Control Yourself!

Chapter 3
Chapter 3

Control Yourself! Chapter 3

by Ungulate

John looked at his sleeping wife for a while the next morning. She was hugging her pillow, curled up and looking innocent. He studied her face. What a difference! Her nose was button-like, her cheeks were soft and sported a few light freckles - she was in every way a teenager. He wasn’t sure on her age, but he guessed 16 or 17. Even her hair seemed a little softer and lighter. He rose up and got ready for work, shaking his head. She had not heard the alarm clock, and he decided to let her sleep. He took care of Amanda and Chelsea, fixing them a light breakfast and getting them to school before he went to the office. He didn’t tell the girls that their mother had shrunk last night, as he wanted to talk to Kim first. He called Tom from his office.

“Again?” Said Tom after being filled in. “hmmm… this is not good at all. You should bring her to my office this evening. I must run some tests on her.”

Meanwhile, Kim was slowly waking up. She moaned and pushed her arms outwards, stretching. She was so tired! Her body felt soft and weak, and the comforter felt like a fluffy cloud. She slowly became aware that something different… her pussy was sore… her bum was different… her breasts were tingling… she cupped one with her hand, noticing how small and firm it was. She bolted upright, suddenly putting last night’s events together.

“John?” She called out, wanting him to enter the room and tell her it was a bad dream. It had to be a dream. She glanced at the clock: 10:43.

“Shit!” she exclaimed, throwing the duvet off her legs and jumping up. The kids would be late for school! Then she realized that John had probably taken care of everything. She rubbed her eyes and sat on the bed for a while, looking at her new body. It wasn’t new, actually. It was her, the way she used to be when she was seventeen years old. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, to have her body shimmer with youth again, her skin soft and supple. On a whim, she reached down and put her foot behind her head. She hadn’t had this kind of flexibility in years! She laughed aloud, throwing herself backwards into the duvet with her arms stretched out. This wasn’t so bad after all!

The only thing that bothered her was her rumbling stomach. She was ravenously hungry. She threw on a bathrobe and headed downstairs, jumping off the last four stairs. She ate three bowls of cereal and a large mango, finishing the meal off with a coffee. She read the note John had left for her on the kitchen table:

Kim,

I took the girls in the car. Don’t worry about anything today, ok? I will pick them up after school. Just take it easy and be nice to yourself. I will call Tom and try to arrange a meeting with him ASAP.

I know this must be hard for you, but please know that I love you, and that I will always be there for you. See you when I get home,

John.

He was such a sweetheart! Kim kissed the note, sighing. She had definitely married the right man!

Something was bothering her. She wanted something really badly, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. Her mouth tasted funny. She wanted a cigarette! She had quit smoking when she was pregnant with Chelsea, but now the craving was back. She paced and thought about it for a bit, and decided that she would be better off with a good smoke. She took a quick shower and dressed in some loose clothes. Taking her mountain bike to the mall (she had so much more energy!), she bought some cigarettes at the store. It was a sunny day, and she decided to grab a seat on the patio of the café and have some more coffee. Megan came out to handle her table.

“Hi Kim… oh… sorry,” She said. “I thought you were…” She looked closely at Kim, doing a double take. “Wow! It’s incredible! You look almost identical to this woman who comes here sometimes… except she’s much older...” said the waitress. “What would you like?”

“Uh… I’ll have a coffee please.” said Kim. This age regression thing was going to be a big problem! What were her friends and family going to say? She lit up a cigarette, took a drag and nearly choked to death, coughing for about 5 minutes. People from other tables were staring at her, shaking their heads. Megan came back out with a glass of water.

“Are you ok? You know, you really shouldn’t smoke those things,” she lectured. “You’ll stunt your growth.”

When John brought the kids home that evening, Chelsea ran into the house, dying to see the changes in her mother that her dad had been explaining.

“Mom? Mom? C-o-o-o-l!” She said as Kim came out of the den wearing bellbottoms and a trendy tank top. “You’re a teenager!” Chelsea thought teenagers were the neatest species on the planet, and was always talking about what she was going to do when she was a teenager.

