Last Man Standing

Chapter 1
Whole Story

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Chapter Description: A device of great and terrible power passes through many hands, corrupting and wreaking havoc wherever it goes.

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This story is adapted from a series of posts I made years ago on the continuous story. I’ve added several thousand words to what I had there though.

It was a simple idea, create a device that rendered incorrigible criminals completely harmless. The scientists at the NIH in Washington worked long and hard on the project, coming straight from the Department of Justice. It took years and billions of dollars but in the end it was successful. The result was unveiled at a joint press conference with all the right dignitaries in attendance.

It was a sort of ray gun they had created in the end. It disrupted brain waves, broke synaptic connections, slaughtered brain cells by the million all in a matter of seconds. But most importantly it did no other damage. It didn’t render the victim blind or deaf, didn’t give them impulsivity or wild mood swings. It simply lowered their intellect and reduced their motor skills to the level of a baby. It rendered them completely harmless and humanely it made them perfectly happy to be so. They were left simple, happy little tots.

But while the world was hailing this new invention and its ability to end prison riots, escapes and recidivism a lone lab assistant was in the middle of committing a criminal act of his own. He didn’t know who his benefactors were, he didn’t want to know for that matter. All he knew was they were paying him a lot of money to slip one of those guns out of the lab. He figured they could be from some corporation hoping to reverse engineer their own similar device. Of course they could have been a hostile government or terrorist group but he didn’t dwell on that.

Dave was sick of his life as a lowly assistant. This was his big payoff. He was risking it all but it would be worth it for the cash. He could retire to a Pacific Island for the rest of his life for what they were paying him. And it was all so easy too. With his security clearance he had access to everything. The fools never thought anyone without a Ph.D. had a brain.

Dave slipped the gun from its casing and stowed it in his normal day bag. Then he walked as calmly and normally as he could, right past security, even waving a good afternoon to the guards, smirking inwardly at his daring. Then he was out the door, into his crappy old sedan and down the road with the lab in the rear-view mirror and growing smaller all the time.

From there it should have been easy. He had arranged a rendezvous point and time. He only needed to arrive there and exchange the gun for the cash. But Dave was not as bright as he liked to think himself. He expected to be dealing with corporate raiders and he didn’t even prepare for the possibility that the people who hired him had no intention of paying at all.

In fact the first indication he’d made a mistake came when the van behind him suddenly accelerated and slammed into his rear bumper, making his car fishtail. Dave shuddered and glanced in his mirror, his pulse tripling instantly. The van had no licence plate on the front and the windows were tinted. This was bad, very bad.

Flooring the accelerator Dave did what he could to make a getaway, but his old car didn’t have much power and van easily kept pace, tapping his bumper again and again as they wound their way through the rural roads. Dave was beside himself now, not sure what to do. He couldn’t call police, not with this stolen property in his bag. But he had no way to defend himself and no way to know who was chasing him. He had to assume they meant to kill him.

Mercifully for Dave the terrifying chase was short. Only a couple minutes in Dave failed to slow enough for a bend and his car began to slide towards the edge of the road. Were he a trained driver he would have known to accelerate to gain traction. But of course that was counterintuitive and Dave was panicked. So he lifted off the accelerator and mashed on the brakes. This immediately caused a shift in weight to the front of the car, pulling it off the road even faster. It was a classic case of what is known as lift-off understeer. Dave didn’t know or care about that, he didn’t know or care about anything a moment later. The car went airborne off the side of the curve, sideswiped a tree and then barrelled down a steep incline before ramming head-on into a large oak tree.

Dave’s old car didn’t have airbags. And in any case he hadn’t even bothered to buckle his seat-belt. It was over in an instant for Dave. He pitched forward, the top of his head slamming into the thick glass of the windshield. His skull cracked, his brain slammed forward and his neck broke with a sickening crack. The car pitched to the right and continued sliding, sideways now, down the slope. It began to roll over and over, the windows shattering and the day bag containing the gun flying out the opening.

The car landed upside down in the river at the bottom of the hill. The bag splashed into it a few feet down stream. It floated in the river and the current carried it away long before the men in the van were able to descend the slope. They had missed their only chance to get the gun.

**

It was early the following morning that Sharon was walking to school along the footpath the stream. She wasn’t worrying about guns or corporate raiders or syndicates. She was focussed on her social problems at school. The head cheerleader, Tina, had been making her life a living hell for days. All because she kissed a boy Tina liked herself. It was all so juvenile and petty it really pissed her off. She didn’t want to get involved in such a stupid dispute but Tina was single-handedly turning all her friends against her. Only Jim stood by her and he was something of an outcast himself, so he barely counted.

Wrapped up in her thoughts she barely even noticed the large gym bag floating along the river surface beside her. It was the red tag on the end that caught her eye though and she looked over at the strange floating bag. Heading to the edge of the water Sharon easily plucked the thing from the stream, dragging it onto the rocky edge. The bag was very heavy, soaking wet, but it seemed to contain something big. Sharon pulled back the zipper hoping to see stacks of money. What she saw instead was even more intriguing.

It looked like a kid’s toy, a space invader’s ray gun. Yet something about it told her this was no toy. It looked familiar in fact, like she’d seen it somewhere before. A memory of watching a press conference on TV the night before filled her mind. She pictured the gun they’d been displaying. This was identical. They’d said it could wipe minds, make people as harmless as babies. Sharon smiled and thought about how scared Tina would be if she saw this thing pointed at her. All her maturity and demure gone in one second. It was a thought that made her chuckle out loud.

Of course Sharon knew she needed to turn this thing in. How on earth it ended up in the stream she had no idea. Yes, she’d take it to the police of course. But first, she needed to do one little thing with it. It probably didn’t even work, but that didn’t matter, not for what she had planned.

**

Jim Dorsey was a nerd, there was no doubt about that. He didn’t have many friends at school and he spent most of his free time trolling the internet alone or reading books in the library. He knew what he was and he accepted that. He just wished other fellow teens would be so accepting. That was why he felt so concerned when Sharon called his cell phone that afternoon. She was one of the few good friends he had, one he hoped could someday be more than just a friend. Being a nerd didn’t mean Jim was a wimpy nice guy. He entertained all sorts of fantasies about his hot friend. And he knew achieving any of them required he act the part of good friend for now. So when he answered the phone and heard her panicked tone of voice, he put on his most caring voice.

“What’s wrong Sharon?” he asked.

“Everything!” she yelled back. “I need a place to figure things out, can I come over?”

“Yeah, of course, you know my place is always safe for you.”

There was a long pause before she spoke again as though she were choosing her words carefully. “Look, I have someone with me. I can’t let anyone see them.”

“You can park in the garage, my parents aren’t home till later,” he assured her.

“Okay thanks, I’ll be right over,” she said, quickly hanging up.

Twenty minutes later Sharon’s car pulled up the driveway and into the open garage. Jim heard the car and met her there, pushing the button to close the door for some privacy. As soon as it shut Sharon climbed from the driver’s seat, looking worried.

“Geese Sharon, what’s wrong? You don’t look so good,” Jim asked.

“I made a mistake Jim,” Sharon told him nervously. “I found something I shouldn’t have and I… I used it.”

“Calm down Sharon, you aren’t exactly making sense. What did you find?”

“It was in a bag in the stream, you know the one down by my place?”

“Yeah, I know it. What bag?”

“It was floating along and I grabbed it out and there was this gun inside…”

“A gun?!” Jim yelled, horrified that she may have shot someone.

“No, not a gun, gun. A ray gun thingy. It’s like the one they showed on TV last night, for criminals.”

“You mean the one that wipes people’s minds?”

“Exactly!”

Jim gave her an incredulous look. “Oh c’mon Sharon, I’m sure it isn’t the real thing,” he chided her.

