Second Chance by Libra and Jeff

Chapter 1
Second Chance

Chapter Description: Holly's beginning.

Chapter 01

“No way, I’m not going to do it. ” 16 year old Holly yelled her voice going up in pitch.

“Honey, if you don’t go the court will have you arrested then thrown into jail. As your mother I think the Second Chance program is far better than having a daughter with a criminal record. They will issue a new birth certificate and changed all the computer records to match your younger age. Not to mention they will wipe the slate clean on your entire past rule breaking. ” Holly’s mother said her voice firm and sitting at the kitchen table with the letter from the judge.

“How could you? I don’t want to be 12 years old again. What about Karen? Is it fair that my 8 year old sister will be four years older? ” Holly said her outrage getting the better of her.

“That is the way the Age Exchanger works. ” Holly’s mother said and gave the letter a brief glance to be sure she got the name right.

“Yeah, mom I know. In order for one person to become younger someone else must become older. I learned all about it in middle school. ” Holly said remembering back to classes she hadn’t had in years.

Holly vaguely recalled the justice department had classified criminals into three classes. Class three criminals being the highest for murderers, terrorists and rapers. That group were drained of nearly all their youth and given to more respectable members of society. A lottery system for anyone over the age of fifty was in place for those lucky people.

Class two was for drug trafficking offenses and those who stole high price stuff or made a lot of money through illegal means. With the right lawyer and judge those people had a fifty-fifty chance into going into the Second Chance program. Where they would become younger instead of older. Normally another fellow Class two person was picked to be aged for his own offense. Sometimes the gang banger teenagers would find themselves suddenly in middle age while one of their friends would be back in diapers.

Then Holly remembered she was officially a Class one suspect. The Class one was for minor crimes like illegal drug use, drinking while still underage, and stealing small stuff. Since younger people committed these crimes most judges order the offender to become younger so their guardians could keep a closer eye on them. The idea being the more you broke the law the closer you got to being back in the cradle again or worse. For there had been a rumor they could put someone back into the womb. That thought scared her more than anything.

The cop couldn’t prove the bag of drugs belong to her, but confirmed she had consumed alcohol that night. Only Holly’s boyfriend who had been in the store had gotten away clean. The drug bag was his and he had texted her only once begging her to stay quiet. Holly had erased the message on the phone and told her friends in the car about the message.

“Just be glad the judge went for it. Your younger sister volunteered to sacrifice a bit of her childhood just to keep her older sister out of jail. You really should be nicer to her. ” Holly’s mother said and looked to see her youngest daughter coming into the room.

“Really I don’t mind. All my teachers said I should be in the higher grade class, sissy. Mom has taught me about bras, tampons, and sex. ” Karen said and thinking her mother hadn’t really enlighten her all that much. Thanks to her friends, the library and mostly the internet Karen knew a lot already.

“Fine, go ahead and ruin both our lives. ” Holly said then stomped out of the kitchen away from the dinner table.

The day came when they were all set to go to the Justice Department building. It was a large uninteresting building with a lot of people coming and going. They waited in a few lines and finally took the elevator up to the top floor.

After going through a security check point they were shown down a hallway into a waiting room a lot like a dentist office. It even had that tense feeling to it.

“You will see honey. Even your father says this is for the best. We could pass you two off as twins when you’re the same age. ” Their mother said and patted her daughter’s hands.

On their mother’s lap was a gym bag full of clothes too small for Holly to wear anymore and still too big for Karen to have until she was older. They would be perfect for a pair of 12 year old girls.

Karen looked excited while Holly appeared to be pouting if she was the younger child.

“Girls, if you would follow me. Your mother can wait here. My name is Thelma. ” A nurse type secretary said then they followed the woman through a long hallway passed a steel door into a room that appeared to hold two metal detectors at first glance. Then Holly thought they looked more like photo booths without curtains.

These had metal chairs with straps and later discovered metal boxes on the back sides connecting the booths together with wires.

“You have to change into robes which your get to keep after we are done. They are stored over there. ” Thelma said her voice cheerful and relaxed.

Thelma left the room either to give them privacy or get the person who would work the machine.

Holly started to get an adult size robe, but remembered she would be younger by the time she was done. So she picked a robe a lot like Karen’s choice.

Karen had no problem with changing clothes and slipping on the robe.

“God, Karen. Where is your sense of modesty? What if a stranger walks in while your buck naked? ” Holly asked stripping down to her underwear then she put on the robe. Next she slipped out of her underwear while still wearing the robe. Then Holly pulled out a bottle of expensive water from the pocket of her discarded shorts.

“Sorry. You know there is no food or drink allowed in here. Didn’t you see the sign by the door before we came in? ” Karen said and pointed to the water bottle.

“Chill, baby sister. I don’t care if we are going be the same age. Your still going to be a dweeb. ” Holly said and walked around the machine looking at it. The wires went into the wall for power and to a computer which Holly assumed controlled the Age Exchanger. Holly saw instantly it had password protection on it along with a keycard system.

Holly walked back over to the machine and saw the back had metal boxes with fans and circuits within. She assumed it was to keep the machine cool while it ran.

Just then voices could be heard and they were coming closer.

Holly noticed then her robe didn’t have a pocket. Quickly she put the bottle water on top of the metal box out of sight on the backside then stepped around so it appeared she was waiting by the booth on the right side.

There was a knock on the door and a man called from the other side.

“I hope you girls are decent. If not yell before I come in. ” The man said and slowly opened the door then came in shutting the door behind him. Thelma was just outside the door to prevent anyone from leaving.

“My name is Charles and you may sit in either booth. I can set the computer to either booth. ” Charles said then watched as both of them took a seat.

“If you have read the letter fully your will understand that your bodies will be in a state of temporary displacement. For a few nanoseconds you will be outside of normal time. Your body will regress or age while your mind will coexist in and outside of normal time until you have reached the target age. You may experience flashes of light in most cases. I even had a few people faint for a few minutes afterwards. ” Charles explained while he went to work at the computer logging in then warming up the machines.

Holly noticed hers was shaking a little. This made her even more nervous than before.

“Ready or not. ” Charles said and clicked on something on his computer screen.

The hum grew loud and Holly felt like she was floating then there was a strobe light effect all around her. Slowly her point of view was changing and the robe felt baggy on her in those moments she felt solid.

Then everything seemed to change. Over the humming she heard pops and a sizzling sound. Then in the booth next to her Karen screamed so loud Holly thought it would carry into the waiting room.

Holly was being blinded by flashes and a sinking feeling. Her head spun and she got dizzy then she remembered nothing else.

End of Chapter 01