One Little Lie

“Do you need anything from the store? I’m taking Gabbi in a few minutes and… What are you wearing?!”

That was all the time it took for April’s carefully constructed life to come tumbling down around her. She should have known better, really… She used to be better about paying attention, keeping an ear open, just in case, but it was so rare for anyone to burst into her room unannounced, at least now that she’d taught her step-sister not to, she’d gotten comfortable. Too comfortable, clearly.

The answer to her step-mother’s question was pretty obvious, yet, as April laid there, on her bed, she felt her head spinning, desperate to come up with a lie. She should try to hide it, she thought, though it was certainly too late for that. If her step-mother had seen enough to know something was strange about what she had on, there was no way she hadn’t been able to tell what it was, especially after seeing the same things on Gabbi for so long.

She was probably lucky the woman had spotted them first, so her eyes were stuck on them, not moving upwards, seeing the doll April had been cuddling, or the picture book she’d been reading to herself – and to her doll, of course. She could maybe shove those under the pillow, if she needed to, or else she’d have a lot more explaining to do. For now, however, she needed to decide what to say about why she, a college student, was wearing a pair of Pull-Ups.

Her only comfort was knowing there was a good chance her step-mom wouldn’t be familiar with the whole AB/DL world online, so her mind might not immediately jump to that. If April was being honest, she’d just say, “Because they’re comfy, and cute, and I like them,” although there was no way she was about to let those words pass her lips. She had a good relationship with the woman, and she was afraid this would spoil it, that she wouldn’t understand it, and not feel comfortable leaving Gabbi alone with her if she heard that.

This was hardly the first time she’d stolen a Pull-Up from Gabbi’s room… She’d been doing it for a while, actually, since the families had moved in together. She’d been able to squeeze into a couple of them, but it hadn’t been a great fit, and she wore them very rarely before she accidentally tore them, or decided they weren’t worth it. Gabbi had recently moved to the next size up, however, and now the things fit both of the girls perfectly.

April had, she was willing to admit, gone a little crazy since then. How could she resist?! They now truly were as comfortable as she’d always imagined them, and being in something made for a toddler, that looked very much like it was, did wonders for her little space… She’d been wearing them all around, to the movies, and school, and in her room, alone… She’d told herself she needed to slow down, or someone would notice the stock deplenishing more rapidly than usual, though apparently she should have been more concerned with listening for people getting close to her door.

“Well?”

April gulped, looking up at the woman again, realizing she still hadn’t spoken. She hadn’t come up with a good story, either, and the longer she took, the more whatever she said would look like a lie. She needed to do something… So, she opened her mouth, spouted out the first thing that came to mind, fueled by a lot of old stories she’d found on the Internet.

“I-I’ve been having some bedwetting problems lately,” she blushed, hoping that would read as shame, rather than nerves. “I-I just thought… I-I didn’t think she’d mind sharing, and…”

Her step-mother sat on the edge of her bed, giving her a chance to stash her toys away under the pillow. “Aww, I’m sorry, dear,” she cooed, giving April a hug. “I know you’ve been under a lot of stress with college lately… Don’t worry, we’ll get it all taken care of.”

The Other End of the Rainbow – Chapter 13

Lucy stepped forward into the circle, thrilled to have finally made it, yet still cautious, afraid this was a joke of some kind. If it was, though, whoever had done it moved quickly… It had felt like quite the trek, but she knew it hadn’t really been all that far. It had been more of a whim than anything, something to give her an excuse to take a walk, although there had certainly been a part of her that held out hope she would make it, and find… something.

In a million years, she never would have expected to find this, though. There, in the middle of the rainbow, sat a huge, black, metal pot, overflowing with golden coins, glistening in the multi-colored light showering down around them. And, right in front of it, was a small man, dressed all in a green, with an old-timey suit, strip socks, buckled shoes, and a top hat that had a buckle of its own.

It was too hot outside – and to late in the year – for it to be St. Patrick’s Day, and her to have forgotten. That, and she had no doubt her friends would have taken her to a bar, if that were the case. That meant either this man had come up with this himself, and had everything ready to go just in case a rainbow hit nearby, or whoever else was behind this knew this little person, and was able to get in touch with him, get him a costume, and get him in position before Lucy had arrived. Or, as a third alternative, it could be real.

Whatever the case, she realized she’d been standing there, frozen, for too long, and began to move again, approaching the man. “Hello?” she called, blushing pre-emptively. Would he be offended, or think she was dumb, if she treated him like an actual leprechaun, or was this what he wanted? Or, if, by some slim chance, he truly was a leprechaun, would it tick him off if she thought he was faking, and make him take him pot of gold and leave?

“Hey,” she pulled out her phone, holding it up, deciding to go with an option that hopefully wouldn’t bother him in either case. “Do you mind if I take a picture? It’s really pretty here.”

“Oh, it’s all right,” the man winked, tipping his hat slightly. “As rainbows go, I’ve seen better.”

“Do you… see many?” she did her best to try and sound like she was simply making conversation, while snapping a photo, for proof she hadn’t been hallucinating when she told her friends about this later.

“Oh, aye,” he nodded. “Whenever it rains.”

“Cool,” she inched closer, feet gently moving from the asphalt of the path, onto the soft ground, peering into the pot. Maybe the park had set this up, she pondered; they’d made this nice, circular clearing in the middle, surrounded by trees to block out as much traffic from the city as possible, yet more than big enough for several groups to spread out picnic blankets and eat separately. But how could they have known the end of the rainbow would wind up here, to be able to prepare?

She was hardly an expert on these things, but the nearer she got, the more certain she was that it was real gold, sitting in the pot, at least the top layer. The way the light was hitting them… They weren’t just plastic coins, as she’d assumed at first glance. There was no way…

“Do you want one of me coins?” he asked.

“I found you,” she replied, trying to sound a little like she was teasing, even though, the longer this went on, the more convinced she was, despite how impossible it seemed, this was real. “Doesn’t that mean I get the whole pot?”

“A greedy one, eh?” he chuckled. “We can’t go giving out a whole pot to everyone who finds us, not these days. It’s up to you, though, lass… I can give you a coin, or I can give you a wish.”

“A wish?” Lucy had to admit, it had been a long time since she’d thought about leprechauns, certainly in any kind of serious way… The wish thing did sound familiar, however.

“Oh, aye,” he grinned. “If you want to wish for a pot of gold of your very own, you could do that. I’ve found most people have… other things… they want more.”

“Isn’t it three wishes?” she honestly didn’t know; was that some other mythical creature?

