Jeff had expected the police to figure everything out in a few hours tops. His dad—(who was, in reality, himself before he’d meddled with the Chronivac but still did not know that)—couldn’t have gone far. Yet as the investigation unfolded, it became clear that things weren’t going according to plan.
The officers combed through the house, reviewing every angle of CCTV footage. What they found didn’t make Jeff feel any better. There was no sign of his dad leaving the house after returning the previous afternoon. The only people captured on the footage were Jeff himself (as his 12 year old self now), along with Mark—the boy Jeff had created from his unconscious teenage fake self and dad chasing the naked man out of the house.
Jeff sat on the couch, his small, now 12-year-old frame sinking into the cushions as the officers whispered among themselves. He tried to keep calm, reminding himself that he knew the truth. *I was 16. I used the Chronivac and can esaly change back once the cops where gone. I’m the one who made all this happen,* he thought. But that didn’t make it any easier to sit there, powerless, as his actions spiraled further out of control.
Finally, one of the officers, a stocky man with a warm smile, knelt down in front of him. “Okay, Jeffy,” he said, his voice kind but firm. “It looks like your dad’s hiding better than we thought. We’re going to keep looking, but you can’t stay here alone. It’s not safe for a kid your age.”
Jeff blinked, his stomach dropping. “What do you mean? I can stay here! I’ll be fine!”
The officer shook his head. “Sorry, champ. We’ve got a nice family that’s agreed to take you in for a little while. It’ll be like a sleepover, okay? Just until we find your dad.”
“No, wait!” Jeff protested, panic rising in his chest. “You don’t need to do that! I—can i just go on my computer upstairs”
But the officer had already guided him to his feet, gently steering him toward the door. “It’s gonna be okay, kiddo. I promise, no time for playing on your pc I'm afraid.”
---
Jeff sat in the back of the patrol car, his mind racing. *This is a disaster. I didn’t think they’d actually take me away! because I'm too young* He stared out the window, blinking back tears of frustration. He had thought making himself a younger kid would make the cops take things seriously with a young boy needs a dad or mom to be there, but now it had backfired spectacularly. At twelve, he was too young to be left alone, and there was no one to vouch for him.
When the car pulled up to a large, well-kept house in a quiet neighborhood, Jeff’s heart sank further. The officer got out, opening the door and helping him out with a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
The front door opened, and two men stepped out to greet them. They were both tall and well-dressed, clearly a couple. Jeff glanced at them nervously before his gaze shifted to the boy standing between them.
His heart skipped a beat. It was—the boy he’d created from his fake teenage self. The blond boy’s face darkened the moment he saw Jeff, his blue eyes narrowing with barely-contained anger.
“Jeff,” the boy said coldly, his voice venomous despite its childish pitch and it seemed no one hard him but Jeff.
Jeff froze, his mind screaming at him to run, but his legs refused to move. The officer gave him a gentle nudge forward.
“Go on, Jeffy,” the cop said. “This is where you’ll stay for now. They’re good people.”
Jeff swallowed hard, his throat dry as the young boy continued to glare at him. He couldn’t believe how badly he’d screwed up. Not only was he stuck as a twelve-year-old, but now he was face-to-face with the very person he’d tried to get red off by making him the cute little boy he is now and clearly wasn’t happy about it.
As the officer waved goodbye and drove off, Jeff stood frozen on the doorstep, his stomach churning. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this one.