Carlos Cagle walked his way to school down the sidewalk. Bored already of the morning events and not looking forward to a full day of school. He was a normal average 15-year-old teenage boy with his backpack thrown limply over his shoulder.
Carlos was thinking dully of the big math test that was to be given that day. Carlos was hopeful he would come down with the flu or some freak snow storm to hit. Desperate for an escape from another boring day of school Carlos looked up at the sky, another clear beautiful day with bright blue skies and a few clouds.
Returning his gaze to the street ahead he saw an ice cream truck. Strange thing was it looked like an old fashion one. The truck was old looking in _style_, but appeared to be new. Digging in his pocket for a bit of money Carlos was eager to grab a treat to take his mind off his troubled thoughts.
Scanning the painted menu on the side of van he looked for something with a little chocolate on it. Ice cream, cones, and flavors were only thing on the very top. Looking down at the very bottom in very small print was the words below.
“Magical sweets:”
“Available upon request.”
His mind was puzzled by this. Carlos re-read the sign again to be sure.
The sound of a sliding window came to his right and a man popped his head out.
“What will it be today, sunny? Ice cream sandwich, ice cream cone or just a popsicle?” A short white haired man asked smiling very broadly.
“What are Magical Sweets?” Carlos asked to buy some time before making up his mind.
“Oh…” The man said with a pause.
“Well, these are special treats that help you solve any problem you have.” He said with a grin.
“Like what?” Carlos said sounding unbelieving.
“Love life, money problems, revenge, and normal problems you all seem to have.” The man said almost in bored voice. “I think I just have an ice cream sandwich.” Carlos said looking and sounding like someone had just told a very lame joke.
“Did I mention double your back money if it doesn’t work?” The man said looking slightly taken back by the kid’s disbelief.
Carlos looked hard at the face then at the truck. The man looked serious and an address was printed on the side of truck of the ice cream company with a phone number.
Thoughts of Candid Camera and other prank shows like it popped into his head at that moment. Was there a camera near by and a microphone recording everything. Carlos decided to play along with the joke if it was one.
“What do you got to get me out of school and never have to return to school?” Carlos said and thinking hard before he asked. A really hard question would surely end this prank he thought.
Looking hard at the face of Carlos the man gave a curious look then reach under the counter.
“This is what you want.” The man said putting a double ended candy bar on the counter. Red and blue ends could be seen through the plastic wrap.
“How much?” Carlos asked with a sarcastic look.
“Only $10.00 bucks.” The man said with a cheerful tone.
`$10.00 bucks for a little piece of candy.’ Carlos thought to himself and looking at the little bit of candy before him.
`But your get double your money back.’ a little voice seemed to say in Carlos’s head.
“I’ll get double back in money if this doesn’t work?” Carlos said
thinking the man might be crazy.
“Oh yes. I’ll personally give the money to you.” The man said opening the cash drawer and showing at least ten bills of twenties.
“I’ll take it then.” Carlos said and putting a ten dollar bill on the
table. His week’s worth of lunch money. Thinking happily that this guy was nuts and he’ll get his money back in double soon, Carlos smiled brightly.
“Just eat the blue end to get what you want and if you change your mind later just eat the red end.” The man said casually as he took the bill and pushed the candy bar toward Carlos.
“OK.” Carlos said not really paying attention and stuffing the candy bar in his bag.
He glanced at his watch and noticed he spent far too much time talking to the ice cream vender.
Breaking into a run he went down the street taking in deep breaths.
Carlos went to his normal classes he had that morning. Wasn’t until lunch bell sounded and he was in cafeteria did he remember the candy bar.
Carlos pulled the candy bar out and looked over it.
`How was this supposed to get him out of school?’ he thought. Part of him really wanted to believe in it.
`Make you sick so I don’t have go to class.’ His thoughts seemed to answer his question.
Opening the plastic wrap and breaking a small piece off, he put it in his mouth. The blue chocolate tasted strangely warm in his mouth like it had been left out in the sun.
Carlos waited for something to happen. No sick feeling came over him nor did he feel any differently then before.
`What a rip-off.’ Carlos thought as he picked up his backpack and was puzzle for a second why it felt slightly heavier then before.
He really did want the candy to work so he could get out of class. Carlos made a mental note to call the telephone number he memorized earlier.
In a slight rage of anger he walked off to his next class. Having no money to buy food he went to the gym to hang out and watch some kids shoot some hoops.
After 30 minutes of wasting time watching kids shoot some hoops he searched in his bag for his math book. Looking for the familiar green cover, he was confused it was not there. Instead was a blue math book he had once owned a year ago.
