Nick W

I'm not from the United States, so I don't know the details so well. I thank you for your comment. I will keep it in mind in the future to make my stories more plausible.

This is the end of the main story. I would like to know what you think about it. Would you like me to write a bonus chapter to complement the story? Thanks for reading and for the feedback. CHAPTER 6: THE SENTENCE The courtroom seemed more spacious than Mark had imagined, but perhaps it had to do with the fact that it was almost deserted, except for two female police officers, one on either side of the room. They walked to the front and took a seat. Mark strained his eyes to read the judge's name. Her name was Angela Cooper. "Hopefully she'll be here soon," he thought, "I want this to be over as soon as possible." However, the judge took several minutes to arrive. He looked to either side, trying to distract himself, while the prosecutor and his “mommy” talked about trivial matters. Mark noticed that the two officers were annoyed, probably because they had to stand around so early in the morning. They were signaling to each other and seemed to be reading each other's lips, but he couldn't understand the messages they were conveying. He wondered if they knew about his secret. Maybe it was only a matter of time before they found out. Just as he started to feel the urge to go to the bathroom, a side door opened and a man's voice announced the arrival of the judge. Along with her entered a young woman with black hair tied in a bun and a laptop computer under her arm. She was the typist, the one who would write down everything that was said in the process. It was no time to ask for permission or a break. He had to hold on and be in attendance. His future depended on Mrs. Cooper liking him. She was not as old as Susan, but rather appeared to be in her early fifties. She had brown hair and wore a black robe following the judges' dress code. She was lightly made up and wore pearl earrings. She looked like a lady as strict or even stricter than Susan, and that impression scared him a little. "Good morning, your honor," the prosecutor said and Mark hurried to copy her. The judge returned the greeting but then suddenly changed her formal tone to speak to Ms. Susan. "Oh, how are you? I've always wanted you to come visit me at work, my dear." They chatted for about two minutes, which seemed to irritate the lawyer who began to review her notes. The conclusion Mark was able to draw was that Susan and the judge knew each other from spending several vacations in the same location and staying at the same hotel. The informal chat ended. Judge Cooper stood up and said, "We are here in family law court to hear a criminal matter. Is that right, attorney? Could you explain why we are here and not in another type of court?" This new information was surprising to the failed burglar. They were in a family court, as if this was about parent-child affairs, not criminal matters. Why? The blonde lawyer cleared her throat and said, "Honorable Judge Cooper. You have years of experience in family law, so I have come here to present to you a deal I have made with the defendant. It is an unprecedented deal that will bring him closer to social rehabilitation instead of wasting time and resources in a dangerous and overcrowded jail. Our main objective is to obtain justice for society, not to punish". "And what is this deal about?" "You see, your Honor. In this case we could be talking about 8 years in prison. The defendant broke into a house with intent to steal, plus he is connected to a very dangerous gang. In addition, there was a burglary, the proof of which is right in front of our eyes." The lawyer pointed to the pants and sweater Mark was wearing. He wanted to protest that he had only taken those clothes to protect himself from the cold, but technically she was right: he had taken them without permission. He had no choice but to keep quiet for his own good. The lawyer continued: " Despite these aberrant facts, there are special circumstances about the defendant that invite me to think that it is better for him to remain under the care of Mrs. Susan here, to take care of him and rehabilitate him as an adult citizen so that he can be reintegrated into society". The judge leaned forward. She seemed to have taken a keen interest in the case. She asked, "And what circumstances are we talking about?" Mark feared what was about to happen, but there was no choice left. The prosecutor explained, "the defendant...has presented signs that he needs care." She paused, as if she couldn't believe what she was about to say, "apparently over the last few days he began to pee and poop all over himself, leading to the necessity of wearing diapers and needing to be changed. All this in addition to other things, such as eating baby food". The typist, who up to that moment had been typing at the speed of light, could not help but burst out laughing. The police officers had to cover their mouths so as not to be heard. The thief didn't need to look in the mirror to know that he had turned red. What was more remarkable was the surprised expression on Judge Cooper's face. Evidently Susan had not told her all the details. Perhaps this whole idea had come from the old woman's mind, and not from the lawyer's as he had first thought. The judge thought for a minute and said, "I would like to see the young man rehabilitated under the care of a competent woman like Susan, but I can't just let his crimes go by. I will need to be convinced that he really needs to wear diapers like a baby and that he's not faking it to avoid jail time. Otherwise I'm going to refer the case to criminal court." The attorney assured her that there was sufficient evidence, including witnesses, to prove the circumstances. So that's what it all boiled down to. A little humiliation and convincing the judge that he didn't deserve to be locked up in a cell. He figured it wouldn't be that serious. When they got out of there he would deal with Susan. She wouldn't want to babysit him for almost a decade, would she? It didn't make sense. Surely they would find a way out. The elderly woman was called to the stand as the first witness. She began to relate how it all started: "I caught him when he came in to rob me. You should have seen his scared little face when I pointed the rifle at him. He peed all over himself without resisting. It was obvious to me that he shouldn't wear boxers if he couldn't keep them dry". She was really enjoying being the center of attention. After this first part of the story, the prosecutor exclaimed, "Your Honor, Exhibit A". From the same side door through which they had entered before, a man came out with a pair of clothes wrapped in nylon: they were his pants and his boxers. Mark thought Susan had thrown them away, but no, she had kept them to use as evidence later. Susan shared some embarrassing details about giving him a baby food and then said, "oh, but the best part is the diaper changes. You should see him lie still waiting for me to put powder on him and close the new dry diaper. It brings him so much relief. That's why he falls asleep so quickly in his crib after each change." The rest of the women in the room turned to look at him, trying to picture a grown man lying on a changing table. Mark was already redder than a tomato. But that wasn't all: "And I remember one time he asked me to open the bathroom door for him but he couldn't hold it and wet himself. If that's not proof that he deserves to be treated like a baby, I don't know what is." Mark tried to fight for his dignity even if it was counterproductive. He stood up and shouted, "That's because you were late on the phone! Otherwise I would have made it to the bathroom." Mrs. Cooper swung her gavel and exclaimed, "young man, close your mouth and wait for your turn". The defendant had to keep his mouth shut again, at the risk of ruining his only chance. All this talk about peeing himself only reminded him of the urge to pee he had at that very moment. After his "mommy" finished, he thought they would call him to testify and wrap up the trial, but he wasn't the next witness. The courtroom door opened and "aunt" Rose walked in. She had a teddy bear with her. She sat on the witness stand. The prosecutor asked her: "Miss, were you the one who called 911? Why?" Rose smiled and replied, "oh, well, I didn't want Mark not to run away. Babies can't walk at night alone, it's too dangerous. But my goal was to make sure he didn't leave without his teddy bear. Look here," she pointed to where the teddy had been broken, "I repaired it for him." She looked at him and said, "Come, here's your teddy bear, sweetie. Come, I fixed it for you." He stood up and walked to the stand. He grabbed the stuffed animal and said, "thank you so much Aunt Rose." There was a general "awww". When the burglar returned to his chair he heard the prosecutor say "he's so cute". It was probably the first time in history that a prosecutor had ever said such a thing about a defendant. Rose told some details about what she had experienced at Susan's house, such as when she had to help bathe him. The judge thanked her and she left. "Now it's my turn. I need this to be over," Mark said to himself. But to his surprise there were still two witnesses left before his time came. It was the two officers who had caught him on the street. First, it was the turn of the fair-haired woman, the driver of the patrol car. "I couldn't believe it when I saw that he was wearing diapers. They looked so cute," she said. Then came the brunette woman, the one who had pinned him to the ground: "I noticed at first that he was walking funny. Then I realized it was because he was wearing a diaper. You could say he was walking like a baby who is still learning." The prosecutor asked, "Did he seem dangerous? To which the police officer replied: "no, not at all. I don't think he represents any danger. He belongs more in a nursery than in a penitentiary". The prosecutor asked, "did he seem dangerous? To which the police officer replied: "no, not at all. I don't think he represents any danger. He belongs more in a nursery than