The green mutt never had things this lucky happened to him, but here he was, starring at the coupon he had just received in the mail. 

 

“AGE AWAY DAY SPA: GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU FEEL YOUNG AGAIN” the coupon read. 

 

Gator wagged his tail, excited about the trip that was in his future. Little did he know how spot on the words on the coupon were actually going to be. 

 

The big day came and Gator pulled up to the spa, his tail beginning to wag again from excitement. He had been run down from work and really needed a chance to relax. This free spa treatment couldn’t have come at a better time. 

 

“Hello, sir. Welcome to Age Away Day Spa. You must be Gator. We have been expecting you.” greeted a large bear sitting behind a reception desk. 

 

“Hi. Yeah, that’s me. I’m here for the free spa experience,” replied Gator. 

 

The bear led Gator to a room at the far back of the facility. “This is where you will receive  a deep tissue massage. We guarantee you will feel like a kid again when we are through.” The bear said soothingly.

 

Gator thought the word usage was strange but didn’t care. In no time at all, he was in his underwear laying face down on the massage bed. The first thing he noticed was how warm and soft the bed was. Certainly not the cheap mattress he was used to at home. Then he noticed the music. Soft and relaxing. If he didn’t know any better he could swear there were words in it too. It didn’t take long for Gator to be in a state of bliss on the bed, oblivious to the world around him. 

 

The bear began the massage process starting at the feet. 

“Good baby. Let the music drown out everything around you except for my voice. As we go through this massage, you will mentally become younger and younger. “ the bear says as he begins massaging Gator’s feet. “These cute little feet. Certainly not the feet of a big adult dog. No. They belong to a 12 year old little pup. A pup that just wants to frolic outside and have fun .”

 

“That’s right,” Gator thinks to himself, “playing outside with friends is the best. And mama will have dinner ready when I get home.”

 

The bear slowly moves up the legs. “Such strong muscles. I bet you can run super fast and jump super high. You must be a little super hero. All 6 year olds can be super heroes if they use their imaginations.”

 

“Super Gator!” The soon-to-be pup thinks to himself. “I’m the fastest and strongest ever. Almost as strong as daddy.”

 

Moving up to the back, the bear continued to put suggestions into Gator’s mind. “Doesn’t that feel good to have your back rubbed? Just like falling asleep on mama’s lap like a tired little 4 year old after a day of play. So soothing.”

 

“Mama is so soft. I could sleep on her all night.” Gator thinks to himself, continuing to mentally regress. 

 

“Almost done, baby, all that’s left are these big shoulders.” Coos the bear. “Such big shoulders. Holding the weight of the world. Work responsibilities, social responsibilities, financial responsibilities, it’s all just too much. But a 2 year old baby doesn’t have to worry about any of that. All they need to worry about is filling their pampers and drinking their bottles.”

 

“Fill diapies. Dwink babas.” Gator slurred. 

 

“Good baby,” the bear cooed, flipping the grown up puppy over. “Let’s get you diapered”. The bear removed Gator’s underwear with ease as the dog drooled and grinned. Next he laid a large diaper under the dog, adorned with dinosaurs. “Yay Dino-woars.” Gator slurred as the bear applied powder and taped it up. “All done, pup. Now, you are going to take a little nap and when you wake up, all of these changes will be complete. Gator drifted to sleep. 

 

A little while later the bear opened a door further into the spa. Inside the room was a an oversized changing table, an oversized rocking chair, a multitude of toys, and an oversized crib. For all purposes, it was a regular nursery, just for a “bigger baby”.  Inside the crib lay a fully grown, adult dog wearing a diaper and sucking his thumb. 

 

“It’s time to wake up widdle Gator”, the bear beamed. Gator raised up from his sleep, “Hi Dada”, gurgled the dog turned pup, not noticing him yellow tinted diaper. 

 

The bear hoisted Gator up and carried him to the changing table. Gator inserted his thumb into his maw as the bear went to work, as if it was completely normal, even though this was the first diaper change he had experienced in 33 years. Once finished, the bear picked him up and the two exited the room. 

 

“Are you hungry, buddy?” Asked the bear.

“Yesh Dada”, Gator replied behind his thumb as the two entered a dining area with a single high chair sitting in the middle of the room. The bear strapped Gator in and sat a bottle of milk in front of him. Gator clumsily brought the bottle to his lips and began to suckle. It was the greatest thing he had ever tasted. He slurped and slurped until nothing was left. 

 

“Burrrrp” Gator belched, eliciting a small giggle. 

 

“Excuse you little guy”, the bear said, trying not to laugh. 

 

“Sowwy Dada” giggled Gator. 

 

Next on the menu was a small cheese pizza cut into bite sized pieces. “My favorite”, Gator thought to himself, as if he knew what his favorite of anything was anymore. He dove in, getting more pizza sauce on his face than he did in his mouth.  

 

“All gone”, Gator proclaimed proudly, holding up his happy plate, only to be met with a wash clothe across his face. 

 

“Good job buddy but we still need to clean that face”, the bear said while giving Gator a good clean. “I think you could use a little playtime now.”

 

Gator was carried back into the nursery and sat in front of the toy chest. It was full of blocks, crayons, coloring books, and an assortment of different dolls and balls. 

 

“Have fun, pup, daddy has some work to do.” Stated the bear on his way out the door. Gator didn’t even notice as he was too engrossed in the toys. Stacking blocks and watching them fall, coloring pictures of he and his daddy, playing make believe with the dolls, he didn’t even notice his tummy rumbling until it was too late. Before he knew what was happening, Gator’s tail was flagging and he began to push. He wasn’t sure what the uncomfortable feeling was, but he knew pushing made it go away. When he was finished he settled back into a much mushier seat and continued playing. 

 

“Whoa! Somebody is ripe!” Stated the bear, while fanning his nose as he walked back in.   At that moment, Gator was standing by the rocking chair with a noticeable sag in the backside of his diaper. 

 

“Up on the changing table, little guy.” The bear sang, picking Gator up and laying him down. 

 

Had Gator been in his old adult mindset, he would have been mortified at what was happening, but with his new 2 year old mind, this was completely normal. The wet and dirty diapers, diaper changes, the bottles, playtime, sleeping in a crib, it was all normal now that he wasn’t a grown up anymore. And he new he would never have to worry about anything as long as his daddy bear was with him. All thanks to The Age Away Day Spa.  True to their word, Gator felt young again, and nothing would

ever happen to mess that up.