Act 284: Stratabots

From Accct Wiki

Have you ever felt like this was a day you shouldn’t have gotten out of bed? Well that how I felt and boy was I right. But I’m getting ahead of myself. While don’t we start at the start.

First of all, my name is, or was Michael Brown. There wasn’t much to talk about. I had just graduated college, which I majored in electrical engineering. I was planning on continuing my studies, before the accident that changed my life. All I knew at the time was that my day started out like any normal day for me.

I woke to the buzzing of my stupid alarm clock, ringing in my right ear. Out of an old habit, I buried my head in my pillow, trying to block out the annoying buzzing that was interrupting my sleep. Then I remember why I set my clock to go off at 9:00 on a Saturday morning. So with a grunt, I heaved myself out of bed and lazily made my way to the bathroom, located right next to my room.

My house was only a one-story home with only three bedrooms. The kitchen and living rooms are connected and there’s only one bathroom, which could make things just a little harder on the working days. But that’s beside the point.

I splashed some cold water on my face to wake me up more and then looked at myself in the mirror. Like I said before, there wasn’t anything really special about me. I was fairly tall, about 5 feet 10 inches. I had jet-black hair that seems to work well with my sea green eyes. My face is slightly narrow with a small chin, giving me some boyish charm. My body has slight muscle to it because I ran track and field being my school years. And I still work out on a daily basis.

As my mind become more alert, I notice how odd my body felt. You know that feeling you get when say your arm or leg fall asleep on you? Well that’s how my entire body felt at the time. It was weird tingling that made my entire feel like it was about to fell asleep. But I didn’t feel sluggish either, so I just shrugged it off and want to change.

Since it was nearing autumn, I wore a pair of loose fitting blue jeans and a comfortable blue sweating. I didn’t know just how loose my jeans felt today, or the fact that my sweater sleeves were just reaching over my wrists.

As I worked to the kitchen to fix myself a late breakfast, I stopped and checked in on my little sister. Brandy is 16 year younger then me with ember red hair and hazel blue eyes, but I loved her with all of my heart. She was peacefully sleeping in on this morning like this. So I let her sleep some more.

When I stepped into the living room, I become aware of a strange odor in the air. It was faint, nearly scentless, but still I could smell it. And if I would have to take a guess, I would say it smelled like something had died.

“Now that’s odd,” I said to myself in a whisper.

Not wanting anything to happen to my sister, I set out to find what was causing this smell. I knew I took out the trash last night. And that I got rid of all of the over dated food two days. That was part of the reason why I needed to take out the trash. Then what was causing this smell? Guess I better looking.

Well, color my confused! I had searched the entire house and I was no closer to finding that smell then an hour ago. I check for died animals, left only food, or pieces of trash that I may have dropped, but nothing. I stood in the center of my kitchen, hands in my pockets, as I tried to figure this out. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied the door, leading to the basement/parents’ private lab. If this was a cartoon, I watched as a boy, a light bolt would have appeared over my head and then I felt like kicking myself.

You see, my parents are impendent scientists and they still work full time to support Brandy. They had planned on retiring when I graduated from college, but when my little sister came they changed their plans. So they continue they late night research into the early morning and that causes a lot of problems. You see they can so wrapped up in their work, they would forget about the little things. I know they mean well, but it just get frustrating after a while. But I will always laugh when I remember how my father got bright pink hair for a mouth after he fell asleep in one of his experiments.

Well enough thinking, I better goes and se about that out that smell. But, when I go to go into the basement door, I found it locked. They have been doing that since Brandy was old enough to work a door. And like them, they keep forgetting to make me a key.

“For all we know that smell could be dangerous,” I said to myself in mild frustration and ran my left hand over my face.

It was about this time, that I notice something really odd and pulled my hand away to get a better look. Like I said I ran trick and field in college and during my last year, I had a nasty accident that left my hand bloody. It never healed correctly and I was left with this wild scar across my palm. But that’s the weird thing. There was no scar, just smooth, healthy skin. I also notice that my shirtsleeves seemed a little long for me. Starting to feel a little paranoid I hurried back to bathroom to check something out.

When I looked into the mirror I confirmed my fears. You see my face looked a year younger then when I looked a hour ago. You see my face had change slightly in the past year. I had chucky face last year, but it changed when I got older. I also notice my sweater looked loose on my chest. I also starting to work out more after leaving college and the result was this body I see a mere hour ago.

