Dan could barely contain himself.
This evening would be different. This evening would change everything.
The fall leaves rustled on his driveway ominously as he hurriedly entered his house, the bag in hand. Dan was sick of it all, the disrespect, the bullying, the mundane that his life had become. He was 45 and had long lost the body he once had in his youth. His fine dark thick hair had thinned slightly and was showing signs of grey; his body had sprung hair seemingly out of every crack and crevice, so much that he barely bothered to keep it managed. The age lines on his face were apparent, along with the moles and skin spots that told the tale of his age, an age even older than he actually was.
Maybe it was stress, poor diet, the smoking he did in his youth, or a combination of all of it. Perhaps his daughters constantly bleeding his pocket dry and re-gifting him the same tie each year for Christmas, practically laughing at him when he tried to discipline them. Maybe it was his boss pushing him around every day, giving his hard-earned promotions to younger, better looking, yet wildly inexperienced "men". "Boys" was more like it.
Then there was his wife, who seemingly got a bit more attractive with each year. He loved her dearly, but she made more money than he did now since she went back to work and had no problem playfully reminding him who was the breadwinner, a job that had been his for 20 years! He could no longer keep up in the bedroom either. She seemed more wild and adventurous than ever, and his body was just failing him.
He sighed a deep, spiteful sigh at the ruin that he perceived his life to be, set the bag on the counter, and pulled out a jar of pink juice. For all intents and purposes, this could have been pink lemonade, if not for the otherworldly glow it seemed to posses in the dim light of the kitchen. He was no believer in the supernatural, since he had no reason to be. His life has all but proven to him that miracles do not exist, but on this fateful evening while heading home he was delighted to be proven wrong.
A lady peddling tonics and potions caught his eye and threw a sales pitch his way. Perhaps because of sheer boredom or a desire to delay another night of family torture, he listened. This spunky young woman read Dan like a book, which only depressed him further. She called him out about all his life troubles and his lack of vitality and youth. Figuring it to be simply that apparent by looking at him, he began to leave in frustration, when she proposed a demonstration. His eye rolling was quickly turned to astonishment when she made a seemingly 60-year-old woman look to be in her twenties with one of her tonics.
Yes, it was that same pink fluid illuminating the kitchen and Dan's lustful eyes. The price was surprisingly cheap, and all he had to do was follow the instructions, and he would look and feel years younger in seconds. Of course, the prospect that he had been scammed occurred to him. This could actually be just lemonade, but he didn't care. Twenty bucks was worth the adventure.
Dan poured a healthy glass and stared at it with his heart racing. His excitement was interrupted by his daughter calling to him. "Dad? Can you get me a sandwich now that you are home?" She was eleven and capable of making her own sandwich.
Dan scowled looking at her, lying upside down in the living room on her hand held gaming system. He was not going to be bossed around anymore. The only thought he wanted was about the wild night he would share with his wife when she got home and found him back in his prime. He held that thought tightly in his mind, letting it consume him, and greedily guzzled the glass he had poured for himself. It didn't take long. He felt his body tingle all over and he knew things were going to change . . . At last . . .
Kelsey grimaced when her dad didn't answer, tossed her game on the couch, and went to investigate. She was annoyed she had to actually go and tell him in person to make her a sandwich. She had taken only a few steps when the sound of a glass breaking on the tile floor echoed though the house, causing her to slow and proceed with caution. She heard a rustling and thought maybe her dad was just bumbling around the kitchen like the oaf that he was.
Kelsey cautiously entered the kitchen and then froze in her tracks, staring wide-eyed at the display in front of her. The scene unfolding would have been comical, had it not been terrifying. Kelsey stood, mouth open as her father lied on his back with his legs in the air and looked back at her with a face that she did not fully recognize.
His hair had been thinned completely out, but now it was a dark brown again, more like soft, baby-like hair a 1-year-old would have. His face had lost all traces of aging, his skin was delicate, and his cheeks slightly rounded despite their adult definition. He seemed to be missing some teeth, although it looked like they simply hadn't grown in yet. His hands were chubbier and he seemed to have very limited control over his motor skills as he kicked and squirmed like an infant.
His eyes met hers. His eyes were seemingly the one feature on his face untouched by this insanity, and she noticed that he was still in there, his pain and shame welling up in tears. He opened his mouth to wail. Not the wail of a man's agony, but the absurd cry of an infant's tantrum filled the kitchen as Kelsey watched her father soil and wet himself.
Panic overtook her, and, through hyperventilating breaths, she managed to yell out "Daddy?" It was quickly drowned out by the baby's cry.
Danny was right. Everything would be different, and for a very long time. If Kelsey were more aware, she might have noticed that on the counter there was a bottle, the label large enough a baby could read it. "Liquid Youth! Look and feel younger in seconds! Warning: Do not exceed 1 teaspoon."