in a penitentiary". She couldn't help but laugh as she looked at him. Mark could imagine all the cops at the station making fun of him for the years to come. At last, after so many humiliating testimonies, he would have the opportunity to speak. Even if he really wanted to pee, he didn't want to risk asking for a break. He thought the judge was practically convinced not to send him to criminal court. He didn't want to risk her changing her mind during the recess. He left his teddy bear on the seat and took the stand. But it didn't go as smoothly as he thought it would, because the judge looked at him and said, "I'm not so sure about this. There is no precedent for this, and I can't give you special treatment. So you're going to have to convince me that you need to be under the care of a responsible adult. Do you understand?" The defendant nodded repeatedly. Ms. Cooper asked, "Do you intend to go back to stealing or be part of a gang?" Mark shook his head emphatically and spoke, stammering a bit from nerves, "No, of course not. I'm a good boy." He looked at Susan instinctively. She smiled and nodded, as if reaffirming the description he had given of himself. The judge asked him about his experiences under Susan's care and what he liked best: "I liked... everything. everything. The food was very good," he exaggerated. "And is it true that she had to change your diapers like a baby? Tell me about that. Mark heard the typist's laughter return. He consoled himself with the thought that he would soon be out of that room and out of that building. He plucked up his courage and began to describe the changes: "I feel so good when Mommy changes me. I don't like being wet." "Ah, yes? And do you also do number two on your diapers?" asked Mrs. Cooper. "I can't believe we're talking about this. And there's going to be an official record left, too," thought the burglar in frustration. But at that point he had only one more small effort left. This was no time to turn back. "Yeah yeah, I really liked it when Mommy Susan wipes the poop off my bottom." He couldn't believe those words had come out of his mouth and were now being typed into a computer file. "Hopefully this will suffice," he thought. But there was still curiosity left inside her Honor. "I need you to stand up and pull down your pants. If you really are a baby in need of care then you should be wearing a diaper right now, right?" Mark obeyed the judge. Now his diaper was in plain view for all to see. Her Honor continued, "What are you wearing?". Mark could only answer the obvious, but out of embarrassment he did so in a very low voice: "I'm wearing diapers, Your Honor." "I need you to say it louder, so we can officially write it down," she replied. He repeated the same thing louder, wishing he never had to utter those words again: "I'm wearing diapers, Your Honor!" "And why do you need to wear diapers?" she asked. "Because I pee and poop on myself." "And who does that?" "Babies. Big boys don't need diapers." The whole session that day was pointing to this moment. The judge asked, "Do you like being a baby and having Mommy Susan change you?" Mark couldn't take it anymore, between the stress and the urge to go to the bathroom. He felt his pee starting to escape, but before it was visible he shouted, "Yes, I like being a baby and being changed, I like it !!!". He started to cry. Tears streamed down his face as a stain formed on his diapers. "Don't worry, sweetie, Mom brought her bag in case this happened. When we get out of here I'll change you, ok?". It was Susan's voice, but it sounded far away, like it was coming from another courtroom. The burglar was very confused and distressed. He didn't quite understand how he had ended up in this horrible situation. The judge had no more doubts. She cleared her voice and swung her gavel to attract attention. She stood up and ruled: "I declare that the defendant Mark Jones will spend the next 8 years under the care and responsibility of Mrs. Susan here present. Periodically every year a review will be made to see his progress, at the risk of having to put him on criminal trial if he is disobedient or if he attempts to escape again. This session is over." Everyone from the judge to the prosecutor seemed satisfied with their work. After all Mark was not really dangerous but had committed several mistakes all at once. Now he would be treated according to his behavior. His now official "mommy" pulled up his pants and escorted him to the ladies room. Luckily they didn't run into too many people and the restroom was deserted. She asked him to lie down on a large changing table and he complied. He had no choice but to obey for the next eight years. Mark was left naked, waiting for a clean diaper to be placed on him. Mrs. Cooper came in to wash her hands. As his mommy cleaned him with wet wipes she came over and said, "He sure is a beautiful baby, huh? Take good care of him, Susan. I wouldn't want someone so sweet to end up in a gang or in jail." She turned to him, and speaking to him like a baby said, "it's not true that you don't belong with those people? Of course you don't." Susan and her new "baby" took a cab home. Just before they closed the car door one of the police officers who had been guarding the courtroom came over and handed the teddy bear to Mark: "You almost forgot it, sweetheart. Be more careful next time." Susan thanked her for it and the return trip finally began. They arrived home. Mark was startled. There were a lot of people coming in and out of the house. What was going on? They went inside and up the stairs. They headed for the nursery. The old crib had been removed and now there was a new, adult-sized crib. The same change had occurred with the changing table. And there were sure to be new and bigger versions of everything else. Mark couldn't believe that all of this would be his life for most of the next decade. He began to protest, as a last resort: "Susan, please, we can negotiate something. I can work for you, anything." But she wouldn't hear of it, "No. I don't want to hear of it. I have the duty and the right to take care of you for the next eight years. And it's obvious from what happened in court today that you're not ready to go without diapers yet. So get used to it. It's for your own good, sweetheart." The former wannabe gang member gave up. There was nothing to do. He would have to get used to this lifestyle. Maybe it would be better to start with the right foot. Pretending to like it all, so he could get his sentence reduced for good behavior. He had to hold on to some hope. "Mom, I'm hungry," he said to Susan. "Come on downstairs sweetie, I'm sure you're going to love your new highchair. I called earlier today to have it delivered, while I road in the patrol car. Let's go see if they've brought it already. If not, I'll give you your mush on the couch in the living room". She took him by the hand and they went downstairs together, as they would do many times from that day on. THE END

CHAPTER 5: VISIT TO THE COURT The wind beat against the patrol car window as Mark waited to get out of the car. His handcuffs were starting to bother his wrists, but he was afraid to protest. The police officers already knew he was wearing diapers, so he didn't want to give them excuses to treat him like a wimp. The ride to the station hadn't been very long, but it still felt like forever. His thoughts raced through his mind as he searched in vain for a plan to get out of the situation on his own. He had no family in town who could help him with money, or help him get a lawyer. Mark had made several mistakes and was now facing the terrifying situation of being put on trial. If Mrs. Susan resented him too much, she could not only send him to prison with her testimony, but humiliate him. She knew all about the diapers, the changes and the disgusting baby food, among other painful details regarding the days he had spent in her home. Somehow he would have to talk to her privately and convince her to drop the charges. The price to pay was the least of it. He would do anything to avoid prison. If he had to work twice as long and give part of his salary to Susan then he would work his heart out. Anything rather than having to live for years with real thugs. Not to mention how horrifying it would be if the secret about his special underwear was spread cell by cell. Just imagining that gave him goosebumps. The burglar shuddered at the sudden knocks on his window. The patrol car door finally opened and the brown-haired officer grabbed his arm. It was cold enough to be glad he had stolen Susan's jacket, otherwise he would have frozen to his bones. They climbed the stairs and entered the police station. The detectives and officers in the station paid no attention to him, which was a relief. Mark and the cop walked through the corridors of the police station until they reached the cells. He could see that the first one was filled with brawny men with tattoos, most likely thieves or gang members. "No, please I don't want to be put among them," he thought. Which even to himself seemed ironic, because three days ago he wanted to become one of them. Nevertheless, they walked on. The lights were dim, as if they were aware of what time it was and had not yet fully awakened. The two of them turned down the hallway. Mark didn't understand what was going on until the officer whispered in his ear, "You're lucky your mommy has connections. You are getting special treatment". The only thing Mark understood was that Susan had pulled some strings, but to what end? Surely she must have been on her way there at that very moment. Maybe it would be a good opportunity to clear things up and get out of that horrible place quickly. Finally they came to a narrow cell that was empty. The officer opened the door and hurried him inside. As he sat on the dirty stool he could hear the officer lock him in with the key. She went away and left him alone. There was no one in there or outside, although he couldn't see very well because the only light bulb didn't illuminate properly. Certainly he heard almost no noise, as if the rest of the police station was a mile away from that