“Well, you haven’t exactly caught me, now, have you?” he asked. “I’m offering up this one out of the goodness of my heart, but if you’d like to forfeit it, and try for three…” In an instant, he vanished from beside the pot, appearing on top of the pile of gold, moving so nimbly he barely disturbed the coins. A few slid under his shoes, though none far enough to tumble out onto the ground.

It was still possible this was a prank; if it was, it was the best Lucy had ever seen, however. Her heart began to speed up, her mind racing with ideas. “N-No, I’m sorry!” she sputtered. “Just one is fine!”

“Good, then,” he said. “Now, what is it you want, lass?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“This isn’t right,” Lucy shook her head.

“Lulu, I don’t think we should be here,” Kari tugged at her arm, although, given her size, there wasn’t much she could do to move the bigger girl when she was determined to stay still, and, after everything she’d been through, Lucy wasn’t going anywhere.

Lucy was hardly an expert, but she was pretty certain she had more experience with this than most people. She’d gone the other direction this time, though, went to the other end of the rainbow… Were things different here? If so, why had she never heard stories about the witch that guarded that side? Could it be because nobody left alive?

She bit down on her bottom lip, fidgeting in her diaper as she took another step into the clearing. What if she was wrong? What if there had been a leprechaun here, too, and the witch had killed it, taken over? Maybe that was why her journey here had been so strange, and long, and difficult… Or that might have been explained by the fact she was coming here for the second time, and people were only meant to reach the end of the rainbow once, if ever…

“Yes, come closer, child,” the witch cackled. “You’re an obedient one… Bring me your friend, and we can use her, and maybe you can be my assistant. There may be enough of her to satisfy the spell.”

It wasn’t her intention, but she was, indeed, dragging Kari along. “Lulu, stop it!” she ordered, her voice a bit higher, more desperate this time. “We need to go!”

“That’s right, little one,” the witch grinned, showing her crooked, discolored teeth. “We’re going to drink your blood, and grind your bones to finish my spell… It was so nice of your friend to bring you along…”

Lucy heard Kari whimper softly, start to pull her hand away. Without thinking, she tightened her grip, felt the girl tug, and, by the time she turned back towards her to try and tell her it was all right, she could see the diaper beneath Kari’s skirt sagging slightly more under her skirt. She couldn’t stop herself from smirking, despite still not knowing if she was making the right call here; at least she knew she was right about Kari needing diapers, sometimes, anyway. Of course, if Lucy had thought she was about to be handed over to a witch to be killed, she’d probably be scared enough to wet herself, too.

“I’m sorry!” Kari squealed. “I-I’m sorry I said I should spank you, and that I made you wear a diaper! Y-You just looked so cute, I couldn’t help it! Y-You can’t let her do this to me!”

Maybe she should have calmed the girl down, let her in on her plan, but there was no way to do that without also alerting the witch. Besides, it would be lying to pretend she wasn’t enjoying the chance to be the one in charge for once. “I can do whatever I want,” she informed Kari. “You’re the baby here, not me!”

“Good, good…” the witch chortled. “Give her to me…”

“With pleasure,” Lucy grinned, pushing Kari towards the woman. At the same time, she reached out, grabbing the witch’s cloak and giving it a tug, really hoping she was right about this. “Grab him!” she ordered.

She’d been right; there, under the cloak, as she ripped it off and tossed it aside, was the leprechaun. Whether he was the one from her first time or not, she wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to assume, and make it look like she thought they all looked the same. She had no doubt he was a leprechaun, however, not this time around. Unfortunately, Kari stumbled and fell to the ground, not having time to adjust to the smaller target, if she was even grabbing for anything, as opposed to simply attempting to keep her balance after the perhaps too-hard shove she’d been given. It was hard to judge what her intention was, although the fact she didn’t have the leprechaun firmly in her grip was undeniable.

Lucy gave a swipe at it herself, but she was too slow, the leprechaun blinking away, appearing on the opposite side of the cauldron, the bubbling concoction it had been filled with before replaced with a mound of golden coins. “Not bad, lassies,” he acknowledged. “Not good enough, though.”

“Wh-What is…?” Kari shook her head, still on the ground, having plopped herself down on her padded bottom, stunned and overwhelmed. “What is happening?!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lucy patted her on the head, stepping slightly closer to the pot of gold. “Listen, we’re not going to try and catch you again, I promise… I just want one wish.” It would have been nice to get three, of course, especially now that she had someone to help, if she could calm Kari down enough to do her any good, but she was running out of time, and if she messed this up, the whole journey would have been for nothing.

“Well, I suppose you did find me,” the leprechaun nodded. “That’s worth something.”

“Actually,” Lucy said, “I don’t even want a wish… I want you to reverse one.”

“Do you now?” he smiled. “And what wish do you want to undo, then?”

Kari blushed, glancing down at Lucy beside her. “Th-The only one I’ve had granted!” she squirmed, not wanting to have to say it, definitely not in front of the other girl.

“If you want me to do anything about it, you have to tell me,” the leprechaun shrugged. “And I’d suggest doing it quickly, lass.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There were plenty of things Lucy could have asked for, most of them far more practical than what she had in mind. In fact, she wouldn’t call what she was thinking about ‘practical’ at all… It was silly, maybe even stupid, but she couldn’t help herself.

There was a reason she liked to talk about it with her friends so much, whether it was true or not. In her mind, it was real, every word of it, and she loved it… Imagining Kari really was a bedwetter, that maybe she even had accidents during the day sometimes, but that nobody would care, because she was so cute and little that it was practically expected… There was something so sweet, and wholesome, and appealing about that… And something that made Lucy a bit jealous.

If it was her all those rumors were about, after all, everyone would think it was weird, and maybe a little sad… She was tall, and always had been, and, whether anyone else thought it or not, she’d assumed that meant everyone saw her as more mature, more grown-up, definitely too much so to be a bedwetter. It certainly wouldn’t be something that could be laughed off, the way any story about Kari needing to wear diapers to bed was.

“I-I… I want to know what it’s like to be Kari,” she said, finally. “Or, you know… The way I imagine her.”

“The way you imagine her, eh?” the leprechaun nodded. “Aye, I think I can do that. Of course, I don’t think the Kari you imagine would ever be on a trip like this, would she? Her mother would never let her head into the city with her friends, and no adult supervision.”

Lucy had to admit, that did make sense. She’d never met the girl’s parents, but she assumed part of her immature style was because her parents didn’t want to let go of her as a little girl… And, thanks to her size, they didn’t have to. She’d always imagined them as overbearing, and overprotective…

“Pleasure to meet you, lass,” the leprechaun tipped his hat, winked, and, in a flash, Lucy was back home. It took her a long moment to realize that, though, and only because she recognized the view from her window… Everything else was different, most importantly the bars stretching up from the sides of her bed – not tall enough to truly trap her inside, since she had no doubt she could climb over them if she wanted, but enough to make it clear it was a crib – and the diaper bulging out from beneath her cutesie, pink nightshirt, something she would have normally been too afraid to buy for herself, afraid it would make her look silly, like she was trying too hard to prove she was still a girly girl, despite her height.

