Katie was feeling good as she left the arcade, now she felt like she could go for a drink and thought since she was 21 that she could go to a bar. Since she is a legal drinking age, she can get a cocktail to cement the occasion of using the treadmill to age into such a fine young college student. Walking into a bar in the mall, she checked her pockets to see if she has a wallet. As it turns out, the reality altering properties the treadmill in the arcade did granted her a wallet, and it has her driver's license, credit cards, and a lot of cash. Certainly her now sister spoiled her a little when when she was eight, only got a handful of quarters to play some games when Kellie was busy shopping. Now that she's a college bound woman, she has enough money to enjoy herself. And what better place then in a bar drinking a cocktail before meeting up with her aunt.
Approaching the bar counter, she looked to the bartender and said that came into her head, "Hey bartender! Give me a cosmopolitan." Putting twenty and her license down on the counter, she sat at one of the bars stools and waited for her brink to come. Looking over to her left, she saw a woman in what looked to be her early thirties, or 33 at the most. She looked to be a bit overweight with CC to D cup breasts drooping down behind her white tank top and some cellulite sticking out of the waistlines of her jeans. Her face was a bit chubby with some faint lines etched around her eyes and mouth, and her short bob cut hair was dull with a few grays weaved into her black tresses. The woman looked sad and looked down at her drink unhappily.
"You alright?" Katie asked the woman who looked over at her. "Oh, I'm...okay, I guess. I am just at a point in my life when I think everything is going downhill. My boyfriend just dumped me, I can't find a good job, and my family thinks I'm a failure. It's just been way too stressful. You're lucky you're so young and have a bright future ahead of you. Never waste that, like what I did." The woman said.
"Uh...thanks, I think. Listen, how about I buy you another drink? You could really need one after what you are going through." Turning to the bartender making her drink, she slapped another twenty and told him, "Another Shirley Temple for my new friend here."
The woman turned to her and shocked and told her, "Oh no... Please... You don't really need to do that."
"No, I want to. The name's Katie by the way, you?" Katie asked offering a hand.
The woman looked to her hand and could tell that she was really trusting and sweet. With a sigh, she introduced herself. "Kimberly." Kimberly said as she shook Katie's hand.
As the minutes went on, the bartender arrived with their drinks and they made a toast and drank their Cosmopolitans. Katie and Kimberly became closer friends with more minutes passing by. Kimberly soon explained to her what she was going through lately. From the fact that she dropped out of college, her family disowning her, the struggle of finding work, and the recent dumping of her boyfriend.
Katie listened to her story and felt sorry for her. "Oh Kimberly, I'm so sorry... I didn't know how terrible your life was."
"It's okay... The fault is with me. I made those choices that led me down the dark path and I take full responsibility." She took another sip of her cosmo and turned to her, seeing how youthful and full of possibilities she is. "But you... You have so much potential in you. You are very lucky to be raised right and grow up to be some a young and beautiful woman."
"Thanks for the compliment, but my life is just as complicated as yours. Believe me, high school was probably the most stressful for me. But college isn't a walk in the park either, I'm sure. It's a walk through a field of landmines." Katie said as Kimberly laughed alongside her.
"Oh, god, Katie. You are quite the fire cracker. I wish I could've met you in my younger years. Maybe then I can have a better life then what I'm doing through." Kimberly said.
Sipping her cocktail, Katie felt sorry for Kimberly. She had lost so much of her life and she was at her lowest of lows. The fact that she wants a reset in life and make the right decisions is a pipe dream. Unless... Katie had a thought as she rubbed her chin. "You know what? I think I know what could help you with that. Come with me." Katie said as she finished her drink and jumped off the stool.
Kimberly looked on and was wondering what she's up to. "What...? What are you talking about? Where are you going?"
"Just follow me! I think I can help you with your problem. Trust me!"
Kimberly sighed and finished with her drink, rushing to Katie and wondered what she got in store for her.
Many minutes later, Katie returned to the arcade with Kimberly in toe. That's when Katie presented her to the game, 'A Walk Through Life'.
"So... This is what you want to show me. An out of place treadmill in an arcade?" Kimberly said as she was a little confused.
Katie was at the change machine inserting fives into the slot to dispense a bunch of quarters. She overheard her confusion and told her, "That's no ordinary treadmill. It's an actual arcade cabinet that changes your life forever."
"Katie, I appreciate the help and all, but I'm not sure a video game is going to help me with my problems." Kimberly said in disbelief.
Katie finished getting all the quarters she can and turn to approach her, continuing where she left off. "Look, I know this will sound a little odd, but trust me when I say, you'll come out a new person after you're done in there." As soon she approached her, she decided to share a little secret to her.
"Listen... Not too long ago, I wasn't a 21-year-college student. In reality, I was a little 8-year-old girl that wanted to play some games while I wait for my mother, now aunt, from shopping. Seeing this cabinet, I was a little confused at first and thought nothing of it. But when I got on it to try it out, it changed me both physically and mentally. Now I am a college girl with an aunt then a child with a mom and for once, I couldn't be any happier. I'm certain with this game, you could live a happy life as well."
Kimberly heard her and was silent after hearing all that. But she soon burst out laughing and said out loud, "You kidding me! You were a small eight year old girl and you grew up using this thing? I think that Cosmopolitan has gotten into your head."
Katie could tell that that didn't work, but looking to the treadmill, she decided to show her what it can do. "Okay... You don't believe me? Then I'll show you. Now pay close attention." She soon walked past her and gave her her quarters while approaching the treadmill with quarter of her own. slotting in five bucks, she repeated the same process as before as the message on the screen said...