place. He just sat there waiting, hating the fact that his diaper made his buttocks feel strangely comfortable. Mark waited and waited, but no one came and no one approached him to ask for anything, not even a confession of his crimes. Until he managed to hear the sound of high heels and a voice that had become familiar in a very short time. "Oh, there you are," he heard before Susan's figure could be seen. She was wearing a burgundy jacket that matched the color of her lipstick. She was carrying a large black bag over one shoulder. Despite the makeup she looked tired, having obviously woken up with a start in the early hours of the morning. Institively Mark feared she was angry. "What nonsense," he said to himself, "she's not my real mother. And I'm not a little boy who deserves to be scolded. I'm a man," he tried to reassert himself. "Here's your mommy. Talk to her," said the blonde officer who had driven the patrol car. His partner opened the cell door as they both openly laughed at him. Susan entered the cell and then the it was locked. Both officers left the way they had come and left them alone. Now it was time to settle everything with Susan. It was a moment that could change the fate of Mark's life, depending on his ability to come to an agreement with the old woman. He wanted to start the conversation but she moved faster. She took his hands in hers and said, "I was so scared when I heard you ran away. Don't do it again, please." Mark tried to understand what she was saying. How come she "found out" that he had run away? Hadn't she called the police herself? "Oh no. It was Aunt Rose who noticed you were running away. She was drinking coffee when she saw you through the window. She suffers from insomnia, that poor thing. But this time I should be thankful, because something bad could have happened to you on the streets. Thank goodness the cops got you to safety". The cops had not saved him from anything, but rather had locked him up in that horrible place. However, he didn't say anything, trying to think of how to make the whole thing end in the best possible way. Rose had apparently called her friend immediately after contacting 911. Susan quickly contacted the police station and, thanks to her reputation in the neighborhood, got him special treatment. Mark hated the fact that he had to be grateful to the old lady. Thanks to her he didn't have to mix with the more violent offenders. "I apologize for everything ma'am. I need to be released to go back to work. So I can compensate you for...", the failed burglar was interrupted by the lady: "Don't worry about that. Now, let me check something. I was worried the whole cab ride thinking you might be wet and in need of a change". She pulled down his pants (which were actually hers), a little at a time, and began to slowly check to see if he had wet himself. Mark thought it was taking forever. Maybe she was doing it on purpose. Maybe she wanted to embarrass him for running away, or wanted someone to see him with his pants down. Luckily for Mark no one showed up and Susan pulled his pants back up when she verified that the diaper was dry. Mark thanked her out of politeness, and inwardly he was grateful that no one had shown up to see that embarrassing display. They both stayed in the cell, although Mark didn't quite know what they were waiting for. He began to nod off from sleep, missing his adult bed in his apartment. He unintentionally laid his head on Susan's shoulder, who took him by the hand and said, "Don't worry, after the visit to the Court we'll go home and you'll be able to sleep comfortably there". Mark shuddered. "What do you mean we're going to court? Does that mean I'm going to jail anyway?" he asked himself, and then the old woman. "Oh, don't worry, you're not going to jail. I'm just sorting out a few details. It's going to be all right, sweetheart." After a few minutes they heard some footsteps. Cops had come to bring news, but they were not the cops who had caught Mark, but a young man and a woman with short brown hair. The man said, "It's all ready. We are going to transport you to the court building in two separate patrol cars. Get up." Susan complained about the young man's tone, but agreed to get up. Mark tried to follow her out of the cell, but the short-haired officer stepped in to put handcuffs on him and make sure he didn't escape. They quickly left the station, paying no attention to the complaints of the dangerous criminals, who were probably still waiting for a lawyer to arrive. "Why does he go out and we don't, huh?" they grumbled. Susan and her intruder had to separate. The same cops who had apprehended Mark would be taking her to court, while the young man and his short-haired partner would be taking him. Mark was having trouble walking to the patrol car because of his diaper, but he endured it and didn't say anything. He didn't want to give the cops a chance to keep taunting him, so he tried to walk normally. Mark sat in the back of the patrol car, with his arms behind him. He could feel the handcuffs touching the leather of the seat. As they rode through the streets he thought about what would happen in court. Susan had told him that he wouldn't go to jail, but she didn't say in exchange for what. Mark hadn't even attempted to initiate any kind of negotiation. Now he felt at her mercy. She was going to decide the price for his freedom. The trip was shorter than expected. Both patrol cars parked in front of a set of steps leading up to a large mahogany-colored gate. It was still dark and it had started to drizzle a little. The short-haired policewoman pulled him out with some force. He wanted to make sure his pants didn't fall down so no one would see his diaper, but the police yelled "hands behind your back!" and stopped his arm. Mark began to ponder. It might be an hour before he had to get up and get ready for work. But that life was in the past. Now he had to face Justice. And he had the odds stacked against him. The doors opened. First Susan entered and then he did, still escorted by the cops. There didn't seem to be many people inside, which was understandable given the time of day. However, he began to fear that one of Danny's gang members (or maybe Danny himself) was somewhere and might come across him. That would be too much bad luck. The two officers, Susan and he walked until they reached the central hall, from which several staircases, doors and more corridors led off. They stood there for a long time until a blonde woman in her thirties, only slightly older than him, arrived. She introduced herself as the prosecutor. She would be in charge of accusing him. Susan, the lawyer and he sat down. Mark could tell that despite wearing little makeup she looked very pretty. She cleared her throat and began to explain, "Under normal circumstances I would request that you get an 8 year prison sentence. But I've been told that there are... particularities about your case." Here she paused and couldn't help but look down at his pants. Surely she already knew all about the diapers. Mark couldn't help but blush out of nervousness. The prosecutor continued, "I have spoken to your "mother" and we may find another solution. You won't have to spend a single day in jail. But it depends on you convincing the judge. Can you do that?" Mark said yes repeatedly without thinking. The young lawyer smiled and led them to a door that was guarded by a very tall policeman. Behind that door was the courtroom, where he would be on trial. "Don't worry, the judge is an acquaintance of mine. You won't have any trouble avoiding jail. Trust me," his “mother” whispered to him. That gave him hope. He didn't quite know what to do, but the thought of avoiding prison was enough. He was going to do and say whatever was necessary. He just hoped that the parties involved would not change their minds and that he could walk out of there a free man. They kept waiting. Mark could hear the sound of an increasing number of footsteps. He could imagine that the sun had already risen and that traffic and people's daily lives had already begun. He missed that and vowed to himself not to make any more stupid mistakes that would get him into trouble. At eight o'clock in the morning the door to the courtroom opened wide. Mark's fate was to be decided in there that very day. TO BE CONTINUED

CHAPTER 4: RISKS While Mrs. Susan warmed some milk to put in the baby bottle, Mark played with some old dolls he had found in a cabinet drawer. Again he was sitting in the uncomfortable high chair. He didn't like it all that much, but he understood that he would have to make some sacrifices to keep himself safe for at least a week. "Here's your bottle, honey. Drink your milk while it's hot," said the old woman. He obliged and began to drink immediately. "If you have another accident after you finish your bottle, let me know. I'll change you as many times as it takes." Between last night and this morning he had been changed twice. The first time when he peed himself after watching the news about Danny's gang. The second was when he woke up and found to his surprise that he had peed again, involuntarily. Apparently being treated like a baby induced one to act accordingly, or so Mark speculated. It wasn't just him who had been surprised to wake up with a wet diaper. Mrs. Susan was also somewhat perplexed. Halfway through the change, while wiping him with the wet towels, she asked him, "So a certain young man likes to be a baby, huh?". Mark replied "yes, yes, I love being a baby and being changed". Automatically after uttering those words he became a little embarrassed. It had sounded so stupid, but he had to convince Susan to continue with the same dynamic. If if she wanted him to act like a baby, that's the way it would be. It was in his best interest to stay that way. He didn't want to go back to the real world and face the danger of Danny "The Dog's" associates hunting him down on suspicion of being a snitch. However, involuntary wetting was a bad sign. Would he still need diapers when he returned to his normal life? He didn't even want to think about that possibility. Mark finished his milk and the