One Summer's Day- Part I
By- G.K.S

Chapter 1- One Summer Afternoon

My parents were yelling again. I didn’t know whether I wanted to go up and check to see what was going on. No doubt my Dad was being emotionally abusive to my mother. The last time they got in an argument, he smashed her hand in a door on 'accident'. I’ve hated him for that ever since…I think he’s a overgrown boy with a temper, a real selfish sort of tyrant.

Lying on my bed staring at the ceiling I could hear my mother crying somewhere in the house. I wish I could save her from this place…but I’m still in college and I’m only 21. I own basically nothing and don’t have a cent to my name. I couldn’t take it any more, I had to get out of the house. Besides, it was a nice sunny afternoon and a June summer at that. I always wondered why I mainly had nothing to do on a summer day like this one. I’ve been depressed since I was in junior high…I’m depressed now, I’m suicidal and I never know what to do with my life.

I stopped and looked in the mirror at myself. The reflection looking back at me was me, Ryan Dunlap. I’m a boy, I’m twenty-one years old, about five foot six and I weigh a hundred and fifteen pounds. In other words, I’m a feather weight. Brown eyes, shoulder length brown hair…I’m feminine looking enough that people frequently mistake me for a girl. I dress androgynously I suppose, since I wear girl jeans just because they fit better. I threw on a short sleeved t-shirt and a short sleeved corduroy light jacket over it that was a light blue color that matched my denim jeans. I had a pair of blue puma motor-sport shoes I liked to wear. They were actually women’s shoes, although I wore them in women’s size 11. I figure that they were blue, so it’s not likely anybody would know that they weren’t men’s shoes anyways. Moreover, aside from that, I don’t really care what people think. Never have.

Walking out to my car I hopped in and started the engine. I had a nice car…although my dad refused to let me use my own money to buy myself a new one. I have a 1997 Monte Carlo Z-34. It’s a nice car, but I don’t have a passion for it nor do I really love it as if it were my own. It just gets me from A to B so to speak.

Revving the engine, I pulled my Torch Red sports car onto the main road outside my house. I live in the country, so first thing I did is start heading for town. The sky was bright blue and the air was in the seventies, which was a great mildly cool day. Looking down the rapidly passing road I saw a old Buick off to the side of the road with the hood up. I wasn’t sure…I wasn’t going to stop because it could be dangerous, and let’s face it, I’m not a good Samaritan. Although I’m not mean or rude or anything like that. Drawing closer I saw an old lady had the hood of the car raised and was looking into the engine compartment. I felt a sudden compulsion to pull over and see if I could help her. I mean she was just an old lady after all.

Pulling to a stop just behind her vintage Buick, I climbed out of the car. She looked at me with a smirk…as if perhaps…I don’t know, almost like she had expected me to stop. Walking around the car it was what I referred to as a battlecruiser, due to the fact it’s one of those big old people cars that seem so oversized. I waved at her as I walked up to her and smiled. She smiled back, but looked at me in an apprising way, with her head slightly cocked to the side. I realized I was only an inch or so taller than her, and smiled at the thought. I really don’t want to be taller than I am, or bigger. I’m very comfortable with my stature and my build.

“Having trouble?” she smiled a bit more at hearing my voice.

“Oh, you’re male. But I already knew that didn’t I,” she said with a peculiar expression. I figured she was amused at the fact I was a femme boy.

“I haven’t met many men who make the femme look seem cute the way you do,” she replied, almost as if she read my mind.

“Whatever, are you having car trouble?” I replied, nonplussed.

“Yes. But I’m sure you can see that.”

“Yes, I’m sure I can,” I replied coolly. I wasn’t meaning to be rude, I just felt odd now that I was here. I mean I hadn’t been planning on stopping to help her.

I looked down into the engine compartment, my hair fell into my face and so I used my hand to brush it aside and tuck it behind my ear. I was used to it getting in the way by now. I could see that the engine was low on coolant, and most likely overheated. Most cars will automatically shut off if the engine reaches a critical temperature.

“So my coolant is low?” she asked. I didn’t notice that I hadn’t told her that. I would just assume that she noticed it on her own.

“Yes,” I replied. “Looks like you might have overheated the engine. You’ll probably have to call a tow.”

Looking a bit closer, “You might wanna get that air filter changed as well.” It was in pretty bad shape. I didn’t really see a reason as to why it shouldn’t start back up given some time to cool. I wondered if she was up to something.

“Alright. Would you mind giving me a lift into town?” she asked.

“Oh…I suppose I don’t mind,” I said.

“Good boy.” She said. The way she said it made me feel as if she was talking to her pet dog or something.

So, she got in on the passenger side of my car as we cruised into town. I turned my radio off since I was pretty sure she wouldn’t want to listen to hip hop.