Now I may not be the brightest bolt in my family, but even I knew what was happening. I was getting younger at a slow rate. And I bet it has something to do with that odor I was smelling. Then an thought suddenly hit me, and I didn’t liked it.

“Brother, are you okay?” A sweet, innocent voice asked me.

I snapped my head in the direction of the voice, and saw the source of my fears. My little sister, clad in her pink nightgown holding her favorite stuff bear, close to her chest and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. For a moment, my eyes were transfixed on her, studying her figure closely. She didn’t appeared unchanged and all of her clothing fit perfectly. So whatever was happening to me, she seems unaffected by it.

“Are you okay, brother?” she asked again in that innocent voice of hers.

I felt like there was no need to tell how what was happening to me. I mean she wouldn’t know what was happening anyways. She was only five after all.

“Yeah, I fine,” I said uneasily, forcing a smile onto my face.

She returned that smile ten fold and it made me sick to my stomach. If there was one thing I learned in my short time as an older brother, it was that lying to your little sibling made you feel like you were lower then a worm. To take my mind off of this for a while I suggested we have brunch and Brandy said yes.

That was about to two hours ago and since then I lost two more years, putting me at 18 at noon. I took a page out of my father’s book and began a research log. I used my dad’s old instant camera to take picture of my changing face. I had also created a theory that I lost half of a young ever half an hour, making me a year young on the hour. But other things were starting to bother me seriously.

See, my mother had measured my growth, like an mother would, but here’s come the kicker. When I lined up with the chart, I found myself at 5 feet 5 inches, which is just freaky. I have been 5 10 since my senior year of high school. So you could see my concern here.

Another thing that was starting to creep me out was my hair and eyes. My hair had lighten up somewhat. It was no long jet-black, but more of a bluish black color. And my eyes had gotten darker; they were now like a navy blue. And there something else happening with a certain part of my body that I didn’t know about until later.

Another hour want by and another year was lost. I had forgotten about the massive acme problem I had at seventeen, which was really embarrassing. And add the curious questions of one little sister, and this makes for one embarrassing moment in the history of any teenager.

“Brother, what’s on your face?” Brandy asked for like the tenth time.

I sigh in mild frustration and close my logbook. I looked at my sister and force that reassuring smile. I can’t stay mad at her for very long. She just so cute with that big, curious eyes of hers. I guess it was just a weakness of being a softhearted big brother.

“It’s called acme,” I told her softly. “It’s something every person older then a kid has to deal with. Even you would have to deal with it.”

Brandy’s hazel eyes suddenly widen in curiosity and she whispered,” Weally?”

“Weally,” I repeated softly.

I actually felt a soft smile suddenly blossom on my lips. For a belief moment, as I saw into my sister’s innocent, I felt my troubles melt away. For that moment I felt more like a father, staring proudly at his first child. It was strange. I was slowly de-aging and yet for this short time, I was at peace.

My smile grew as I sent my logbook onto the table, my eyes never leaving the precious thing I called my sister. “Hey, how about we play a board game? I know you have a favorite, so why not play it?”

My sister’s face lit up in a bright smile and she ran off to get the board game. To my surprise, the game was Snake and Leaders. That games has been around since I was a kid. But still, we played for hours and I lost track of time. When I looked at the clock, I was surprise to find that it was four o’clock, which means I have lost three years!

I got up suddenly and my sweatpants and underwear fell down into a pile at my feet. I had long since change into a pair of sweats and a sleeveless t-shirt and was going with out shoe or socks. Nut now with my body constantly shrinking, it was getting hard to keep them up.

“Brother, are you okay?” she asked, her curiousness and her worry mixing.

With a light sigh, I pulled up my sweats and tied them as tight as I can. “Yes. I’m just going through some changing times,” I said in a soft, kind voice.

Before she could anything else, I decided to make a big dinner. I as a really good cook too. I had to be because my parents were also so busy. Just another thing I learned, as I grew older and probably would forget, as I grew younger.

It took me about a hour, what would mean I was now thirteen since I was fourteen at four. But as I was serving dinner to Brandy the shit really hit the fan.

Just as I placed the plate in front of Brandy, I suddenly felt like my breath was caught in my throat. I grab my chest as I lost the my dinner and held onto to table for support.

“Brother, are you okay?” Brandy asked fearfully.