Everything was different, however, her movie and band posters replaced with ones of cartoons and ponies, a changing table in place of her desk… It was a bit more extreme than she realistically thought Kari’s room would be, yet she couldn’t deny she’d fantasized about being invited over to the girl’s house to help her with a school project, and finding something very much like this.

Lucy herself was not among the things that had changed, though. Her mother bustled in after a couple minutes to get her up from her nap, and change her from her diaper into training pants until bedtime, and she didn’t seem to find anything strange about any of it… But Lucy had to admit, it wasn’t quite what she had in mind, and she still felt too big, and out of place, in the childish clothes her closet was now filled with… And, especially after having Kari hired as a babysitter for her, she realized she wasn’t so curious about the girl’s clothing choices, and whether she could keep her bed dry, because she was jealous of her; it was because she wanted to take care of her. Of course, when she was the one being babysat, and struggling not to have too big of an accident, and wind up in diapers herself, that wasn’t exactly feasible…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lucy glanced down at the ground, not looking in Kari’s direction, hoping, from her silence, she hadn’t heard what she’d said. Perhaps she was still too shocked at everything else; maybe the leprechaun had made it so they were talking privately. Or Kari might not know what to say to all that, to knowing magic existed, and had so thoroughly remade the world she lived in on the Lucy’s whim.

“All right,” the leprechaun nodded. “I can un-do that for you, lass. Now, what would you like?”

“Wait,” Lucy’s eyes widened. “Do I get to make a new wish, too?”

“Not you,” he chuckled. “A greedy one, aren’t you? Your friend here got to me on time, too, didn’t she?”

Lucy’s eyes darted over to Kari; she hadn’t even considered that. Kari climbed to her feet, brushing herself off, glaring at her, suddenly looking much taller than anyone her size ought to. “That’s what you thought I was like?” she shook her head. “Just because I’m short, you thought I should be treated like a baby?”

“N-No, I didn’t mean…” Lucy tried to explain.

“I’ve seen your room… I knew what you meant,” Kari rolled her eyes. “I want you to make her into a kindergartener again,” she declared, jabbing a finger at Lucy.

“W-Wait!” Lucy gasped, gulping as she saw herself starting to shrink already, her breasts and hips melting away, arms and legs growing a little chubbier, re-gaining baby fat. “Kari!”

“You can let her grow up,” Kari said, her one pointing finger turning into two, “but make sure she’s always the shortest kid in class… And that she never gets taller than me. I want to make sure I can always babysit her, and know she’ll never be able to pull anything like this again,” she jabbed at her diaper with her other hand.

“Th-That’s not faiw!” Lucy whined, blushing, her own hands shooting up to her mouth as she heard her old lisp returning. “That’s mowe than one wish!”

“Aye,” the leprechaun agreed. “But she did touch me… You made sure of that, throwing her at me like you did. Her hand brushed against me, and I’m a fair man, I’ll count that as good as ‘caught’. She gets three.”

“B-But…!” Lucy stomped her foot. “I was the one who knew to come hewe! I knew you wewe faking! It’s not faiw!”

“And for my third wish,” Kari held up another finger, “I want her to know what it was really like for me. I want there to always be rumors about her being too little and immature for big girl panties, and how she has to wear diapers to bed every night… And make those rumors true.”

“That’s anothew wish!” Lucy crossed her arms sulkily. “That’s fouw! She can’t do that!”

“Well…” the leprechaun shrugged in the fading light of the rainbow. “I might just allow it. Good night, then, lasses.”

He tipped his hat, as the multi-colored lights faded away, and, before Lucy knew what was happening, the clearing vanished, and she was falling, falling….

“What are you doing up?”

Lucy gasped, sitting up in bed with a start, glancing over to see her mother standing in the doorway. She looked down at herself, stomach churning to see the childish form under her blankets, tucked around her tight enough to show the huge bulge of her diaper. This wasn’t her old crib, one made for someone adult-sized… She was pretty sure this was a real crib, meant for a baby, and she fit into it perfectly, so much so that she had a feeling, unlike before, she wasn’t going to be able to climb out if the side was put up.

“That’s my fault!” Kari hopped up from the chair she’d pulled over to the edge of the crib, shutting the book she’d been holding. “I am so sorry… She got so caught up in her bedtime story… And, well, so did I… And I lost track of time…”

“That’s all right, dear,” Lucy’s mother smiled. “It looked like she was starting to nod off anyway… And you know how hard it is for her to get to sleep before I get home.” She paused, sniffing the air, then stepping over to the crib, giving the lump of Lucy’s diaper a probing pat, one that revealed to both of them that the leprechaun hadn’t given her a fresh one.

“Lucy!” her mother scolded. “I know Kari just put you in that before she tucked you in… And you had a stinky accident already? Honestly, young lady… If you can’t stay clean through a bedtime story, I don’t know if you’re really ready for Pull-Ups at school.”

“Mommy!” Lucy squealed unhappily. Going back to kindergarten was bad enough… Having to do it in Pull-Ups would have made it worse, but diapers?! She glanced over at Kari, tears in her eyes, realizing this was only the start, that it would only get worse as she got older, and went through school all over again, especially once she was old enough that the occasional accident wasn’t as easily excused as it would be in kindergarten…

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice that!” Kari shook her head. “I am really slipping tonight, I don’t know what…”

“It’s fine,” Lucy’s mother promised. “It happens. You’re still the best babysitter I’ve ever had, dear.”

“That’s very sweet,” Kari smiled modestly. “I’ll get out of your hair and let you take care of this… You can just get me my money next time, okay? I don’t want to make her wait too long for a clean diaper.”

“If you’re sure,” the woman said. “You’re such an angel.”

“I don’t know about that,” Kari chuckled, grinning down at Lucy, bending down to kiss her on the forehead. “Welcome home,” she whispered, before straightening back up, saying a cheery, “Good night!,” and practically skipping out of the nursery.

