Almost as if on queue, a mother and her daughter approached the fountain across from Carrie. Carrie could hear them arguing even over the sound of the fountain.
“I think we have our next victims,” said Carrie to her hamster.
***
Kelly stood by the fountain feeling incredibly frustrated with her close-minded mother.
“You just don’t get it, Mom. Fourteen isn’t what it used to be when you were younger. Kids mature a lot faster now.”
“I said, ‘No.’ You’re much too young to be going out on a date. I’m done talking about this. You tell that boy that you’re not allowed to go.” She started to walk off, but Kelly just stood there and stared at the fountain.
This was so unfair, thought Kelly. She had only accompanied her mother to go shopping downtown since she thought the trip would put her mother in a good enough mood that she might allow her to go out with Tommy. That plan appeared to have failed.
Kelly growled in frustration, “This is so unfair! Janie has been going out on dates for years now, and she’s my age. Her parents don’t care.”
Her mother sighed and walked back to her. “Well, I’m not Janie’s mother. I’m your mother, and I get to decide when you are old enough to date.”
“And when’s that? When I’m 30?”
“Ha ha. Keep complaining and it just might be. Now, let’s go. We’ve got a lot of shopping to do, and I want to get home early enough to start cooking dinner before it gets dark.”
Kelly felt defeated. This was how all her arguments with her mother went lately. Anything she wanted, her mother wouldn’t let her have it. She couldn’t get her ears pierced. She couldn’t get a new smart phone. She couldn’t even stay out after dark. She felt so sick of her mother treating her like a kid. And on top of all that, she dreaded the conversation to come. Telling Tommy that she couldn’t go out with him would be so embarrassing. As she stared into the water, imagining her upcoming humiliation, she noticed coins sitting under the water, people’s wishes. Well, she had a wish too. She pulled out a nickel and threw it into the fountain.
“I wish you knew what it’s like to be my age these days.”
***
Sitting on her bench, programming the remote, Carrie quietly replied to herself, “Your wish is granted.”
***
“Let’s go,” said Kelly’s mother, but she paused and swayed as if she might faint. “Whoa,” she said, holding her head. “I feel dizzy all of the sudden.”
Concerned, Kelly held her mother’s arm. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” she said as Kelly led her to sit down on the edge of the fountain. “I don’t know what that was. I feel all tingly.”
“Should I get help?”
“No, just give me a minute.” She took a few deep breaths.
Kelly watched her, worried that she might be having an embolism or a heart attack. Her mother did look strange, but it was hard to put her finger on just what was strange about her. She seemed, somehow, less weathered. Her wrinkles appeared to have disappeared, and her face had a more youthful glow to it. It almost looked as if she was 10 years younger. But, that was impossible.
“Mom?”
“I’m fine, dear. Just give me a second,” she said. Her voice sounded more youthful as well. “I’m actually starting to feel a lot better.”
Kelly gasped as her mother began to shrink. There was no denying it now. Her mother was getting younger. She appeared to be in her late teens and rapidly getting younger. As her body got smaller, her clothes shifted and reformed on her to fit her new figure. Her T-shirt shrank and became a form-fitting sleeveless tank top. Her Capri jeans shortened up her legs to form a small pair of short shorts. Even her shoes transformed from ordinary sneakers into a pair of cute platform sandals. When she stopped shrinking, she appeared to be the same age as Kelly.
“Oh my God!” said Kelly as she stood up and took a step back from the fountain. “Mom! Look at yourself!”
“What?” said her now teenaged mother, appearing to be a bit dazed. “Is something wrong?”
“Are you kidding? You just shrank. I mean, look at yourself. You look like you’re fourteen now.”
Her mother seemed confused for a second, as if she were trying to sort out conflicting thoughts in her head. Then, she smiled as one thought seemed to have triumphed.
It was a vacant smile.
Kelly shivered.
“Well, yeah,” her young mother said, with a youthful inflection that fit her new body. “I am fourteen after all. What’s the matter with you?” She stood up, and stretched her arms over her head, pushing out her pert B-cup breasts. Kelly noticed that they were about the same height now too. Her mother’s arms dropped to her sides, and she let out a relaxed sigh. “Man, I feel great all of the sudden. I just feel so… energetic.”
“Mom?”
“What are you calling me ‘Mom’ for anyway? I’m Karen. Remember? Your best friend? Maybe you need to get out of the heat. The sun’s starting to melt your brain.”
“My brain?” said Kelly. “I’m not the one who… You… Your…” she sputtered.
“Come on, Kel,” said Karen as she grabbed her former daughter’s arm. “Let’s check out if any of the boys from our class are in the park. Maybe you can hook up with Tommy for lunch. You guys do have a date coming up, right? Oh, I hope he has a friend with him for me.”
Kelly pulled her self out of Karen’s grip, “Whoa. First off, you are in no state to be going anywhere to eat, especially with any boys my age. Second, YOU ARE FUCKING FOURTEEN YEARS OLD!!! You were 38 just a minute ago. You don’t remember that?”
Karen looked confused, “Um… no…”
Kelly just stared at the ditzy, boy-crazy girl that her prudish mother had become. This was too much for her to handle. She needed backup. Kelly grabbed Karen’s wrist and started dragging her away, “Come on. We’re going home. We’re going to Dad to get him to help us figure this out.”
Karen pulled her hand loose. “You’re not dragging me anywhere. I want to hang out at the fountain for a bit and check out boys, and that’s what I’m going to do. That’s what we came here for in the first place. You go home if you have to.” She crossed her arms, and for a moment, she appeared to be her old self again, stern and authoritative. But then she smirked, apparently satisfied at getting her way, and turned toward the fountain. “Man, look at all of those coins. There’s got to be a hundred bucks in quarters in there.”
Kelly’s eyes went wide. “The fountain! Of course! I made a wish on a coin. What did I say? I said I wanted you to know what it was like to be my age. That must be what did it.”
“Wishes?” asked Karen incredulously, “I thought you were too old for that kid stuff.” She pulled a coin out of her pocket. “Well, I might as well make a wish too while we’re here.”
“Wait a second!” said Kelly.
Karen ignored her. She held the coin with both hands and closed her eyes, “Oh, magic fountain, I wish…”