“What do ya think Chelse?” She said, spreading her hands across her new outfit, “I could be a super-teen-model now!”

“Where did you get those clothes, Kim?” Asked John suspiciously, as he entered with Amanda.

“Oh, I thought I could use a change,” she replied casually “All my clothes are too baggy, and they are sooo plain!”

Amanda’s mouth was open “Mommy?” She said, barely believing that this was the same woman she had come out of.

“Yes, it’s me sweetie” She said, kneeling down and putting her hands on Amanda’s shoulders.

“I hope for our bank account’s sake that you got those at Value Village,” John remarked, pointing at the retro outfit.

“Hey, I thought we agreed that we were gonna live a little when you got those new contracts?” Kim remarked.

“Sure, but I haven’t closed the deal yet… let’s not spend money that we don’t have, dear.”

“Oh but you will close those deals, ” She said, throwing her arms around his neck “I believe in you,” she said, gazing into his eyes with passion. She expected him to kiss her, but he put his hands on her hips and gently pushed her away, changing the subject.

“Have any ideas for supper?” He asked, walking to the kitchen. “We have to be at Tom’s office by 7:00 o’clock. I figured we could ask Teresa to watch the girls while we’re gone.”

Chelsea watched the interaction between her two parents closely. Oh sure, her mom was hip and cool now, but she seemed to have lost a bit of status in the household…

****

The scientist leaned forward slightly, looking into Kim’s eyes.

“Kim, did you go to college?” He asked.

“Yes, that’s where I met John.” She said confidently, recalling some of their first dates.

“What did you take there?” Tom asked.

“Oh, I had this one teacher who was brutal! She just wouldn’t get off my back! I was determined to show her I could do the work, so I put all this effort in… I got an A” She said proudly.

“Mmmm.. what was the subject of that class? Was it Math? English?” Tom inquired, leaning in a little closer. Kim got a bit nervous.

“Well, it was… uh… mmm… it doesn’t matter, I took a lot of stuff. God, it was almost 10 years ago… you don’t expect me to remember every detail, do you?” She said, a little defensively.

“But you remember meeting your husband, and you remember this teacher who made your life difficult... surely you recall the course?”

“I don’t know, you got me all nervous now… I can’t think.” Kim said, still convinced that there was nothing wrong with her memory. After all, she could still picture John when he first approached her. He was sooo adorable and shy when he nervously slipped her a note with his phone number on it!

“Ok, ok, let’s forget about College. Do you remember high school?” Asked Tom, pressing on.

“Of course! I was writing a paper about Catherine the Great, and really struggling with the Quadratic formula in math.” Kim said.

“Tell me a bit about your essay, if you remember” Tom asked.

“Catherine the great was born in 1729 in Anhalt-Zerbst, and her original name was Sophie.” Kim said, quoting the first line of the paper with her eyes closed. She was amazed that she could pull the facts out of her distant memory.

“What grade were you in when you wrote this paper?”

“Grade eleven. I really started liking English too! I had a great teacher in that class… she was so cool, she…”

“What about grade 12?” Tom interrupted her, wanting to confirm a hunch that he had.

“Oh, yeah, I totally remember that!” Kim replied. “I got in a fight with Tammy about this loser guy that we both wanted… it was so dumb!”

“And the subjects? What were you learning in class?”

“Well, I was getting tutored, because I was struggling in that class with Mrs. Kelly.” Kim said.

“What class Kim?” Asked Tom, though he knew what the answer would be.

“Oh, it was…. Mmmm…. I hated it! What was it now? It was… “ She snapped her fingers, trying to recall, but she couldn’t even remember if it was a science or a humanity. How could I forget that? She thought.

“I don’t know… I can’t remember at all!” She said, a little shocked. She squirmed uncomfortably in her chair.

“I am beginning to see the picture. Your cognitive memories have been affected, but not your emotional ones. It seems that your cerebral cortex has lost functionality, but not your limbic system. Perhaps the amygdala has a memory of its own…” He paused, briefly considering the massive implications that this discovery could have on behavioral neuroscience. “Furthermore, your cognitive learning experiences from grade 11 have resurfaced, as though the synaptic connections were newly formed.” He explained. Kim was absolutely lost (even though she had passed biopsychology in college with flying colors).

