly contemplating the new stuffy that he now saw before him. “I thought I heard some rumors about you in the Oasis room with Charley, but I thought they were just that. Did you really rescue Pete at the repair shop and pull a Little out of a catatonic state?” I let out a little breath, feeling like I wasn’t going to get pummeled anymore for my past misdeeds by my former crib mate. “I did. In fact,” I then subtly referenced to Emma over by the others, “that’s her.” Hop looked over at Emma in her yellow and white springtime dress that did little to hide the diapers she was wearing underneath as she bent over and tried to hide behind a bush. It was almost cute, if not a little sad thinking that she was once a fully functioning adult in a past life. As stuffy’s, we just had to ignore those types of thoughts, but they still popped in on occasion. “Cute. Emma, right?” he then asked, his more damaged ear slightly twitching as he swung back to face me. I nodded. “Yep. That’s her. I think it’s actually Emily, but I haven’t heard her be called that since her adoption papers were signed. I honestly don’t even know if she would respond to it anymore.” Curiously, the tension seemed to leave Hop’s body and he even smiled. “Yeah… Charley’s kind of like that as well,” Hop mused about our former Little. “Someone called him Charles the other day in the Oasis room, and he just kept right on playing with me. Took a tap on his shoulder for him to finally turn around.” I really wasn’t sure how to respond right then to what Hop had just told me, but I did recognize the feeling bubbling up in my gut: guilt. When I met Charley, he was regressing for sure, Hop was at least partially responsible for that, but I pushed him even further to the brink of what was possible for a Little to withstand. I still felt the guilt over what I did to Charley, and the fact that he still couldn’t recognize his own full name after almost a year ate at me from my very core. I think Hop noticed. “It’s okay… Patch…” Hop sighed. “I know it was a long time ago, and if any of the dozen or so rumors about you I’ve heard are true, you’ve truly changed. I might not fully forgive what you did to him, but I recognize a change when I see one. I have to at least respect that, especially given what I’ve heard you’ve gone through.” “All true, Hop. Every one of the rumors,” Carmen chimed in with her note of support. I smiled back over at my friend. “Right. Exactly,” Hop said with almost a hint of relief. “So, don’t sweat what you did back then any more than you have to. I mean, besides, half of your conditioning at the end kind of wore off there. The other half… to be honest, I think he would be like he is right now whether you were in life or not.” I looked at him questioningly. “What do you mean by that?” “Well,” Hop began, “with all those darn hypnotic shows and drug-laced food out now, I don’t think he would have been much better off anyway. Like, just as an example, Monica wanted to get him this favorite treat the other day at the mall. It was all fine and tasty, but Charley could barely speak much above drooling on himself before she realized the cinnamon bites were spiked with something. Stupid pro-Big small business or something like that apparently…” “Oh yikes,” I grimaced. “I’ll have to keep that in mind with Emma. She’s always wanting something sweet and the last thing that Jimmy or Lilly need right now is another setback with her.” Hop nodded. “Yeah… heard about Nancy… sorry about that…” I sighed, remembering back to a few months ago. “Thanks. Not a fun time, but from what we’ve seen, she’s well taken care of now.” Several of the nearby stuffy’s chuckled at that. It wasn’t hard for most to see her current life right now and most reveled in what they saw if they could. “You know… it’s kind of weird now that I think about it…” Hop mused. “What?” Hop might have been my old enemy, but I always did respect his ability to plan things out. Even without my faster core processes, he was able to eventually outwit me during our duel and keep Charley above the level of regression I wanted him to be at. In an odd sort of way, I was kind of grateful for that at this stage. If he hadn’t been so successful, Charley would have likely just ended up as another permanent resident of the Burrows room. Seeing it from the inside now myself and with Emma, I wouldn’t wish that fate on my worst enemy. Hop sighed. “I don’t know… just that most Littles’ products all seem to take them down to roughly about the same base age.” Several of the other stuffy’s nodded. “Just weird and all…” “It’s a conspiracy,” Sarge added gruffly from nearby, most just rolling their eyes over his comment. “Right… next, you’re going to say that the portal Littles government made some secret bargain with the government here to get fresh Littles every year,” Pete joked. We all laughed at the notion, but quietly, I wasn’t so sure myself just how much we should all be laughing. I mean, it was a conspiracy theory that had been passed around the daycare for a long time now, but it still wasn’t like the whole ‘mole men living under New Eboracum City’ theory. Besides, knowing this society, I really wouldn’t have put it past them to ensure something like that did in fact happen to Littles. Regardless, we all continued to talk for a while as Hop and I caught up on various events of our lives since we had parted. In the distance though, I could see a few Littles were starting to nod off, right on cue for their naptime, but the other more energetic Littles also just spurned them on further. Still, I knew our stuffy alone time was going to be limited now. Pretty soon, Emma was going to need a change, a snack, and then a nap on the ride home. “Just out of curiosity,” Hop began again, “what made you change your ways? Are you telling me it was just one Little that did all… this?” His own paw gestured to my whole being. I sighed. “Well, kind of, but also… you were basically the start of it all…” “Me?” Hop asked surprisedly. “Yeah…” I nodded. “I mean, you forced me to flee the daycare, or face punishment, so I ran right into the teeth of Buster.” “Oh… right…” Hop even began to sport a smile at the reminder. “Yeah, well, all this,” I said gesturing to all my stitches and patches, “kind of hurt, but it hurt my electronics more. Almost caught on fire a few times after, and then, Pete found me. Really low time and all, but I eventually took a chance in treating Littles his way instead.” Hop chuckled. “Yeah. That’s about when I found out about you. Admittedly, I almost came over to get you and then toss you in the garbage myself, but I just kept hearing about all your little misadventures as well. Is it true you were almost completely lost in the mud pits outside after a Little threw you in them?” I nodded. “Yep, and his name was Travis. He ended up okay, but then, my next Little was Emma…” “And the rest is history, huh?” he asked without a hint of sarcasm, a smile even forming over his face as he viewed Charley and Emma, who now both seemed to be playing with each other. “Definitely, and it’s all just been a journey after my run in with Buster. I’m sorry for what I did to Charley… probably will every day for the rest of my existence, but in the end, it all led me to Emma…” Hop smiled at me and patted me on the shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Patch. And, no regrets, right?” I thought about it for a moment through all my pain and the suffering of others. It was a long road to get here, but finally, Nancy was taken care of, I had a real home, and Emma was safe and happy in her new life with her new caregivers. I hoped one day they would even be referred to as ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy’ in more than just Emma’s mumblings while she dreamt, but for now, all felt right and just as it should be. So, I shook my head. “Nope. Not a single one.” We both smiled at each other and looked out over to our Littles playing in a sandbox together now. Naptime and likely cranky Littles would be just around the corner, but in that moment, yes, I regretted nothing and everything was about as right as it should be.