The kitchen was filled with a tense silence as Alex stood before his dad, Kenneth. His father, always an imposing figure, loomed tall and broad-shouldered, his bulging muscles practically bursting out of his flannel shirt. Kenneth's rugged features were set in frustration, his brow furrowed, veins visibly pulsing at his temple.
“I asked you to do one thing, Alex,” Kenneth growled, his voice low and dangerous as his hands settled firmly on his hips, emphasizing the sheer size of his upper body. “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, barely paying attention as he lazily twirled the remote control he’d borrowed from his friend Carl. It wasn’t just any remote, though. Carl had sworn it was some sort of alien tech, found in a scrapyard on the outskirts of town. At first, Alex hadn’t believed him, but when Carl showed off a few strange things it could do, Alex had become curious.
“It's just trash, Dad,” Alex replied nonchalantly, waving off Kenneth’s frustration as if it were nothing more than a trivial inconvenience. “I’ll do it later.”
“Later?” Kenneth’s voice rose, booming throughout the kitchen. The man was clearly at his wit’s end. “This isn’t just about the garbage, Alex. It’s about responsibility. You’re sixteen now! You need to start acting like an adult!”
Alex could feel the lecture coming, the same one he had heard countless times before. But instead of engaging, he continued fiddling with the strange remote in his hands. He didn’t even realize when his fingers accidentally brushed against one of the buttons. There was a sudden, sharp hum in the air, and before Alex could make sense of it, the remote began to glow with an eerie, pulsating light.
Kenneth stopped mid-rant, his eyes widening in confusion. “What the hell—?”
A crackling beam of energy shot from the remote, hitting Kenneth square in the chest. His body tensed immediately, his muscles twitching and trembling uncontrollably as the blue energy field enveloped him. For a moment, it was as if time itself had frozen, both Alex and his dad locked in place, neither able to comprehend what was happening.
“Dad?” Alex’s voice was tentative, unsure, but the words seemed to have no effect.
Kenneth’s eyes were wide with shock, his body still trembling as the transformation began. At first, it was subtle—his chest, still broad and muscular, seemed to puff up even more, his biceps swelling slightly beneath his shirt. For a moment, Kenneth actually looked more powerful, more intimidating than ever. The tension in his face melted away, replaced by something closer to awe.
“I... I feel..AMAZING.” Kenneth stammered, his hands flexing as he looked down at his arms. His chest expanded, stretching the fabric of his shirt even tighter. He flexed his biceps experimentally, watching as they seemed to grow larger, veins bulging impressively beneath the skin. “What is this?”
Alex took a step back, but instead of fear, he felt an odd mix of amusement and curiosity. Whatever the remote was doing to his dad, it didn’t seem to be harming him—at least, not yet. In fact, Kenneth’s initial shock was fading, replaced by something else. Something cocky.
Kenneth grinned, a smug, almost predatory look on his face as he peeled off his shirt, revealing a chiseled torso. His muscles, once massive, had somehow grown even more defined, more exaggerated. His pecs jutted out proudly, his abs rippling as he breathed in and out. He flexed his arms again, the sheer size of his biceps now dwarfing anything Alex had ever seen on his dad before.
“Well, look at this,” Kenneth said, his voice dripping with arrogance as he admired his own reflection in the kitchen window. “Guess I’m even more of a beast now, huh? What do you think about that, Alex?”
Alex stood there, his mouth agape, half in disbelief at what he was seeing. His dad, who had been furious just moments before, was now grinning like a kid who had just won the lottery. Kenneth flexed again, rolling his shoulders, his ego swelling with each passing second.
“Looks like I’m still the strongest one around here, kid,” Kenneth sneered, glancing over at Alex. “Maybe you should think twice before mouthing off to someone who could bench press you with one arm.”
But as Kenneth reveled in his newfound size and strength, something strange began to happen.
"What the—" Kenneth's gruff voice cracked mid-sentence. His strong, towering body visibly tensed, veins bulging along his thick arms and neck. The muscles that made him seem invincible—a man who could command respect with his presence alone—began to pulse beneath his skin, as though something inside him was forcing a change.
Kenneth's hands, once so massive and calloused, now appeared smaller. His thick fingers began to shrink, and his biceps, once mountainous, deflated slightly, losing their sharp definition. His muscles, once a source of pride and strength, were shrinking before his eyes.