This was her home, Lucy mused, as her mother picked her up easily, for the first time that Lucy could remember. Her own tiny size was disconcerting, to say the least, realizing how easily her mother, or anyone else, could do anything they wanted to her, that she was as helpless as a real child, that it was very unlikely anyone would trust someone as small and fragile as her to try and repeat that trip on her own, for a third time, not until she was much, much older, if ever, so she could try to reverse all these wishes, if she could even get rid of them all at once…

Everything was different, but this was what her life was now. This was her home, such as it was… And, as they said, there was, really, no other place quite like it. Considering what it had become, that was probably a good thing, though, boy, did she wish she had just stayed there and played dress-up, like Kari wanted, to begin with. She could have at least pretended to be a grown-up, then… Now, that was so far out of her reach, so ridiculous, she didn’t think anyone would believe it, even in a game. Nobody… Least of all, herself.

 

The End

 

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Her Favorite Holidays

Part 1

 

Dolly had no idea what the announcement meant, but the very sound of it was enough to make her squirm in her diapers, feeling the fresh damp spot she’d just made. There was a chance it wasn’t anything bad, and, perhaps, it would even be good… Considering what the past couple months had been like, however, she very much doubted that.

“Come on,” Tara told her, already out of her desk. “Let’s go!”

Dolly stared up at her taller friend, wondering why she was so eager. Did she just not want to be in class? It was boring, sure, yet, as long as they behaved themselves – which was harder for Tara, it seemed, so maybe it made sense – they were safe. Going to the Principal’s office, on the other hand…

“What are you freaking out about?” Tara asked, once they were in the hall, clearly having sensed her friend’s hesitation. “This is what we’ve been trying to do ever since we got here!”

That was true… The first few weeks after St. Patrick’s Day, when they’d wound up being enrolled in this Academy against their wills, they’d tried every day to get an audience with the Principal, to explain they didn’t belong here, and should be allowed to return to their own college, only to be turned away each time, told the woman was too busy to see them. Eventually, they’d given up, and started pursuing other avenues for escape, which, so far, also hadn’t worked out.

“I-I guess,” Dolly nodded. “Do you think that’s what she actually wants to see us for, though?”

“Who cares?” Tara rolled her eyes. “Once we’re there, we can make it about that!”

Dolly wasn’t nearly as confident… At this point, she was content to ride out the next couple days as inconspicuously as possible. The students here weren’t allowed visitors normally, but that Sunday was Mother’s Day, and it was a special exception. They also were only given permission to use the phone if they were very well-behaved, and neither of them had earned the privilege yet, other than a single precisely timed, and closely observed, call to invite their mothers.

Tara’s call had just served to inform her that her older siblings were sending her parents on a cruise as a combined present for it and Father’s Day, so she wouldn’t be around… Dolly’s family lived far enough away it had been difficult to convince her mom to come, since Dolly didn’t have time to explain the whole situation, or the guts to tell her about the worst of what happened here, in case the phone got pulled away from her if she did, but, right before she was forced to hang up, her mother had agreed.

It wasn’t perfect, or even ideal, yet it was the best either of them could come up with. Her mom would get there, see what kind of place this was, and get them out… Unless, of course, Tara did something stupid and lost her Mother’s Day visiting privileges, along with Dolly’s by association. The two were constantly together, so Dolly always got in trouble with her, if only because the teachers said she should have stopped her friend.

“Okay, just… Be careful,” Dolly told her.

But, unsurprisingly, as soon as they were in the Prinicipal’s office, Tara was on the attack. “What kind of place are you running?” she demanded. “You’d better let us out of here right now, and fire the teacher who kidnapped us, or I’m going to be pressing charges against this whole awful prison!”

“You are a feisty one,” the Principal raised her eyebrow, otherwise seeming utterly unimpressed. “I can see why your teachers recommended you. And what about you?” she turned to Dolly. “Do you feel the same?”

Dolly gulped, glancing up at Tara, not wanting to betray her, while also feeling very uncomfortable at the sight of the large, wooden paddle hanging behind the Principal’s desk. “I-I know we don’t belong here…” she agreed meekly.

“Oh, don’t you?” the Principal smirked, stepping around her desk and grabbing Dolly’s skirt before she could react, lifting it up to reveal her damp diaper. Dolly squirmed, red-cheeked, as the woman pressed a hand to the wet padding. “According to your records, your last change was less than half an hour ago, young lady. Why have you already used your diaper again? Did you even ask a teacher if you could use the bathroom?”

“N-No, ma’am,” Dolly admitted, certain the woman already knew the answer, and that lying would be a bad idea.

She felt so silly, having to stand in front of a teacher at her age, wearing a diaper, and beg for permission to go to the bathroom… Especially when there were other students there in the classroom with her, which was almost always. If she didn’t really have to go, or if she didn’t need to poop, when she couldn’t be the first student in the room – with Tara, of course – she usually tried to wait until the next class… And, usually, it didn’t work out. Tara was the same way, but she had a much bigger, stronger bladder, and actually could wait a few classes, for the perfect opportunity. Dolly was less lucky in that department…

There were diapers on-hand in every classroom, but they were mostly there as a deterrent, or a way to discipline unruly students for the rest of the day. The teacher who had brought them here had made them wear theirs for the whole first week… Between Tara’s acting out, and Dolly’s accidents, they hadn’t been out of them since.

The Principal let Dolly’s skirt fall back into place. “Not only do the two of you clearly belong here, you’re some of the most… deserving… students we’ve had in a very long time. So much so, in fact, that I have a special… surprise for you. Come along.”

She ushered the girls out of her office, and to the dorms, past their room and up to the very top floor. Neither of them had been there before; nobody had, as far as they knew. The door was kept locked, with the students all whispering about why, claiming it was haunted, or some sort of secret laboratory.

When the Principal opened the door, however, it looked like every other floor… At least, until she pushed open the door to one of the rooms. It was similar to their current room, except there was only one bed in it… And one oversized crib.

“What the hell is this?!” Tara spat.

“This is where you two get to make a choice,” the Principal told them. “I want both of you to stay quiet and listen until I’ve finished talking, or I’ll make it for you. One of you is going to sleep in that bed, and things will mostly stay the same for you; the other is getting the crib…. And everything that comes along with it.

“The girl in the crib will no longer receive any bathroom privileges whatsoever. In fact, if they ask for any, they’ll be given a spanking… If they’re caught in the bathroom… Well, let’s just say you don’t want that to happen. They will be given an early curfew, which the other girl will be in charge of enforcing. If a faculty member finds the cribbed girl not under her covers, or with her eyes open, after that curfew, both of you will be disciplined.

“The girl in the crib will be barred from participating in any extracurricular activities. When she isn’t in class, in the showers, or eating, she’ll spend all her time in the crib. She’ll be spending her entire weekends there, and will only be allowed to go to the Nurse for a fresh diaper at mealtimes…. However, she will only be given two changes a day. Her friend will determine when those times will be, and, if the girl’s diaper leaks because she chose poorly, her friend will be the one disciplined for it.

