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The Wayback Machine Ch.2
🕑 Added 2023-04-19 05:21:08 +0000 UTCCh.2 Enjoying The Day.
Jack awoke from a nap, laying in a remarkably familiar crib. Although he couldn't really explain how it was, as he had no memories of sleeping in one, yet here he was, hit with a wave of nostalgia that overwhelmed him. Next to him, he saw what appeared to be a half-consumed bottle of milk. He picked it up and immediately noticed that it felt very heavy, which he had to chalk up to his now reduced size. As he examined the bottle, he really couldn't believe his sense of smell had been enhanced to a ridiculous degree. He could smell so much, from the baby powder to a faint hint of lilac that wafted from the wipes. He was also picking up on something else he couldn't quite place. It smelled like something he'd smelled before, but never in a bedroom, so it confused him. He kept trying to place the smell, although it really wasn't clicking. That was until his mother re-entered the room, checked his diaper, and pointed out how wet he was, making a bit of a scene over it. That was when it hit him - the smell he couldn't identify was pee of all things, a pee-soaked diaper. He was honestly shocked, and unlike the first diaper change, this one was fully on him. No time travel nonsense to blame this time around - he had just wet the bed.
This hit a lot harder than he thought it would, and he began to tear up as he sat cross-legged in this baby prison his mother calls a crib. While Jack was crying, his mom picked him up and shushed him, getting him ready to be changed. But she wanted to try to calm him down a bit first, so she bounced him and put a pacifier in his mouth, which surprised Jack. It actually did help - he went from a wail to a whimper very quickly. This made his mom sigh with relief and took him over to the changing table to get him cleaned up and ready for the rest of the day.
She made a quick change of his diaper, making sure to powder and wipe him well. And then, once the fresh diaper was properly secured, she got out a cute outfit - a shirt and overalls - which made him look and feel quite babyish. Almost like he wasn't old enough to wear jeans because belts are out of his age range, and it was just more practical to keep his pants up this way. Although Jack would be lying if he didn't enjoy the comfort that came with this wardrobe, he felt ridiculous in such an outfit. But he felt he must just go along with it, at least until he could talk again.
There was still one thing bothering him, though. He had traveled back in time using that time machine, but he had no way back. Had they not planned on a return trip, or were they oblivious to how their own machine functioned? Although he really wouldn't be obtaining any answers for these questions, he was still quite interested in what the plan was. If there was a way to return to normal, he might be willing to do it. Since he hadn't planned on going through his terrible twos a second time, and he was sure his mom would feel the same way if she had any idea of the situation. She'd most likely be like, "What? My 27-year-old son has been turned into a 2-year-old diaper-filling baby? Well, I'm not gonna take care of him again. Been there, done that."
Fortunately for Jack, she didn't remember, so he didn't have to worry about that scenario. All she knew was that her baby needed her to change, feed, and bathe him. This put Jack in a bit of a situation where he really only had two options - go with the flow and deal with the rolling tides of babyhood or fight at every corner and be a brat of a child, at least until potty training gets put on the table as an option.
Now being fully dressed, Jack couldn't help but be curious about why his mother had put so much clothing on him. He didn't really see a reason to wear this much unless she planned on taking him outside the house for whatever reason she had in mind. This was an idea he really wasn't looking forward to though, as he didn't want to go out into the world looking like the toddler he now was. Although it was just as unlikely that he'd get to hide in the house until he could wear big boy pants again, he was hoping to at least get a day or two acclimating to his new situation. But it was now clear that it wouldn't be the case.
Jack's mom ended up picking him up and carrying him to the living room where she deposited him into a very retro playpen made of wood, which really didn't give much option for escape should he need one. As Jack sat in this playpen, he couldn't help but get more nostalgic for all of the old toys he used to play with. And while most of them were strictly baby toys he'd outgrow once he was old enough for kindergarten, some of them he kept well into middle school, to his own embarrassment and glee. One of which was a stuffed bee that his mother named Buzzy. While a fairly unoriginal name for a bee, it was still one of his favorite stuffed animals he ever owned. It really did bring a smile to his face to see Buzzy in a state that made it appear rather new. He grabbed Buzzy and gave it a big hug.
All the while, Jack's mom began to get changed and was applying makeup to get ready for their outing together. She was fairly excited to go out wherever she had in mind. And while Jack was less enthusiastic about leaving the house, she was sure he'd have a good time, whether she realized his new state of mind or not. As Jack continued to play, his mother finished up getting ready. Jack began to realize that his new state was starting to affect his mental faculties. When he started looking at some of the wooden blocks in his playpen, he realized that he had no idea what the symbols on them meant. They might as well be Egyptian hieroglyphics to him, even though he was sure they were just basic letters he once recognized. This made him worry that maybe he'd lose his memories of being a grown-up and get trapped in a time loop of repeating his life over and over. And if that did happen, does that mean this isn't his second time around? What if it was his third or fourth time around, or even his fiftieth time? Who's to say? All he knew now is that he must hold on to himself over anything else.
Halfway into his existential crisis, his mother picked him up and got him ready by putting a little wool hat on his head and securing him into a stroller. As he sat in the stroller, he wondered why she put him in it when they could just take the car. He assumed it would be faster that way. His mother then pushed the stroller out of the house and brought him outside, saying how much fun they are going to have.
Jack wasn't entirely sure where they were going, but he knew it had to be within walking distance from the house. So that only left a few options. Jack began to ponder what was near the house that one could take a toddler to. He came to the conclusion that it was either the park that was a block away or the daycare center, which Jack was really banking on it being the park, as he didn't want to get trapped at some snot-nose brat conglomeration. Fortunately for him, his mother arrived at the park and said how she had a surprise for him and how she had set up a playdate with someone. Jack wasn't all that enthusiastic about it, though, as he wasn't really trying to play with some stranger, and a baby stranger at that. It appeared that he wouldn't really get a choice in the matter as they arrived shortly.
