Do You Really Mean It?

Chapter 1
Do You Really Mean It?

Chapter Description: If you wish, you can also find this story on Deviantart under my alternate username TheARtesian. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the story of a man who learns the hard way not to say things he doesn't really mean.

"He tricked me... the little brat tricked me!" Joseph thought, sitting on a bench that was much larger than it should have been, and in a body much smaller than he was accustomed to.

The body belonged to a kid he’d met at the playground while watching after his nephew for the afternoon. The boy, who couldn’t have been much more than six or seven years old, was dressed all in a gentle blue color when they first met, right down to his socks. He was holding a little stuffed dog toy, but still seemed sullen and unhappy so when he asked if he could sit next to Joseph while he waited for his mom to come pick him up, he felt sorry for the kid and made room on the bench next to him.

"What’s your name, little guy?" he asked gently. It was the same voice his older sister used when he was kid, and the same one he used while her kids were little, and needed to talk to someone other than mom or dad for a change.

"Colby," he said, hugging the little stuffed dog, "What’s yours?"

"I’m Joe. I’m here with my nephew Jake. He’s the boy over on the swings with the red t-shirt." He pointed Jake out to the kid and waved at him. Jake dragged his feet in the bark covered ground to slow the swing down until it was safe to let go of the sides, and then waved back enthusiastically.

"You should go play with him." Joseph said, "He’s a really nice boy, and I’m sure he’d love to meet you."

Colby scrunched up his face, "Well, I don’t want to meet him." he said.

"It’s okay, Colby. He won’t make fun of you or anything, and if he does, just tell me and I’ll make him stop."

"It’s not that. I don’t like any of the other kids either."

"That’s not a very nice thing to say, Colby," Joe said, "Why don’t you like them?"

"Because they’re silly." he answered, giving his stuffed animal another squeeze, "They act like a bunch of morons. It’s like they don’t know when NOT to be silly!"

"Well, let me tell you, there’s nothing wrong with being a little silly now and then. It’s all part of being a kid. As a grownup, I never ever get to be silly, and to be honest, I kinda miss it."

"Really?" the kid asked, a strange look in his eyes.

"Of course. I’d love to be a kid again, and run around acting just as silly as those guys out there."

"You really mean it?" the kid asked, a little too excitedly, "You really want to be a little kid?"

"Sure, I do! Don’t you?" he said, smiling.

Joe wouldn’t realize until much later how important that moment had been, and would often wish that he’d said no. It was then, in some ways, that Colby brightened considerably, but in others he seemed much darker.

"Thanks, Joe." he said, as the sounds of the park began to fade into a strange silence, "That’s just what I needed to hear."

Colby stared directly at Joe. His eyes were deep and dark, the irises looking like two small holes that burrowed on and on into eternity. They called to him, asking him to just let himself fall forever into their welcoming abyss. It was a deeply unsettling feeling, and Joe tried to look away, but found his eyes locked onto the boy’s. He couldn’t break eye contact, no matter how hard he tried.

"I-I... I’m glad... I was... able to help..." Joe stammered, trying to hide his fear, "Colby, wha... What are you doing, Colby?"

That’s when Colby started to say something in a strange, otherworldly language, and the endless darkness of his eyes was replaced with a blinding light that shone a bright green as Joseph struggled to look away from those brilliant eyes.

He felt like he was falling down a deep well. No, not deep. Bottomless. It went on for what seemed like hours, or perhaps days even, as everything turned a brilliant and overpowering shade of green.

When it faded, he was sitting on a much larger bench, next to a much taller version of himself that chuckled down at him.

"I’m finally free from that witch of a wife. Don’t worry, you’ll be getting to know her quite well soon, only you’ll be expected to call her mommy." He stood up, impossibly tall and wide, and grinned, "Hey, don’t look at me! The spell only works with a willing participant, and you’re the one who said he wanted to be a kid again... I can feel your old memories creeping in. Now that’s a sensation I’ll never get used to. Don’t worry about your nephew, by the way. I’ll get him home safe."

"W-w..." Joe’s new voice was disconcerting, "What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, for starters, you’ll have to get used to being called Colby, since that’ll be your name from now on. After that, you can either wait right here for mommy with your stuffed doggy, or you can go be as silly as you like with all the other boys your age. I for one have grownup stuff to do. I’m certain you’ll be a good boy and behave yourself, Colby, but just to make sure..." The man’s eye’s glowed green again as he said, "You will not follow me, or tell anyone what has happened between us today." the green light faded, and he called Jake over to him.

"Hey there, big guy! You all ready to go?" he asked.

"But, Uncle Joe, we just got here!" Jake complained.

"Time flies when you’re having fun, kiddo, and I’ve gotta get you back home to your mom soon." He said, tousling the kid’s hair, just like the real Joe used to do. It was startling.

"Five more minutes." he whined, "Please?"

The man smiled, "I’m sorry, no deal. But I’ll tell you what, I’ve found a friend you can play with the next time you come here." that’s when he pointed to the real Joe, sitting in the body of a six year old boy that Jake would never recognize as his uncle, "His name’s Colby. Why don’t you go introduce yourself before you go?"

Clearly not the five more minutes he was expecting, Jake sulked over the boy, and stuck his hand out for a shake, "Hi, I’m Jake. My uncle says we can play next time we’re both here."

The real Joe took his little nephew’s hand, shocked by how much larger it was than his own. He wanted to cry out that he was the boy’s real uncle, not this imposter, but every time he tried, his mouth stayed shut. All he could manage was a shy little, "Hi, Jake." as he shook his nephew’s hand.

"Come on, Jake, time to go." the new Joe said. And after Jake ran over and took his hand, the man looked back at the little boy sitting on the bench, "Bye bye, Colby, and have fun at the park."

He left, taking Joseph’s nephew, and Joseph’s body with him.

Joseph himself, or Colby, as he’d have to get used to being called now, could only sit where he was on that enormous bench, bound by his command not to follow them.

What had that boy said to him? I’m finally free from that witch of a wife? He must have been a sorcerer, or a wizard, or something, who’d been turned into a child by his literal witch of a wife. He said the spell could only work on a willing participant. How many people had the boy tried this moody child routine on before he came to Joe? Chances are they gave the boy a much bigger challenge than he did, otherwise he wouldn’t be where he is now. Hell, he practically waltzed right into the wizard’s trap.

It was true. He did say he wanted to be a kid again. Now he was trapped as a little six year old boy named Colby, waiting for his new witch of a mommy on a park bench with a stuffed dog toy, and absolutely no way out.

"He tricked me..." Joseph, now Colby, thought bitterly, "That little brat tricked me."