“That’s kind of what I thought,” she admitted. “But… it is real. And, well I only wanted to scare her y’know. I didn’t mean to actually do it!” she rambled.

“Do what? What are you talking about?”

Sharon frowned and stepped to the back door, gesturing for Jim to follow her. He stepped forward and she opened the back door. Jim’s eyes widened as he saw what was both a frightening and highly erotic sight. Tina Withers, the school social queen and head cheerleader was lying on her back across the seat, completely naked, chewing on the metal seat belt buckle and waving her legs around in the air. He had a perfect view of her bared pussy and bottom as she wagged her feet back and forth.

“That’s Tina!” Jim finally blurted out.

“I know, I told you I made a mistake. I pulled the trigger by accident I swear! I only meant to scare her,” Sharon babbled.

Tina let the buckle slip from her mouth, her eyes focussing on them. “Badadadooo!” she blathered happily.

“There’s gotta be a way to reverse it right?” Sharon asked, as though Jim would know.

“Sure, there must be,” he lied.

“What do we do with her now?” Sharon asked, wanting Jim to take charge.

“Let’s get her inside. We should probably try to diaper her or something. I doubt she’s toilet trained anymore.”

Sharon nodded and Jim leant in to pick up the cheerleader. He couldn’t believe he had Tina naked in his arms. He’d dreamed about that so many times, though never like this that was for sure. In his dreams they made out, now the nude cheerleader was blowing spit bubbles up at him, drooling all over her chin. Though he had to admit she was pretty cute this way.

He set Tina down in the den, letting her lie on the carpet playing with her feet like they were the best toys in the world. Then he turned to Sharon. “Where’s the gun anyway?”

“It’s in the passenger seat,” she replied, tears streaking down her cheeks.

“Well, you better go get it, so we can see if there’s a way to reverse this.”

Sharon nodded and left the room. Jim stood there watching Tina play, focussing on her jiggling bared breasts. He stiffened immediately. This was so hot. He had the school beauty at his mercy. She was so cute that way, so innocent. Maybe he could cop a feel. Hell he could do a lot more than that. His hormones were racing now, pushing rational thoughts aside. He was a horny teen boy and he’d give anything to have his way with Tina, or Sharon. Suddenly Jim found himself imagining Sharon rolling around on the floor buck naked right beside Tina. His penis swelled instantly. What an idea! Jim was beside himself with arousal at the thought of his two favourite bombshells totally nude, totally innocent and at his mercy. It wasn’t his fault Tina was like this. It was Sharon’s. Maybe Sharon deserved a fitting punishment herself.

As he thought this over Sharon arrived back with the gun in hand. “Here it is,” she announced.

“Okay, give that to me so we don’t have any more accidents. You try to keep her entertained while I go on the net and research this thing,” he directed.

Sharon nodded, handing him the gun and watching him leave the room. Jim did as he was told quickly researching the gun and its history. He learned of the robbery at the lab, the assistant dead in a car accident. He knew where the gun came from now, but not how to reverse its powers. It was hard to focus though with all the images of Sharon and Tina naked and drooling at his feet that were filling his head. Jim finally left the computer, walking back to the room and pacing outside the door. He couldn’t recall being so horny in his life. What should he do?

Unable to contain his desires any longer, Jim stepped back into the room without so much as knocking. The sight that greeted him was beyond his dreams. The beautiful teen bombshell, Tina, was on her hands and knees on the carpet, her bare bottom pointed skyward and her sizable boobs dangling freely. The blank-eyed beauty queen was creeping about the room while Sharon caressed her bare back, murmuring baby-talk to her.

Jim stood there in slack-jawed awe, rooted to the spot. Tina’s long blonde hair fell across her face and she actually began to chew on it. As Jim watched this scene play out he couldn’t help but continue to picture Sharon reduced to mental infancy as well, the two nude girls cuddling with each other and drooling over their titties while Jim watched.

Sharon suddenly noticed Jim’s presence in the room. She gave him a stern look. "Jim what the hell are you doing standing there gaping like an idiot? Will you stop leering at the poor girl! We need to get her changed back soon, did you find a way to reverse it? I mean, you don’t have any diapers her size I assume, so there’s gonna be a pretty big mess if we don’t fix her."

Jim nodded, privately very glad for the lack of diapers as it meant Tina would be remaining in all her naked glory for him to see. “Yeah, I think I found a way to fix things,” he told her. “Let me just get the gun set.”

Jim picked up the gun and fiddled with the settings while Sharon waited looking impatient but also relieved that there was a solution. "Okay, it’s all set," Jim announced.

"Good, now let’s get this done with."

Jim nodded and pointed the gun at Tina. But at the last moment he swung it up at Sharon. For the briefest of moments he saw her eyes widen with shock and heard her gasp. Then he pulled the trigger.

The effect was instant, Sharon was now dressed in nothing but a big diaper. Her hair had also changed, now done in cute baby pig-tails. Sharon gaped at Jim, still looking shocked. Then she looked down at her exposed breasts and said "Baaah."

Sharon seemed surprised by her babble, she looked even more confused as she prattled more nonsense at Jim, a little line of saliva escaping her lips and tracing its way down her chin. Her balance seemed to grow more tenuous and she swayed a bit, widening her stance adorably. Sharon had clearly been mentally reduced by the gun, but she seemed much more aware than Tina, who was at the moment attempting to get her toes in her mouth. Jim realized the gun must have needed some time to power back up and Sharon hadn’t gotten the full blast.

He walked over to her and rubbed her back soothingly. "Hey Sharon, how you feeling sweetie-pie? I know you must be surprised. You see I did learn some new things about this gun. Apparently it has the power to alter a whole lot of things about a person, their clothing, their personality and of course their mental age. It just seems the scientists chose not to disclose the other functions to the public at that press conference."

Sharon stared blankly at him, blinking. Then she babbled more, looking awfully frustrated by her inability to speak, stamping her foot on the floor. "Poor Sharon, your brain is all scrambled huh? But clearly not enough. Don’t worry, we’ll have you fixed up in just a moment. Now come with me sweet-pea," Jim directed, leading Sharon out of the room and to the sliding door to the back yard.

Sharon shook her head vigorously and pouted. "Nah, Naaah...noooo," she screached.

Jim clucked his tongue, the poor girl still had enough sense left to know going outside in a diaper wasn’t okay. "Okay, hold on a minute while I get you a playmate."

Jim returned leading Tina crawling on all fours, boobs swinging back and forth to the door. The drooling, gurgling girl happily crawled out into the yard when he slid the door open. "Now you see how happy Tina is. Don’t you want to join her Sharon?"

Sharon shook her head visibly, but Jim wasn’t going to give up so easily. It had been raining earlier and the back yard was full of mud puddles. Jim’s fantasy of girl on girl nude mud wrestling was so close to coming true. "I know what the problem is! Let’s get you more comfortable," Jim insisted, leaning over and taking off Sharon’s diaper, removing the last of her modesty.

Poor confused Sharon just pouted and cried all the more, watching as Tina crept into one of the mud puddles splashing it with her hand and screeching gleefully as muddy water got all over her bare skin. Jim went back into the bedroom and returned a moment later with the gun again in his hand. He brushed his hand along Sharon’s cheek and shushed her. "No more tears sweetie. This will make you feel all better I promise."

Sharon looked petrified of the gun. An object she no longer understood, but which she somehow knew was bad. Jim led Sharon closer to the door. "Just look at Tina honey, look at her playing in the water, being a silly happy baby. Yes, that’s a good girl," Jim coaxed.

As Sharon looked where Jim was pointing he aimed the gun at the back of her head and pulled the trigger. In a flash Sharon’s tears were gone, her eyes glazed over and a cheerful baby grin spread across her face. "Babageee" she squealed, clapping her hands.