“Where you going?” I asked, as we neared town.

“Could you please take me to bikini beach?” she replied.

As we pulled into the parking lot twenty minutes later. “Is this some sort of water park?”

She looked at me with a slightly surprised expression, “Yes, it is. I suppose not many men have heard of it.”

“I’m going to my office just over there, why don’t you come in and have a drink.” She offered.

I suddenly realized I was actually incredibly thirsty, and decided that it couldn’t be such an bad idea. But, curiously enough, I didn’t feel overly thirst a minute ago…I think.

I shut the car off and hopped out, making small talk with he old lady as we walked towards the building that was on the parking lot side of the park. Walking into the office, I felt the air conditioning immediately and it made me feel a little cold.

“Sorry about the A/C, I had in on high since it was in the nineties the other day.”

She got me a drink from a mini fridge in the corner of the room, and handed it to me as she took a seat on the other side of a large oak desk. Her swivel office chair seemed almost like a leather throne it was so elaborate. I took the coke she offered me…a glass bottle coke and popped the cap off, sipping at it. She seemed lost in thought for a minute and I felt a little uncomfortable just sitting here with a stranger while saying nothing.

“I feel like maybe I should reward you. After all, you were courteous enough to stop and help me, then drive me to the park and ask for nothing in return. Not even a thank you,” she said, seeming as if she was impressed.

“Maybe I could offer you a free pass or some such,” she said.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m afraid of the water. I don’t like to swim,” I said.

She didn’t seem surprised, as if she knew what I was going to say. Then she turned to me, “Well, I’m curious about who you are. And you seem troubled by something. Would you like to talk?”

“Well…um, I have problems at home. And…I’m depressed all the time although I don’t know why.”

She just nodded her head and asked, “Problems at home?”

I started to talk about my father, and then I suddenly just spilled the whole story to her, and by the time I was done, I was crying. She looked sad, as if she felt sorry for me.
“You had a sad childhood didn’t you? Yet you’re very mature for your age.”

“I’m not. I’m not mature. I do very average schoolwork and I just don’t feel mature at all really.”

She gave a little nod, and then went on, “That’s not true. You think a lot about your mother. You’re looking out for her best interests and you love her so much. I can just tell, that you have so much compassion in your heart. You must feel like your dying in the environment your in.”

“I don’t know. Things have always been so hard on me. I never even felt like I was actually alive. I hate my life, I just hate it!”

“You seem pessimistic,” she said, with a curt nod.

“No, not pessimistic. Just bitter,” I replied.

“Why?”

“My child hood sucked. Everything after has been an absolute mess. My school work is a disaster, I’ve coasted through life in absolute misery.”

She looked at me for a long while.

“Alright. But how would you like to learn to swim? No inhibitions.”

“I said I’m afraid of the water.”

“Yes, I know…but something can be arranged,” the old woman said, now looking down at a card on her desk.

“Why are you doing this for me?” I asked.

“To repay you for a good deed. So few people follow their instincts and help people in need these days. Besides, I like to help people when business permits. What’s so hard to understand about that?”

“Alright. What’s this entail?” I questioned, looking deep into her grey eyes from my place on the opposite side of her desk.

“Just show up whenever you like with this card. Swipe in with it, go into the men’s locker room and take a shower before entering the park.”

“Take a shower?” I asked.

“Health department regulations.”

“Oh,” I answered.

“How’s this suppose to help me? I don’t really wanna learn to swim,” I said moments later.

“You just need to learn to have fun again. Or maybe learn it for the first time? There’s so much more to life you know,” the old woman replied. She then seemed to close her eyes for a minute. Moments later a tall, well build brunette entered the room. She was pretty and had brown eyes matching her brown hair.

“Anya, would you show Mr. Thomas the locker room?”

“Wait, I didn’t say I wanted to do this right this minute,” I exclaimed.

“Well…you won’t be doing it right this minute my dear boy. You’ll be doing it a couple minutes from now. Well, unless of course, you happen to be as fast as the incredible flash.”

“You KNOW that’s not what I mean!”

“Well Ryan, do you really have anything better to do?” the old woman questioned, with a slight knowing smile. At the moment I wondered just exactly what she knew that I didn’t.

“Alright, lets go,” I said, looking at the girl named Anya. Anya smiled at me, and suddenly I returned a goofy smile…she was quite pretty, you understand. Pretty girls always make me feel slightly silly as it is.

Once we were clear of the office I gave a sidelong glance at Anya as we walked, “What isn’t she telling me? I saw the little smile she had. She knows something that I don’t.”

Anya gave me a little mischievous grin before answering with, “Trust me, this experience will help you conquer your fears and solve problems. Both problems with yourself, and problems at home. I think my grandmother is impressed with how loyal and how good you are to your mother. I know I am. You’re a very compassionate person…although in my opinion all that testosterone in your system is inhibiting you true heart. After this little experience, hopefully you’ll be able to open up to your more emotional side.”