“Finally, the cribbed girl will be immediately put on a strict diet of baby food and bottles. A high chair will be assembled in the cafeteria for her, and she’ll stay in it until she finishes every bit of it at each meal. Again, the other girl is responsible for making sure that happens in a timely matter… It is not an acceptable excuse for being late for your post-lunch class.”

Dolly’s eyes widened further and further the longer the woman talked, her stomach churning at the thought of having to do all that… Or, really, having to do all that to Tara. One of them was, essentially, going to become the babysitter for the other, made to go along with all these ridiculous new rules… Even knowing they were doing it because they had no choice, it would be hard for the other not to grow resentful of her.

“What the two of you need to do now,” the Principal continued, after giving her last speech time to sink in, “is decide which of you will be staying in the crib. It’s up to you… Both of you deserve it, for different reasons. If you can’t choose, or try to be clever by saying both or neither of you, just know the room next door has two cribs in it, and it is ready for you to move in as well. Now, go on, make your choice… Your time is running out.”

The friends looked at each other in shock, neither wanting to be the first to speak, hoping the other would volunteer, make this easier. It wasn’t a huge surprise that Tara was the one to finally break the silence. “You’re shorter,” she pointed out. “You’d probably be more comfortable in the crib, so…”

“What?!” Dolly gasped, feeling like she’d been punched in the gut. “You think just because I’m a little shorter than you, I deserve to…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud, squirming in her diaper, imagining how gross and humiliating it would be to have to do everything in it. “You’re the reason we’re here in the first place! If you wouldn’t have been so loud in the bar, or so rude to that teacher, we…”

“You need those diapers anyway!” Tara shot back. “I don’t deserve to be in these stupid things!”

“And I do?!” Dolly fumed.

“Yes! Every time we’d get the slighest bit tipsy, you’d pee yourself… And have you seen your potty chart in the Nurse’s office? A two year old would be ashamed of that!”

Tears stung Dolly’s eyes, and she prepared to defend herself, only to realize what was going on. This was exactly what the Principal wanted… She wanted them to fight, and use up all their five minutes… She wanted them both to wind up in cribs. “Tara, listen,” she said, trying to calm down, to get Tara to chill out. “My mom is coming here for Mother’s Day… Y-You just have to make it until then! If she gets here, and sees me in a crib, in a diaper… Sh-She’ll think I deserve it, a-and she won’t help us…”

She hadn’t had accidents in her pants for years, at least before she’d wound up in the Academy, though, when she had… She had no idea if her mom would have ever followed through with it, but she’d threatened her with diaper discipline more than once when she was younger. Dolly doubted she’d be able to earn her way out of diapers before Sunday; if she was extra careful not to have any accidents, so that she was perfectly dry when the woman got there, hopefully she’d still be willing to get them out of there. If she saw any evidence Dolly needed those diapers, however…

“Well, maybe you do!” Tara growled, unwilling to listen, or back down.

“I don’t!” Dolly whined, stomping her foot. “A-And I know you don’t either, but if you just do this, then…”

“At least I have a chance of getting out of diapers!” Tara told her. “You’re going to be in them either way.”

“No, I won’t!” Dolly insisted. “I-I was out of diapers for years before this place! Maybe you ought to spend a little more time in them! Maybe you’d learn to be less of a bully, and how to think before you act, and get your friends in trouble!”

Neither of the squabbling girls heard the Principal say, “Tick-tock, one minute left.” She knew they’d complain about that late, claim she should have warned them…. That was why she’d made sure to turn the security camera on in this room, despite how certain she’d been that the girls would be moving in next door instead. It would be very satisfying to show them the tape after they whined over how it wasn’t fair, to show them how much they both deserved what they were earning themselves if they couldn’t somehow reach an agreement in their rapidly dwindling remaining seconds.

Listening the what Dolly had said, she doubted the girl’s mother would have many objections to this anyway, but it would still be fun to show her this video as well, to really drive home why her daughter needed to be here. She had a feeling she’d be getting her own Mother’s Day present this year, getting to see the girl’s mom scold her, yank her surely soaked diaper down, spank her, and inform her she’d be staying in this school for a very long time… Maybe she’d wait a few weeks to send the video to Tara’s parents so they could come down for Father’s Day, and she’d be certain to have some entertainment then, too.

She always loved these holidays, getting to show parents how bratty their children really were, how much they deserved their enrollment at her Academy… And then, in another year or two, depending on how resilient they were, how much progress she’d made on turning them into obedient, respectful young men and women, even if they might sometimes need the occasional spanking or diaper to keep them in line. Honestly, they might even be her favorite holidays… And she was sure she’d be experiencing quite a few of them with these two brats.

“Uh-oh,” she chirped, loud enough this time to stop the girls, Tara’s hand tugging on one of Dolly’s ponytails, Dolly stomping her feet and crying like the helpless baby she was, whining for help instead of trying to do anything herself. “Time’s up.”

Part 3

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Trapped – Part 2

Hana closed her eyes, shaking her head, heart pounding in her chest. She knew something was wrong… This wasn’t real. There was no way it could be! There were teleportation spells out there, of course, that could have taken her somewhere else, but something told her that wasn’t what this was… That was very high level magic, well beyond what she was capable of. Perhaps it was wishful thinking that the master of this dungeon couldn’t, either, since it would mean she and her friends likely had no chance of beating them… This didn’t even feel like her own plane of existence, however, and transporting someone to another one of those was a more complicated spell than ‘simple’ teleportation.

“This isn’t real,” she told herself, keeping her eyes shut tight. “This isn’t real…”

Alfred cawed at her, no doubt berating her for just standing around when they had so much to do. When Hana opened her eyes again, she was back in the dungeon, surrounded by stone and torches, in that same long, empty hallway she’d been in before. “Oh, thank the gods,” she breathed a sigh of relief, giving her familiar a kiss on the forehead, which earned her a reproachful stare. “You would not believe what just happened,” she said. “Come on, we need to find everyone and get out of here.” Donovan, especially, worried her, after what she’d heard, if that had truly been his voice and not some decoy, which seemed rather possible at this point.

Alfred chirped at her, hopping around on her shoulder. “Calm down,” she rolled her eyes. “I was glad to see you. It wouldn’t hurt you to show a little more affection, either, you know.” He wasn’t happy about that, but Hana didn’t have time to deal with that now; she’d give him some extra berries once they escape this place, and if that didn’t make him feel better, nothing would.

“Ouch!” she winced as he gave a shrill warning call, one he normally saved for the most dire circumstances. She turned, of course, to make sure nothing was trying to sneak up on her, but, as far as she could tell, she was alone in the hall, other than her increasingly tiresome bird companion. “Honestly, Alfred… What is wrong with you?”