A moment later Sharon fell forward onto her hands, settling on all fours on the linoleum floor. The confusion was gone now, Sharon’s face was a mask of innocence as she crawled out into the back yard a naked baby girl. Jim was ecstatic as he watched Sharon join Tina in the muddy puddle, their boobs jiggling as flecks of mud an dirty water sprayed over their pale exposed skin. The look of contentment on these girls faces as they played naked and mucky in the mud under Jim’s watchful eye was just beyond his wildest dreams. Not only were two teen dreams playing naked in the mud for his enjoyment, they were actually happy to do so in their altered state of mind.

It was only as Jim stripped down to his undies in preperation for the next part that he realized he wasn’t alone in the house. So preoccupied he had been with watching the girls, he hadn’t noticed the arrival of exchange student who rented the spare bedroom. She was staring at Jim with shock.

"What the hell is this?" she demanded.

Jim knew there was only one thing for it. He stepped over to the gun.

***

Sharon was having a wonderful time playing in the grass with her playmate Tina. She hadn’t a clue was grass or mud was, or even that her name was Sharon. She was in a haze of blank-minded happiness. Ever since the second blast of the gun she’d felt euphoric, completely happy with everything around her. She made pee-pee in the muddy puddle and it just felt nice to be free of all that wee. She watched the pretty animals for which she had no name and no memory of. She enjoyed the feelings of the ground and the water and air on her skin.

Then she was distracted by a bright flash inside the house. It was a familiar flash, though she had no real memory of it to speak of. Tina hadn’t noticed it though, she was putting bugs in her mouth, giggling at their tickliness on her tongue. Then the sliding door at the back of the house opened and Jim stepped out into the yard. His exposed penis dangled between his pale hairless legs. His bare toes wiggled in the muddy grass and Jimmy gazed blankly up at the sky, his tongue sticking out of his slack mouth, tracing his lips while a long string of drool dangled from his shiny wet chin.

A beautiful tall brunette woman stepped out behind Jim. She caressed his now bald head lovingly. "So you thought Marta would be joining your little friends in the mud did you?"

Jimmy gazed up at her with adoration, completely uncomprehending of her words, his language comprhension skills wiped away. "Now it looks like it is you who will be playing in the mud for my benefit."

With that she gave him a pat on his bare bum and sent the boy toddling stark naked into the back yard to join Tina and Sharon. Soon he dropped to his hands and knees in the muck and crawled to Sharon. The two stared at each other, both sitting on their bums, legs splayed out muddy and wet. Their eyes met and Marta wondered what they were thinking in their little scrambled minds. Jimmy had wanted to see Sharon naked in the mud like this so badly, and now he was sitting right with her and what did he do? Jimmy watched Sharon stick her toes in her mouth and giggled. Then he copied her, stretching with some difficulty before inserting his muddy toes in his mouth. Whatever Jim had thought he had wanted it was clear to Marta from his smile of oral satisfaction that this is what he really needed.

Marta was having a good time playing with the three oversized tykes in the muddy back yard of Jim’s house. It seemed to her that none of them had any clue they’d ever been more than silly little infants. As she watched Jim and Tina exploring each other’s nude bodies the way innocent little tots do, she heard a disconcerting sound, a car door closing. She realised to her horror that this meant Jim’s parents were likely home. And she was the only one with the ability to walk or talk left, so naturally they would blame her for what had been done to these three!

There was only one thing for it. Marta picked up the gun and checked the power supply. "Damn" she thought, there was only enough power for one shot. But from the sound of it, both his parents were home and about to come thru the front door. Marta only had a second to make up her mind as the door opened and footsteps came towards the kitchen.

Mr. and Mrs. Dorsey walked into the kitchen and seemed about to greet Marta when they noticed what was in her hands. Jim’s dad, Mike, looked criously at the device she held. Mike was a about 40, still quite fit and with a full head of hair. To Marta, he posed the biggest threat. Jim’s mom, Hellen, was a small, skinny little woman. Marta was sure she could take her.

Mike looked over Marta’s shoulder out the sliding glass door to the back deck. His eyes widened as he caught sight of Jim hopping up and down on the deck, his naked skin dotted with mud and grass, his flaccid penis bobbing up and down as he hopped in place, an open-mouthed grin gracing his innocent face.

"Marta, what the hell..." Mike began.

He was cut off by the bang of the gun. Hellen looked at Marta in shock, wondering what the hell that gun she was holding was. Marta just smiled at Hellen, lowering the weapon. "Marta, what is..." she started, but was distracted by Mike’s warm breath on her face.

Hellen turned to face Mike and found he was suddenly very close to her, his face just inches from hers. "Oh, Mike," she said in surprise, pulling back a bit.

But Mike just moved closer and she saw something was wrong with him. His eyes were so wide and so...empty. That was the only word for it. His eyes weren’t focused, they were glassy and lacked that look of intelligence or comprehension that was normally there. Mike leaned in and gave Hellen a big open-mouthed smooch on her cheek. His lips were wet with slobber. It was nothing like when Mike usually kissed her. Hellen put her hands on Mike’s shoulders to push him back. That was when she felt his bare skin. Hellen looked down at Mike’s nude exposed body. Despite what she had thought to be his romantic attempts at a kiss, his exposed penis hung limp. And not only that. It was totally hairless, not just shaved but completely hairless. In fact, his chest hair was gone too, no, all of his hair. Looking up, above Mike’s empty eyes, Hellen realised that his beautiful head of hair was gone too, he was bald.

"Oh my God Mike! What happened to you?" she exclaimed.

Mike cocked his head to the side, almost like a puppy Hellen thought. His tongue licked his wet lips and spittle dripped down his chin. "Gaaa...oooh," he cooed, beginning to smile.

Hellen was horrified, not only was her husband suddenly naked, hairless and drooling all over himself, but he seemed perfectly happy to be so. Marta stepped forward and rubbed Mike’s arm, addressing Hellen she advised, "We should get the little guy outside before he makes a mess on the floor."

Hellen was horrified. "We can’t let him outdside like this! For Christ’s sake he’s naked!"

"No one will see him in the back yard. He’ll be much more comfortable playing with the other little ones anyway. Won’t you buddy?"

Mike clearly couldn’t understand a word they said. He simply blew a raspberry, his eyes wandering the room for something pretty to look at. But Hellen caught what Marta had just said. "Other little ones?"

"Yes, they’re out back right now having a wonderful time."

Hellen looked out the door and saw her son and the two girls creeping on the deck in their birthday suits now chewing on a collection of oversized legos. "What did you do to them?" Hellen demanded, enraged.

"I didn’t do anything to the two girls, that was Jim’s work. What I did to him was for my own protection."

"I don’t believe you!" Hellen screamed.

"I didn’t think you would. Which is why this," she gestured to Mike,"was necessary."

Marta looked at the rage in Hellen’s eyes and tutted her tongue. "Well I can see you are angry, but don’t worry, we can fix that in a jiff. We’ll have you and Mikie snuggling up in your cribbie in no time!"

Marta checked the power setting on the gun and raised it again, pulling the trigger before Hellen could fight. Hellen did, however, have just enough time to throw herself sideways. The blast narrowly missed her and hit the wall behind her. To Marta’s shock, the blast ricocheted and hit her in the leg.

For a moment Marta was relieved it had gotten her in the leg and not the head. But in an instant that relief vanished. He jeans diappeared, then her socks and shoes. Next went her panties. And now she saw that she was just as hairless down there as the others. The effect was spreading and to the panicked girl it felt like waves of pleasure pulsating thru her legs. It seemed to touch every nerve. She felt her muscles weaken and her tendons loosen as her legs became like jelly. She managed to remain standing but it suddenly felt so difficult and odd. He toes slowly turned inward as her knees bowed out.