Pulling the book out he looked at it. Opening the book he saw it was his book. His name was signed inside the cover under the list owners.
`Weird.’ thought Carlos.
`Didn’t I sell this book?’ Carlos asked himself as he got up and put the book back in his backpack.
Carlos noticed his shirt and pants seemed to be loose. Tightening his belt he went off for his next class.
The class room was empty and the lights were off. Carlos wondered in a confused state on why no one else was around. In five minutes time the class was due to start.
Checking his watch and the clock over the teacher’s desk he confirmed the time. Walking outside the door he looked at the room number.
“34” the sign read by the door.
`What the hell is going on?’ Carlos thought as he walked back inside.
Something else was strange about the room as well. It took a full minute for Carlos to put his finger on it.
Complete utter silence.
There was no hum of the air conditioner over head or sounds of other students walking the halls. In fact only the hall lights were on as Carlos looked around for some sign of another person.
`Cool.’ Carlos thought trying to fight off the strange feeling of dread.
`Where did everyone go?’ Carlos thought looking from side to side as he walked down the hall. Class room doors were open and dark. Just minutes before the entire place was full of teenagers like him.
“You there!” a man’s voice rang out from behind him as Carlos took the hallway to the exit.
Carlos spun where he stood his heart thumping wildly. He gave a slight sigh of relief as he saw the school janitor coming toward him.
“What are you doing here? School doesn’t start for another month.” Janitor asked and looking accusingly at his face.
“It doesn’t?” Carlos asked back, looking confused with a blank expression.
“Still the summer break and you shouldn’t be here yet.” Janitor said taking Carlos’s arm and dragging him toward the door.
“Sorry, I didn’t know.” Carlos muttered out and quickened his pace to kept up with the janitor’s pace.
“It’s alright. Just check with your friends or parent when school starts next time. I never have seen a student so eager to start high school that he mistakes the month.” Janitor said as he open the unlock door to the school.
Before Carlos could respond the door shut with a snap and the janitor locked it.
`Summer break?’ Carlos thought with a strange happiness. `The candy bar had work. Somehow he was transported straight to summer break or back to the last summer break.’ He thought as he walked back home.
If a little bit made him have a month of no school he wondered what if a bigger part would do. Opening the front pocket of the backpack then taking the candy bar out, he broke the rest of blue candy bar off and tossed it in his mouth.
Feeling of warm chocolate made him wish he had a glass of water to wash it down with. Opening his bag to see if he had any spare change he noticed the old math book again.
Everything seemed normal and nothing looked changed. Carlos decided he’d better get home were he felt safe. He made a dash for his house.
Everything was normal when he got home. Everything was the same as before. His mother and father looked the same. This confused Carlos, why no one else appeared to be getting younger or why anyone had noticed he was not in school.
Carlos went to his room to think some more. Tossing his school things in a bottom drawer of his desk Carlos laid on the bed thinking.
He was happily thinking how free he was. He vaguely wondered if eating the rest of the half blue candy bar took him back to very beginning of the summer break. He be a 14-year old boy again and get a chance to prevent some mistakes he made the first time around.
`This is great.’ Carlos thought getting up and looking out the window.
Carlos went out that afternoon after changing into some older clothes that were slightly smaller. He hung out at the mall looking at the latest video games to the coolest new music CDs.
It wasn’t until Carlos was walking into the clothing store checking out latest fashion did he notice something was wrong with his own clothes. His shorts kept slipping and his shirt now looked strangely big on him.
Carlos quickly grabbed some clothes off the rack and went to the changing room. The Lady at the desk gave him a little trouble, but all the same he was allowed into a changing room. Carlos figured he could wear the smaller clothes just under his larger clothes. Then come back later and pay for the clothes he would take. His excuse would be he left the new clothes in the changing room to the lady at the desk if she spotted him.
Carlos was just about to throw on his old clothes when a knock came at the door and familiar voice spoke.
“Carlos, Honey. Step out here and let me have a look at you.” His mother’s voice came from the other side of door.
Carlos was too stunned to move nor to stop the door from opening. Luckily for Carlos he was dress now.
`Why is mom here and how did she know I was in here?’ Carlos asked himself for a brief second. He had come alone to the mall and was sure no one saw him enter the changing room except for the lady at the desk.
“Come on out.” His mother said a little more harshly.
Carlos was confused and puzzled for second more on why his mother looked so tall. His question was answered when he looked back in the mirror. He was smaller and his face was different. It looked more childlike and rounded then normal.
