Jose blinked and stared at the card. "Younger or older?" He looked at the others. "Well, my first thought is to be younger, but..."
"But nothing!" Pablo shook his head. "The game accepted that as your choice, kiddo!"
Jose suddenly realized he felt weird, and looked down. His body was getting smaller, thinner. "Oh, no! I'm turning into a little kid!"
Now maybe 13, the slender Hispanic was sinking into his clothing, all arms and legs and big brown eyes. The others had to laugh - he looked like a child playing dress-up in an older brother's clothing.
"It's not funny!" Jose's voice cracked as he dropped into his preteens, still getting younger. His eyes watered, and his nose started to run. "I don't wanna be a kid like this!"
Pablo tousled the tangled mop of hair on Jose's head. "Oh, it's not so bad. You're real cute like that."
"Stop it!" Jose batted the other boy's hand away, looking and sounding like a bratty 8 year-old. Don't wanna play this stupid game!"
They all stared as he continued to shrink, slowing as he hit about 6, and ending up somewhere around four or five years old. His clothing squirmed, then shrank around him, reforming into a child's jumper with a cartoon donkey on the front.
Jose looked down at himself, and then at the board. He frowned, leaned forward to look closely at the writing again, then started to cry.
Pablo looked - the message was the same. "Why are you crying?"
The little boy balled up his fists. "'Cause I cant read no more! I'm really a little kid!"