Standing there, staring at his 12-year-old, 5 feet tall, slim body in the mirror, an idea came to Jim. He wanted to try changing his age.
First, he thought he might try getting younger. He figured it might be fun to see himself as a little kid again, just for a little while.
He inflated the balloon with several breaths and said the magic words, “Control my age.” Then, he slowly let air seep out of the balloon.
At first, the changes were hardly noticeable. Jim felt as though he were gradually sitting down, as everything around him was rising higher. Then, he noticed his clothes started to feel looser on him. Looking at his reflection, he could see his face rounding out. He stopped letting air out to examine himself.
By his reckoning, he was now only a grade-schooler, maybe 10 years old. He guessed he was a few inches smaller now, which was disconcerting considering that he was already short for his age. In spite of that, he decided to keep going. He wanted to see what he looked like when he was even younger.
Jim let out more air, and again he felt that strange shrinking sensation. Staring at his reflection, he watched as he grew smaller and more childish. In moments, he was younger than his 9-year-old sister. Suddenly, his pants slipped off his skinny waist leaving him naked except for his T-shirt. Again, he stopped the balloon from deflating. Looking at the cute kid he had become in the mirror, Jim recognized his 8-year-old self.
“Wow, I look like a second grader,” he said, and remembered that he was the tallest of his class Back then and then giggled as he heard how squeaky and childish his voice sounded. He stepped out of his pants and looked at his small feet. They seemed closer now compared to when he was 12. He was only about 4 feet 5 inches tall. Next, he checked out his crotch and frowned to see that his developing manhood had dwindled down to a tiny boyhood.
Looking at the balloon, in his tiny hand, Jim considered for a moment what to do next.