Mikie was watching her transformation with wide-eyed curiosity, chewing away at his fingers. "No!" Marta finaly managed to yelp, tearing up as she realised the process was unstoppable. But Hellen had gotten back to her feet now and stepped closer to Marta, rubbing her back thru her shirt. "Don’t worry dear, I’m sure it will be over soon. Then you can go and join the others until I figure out how to fix them. Then we’ll get rid of this nasty, awful gun and find a place to put a ’special’ girl like you’re about to become."

Marta was horrified that Hellen planned to leave her like that. "But it really was Jim! Please, don’t do this to me, you have to fix it!" she pleaded while she still had the ability to talk.

But Hellen just shook her head and whispered, "It will be a relief for you sweetie, don’t fight it."

Marta felt a breeze as her shirt disappeared leaving her totally naked. Her throat tickled as her vocal chords changed, leaving her unable to make inteligent words, only baby babble. Marta felt a pop as her hair exploded into pig-tails. Her cheeks grew larger, puffing out like a nursing baby’s and she felt a very pleasurable deep tickle as her teeth receeded into her gums. Her tongue grew larger in her mouth, pressing up against her lips. Combined with the loss of teeth this made it very difficult to keep from drooling. She had to actually think about it.

Feeling defeated and stripped of her adulthood Marta watched as Mikie began to urinated on his feet and the kitchen floor. The pee dribbled uncontrolled from his free weenie and he seemed oblivious to his degradation. Mikie only chortled at the tickly feeling on his toes.

Marta could not believe that was her fate. Worst of all, the glancing blow to her leg had made the process slow enough for her to consider what was happening to her, but left her unable to stop it.

She felt it then, ending her misery at last. The pleasurable tickling made it’s way into her head. She could only describe it as a feeling a pure peace rolling thru her mind. Her brain was being snuggled by a soft footed sleeper, stuffed with the soft comforting material until no intelligent thought could escape it. She saw Hellen looking into her eyes and smiling and she understood that right now her eyes must be going blank. Hellen was watching her turn into a dumb baby. And then, mercifully, this awareness left her. Hellen’s name was gone, Hellen was a friendly stranger to her. And numbers and words and letters, they were all gone too. All swept away by this lovely feeling of peace overwhelming her psyche. Marta surrendered to this sensation and the last flicker of awareness in her mind went dark. Marta was filled with euphoria as she leaned into a cuddle from the nice person. Tickly warm stuff was all over her footsies and she felt this lovely release she could not begin to understand. She just luxuriated in the rubs on her back and bum and rested her head on the person’s shoulder, blinking her wide vacant eyes and thinking about nothing at all.

Hellen was sitting on the couch in the living room, wondering what she was going to do now. Nearly a month had passed since the events which reduced her son Jimmy and her husband Mike to mental infancy. A month in which Hellen had faced repeated setbacks. Her attempts to return her loved ones to normalcy had all met with failure. And so it was that she found herself here on the couch as she did every night. Cartoons on the TV to entertain the babies small easily amused minds while she gave them what they needed.

Hellen was sitting on the couch topless. Sprawled to her left and right were the lanky nearly naked forms of Mikie and Jimmy. Her son and her husband rested a their heads against her abdomen, a nipple in each of their mouths as they suckled from her. Mikie was barely awake now, floating off to sleep on her boobie, his eyes barely a crack open as he mewled and pawed at her breast softly while she rubbed his exposed tummy. Mikie wore nothing but a nice thick white diaper. One she suspected was quite full of pee. Mikie didn’t seem to mind, he probably didn’t even know he’d wet it. Mikie wasn’t aware of much at all since that gun had turned his brilliant mind into little more than mushy oatmeal sitting between his ears.

Jimmy on the other hand was wide awake, enjoying his meal. Hellen was sure her teen son would have died a thousand deaths of embarassment if he’d imagined this future for himself. Now though, he had no such concerns about silly things like appearances and privacy. He suckled away, his wide innocent eyes gazing up at his mommy, his lanky legs swinging about aimlessly as he caught his toes and pulled his foot back and forth. Jimmy was dressed in a diaper like his dad now. At least it was easy to chose a wardrobe for them now, Hellen figured.

On the floor at her feet Marta was sprawled on her tummy, creeping forward grabbing at a set of plastic keys. Her legs kicked spastically behind her like a froggy as she propelled herself forward slightly, blowing drool bubbles. She reached her objective and promptly deposited the plastic colorful keys in her mouth, drooling over them. She seemed unable to even roll over and struggled to hold her head up as it bobbed this way and that while she gnawed at her toy.

The heavy thudding of footsteps announced Sharon’s toddling entry into the room. The smiling oversized tot had once again escaped her diapee and was tottering about in the buff, sucking away at a pink Minnie Mouse pacifier and racing up to Hellen, arms outstretched. She dropped to her knees at Hellen’s lap and threw herself forward reaching for Hellen’s chest and patting at her boobs.

"No, sweetie, you know it’s Jimmy and Mikie’s turn today," Hellen reprimanded, shaking her head firmly and making eye contact with the eager girl.

Sharon shook her head and insisted, "Tee-tee!" around the binkie, still patting at Hellen’s breasts.

"No." Hellen stated firmly, shaking her head to help Sharon understand with her very limited verbal skills.

Sharon pouted and threw herself back onto the carpet, banging her hands and feet on the ground and spitting out her pacifier to scream and cry. Hellen sighed at yet another tantrum and knew she had to do something. Breaking the suction, she eased Jimmy and Mikie off her, letting Mikie drift to sleep on the couch and leaving Jimmy with his mouth now free to renew his explorations of his toes.

Hellen leaned down on the floor and scooped the squalling teen girl into her arms, rocking her back and forth and patting her back, shushing her. "Shh, sweetie, it’s okay honey, it’s okay. Just calm down, calm down."

The girl stopped her thrashing after a moment but continued to sob. "What happened to your diapee?" Hellen asked softly.

"Off!" Sharon yelped in reply.

Hellen giggled. "Yes I can see that Sharon, I can see everything in fact," she joked, tickling Sharon’s tummy.

Sharon giggled and her tears slowed as Hellen wrapped her arms around her, lifting her easily upwards, cradling the naked girl’s bum and nuzzling her cheek. "I think you’d like a ba-ba, wouldn’t you sweetie? You want your ba-ba?"

Sharon gazed at Hellen with her empty eyes and nodded enthusiastically. "Ba-ba!" she agreed, beginning to chew her already drool-soaked fingers.

Hellen carried the girl into the kitchen, rocking her gently back and forth and humming a lullaby as they went. Sharon seemed much calmer as Hellen set her down in her specially made high-chair. It was just one of a row of five now lined up in the kitchen. Tina was still seated in hers right where Hellen had left her securely locked in place by the tray while she’d taken the boys for feeding. Tina was still messy from her dinner, stands of tomato-sauce soaked spaghetti dangling from her hair, sticking to her bare breasts and tummy. Tina gazed blankly up at her and and babbled "Aaah...aaah...aaah!" lifting her bib proudly in both hands, showing off her success in removing it. Hellen gave the nearly naked teen beauty and former cheerleader an endulgent smile then found a bottle for Sharon.

Hellen headed over to the microwave and set the bottle inside. As she prepared to enter the settings Mikie toddled up beside her, giving her that winning smile of his. The man she loved was standing there in a diaper so wet it was hanging threateningly low bewteen his legs. Despite his bald head and hairless body, she could still see in him the man she had married, had raised children with and lived with for so many years. But she knew he didn’t remember any of that. All the memories of their years together, of the love they shared, had been wiped from his mind in an instant. If he recalled even an iota of the life he’d had before he’d never have been so content to spend his days toddling around the house in wet and poopy diapers. At least he was happy, Hellen figured. Perhaps it was a blessing that his brain was so completely detroyed. He spent hours amused by the simplest of baby toys, anything that squeaked, rattled or had shiny colors.

