BabTech #1 & 2

Hey guys!  I've been writing short little baby tech vignettes on Twitter (@TheUsualSophie).  But since I haven't given you guys any new writing in a while, I'm going to post them here too. ^_^ 

Hope you enjoy!!

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BabTech #1: Energy Sapper

“It’s nap time,” Mommy says to you. You puff out your cheeks.

“I’m not even tired!” you argue. You almost stomp your foot in protest, but that would only bolster her position.

“That’s because you had two candy bars after lunch,” she says with regret in her voice. “Now come on.”

Mommy leads you by the shoulders through the house, until you both arrive in your nursery. A large crib sits beneath the window. The changing table is stacked with diapers. A shiver of excitement runs up your spine, only making you feel more awake. Before you know it, Mommy lifts you onto the changing table.

“I’m not sleepy,” you whine. “I want to play. I don’t even need naps anymore. Naps are for babies! I’m not a baby!” You disregard the nursery around you when making that statement. You ignore the changing table beneath you, and the wet diaper your Mommy is untaping from your hips. You are taking a stand, and the facts won’t get in the way.

But before you can get out another word of protest, a pacifier is pushed between your lips. The bulb fills your mouth and your instincts tell you to suck on it. As you do, you start to feel heavy. Your hands rest softly on the changing table beside you. Your wiggling and fussing slows to a stop. Even the thought of arguing feels like too much work. Suddenly, a nap in your crib doesn’t sound so bad…

Mommy plucks the pacifier from your lips and you glimpse the pure white plastic guard. But what catches your eye is the button on the front, glowing brightly in the dim room. If you look closely enough, you can see the light inside swirling around like glitter in a snow globe.

“I knew those candy bars were a mistake,” Mommy muses, checking the brightness of the pacifier, then placing it on a shelf high above you. “When your nap is over, you can have your energy back. Alright?”

You nod. You can’t find the willpower to squabble. You can’t even argue when she dresses you in a thicker diaper for nap time. And when carries you to your crib, you’re thankful you didn’t have to walk all the way across the room yourself. She kisses your forehead and pulls up the rails.

“Sweet dreams, little one.”

Mommy draws the blinds and flicks off the light. You melt into your sheets and hold your plushie tight in your arms. As your eyes close, you catch one last look at the glowing pacifier on the shelf. Mommy won’t have any trouble waking you up; one suck on that paci will be like eating two more candy bars. Yes, you’ll feel much better after a nap.

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BabTech #2: Pretty Lights

Mommy presses her lips to yours with enough force that you stumble onto the four-post bed. She crawls on top of you and inches you further upward, until your head rests softly on the pillow. She pulls two strips of satin cloth from each of the posts and ties them expertly to your wrists, like she had done a hundred times before. Your heart races.

“Shh, shh…” she whispers, before you have a moment to protest. “Almost done.”

Mommy turns around and bends over, raising her bottom for your viewing pleasure, as she ties two more satin ropes around your ankles and four-pointing you to the corners of the bed. You try to come up with something witty to say, but she stands up and walks to the door. Realization washes over you. Oh no, the pretty lights!

“Wait, Mommy,” you shout, a panic rising in your chest. “Please, don’t! Please let me—” 

“Quiet, baby,” she smiles sweetly. “I’ll be back in a little bit.” She flicks off the bedroom light and flicks on another one. Above you, the new light fixture Mommy installed turns on, a beautiful blue. She walks out of the bedroom and closes the door behind her.

The blue bulb above seems to pulse with colors as it slowly shifts to green. You close your eyes, knowing it won’t do any good. Behind your eyelids, the faint glow spills through. Sixty seconds, that’s all you have!

You shift your weight to one side, pulling tight on one of the restraints. Thirty seconds pass as you wiggle on the bed, finding a better position. You manage to clasp your teeth around the satin knot and pull.

Forty-five seconds, and one hand is free! The second one is easier. You untie the knot around your other wrist and slide to the end of the bed, only to fumble as you try to get to your feet. You forgot that Mommy tied those too.

The light above you tints orange and your sixty seconds are up. You feel slow, like the room around you is filled with water. Your movements are clumsy as you try to untie the knots on your ankles. Sixty more seconds and…

Red. Pink. Purple. And back to blue. Sixty seconds felt like ten. You just finish untying the second ankle when a heat pools between your legs, spreading across your pajama pants, and forming a puddle on the bedsheets. No, you don’t have time to be embarrassed. One final minute.  

You look at the light switch across the room as the pretty lights above flicker faster. But as you get to your feet, your knees buckle beneath you. Everything feels so heavy. So confusing. You can’t focus. What were you doing? The light? What about the light?

You look up at the colorful bulb above you and remember: you have to turn off that light. On your hands and knees you crawl toward the door. Each movement exhausts you. Every second makes you forget. And just as you reach the light switch, you find a set of baby blocks placed conspicuously nearby.

You glance at the blocks. You glance up at the light switch. Obviously only one of them matters. You fall back to your hands and knees and crawl over to the blocks.