“Come here little one. Crawl!” Rosie crawled toward her mommy. Why was she crawling? She could walk… but somehow she didn’t want to. Crawling was for babies, and she was a baby. Of course she wanted to crawl. She also realized that now that the straight jacket was gone, she could easily take the diaper off, spit the pacifier out, and say no, but she didn’t want to. She heard the laughter around her, directed at her. Strangers, people she knew, dozens of them, laughing. Why was she humiliating herself? But while part of her protested, screamed at her to stop, she couldn’t make herself. She pouted, almost in tears from the humiliation, but kept crawling.
“Good baby,” her mommy said. The words filled her with warmth, making her happier then she had been for a long time. She took the Rosie’s hands. “Up up up!” Rosie stood up instinctively. “Do you want to speak?”
Rosie tried to say something, but the pacifier stopped her. She could spit it out, she realized, she wasn’t a baby. But at the same time, she didn’t want to.
Samantha smiled as if she had won an important bet. “Good baby,” she said. She grabbed the pacifier and took it out. “Now, what are you?”
“I… I a baby giwl,” Rosie said, as surprised at her own childish, lisping voice as she was at the answer. Why would she say that? She wanted to, she realized. She didn’t want to be an adult. She blushed at the chorus of laughter.
“Good baby. Do you want to be an adult.”
“Nuuu…” more laughter.
People were moving around her, pulling a dress over her head. Like the straight jacket, it was pink, childish and frilly, designed as a cross between a princess and a Lolita dress, with hearts and flowers decorating it. The skirt was short, and like before, did nothing to conceal her diaper. This time, however, she didn’t mind. It was natural, she thought, how else would they check it? Wait… CHECK IT!? she thought. FOR WHAT!? But of course they would… her mind went back and forth, and she did nothing.
Rosie pulled her by the hand into a bathroom. The crowed followed them, giggling. Rosie looked around at the sink, bathtub, towels and…. something. A strange white thing, shaped like a seat. “Do you know what that is for?”
“No,” Rosie said, getting the loudest laughter yet. But of course she did! It was a… she didn’t want to even think the word. It was frightening to her, dangerous.
“Do you know how to use the potty?”
“Whas dat?” Rosie asked. Again, she knew she knew, but she didn’t want to, and the thought was frightening.
“Good baby.” The warmth and happiness again. “Now, I am going to feed you your supper. Its a bottle of baby mush and milk, and it will help you fill your pampers like a little baby. Ok?”
Rosie nodded. Something about that was wrong… was it about filling her pampers? But that was what they were for, wasn’t it? Part of her screamed no, but she couldn’t think of why.
She was pulled back into the living room and sat on her mommy’s lap. She put the tip of a bottle in Rosie’s mouth, and she suckled easily.
“Good baby. Now remember, this will make you use your pampers. There is no way the old Rosie would want that, especially in front of all these people. So, if you don’t want that, stop drinking.” Rosie looked at her confused and kept drinking, and they all laughed. “Yes, old Rosie was confused, because she thought she was a big girl. You’re not a big girl, are you?” Rosie shook her head, though she was in near tears from it. Of course she was! She was an adult, she thought, not a baby, and this was wrong. But she kept doing it.