Laura is napping when someone gently shakes her awake. She sits up and looks around blearily. After trying and failing to come up with an escape plan, she and Mason were forced to take naps.
“Sweetie, your uncle is here,” says the daycare worker who woke up Laura. Laura blinks at her in confusion. “Come on.” The daycare worker lifts Laura from her crib and carries her to the front desk. Mason is already in the arms of a middle-aged man. He’s still fast asleep from their nap, drool trickling down his face.
“Thanks for calling me,” the man says as the daycare worker checks Laura’s training pants. “I was so worried when my niece and nephew disappeared. You can’t turn your back for five minutes with kids, I swear.”
“Wet,” the daycare worker says. “But she should be fine until you get her home to change her.” Laura is handed over to the man. “And please try to keep a better eye on them. We don’t want them to wind up here again.”
“I understand.”
“Here are the dice,” the daycare worker says, attempting to hand Mason’s dice to the man. With the man’s hands full, Laura reaches for the dice instead. When she holds them, she hears a voice speak.
“Mason Stevenson. The spirit of youth is no longer bonded with you. Enjoy what has been returned to you.” Mason, in the man’s arms, shifts slightly. There’s a soft hiss coming from him. He’s wetting his diaper again. “Laura Peters, the spirit of youth has bonded with you. Each roll of the dice shall return that which you have lost.”
“All right, kiddies, time to skedaddle,” the man says hurriedly. He leaves the police station, taking Mason and Laura to a nearby car. In his hurry, the dice slip from Laura’s grip, landing on the asphalt by the man’s car.
“Five years you have walked this Earth. Now this number is but two. Each roll of the dice shall return more of what you have lost.” Laura shrinks in the man’s arms.
“I wasn’t expecting that, but okay,” the man mutters. He opens the car door, buckles Mason into a car seat, and sets Laura on the floor of the car. “What’s your name?”
“Lowa,” Laura squeaks.
“Okay. Laura. I’m sorry that you regressed even more. I didn’t intend for that to happen.” The man sighs. “While you and Mason were napping, a daycare worker found Mason’s dice and was able to use them to call the magic shop. A friend of mine runs the place. He asked me to come pick up Mason. When I saw you, I knew you had been whammied by the dice, too, so I picked you up as well.” The man picks the dice off the ground, removes a plastic baggy from his pocket, and puts the dice in there.
“Laura Peters. The spirit of youth is no longer bonded to you. Enjoy what has been returned to you.”
“There. Now no one will shrink any more,” the man says firmly. He puts the bag back into his pocket. “We should get going.” Laura gets to her feet. Her training pants fall down her legs. The man sighs. “After I put a diaper on you.”
The man quickly diapers Laura, buckles her into a car seat next to Mason, and then gets in the driver’s seat. They pull out of the parking lot.
During the drive, Laura’s glad the man put a diaper on her, as she feels a warmth spread through her diaper. Apparently, when she wet herself during her nap, she hadn’t completely emptied her bladder. They drive for about twenty minutes. Laura’s about to follow Mason’s lead and fall asleep when the car comes to a stop outside of a house. Laura looks at the man.
“Where we?” she asks.