She spun herself back around and began to head further into the dungeon, not seeing the grim silhouette that appeared out of the shadows behind her, glowing white eyes following her every movement as it clutched its staff.

“This place is a maze,” Hana shook her head, after turning a few corners, seeing more halls stretching out past each in more than one direction. “I told them we should have waited…” Not that it really would have made much of a difference… It did make her feel a bit better, knowing there was more to this place than met the eye, although even if they’d rested up, they still probably would have done basically the same things.

Alfred had, fortunately, calmed down a little, the further in they’d gone, but he chirped at her again, in a different way. He didn’t sound alarmed now, more like he wanted to tell her something; she’d been with him long enough to know what that usually meant. “You think so?” she asked, examining the walls closely. Sure enough, she noticed a stone, jutting out slightly from all the rest.

Just like at the door where the party had gotten separated, Hana hated to potentially waste a spell, especially when she didn’t feel the presence of any magic… But, after what had happened last time, it was easier to convince herself to do it, just in case. She cast dispel magic, hoping it would clear out any magical traps, then pushed the stone. The room beyond looked innocent enough, although she knew better than to trust that.

She took out her dagger, casting a Light spell on it to make it glow, since that was easier than trying to jump up and grab a torch from the wall. She jabbed her dagger forward, cautiously inching forwards, looking around at the walls of the room to see what was there, finally stepping inside…

Instantly, she was back to that place, her robes and weapon gone, naked, staring out at all those children. There were more mature adults around, too, including the one who stepped forward, bending down to look her in the eye. “And what are you doing out here naked, hon?”

Hana’s eyes shot to the kids, slowly starting to piece together what was happening, her mind racing, wondering how she’d gotten back here. She wanted to banish it, to remind herself it wasn’t real, yet, with this larger woman there, over her, it would be dangerous to take her eyes off of her.

“Well?” the woman asked. “What do you have to say for yourself, little girl?”

The words stung, even as they started to make things more clear. It was a mistake, clearly… She didn’t know how she’d gotten here, but, somehow, these humans thought she was one of them. “I-I’m not a kid,” she told the woman, as calmly as she could manage. “I’m a halfling, and…”

“A what?” the woman smiled. “A half-pint?”

“No,” Hana shook her head. “A halfling! I come from the village of…”

“Yes, I know you’re a cute, little half-pint,” the woman poked Hana in her bare tummy, earning an involuntary giggle. “That doesn’t mean you aren’t a kid, though… And it definitely doesn’t mean you can just run around nakie all day! Come on!”

“No!” Hana fumed as the woman picked her up, opening the door again. “Just listen to me!”

“Somebody’s cranky today,” the second woman smiled as she handed Hana back to the first.

“Yes, she is,” the first agreed, carrying Hana back to the place she’d escaped from, setting her down on top of a fresh diaper. “And she’ll be getting a spanking if she keeps it up!”

Hana gulped as her bottom sank into the soft padding beneath her, her mind blanking for a moment as it absorbed the feeling. “Wh-What is wrong with you?” she asked finally, as she was pushed gently backwards. “I’m a halfling, not a baby!”

“Of course you aren’t a baby,” the first woman said, perking Hana up briefly, until she continued. “You’re a big girl, but even big girls need diapers from time to time.” Hana squirmed helplessly as the diaper was pulled up between her legs, pushing her thighs apart with its bulk. “And you need them now.”

“No, I don’t!” Hana insisted. “I am a fully grown woman! And a wizard!”

“Oh?” the woman smirked. “A wizard? Can you do magic, sweetie? Let’s see it, then.” She pulled one of the sides of the diaper up snugly, pushing it on the front, where it stayed, somehow, without pins.

It should have been simple enough to send a cone of flame into the air above her, past the women – in case they were innocent pawns, since they hadn’t physically attacked her yet – but when she uttered the words, nothing happened. She frowned, trying again, as the woman repeated the process on the other side, fastening the diaper onto the little wizard completely.

“Here,” the second woman handed the first a pink dress, which she pulled over Hana’s head before picking her up, setting her down on the floor. The skirt was so short, the diaper was almost entirely visible… But that didn’t seem to bother either of the women nearly as much as it did Hana.

“Sorry, sweetie,” the first shrugged. “I didn’t see anything, so I guess that means you’re just a cute, little girl after all.”

“No, I’m not!” Hana stomped her foot. “I-I just don’t have my spell book, that’s all!” She didn’t have anything… Although, in reality, she knew she did, that it had to be in her bag, around her shoulder…. “I am twenty-two years old, and…!”

“Aww,” the second woman smiled. “That’s so cute… No, hon, you’re only this many,” she held up two fingers on one hand, then the other as well. “Did you think if you put them together like this, that makes you twenty-two?” She moved her hands together. “Sorry, but that isn’t how it works.”

“I am not two!” Hana yelled, offended at the very idea. “I am an adult, and you people had better let me go right now, or…!”

She yelped as the first woman picked her up, carrying her easily over to a rocking chair, sitting down and positioning the squirming halfling over her lap. “You are two!” she declared, punctuating it with a swat to Hana’s bottom. Through the diaper’s padding, it didn’t hurt, not really, but it was still humiliating, and surprising, enough to earn a squeal from the girl. “You need your diapers! I don’t want to argue with you about this any more!”

For a human, the woman wasn’t even that large, but she was still more than twice Hana’s size, and, despite the padding’s protection, Hana felt tears welling up in her eyes as her hand kept smacking against it, making her wriggle and whine. She tried to remind herself this wasn’t real, that it was surely another trap of some sort; the growing soreness in her bottom made that hard to fully accept.

“It’s okay,” the woman finally stopped, pulling Hana up into a hug as the halfling sniffled, tears trickling down her cheeks. “I know it’s fun to play pretend, but sometimes, you have to accept the truth, okay? Now, how old are you, dear?” Hana stared up at her, nibbling on her bottom lip, until the woman pushed something into her mouth. Hana wasn’t sure what it was, simply that it was filling her mouth, and, as she tried to work her tongue around it, to figure out what it could be, so she could spit it out, she found herself starting to suck on it involuntarily, finding it oddly soothing. “Is it this many?” the woman asked gently, holding up two fingers.

Hana shook her head. “No!” she insisted, struggling to speak around the thing in her mouth. “I’m twenty-two!”

“All right,” the woman sighed, standing up and carrying Hana over to the corner, setting her down on her feet. “You’re going to stay here until you can tell me the truth, okay. Keep your nose facing there, and your paci in your mouth, got it?” When Hana hesitated to answer, the woman knelt down, staring her in the eye. “Do you understand, Hana?”