Now Mikie gaped at the microwave and reached out his hand curiously, poking at the machine. Soon enough one of his prods succeeded in hitting a button and the machine beeped. This was deeply satisfying and intriguing to Mikie. He got a look of incredible open-mouthed glee on his face and poked more, resulting in more beeps. On the one hand Hellen wanted to cry at this sight. Pressing random buttons on the microwave just to hear the beeps had literally become the height of her husband’s day. On the other hand she wanted to laugh at her baby’s silly antics.

The fact was the longer Mikie stayed this way the more Hellen came to see him as her baby. With Jimmy it was only natural. He’d always been her baby, he was just more so now. But with Mikie this was a whole new relationship. She felt more and more protective of him. It was why she’d gotten the drugs to let her begin to lactate again. So she could feed her baby boys the most natural way for them.

Mikie hopped from one foot to the other in excitement as he pressed the buttons. Then the inevitable happened. The grown man’s diaper dropped to his feet with a plop. Mikie paused and gaped down at the mess. He inserted a finger in his mouth and looked at Hellen with sad eyes. "Uh- oh!" he mumbled around his finger.

Hellen shook her head, "Uh-oh indeed little man. What are we going to do with you?"

Mikie didn’t reply, his language comprehension skills too simple to allow him an intelligent response. His vocabulary was in the single digits now, and nothing beyond one syllable. Hellen hadn’t expected a response of course and simply helped the confused man-baby out of his diaper. Naturally, now unprotected, Mikie promptly began to pee all over the kitchen floor. Mikie simply smiled as he made wees all over the tiles and his feet, enjoying the release and oblivious that he was doing anything wrong. Sharon also thought this was funny. The naked teen drummed her heels on her high-chair foot-rest and yelled "Mikie pee- pee!"

Hellen just froze as she watched her kitchen floor be defiled once more. Her big little ones all preferred their diapers off to on and there were often pee-pee accidents for her to clean up. Everything was more difficult now with five big babies. For so long she had clung to hope of finding a cure. Even promising God she’d forgive Marta and fix her too if she could find a way to fix things. But there was no miracle. The gun only worked in one direction it seemed. She had no luck discovering its origin or finding a way to reverse its effects. Now she was facing the reality that she’d be caring for these big babies for a long, long while.

Just getting groceries was now a challenge. It involved getting her neighbor Mrs. Lewis or her sister, Mary, to come over and watch the girls for her while she took the boys with her. She had to get them dressed in t-shirts and shorts. She didn’t bother with shoes or socks as they stayed in the special double stroller she’d bought them and they liked to play with their own and each other’s toes while she shopped. Many times she would stop the stroller in the aisle to find Mikie with several of his son’s toes jammed in his mouth and Jimmy slurping away at his dad’s big toe, totally unaware of the shocked looks other shoppers were giving them.

Hellen’s sister Mary was a Godsend. She was always willing to come over and help out. But Hellen didn’t want to trouble her too often. Finally she had agreed that in case something happened to her, Mary would take care of the babies. Hellen wanted to be sure that Mikie and Jimmy didn’t end up in some kind of institution. Mostly though she just had Mary watch the girls while she dealt with the boys. They were her boys after all. The girls were easy to handle mostly. Marta mostly lied on her back or tummy sucking her fingers or her binkie drooling on herself. She was never trouble. Tina and Sharon, the resident nudist, were more of a handful, but Mary was quite good with them.

Hellen thought about that now, about how loving and wonderful her childless little sister was with the girls. She thought about Mary and her husband Frank and how badly they’d always wanted kids. And as she watched the last spurts of urine dribble from her hubby’s limp hairless pee-pee, she had a new thought. Maybe it would be best for everyone if she joined him. Maybe it would be better to let Mary be a mom and care for them all. Maybe she should just join Mikie in infantile bliss. At least they’d be equals again, able to be together. Maybe the most intimate thing she’d ever get to do with her husband again was to sit next to him in the stroller and suck on his toes while he chewed on hers. But at least they’d be together again. She didn’t want to be him mommy, she wanted to be his partner. Now it was so clear to Hellen. She couldn’t restore him to adulthood, so she’d have to be reduced to his level to be with him.

It was a frightening prospect. Hellen looked at the microwave now heating the baby’s milk. If she did this she wouldn’t be able to operate that machine anymore, she’d be more interested in pressing the buttons to hear the noises they made! Her voice, it would be gone. She’d only be capable of infantile screeching and silly baby blather. Hellen looked over at Sharon and considered another awful idea. What if she turned into a little nudist too? Mary had always been a bit of a hippie. Even if having her brains scrambled didn’t immediately turn her into a nudist her hippie sister likely would and she wouldn’t have the brain power to resist.

Hellen forced these thoughts from her mind. It didn’t matter what happened to her, she decided, she was going to be with Mikie. Hellen walked down the hall to the phone and changed the outgoing message on her machine. "Hello this is Hellen. Mary if this is you, please come over as soon as you can. We’ll need your help. I am trusting you with the care of all the babies: Mikie, Jimmy, Tina, Marta, Sharon and myself. Please take good care of us."

The message was sent, there was no more time to spare. Hellen checked the house quickly to make sure that nothing dangerous was left out. There would be no one to make sure the babies were safe until Mary arrived. And the babies could hurt themselves easily in their silly explorations. It hit Hellen that her worries about the silly babies now included herself. Here she was, an intelligent grown woman and she had to consider the fact that in just a few moments she could be toddling naked through this same hallway trying to chew on the shiny door-knob on the door at the end. She’d likely spend the next few hours until Mary arrived playing with rattles and exploring her hands and feet with her mouth.

Hellen headed back into the kitchen to find Jimmy had come in from the living room and was now playfully opening and closing the refrigerator door, chortling merrily. Mikie had settled on his bare bum on the wet tile floor and was clapping his hands and feet enjoying the show. Hellen considered telling them to stop letting all the cold air out but realised she might soon be on her bum enjoying the show too.

Instead she went forward with her desperate plan. She retrieved the infamous gun from it’s hiding place and returned to the kitchen with it. The thought occured to her that she had snapped under the strain of caring for the babies herself. That only a mad woman would obliterate her own mind. But Hellen simply didn’t care anymore. Mad or not, she had made the choice and soon it would be done. Ignoring the open fridge she unsnapped the trays locking the girls in place, helping them down and directing them into the living room. She helped Mikie up and took his and Jimmy’s hand and led them to the living room as well. There the boys settled on the couch, wondering what game this was.

Hellen looked deep into Jimmy’s vacant eyes then leaned forward and kissed him on his gaping slobbery lips. "Mommy loves you very much sweetie. So much she wants to be your playmate from now on." She told him, knowing he couldn’t understand a word she said.

Then she turned to Mikie. "I love you so much Mike. More than you will ever know my dear."

The vacant-eyed baby-man before her cocked his head sideways and let a big dribble of drool roll down his cheek. "Ma-ma?" he asked.

"I have been your ma-ma sweetie. But not any longer. I loved you as a wife and then as a mommy and now I will love you as a sister."

Mikie gaped at her, uncomprehending. Then he reached out and began to play with her long hair. Jimmy grabbed the skin behind his knees and lifted his legs on either side of his head playfully, peddling his feet back and forth. Hellen enjoyed one last motherly smile at their antics and then drew the gun, slowly raising it to her head, her hands shaking with fear and anticipation. With her free hand she reached out and brushed Mikie’s smooth leg. He blinked and grabbed the leg drawing his foot to his mouth and inserting his big toe, staring cross-eyed at it. Hellen had no doubt the gun had somehow loosened his ligaments to make the middle aged man flexible enough to do this as easily as his teenage son. Hellen pressed the gun to her temple and wondered what changes it would make to her body as she took one last loving look at her toe- sucking hubby before she forgot who he was.