lady of the house let him out of the chair and back into his baby room. There he continued to play with his dolls and teddy bear. "Just one week of this and everything will settle down. Then you can go back to normal," he kept repeating to himself. He noticed that his teddy bear was broken in the back. You could see the feather stuffing that was trying to escape through that hole. At that very moment Mark felt movements in his bowels. He pondered and realized that it had been two or three days since he had gone to the bathroom to poop. "How strange, I didn't eat any baby food today," he thought. But it didn't really make a difference. He had eaten so much junk food before his failed burglary attempt that he was now suffering the consequences. He could feel the urgency to poop. He had to evacuate soon. It was one thing to pee in your pants, but to poop? No, that was too gross to even think about. He wasn't up for that. Surely Mrs. Susan would be just as happy not to have to wipe his ass. If he went to the toilet he would be doing them both a favor. He headed for the bathroom. The funny thing is that he hadn't been in there yet and didn't even know what it looked like inside. Quickly, beset by stomach cramps, he grabbed the knob and turned it as hard as he could. "Oh, no, not this again." The door was still locked, just as it had been the day before. He would have to ask Susan to open the door for him. Anxious, he began to shout, "Mrs. Susan, I need a favor. Please come quickly, Mrs. Susan." He was relieved to hear her begin to climb the stairs. "Don't call me 'Mrs.', young man. It's too serious," she said, still standing on the stairs. "From now on call me 'Mommy' or 'Mommy Susan'. That's what I am to you from now on." Mark was taken aback by this comment. It seemed bizarre to him to have to call her "mommy." But he didn't want to argue. He needed to get the bathroom door opened, the rest he could discuss later. He asked again, this time using the appropriate titles: "Please Mommy, I need you to open the bathroom door for me. I have to poop. Please." He thought being polite would be enough. But he got another surprise. In a sweet tone, as if speaking to a small child, Susan said, "Oh, today when I woke up I thought about leaving the bathroom door open for good. But when you told me you liked being a baby then I reserved the right to lock the door. Babies don't go on the toilet at any time. That's what diapers are for, you know." Mark got very nervous and said, "But Mommy, I need to go potty. I don't want to poop on myself, please." But Susan wasn't going to budge: "Babies do both number one and number two in their diapers. No baby decides if they want to do number two in a toilet. That's for grown-ups." Mark wanted to protest, but his "mommy" consoled him beforehand: "You don't have to worry, honey. You can poop and then Mommy will change you. Don't worry." Mark went back to the bathroom door and tried to open it, even though he knew in the back of his mind that it was useless. Besides, he could feel his bowels calling for him to evacuate, he had little time left. When he felt Susan's presence behind him he turned around. She saw his eyes begin to moisten, so she took his hands in hers and said, "Sweetheart, you don't have to hold it in anymore, it's not going to do you any good. Be a good baby and release what's inside you. Mommy is here to change you." Between the condescending tone and being called "baby" so many times, Mark gave up and shat himself. As it happened he was afraid the diaper wouldn't hold. His tears were streaming down his face again, as Susan comforted him, which made him feel even more foolish. "How could I have thought that acting like an adult baby could be a good idea," were the words ringing in his mind. Once again he had come up with a lousy plan and he had to keep paying the consequences of his terrible ideas. Now he needed to be changed again. He started to take steps towards the nursery, he wanted to be clean as soon as possible. The smell was unbearable. But his new mommy stopped him: "No, remember you are a baby. Babies don't walk. Get behind mommy and start crawling." Completely humiliated, Mark complied. He crawled all the way to the nursery. "Well, at least this can't get any worse," he thought, "This has to be the lowest point of my life." He lay down on the changing table. Susan took more time preparing the new diaper, wipes and baby powder than on previous occasions. Every second the smell of the poop was more pungent and the feeling of having stained buttocks was becoming more and more apparent. Susan left the room for a second and returned with the giant light blue pacifier that had fallen out at some point. She put it in his mouth and only then did the change begin. There was so much excrement that it took Susan a long time to clean it up. Mark distracted himself by scanning the room with his eyes. He noticed that the window was open and the curtain was drawn. And it was at that instant that he saw a woman watching everything from the next house. The woman waved at him, indicating that she had caught his gaze. "Mommy, Mommy, who is she?" Mark stammered, startled. Susan turned around, greeted the woman and replied, "oh, this is my friend Rose, I already told her all about you. Say hello to Aunt Rose." He waved and the neighbor waved back, this time more energetically. "What do you mean she knows all about me? Was she the woman you were talking to on the phone for too long yesterday?", Mark pondered. "And what's that about 'Aunt Rose'?" Now he had not only a mommy but an aunt as well. Maybe she knew the whole story about him and his diapers. He didn't like the idea at all. How many more people knew about his situation? He thought it was just a silly secret between him and Susan. As she finished changing him his new mommy said, "Oh, Rose is looking forward to visiting you and giving you a present. And she really wants to change your diapers. Can you blame her? You are an adorable baby" The idea of another woman changing him struck him as horrifying. At least Susan originally had had a reason to punish him. Now he was supposed to be a baby for other women too? Now clean, Mark stayed inside his crib but did not go to sleep, rather he stayed up playing with his dolls. He turned to look towards the window but Rose was no longer there. An hour passed and he was called to the kitchen. After drinking orange juice from his sippy cup and having "mommy" feed him baby food, Mark went back to his crib to take a nap. Two hours later he woke up. The first thing he noticed were a pair of hands with painted fingernails on the crib's railing. A woman was looking at him, but it wasn't Mommy, it was a red-haired woman with red lipstick. This was Aunt Rose. "You look so cute," she said, in a voice less husky than Susan's voice. Looking at her Mark concluded that this was a much younger woman, perhaps in her late 40's. She was very attractive. Susan appeared some time later and left some bags on the floor. "Aunt Rose brought you some things from the grocery store. Now it's time for us to give you a bath." Rose took him by the hand to help him out of the crib. He was going to walk to the bathroom but remembered what had happened earlier and started to crawl. "How cute, he's really adorable," his new "aunt" commented. Susan pulled a key out of her pocket. Finally Mark would be able to see what the inside of the bathroom looked like. The mysterious door was about to open, but not for what he would have wished. It was a bathroom like any other, with blue tiles, a toilet, a sink and a large bathtub. As the tub filled with water the women talked about mundane matters while the adult baby waited. When the water had filled more than half the space, Rose reached down to remove his shirt. The tub filled and Mom ordered the baby in. While Aunt Rose soaped him Susan took care of applying shampoo to his hair. "It's nice to be clean and smelling good, don't you think?" auntie asked, but she asked rhetorically, not expecting an answer. It made sense. No one expects an answer from a baby, they don't talk. The bath ended after twenty minutes. Mark came out and Rose dried him with a light blue towel. The three of them returned to the nursery. Susan ordered him to lie naked on the changing table. Lying naked, with the two older women watching him and preparing a diaper for him, Mark felt more uncomfortable than ever. His "mommy" ordered him to lift his legs so they could start putting the diaper on him. Rose exclaimed, "He's really cute. I can't wait for him to pee on himself so I can change his wet diapers." Mark blushed. He couldn't stand to have such an attractive woman refer to him that way. What hurt him most was that she was right. But what Susan said next was even worse: "It's not just you. I've told all my girlfriends and female neighbors about him. They all want a chance to meet him and change him. You have the privilege of being the first." Rose giggled and thanked her for the "privilege". Susan continued, "I'm sure I'll have him here for years to come. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to babysit him one night, don't worry.” This time both women laughed. "What, what is she saying?" thought Mark, furious. "There's no way I'm going to be treated like this for years. No, this has to end soon," he determined. Clearly he would not be able to put up with such humiliation for so long. He had to change his plans immediately. This was going too far. Rose pulled a white T-shirt out of the bag. It had a very childish drawing of animals on it. She put it on Mark and he reluctantly thanked her. "Thank you Aunt Rose." Auntie also gifted him with a rattle and new diapers. She also offered to fix his teddy bear. Mark didn't care about any of this. It was more than settled in his mind. This was going to be his last day and night as an adult baby. No matter the risk of going to jail or getting caught by Danny's gang, nothing could be worse than the thought of multiple women treating him like a baby for years to come. After another bottle of milk and a diaper change from his Aunt Rose, Mark kissed Susan and his aunt goodnight and fell asleep in his crib. Or at least that's what the two women thought. He stood waiting for Rose to leave the house and for Susan to go to sleep. He stealthily opened the nursery closet and searched for some clothes until he found something he could wear. It was Susan's black pants and a sweater of the same color. Technically they were women's clothes but they were not clearly feminine garments. He just needed something to cover up his stupid diaper and his silly animal t-shirt. It was time to take risks. It was time to escape once and for all. That's what I should have done in the first place. In retrospect he knew that Susan had no intention of shooting him, only to scare him. But he was such a coward that not only was he paralyzed, he peed on himself. He opened the door and crept down the stairs as stealthily as he could. He was barefoot as he had no idea what Susan had done with his sneakers. But it didn't matter, in fact, barefoot would make less noise. However, it would be suspicious to walk down the street like that, so he would try to avoid being seen. Mark went out the same way he had come in, through the back door. His heart was beating fast, a little out of nervousness and a little out of joy. Within seconds his feet were touching the tiles of the sidewalk. He was free to return to his normal life. No more baby bottles, no more smell of poop or pee. It was quite cool. His feet were going to suffer if he didn't hurry. Besides, it was a long way to his house. He had to make it before the sun came up. He had to avoid people seeing him walking barefoot with a pair of women's pants on. It would look too weird. He had walked about ten blocks when he heard a woman's voice ordering him to stop. "Stop, you, now." It sounded about 20 meters away and came from a patrol car. It was the police. He turned to look and saw that it was two young female police officers, a blonde who was driving and a brunette who had given him the order. Again he found himself paralyzed, as he had been with Susan. He turned around and the brunette policewoman said, "A lady reported that a burglar had escaped from her house. Do you know anything about that?" It couldn't be. Had Susan called the police? No, he couldn't go back to that life of humiliation. And he didn't want to go to jail either. It was time to run. He tried to run, but the diapers slowed him down. They were uncomfortable to move in. He felt someone tackling him from behind. While the brunette put him against the ground, the blonde put the handcuffs on him. The latter laughed and pointed to the other one: "Look, I think he's wearing diapers". Realizing that something white was sticking out of his pants, the brunette also laughed and commented: "I didn't know babies could also be criminals". They put him in the back of the patrol car. He wasn't going back to Susan's house or his own place. His next stop was the police station. TO BE CONTINUED

CHAPTER 3: SAFETY Light poured through the nursery window and woke Mark from his short nap. He opened his eyes and the first thing he thought about was the state of his diapers. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was dry. He had not peed himself again. He took the pacifier out of his mouth and sighed in relief. Mark thought about his plan to become a gang member. Surely it had been a mistake. Mrs. Susan was right: he wasn't suited to be a criminal. If he peed his pants at the first inconvenience then he wasn't cut out for a life of crime. As much as it pained him, he had to abandon these ideas forever. If he needed more money, he was going to have to cut back on certain expenses or earn extra income in a legitimate way. Maybe he should move to a cheaper neighborhood, even if it was further away from work. His priority now should be to convince Susan to let him go and not to report him to the police. He was terrified of the idea of going to jail. But he couldn't stay in that house and be treated like a baby forever. He had to make amends with the lady of the house. He could offer to do some chores around the house like cleaning or repairing some furniture. Then he would leave there forever and never think about what had happened again. Nor would he ever talk again to a gangster in his life. He would start with a clean slate and go back to being an ordinary worker. Mark stood in the middle of his crib and looked around. Until that moment he had not stopped to inspect the nursery. The walls were painted in a typical light blue color, but it was evident that a coat of paint had not been applied for some time. There was a large white cabinet on one wall. What could be in there? But there was something else that disturbed him, something that was out of place, although he could not identify what it was. When a ray of sunlight shone directly on his diaper, he realized the problem: the blind was open and the curtain was drawn. Mrs. Susan must have come in at some point to air out the room. Now Mark was afraid that someone might have seen him from the house next door. He quickly got out of the crib. Ironically, he began to crawl like a baby so that they could not see him walking dressed as he was. Even though he was crouched down, he managed to pull the curtains. Nothing could be seen from outside, or so he expected. "I hope no one saw anything," he thought. Now calmer, he walked from one end of the nursery to the other to open the closet. Inside he found a lot of clothes, but nothing he could wear: they were dresses and skirts that probably belonged to Susan. As much as he hated being exposed in diapers, he would never wear women's clothes. He also found a toy car and a large teddy bear. He played with the toy car for a couple of minutes and then discarded it. The bear was white and when he hugged it tightly it felt very soft. "What am I doing," Mark muttered, "I'm starting to act like a real baby." He let go of the stuffed animal immediately. Mark had no idea what time it was or how long he had slept. But the sunlight indicated that night was still a long way off. He opened the door and stepped back out into the hallway. There was no sound of Susan's voice or any other noise. He went downstairs to the kitchen and saw that the clock read fifteen minutes past three o'clock. By his calculations he had slept in the crib more than twelve hours out of the last fifteen. He went back upstairs and began to investigate the corridors of the house. He came to a room and opened the door delicately, correctly suspecting that it was the old woman's room. She was asleep in her bed, on top of luxurious red blankets. "Mrs. Susan, Mrs. Susan," he whispered to see if she would wake up, but she did not. He decided it was better to leave her there rather than wake her up and make her angry with him. With soft steps he returned to the hallway. A voice in the back of his mind had begun to conjure up a very clear idea: this was his chance to escape. "It's now or never," that voice said. "What does it matter if she accuses you to the police, she has no proof of her story. After all, she said herself that she had thrown away the wet pants and underwear". But he was not wearing pants. He couldn't walk down the street in diapers. Besides, if he dared to run away, the old lady would be very angry. The last thing he wanted was for her to sue him for trespassing. No, the opportunity to escape was good but he had to choose another way. He had to convince her to let him go by mutual agreement. Suddenly a voice called his name. He trembled in surprise. It took him a second to realize that it was Susan who had woken up. "Mark, are you there?" she called in a hoarse voice. He walked quickly toward her room. He was not quite past the door when he began to stammer, "Excuse me madam, I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry," he said in fear of reprimand. But she was very calm. "Don't worry honey. Come closer, I need to check something". Mark came over instantly, wanting to please her. She checked the sides of his diaper and made sure he hadn't wet himself again. She smiled and said "good boy," as she patted his head. "Earlier I came into your room to draw the curtains. I didn't want the room to be filled with the smell of pee. You looked adorable in your crib. Did you sleep well?" He smiled and answered yes, and lied that the crib was very comfortable. He had to be docile and lie in order to please her. Only this way they could come to an agreement and he could be free again. They left the room and headed for a familiar place: it was the room from which Susan had gotten the adult diapers she had put him in at midnight. From a different cabinet she pulled out a small blackboard, white chalk and a chalkboard eraser. What was it all for? She ordered him downstairs and he obeyed, wondering what would happen next. He was starting to get fed up with the surprises. He wanted to get back to normal as quickly as possible. Anxiety took hold of Mark and before reaching the middle of the stairs he began to plead with the old woman: "Please, can I go back to my house? I understand I made a mistake. I promise to make it up to you by mowing the lawn, or running errands, or..." She stopped him. "It's great that you want to collaborate, young man, but before you do big boy activities you need to learn a lesson." She spoke with such authority that Mark couldn't bring himself to protest. He had no idea what kind of "lesson" she was referring to. He just wanted to learn it as quickly as possible so he could get out of this whole thing. Susan instructed him to sit in the living room and left the blackboard and other items there while she went to the kitchen. Mark heard the rustling of a bag and thought she might be looking for some item that had been brought from the grocery store that morning. She returned with a colorful object in one of her hands. It was a large key ring with big plastic keys on it, the kind they give babies to keep them distracted. He took the toy as the old woman said, "Think carefully about what this is and why I'm giving it to you. I have to telephone a friend. I'll be back in a few minutes." Mark was puzzled. Why had she given him such a toy? And