Hana gulped, sucking harder on the object – the paci, the woman had called it – in her mouth, squirming in her diaper, listening to the soft, subtle noises it made under the short skirt of her dress. Bashfully, she nodded, not feeling like she had much of a choice here, without her spell book, or even her dagger.

She could hear movement behind herself, and wondered if the humans were still there, watching, but there was no way to know for certain without turning around, which she’d been told specifically not to do. What would they do if she disobeyed? Would they spank her again? Or something worse? She couldn’t believe this… How dare they treat her this way?! And act as if they didn’t know what she was talking about, when she told them what she was…

She gasped, blushing slightly; what was wrong with her?! None of this was real anyway! She’d gotten so caught up in it, she forgot this was a trap, either something that was happening purely in her mind, or, at worst, something that had taken her to another plane, perhaps one where halflings truly didn’t exist until now…

She needed to do what she had last time, remind herself of what was real, break free… She sighed, starting to close her eyes, only to, fortunately, glance downwards first, and see the shadowy tentacle inching towards her foot. She gasped into the paci, jumping back, right as the thing reached out, winding around her leg, yanking her down, making her fall onto her diapered backside with a soft thump.

“Get away!” she whined, swatting at the tentacle, her hand passing through it like smoke, although it still kept its iron grip on her leg, creeping further and further up…. And, once her hand touched it, another sprang up, grabbing it as well. “Let me go!” she sniffled, not thinking before trying, frantically, to pull that one away with her other hand, creating a third tentacle to restrain that hand as well, leaving her all but helpless to watch as the first slithered up her leg, slipping into the leghole of her diaper.

She couldn’t see it past then, though she definitely felt it, wriggling in the tight, thick garment for a moment or two before pushing inside her body. “No!” She knew it was doing something to her, could tell things were changing, but her mind was starting to cloud up again, too… “Let me… go…” she squirmed, groaning.

“I-It’s not… real…” she told herself, shaking her head, sucking on her pacifier. She forced herself to close her eyes, to ignore what was happening, since it didn’t matter anyway. “It’s not real…”

And, when she opened her eyes again, she was back in the dungeon, sitting on the floor of the hidden room, still glowing dagger in front of her. “Oh, thank the gods,” she mumbled, frowning momentarily before realizing she had her thumb in her mouth, though she didn’t have long to worry about that, as there was something else more urgent to notice.

She squealed, pressing her free hand to her crotch, eyes widening as she felt a wetness there, frantically ordering her muscles to tense back up, to stop what they were doing. They listened, but not before she’d already peed in her undergarments more than she would have liked to admit, leaving behind a small puddle on the floor when she clambered to her feet.

This wasn’t good… It wasn’t good at all. “Alfred!” she looked at the bird, staring down at her from a table in the room. “You have to find the others!” she told him. “I-I don’t know if I can do this on my own… Bring them to me, okay? Please?” The raven almost appeared concerned for a moment, then bobbed its head and flew off, leaving her alone, still, unknowingly, sucking her thumb.

She stepped over towards the table Alfred had been perched on, and saw what she thought at first was just a drawing; it was quite worrying how long it took her mind to recognize it as a map. She snatched it off, sitting back on the floor since there were no chairs, holding her dagger over it. It looked like it ought to be fairly simple, but trying to decipher all those lines made her brain hurt. She knew this was important, though… Very important… She shoved it into her bag, then stumbled to her feet again, back out into the hall…

And out into the room with all the other children. Or, rather, the human kids… She wasn’t one of them. She shook her head, confused, having a hard time remembering what had just happened. She’d been really worried about something… She had to get away… But what was it?

She squeaked at the sight of the grown-up, recalling how she’d been put into the corner, and told to stay there. That had to be it, she decided; she needed to make sure she wasn’t caught outside of her time-out. She toddled forward, finding it difficult to move easily in her big, bulky diaper, nervously nursing her paci.

“Hey!”

Hana’s eyes went wide at the word, shrinking back a bit when she saw one of the kids looking at her. She was bigger than Hana, and it didn’t look like she was in diapers, either. Hana blushed, inching away, feeling scared of her for some reason, even though, somewhere in the depths of her increasingly fuzzy mind, she knew she was much older than her.

“Do you wanna play?” the girl asked, shoving a doll towards Hana.

“I-I’m busy…” Hana told her, and she knew it was true… There was something she was supposed to be doing, although, for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what it was, and, the more she looked at the doll, and at the other kids playing, the more fun it looked…

She wasn’t sure how much time she lost, playing with the doll with the other girls, bobbing it up and down, taking it on little adventures… All she knew, when she felt the pain in her tummy, was that she was happy, and having fun, and far too busy to worry about anything else, so she just gave a little push…

She didn’t connect that with the weird feeling her her diaper at first, the icky sensation that was starting to spread, making her wrinkle her nose and try to wiggle away. By the time she did, it was too late, her hand shooting to the expanding seat of her diaper as she frantically fought to stop what her body was doing, and discovering there was nothing she could do about it.

“Ew!” the little girl who had given her the doll exclaimed, turning to one of the others. “Go tell Ms. Marie Hana needs a change!”

“No!” Hana wailed, cheeks warming, tears springing to her eyes. It was bad enough her playmates clearly knew what she was doing… If they told the grown-ups, she’d really be in trouble! She’d told them she didn’t need diapers, and she was supposed to be in the corner! She’d get another spanking for sure, at least!

She scrambled to her feet, the mushy mass in her pants shifting with her every move, making the diaper even harder to walk normally in. She’d really done it now… How was she going to convince them she wasn’t a baby, now that she’d pooped her pants?! She needed to get away, she needed to…

There was something more important she needed to do. She’d forgotten all about it, while she was playing, but it was coming back to her now, slowly. Her book… She needed her spell book! If she had it, she could prove she didn’t belong here! She scurried away from the girls, looking around for the book. She should remember what it looked like… She’d spent hours hunched over it, jotting down new spells she’d learned; it ought to be burned into her mind by now.

But there were a lot of books here. There were bookshelves full of them, some scattered on the floor, some sitting in front of kids, who had them open, gawking down at the pictures. Which was hers?! It must be there somewhere…. She’d had it on her at some point, had carried it, though, since she’d wound up nude, she must have set it down, and now it could be anywhere…

She toddled past anyone that had a book, getting a good enough look to try and confirm if it was hers or not; none of them seemed familiar. Luckily, although the big humans were tall, the shelves seemed to be built for the children, so she could see all the books without much trouble, unless they were on the top shelf, when she had to get on her tip-toes… But those didn’t look right, either.

“Where is it?!” she pouted, stomping her foot, wrinkling her nose as the mess in her diaper moved, reminding her that, if she failed, she was going to look more like a baby than ever.

