“Mika where are you,” Kumiko called as she walked around the shed. She could have sworn she had seen her niece over here, as she now looked though the area was deserted. As she gazed around the area she noticed something glinting in some grass. “Huh what’s this,” she asked picking up the Ring of Age. Smiling, Kumiko now placed it on her finger admiring it.
Looking around the party she could see everyone milling about happily but still no sign of Mika or her friends. “Odd,” she thought. “Maybe Lisa knows where they went too.” Kumiko could see Lisa and her date happily talking at a picnic table while a young girl was doing cartwheels in the grass. Kumiko now waved to get her friends attention. “Hey Lisa have you seen Mika anywhere?”
“No haven’t seen them in a minute,” she said. “Their around somewhere though. You want me to help you look?”
“Yeah that be great,” Mika smiled. Lisa excused herself as she and Kumiko now began searching for their nieces. “I wanted to talk with her about her parents. I’ve actually been wearing my brother down, he’s still a bit of an ass but he may be willing to let Mika move back I wanted to see if she wanted to live with me or them.”
“Wow Kumi That’s great news,” Lisa exclaimed. As she looked at her friend though she could see a sad look on her face. “Um You okay Kumi,” Lisa asked.
Kumiko nodded sadly. “I guess,” she shrugged. “It’s just.....I really like having Mika around. She so much fun and too be honest I rather realized how lonely I was til I invited into my home. She, well, she just makes life more fun.”
Lisa smiled as she took her friends hand. “Kumi I know the feeling,” she soothed. “I couldn’t think of life without Katie. Just watching her grow has been he of the best things I’ve ever experienced but you have to give her the opportunity to decide. Who knows maybe she’ll want to stay with you.”
As Lisa now smiled at her friend she looked down, noticing the ring on Kumikos finger. “Um Kumi,” Lisa stammered. “Where did you get that.”
Kumiko looked down at the Ring shrugging. “Found it on the ground,” she shrugged. “I thought I saw Mika over by the shed. Instead I just found this. Kind of pretty isn’t it.”
Lisa’s eyes bulged as she began to break into a cold sweat. Quickly she grabbed Kumiko as they now hid behind the shed. “What the hell Lisa,” Kumiko hissed. Lisa shushed Kumiko as she began to look around wildly. “Kumi Listen,” she exclaimed. “That’s my nieces and It’s really dangerous Okay. Please don’t say or do or even think anything okay.”
“Geez Lisa what’s your deal,” Kumiko grunted. “It’s a Ring that’s it. You know your really acting weird alright. Just relax and stop acting like a spaz.” Kumiko shook her head as she now looked out towards the picnic. As she watched Gloria she smiled. “See look at the kid,” Kumiko gestured. Lisa went pale, she had a gut feeling something bad was about to happen. “Kumi,” she warned.
“”That kid doesn’t have a care in the world right now,” she said. “You and me need to be like that kid right there and enjoy the picnic.”
Lisa groaned as she could see the ring begin to glow. “Damn it Kumi,” she groaned as she felt the tell tale tingles run through her body. Kumiko looked at Lisa curiously before she too felt the tingles cascade through her. “Whoa,” she exclaimed. “What was that?”
Lisa looked herself and Kumiko over and already could tell they were back in their twenties. “Look I’ll make this quick and you need to believe me Okay. If you think I’m nuts just look at me for a sec.”
Kumiko now looked Lisa over with a critical eye. As Lisa watched Kumiko inch toward her mid twenties she could tell she was as well. Kumikos eyes went wide as she now noticed her friends face becoming smoother and more youthful. “Oh my god Lisa,” she whispered. “You....you look....younger!!!”
“Yeah so do you Kumi,” she sighed as she adjusted her now loose shorts. “That ring of yours controls people’s ages and right now it’s making us younger. Before you ask why it’s because you saw Gloria over their and thought about being like her.”
“Wait a minute,” Kumiko said flatly. “So your telling me that just by thinking about how much fun that kid is having I’m turning myself into a kid!?! That’s crazy!”
Lisa frowned as the two women became 20. “Really huh,” she said sarcastically. “Then why do you and me look like college kids?”
Kumiko took a mirror out of her purse and gasped. She did look like a college kid now. Her face was young and flawless glowing with youth. As she examined the rest of her body she noticed her breasts peeking up as they began to lose the fullness of adulthood. “Okay um I Uh believe you,” She stammered. “So what do we do now?”
19 year old Lisa no glanced around to make sure no one could see them. “Listen we gotta get inside before we get too young Okay,” she ordered. “Katie and her friends are probably in there and they know how to use that thing better than I do. Just hand it too me. Things are going get worse before they get better and I’ve had to deal with this before.”
The teenage Kumiko nodded as she removed the ring from her young hand and gave it to Lisa. The two 18 year olds now adjusted their clothing as they quickly and quietly made their wAy inside. “What do you mean this gets worse,” Kumiko asked, noticing her voice rising in pitch. “Well aside from going through puberty in reverse that ring alters reality,” Lisa grumbled. “Last time this happened I accidentally made myself Katie’s kid sister. Believe me that freaked me out.”
“You’ve done this before,” Kumiko said in awe as she became 17. Lisa nodded glumly as she looked at the high school junior. “Yeah,” she said flatly. “Which reminds me. I wish Katie, her friends and everyone at this party would remember Kumiko and myself as 35 year old women.” Lisa now looked down the ring as it flowed softly, satisfied she led her friend up the stairs to in an attempt to locate her niece. As the two now shrank down to 16 Lisa heard vices coming from one of the rooms.
“Do you think that’s them,” Kumiko asked as she adjusted her clothing again. Lisa rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Ugh I hope so,” she said wincing as she realized she sounded like an annoyed teenager. As the two girls opened the door they noticed a young girl and a giant of a man standing there.
“Who are you,”Cole growled causing Lisa and Kumiko to shrink back slightly. “Um,um,um, were Katie and Mika’s aunts.” They said, frightened by the giant of a man. Cole looked at the two teenagers and began to shake his head as the two girls shrank slightly becoming 15.
“Ah crap,” he muttered. “You found that ring didn’t you.”
“Wait,” Lisa asked. “How do you know about the ring?”
Cole sighed as he introduced himself and explained how Claudia had taken the ring from Katie, turning his older sister into a six year old girl. Lisa listened intently and groaned. “Ugh remind me to kill your sister Cole,” Lisa moaned as she became 14.
“So what do we do now,” Kumiko asked as she now tried to cover her shrinking body. She winced as she saw her once proud breasts slowly receding into her body. “I can just text Claudia,” Julia chirped. “Hopefully they get the message soon and come up here.”
Lisa and Kumiko now shrugged as they sat on Claudia’s bed. “So how young are we going to get,” Kumiko asked as she and Lisa became 13. Lisa sighed, adjusting her clothing once more. “Well Gloria is 10 so I’m guessing 10.”
Kumikos eyes went wide in shock as she looked at her childish friend. “This is crazy,” she whispered. “How do you get used to it?”
“You don’t,” Lisa pouted. “You just roll with the punches and hope Katie and her friends don’t mess up too bad.”
Kumiko nodded as she watched her feet begin to float off the floor. Lisa smiled as she placed her hand on Kumikos shoulder. “Welcome to the Ring of Age club,” she smirked. “Your life will never be boring again.”