“No… no, no, no,” Kenneth muttered, his voice growing higher, tinged with panic. He looked down at his body, which was now noticeably smaller. His chest, which had once puffed out proudly, seemed to flatten, his thick pectoral muscles now fading into a softer, less-defined form. His shoulders, once broad and imposing, sloped inward, losing their bulk. The powerful, intimidating man that had stood there moments ago was slowly disappearing.
"Dad?" Alex said, his voice tinged with something between amusement and curiosity as he watched the change take hold. "You’re looking a little… different."
Kenneth’s breathing quickened. His legs, once solid and muscular, were thinning. His jeans, which had once clung to his powerful thighs, now hung loosely, slipping down his waist. He fumbled to pull them up, but his hands were trembling. The sensation of weakness creeping over him filled him with dread.
His reflection in the kitchen window caught his eye, and Kenneth’s heart sank. His face was changing, becoming smoother, less chiseled. His jawline, once sharp and masculine, was softening, and his once intense, weathered features now looked more youthful. No, not just youthful—teenage. His stubble had vanished, his skin taking on a softness he hadn’t seen in decades. His hair, which had been peppered with gray, darkened, regaining its once jet-black hue.
"What’s happening to me?" Kenneth’s voice cracked, now unmistakably that of a boy in his teens. He stumbled back, grabbing the edge of the kitchen counter for support. His heart raced as the last remnants of his adult physique melted away. His biceps were now no bigger than those of a high school athlete, and his legs—once capable of lifting hundreds of pounds—were lean, unremarkable, devoid of the strength they once held.
Alex, however, couldn’t contain himself. The sight of his dad, once so strong and confident, now reduced to a scrawny, teenage version of himself, was too much. A grin spread across his face, quickly turning into a chuckle, and then outright laughter.
“Little dude,” Alex snickered, crossing his arms as he stared down at his dad—or rather, his now much smaller, younger dad. “Look at you, man. What happened to all that big talk?”
Kenneth shot his son a glare, though it was far less effective now. He looked less like the authoritative father figure he had always been and more like an angry teenager. "Turn it off!" he shouted, his voice cracking again. He stepped toward Alex, but his jeans slipped further down his now narrower hips, causing him to stumble awkwardly.
But before he could even attempt to stop what was happening, the next wave of transformation hit. Kenneth’s teenage frame began to shrink further, his height dwindling as his limbs grew shorter, his torso becoming smaller. His powerful chest caved in, his pecs all but disappearing, leaving behind the smooth, flat chest of a prepubescent boy. His arms, which had once commanded awe with their size and strength, were now nothing more than twigs. His hands—once large and capable—were tiny, barely able to grip the waistband of his oversized jeans.
The final stage of the transformation left Kenneth staring in horror at his reflection. His voice, now a high-pitched squeak, escaped him in a pathetic yelp. "What… what have you done to me?"
Alex, unable to contain his amusement any longer, burst into laughter. He slapped his knee, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "Oh my God, look at you!" he howled, his voice full of glee. "You’re like… a little kid! Little Kenny!"
Kenneth stood there, now barely half the size he had been. His once-muscular body was gone, replaced by that of a small boy, no older than Alex. His clothes hung off him like a child playing dress-up in his father’s wardrobe, his jeans pooling around his ankles. He stared down at his tiny hands, his legs trembling beneath the weight of his now-oversized shoes. His heart raced in his chest, pounding as the reality of his situation sank in.
"I… I’m a kid…" Kenneth whispered, his voice shaky and small, a far cry from the booming, authoritative tone he had once commanded.
"Yep," Alex said, wiping away a tear as he continued to laugh. "You’re just a little guy now. Guess that means I’m in charge around here and I guess you’re just going to have to get used to being... well, not so big anymore.”
Kenneth’s eyes widened in panic, the enormity of what had just happened crashing down on him. His entire life—his identity as the strong, capable father—had been stripped away in moments. He was no longer the man of the house. Hell, he wasn’t even a man anymore. He was just a kid, helpless and vulnerable, standing in the shadow of his own son.
Kenneth’s hands clenched into fists, but there was nothing he could do. He was no longer the towering, muscular man who could intimidate his son with a single glance. He was just a boy now, and no amount of anger or frustration could change that.