“Okay babe, whatever,” was my haughty reply. Anya just looked surprised, and then laughed. I took the plastic card I had been given by the old lady, and swiped it through the turnstile that led into the park. She handed me a pair of swimming trunks and winked at me. It’s a good thing I suppose, since I didn’t bring my own. But, I wondered where Anya got them from since she wasn’t holding them just a second ago.

“Oh, you’ll see. And here we are.” She said, gesturing to the door before us that led into the men’s locker room. I noticed that strangely enough the men’s locker room was a great deal smaller than the women’s locker room. I pushed the free swinging door open and stepped inside, allowing the door to close behind me.

The locker room was cool, and felt a little humid…most likely from frequent shower use. Although, there was nobody else in the locker room strangely enough. Even though the parking lot was almost full, and I had seen many women in the park. Now that I was thinking about it…I saw men in the line for the ticket booth, but saw none in the park. Nor were there any inside here at the moment. I mean sure, I sat and talked with the old lady, so they had more than enough time to shower, dress and leave to go into the park. But I didn’t see any guys in the park or leaving it for that matter.

“I get it!” I shouted. “This place is like a roach motel for men. ‘They check in, but they don’t check out!’” I laughed at my own joke, and then felt a little silly about it.

The locker room was composed of many grey lockers, with wooden benches running between the rows of lockers. I walked to about mid-way down the center aisle and then put the few things I had into the locker. I disrobed and pulled the swimming trunks on. I didn’t have any flip flops with me or anything so I decided to walk to the showers bare foot, hoping I didn’t get athletes feet or something.

I stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain closed behind me, flipping on the water. The water was warm right off the bat…it felt puuurrrfffeeccttt. I would have closed my eyes but I was enjoying myself…that’s the point I noticed some sort of pink steam wafting around the shower. The water was so warm…it was making me tingle, in places I usually don’t tingle. It felt like a gentle massage. I had a strange sense of vertigo and looking at the shower handle, I watched it seemingly grow higher…and then I realized I was getting shorter! I jumped out of the shower, nearly pulling down the shower curtain. I watched as my limbs shortened and became slightly chubby…as if there was still a bit of baby fat there. I kept getting closer to the ground. My hair seemed a little longer, although I barely noticed since I was used to having long hair. My swimming trunks writhed like a nest of snaked and stretched and wound up my torso…I tried to bat and grab at it with my hands but it flowed around my hands and out of my grip almost like liquid…as if I had tried to grasp water. It eventually rewove itself into what looked like a girls one piece bathing suit. A sky blue one at that.

Pulling the bottom of the suit to the side, I watched down to watch my equipment slither up into my abdomen almost like it was being pulled inwards by some unseen force. I was utterly horrified. My mind started to cloud over…although I didn’t quite panic as I seemed to maintain my sense of identity. I raised my hand too my face and stopped short of touching my face…it was tiny. Looking down I could see my feet matched my hands…very small and a slight bit round, again the term baby fat came to mind. Somehow though, my limbs all looked rather graceful…subtly feminine even though I now seemed to be very young.

After realizing I was now too short to turn the handle of the shower, I decided to just leave it on. Somehow, I walked over to the mirror without realizing I had…most likely from shock of some sort. I looked in the mirror and saw without surprise, what appeared to be a three year old little girl with bright cyan colored blue eyes (a similar shade to sky blue), and platinum blonde hair. My skin seemed rather fair, but it was extremely soft and seemed flawless as far as blemishes went. The swim suit was a sky blue that matched my eyes. I was having trouble thinking straight…as if my thoughts had become jumbled together. I looked in the mirror again then suddenly sat down on my butt and started crying. Rubbing at my eyes with my little hands and tried to wipe my tears away with little success. I tried to contain the crying but I couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. It was as if the transformation had wrought changes in both my heart and mind. I cried because I was so overwhelmed.

Indeed the physical changes had wrought changes within me as well. I was scared and I didn’t know what was happening, I felt emotionally charged…as if my entire body was a live wire, and my mind was electrifying it. Suddenly someone was beside me, out of the corner of my eye I saw pink flip flops and suddenly strong but slender arms enveloped me and picked me up.

“W-w-what are y-you doing! Put m-me down! NOWWWW! AGHHHHH!” I started crying again. I didn’t like the idea of being picked up…it made me feel helpless. I stopped crying long enough to turn and look into the face of…Anya. I guess I hadn’t heard her come in.

“Shhhhhh. Don’t worry, don’t cry,” she said.

“thomething happened to me!” I whined. “I turned into a widdle girl!” I cried. Then I realized I was having trouble talking correctly.