I wanted more then anything to answer her, but I was to busy gasping for air. I looked up at her and gasped in terror. My sister was growing bigger! No, that wasn’t true, I was getting smaller. Which could only mean I was getting younger faster then before. I looked down at my waistline and saw my pants and underwear fell again. I also felt something very familiar to me change very quickly. Finally, I felt something soft touched my shoulders.

After what could have been hours, but was really just minutes, I found myself able to breath ago. I looked around, noticing how much larger every things seems. My chest barely reached over the kitchen table. Everything felt so alien to me, like I was stepping out onto a world. I hate to admit this, but I was starting to get afraid myself.

Then there was Brandy. We were eye to eye, but that’s was because she was sitting down. I could see the fear and confusion, swirling, mixing in her hazel blue eyes. Just seeing my sister like this made me ever more afraid.

Brandy opened her mouth to say something, but I didn’t give her the chance to ask her question. I quickly left the pile that was my pants and underwear and dash down the hall. I ran into the bathroom and nearly missed the light switch because I have shorter arms. When the lights came on, I was meant with the biggest shock I could get this day.

Instead of seeing a black hair, sea green eyes, but a person with shoulder long cherry red hair, hazel blue eyes and freckles that ran across my nose and cheeks. And I was much, much more shorter then before, I mean I needed to use left myself up with my hand to see my face. Since I was so much shorter, I would have guess that I lost not one, not two, but three years in total.

‘This isn’t good. I mean this isn’t really good,’ I thought in panic.

I was fighting with all of my will power not to break down and cry, like the little kid I was had become. I mean people just don’t start to age backwards and then had some of their figures change so suddenly. It was enough to make any man break down and cry like a little girl.

“Brother, are you all right?” an all to familiar voice asked in a mix of fear and confusion.

I lowed myself slightly, so my toes were touching the ground, I looked at my sister. For a moment I couldn’t took my eyes off of hers hair or eyes. It hit me then like bullet and I snapped my head back to the mirror. The hair and eyes all match up. I bet my sister’s hair would look like this in a few more years, and I bet she will have freckles in a few more years. Which could mean only one thing…

I finally couldn’t take it anymore and let myself dropped onto my ass. With tears staining my vision, I reached for my gown size shirt. I was a little surprise it had stayed with me through all of this. Not that it really matter at this point.

My hands started to tremble as I grabbed the end of the shirt. I slowly pulled it back and felt the tears come rushing down my cheeks. My manhood was gone, and I mean GONE!! In its place was, just a hole that seemed endless. That was just confirming what I feared the most.

“Are you okay, brother,” Brandy asked, her fear replaced with curiosity.

I let out a defeated sigh, knowing it was time to come clean. There was no hiding what was happening to me, so why try to cover up the truth. I wiped the tears away and looked at her with a soft, solemn smiel

“Well, Brandy, you know how people grow taller over time?” I asked in kind voice. To say I was surprise of how different my voice sounded, would be an understatement. It scared me right to my core. It sounded so high and soft, so different from when I was an 11-year-old boy.

Brandy nodded slowly, her curiosity once again getting replaced with confusion. I knew this would just confuse her more, but then again I was pretty confused about this whole thing myself.

“Well for some reason, I seem to be going in the opposite direction in a big way,” I said, trying to make my new voice causal.

“Opposite diwection?” Brandy said, trying to repeat what I just said.

“Yes,” I said nodding. “I’m getting younger, instead of older and it seems to be happening really fast. On top of that I seems to have change into a little girl and I’m still getting younger.”

She seems to stare are me for a lifetime. I’ll gave my little sister this, she be only be five, but she pretty quick for her age. I could see it in her eyes that though confused, she was starting to come to grips with my change.

“So you’re my big sister now?” she asked in curiosity.

I just gave her a tire smile and nodded my head weakly. She suddenly let out a cry of delight and tackled me into a bear hug. She kept repeating ‘I now have a big sister.’

I couldn’t help but smile at this, as I ruffled my sister’s hair. I couldn’t help but think that in a few hours, Brandy would be the older one and I would probably be the baby. But then I decided it would be best just to forget about this and continue with my logbook, hoping that somehow my father and mother would be able to fix this when they get home.

After that we continue with dinner. I needed to resort to some of my old trick to get myself some more dinner. And then I need a couple of book so I could eat. But still I didn’t think much about that. It was when the clock reached six that I got another shock.