what was he supposed to ponder? It was a silly plastic set of keys. It had a red key, an orange one, a green one, and a yellow one. He assumed that mothers would use this toy to teach their colors to their children. But what conclusion was Mark to draw from this? "How much this woman talks, huh," he thought as the lady of the house continued to talk on the phone. He was getting irritated again. Maybe that was the trick: to irritate him so much that he would make a mistake so she could embarrass him some more. But in a minute Susan was back with him. She asked him what he thought about the toy. "I don't know, it's just some plastic keys that are useless," he said glumly. She frowned. She sat down on a couch, took the key ring from his hands and said, "Keys are used to get into a house you own or rent from someone. You cannot enter a place that is not yours. That's one of the first lessons little kids learn. How can it be that you don't know it? And then you pretend to be treated like an adult..." Mark blushed and looked down. She was absolutely right, there was no way to talk back. After all, she was the victim, not him. He had decided to break into her house and planned to rob her. Susan put two fingers under his chin and lifted his head. She continued, "If you're going to be naughty and you're going to pee on yourself, I have no choice but to treat you according to your behavior. Only when you learn your lesson can I forgive you." "Yes, you are right ma'am. Excuse me, I will try to behave better from now on," he whispered, holding back tears. He thought this would be enough, but the old woman was not satisfied. "I beg your pardon? I need to hear it louder and clearer." He raised his voice as much as he could and said, "Excuse me ma'am, from now on I will not commit any more mischief. I will never again enter a house without keys or permission. That's wrong. So is peeing in your pants." Mark struggled to look Susan in the face. You could see the sense of victory in her eyes. But the lady still wasn't entirely satisfied, "So what does that make you?" He knew the answer perfectly well, but couldn't bring himself to say it. She asked again, "And what does that make you, young man?" "It makes me a naughty baby. That's what I am, a baby who doesn't know what he's doing!" As soon as he said this he burst into tears, proving Susan right: he couldn't help behaving like a baby. Then she ordered him to grab the white chalk and write on the board, "I am a naughty baby. I must not enter a house that is not mine" ten times in large letters. If he ran out of room to continue he could use the eraser. He accomplished this task diligently, only stopping when tears prevented him from seeing. Once finished, Mrs. Susan asked him to come closer and hugged him to comfort him. "Don't worry sweetie, you're doing great. Before long everything is going to be like it was before and even better." She promised to bring him something to eat and after a few minutes she came back with a tray. The tray had a cup of tea for her and a baby's bottle of hot milk for him. Mark didn't protest. He took the bottle and began to drink from it, finding that it helped to calm him down. The lady turned on the television in the living room. She switched channels until she came to a newscast. Mark paid no attention at first, concentrating on his bottle. But everything changed when the image of a familiar man appeared. It took him a few seconds to understand who it was. It was Danny "The Dog". It seems that the police had caught him and some members of his gang. The funny thing is that just a few minutes ago the 48 hour deadline had passed for Mark to collect something of value to give to the gang to become a member. That was only two days ago but it seemed like an age had passed. Danny was handcuffed, held by two police officers and his head was covered with a hood. Yet somehow he managed to shout into the microphones of approaching journalists: "Someone turned us in to the police. I swear I'm going to find out who it was. That person's days are numbered. Snitches deserve the worst." "What a violent man. Those gangsters are ruining our society. That's why we should raise children in such a way that they don't want to join them," Susan commented, clearly alluding to Mark himself and his stupid and immature idea of becoming a delinquent. But Mark had not listened to her carefully. He was terrified at Danny's threat. Clearly he could be considered a potential snitch. Perhaps Danny or someone in his gang could mistakenly conclude that he had sold them out to the police and then disappeared, and that was why he hadn't seen them within the stipulated 48 hours. Mark was in serious trouble. His situation was delicate. Now he had to think about taking refuge somewhere where he could not be found. The little light bulb over his head went on. "I'm already in that place. They don't know I'm here. This will be my refuge." Suddenly the idea of being under Mistress Susan's yoke wasn't all bad. Yes, having your diapers changed was unpleasant, but even worse was being killed. Plus it didn't have to be forever. Maybe in a week he could return to the outside world and resume his life, even if it meant having to move for safety. Just one more week of being an adult baby would be a very small price to pay for his survival. As he was thinking all this he inadvertently ended up drinking the milk from the bottle. He thanked Susan again and she said, "I'm glad you liked it, honey," as she patted him on the back. It wasn't long before Mark peed himself again, but this time he wasn't distressed. Quite the contrary, his charade of being an adult baby had to last him another week, so he'd better get used to the accidents. He got up and went to the kitchen where Susan was. He asked, "Please ma'am, I need you to change my diapers." She took him by the hand and together they headed to the nursery, both satisfied in their own way. TO BE CONTINUED

Good afternoon. I just posted chapter 2 of my first story. I would like to know how to edit the title of my topic so I can make updates on the progress of my stories. Thank you very much. Don't worry, I figured it out for myself. Thank you anyway.

This is the second part of the story. Feedback is very important to me. Thank you all for your kind comments. Chapter 2: Mystery Disturbing noises woke Mark from his sleep. He looked up at the ceiling and was startled because he didn't recognize where he was. Everything that had happened at midnight came rushing back to his mind and he blushed as he remembered he was wearing diapers. Luckily he didn't feel any wetness. The noises he had heard earlier became louder and clearer. He quickly got up, climbed out of the crib (hoping he would never have to crawl back in there) and opened the door of the nursery. He crept up the stairs. His heart began to beat faster as he realized that what he had heard was a conversation. One of the speakers was Mrs. Susan but he had no way of knowing who the other person was. He feared it was the police who had come to take him into custody. Maybe Susan had changed her mind when she woke up and now he was on the verge of going to jail. "Even if they catch me, there's no way I'm going to let them see me in diapers," Mark thought. He went back to the nursery and frantically set about searching for any garment that looked like pants. But he realized it was futile, because anything he found would be ridiculously small on him. He stepped back out into the hallway, every second more aware that he was finding it difficult to walk because of his attire. He heard some footsteps. Someone was coming up the stairs. Surely the police were coming to handcuff him and put him in a patrol car. Mark ran down what was left of the hallway until he reached a door he hadn't seen before. Perhaps it would serve as a hiding place. He might be able to take advantage of an oversight to escape through the back door, the same one he had used to get in. But when he tried to open the door he could not. It was locked, surely a key was required to enter. "Why did Susan lock this door? What's behind it?" wondered Mark. The first thing he thought was that in that mysterious room contained the jewels and the most valuable objects of the house, there might even be a safe. But he didn't have time to draw a conclusion because the person who had come upstairs approached him. He turned around: Susan was in front of him. She was alone. "How's the baby?" asked Susan with a sneer. "Fine," Mark said very quietly. He hated that she was enjoying his embarrassment, but deep down he was relieved that the police hadn't come for him yet. Susan took his hand and they walked toward the stairs. "It's time for breakfast," she said. "Why is that door locked?" he asked just before treading the last step, but the lady of the house didn't even feign an evasive answer. She simply ignored him. Mark was very excited about the mysterious room with the locked door. He thought that maybe his plan hadn't gone completely wrong. He just had to find a way to get in there, steal something of value and escape. Then Danny "The Dog" would accept him into his gang. Mark would go from being a fool who had pissed himself to a tough, wealthy man. The kitchen was really spacious, with dark orange and gray tiles. A large rectangular table was covered by a white tablecloth with a flower design. Some grocery bags were spread out on the table. On one its sides was a chair unlike the others. It was a high chair for babies. "You don't think I'm going to sit there, huh?", Mark asked, hinting that Susan's little joke about treating him like a baby had gone too far. Susan's smile widened. Mark knew he had walked into a trap. "Well, I was going to offer you to sit in any of the chairs, so if that one caught your eye then it's all yours." She pointed to the high chair. "Come dear, sit down." Luckily for Mark, the chair was a bit broken. There was no partition to force one leg apart from the other and the small tabletop was pulled forward. All this meant more room for his legs and torso. He was still cramped. If the chair was in normal condition he wouldn't have fit in at all. Once