“I think I have a lithp,” I said, with a very evident lisp in my speech.

“Well, you’re only three years old. Don’t worry yourself so much.”

“UMmm-But I’m not!” I cried. I was startled by my voice, I sounded every bit the part that I looked.

“The showers are magic. This park is only for women, thus you were turned into a girl. As for the age regression, well you’ll see. Let’s go see my grandmother.”

“Kay’!” I replied enthusiastically, although I’m not sure why. Then all of the sudden I realized she had just told me the park was magic…was I slow or something?

“No, you’re not slow. You just have the brain of a three year old. You’re still as intelligent as before, except it’ll be a little more difficult to figure things out I suspect,” Anya said, carrying me in her arms.

“I don’t wanna be thupid!” I said.

“Shhhh. You’re not stupid! It’s just that with the brain of a three year old it probably takes you longer to reason things out. I’m sure you’re ultimately just as smart as before though.”

“Can thee help me out? I don’t wanna be a widdle girl. Theriouthly, thee’th got to do thomthing to help me!” I lisped out.

“Don’t worry,” was her only reply. I looked away from her then, and stared off into space. When I glanced back at her, Anya looked a little worried.

When we entered the spacious office once again, Anya sank into a leather armchair on the opposite side of the desk from where her grandmother sat in her leather throne.

The old woman looked at me, and the looked puzzled me although it probably wouldn’t have before the change. “What’d you do to me!” I demanded in childish tones with girlish intonation.

“Well, that should be obvious. I changed you into a girl,” she explained.

“I look like I’m three yearth old!” I said, once again wincing when I lisped.

“You wanted to help your mother didn’t you?” the old lady asked. “Here’s your chance.”

Her calm demeanor angered me even more than I had been, “But I’m little. thee, the difference between being an adult and being a child.”

“Yes, age regression was necessary. Besides, you had an awful childhood. Why wouldn’t you want a second chance at childhood?”

“How’th thith thuppothe to help my mother?” I questioned, eying the old woman suspiciously. I really was tired of hearing that lisp. As if sensing my thoughts, Anya looked at her grandmother saying with a laugh, “God that lisp is adorable.”

“YOU can help your mother. See, I really just saved your life so to speak.”

“How?” I asked, shaking my head.

“I wasn’t expecting to come across you or anything of the such. But Ryan, your life would have ended tomorrow if I hadn’t intervened. You see, you were born with a very mild heart defect. Usually they go unnoticed, but for whatever reason you would have gone into cardiac arrest tomorrow. Perhaps you’ve noticed your heart beating irregularly lately? A fluttering sensation and a bit of trouble catching your breath?”

“Y-yeth, but I feel fine. I didn’t feel hurt by it.”

“Well Ryan, I’m afraid it would have eventually. Call it fate if you want. Your heart condition would have worsened over time, even if you didn’t succumb to it tomorrow. It eventually would have killed you. At the best, you might have lived a couple more months.” The old woman explained, calmly and serenely.

“But why thith. Why a widdle girl? Why not jutht a girl my original age?” I asked.

“Because, the magic for doing that is similar to what I custom tailored to you, Ryan. The magic would have made it so that Ryan Dunlap never was born, instead he had been born as a girl named Hailee Dunlap. However, the plot thickens at this point. Even if I had changed you into a twenty-one year old girl who would have been your female alter ego, you’d have still had the heart defect. You see, the problem lay within the egg you were born from. You understand that one egg is emitted by the ovaries per menstrual cycle right?”

“Yeth,” I replied in a simple tone.

“Well, if a different sperm had fertilized the egg, you might have been born a different person. In this instance, a girl who would have been named Hailee. But the egg was the problem you see. It was defective so to speak. Therefore, I had to make you born at a later date so that a different egg with no defects could have borne you. See, my magic has limitations. You should feel lucky, I usually don’t give explanations this detailed to customers. My magic is bound by logic, and also by the extent of which I’m able to discern details.”

“Okay.” I replied, gesturing with my little hand, “But why thuch a big age differenthe?

“Well, that’s another aspect of this method of my magic. There wouldn’t have been another chance until 17 years later. A long time yes, but your mother was young when she had you, so still not an unreasonable span of time.”

“Okay.”

“Okay? Well Ryan, this is the part where you help your mother. You see, you can’t help her if your dead. She’ll remember you as Ryan, and while you were in the locker room I called her and explained everything over the phone to her. She should be here waiting outside the office for you by now.”

“The girl I am?” I asked softly.

“Kayla. She named you Kayla.” The old woman said, smiling a bit.

“So Kayla, would you like to swim?” Anya asked, rubbing the side of my upper arm and smiling at me kindly.

