Five years old! He recognized the rounded face and tangled hair from his preschool photos, and the obvious gap where one of his front teeth had come out. "That's me! When I was a little kid!" He reached up and felt his smooth face, and probed the empty spot in his gums. "How? This is crazy! Am I dreaming?"
Hebe grinned and started scooping up water in her hand and pouring over Derrick's head, then ran her hand over his hair and face. More grit dribbled down, mud on his forehead and cheeks, and all in his tangled blonde mop. "The water draws out age and turns it into mud, washing away weeks, months, years. Here." She put a cupped hand in front of his mouth and he automatically took a sip before realizing what he had done. "Such a cooperative little boy."
Derrick blinked in confusion, staring at the child reflected back - closer to four than five now. He had a full set of baby teeth, the gap gone. "This is magic!" He couldn't quite grasp what was happening. It was like watching some strange fantasy movie, and he was more curious than scared. "You can change me back, can't you?"
Hebe grinned and continued pouring water over him, creating rivulets of mud all over his shrinking body. "Why would I do that? You are such a beautiful child, and so willing to let me strip away the maturity you had only just started to achieve."
Derrick looked up at her, finally starting to realize how serious this was. "How young are you going to make me?" He was so little already it was pointless to try resisting. He did not want to end up an infant, or worse, be regressed to nothing but an unfertilized egg and a sperm floating in the water. But he was also still fascinated watching himself get younger.