`I’m still getting younger.’ Carlos said to himself very quietly as his mother was checking his waist line of his new shorts.
“A bit big for you, but I think you’ll grow into them when you start middle school.” Mrs Cagle said happily looking down at her growing boy.
Carlos was thinking fast. He had to get home and eat the other half of the candy bar. It was his only hope now. At the rate he was going it wouldn’t be long before he would be too young to start elementary school.
“Mom, can we go now.” Carlos said looking with a small wondering look at his mother why she didn’t notice he was little younger then just seconds before.
“Ok, just change back into your old clothes and we will leave now.” Mrs Cagle said with slight tired tone.
Carlos turned back to see the clothes he wore just minutes before were not there. Instead was a much older outfit he swore was in a box in the basement back home.
Not wasting time thinking over how strange the changes were, he quickly changed after shutting the door.
The Car ride home seemed to take forever. Checking his reflection he saw he was still getting younger. Carlos figured he was a pre-teenager again looking into the side mirror. His body had lost its mature teenhood and gangly look.
Glances in the mirror were getting harder now. Carlos was getting younger at an alarming rate and his body was much smaller. He found his arms were much weaker to host his body up. He had to fight the seat belt every time.
“I don’t know why I let you dress in those clothes; they are way too big for you.” Mrs Cagle said in motherly tone of regret.
“When are we going to get home?” Carlos said worryingly and shocked by the sound of his own voice. Almost girlish, but had a boyish tone in it.
“Soon, we got to make a little stop first.” Mrs Cagle said sounding if a real treat was in store for him.
Carlos was able to catch his reflection one last time before his arms were too short. He guess that he looked 6-years-old again. Worst of all was his face. To his disgust it was cute and round. Years away from losing it’s pudgy look.
His shorts were limp and huge over his small skinny legs. The shirt that was tight earlier now had nearly fallen down his body through the collar.
“Stay where you are.” Mrs Cagle said as she parked the car in front of a building Carlos couldn’t make out.
Carlos struggled to unbuckle the seat belt. His fingers seemed to be too weak to push the release button.
The passenger door opened just right of him. His mother looking even taller and larger than before was beaming down at him. Without a word she hit the lever that reclined his seat back. Next she unbuckled his belt as easily as he could have if he had the strength.
Carlos was confused when she forced him to lay back. In the next second his eyes went wide with horror. With one fluid moment she had stripped him of his over size shorts and underwear. Then his shirt came off in a flash.
Carlos let out a cry of shame when he saw what was left of his manhood. A very small hairless version of his own teenage manhood. Carlos fought to get up, but his mother scolded and told him to be still.
Carlos closed his eyes tight and hoped for the worse to be over. It was obvious that she was going put some new clothes on him. He heard the shopping bag rustle as he felt her body lean over him as she reached into the back of the car.
Thinking over how everything went so wrong Carlos closed his eyes tight until he felt his mother put something between his legs that terribly felt like a diaper.
Opening his eyes slowly Carlos saw that he was half right. Training pants with Buzz Lightyear cartoon decorated all over it were now being adjusted by his mother.
`At least she can’t see my privates.’ Carlos thought with some small hope.
A strange feeling of relief came over Carlos at that point. It appeared that he stopped getting younger, as his mother slipped a very small tee shirt over his head.
`Why did I get so young?’ Carlos thought as he looked at his pudgy hands and body.
“Here we are, honey.” His mom said as she lifted him up and pointed to the building they parked in front of.
Carlos saw with some surprise that he was back at his old elementary school.
“Look Carlos, honey. Only one more year and you’ll get to go here.” Mrs Cagle said very joyfully and pointing out the building unnecessarily.
Carlos stomach did a back flip. Thinking it over quickly he thought he must be 4 or 5 years old now.
Some of his thoughts must have formed an _expression_ of disgust on his face that made Mrs Cagle ask her next question.
“Your not wet honey are you?” Mrs Cagle said and checking the front of his diaper.
“No!” Carlos said with another look of disgust this time toward his mother.
Carlos could guess from the look his mother gave him next was a little bit of shock.
“You’re so cranky today. I guess we better get you home for your nap.” Mrs Cagle said with slightly menacing tone in the form of a threat.
Carlos was feeling happy again when his mother put in a booster seat in the back. He was going home and he was going to eat the other half that candy bar then return back to his normal dull life.
`What a day.’ Carlos thought. Carlos sat in the seat quietly thinking over everything that had happened. His own sarcastic words he said to the ice cream vender seemed to echo in his head.