“But I’m not Kayla! I’m Ryan,” I exclaimed.
The old woman smiled, “I’m sorry to break it to you, but not right now you aren’t. The magic changes everything about you. Ryan was never born.”

“Well…then maybe thome thwimming would be okay.”

“That’s the spirit,” Anya said smiling, then I saw her wink at her grandmother out of the corner of her eye.

She stood up, still holding me in her arms, and carried me to the door. When she opened it, I was surprised to see my mother leaning against the wall outside the office. Anya set me on the ground, and without thinking I ran towards her yelling, “Mommy! Mommy!”

She looked a little alarmed at first, but then saw me smiling and swept me up into her arms. “Aww, hey baby,” she said, kissing me on the cheek.

I stopped smiling suddenly when I realized I hadn’t even been thinking…it was like I was on autopilot.

My mother leaned close to my ear and asked in a whisper, “Ryan, is that really you?”

I looked at her with a knowing smile, “Yeth, it ith.”

“Okay, its so strange…I have new memories of my pregnancy with you, and giving birth to you. Aww, my baby girl!” she said, hugging me close. I closed my eyes and let out a childish laugh. Again I was struck with uncertainty…I seemed to act my biological age when I wasn’t strictly paying attention. I wondered if the girl named Kayla would eventually drown me out and take over.

My mother carried me with her up to the ticket booth.

“Can I buy a year long pass?” she asked. A rather well built girl with an athletic tone smiled and said that she could sell her a two year long pass; her name tag said Norma. I groaned audibly when I heard they were buying a two year pass…I don’t want to be stuck like this. I hadn’t had time to think things over. The old lady appeared behind Norma in the ticket booth.

“Actually Kayla, your mother is buying a pass for herself. Your change is already permanent. As in life long,” the old lady said in her mysterious voice. My mother listened to what the old lady said and nodded, while I frowned and fidgeted in my mothers arms.

“But I don’t wanna be thith way permanently,” I whined.

The old lady only laughed in respose, “No Kayla, you’ll grow up as you get older. You won’t be a child forever. However, the only alternative to your current form is to die as Ryan; and that’s considering even if it was possible to change you back after you showered using the life-long pass I gave you. For the record, that is not possible.”

The old lady smiled and turned, returning to where she had been through the door in the back of the booth. My mother, having paid for her pass turned and walked through the turnstile, swiping her card. The electronic reader beeped, and my mother carried me toward the women’s locker room.

“Noooo! I don’t wanna go in therrrreeee!” I whined in my girlish child’s voice. My mother only smiled at me, “Honey, I have to change into my suit if you wanna go swimming today.”

“But that’th the women’th locker room! I can’t go in there!”

“Honey, you’re a girl now right? Judging by how flat your swimsuit is at the bottom, I’d say that an obvious yes. So, you use women’s facilities now.”

“Let me th’tay out here!”

“No sweetie, you’re only three years old. I have to take you with me, so quit whining and just accept it,” she answered in a knowing tone. For some reason that took all the fight out of me. I felt as though perhaps the magic had wired my brain to think a certain way.

“I don’t like being a girl. Ethpethially one this widdle.”

“Well honey, would you really want to go back to being Ryan?” My mom asked shaking her head which caused her blonde hair to shift away, pausing just outside the women’s locker rooms. She looked me in the eye before continuing, “Even if you could, you’d die as Ryan all too soon. I believe the old woman told the truth about that, since she wouldn’t benefit from lying about it. Besides, in this reality I divorced your father shortly after you were born. Would you really want to go back to the way things were?”

I paused for a moment, looking into my mother’s very serious green eyes, “No, I gueth not.” That lisp was really irritating me, but I couldn’t overcome it.

I don’t know whether it was a physical limitation, or whether my brain was magically programmed to talk that way. My voice always spoke with simplistic tones, so even when using complex-compound sentences, I sounded every bit like a three year old. It was so frustrating, especially because of the fact that I couldn’t do anything to overcome it.

“Then lets go. I have to change. Then we can swim and have fun together. Besides, maybe playing with children your age will benefit you,” she said, as she carried me into the locker room.

-~-
Chapter 1: Part 2
-~-

Splashing around in the shallow kiddy pool, I was actually having fun playing with children my…biological age. My memory wasn’t as good as it used to be, and when around strangers the magic seemed to force me to act my age totaly for the most part. For instance, if I tried to say something a three year old wouldn’t say, I would just end up saying something totally silly, miss-pronouncing words and what not…it just sounded silly. After experiencing this a few times I gave up and just ACTED my age. Grudgingly at first…but after a while a different me started to emerge…I was having fun!

I bumped into a little girl and she lost her balance and fell down. She looked to be no more than my age…perhaps a bit younger, I’d say she looked around the age of 3. She was now on her butt at the very edge of the wading pool all the little kids played in. She had long blonde hair down to the middle of her back, and sky blue eyes, a similar shade to my own. She could have passed easily as my sister.

