Ann had been pondering what the two kids had been talking about at the wedding for the last couple of days. She had magic, she was just as powerful as anyone else. Katie, Gloria, everyone, they all treated her as if she were just another face in the crowd. As she looked out her bedroom door she frowned. Gloria was smiling as she headed towards the bathroom. Gloria was the one that had her sister, her mother’s attention. Ann was getting tired of playing second fiddle to her step sister. Taking a deep breath she stepped out of her bedroom as Gloria entered the bathroom.
Ann had thought carefully about what she was about to do. She would not make the same mistake as her mother. Kellie had erased someone from existence, dooming her to forever be banished from her timeline. Ann wouldn’t do the same to Gloria, she would though make it so Gloria would no longer hog the magical spotlight. Slowly and quietly she now opened the bathroom door, blushing as she caught a glimpse of Gloria entering the shower. As she scanned the bathroom a small smirk now spread across her face. Gloria had taken off her ring.
Quietly Ann now crept into the bathroom, her plan was simple. She would take Gloria’s ring and use it on her. The combined power of both rings would allow Ann to alter reality. In a few moments Lynne would have a twin sister. “Ann is that you,” Gloria called.
Ann froze, she had thought she was being so quiet as she snuck in. “Um yea,” She stammered. “I, uh, needed to brush my teeth.” Ann held her breath as she waited for Gloria’s head to emerge from the shower. As she anxiously gazed at the silhouette she noticed Gloria made no movement to look outside. Breathing a sigh of relief she now quickly grabbed Gloria’s ring, placing it on her finger. “Sorry sis,” she whispered. “But I’m tired of playing second fiddle to my family.” Making her wish Ann now anxiously watched Gloria’s silhouette in the shower.
Ann watched anxiously as the changes began to take place. Blushing she could see the shadowy figure of her sister showering. The teenage girl was beginning to blossom into adulthood, which made Ann feel self conscious about her own body. As she gazed at the girl she felt a pang of guilt about what she was about to do. She considered for a moment maybe changing her mind until she began to notice the changes.
Gloria’s silhouette appeared to be slimming as she washed herself. Ann watched as Gloria’s curves appeared to lessen, while her voice sounded slightly higher in pitch. Ann gasped as she began to notice the figure shrink ever so slightly as she continued to bathe. “Ann are you still brushing your teeth,” Gloria called.
Ann was speechless, Gloria sounded younger now. If Ann were to guess she would say the girl sounded closer to 13 than 15 now. “Uh Yeah Sorry,” Ann said quickly. “Got lost in thought.”
Ann’s jaw gasped open as Gloria stuck her head out from the shower. The girl was definitely younger, perhaps 12 and racing towards 11. The girl gave Ann a curious look as the stunned goth teen stared at her. “Your acting really weird,” Gloria said, giving her sister a suspicious look. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Ann said quickly. Gloria raised an eyebrow before returning to the shower. Ann could see the silhouette continue to shrink as she grew younger. Ann could easily see the girls curves vanish leaving her body thin and childish. As the girl continued to shower Ann watched as she reached for the shampoo, pausing as she realized she needed to reach higher than before. Finally reaching the shampoo Ann could see the girl shampoo and rinse her hair, growing smaller as she rinsed the soap out. Still Ann stared in silence as this shadow of Gloria grew smaller and younger.
“She can’t be more than 7 or 8 now,” she thought. “I wonder if she even notices what’s going on.” Ann remained standing where she was as Gloria continued to shower. It was only the sound of the water turning off that finally snapped Ann out of her stupor. She watched now as a small girls hand reached out from inside the shower, grasping the towel nearby. As the hand withdrew into the shower she could hear Gloria begin to quietly question what was going on.
“Ann what’s going on,” Gloria exclaimed. Ann sat stone faced as a now 7 year old Gloria there open the curtain. The girls blond hair hung in wet strands as she exited the shower. The girl gaped at her sister, noticing the teen was now much taller than she was. As she examined herself she realized she was now much younger than before and still growing younger.
“What’s the big idea,” she said sourly. “Why am I getting younger?”
