Glancing around the table I could see the looks of determination on the youthful faces of the former adult women. The pot in the center of the table was a ticket back to adulthood for one of them, if one of them could win it would mean they would avoid a return to childhood. A smirk spread across my face as I watched them, I wasn’t about to let that happen as I made a wish to win the hand and knock the women down a few more pegs.
As the hand was dealt I glanced at the nine grown down women, with the rule eliminating the ante chances were everyone would be involved in the hand. Diana surprised me though as she immediately folded after the cards were dealt. The girl was only seven and although she desperately wanted to regain her adulthood she realized that by playing she would most likely end up even younger than she already was, a prospect she wasn’t exactly looking forward to. I now watched each individual girl as they began to bet.
Hannah, only 11, seemed only to happy to bet a few chips. The curly haired brunette seemed to be the only one who was genuinely happy about a return to her youth. As the girls went around the table the energetic girl bet several times, shrinking down from 11 to 7 in almost no time at all. As the girl became 7 I watched as she shrank slowly, her feet slowly rising from the floor as she grew smaller. After realizing she was now the same age as Diana, she decided to fold, smiling happily at Diana. Hopefully now that Diana had someone her age she would begin to cheer up. “Two down aeven to go,” I thought happily.
Nancy seemed determined to win, especially after exiting her teens during the previous hand. Nancy had tried her hardest to stay in the game, trying to see bets as she descended further into childhood. Four chips into the betting the young brunette paused. The 8 year old was wide eyed as she realized her feet no longer touched the ground. Glancing down at her small bare feet she noticed her toes barely brushing the floor as she sat in the chair. Not wanting to grow any younger the girl reluctantly folded, crossing her arms as she frowned at the older looking girls still at the table.
Ariana was interesting as I watched her. The formerly exotic looking woman had been reduced to a waifish young teen of 14 with olive skin and long flowing black hair descending almost to her waist. The girl was determined to win, betting with reckless abandon to try and steer the others away from the large pot in the middle of the table. Unfortunately for the girl the others were not deterred. Slowly but surely Ariana grew younger, growing smaller as puberty abandoned her. By the time she folded Ariana had gone from an exotic looking woman to a cute young girl of 7 with olive skin and long black hair. Noticing how small she had become the girl meekly folded, glancing down to see she had lost half of her chips, leaving her 7 like Hannah and Diana.
Karen and Stephanie, both 13, had been close friends as adults and their friendship continued as they grew younger. The two girls giggled as they bet their chips slowly descending in age, watching in wide eyed fascination as the gifts bestowed from puberty abandoned them. The honey haired girl and her raven haired friend soon found themselves only 8 years old. As Karen bet another chip dropping to 7 she was surprised to see her friend fold. “Hey,” a now 7 year old Karen whined, “Why did you fold.” Stephanie giggled as she looked at her younger friend. “Sorry Karen,” she chuckled. “But my cards stink, besides wanted to be older than you.” I stifled a laugh as the two girls now went back and forth. More than half the girls were now small children, if things continued like this they would have to change the title of their women’s group.
Amanda and Tracy both tried valiantly to win back their adulthood. The two blond teens were determined not to join the others in reliving their childhood. Unfortunately for the two they quickly found their hopes dashed. After a few rounds of betting the teens found themselves reduced to 8 year old children. The girls frowned as they gazed at their childish bodies. In only a few rounds the girls had gone from being 16 year old blonds who would have been the object of every teens imagination to cute and angelic 8 year olds who every teacher would consider adorable. Amanda, not willing to give up the fight just yet, threw in one extra chip, leaving her a girl of only 7. While it succeeded in forcing her friend to finally fold, she hadn’t taken into account Deanna, who quickly called her bet. Not wanting to become 6, which would leave her younger than everyone else she sighed, folding and leaving her a young child of 7.
After all the betting was done (leaving most of the girls children) I found myself in a showdown with my mother Deanna. Calling Deanna my mom was becoming harder and harder as she grew younger. The 17 year old had valiantly tried to to win the hand but with each passing bet she looked less like the adult I was so accustomed too and more like a kid sister. Deanna had been able to keep up with the bets the other girls had made at the cost of her own adulthood. With each progressive chip she threw in I watch the brunette teen grow younger and more innocent. By the time Amanda threw her last chip in Deanna found herself to be a child of 8. Looking of herself Deanna was shocked that her toes now barely grazed the floor from where she was sitting. Taking a deep breath the young girl raised Amanda one more chip, becoming 7. Deanna’s eyes grew wide as she shrank once more. Deanna was truely a child now, her feet swaying slightly from her seated position, her body devoid of any features that could even be considered adult.
“Guess it’s down to you and me Deanna,” I said, trying to hide my smile. “Think you can beat me?” Deanna nodded trying to hide her apprehension at becoming so young. Deciding to end this now I pushed almost all my chips into the center of the table, making sure to leave myself with exactly 20. Deanna gaped at the pot, realizing that if she were to call it would cost her everything and leave her an infant. Nervously glancing at her cards before looking around the table she sighed sadly, deciding that she would rather stay 7 than Chance being reduced to infancy again. Smiling, I revealed my cards, a small conciliation as she realized that she would not have won the hand. As I collected my winnings I looked at the table of girls surrounding me.
The former adult women were now merely children of 7 or 8. They now sat in stunned silence amazed by the fact they were just children once more. “Wow,” Hannah whispered. “I don’t think any of us have ever been this young. I mean not all at once before, it’s....incredible.”
“It stinks,” Nancy huffed. “I mean look at us. Can anyone even touch the floor anymore?”
The girls now began examining themselves, finding that only a couple of them had toes that barely brushed the floor. Muttering in amazement they universally responded no before looking at one another. “So now what,” Ariana whispered, shyly looking at one another.
“I don’t know about you guys but I kind of want to stop,” Amanda stated. “I mean I don’t want to get any younger.”
“Doesn’t that mean we’re stuck like this,” Stephanie asked.
“Not necessarily,” Karen stated. “I mean the magic usually reverses itself by midnight. At least that’s what happened the last few times we played.”
“But that’s like six hours from now,” Diana whined, glancing at her oversized wedding ring. “I mean what am I going to tell my husband? I can’t call him like this, he’d never believe it was me, I sound like a little girl.”
“Send him a text or make a call,”Stephanie said. “But theirs no way around this. I think our group just turned into a kids sleepover party.”
“Sounds like so much fun,” Hannah said excitedly. “I loved having sleepover when I was a kid, besides always wondered what you guys were like as kids. Kind of get a chance to see what everyone was like back in the day.”
As I watched the group of girls now talk amongst themselves I couldn’t help but grin. This group of women were now just children, I had gone from the youngest in the house to the oldest and their caretaker. As the girls now broke off into groups, asking Deanna if she could get some clothes that fit I though of what to do next.