“Thomeone knocked me down,” she said, seeming disoriented. I was surprised, because she talked with a similar lisp to mine. ‘Hey, perhaps I’ve found myself a kindred spirit,’ I thought to myself with a little laugh. The girl seemed to think I was laughing at her and gave me a little frown.

“Oh, you have a lithp too?” I asked in a childish demeanor. She just looked at me curiously before answering with a stoic little, “Yeth!”

I reached down and grabbed one of her tiny hands with one of mine, and hoisted her to her feet. She seemed surprised and then shrugged her shoulders before saying, “Thankth.”

“My name is Kayla.” I said with a smile.

“Hi Kayla!” she said in a childish sing song like voice. Then she looked confused for a minute before smiling again and saying, “My name is Heather.”

“Pleathed to meet you.” I said, smiling ear to ear. Then suddenly out of the blue water splashed me. I wiped the water from my eyes and peered about, and saw Heather laughing and slapping her thigh with mirth. So using both hands I splashed her back. We went on in this way, playing with each other for some time before we got tired.

“Wanna talk?” Heather asked with simplistic tones.

“Thure.” I said, then frowned again because of my speech impediment. However, I noticed Heather laugh and then repeat, “Thure. Thee, I can’t thay it either”

“But I don’t wanna go anywhere my mommy can hear,” I said, surprising myself by saying mommy instead of mom. Heather just got a sympathetic and understanding look in her eyes, “I agree Kayla. I don’t want my mommy to be within hearing distanthe either.”

Heather pointed out her mother, and so I pointed out mine to her. If for no other reason that to prevent one of them from sneaking up on us.

I didn’t want my mom to hear for no reason in particular, mainly though because I was in distress over my transformation. We both knew we’d have to stay within eye sight of our mothers who were sitting at different spots along the bank of the Frog Prince Splash Pool. We settled for a grassy spot in the shade just on the opposite side of the children’s wading pool we’d been playing in.

Once out of hearing distance of other people, but safely within viewing distance of our mothers, we sat down.

Heather was looking at me, with unreadable eyes. I was unnerved by the look she was giving me, since it seemed to hold more intelligence and thought that children our age have or show.

“I know you’re different, and I think I know in what way,” she said. She still sounded childish, but was obviously just as capable of speaking in complete sentences as I was. It was strange to hear complete sentences come out of the mouth of someone who looked like a child…not that I was one to throw stones.

“Okay,” I said, unsure of what to say. For a minute she looked unsure, then saw that I was focusing on her facial expressions and seemed to regain that look of confidence.

“Well?” she asked.

Feeling nervous I ventured, “Yeth. I am different.”

“You’re really male aren’t you? And probably an adult judging by the way you act.”

I looked down, realizing that she was probably in the same boat as me, if she was able to discern that much about me.

“Yeth, and tho are you.” I replied.

“Yeth.” Heather answered, looking at the ground as if embarrassed.

“How’d it happen to you?” I asked.

“My wife betrayed me for little to no reathon.” At the look of shock and horror in my expression she went on, “Thee wanted to have a baby. But, I wathn’t ready yet. I wanted to advanthe further in my career and get a nither car…maybe a bigger houthe before we had children.”

Heather then stopped talking and looked away from me and started to tremble. Then she looked back at me, with tears in her eyes, “Tho I came up with a plan. I would turn mythelf into a little girl to thow my wife how hard raising a thmall child can be. I only bought two path’th for a thort thpan of time.”

Sobbing between words, heather continued on with her story; “But my wife found out, and went behind my back to get revenge. Thee thayth it ithn’t a matter of revenge, but I can’t think of any other explanation. Thee somehow got the path’th refunded and then replathed them with lifetime membershipth. I’m thtuck like thith forever!”

I leaned over with a look of shock and horror on my face, and hugged Heather close to me. “Thhhhhh, it’th alright Heather. I’ll be your friend. And I need a friend too, tho would you be mine?”

Heather hugged me tighter and then pulling back looked me in the eyes and said, “Yeth!”

“I like you Heather, I don’t want you to be thad,” I said.

“Thankth for being tho underthtanding about it.” Heather said, finally breaking into a smile again. Then as Heather began to stop crying she looked at me and asked, “How did you get like thith?”

“The old lady did it to thave my life. I wath gonna die.” I said sadly, going on to explain how I ended up the age I was now.

“Oh. That’th thad too, but it’s nithe that you won’t die.” Heather, said with one raised finger to her lip, as if seriously pondering the situation.

“Tho you mutht really be mad at your wife…mommy, whatever she ith now,” I said absent mindedly.