secured in the high chair, Mrs. Susan opened a drawer and took out a bib with a teddy bear pattern on it. She placed it around Mark's neck, not heeding his feeble protests. Then she opened the refrigerator. His eyes widened. He liked what he saw so much that for a moment he forgot where he was sitting and what he was wearing. His mouth watered and his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten anything since the day before. Ham, eggs, cheese, sausages were just some of the things that delighted his eyes. Susan put ham and eggs in different pans. "Please give me the first thing that gets cooked, I'm hungry," Mark asked, trying to make the request as politely as possible. "Oh no, this is for me, not for you," said the old woman. "I got up early and ordered groceries over the phone for a reason. A sweet young maid brought my things and we chatted for a while before you woke up.” That employee was the one who had been chatting with Susan, the police had nothing to do with it. Mark’s attention was drawn to the bags on the table. He didn't understand, why couldn't he have some ham? What was he supposed to have for breakfast? Susan took small jars out of the bags, some contained something brown and one contained a red cream. Was it jam? She looked him in the eye and said, "I remind you young man that yesterday you interrupted my sleep and almost managed to steal something from me. I'm not going to offer you a king's breakfast. On the contrary, you need to start learning to respect your elders. And they are the ones who decide what you can eat" "Ok, then give me some cookies and I'll spread the jam," Mark said impatiently. She laughed. "Jam? Oh, no, it's something else. Something more in keeping with your behavior." Mark was puzzled and strained his eyes until he read what the labels on the jars said: it was baby food, vanilla and strawberry flavored. Susan grabbed a chair and sat down next to Mark. She slowly opened one of the vanilla flavored pots. She pulled a spoon out of her pocket and said, "Here baby, open your mouth. Here comes some delicious food". He opened his mouth and tried to avoid spitting out what went into it. It was the worst thing he had ever tasted in his life. After a second spoonful Mark asked the lady to give him the jar and spoon: "I can do it myself". She replied, "I'm glad you liked it, I spent a lot of money on it". But in truth he just wanted to slow down the spoonfuls because he didn't feel like eating any more. He was going to swallow very little until Susan forgot about it. Mark asked for something to drink and much to his embarrassment Susan gave him some apple juice in a sippy cup. He obliged anyway so the lady wouldn't get mad. "How I envy her," Mark thought as he watched Susan serve herself some fried eggs with bacon. But that wasn't the only thing that bothered him. What bothered him more was being dressed in just his T-shirt and diapers. So he decided to ask: "Where are my pants? I'd like to wear them again, please". Her answer stunned him: "Oh, sorry honey, but I had to throw away your pants and underwear. They were too wet, there was no use washing them. You must have wet yourself too much when you got scared the other day". He didn't like being reminded of what had happened the night before. He was supposed to have become a gang member by that time and not a fool trapped in a highchair. And a fool who didn't even have adult pants to wear. Mark continued to drink the juice from his sippy cup, mostly to have something to do while the old lady finished her breakfast. What was he going to do now? He should take advantage of some distraction, steal something and leave. But he couldn't go out dressed like that. And where were the valuables supposed to be? At that moment he remembered the mysterious room whose door was locked. He needed to make sure he wasn't wasting his time trying to get in there. When he saw Susan getting up to take her plate to the sink, he mustered up his courage to ask a new question. "What's behind the door that's locked?". Unlike what he had thought, the old woman had no trouble answering, "Oh, that's the bathroom. I left the door locked for security. I can't trust you not to go in there at any moment and catch me off guard. So I left it under lock and key. Why are you asking me, did you think there was something else behind the door?". He avoided answering so as not to reveal his true intentions. "No, I was just curious," he muttered. But all this bathroom talk made him realize that he really wanted to pee. He had drunk too much apple juice. He asked Susan to go to the bathroom and she replied, "What do you say when you ask for a favor?". Mark said, irritated, "Please, Mrs. Susan. Could you open the bathroom door for me? Please." She walked over and said "good boy, you're learning your lessons" as she pinched his cheek. He was even more annoyed but also relieved at the thought of going to the bathroom. He was afraid of wetting his diapers and making an even bigger fool of himself. However, the release from highchair was not immediate. Susan began to scrub her dish. Mark grew impatient, every minute he felt more and more like peeing. Finally the old woman helped him down from the chair. He was so anxious that he went up the stairs first and made his own way to the bathroom door. He tried to open it to see if Susan had carelessly left it open but the lock was holding tight. To make matters worse, when he looked back he didn't see the lady coming toward him. Where had she gone? He retraced his steps down the hallway. Susan was just finishing up the stairs. He walked back to the bathroom but suddenly a phone rang in a room and the lady ran to answer it. From what he could make out from the conversation it was an old friend of hers. The talk went on for several minutes. Mark wasn't going to hold it much longer, but he feared a reprimand if he tried to rush Susan. However, the call took so long that Mark got desperate and said, "Please ma'am, I need you to open the bathroom door for me." She glared at him as if to say "I'm talking, you have to hold on". But he couldn't hold it any longer and ran to the bathroom. He tried with all his might but the knob would not turn all the way. He even tried banging on the door but to no avail. He turned to shout to Mrs. Susan, "Please, I need you to open the bathroom door for me." She said " I'm coming", but he didn't see her or hear her footsteps. Tears began to form in Mark's eyes. He feared the worst. Mark continued in his futile attempt to open the door until the end. But it was not enough. A stream of pee began to wet his diapers. He turned to see Susan coming toward him. He hadn't even heard her hang up the phone. She looked at his face and then looked at the stain on his diaper. She said, "Oh, I'm sorry. But don't worry about it. We're going to change you right now. No need to cry." The humiliating comment made him cry even harder. He wondered if Mrs. Susan had delayed on purpose, but he was never going to know for sure. He lay down on the changing table. But Susan left the room and went downstairs to get something. She returned holding something that had probably been one of the goods from that morning's delivery. It was a light blue pacifier, the biggest Mark had ever seen. And it was for him. "This will soothe you," she said. And the worst thing was that she was right, because he began to relax as he chewed on the plastic. The old woman changed Mark's diapers very gently. She really cared that Mark was dry. She even put some baby powder on his bottom. Susan grabbed one of Mark's hands, took the pacifier out of his mouth and asked him if he was calmer now that the change had taken place. "Yes, I'm better," he replied with what little energy he had left. Surprisingly, she frowned and said, "That's it, that's all? What kind of manners are those. What do you say after a person does you a favor?". Tired, he replied: "Thank you, ma’am. Thank you for changing my diapers." She clapped her hands in approval. " You're learning your lessons, young man. But now it's time for a nap." She helped him into the crib, closed the blinds and left, closing the door to the nursery as gently as she could. Mark put the pacifier back in his mouth. He just wanted to sleep. He didn't really know how much more he could take. By that point he was questioning whether it would be better to be in diapers at Mrs. Susan's house or in a jail cell. He was no longer sure that the second option was the worse of the two. TO BE CONTINUED

Chapter 1: Intruder The sun was setting behind the surrounding buildings as Mark Jones walked down the sidewalk, trying not to draw attention to himself. He wanted to select a possible target for that very night. His mission was to obtain valuables but without taking too much risk. "No matter what, I'm going to be part of that gang," he thought as he started to elucidate which of the houses seemed to have the fewest occupants. He was referring to a group led by someone named Danny "The Dog". Mark had made contact with a member of the gang and the day before managed to arrange a meeting with the leader. The first impression was that Danny was capable of hand-to-hand combat with anyone and come out on top. He was full of tattoos and no doubt you would have to impress him a lot to get him to accept you as a member. "If you want to work with us you have to bring something of value first. If you don't have anything you'll have to 'borrow' it from someone else, you understand...", he told Mark, just before giving him a 48-hour deadline if he didn't want to lose his only chance. Just when the sun could no longer be seen Mark chose an elegant house to sneak into in a few hours. He didn't know exactly who lived there, but knowing that the neighborhood was one of elderly couples or widows living alone he knew it wouldn't be too difficult or dangerous. It was a wealthy area by his standards. It wasn't so far from his own apartment that he wouldn't know how to get away from it quickly, but he wasn't a regular on those streets either, so no one would be able to recognize him easily. He knew that being part of a gang was wrong, but he also