Farmer Grimroot wipes the tears from his eyes, still laughing as he watches the three boys wrestle and roll around in the mud. “Ain’t y’all a sight to see—dirty little farm boys, thinkin’ ya can fight me.” He waves his hand again, casting a new spell, his eyes gleaming with wicked delight. “But I reckon it’s time to give ya a new shape—somethin’ a bit more… balloon-like!”
Before Alex, Luke, and Carl can even catch their breath, another wave of dark energy pulses from Grimroot’s scythe, enveloping the boys in an ominous, swirling light. The muddy ground beneath them trembles, and the laughter on their faces fades as they feel a sudden pressure in their bodies, a tight, swelling sensation growing in their bellies.
Carl is the first to notice. His stomach expands outward, pressing against the fabric of his muddy overalls. “Wh-what in tarnation…?!” His voice, still tinged with that southern twang, quivers with panic as his belly bloats, stretching his overalls tight. His arms and legs begin to puff up too, becoming rounder and softer, like a balloon slowly being filled with air.
Luke’s eyes widen in shock as his own body follows suit. His arms grow heavy, his fingers becoming round and swollen. “We’re blowin’ up!” he cries, his voice now higher-pitched with panic. His overalls strain against his expanding body, and his feet, now puffy and fat, sink deeper into the mud.
Alex tries to stand, but his legs feel like rubber as they balloon out beneath him. His stomach rounds out like a beach ball, and his arms puff up, becoming fat and bloated. “What’s happenin’ to us?!” His voice cracks as his body inflates further, his round form wobbling uncontrollably. “We’re—turnin’ into big ol’ blimps!”
The boys' once lithe, athletic forms are now completely gone. Their bodies have become massive, rotund balloons, their overalls stretched tight over their bloated bellies. Their arms and legs, now plump and useless, wobble as they try to move, but it’s no use—they’re too fat, too swollen to do anything but roll and bounce awkwardly in the mud.
Grimroot watches with glee, clapping his hands together as the boys wobble and inflate. “Look at ya now! Y’all thought ya could fight me, but now yer nothin’ but big ol’ blimps, ready to float away!” He leans down, grinning wickedly. “How’s it feel, boys? Ready to roll around like big balloons?”
Carl, his face red with embarrassment, tries to protest. “Ah ain’t no blimp! This ain’t fair!” But his words are cut off as he wobbles uncontrollably, his big round belly bouncing against the muddy ground. His arms flail, but they’re too fat and swollen to grab hold of anything. “Ah can’t even move!”
Luke, trying to maintain some dignity, groans as he struggles to stay upright. His round body bounces and sways, making it impossible to stand. “We’re… we’re too big!” His voice, now filled with frustration, trembles as his body puffs up even further, his bloated arms sticking out awkwardly.
Alex, now the size of a giant balloon, wobbles helplessly. “Grimroot, let us go!” But his voice comes out in a high-pitched whine, his fat, round face flushed with humiliation. His massive belly sticks out in front of him, and he can feel the air inside him pressing outward, making him feel light and floaty. “Ah feel like ah’m gonna pop!”
Grimroot steps closer, a sinister grin spreading across his face as he watches the boys struggle. “Oh, I ain’t done yet. I think it’s time fer a lil’ fun!” He reaches out and gives Carl’s massive, bloated belly a poke.
Carl lets out a squeal as his body wobbles uncontrollably, bouncing in place. “Stop it! Ah can’t take it!” But before he can protest further, Grimroot begins to tickle him. His fingers dance across Carl’s round belly, and despite his efforts to resist, Carl bursts into uncontrollable laughter. “Nooo! Ah can’t—ha ha ha—stop laughin’!”
Grimroot moves on to Luke, whose bloated form is just as helpless. “How ‘bout you, boy? Let’s see how ticklish you are!” He tickles Luke’s round sides, and Luke, trying desperately to keep his composure, lets out a squeak. His body bounces and wobbles as he breaks into laughter, his swollen form jiggling uncontrollably. “Quit it! Ah—ha ha ha—can’t stand it!”
Finally, Grimroot turns to Alex, who tries to back away, but his round body makes it impossible to move. “Don’t ya dare, Grimroot!” Alex warns, but it’s too late. Grimroot’s fingers dance across his bloated belly, and Alex’s tough exterior crumbles as he bursts into laughter, his body bouncing and shaking with every tickle. “No! Ha ha ha—stop ticklin’ me!”
Grimroot stands back, admiring his handiwork as the three former warriors, now massive, bloated blimps, roll and bounce in the mud, helpless to stop their laughter. “Look at ya now! Reduced to nothin’ but a bunch o’ laughin’, ticklish blimps. Y’all ain’t no warriors now—just big, fat balloons!”
The boys, gasping for breath between fits of laughter, try to protest, but the tickling and the humiliation are too much. Their once powerful forms are completely gone, replaced by bloated, helpless blimps, wobbling and bouncing in the mud as Grimroot watches with glee.
"Well, boys," Grimroot taunts, "looks like y’all are stuck like this now! Ain’t nobody gonna take ya seriously when yer nothin’ but a bunch o’ ticklish, gigglin’ blimps!"