“Yeth. But what can I do about it? Thith happened a year ago and I’m thtill thtuck like thith,”she answered.

She then looked up and I could see she was staring at her mother from across the Frog Prince Splash Pool with an angry look in her eyes. I also noticed her mother had noticed, and probably figured out what we were talking about. She didn’t look happy about it either.

“There’th got to be thomeway to help you,” I offered, looking in her eyes; the sky blue color looking brilliant in the sunlight.

“No. It’th a lifetime memberthip, I’m thtuck like this.”

“I’m tho thorry,” I answered meekly.

“Do you come here often?” I asked Heather after we had sat together silently for a couple minutes.

“Yeth. Mommy…Penny loveth it here,” Heather lisped out in response.

“Maybe we thould trade phone numberth, tho we can be thure to not lothe contact.”

Heather looked at me with a surprised look, “YEAH! It’th a good thing you thought of it.”

We then proceeded to recite each other’s phone numbers until we knew them literally backwards and forwards.

I then turned to new friend, and burying my face in her golden blonde hair I said, “Heather, I’m glad we’re friendth!”

-~-

All too soon, we had to leave and my mother was strapping me into the car seat. I had on a pink romper, with little pink sandals…the flip flop variety. I was tired, so I didn’t complain much and I faded in and out of awareness of my surroundings. That “other” me took over during those times, unless I was sleeping. Sometimes my mother seemed puzzled by the erratic personality differences, so I explained that I thought it was the magic at work. After that she seemed less alarmed when I suddenly started acting more my biological age, and not remembering or responding to events from my life as Ryan. I was in control when I wanted to be, so I wasn’t worried.

I drifted asleep listening to the radio, as the car rolled down the road. For once in my life, I felt unsure and insecure…but I felt safe somehow.

-~-

I woke to light streaming in through a window above my bed. I woke up, stretched my little arms in the air and climbed out of bed. The room was painted a light pink, with white carpeting. The bedspread was a bright lilac color, and the bed appeared to be a lot smaller than the bed I had slept in the night before. I’d say my queen sized bed was gone, and in place was a twin. I suppose I should shower…er…in this case perhaps take a bath?

I wiggled out of my purple night gown and moving into the bathroom drew a bath. I looked under the dresser for soap and shampoo and grabbed a bath poof. I added some bubble bath too as the water was pouring into the tub. I realized suddenly, I knew where everything was. I don’t know many three year olds who bathe themselves…but I guess I was one that did. Or more likely, I’m just so used to taking a shower in the morning that I followed the same routine. At least I was able to be more or less independent. I realized after waking up that this wasn’t the house I lived in prior to the trip to Bikini Beach. When my mother divorced my dad, I guess she took her stuff and found a new place to live. It was a nice house, small but cozy and comfortable.

The bath was relaxing, as I dried off I looked around under the sink and found some baby oil and baby powder. I rubbed the baby oil on my skin…mama always said I had sensitive skin that would dry out really easily and itch something awful. She was right, so I used baby oil to moisturize my skin. Or actually, in Kayla’s life, my mother usually gave me a bath and then applied it to me. The bad thing about baby oil is that it makes your skin all oily and slick. That was easily remedied by powdering my towel down with baby powder and then drying off with it. I coughed some when I shook the towel and created a dust cloud that caused me to choke. But it was better than dry, chapped or otherwise irritated skin.

Feeling fresh and soft, I went back into my bedroom. I searched the dresser drawers that were within reach, and found myself a pair of pink shorts and a white t-shirt with a picture of Elmo on it (you know, from Sesame Street!).

I slowly descended the stairs, one at a time. My legs were so short I was worried that if I didn’t keep hold of the railing I could loose my balance and fall. I didn’t want to hurt myself on the hard wooden stairs so I decided to be cautious. I slowly made my way into the kitchen to find my mom sipping some coffee and reading the paper.

“Hey sweetie!”

I smiled, “Hi…mommy!”

“So, you made a new friend I see? You spent three hours hanging around with that one little girl yesterday,” mom asked.

“Yeth. We’re gonna be really clothe friendth, I can tell.”

“Well that’s good sweetie,” she answered. Then looking back up at me, “Would you like something for breakfast? You’re too small to make anything for yourself.”

“Yeth pleath.” I answered.

“Speaking of which, would you like to go to the park later today? You seemed to really love it there.”

“Yeth, I would like that,” I replied, thinking that perhaps I’d get to see Heather there.

Meanwhile as I munched on some toast and a little sausage (which surprisingly enough filled me up), I started formulating a plan on how to help Heather, or at least make her feel better. I didn’t know anything about magic though, and neither did Heather. We’d have to find somebody who did know stuff about magic…the only people I could think of at that moment were perhaps the proprietors of Bikini Beach. I don’t know if magic exists anywhere else or if anyone else knows any.