Hellen pulled the trigger. She felt the pulse of warm energy blast into her skull and instantly a wave of incomprehension swept thru her mind. A billion free radicals rushed thru her brain obliterating years of education, a lifetime of memories and associations, vocabulary, basic language skills and even motor skills. The abilities to ride a bike, chew gum, swim, all those things they say you never forget, were forgotten. Even as she was looking right at them, the two most important people in her life, she forgot who they were as the brainstorm she had released emptied her mind.

The gun was held so tight to her temple that there was no flash. All the babies watching saw was their mommy’s clothes suddenly vanish, leaving her nude and then her boobs suck inward, disappearing and leaving her flat-chested. Her hair blew about as though hit by a gust of wind and as it settled it was now just a curly wispy bit of hair that looked more like it belonged on a 9 month old. Hellen’s jaw dropped open and her eyes glazed over, her pupils dilating. Mikie was too busy playing with his toes to notice but Jimmy was transfixed by the sight of his suddenly nakie mommy now slack-jawed and dazed looking. He watched as the gun dropped from her hand and she dropped to her bare bum-bum on the carpet.

As the mind-numbing storm abated and she landed heavily on her butt Hellen was for a brief shining moment totally aware of what had happened. She was aware of the feeling of carpet rubbing her bottom. She knew that she had been a big adult woman a moment ago. That she had used big person things and wore big person clothes and said big person things. And she was very aware that she was now nothing but a dumb naked baby, and that she’d always be a dumb naked baby from now on. She couldn’t do any of those big person things again. She looked up at the two boys on the couch, then over at Sharon and Tina playing on the floor and Marta creeping nearby. She saw these babies and for than second she understood all she had just lost in becoming just like them.

And then her hand brushed against something hard and her uncoordinated fingers managed to close on it and lift it. And it made the most delightful cacophony of sound! And it was the most wonderful indescribable bright colour! So Hellen did what felt like the most natural thing in the world. She put the thing in her mouth. And she was rewarded with a feeling of peace and fulfilment such as she never imagined. It was a pleasure just to sit on her bum with the lovely soft carpet brushing against her gnawing on the wonderful noisy thingy. It was bright, it made sound and it was fun to chew! What more could she want?

Mary arrived as fast as she could after getting her sister’s message. She found the door latched from the inside and had no choice but to break the chain with a crowbar. Marta was just inside, lying on her back in the hallway chewing on the cordless phone. She seemed okay so Mary rushed past her into the kitchen. The fridge door had been left wide open but otherwise it seemed okay. Aside from the yellow puddle that was. The sounds of babbling drew Mary into the living room. It was there that she found them. Jimmy and Mikie asleep on the couch. And two girls on their hands and knees on the floor, a pair of bare bottoms presenting themselves to Mary.

"Oh God! Hellen where are you?" Mary called out, wondering where she could be.

The pair of bare-bummed girls craned around and Mary gasped, covering her mouth. She had thought it was Sharon and Tina. But instead it was the gaping slack faces of Sharon and Hellen that she saw. A drool-soaked red plastic rattle dropped from Hellen’s mouth to the floor and a stand of drool hung from her chin. Mary rushed to her naked sister’s side. "Oh my God Hellen what have you done!"

She looked desperately for a flicker of intelligence in her sister’s eyes but there was none. Hellen blew a spit bubble at her sister and babbled "Baaadooo...eeeh."

Hoping to rouse some recognition from her Mary grabbed Hellen under the arms and carried her to the couch, setting her down next to Mikie. Mikie had been woken by the commotion and was sitting Indian-style looking over his babified wife/mommy. "Hellen, look at him. Don’t you recognize your husband?" Mary pleaded.

Hellen looked Mikie over curiously. He did the same to her, then babbled a string of nonsense. Susan returned the gesture, blathering silly baby talk at her former hubby. Mary watched the exchange in dismay. She knew all was lost now. Moments later Hellen’s premonition came true as Mary put them in the kitchen while she went to call for more help. Hellen was soon cheerfully bouncing on her bum on the floor and clapping watching the amazing show of Jimmy opening and closing the fridge door. Watching the pretty light appear and disappear in ways she couldn’t begin to describe was very exciting to the mental infant.

***

The shock of having her sister reduced to a large infant eventually wore off for Mary and true to Hellen’s prediction her sister became a dedicated carer for the big babies. She took great joy in seeing them well-cared for and happy. In time she came to see her sister’s condition as a blessing. Hellen was also right that her hippie sister was happy to leave her a little nudist and Hellen spent many warm afternoons crawling and toddling around the back yard in the buff. Since Hellen lacked any adult features Mary decided it was fine for others to see her naked too, just like any baby girl.

In fact the only problem was Mary became a bit too attached to having her big babies to care for. So that when it became clear that the effects of the gun began to wear off after about 3 months, Mary took care of it. She enjoyed having her babies too much to let them grow up on her.

So it was that Hellen found her awareness suddenly returning to her one warm afternoon in August. It was like waking up from a very vivid dream. Suddenly she was aware that she was standing in front of a microwave. She blinked and saw her reflection there, noting the goofy open-mouthed grin on her face and the fact that her face was painted with tiger stripes. Hellen was suddenly aware that she was pushing the buttons on the microwave for fun! And she actually knew it. She knew what the thing was called and why she was doing this! Hellen also suddenly grew aware that she was standing there buck naked. Covering herself she padded over to the window by the sink and looked out. I was some kind of kid’s party going on out there.

"Ba-ba-ba!"

The screech and loud footsteps made her spin around as Sharon came tottering thru the kitchen. She could have been her twin aside from being younger. She was naked, flat-chested, with her face painted like a monkey. She was beaming and seemed happy to toddle about like this. Immediately after her came Mary chasing the girl.

"C’mere now ya little monkey!" she chided, catching the off-balance girl easily and tickling her tummy.

Hellen watched in stunned silence as her sister patted Sharon on her butt and sent her outside, naked! Then Mary turned to Hellen. "Well are we all done playing beepy-beepy little miss?" she joked, rushing over and tickling Hellen’s exposed tummy before she could say anything.

"I think you should get back outside and join the party sweetie-pie," Mary crooned, beginning to steer her towards the door.

Hellen braced herself. "No, Mary not like this, I’m not wearing any clothes!" she yelled.

Mary nearly fell over in surprise, immediately letting go of Hellen. She gaped for a moment, then recovered. "Hellen, you’re back!"

"Yes I am! Why am I dressed like this? What’s going on?"

"It’s Noah’s 2nd birthday party. He’s a boy from your playgroup."

"Jesus, a playgroup? But the clothes?"

"You’re more comfortable that way Hellen. I’m sorry but you did it to yourself."

Hellen realised exactly what that meant. "Oh my God, this means it wears off! But wait. I just saw Sharon and she’s still in baby-mode. So am I the only one? Wait, where is Mike?" she demanded.

Mary frowned and pointed out the window. "Mike is right there."

Hellen followed her finger and saw him. Mike was short blue t-shirt and what was clearly a diaper, standing in the shade of a tree spinning in circles with his hands in the air and then falling down. "Oh God, so I’m the only one to recover?"

Mary frowned again. "No, I’m afraid not."

Hellen was confused by this. "What do you mean?"

"Mikie woke up out of his state a few weeks ago. But you were still fully under. I thought it was a fluke and I didn’t want the two of you to be separated after all you went thru to be with him."

"Mary, what are you saying?"

"Hellen, he would have moved on. He’s a man, he isn’t as dedicated as you were. So I made sure you’d still be together."

"You didn’t!"

"It was so quick Hellen. I’d never seen it actually happen before. All his thoughts were just scattered to the wind. Just like that he was back on his bum sucking his thumb."

