“All right," Ben said, trying to retain control in an upsetting situation. "What did Pete tell you about the relic?”
“That these Indians helped the first Pilgrims. It’s something with an A... I'm trying to remember...”
“Brad!” Ben shouted shrilly, instantly regretting the irritation in his voice.
“Algonquins!” Brad exclaimed. “That’s it! The Algonquin tribe.”
Ben quickly typed the tribe’s name into the computer and waited for the search to yield results.
“What's it say, Dad? What's it say, huh?”
“Let me look,” Ben snapped as he felt Brad crowd him with his huge, muscular body. "I can do this."
“Okay, jeez!” Brad said.
Ben groaned. “It says there are 15,900 results! We can't wade through all that.”
“What are we gonna do, Dad?” Brad asked. He leaned forward, pressing the front of his huge adult body against his dad’s scrawny back.
“How about some air?” Ben complained. He'd never noticed the strength of his cologne until the scent overwhelmed him as Brad leaned against him.
But, as he pushed his chair back from the keyboard, he turned and saw Brad fumbling with the artifact in his big, beefy hands. “Be careful with that!” Ben ordered and made a grab for it.
“Nuh-uh,” Brad said, and he laughed a hearty laugh. He jerked the artifact far out of his father’s current reach. “Don't worry, Dad. I’m a whiz at juggling.”
Ben, irritated by his son’s antics, leaped and grabbed for the artifact. He managed to tap the artifact, which knocked the relic out of Brad’s hands.
“Dad!” Brad shrieked. “Get it!”
Ben reached, but his arms proved too short. The relic dropped toward the floor. At the last second, Brad shouted, “I got it!” and hurled his 6'2" body on the floor. The relic landed on his back.
“Ouch!” Brad cried out.
Ben felt his small body trembling. “Dammit, Brad!” Ben shouted. “Be more careful.”
He reached down and plucked the relic off his son’s back.
“But it didn't break, Dad...jeez I told you I had it covered.” Brad began to giggle.
“That may be the only way to switch us back,” Ben yelled. His stomach felt sick at the thought that, had the amulet been broken, they might be trapped in their current bodies. “You've got to be more responsible.”
“I'll try, Dad. I am sorry if I get a little...I know sometimes I'm...uhhh...”
"What?" Ben questioned, irritated by his son's random behavior.
“I know sometimes I'm a jerk...okay...but I'm just a kid...cut me some slack, Dad,” Brad complained.
“I cut you slack all the time, Brad,” Ben said in a cross tone.
“Yeah, right,” Brad said with a husky tone of sarcasm. “You are always on me about toughening up.”
"Listen, you get away with a lot more than I did when I was your age!" Ben shouted.
Brad laughed. “Well, now you are my age again!”
Ben didn’t want to think of that fact. He stared at the computer screen. "Maybe we ought to get a good night's rest,” he said. “Work fresh on this problem. Or maybe, God, maybe it will just reverse overnight."
“But Dad...I mean...what about school tomorrow? I can't...you can't...”
Ben knew that his son was right, but his mind felt so fuzzy he could barely concentrate.
“Oh, come on, Dad, just a little longer? I'm not tired at all...what's wrong with you?”
Ben realized that, normally, it would be past his son’s bedtime.
"Well, I had a hard day at work, and I guess this whole situation is freaking me out."
“You’re freaked?” Brad said in the husky voice that kept Ben so off balance. Brad laughed. “Have you had a good look at me, Dad?”
Ben swallowed. “Yeah, believe me, I am very aware of the situation.”
Brad giggled. “Yeah, I guess so. I mean my Dad is 12 years old now.” He giggled more. “This is just so weird.”
Ben yawned and stretched his arms. They look so skinny over his head.
“What’s the matter, Dad?”
"Let's just get a little rest. We can wake up early and start again.”
“Do I have to go to bed, Dad? I'm not tired. Really!”
Ben felt that he was getting more tired just having the argument. "Yes! You do!"
Ben logged off the computer. He stood and walked toward his room.
“Shoot, Dad, you never let me have any fun! It's not fair,” Brad complained as he lumbered down the hall behind his much shorter father.
Ben heard his son’s big feet padding heavily across the floor behind him. He walked into his bedroom and stopped in some dismay as he sized up the huge king-sized bed in his room.
He heard Brad walk on toward his room.
But, only an instant later, he heard his son’s booming voice calling for him.
Ben rushed to his son’s room. "Yeah? What’s wrong?”
“Dad, I think I'm gonna have a problem sleeping in this bed.” Brad sat on the edge of the twin bed. They heard the box springs groan under his weight.
Ben groaned. "Ok. Maybe we ought to switch rooms. Will that work?"
Brad’s face showed his excitement. “You mean I can sleep in your room? That is way cool, Dad.”
"Well, it makes sense. I guess that bed would be a bit cramped for you now."
Brad got a running start and raced down the hall. “This is gonna be so cool!”
Ben heard the sound of his 200-pound-son leaping up and down on his bed.
“Uh, try not to break the bed, ok son?" Ben asked, looking in on the incredulous scene.
Brad stopped, got off the bed. He looked extremely red-faced. “Sorry, Dad. I got carried away.”
Ben yawned again. "Just get some sleep. Okay?" He felt wearier with each passing moment.
“I'll try, Dad.” He paused, turned and gave his dad a crushing good night hug.
"Sleep well," Ben managed to say when his son released him from the monstrous bear hug. He turned and walked away, still amazed at the strength in his son’s hug.
“You too, Dad. See you in the morning.”
Ben closed the door behind him and stared at his son’s small bed. Actually, as he looked closer, the bed looked rather large now.
A short distance down the hall, Brad closed his door and realized that he is now in his Dad's private domain. His Dad’s bedroom always used to be the only part of the house off limits to Brad.
Brad sat on the edge of his father’s huge king-sized bed. The mattress even felt different from the one in his bedroom. The novelty of everything made Brad more than a little eager to go "exploring.”
At the same time, just down the hall, Ben looked around at the boyish surroundings of his son’s room. He saw that Brad had a few posters on the wall. He sighed as he slipped off his shirt. Unfortunately, he looked up and found his new reflection in the mirror on the back of the door.
"Damn!” Ben said aloud in his boyish voice. “I'm so scrawny." He looked downcast as the realization sank into his thoughts that his hard-earned muscles were well and truly gone.