I was kicking my legs back and forth, since they came no where near to the point of touching the floor.

“Kayla, why don’t you go watch some t.v while I get our swim suits and get myself ready to go?”

“Okay…mommy,” I said, hopping down from the chair and almost losing my balance.

I walked into the living room and hopped up on the couch. I turned the t.v on and tried to watch some of my favorite t.v shows, which happened to be on. I couldn’t pay attention though…as if my attention span wasn’t what it was used to. I had trouble following the story because I got distracted easily. Even when I was paying attention I found it to be boring and I had trouble understanding it. As if my mind just didn’t work the same way as before.

I started flipping through the channels, eventually I turned on some cartoons. The funny sounds, fast movements and bright colors fascinated me and most of all relaxed me, holding my interest with ease. I pulled my legs up behind me as I shifted into a lying position rather than sitting. I kicked my legs in the air behind me as I watched a couple of short cartoons. I seemed to have the attention span of a squirrel, so the shorter and simpler the plot lines were, the better I liked them. Secretly though, I was still thinking about Heather and her predicament as well. I turned my face to rest my cheek on my hand, placing my elbow onto the cushion of the couch I was lying on.

I was dozing with the cartoons still going when my mother was ready and came back down.

“Sleepy? Already?”

“Yeth. I was bored and got thleepy.” I answered.

My mother laughed, “Well honey, that’s normal. You’re only three years old you know.”

She then came over and scooped me up off the couch in one arm, and I could see that in the other arm she was holding two beach towels, sunscreen, our bathing suits and some other items which appeared to be rolled up in the towel.

“Okay baby, time to go.”

I smiled up at her and she held me to her chest with one arm.

-~-

Arriving at the park, I went into the women’s locker room with my mother and changed my suit. I think my mother was just glad she didn’t have to argue and fight with her new three year old daughter just to get her to go into locker room.

My mother held my hand and together we walked out of the locker room. We went over to where there was an old fashioned swimming hole, and she laid her beach towel out in the grass. We lay in the shade for a while, as it was a bright sunny day. We were within viewing distance of the Frog Prince Splash Pool and the path that led from the entrance of the park. So I knew I’d see Heather if she were there. It was hot out, but not unpleasantly so. I was lying on my stomach, and my mother took the opportunity to apply some sunscreen to my back. I smiled and closed my eyes, contented because it felt relaxing…like a massage.
My mother just laughed asking, “Awww, do you like that sweetie?”

“Yeth,” was my contented drowsy little answer. My mother just laughed and tickled me in response, sending me into peels of laughter.

Soon, the heat had me sleepy and I drifted into a pleasant sleep, the breeze blowing over my back and my mother smiling at me from her position next to me.

-~-

“Pttthhht, Kayla. Wake up,” a familiar voice said. “It’th me.”

Okay, I definitely recognized that lisp, which was so similar to my own. I sat up quickly, “Heather!”

I looked up to see Heather looking down at me with those pretty blue eyes, my own blue eyes twinkling back in response.

“Heather, we have to find thomeone who will help you,” I said.

“Nobody can help me,” she answered sadly.

“That’th not true. We don’t know that for thure. But you are clearly the victim in this thtory.”

“Okay. But who would we even athk?” Heather questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Firtht of all, we athk Anya and her grandmother…they did it in the firtht plath. And thecondly, ithn’t there anyone you know who might be able to help you?” I asked.

“Well, maybe an old friend of mine I haven’t talked to thince all of thith happened. Hith name is Gene, thometimeth Jean.” Heather said, laughing about the bit she said at the end.

“Well?” Heather asked after I remained silent for a minute or so, thinking over it all.

I looked at her and giggled, “We’re off to thee the wizard.”

“The wonderful wizard of Oz?” Heather asked playfully. We both had a good laugh, then I turned to try and convince my mother to let me sneak off. It was hard…she seemed really protective of me, but she finally relented and decided to go with us.

P.S-

Thanks to Elrod W for the wonderful Bikini Beach universe. And thanks to Bashful (on fictionmania.tv) for creating the story that inspired the character of Heather. So remember, Heather isn't my own character, merely she's borrowed. BTW, I wasn't able to run this by Elrod because his site is no longer being maintained? Nor does he seem to answer the email address linked to there.

the site in question-

http://www.armchairconservative.com/Elrod/

P.S.S- I really hope that more people write about the bikini beach universe. It's really fascinating once you get to know the huge cast of characters and such.

P.S.S.S- A lisp can effect both 'S' and 'C' sounds depending on the pronounciation and usage.

For instance all 'S' sounds are effected. But only 'C' sounds that sound like an 'S' sound are effected. Like... Cindy for instance. Compare that to how the S in Sally sounds. Just in case some people noticed.