Instead of turning ten like I thought I would, I turn 9!!! Which means that I lost two years, instead of one!! I nearly freaked out when I found this out, but decided that losing my cool at this point is really pointless. So I just snapped a picture and put it into the book.

My freckles had faded somewhat. Now they covered the bridge of my nose and I could see them disappearing slowly. My hair was also lighter, closer to Brandy’s color and must be two to three inches shorter, if I was lucky. I decided that looking at my mother’s chart was useless at this point. But what amaze me more was how helpful my sister was. She didn’t try to do anything like one would think for a young girl. Instead, she just got my book when it was time and ask question. It still amazes me of how smart she can be.

Another hour want by and another two years lost. My freckles were not completely gone and my hair matched the color of my sister’s. We were ever close now. I was just a mere few inches taller now and I knew in another hour that would also disappear.

It was about this time I started to worry, but not for the reason you think. I told you that my forks were scientists, but what I didn’t tell you was, that there were out at some kind of science thing and were going be gone the entire day. But here it was, past seven and they still weren’t home. What if one of our neighbors just happened to drop by to check in on us? They never did trust my parents or me for some reason. That one, I could never figure out, and probably never will. So if they see to little girls, the would no doubt call the police to take my parents away.

This last hour seem to drag on for like ever. I just set on the couch, feet hanging over the edge, watching the clock slowly tick by. My sister was also quiet, just sitting beside me, eagerly watching, and looking to see how much more smaller I would get. To tell the truth it was just a little annoying, but I didn’t say a thing.

Finally the hour hit and something rather strange happened. That numbing feeling I had all day seems to have just went away. It was like my body just decided to wake up. But that wasn’t the issue here.

Like I thought, I had gone down to five, same age as Brandy. Out of curiosity, I had gotten one of my sister’s sleeping gowns and decided to put it on. It was no surprise that it fit me like a glove. But it was surprising when Brandy came out, wearing the same pink nightgown.

We looked completely alike, say for my shoulder long hair, but that was the only difference. Brandy was probably thinking that she was staying into some strange mirror, because I was thinking that. I saw the wide eye curiosity that laced the eyes of my sister and I bet she saw the same thing in my eyes as well. But I knew this wasn’t going to least. Just another hour and I would be the younger of us.

So imagine my surprise when nine rolled around I was still five. It confused me, but then again losing three years threw me for a loop. So I decided to wait another hour to see if anything happened. 10:00 came and so did my parents and I was still five.

It was funny seeing the look on their faces when they saw two girls who looked like their second child. I wanted to enjoy this moment a little more, but I didn’t want to wait any longer for them to fix this. So I told them who I truly was and to prove my point, I told them something I had done in my past. It was even funnier watching, as they’re faces want from confusion to shock and then to top it all off, I show them my logbook.

That’s when they gasp and from that alone, I knew that they were the one who cause this to happen to me. They then told me about this “rejuvenation” formula they had been working on and how they left it on a working burner before leaving. They told us that the formula was design to help heal fatally wounded people and give them a better chance of surviving. When they started to spit out theory about why I wasn’t getting any younger and why I want through this gender change, I knew it was time for bed.

So with a little help from my sister, I heated us both a warm glass of milk and then we retired. Brandy wanted me to sleep her and she gave me the puppy eyes to seal the deal. As we got under her covers, she hugged me in the same way she does that stuff bear I gave her for her last birthday.

“Good night, Mandy,” Brandy whispered before she fell into a peaceful sleep.

I couldn’t fall asleep on the other hand. Too many thoughts were blazing in my head. I knew if I couldn’t get back to normal, all of my plans were ruined. Not mention the fact that I was a no body now. I mean I was Michael Brown not Mandy. And then there were the parents. They could barely take care of me, but now if I were to stay like this, they would be in really big trouble.

But as the fatigue set in, my mind started to calm down and different thought started to surface. Sure I maybe five and a girl, but at least I have a sister to share with. And I knew deep down, that my parents could handle things. And I was sure one of my mother old friends could set something up so it seem like “Mandy” Brown has always been here. Maybe, just maybe, growing up for a second time wouldn’t be so bad.

As my eyelids closed, one thought crossed my mind. ‘It’s almost ironic that our birthdays are just a mere day apart.’ And with that I close my eyes, letting the light of my old life leave me forever and letting the darkness of a new life entered my dreams.

(AC)

(it's midnight, and brandy and mandy's ears turn into Dragonars As AC Snags them and puts them on his sattilite of Love)