Ann did not answer as Gloria tapped her foot in annoyance. As she looked for her ring she was shocked,nthwn scared as she noticed it was not where she placed it. Turning towards her sister, the young girls eyes went wide as she noticed Ann now sported two rings. “Ann stop,” the 6 year old pleaded. “Don’t do this, we can talk.”
Ann shook her had no, still frightened she now raised her hand out of the reach of the young girl as she continued to grow younger. “No,” she whispered as Gloria became 5. “No more talking, no more of you overshadowing me. I’m tired of you taking my family. It’s my time now.”
Gloria’s eyes went wide as she gazed at Ann. She knew that the two of them had an icy relationship but she never expected her own sister would try to erase her from existence. Now frightened to young child darted for the bathroom door, she needed help. “Mom help,” the young girl screamed.
Ann picked up the child, wrapping her hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. Gloria continued to thrash as she grew younger. “Shut up and listen,” Ann hissed to the 4 year old. “I’m not erasing you, I know what happens but from now on I’m the one in charge. You get to be Lynne’s twin sister from now on understand.”
The toddlers eyes went wide as she continued to grow younger. Ann wasn’t erasing her from existence, she was transforming her into an infant. “You neva ge away wit dis Ann,” the now 3 year old lisped. “Ka dee And Mom Will Fine out.”
“I doubt it,” Ann huffed. “When you hit Lynne’s age reality will reset. The only thing that anyone will remember is that mom gave birth to twins. Regular you won’t exist anymore, only baby you.”
“But my frwends,” a now 2 yeAr old Gloria lisped.
“Will live their lives normally,” Ann answered. “Probably means Sasha, Diane, Felicia, Naomi and Nate won’t remember me but since me and Jackie have been friends since preschool we should be fine. And I’m perfectly okay with that.”
Gloria’s lip began to tremble as tears began to well up. Her sister was taking her life away from her. Everything she had done, all the good she had accomplished was being wiped away by someone she considered family. “But I wove you Ann,” the toddler cried.
Ann said nothing as Gloria dropped below 2 and became 1. The girls features were becoming infantile in appearance as she crept further back in age. As Gloria dropped below 1 Ann watched as the baby girl began to bawl, her teeth slowly retracting into her gums as her body became riddled with baby fat. Gloria tried to say something else but only cried harder as she realized she was now too young to form words. As Gloria grew smaller, eventually becoming the same age as Lynne she gazed up at her sister with sad blue eyes.
“Yeah sis I love you too,” Ann whispered. “But I’m tired of living in your shadow.”
Ann watched the adult intelligence in Gloria’s eyes began to fade away. In only moments the vacant gaze of an infant stared back at Ann. As she did Ann noticed a ripple now begin to spread throughout Ann’s home. Wrapping Gloria in a towel she now carried the infant to Gloria’s old room watching as it changed.
Gloria’s old bed, her computer, her clothes began to morph and change. Slowly but surely the teenagers belongings vanished, replaced by a newly painted nursery, Gloria’s nursery. Smiling Ann now gazed at the infant in her arms noticing the fearful gaze in her eyes. “Looks like theirs a little of the old you still in there,” Ann smirked. “No worries, that will fade with time. By the time you grow up again you won’t remember any of your old life, just your super cool big sister Ann.”
Gloria began to whimper as she she gazed at the goth teen. Her mind was foggy but she remembered some semblance of a life stolen by her sister. Inside she was screaming, she was trapped in a prison of her own body.
“There you are,” Lisa called.
Ann turned with Gloria to see Lisa walk up the stairs with Lynne held tightly to her. “Hey mom,” Ann smiled. “Just finished giving Gloria a bath but she seems a bit cranky.
“Wow Thanks Ann,” Lisa said happily. “You know you really are such a big helper. Don’t know what I would do without you.”
Ann smiled as Lisa gave her a quick hug before taking the fussy infant Gloria from her. “Lynne just fell asleep but I’ll take Gloria,” she said. “Dinner is ready so why don’t you help yourself.”
“Okay mom,” Ann said happily. As she turned she could hear the quiet cries of Gloria in the background as Lisa attempted to soothe the infant girl. Finally Ann would be the one that got the attention.