knew that this way he would be able to make more money than with his stupid office job or any other job he could get. His apartment rent was already going through the roof, so somehow he needed to get extra money. He could do petty theft on his own but being part of a larger organization the figures were going to be bigger and more consistent. His plan for that night was to steal a couple of really valuable items to impress Danny "The Dog". He wouldn't use any weapons, so if he got caught he would get less jail time. He would just break into the house, extract a couple of pieces of jewelry and leave through the back door. Mark began to sweat as midnight approached. The idea of stealing made him a little nervous, but if he wanted to be a gang member it was the least he should be willing to do. He drank a whole bottle of water, a little to hydrate himself and a little to contain his anxiety. He threw the empty bottle in a trash can and started walking back towards the selected target. It started to get a little chilly and he wasn't wearing a sweater, but he didn't want to warm himself with his arms so as not to attract the attention of anyone who might be watching from behind the windows. Almost all the households seemed to have gone to sleep. He passed a couple of young women who had taken their dogs for a walk, but didn't look at them. To his chagrin, Mark began to shiver. His anxiety was starting to get the better of him, he was afraid that his plan would go wrong even if he didn't want to admit it. He started repeating in his mind a self-help message to calm himself down: "you are strong, you are a man, you can do it, you are strong". Although in fact he knew that he was too thin and that he should have hit the gym a long time ago to lift weights. Perhaps his laziness had led him to not be popular with women. But it didn't matter, because once he became a gang member he would have all the women he wanted. He would have women by the dozens, and they would all be the hottest in town. He finally arrived at the right house. It had nothing special, a porch, windows with glass and white shutters, ochre walls. Nothing out of the ordinary. But something told him that this was the ideal location to achieve his goal. He was convinced that getting into that house would change his life forever. This would turn out to be true, but not in the way he expected. Of course he wasn't going to be so foolish as to enter through the front door. He headed for one of the side windows, trying not to step on any plants or make any noise. As he reached the window he briefly observed his reflection in the glass: his out-of-control brown hair, his pale face, his skinny arms. "As soon as Danny accepts me as a member I'm going to hit the gym. That way no one will take me totally seriously as a gang member," he thought. He tried to open the window, but it was closed. He tried the others but they were impossible to open. He became even more nervous, fearing that someone had seen him and was calling the police at that very moment. He changed his plans: he would enter through the back door. He pulled his little tweezers out of his pocket and picked the lock. He finally managed to get into the property. "So what now," he muttered and then regretted making unnecessary noise. Mark tried to navigate the house making as little noise as possible. When he reached what he thought was the living room (he couldn't tell because it was darker than he had thought), he discovered a cabinet and began to open the drawers to steal whatever was inside. He was glad because he felt that his fingers had touched some kind of necklace that seemed to be made of gold. Just as he was putting the necklace in a bag he thought he heard a noise. "Someone must have woken up," he said to himself. He thought about running out the back door, but he felt he needed something else to offer Danny. He needed a little more time and his goal would be accomplished. Hearing no more noises he calmed down and set out to move ahead. But he didn't take another step. The living room lights came on and suddenly a gray-haired woman appeared. She was holding a rifle. -Who the hell are you?- cried the woman, who at first glance appeared to be about 70 years old. But Mark didn't answer because he was filled with fear at the gun pointed at him. -Throw down that thing you grabbed and get down on your knees or else I'll shoot you," the woman continued shouting. Mark was petrified. His plan had gone horribly wrong. Now he had a chance of going to jail. The old woman continued to point at him. Mark threw down the bag with the necklace but did not kneel. His legs did not answer him. The woman rattled the trigger of her rifle to scare him. Suddenly something even more unexpected happened. A stream began to run down Mark's crotch. His underpants became damp. Without realizing it, he had peed himself. The owner of the house began to laugh in his face, her lips full of red lipstick accentuating the laughter. He began to cry. He didn't understand what was going on. Everything had turned out much worse than he had expected. The woman laughed even harder at his tears and said: -You look like a peeing, crying baby. I've suffered from intruders before and none were as pathetic as you. The woman introduced herself as Susan and asked him why he had invaded her home. He stammered back, begging for forgiveness. He told her about his idea to become a gang member. -You? A gang member? You wouldn't last an hour. Believe me, my late husband was a policeman and I know very well how gangs operate. I don't remember them ever accepting people who do it in their pants," she giggled again, but this time it was followed by a yawn. Mark had certainly interrupted her sleep. -Please," Mark pleaded, "don't call the police. I'll make it up to you any way I can, I'll mow your lawn if I have to," he said through tears. -Oh, don't worry," she replied, "I've got something better in mind for you”. She took him by the hand and they walked into a room with a couch, bookshelves and a closet. Mark sensed the wetness in his crotch and it reminded him of the shame of having peed on himself. Mrs. Susan opened the closet. "What's she going to get out of there?", Mark wondered. Maybe it was boxer shorts and a clean pair of pants that he could change into. Maybe it would all be over quickly. He would change, apologize again and promise never to break into someone else's house again. Susan opened a drawer and took out something white. Mark couldn't believe what he was seeing: what the lady had grabbed were adult diapers. -No, there's no way I'm going to wear that," he exclaimed, despairing at the idea. -Of course you are, young man. You can't wear your wet clothes. If you keep whining you're going to leave me no choice but to call the police," she grinned, "I'm sure they're going to think you're cute when they realize that you pee your pants like a toddler. Mark was horrified at the thought of the cops making fun of him and his wet underpants. He had no choice but to take Mrs. Susan by the hand and walk up the stairs with her. They walked to a room in the middle of the hallway. Before opening the door, Mrs. Susan pointed to the large diapers she kept under her arm and commented, "You never know, especially at this age, when you might need one of these. Luckily I don't need them yet. You're fortunate, since that means they're available for you". After saying this she opened the door. Mark could not believe his eyes. It was nothing less than a nursery. There was a crib and a changing table next to it. Both were not his size but were quite large. Susan explained that it was the room she had reserved years ago for her first and only grandchild. Now he was grown and in elementary school, but out of nostalgia and idleness she had never remodeled the room and had left it as it was. She pointed to the changing table. Mark couldn't believe what was happening, but he didn't have much choice. He didn't want to risk angering the lady of the house and provoking her into calling 911. He lay down on the table and closed his eyes, hoping that everything would go as quickly as possible. Already with his eyes closed he could feel Susan removing first his wet pants and then his underwear. Out of sheer anxiety he opened his eyes and saw how the lady was taking out some wipes to clean him. Embarrassment made him close his eyes tighter, as if that would change anything. "Don't worry, you'll be dry in no time," she said, and somehow instead of comforting him this made him even more distressed. He was supposed to become a tough gangster, not a baby who needed to be changed! He tried to hold back tears as a last-ditch effort to preserve his dignity. He concentrated so hard on not letting any tears escape that he didn't notice when Susan fastened the tapes on his diaper. "There," she said, with a smile. She was pleased with her work. Then she yawned and said: -I'm so tired, I want to go back to sleep. Why don't you go to sleep too? But don't think you're going to get away with this. We still need to talk about your actions, young man. Mark replied, "Okay, where am I going to sleep?". It should have been obvious, but he was still surprised when Susan pointed her head toward the crib. -No, no, no way," Mark was tired of such humiliation. He'd had enough. "Just give me my pants and I'm going home. You're never going to see me again in your life." But she flatly refused. "Listen, your pants need to be washed and we're already in the wee hours of the morning. Just get some sleep and tomorrow we'll see." She didn't give much chance to respond. She smiled like the tender grandmother she was ( aside from the use of the rifle), turned around and before closing the door wished goodnight to her beloved intruder, who had been left dressed only in a T-shirt and his diapers. Resigned, Mark climbed into the crib and tried to get comfortable, although the space was too small for him. As he tried to ignore the humiliating feeling of the diapers, he pondered what had gone wrong with his plan. Thinking about this and looking to find an excuse for the gang leader, he gradually fell asleep. TO BE CONTINUED