Dr. Clowngoggles heard a knock on his door. The eccentric scientist, still wearing his colorful goggles, shuffled to answer, only to find his neighbor Gus standing there, a sheepish grin on his round face. Gus was a large man, well into his forties, with a belly that strained against his shirt buttons and a pair of thick glasses perched on his nose.
“Hey there, Doc,” Gus said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve been thinkin’... I could use some of your scientific genius to help me out.”
Dr. Clowngoggles raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? And what kind of help are you looking for, Gus?”
Gus looked down at his rotund belly, giving it a pat. “Well, it’s this darn weight. I’ve tried diets, exercise, you name it, but nothin’ seems to work. Figured maybe you’ve got some sort of gizmo that could, y’know, help me shed a few pounds.”
A mischievous smile spread across Dr. Clowngoggles’ face. “Well, Gus, you’re in luck. I’ve been working on something that might be just what you’re looking for.” He gestured for Gus to follow him into the lab.
Gus lumbered in behind him, looking around at the cluttered room filled with strange gadgets and blinking lights. Dr. Clowngoggles picked up the Yo-Yo Ray from his workbench, holding it up for Gus to see.
“This, my dear neighbor, is the Yo-Yo Ray,” Dr. Clowngoggles explained. “It has the power to induce amazing transformations.”
Gus looked at the device, a mix of curiosity and nervousness in his eyes. “You sure it’s safe, Doc?”
Dr. Clowngoggles chuckled. “Oh, it’s perfectly safe, I assure you. It might just make you feel like a new man.”
Gus hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, Doc. Hit me with it.”
With a gleeful smile, Dr. Clowngoggles aimed the Yo-Yo Ray at Gus and pressed the button. A blue beam of light shot out, enveloping Gus in a glowing aura. Almost immediately, Gus felt a tingling sensation spread through his body.
“H-hey, Doc, this feels kinda funny,” Gus said, his voice wavering as the tingling intensified.
The changes began slowly at first. Gus felt his large frame start to shrink, his bulky arms and legs gradually losing their mass. The tightness in his shirt eased as his belly began to flatten, his chest narrowing. His double chin receded, and the roundness of his face softened into a more youthful shape.
“Whoa, Doc, I’m actually feelin’ lighter!” Gus exclaimed, looking down at his shrinking body with wide eyes. “This is amazin’!”
But as the transformation continued, Gus realized that something wasn’t quite right. His arms, once thick and muscular, were now thin and scrawny. His clothes hung loosely on his rapidly shrinking form, and his legs were becoming gangly and short.
“Uh, Doc? What’s happenin’?” Gus asked, panic creeping into his voice. “I’m gettin’ too small! This ain’t what I wanted!”
Dr. Clowngoggles watched the transformation with a twinkle in his eye. “Well, Gus, you did say you wanted to lose some weight. I’m just giving you a little more than you bargained for!”
Gus’s voice cracked as he continued to shrink, his body regressing further. His once deep voice became high-pitched and boyish, and he stumbled as his oversized shoes slipped off his now tiny feet. “Doc, turn it off! I don’t wanna be a kid again!”
But it was too late. The blue light faded, and Gus found himself standing there, a puny 10-year-old boy swimming in a mountain of oversized clothing. His glasses, too large for his small face, slipped down his nose, and he struggled to push them back up with his small, chubby hands.
“Doc, this ain’t funny!” Gus squeaked, looking up at Dr. Clowngoggles with a mixture of anger and fear. “I didn’t ask to be a little kid again! I just wanted to lose a few pounds!”
Dr. Clowngoggles chuckled, bending down to ruffle Gus’s hair. “Be careful what you wish for, my dear Gus. Sometimes, the results might not be exactly what you had in mind.”
Gus’s face turned red with embarrassment, and he pouted as he tried to adjust his oversized clothes. “Well, I sure didn’t wish for this! You gotta turn me back, Doc. I don’t wanna go through puberty again!”
Dr. Clowngoggles laughed. "I think I might like you better this way. Tell me. Why should I change you back?"