"But Mary, I just wanted him to be happy!"

"And he is happy! Just look at him out there, spinning around and dancing with his shadow! He’s never been happier Hellen!"

"What about Jimmy?"

Mary sighed, "Yes he had a brief awakening too. But I couldn’t let the family break apart. I’d seen how easy it was by them. I knew that it would only take a second and he’d be so perfectly happy again."

Hellen could see that her sister had lost it. She was too wrapped up in being a mommy at long last to give it all up. "Well look Mary. I’m glad you’ve had your fun, but this has to end now. I did what I did because I thought this was permanent. Now we know that it isn’t..."

"Oh, but now it is."

"What!?"

"The first wipe by the gun forces your brain to create a sort of back-up copy of your mind. It eventually will reboot, but it takes time. The second use of the gun destroys the back-up copy. There’s nothing left afterwards."

“How do you know that?” Hellen demanded.

“I tracked down the doctor who created the gun and let me tell you it can be most persuasive. He was more than happy to tell me all about it. Of course I couldn’t very well let him leave after that. He’s well cared for though and just as happy as a clam anyway,” she tried to rationalise.

Mary watched sadly as Hellen began to tear up. She tried to reassure her. "But look at them Hellen. They’re so much happier this way! No grown-up worries, no fears. Just play all day."

Hellen decided it was best to humour her poor delusional sister. "I understand Mary. At least let me help you care for them now. I won’t repeat my mistake and abandon my responsibilities to you. I’m sorry for doing that to you. From now on we’ll share the responsibility."

But Mary slowly shook her head. "Hellen, you don’t need to worry about any of that. It’s fine that you wanted to join your husband and son. Hellen I can only imagine the kind of mindless bliss you’ve been experiencing. Do you know what you were doing twenty minutes ago? You were sitting out there on the grass, naked as the day you were born, a big smile on your face getting that face painted. And the face painter was having a tough time my dear. You know why? Because you kept putting your silly toesies in your mouth and getting them in the way.

"You’ve spent the last few months with the intellectual abilities of a 9 month old. You’ve barely been able to walk on your own. You poop and pee in your diapees when you manage to keep them on and you feed at my booby every other day. Do you know what? I’ve never seen you happier."

Hellen tried not to show her disgust at those images of herself, glancing down at her bare feet and noticing the face-paint on her toes, yuck. "Please Mary, let’s just get my clothes and then we can talk about this."

Mary shook her head. "I’m sorry sweetie but there’s no time for playing dress-up. We need to get you back out with your brothers and sisters and besides everyone knows was cute nakie baby you are."

"Mary, you’re scaring me now," Hellen said, voice faltering.

Mary stepped to the cabinet and felt around, drawing out the gun. "Don’t be afraid Hellen," Mary comforted. "If you have just seen the looks of peace on their faces as it happened. Jimmy, Mikie, Sharon... They all just knew it was time to relax, time to let go and be babies again. You are going to enjoy this so much Hellen, in a second you’ll find my jingly car keys to be the height of entertainment."

As Mary raised the gun, Hellen raced past her, knocking Mary aside. She didn’t care that she was naked, she didn’t care who saw her. Her mind was at stake. She rushed out the back door into the yard towards the party. Dozens of toddlers and babies crept about the yard. Nobody gave her a second glance and she rushed over to Mikie and Jimmy. She dropped to her knees before them but immediately saw that Mary was right. The lights were on, but no one was home. Hellen looked wildly about for someone to tell. Mary couldn’t hurt her if someone knew. She saw her bother-in-law Bill eating a hamburger, just feet away.

"Bill!" she called.

He heard her! He was turning around to face her. And then she felt the warm beam of energy enter the back of her skull. Fired from a long distance away she hadn’t even seen the flash. She felt the wash of uncertainty and dimness burrowing thru her brain again. It was a familiar feeling, a familiar tickle of stupidity wiping away all intelligent thought. She had to fight it. She wasn’t even sure what it was she was fighting, but she knew it was bad. Bill was coming, he was looking right at her, he’d heard her! She just needed to tell him. To say something, anything to him. So he would know.

Hellen dropped to her bum, grass all tickly under her. She tried to keep her chain of thought as section after section of her brain went dark. Bill was here now, though his name was gone. He was here and he would help. She just need to tell him, tell him the important thing. Fight the feeling of peace and acceptance filling her, easing her into wonderful oblivion. Soothing mindless euphoria threatening to reclaim her. Bill was kneeling down in front of her.

"Hellen? Did you? Did you call my name?" he asked uncertainly.

He was here! Hellen looked in his friendly face and knew she could tell him now. "Ba!" she exclaimed. That felt nice, the sound was rewarding to make. She did it again. "Ba!" How delightful!

Bill frowned. "Hellen," he tried slowly, "Can you understand me?"

Hellen stared up at Bill’s frowny face and thought she’d like to make him smile. She felt one last wonderful euphoric tickle run up her spine and thru her brain as she forgot who she was and where she was. The things on her feet are pretty and she take them and feel them. Big person all funny look. She like yummies in mouth. New smilie person here too.

Mary arrived at little circle of adult-tykes to find Bill kneeling before Hellen, who, to Mary’s satisfaction, was eagerly sucking away at her dirty toes, staring blankly ahead. Bill shrugged and walked off, feeling silly for thinking the baby was talking to him. Mary knelt in his place and brushed her hand thru Hellen’s hair. "Well sis, looks like you’re pretty happy now huh? So, is there anything you want to say to me? Would you like to thank me?"

Hellen babbled gibberish softly around her toes, spittle dribbling down her sole. Mary was satisfied with this non-response and left Hellen to play on her own the rest of the party. That evening Mary placed Mikie and Hellen back in their shared crib. She was glad to keep the loving couple together. She kissed the pair good-night and turned on the mobile and night-light leaving the room. Hellen and Mikie laid side by side and soon Mikie was staring into Hellen’s vacant eyes. Only hours ago she had been a thinking woman again. Not anymore. Now she and Mikie did the most intimate thing their infantile minds were capable of. They mouthed each other’s toes and stared up at their mobile and like Marta before them, each thought about nothing at all.

**

A month had passed since the party where Bill had momentarily thought Hellen was actually speaking to him. He remained the unhappy father to half a dozen adult sized infants in need of total care. They couldn’t do even the simplest of things for themselves. All he saw were massive poop machines that ate him out of house and home. All his wife saw were perfect eternal infants that satisfied her extreme maternal instinct. Bill privately wished they could all be put in an orphanage or some kind of institution. Hell half the time he wondered if Mary should be in some institution, so deep was her love for these freakishly large babies.

Sure most of them used to be his relatives. He joked around at parties with Hellen, went golfing with Mike, coached Jim’s baseball team. But they weren’t those people anymore. They were nothing but babbling, drooling, pissing infants. So he worked more hours and took more business trips. But he always had to come home in the end.

He pulled up the driveway at the end of another long business day, pulled out his laptop case and trudged up the walk to the door. “Here we go again,” he thought to himself, walking inside.

He shut the door reached for the light switch. He’d barely managed to flick it on when a pair of massive arms seized him from behind, yanking him back against the wall. Bill’s heart leapt into his throat and he wrestled with his strong attacker.

Spinning around he stared into Mikie’s smiling, drooly face. His old friend was naked as usual, his vacant eyes filled with innocent wonder as he sought a cuddle from daddy. Bill sighed and wrapped his arms around the man’s nude form. “Bababa!” the boy chattered happily.

“Yeah, I’m happy to see you too buddy,” Bill said, knowing the man didn’t understand a word.

He released Mikie after a lengthy cuddle and asked, “Where’s mommy?”

Mikie just stared at him, uncomprehending.

