When Carl wasn't looking, Alex decided to borrow the remote and check it out at home. He'd give it back the next day at school. When he got home, Alex was greeted by his single father, who was clearly in a bad mood.
Alex stood in the kitchen, facing his dad, whose rugged features were set in frustration. His father, tall and broad-shouldered, wore the worn look of a man who had spent too many years working overtime shifts. His beard was peppered with gray, and his eyes carried the weight of responsibility.
“I asked you to do one thing, Alex,” his dad growled, hands on his hips. “Take out the garbage! You can’t even manage that, but you’ve got time for whatever weird gizmos you’re messing with!”
Alex rolled his eyes, casually twirling the remote he had borrowed from Carl. “It’s just trash, Dad. I’ll do it later.”
“Later?” His dad’s voice rose, veins pulsing at his temple. “This isn’t just about the garbage. It’s about responsibility. You need to start acting like an adult, Alex!”
Before the argument could escalate, Alex accidentally pressed one of the buttons on the alien remote. A sudden hum filled the air, the device glowing with an eerie light. Before either of them could react, a crackling beam of energy shot from the remote, enveloping Alex's dad in a glowing blue field. His father’s eyes widened in shock, his stern expression faltering as his body began to tremble.
"Dad?" Alex said, stepping back, alarmed but also intrigued. "What the—"
The change was immediate. His dad’s skin seemed to ripple, wrinkles smoothing out, his hard-set jawline softening. His chest, once broad and muscular, began to lose its bulk, shoulders narrowing. The rugged man Alex had always known was growing younger right before his eyes.
His father’s weathered hands, the same hands that had repaired their car, built shelves, and provided for their home, were shrinking—thick fingers becoming slender, knuckles smoothing out. His work shirt, once tightly fitted, sagged on his diminishing frame as the years seemed to melt away. His once salt-and-pepper hair turned dark and fuller, erasing the signs of age.
“What... what's happening?” his dad gasped, his voice higher, lighter, almost unfamiliar. He looked down at his hands in disbelief as his adult muscles shrank, his jeans bunching around his thinning legs. His once towering 6'2" frame was rapidly dwindling, leaving him eye-to-eye with Alex.
Alex couldn’t hold back a chuckle as his dad stumbled forward, no longer the strong, authoritative figure. Instead, he was a gangly teenager, perhaps 16 or 17, with an awkward build and lanky limbs. The once deep lines around his eyes were gone, replaced with the fresh, youthful face of someone who hadn’t seen the struggles of adulthood.
“Alex, what did you do to me?” his dad stammered, voice now cracking as he struggled to understand what had just happened. His clothes hung on him like a poorly chosen costume, his belt now loose, barely holding his pants up.
But before Alex could respond, the transformation continued. His dad gasped again as his body seemed to buckle. His teenage form became even smaller, muscles dwindling further until his arms and legs were spindly, like a boy who hadn’t yet hit puberty. His jeans crumpled to the floor as his legs shortened, his entire body shrinking to a boyish size.
Alex watched, wide-eyed but grinning, as his father regressed further, his once-familiar strong presence replaced by a scrawny, nervous-looking 11-year-old. The sight was surreal—his dad’s rugged features were gone, now replaced by the smooth, round face of a pre-adolescent boy, his eyes wide with fear and confusion. His voice, now squeaky and high-pitched, barely sounded like the man who had been scolding him just moments ago.
“Alex, please!” his dad—now more of a boy than a man—pleaded, tugging at his oversized shirt, which nearly swallowed his tiny frame. His shoes slipped off his feet, which were far too small for them now. “Change me back! I—I don’t understand what’s going on!”
Alex burst out laughing, unable to contain himself at the sight of his father reduced to such a helpless state. “I don’t know, Dad, maybe you should take out the garbage first.”
His dad’s face turned red with anger, a comical contrast to his tiny stature. “Alex! This isn’t funny! You can’t—!” He tried to storm forward, his small fists clenched in fury, but his body was so small now that the action only looked pathetic.
Smirking, Alex quickly adjusted the remote, twisting a dial as the alien symbols shifted. His dad froze mid-step, his expression of anger fading into blankness as a soft hum emitted from the device. The transformation wasn’t just physical now—it was mental. His dad blinked, the defiance in his eyes fading as they filled with a strange, obedient light.
The boy that had once been his father straightened up, a hesitant smile forming on his face. “S-Sure, Alex. I’ll take out the garbage!” he chirped, his small voice eager to please.
Alex watched in amusement as his now-puny father scampered over to the garbage can, struggling to drag the bag out. The sight of his dad—a man who used to be strong and authoritative—now reduced to an obedient little boy, was too much. His dad wrestled with the garbage bag, his small arms straining, but he never complained, too eager to obey his son's order.
“Good job, sport,” Alex teased, resting the remote on the counter as he leaned back, watching his once-rugged father huff and puff like a dutiful child.