He stared at teh reflection, suddenly unable to remember why it was wrong. Hadn't he always been like this? Derrick spread his wings and hovered in the air automatically, having an easier time flying than walking. His fellow cherubs swooped around him, and he giggled and joined them in an impromptu game of tag. They flew around the garden, laughing and finding new things to point at - a flower, a rock, splashing in the water. It all seemed new and exciting, even if Derrick had occasional memories of being much bigger and unable to fly.
Night came, and the four toddler cherubs were drawn back to thier plants. Derrick settled on his leaf and felt the tubes press onto and into him, letting the fluids be pumped in and out as the petals closed around him. Being one with the huge flower was no longer scary. Why had he been so fearful before? The cherub Derrick drifted off to sleep, fully encased inside the plant.
The sun was just coming up when Derrick woke, feeling the tubes withdraw. His brothers were waking up as well, each cherub bright-eyed and eager to start the day. Derrick was filled with curiosity, flying up to join the others in an impromptu game of tag before flitting about 'discovering' a flower, a rock, the fun of splashing in the water. While all of this seemed vaguely familiar, it satisfied his curiosity and provided activity.
As they headed back to thier flowers that night, cherub Derrick remembered his past, as well as the past two days. He'd been a human, a boy who had to go to school and learn and follow rules. But what had he done here? The same things, always fresh and new, but actually no different. His mind was being wiped each night so that he remained a happy toddler. It worked, for he was enjoying this new life even as he realized it was being imposed. But did he want to spend the whole two weeks like this?