“What are you saying!? You mean I’m going crazy too?” She asked, with a worried look on her face.

“No, not crazy, Kim. Your education is the same level that it was in grade eleven, but you still have memory of emotional events, probably as a result of your heightened adolescent emotions. When the regression sequence has completed, you may have to… brush up a little…” He said with a slight smile.

“Yeah right, what am I going to do… go back to high school at MY age?” She laughed, looking at John. John was silent, not confirming or disconfirming his position. She thought about the context of her statement; she WAS young enough to be sent back to grade eleven! “I can’t go back to high school… I would die!” she exclaimed, realizing that she was in a bad political position, trying to dig her way out. “I’m WAY more mature than any high school student! I’ll just read at home a bit more. Besides, I don’t need to know about cogno-whatcha-ma-call-it, I’m a janitor!”

“Let’s not worry about that right now, Kim” said John, placing his hand on hers. “So where are we with the whole regression thing?” He asked Tom, “You said the MRA effects would be diminished in a month or two, and it’s been five weeks. If she doesn’t have anymore emotional outbursts in the next month, are we in the clear?”

“Not necessarily. This latest regression has opened a whole new can of worms, so to speak. Your wife’s emotions are now enhanced by her youth, which complicates things.” Tom said factually. “I suspect that the molecular chain reaction has been set in motion again, which would mean that she will not experience remission for at least two months, given that she remains calm.”

Kim watched Tom’s mouth move, but what he was saying drifted over her head. He was sooo boring! She tried to stifle a yawn with her hand. She twitched her feet and shifted her position in the chair.

“I have considered depressants as an option, but now that she is an adolescent, it is simply too risky. Drugs have different and unpredictable effects on children and teenagers.” Tom continued.

“Look, I am NOT a teenager, ok? I know you got it all figured out with your ‘scientific statistics’ and stuff but I am 31! I just happen to LOOK younger, that’s all.” She said adamantly, trying to boost her position in the discussion. The statement went unanswered by the two men. John felt slightly embarrassed for her. The two men continued on, while she slumped in the chair, staring blankly at the table.

“Just try to minimize her stress level, it’s the best option right now.” Tom said, shaking John’s hand as they were getting up to leave.

“Let’s stop for a drink on the way home… I need one right about now.” Kim said as they got in the car. John almost agreed with her, but as he looked her smaller body sitting in the passenger seat, he questioned whether or not she should be drinking. He pictured an embarrassing situation trying to explain to the waiter why his wife’s ID said 31 when she barely looked 17. He came up with a good excuse:

“No way Kim. Alcohol will heighten your emotions, and we can’t risk that right now. Maybe some other time…” He said, looking at the road.

“Ya know, you’re really getting uptight these days.” She said. “I can handle myself just fine.” John said nothing.

They got back after Chesea and Amanda’s bedtime, and Teresa was watching TV. She was obviously really worried for Kim.

“Well? What did he say?” She asked.

“Oh, same as usual… blah blah… remain calm…” Kim said, imitating Tom with a stern face. “AND I found out that I have forgotten everything I’ve learned since grade 11” She said, flopping herself down on the couch in apathy.

“What?” Said Teresa, her eyes wide.

“Yep! I don’t even remember the courses I took in college!” She said, throwing her hand up in frustration. “You know, he actually said I should go back to high school! Well screw that! I am NOT going to go through THAT hell again!” Teresa bit her bottom lip, exchanging a worried look with John. This could get really difficult, she thought.

“Hey, come on, high school was the greatest!” She said, slapping Kim’s leg, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “Do you remember when we locked those jocks in the boys change room?” She asked.

“Oh yeah! That was the best move ever!” Laughed Kim, “I’ll bet those boys never teased girls again!” They sat around for an hour, laughing about the silly things they did in high school.

“Wouldn’t that be hilarious if we threw a reunion party?” Asked Kim, “Can you imagine the look on Jessica’s face when she saw me? I’d sure have a fun time buggin’ her about her crows feet!” Kim went on and on, energetically pulling forth names, dates and facts from her 17th year. Teresa just listened to Kim, amazed at how full of life she seemed.

