Laura continues to cry as she watches Kaitlin fight the boy. She can’t believe that this is what she’s been reduced to! First, she peed herself, now, she pooped herself. The smell is awful, the mush around her butt feels terrible, and she’s supposed to be a grown woman!
Suddenly, Laura feels something popped into her mouth. She sucks on it instinctively. It’s her pacifier.
“That’s right, sweetie, no need to cry,” coos a voice. Laura is picked up and carried away. As she moves away from where Kaitlin is still fighting, Laura knows she needs to call out to her friend. But she can’t stop suckling on her pacifier for comfort.
“Poor little girl, just sitting on the ground in a poopy diaper,” says the woman who has taken Laura. They enter a bathroom. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you changed, honey.” The woman lays Laura on the changing station and removes her diaper. Laura begins to whine softly at the invasion of privacy.
“Hush, hush,” the woman says soothingly. Knowing she won’t be able to get out of this, and wanting a clean diaper anyways, Laura quiets down. “Good girl.” The woman wipes Laura down and places her into a fresh, disposable diaper. “Hmm. You could probably use some clothes. Come with me.”
Laura has no clue what’s happening. Even if she was a real child, she doesn’t think that a stranger should pick her up and carry her away without notifying whoever was in charge of her. And she definitely shouldn’t be taken to a baby store and dressed by the stranger. But that’s what’s happening. Laura is being carried around a baby supply store as the woman browses clothes. Eventually, the woman finds something she likes, purchases it, and brings Laura outside the store, where she sets her on the ground.
“There!” the woman chirps once she has pulled the short dress over Laura’s head. Laura looks down. The dress is sparkly, frilly, and says “Unicorn Fairy Princess” on it in glittery letters. She hates it. But it’s better than nothing. She was getting a bit cold, just in a diaper.
“Okay, time to return you. Your mommy and daddy are probably worried.” The woman picks Laura up again. “Let’s see…where were you, again?”
“Pway pwace,” Laura says around her pacifier. The woman beams at her.
“That’s right!” They set off, and in a short while, arrive at the play area. The woman sets Laura down in the toddler section, pats her on the head, and leaves. Laura looks around for Kaitlin, but Kaitlin is nowhere to be found.
Laura sucks on her pacifier urgently as she fails to recognize any of the people or even any of the toys here. This isn’t where she was before! She abruptly remembers that this mall has two play areas, one on each end. She’s as far away from Kaitlin as it is possible to get.
As she realizes this, she feels her fresh diaper filling with pee. Sitting in the play area with a wet diaper, she looks just like any other toddler. And like any other toddler, her ability to move is severely restricted. The chances of her making it to the other play area are small.
Laura spits out her pacifier and wails.