“That’s what I thought,” Bill nodded, letting Mikie drop back to his comfortable squatting position and going to find Mary.

He made his way down the hallway and into the kitchen but froze stiff as a board the second he entered. A strange man in a leather jacket was leaning against the far counter, staring at him and chewing on a tooth pick. A giant of a man stood beside him, cradling a baseball bat. They didn’t run away like burglars though, they stood and stared at him calmly, coldly.

“Who are you?” Bill demanded, before feeling a set of arms grab him from behind again. This time though it wasn’t a big baby in search of a hug, it was another strange man who smelled strongly of cigarettes.

“Don’t struggle,” the leather jacket man said. Bill detected an accent, Eastern European maybe.

“What do you want?” Bill asked, feeling physically sick with fear.

“You know what we want,” the man told him coolly.

“I swear I don’t!” Bill insisted, wondering where Mary was and what they’d done to her.

The man spoke to the others in some foreign language. It sounded Russian maybe, but then how could he really know? He was no linguist. Still the idea of Russian mobsters, or terrorists or the friggin’ KGB, standing in his house, in his kitchen, scared the daylights out of him.

“What are you KGB?” he demanded, knowing it was ridiculous but stalling for time.

The leather jacket man smirked and translated. All the men had a hearty laugh. “They called FSB now my friend. You not want to meet them though. No, we not KGB.”

“So just tell me what you want. You can have anything, just let us go.”

The leather jacket man pulled out a copy of the National Enquirer of all things. It was a clipping of the front page. The headline read, “Family of Grown Babies at Walmart” with a photo of Mary and the babies shopping.

“You think we not notice this?” the man snapped, angry now.

“I don’t understand!” Bill pleaded.

“We want the gun,” the man finally stated.

“A gun? I don’t even own one.”

“No, not a gun! The gun!” the man roared, wheeling back and hitting Bill hard in the stomach.

Bill hacked and coughed, trying to get his wind back.

“Don’t to play games with me friend. You don’t like me angry,” the thug warned.

“If I knew where this gun was, believe me, you could have it!”

“You got no gun? How you think you get babies?”

“Them? What has this got to do with them?” he asked, honestly.

“How you get them?” the thug repeated, making to punch him again.

“There was a gas leak in their house. They all got brain damage!” he yelled.

The thug paused and looked around at his cohorts. Finally he smiled and slapped Bill’s cheeks lightly. “You really not know,” he chuckled. “You are a fool my friend.”

He snapped his fingers and another rough looking man appeared, leading Mary into the kitchen with her hands bound together. She gave Bill a pleading look. He was glad to see her unhurt, but afraid of what might happen to her now.

“So you never tell him,” the thug said to Mary.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she insisted, though even Bill could tell it was a lie.

“Tell me where gun is now and I not use it on him,” he told her, pointing to Bill.

“I really have no idea,” she repeated, not making eye contact.

“Okay then. You tell me now where it is or I kill him and then one ‘baby’ each minute you wait. How that deal for you?”

“You don’t have to do this…” she stammered.

“Gregori,” the man said, nodding to one of the thugs.

The man drew a pistol from his coat. It was a standard 9mm Glock. He cocked it slowly, savouring the sound.

“Okay, stop! I’ll tell you!” Mary blurted out, eyes wild with terror.

“I thought so. Where is it?” he snapped.

“In the closet of the master bedroom in a hidden section of the wall above the door.”

The man translated and one of the thugs left. A couple minutes of tense silence passed before he returned, carrying the gun. Bill was shocked to see that thing had actually been in his house and that Mary had been hiding it. He had no idea what his wife was capable of now. Had she actually turned all these people into infants so she could care for them?

The thug handed the weapon to the leader and he smiled down at it, feeling it in his hands. “Thank you, this has taken long time to get. We nearly had, but there was accident. Now everything is good.”

“So you’ll leave now?” Bill asked, hopeful they wouldn’t all be slaughtered anyway for being witnesses.

“Yes we go now. But I’m afraid your wife wait too long. I told her she need to tell me where it was then or I use the gun. She didn’t tell.”

Bill’s eyes widened as the man powered on the gun, fiddling with switches. “I set it to double power so it wipe out back-up copy of memories too,” he explained without emotion.

Bill just shook his head. He was about to be reduced to infancy, like the slobbering idiots he’d had to care for. He had a career, a life. This wasn’t fair!

“Please I won’t tell anyone,” Bill begged.

The man lifted the gun, pointing it at him. He smirked and replied, “I know you won’t.” Then he pulled the trigger.

The blast of energy crashed into Bill’s chest, vaporizing his clothing, blasting away all his body hair and leaving him bald as Mikie in an instant. The energy surged into his head and all he could see was Mary smiling at him from across the room. And he knew she’d wanted this. That was why she’d waited. She was an addict and she needed another hit. She needed another baby to care for, another person totally dependent on her, giving her unconditional love.

A wave of fuzzy incomprehension smothered those thoughts and he dropped to a squat. It was a comfy position. He knew something very important had just happened. But he wasn’t sure what. He didn’t know where he was or who these people were. They moved away and a pretty woman, she was familiar somehow, dropped down before him, smiling at him.

“Billy boy got all widdle didn’t he?” she crooned to him, brushing her glassy-eyed husband’s face and kissing him on his drooly lips.

“You need mommy to take care of you now, don’t you? Yes, you need mommy because Billy can’t think for himself anymore,” she cooed, loving his vacant expression, his dull eyes. She knew he’d love her forever now. No more work, no more trips, just playtime with mommy.

As Mary cuddled her infantized hubby close she felt a presence above her. She looked up and into the barrel of the gun. The leather-coated thug was sneering down at her curiously.

“I’m sorry, did you really think we just leave you be?” he asked.

Mary’s eyes widened as she realised she’d miscalculated. “But…” she began.

The blast caught her right between the eyes.

The flash was bright in Billy’s eyes. Suddenly the woman who called herself ‘mommy’ was nakie like him. She sat down hard on her bare bum right before him, staring up at the big man. Billy wondered if she was going to cuddle him again. He liked that. She smelled real nice and he liked her pretty eyes. He reached out and touched her bare arm.

Mary turned to him, her eyes as vacant as his, lips pursed blowing little spit bubbled that dribbled down her chin. Billy wondered what mommy was doing, being so silly. He tried to ask her. “Dadadoo,” he babbled, realising he hadn’t said anything but enjoying the noises anyway.

Mommy smiled at him then pulled her foot to her mouth and sucked on her big toe for a moment. And Billy understood now. She wasn’t mommy, she was just a little baby like him! Soon they were happily creeping around the house together, looking for shiny or bright things to put in their mouths.

**

The four Russians piled into the black van parked in front of the neighbouring house. They waited for Dmitri to emerge once he took care of the woman. Their boss would be happy they finally had the weapon. He surely had some major plans for that gun, not that they were privy to any of them of course. They did their job though and that was enough to get them his favour.

Dmitri finally appeared from the house, cradling the gun. He walked up to the driver’s door and opened it.

“Ready to go?” Vlad asked in Russian.

“No,” he replied, “But you are.” And without warning he swung the gun barrel up and began firing.

The inside of the van could be seen to flicker but the tinted windows hid what was happening inside. A few minutes later several bulky, tattooed Russian men were tottering and crawling down the suburban street, all naked, all smiling and giggling to themselves. Dmitiri meanwhile got into Bill’s car, started up and drove away with the gun on the seat beside him. A lot of groups wanted that weapon and now Dmitri could name his price. With no conscience and no ideology he stood to make a lot of money.

So if an object with seemingly magical powers should happen to cross your path, don’t be too eager to set your hands on it. Objects like that corrupt, objects like that attract a lot of attention and nobody comes out clean… well, almost.

Author’s Note: If you are interested in commissioning me for a story just send me a private message.

 

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