“What’s with you?” Kim asked, noticing Teresa’s face expression.

“Oh, it’s nothing… It’s just… I envy you, Kim. You’ve got your whole life in front of you again!” She said. Kim looked at her. She felt a twinge of sympathy for her friend, who seemed so much older now. Teresa yawned.

“Well, I better get home at some point, I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.” She said.

“Thanks for watching the kids, Teresa” said John, handing her a twenty.

“Don’t even TRY to give me that stuff John!” Teresa said, putting her hand up. “I am helping you both through this thing with no strings attached, ok? You need me, you just call… I have lots of free time!” She put her coat on and hugged Kim. “You take care, and remember that I will ALWAYS be your best buddy, Kim.” Kim smiled radiantly.

After Teresa left, Kim threw her arms around her man, intending to kiss him.

“Oh John, I love you so much!” John drew her close, and hugged her.

“I have to work on some reports, hon. I’ll be in the den.” He said, deftly avoiding his wife. True, she was a knockout, but so young! Her youth was amplified by the childish clothes she wore. He realized with sadness that he just didn’t feel the same way about her anymore. He loved her dearly, that fact he was sure of. He wasn’t sure if he could ever make love to her again, however. He would have to tell her soon, before this got out of hand. Maybe in time, when (and if) she got older, they would continue their relationship, but not now.

Kim watched some TV. Flicking the channels for a while, she got bored, and went outside for a cigarette. When she came back, she checked on John. He was still busy making notes in the den, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked so sweet when he was working! She sprawled her body backwards over the desk, covering his papers with a dramatic pose. John sniffed.

“Have you been smoking?” He asked.

She snatched the pen from his hands.

’Come on, come and get it!’ She said, leaping away with John’s bic. John sighed.

“Kim, come on, I’m almost done…” He said, tired and slightly grouchy. Kim bounced around the room, doing a victory dance. John was absolutely fed up.

’Sometimes you can be so immature! He shouted at her, opening his desk drawer for another pen. ’Now grow up!’

The words reached across the room and stung her to the core. She felt so stupid, standing there with his pen. Her eyelids filled up with tears, blurring the room. She felt the embarrassment descend and wash over her body, and she bowed her head in shame. The tingling was starting again. She felt hopeless and powerless to resist it. She wasn’t acting 17, she was being a little pest. Her jeans started to loosen, and her breasts felt like they were getting tighter and more compact. She shrank on the spot, in front of her husband, going backwards against her will. Her shoes got looser, and her bladder, which was already full, became overwhelmed as it got smaller inside her tummy. Hot pee spurted out between her legs as she stood there, knock-kneed, shrinking. Her body felt like it was expanding and then contracting in waves, but each contraction left her a tiny bit smaller. Her face was red; it was incredibly embarrassing to become a child in front of the man she loved. She felt so helpless as her arms became thinner and the pee trickled down her inner thighs. She gasped and shuddered from the dramatic changes. The only sound in the room was the sound of the carpet getting soaked with her childish accident. This time, the regression was really taking its toll. She panicked. How young was she going to get? The younger she got, the more important her age became to her.

“Nooooo!” She wailed as her bum sucked inwards and her hips began to lose all of their womanhood. Her stomach was gurgling and churning as it took on the properties of a child’s stomach. Her ovaries were readjusting as she went backwards through puberty. She clenched her groin area, trying to stop wetting and hold up her baggy jeans at the same time. Her toes were curled with tension.

Regaining her senses somewhat, she rushed upstairs, openly crying, trying to control her pee and her age. John flew up the stairs after her, tears in his eyes. He felt so responsible for this! She was sobbing on the toilet with her drenched bellbottoms around her ankles when he came in. Her hair was covering her face, and the front of her tank top was soaked with tears. He kneeled down to talk to her.

“Kim, I’m so sorry!” He began. Kim covered her face with her hands. She could not bare to let him see her like this! He just knelt there, waiting. After a minute, Kim lifted her face from her hands.

“Oh John!” She cried. John stared into the face of a fourteen-year-old Kim Travis.

 

---