Second Chance by Libra and Jeff

Chapter 4
Backseat

Chapter Description: Holly on her way to the Mall

The nightmare started out normal enough. Holly was back to being her teenage self, but this time she was strapped into the chair. Holly begged for them not to start the machine because she left her water bottle sitting uncapped on the back part. The operator laughed and started the machine anyway.

Holly got younger and younger until she was a baby. The dream didn’t stop there as the flashes of light faded as she was still getting younger.

“Holly, wake up!” Karen voice said and Holly found Karen shaking her backside to wake her up.

“I’m awake. ” Holly said rubbing her chubby knuckles into the corners of her eyes to wipe away her sleepiness.

“You were thrashing around. Bad dream? ” Karen asked and looked very interested.

“Yeah. ” Holly said and didn’t want to talk about it.

“Well it’s a cold breakfast today then mom is going to take us shopping. I’m sorry to do this, but mom ordered me to put you in a regular diaper. She doesn’t trust those cloth ones. ” Karen said and held up one for Holly to see. This one had the little mermaid on it.

“Fine. ” Holly said standing up and noticed her cloth diaper hung a little on one side when she lifted up her shirt.

“Hey, my cloth diaper is loose on me. Last night it was a snug fit. ” Holly voiced with a concern look at Karen.

“Hmmm, well it was an old diaper sister. You must have stretched it in your sleep. I must say you’re looking a lot better than yesterday. ” Karen said and pulled her sister’s diaper down then helped her into the new bulky one.

“Didn’t your shirt touch my ankles last time? I can’t see my feet now. ” Holly asked and stretched her arms up and her toes just barely peeked out.

“That shirt is pretty old and you were kicking up a storm. I will get you a shorter one. I should warn you that mom is going to have you try on toddler clothes. ” Karen said and stripped up Holly’s oversize shirt.

Holly wasn’t sure she would ever get use to the bulky diaper. For Holly it was like having a warm pillow between her legs. Worse the brief times she walked around it made her waddle like a duck.

Karen returned with the smallest shirt from her old closet. Holly remembered this one because it showed off her sister’s stomach area when she wore it as a kid. Mom banned her from wearing it ever again so the shirt was exiled to the back of the closet.

When Holly pulled it on the bottom hem went down to a point just above her knees. If Holly bent over or raised her arms up her diaper would show.

“We are having Cheerios.” Karen said and carried Holly into the kitchen. Holly marveled how strong Karen was coming to be since she didn’t appear to struggle with her weight.

Breakfast proved to be a unhappy one. Holly gums hurt when she chewed the first bits of her cereal. Unlike last night’s dinner which was all soft food which was easy for her small baby teeth. Worse mom refused to put any sugar in with their milk. Holly was forced to soak her Cheerios first then eat them.

“I hate a soggy breakfast. ” Holly complained in a low tone to Karen after their mother had left the room to go get dress for the shopping trip.

Karen was already dressed in an old sundress from her mother’s closet and ready to go by the time their mother returned.

“Really Holly, you should eat more. You’re looking more pale and thinner today. ” Her mother said with concern and saw only half of her daughter’s cereal was gone.

“I’m not that hungry. I will eat more for lunch. ” Holly said in order to keep the peace between them.

“Okay, but no whining until noon then. ” Her mother said and cleaned up the table by dumping the bowls into the sink.

“Come on girls. Let’s go shopping. ” Their mother announced and this time Holly was carried out to the car by her mother.

Holly discovered she hated riding in the backseat. For one thing she couldn’t see over the windows so it was hard to tell where they were so she could guess how long it would take for them to get to a store.

Her mother and sister were talking away about work schedules and what nights Karen was expected to babysit other young children.

“I think after lunch we will drop by Aunt Tiff’s house. You can play with Jack, Holly. ” Her mother said halfway to the mall and finally including her daughter into the conversation.

“Mom, he is five and a brat. ” Holly complained forgetting the peace she was trying to keep.

“Then you two should get along splendidly then. You are both immature and bratty. ” Her mother joked and Karen gave the slightest of smiles unseen by Holly. For Holly the joke at her expense cut like an insult.

The adults in the car carried on in their conversation while The Beetles song’s Hey Jude went on playing from their mother’s collection of cds.

“The mall?” Holly asked and dreaded going in. When they pulled close enough for Holly to see the upper level from her point of view in the backseat.

“The only place in town to get clothes, baby supplies, and lunch in one stop. ” Her mother said and was lucky enough to get a parking spot by the front doors.

End of Chapter 04