“What do you got to get me out of school and never have to return to school?”
`Never to return to school’ Carlos thought grimly.
`Would that mean I’d be a toddler forever?’ Carlos asked himself after feeling his training diaper.
Carlos decided not to dwell on those thoughts anymore. They made him get a cold feeling in his stomach.
Finally Carlos saw the front of their house from his back seat view. He couldn’t wait to get out of the booster seat.
After what seemed forever he was free of the seat and was put down on his feet by his mother. Running ahead of her he was in the house seconds before she was.
Carlos went straight up the stairs just as his mother was walking in the front door. Soon after she entered he heard his dad start up a conversation with her, normal stuff they talked about like how was your day and such.
Carlos froze at the top of steps at a word that seemed chill his blood.
Carlos listened hard again to be sure. He heard his dad mention
something about “school”.
“What did Carlos think when you showed him the school he’d be going to?” Mr Cagle asked his wife.
“Didn’t seem to be excited about it. Maybe he should go to a pre-school first.” Mrs Cagle said with a curious tone toward her husband.
A horrible sinking feeling was felt all over Carlos’s body at that
point. As he made a mad dash for his room he felt his training diaper sliding down his legs that were now increasingly getting shorter and smaller.
Meanwhile back in kitchen his parents were still talking over him.
“He is not quite old enough.” Mr Cagle said to his wife.
In the hallway upstairs Carlos tripped over his training diaper. Now only dressed in a shirt, he looked down at his body after he flipped over on his back.
He was much chubbier and much smaller then he imagined.
`No time to waste.’ Carlos screamed to himself in his mind.
He was having a very difficult time walking. It was much harder for him due to his very short legs.
The Desk and bottom drawer were still there, but the rest of his room was completely changed.
It was a room for a baby boy around the age of 2 years-old.
Wasting no time Carlos totted over to the desk and pulled with all his might to open the drawer.
Back in kitchen his mother spoke an idea that just came to her.
“There is that new daycare school for kids. I hear they help children develop their minds really early in life. They take any kid that can crawl or rollover on their own.” Mrs Cagle said cheerfully.
Carlos had opened the drawer just in time. His legs gave out and found himself flat on his back on the soft carpet after his butt hit the carpet first. Luckily he grabbed the candy bar just as he was falling backwards.
Carlos took the candy bar in his mouth and bit down hard. The next moment was sheer pain for him.
Mrs Cagle came into the room completely shocked by the scene in front of her.
Somehow her darling baby boy got out of his crib. Lost his diaper in the hallway then managed to get a candy bar Mrs Cagle didn’t recognized out of her work desk in the nursery.
“What is going on?” Mr Cagle said picking up the candy bar with his free right hand because his left had a very small white diaper he picked up in the hall.
“I think little Carlos tried to eat the candy bar. With his soft gums it must have hurt him, my poor baby.” Mrs Cagle said cradling and gently rocking the crying infant.
“How did he get his diaper in the hall and get out of the crib?” Mr Cagle said looking around for an answer.
“I don’t know, honey. It doesn’t matter right now. Throw that candy bar away and get me some ice wrapped in a cloth.” Mrs Cagle said now trying to calm her baby down. Carlos went into even louder cries at her words.
“Shhhh…Don’t worry baby. Mommy will make it all better now.” Mrs Cagle said laying her son on the changing table. After a quick check of his mouth for signs of an injury she diapered him in a new diaper.
“Is he ok?” Mr Cagle said now only carrying a damp cloth with an ice cube wrap in it.
“Yeah, I didn’t see anything wrong with his mouth.” Mrs Cagle said trying to coax her baby into sucking on the cold cloth. Reluctantly Carlos took it and enjoyed the numbing cold on his throbbing gums.
“My poor little man. I think he is teething.” Mrs Cagle said very unsure of herself.
“Hmmm.” Mr Cagle said and still looking around for an answer to his son’s escape from the crib.
“But, for the likes of me I still can’t figure out how he got out.” Mrs Cagle said looking at the crib with distrust.
Seeing the look on his wife’s face Mr Cagle offer to get a new crib, one that would be a lot safer. She took him up on his offer almost instantly. Carlos’s parents spoke of the event many times and theories they had. Neither of them could ever come close to the truth of Carlos’s escape.
Weeks went by as Carlos lost his urge to cry for no good reason in his parents eyes. His escape from the crib was forgotten in time. As for his escape from school, Carlos never had to suffer one more day of school ever again.