'Begin Walking'
With that, Katie started to walk on the treadmill and as virtual forest was moving forwards.
Kimberly looked to Katie and was still finding it hard to believe. The fact that this college girl she just met was once a kid was completely baffling. And the idea that this treadmill will change her life is completely impossible. But as she was watching Katie walking, something odd was happening. Nothing much as first, but she swore her arms and legs were bulging and gaining muscles. Even more soon that she saw Katie gain a few quick inches. Seeing what was happening, Kimberly can deduce one thing and one thing only.
"Katie! You're- You're growing."
Katie chuckled and corrected her new friend. "Not growing, Kimberly. Aging!"
Kimberly looked up at the screens and notice the age counter that represents Katie's age. She could see that the seconds, minutes, hours, and days were blurring so fast she couldn't read it. But she could see that the months and years were still there, but they were going by the seconds. The year especially seems to be the normal one she could read as she could see it going from 21 to 22-years-old. Looking back to Katie, she was briskly walking and noticed that her body was altering the more she aged.
As she walked, she gained more memories of fitness courses and knowledge about physical regiments. The changes soon became noticeable. Her shapely legs grew more toned as the years of walking became physically present. Her arms also thickened as years of workouts were added on. Her exposed midriff rippled before her abs pushed out, becoming more defined until a hard six-pack was formed. Katie felt a rush of power as she became a female bodybuilder at 25.
Feeling that it is enough, she hit the stop button and the treadmill stopped itself, ending her journey of growing up. Getting off the machine, she looked to herself and was amazing by the end result. "Whoa! Check me out! I look like She-Hulk in the making." She soon turned to Kimberly and her jaw was opened, shocked at what she was seeing. "Now you believe me?"
Kimberly blinked her eyes and couldn't believe it. Her new friend, aging a few years before her eyes. All because of a treadmill in this arcade that did it to her. Shaking off from the shock, she said, "Believe you? You kidding me?! You aged right in front of me and you act like it's normal!"
Katie shrugged it off and laughed a little. "Yeah... I was startled at first. But the more I walk, the more confident I was with my body. To me, I feel much better with my new body, even more so now with this upgrade". she said as she started to flex her bicep. "And if it can my life, it will certainly change yours as well."
Kimberly looked to the cabinet and was a little confused. "So... If I go on it, I would age into an old lady?"
Katie shook her head and tried to explain the game further. "Oh no! Not like that! This treadmill stated that if you go forward, you age. But if you go backwards, which you can still walk forward, but you can regress in age as well. And when you are ready, you can hit the stop button and the game will be over."
Kimberly listened to her and was skeptic at first. "I don't know..."
Katie gave a sigh and told her, "Think about it. You are in your worst predicament of your life. You have no job, your family hates you, your boyfriend dumped you, and you squandered your life away. Do you want to go down that path of obscurity, or do you want to get a second chance in your life by restarting it anew. This treadmill can help you get on your feet. What's it going to be? Back to the bar and drink away your life, or go on that treadmill and get a new lease in life?"
Kimberly listened to her and was still silent. Yes, she lost so much over the years. She has no job, family, boyfriend, or life. If she goes on that treadmill, she can get a second chance, no matter what age she can be. This is the answer she need to get herself back up and relive her life as a better one. Looking down to the quarters in the palm her her hand, she closed it into a fist and said out loud.
"All right! I'll do it."
She soon walk past Katie as Katie smiled, knowing that she made the right decision.
"That a girl, Kimberly!"
Kimberly entered the game and saw the built-in treadmill with the vertical screen and an number counter that depicts years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. She then inserted the quarters that Katie had said she would need and hit the start button. After she had hit start, she thought it a little strange that she had to put both her name and age in but did it anyway. When she inputted her information down, she was amazed that her age counter was accurate, right down to the very seconds. Now the final question came and she saw it asked her which direction she wanted to go 'backwards' or 'forwards'. When Katie told her that backwards would mean regressing, she decided to take that option and went with 'backwards' That's when the message told her to start.
'Begin walking.'
Kimberly now started walking and she saw that while the treadmill was moving forwards, the counter was going in the opposite direction just like she had selected and she began feeling a slight rush of energy. Kimberly didn't even notice the age rate was going down, not that she was paying attention or anything until she looked down at herself to a few changes to her body. Some of the weight she was starting to gain was slowly melting off her body, bringing her back to her sexy shape. And while she didn't see it yet, the faint lines on her face were smoothing over while her hair was retuning to its luster and the gray within her black hair was fading away.
The moment Kimberly saw her changes happening, she was smiling that it was working. "Oh my god! It's actually working! I'm getting younger!" Kimberly said in disbelief.
Katie chukcled and told her. "See? Told you that it would change your life. Now remember though, the moment you think you are young enough to begin your life a new, just hit the stop button and the treadmill will stop. Don't stay on for too long though. Last thing I want is for you to get too young when you are on that thing. I was lucky enough to stop in my twenties. Who knows how far you will get if you keep on walking.
Kimberly nodded as she continued to quicken the pace on the treadmill as the virtual forest moves around her. She was inching closer to thirty as she got younger and her clothes were also changing to fit her new body. Seeing the stop button, she knew that she should stop it and begin her life a new. But she feels like that she will stop when she feels like she could be at the right age. And only Kimberly knows which age is appropriate for her.