“Umm… What are you looking for?” She turned to find a little boy staring at her, blushing as she looked down at her feet. “My Mommy says it’s easier to look with two people than one, so…”

“I-I need my spell book,” she told him after a moment of hesitation. “It’s really important…”

“Oh!” he smiled. “I know where those are!” He hurried off, with her struggling to keep up, following him back to one of the shelves she’d already investigated. “Here!” he gestured proudly, plucking one off the shelf and handing it to her. “This is my favorite!”

Hana frowned; she didn’t think that was what her spell book looked like, but she decided to open it anyway. There didn’t seem to be nearly enough pages, and there were so many bright, cheery pictures… And only a few words per page, with one letter in particular written large on each one, although she couldn’t decipher even them.

“It’s really good,” the boy promised. “I learned my ABCs from it, and now I’m learning to spell, and…”

“No!” Tears stung Hana’s eyes. This wasn’t what she wanted… Was it? She couldn’t even remember for certain, but she was willing to assume it wasn’t, since she had no idea what it said. She hoped it wasn’t, at least. Hana grabbed one of the pages, ripping it out in anger, throwing the paper on the floor. “This isn’t right! I want my spell book, and I want it now!”

She should have known better than to raise a fuss when she was trying to keep a low profile, but she couldn’t help herself… She was upset, and that was the only thing she could think to do about it. All it accomplished, however, was drawing the grown-ups to her, to snatch the book out of her hand and demand, “What has gotten into you today, Hana?” before swatting her on the bottom. “Oh, I see,” the woman nodded, picking the halfling up, earning another wrinkled nose as she rested the dirty diaper on her hip. “Let’s get you changed again… And I guess we’d better keep you away from those books from now on, huh? Are you too young for them, still? Don’t worry, we have some nice board books you can read, or ones with plastic pages you can’t destroy…”

“I-I want my spell book!” Hana sniffled, surprised to find herself crying again. It was all so overwhelming…

“Hey, it’s okay,” the woman bounced her slightly. “Accidents happen… And I’m willing to believe that was an accident, this time. You don’t have to be upset.” She laid Hana down again, started to change her diaper, which was nice, since it got Hana into something clean, and far less icky, but didn’t stop her tears. “What’s wrong, honey?” The woman frowned down at her for a few seconds, then lit up. “I know! You don’t have Alfred! Is that what you want?”

Hana perked up; he would help! She’d sent him to get help, in fact, hadn’t she? If he was back, maybe her friends were there, too… She nodded eagerly, sitting up, feeling slightly better as she watched the woman step away, and return with… a stuffed animal. A toy. She shook her head, whining, wanting to tell the woman that wasn’t Alfred…

But it was awfully cute, anyway… And, when the woman held it out to her, she couldn’t resist grabbing it, cuddling it, sucking on her pacifier… It did make her feel a little better, she had to admit. Maybe she was wrong; maybe this was what Alfred truly was, and she’d imagined him being a real bird… She squeezed him tighter as the woman put her on the floor again, not noticing the black tendrils trailing off the toy, reaching into her, clouding her old memories, making them feel more and more like dreams, the games of an imaginative toddler…

—————————————

“Get back!” Donovan commanded, summoning a throwing knife of pure energy and hurling it at the cloaked specter, the weapon passing through its shoulder and sinking into the doorframe. It let out an unearthly hiss, turning to glare at them all, then floated away from the doorway and through the hard rock of the wall on the other side of the hall, well out of his reach.

“Was that a wraith?” Mai asked.

“I believe so,” Korinn nodded, turning towards the raven that had found them all in this maze of a dungeon. “Is that what you were trying to tell us, Alfred? Did Hana try to go up against that alone?”

“Look!” Donovan pointed, urging the others onwards, into the room the wraith had been in front of. There, he saw Hana’s bag, her spellbook in front of it, pages torn out, and a glowing portal. On the other side sat what he had thought, at first, was a human child, although, the longer he looked, the more he realized it was Hana.

She looked up, confused at first, eyes blank and empty, before starting to fill with surprise then horror, her cheeks turning red. She glanced down at the toy she was holding, at what she was wearing, squirming uncomfortably… Then, seemed to notice the portal was shrinking. Frantically, she reached out, as if begging them to get her out of there, to save her… But it was already too late, and it closed, leaving behind an empty room, her adventuring gear, and a map.

Korinn pushed past Donovan, examining the area, but she didn’t know nearly enough about magic to be able to tell how to open the portal again. She knelt down, picking up Hana’s belongings, tears stinging her eyes. Mai, on the other hand, went for the map.

“Here,” she pointed. “There’s the other exit. If we go back this way, I think…”

“We can’t just leave her here!” Donovan insisted. “She could be in danger!”

“And so could we,” Mai reminded him. “We got lucky the wraith left when it did… If not even your weapons can hurt it, I don’t know if the rest of us have a chance… We can go back to the town, and maybe there’ll be another magic user there that will know how to beat it, or how to open that portal back up. Unless you know how to do that?”

Donovan had to shake his head; he knew she was making sense, but that didn’t take any of the sting out of the idea of leaving behind a teammate. “We’ll come back,” Korinn promised, clapping him on the shoulder, urging him to get moving, choosing not to mention how doubtful she was they’d find anyone powerful enough to be any help in the town they’d come from… That would require a much longer journey, she had the feeling, and she could only pray, by the time they returned, Hana would still be safe.

—————————————

“They were right there!” Hana insisted, pointing. “My friends!”

“I’m sure they were,” the woman chuckled, patting her on the head, leading her back out into the play room, turning to the other worker. “Isn’t that cute? Imaginary friends…”

“No, they aren’t!” Hana pouted, glaring at them angrily as they giggled at her, hugging her stuffed birdie tighter, sucking on her pacifier while she stormed away. They were real, she was sure of it… Even if she couldn’t quite recall how she knew that, or where she knew them from.

She plopped down on the floor, feeling the squishy, wet spot that had already appeared in her diaper. She also knew this wasn’t right, that she didn’t need to be here, that she wasn’t a toddler… But nobody would believe her! She sniffled, shaking her head. She closed her eyes, thinking she recalled that helping before. “It’s not real,” she mumbled to herself, from behind her paci. “It’s not real…”

But, when she opened her eyes again, she was still there, still the same as she had been before. She swallowed nervously, a doubt starting to form, making her wonder if she was wrong, if it really was just her imagination, and she’d been a little girl all along. She could only hope her friends would come back to help her, so she’d know they, and everything else, was real, before the rest of her already hazy memories of them faded away, like the dream she was beginning to worry was all they’d ever been.

 

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