Ghosts By: Christopher Steven Reynard Summary: A 12-year-old boy investigates a strange noise in his attic. Someone or something gets him to change his clothes. A forced diapering story like all the rest. Been sitting on this one a while, so I thought I’d share it. The attic in my house is a mess. My mother saves everything from baby shoes to Christmas wrapping paper, throwing it all up in that holding space. Heaven forbid we toss out one of my mediocre report cards. Why, our family would just fall apart at the seams if we did… or so we’re led to believe. It’s almost funny, mom keeps the rest of our house freakishly clean, but has let the attic become a mausoleum of crap. She’s so hell bent on saving everything, and yet not concerned about its placement or storage. Just so long as we have it, life can go on. I remember the first time I went up to the attic. It was the night I first heard the noises. I could hear what sounded like soft footsteps. They only lasted a moment, and then they were gone. I tip toed out of my room and into the hallway. The only entrance to the attic is through a pull string ladder that’s in the ceiling. I knew I had heard the footsteps, but the ladder wasn’t pulled down, so there couldn’t be anyone up there. Curious, I went back to my room and got my desk chair. I used it to get to the string and quietly pulled the ladder down. I guess I’m a brave 12-year-old, but I wasn’t about to let noises scare me. Not in my own house. The ladder made a throaty coiled spring noise that I was afraid would wake up my parents. Once I had the ladder down, I ran back to my room for a flashlight and climbed up. Our house is big, and the attic stretches over most of it. There’s room for a lot of junk up there, and thanks to my mom, that’s just what there is. I had my flashlight on and I made my way through the piles, trying to find the space over my room. As I got closer, I found that there was already some light. Rounding one particularly large group of hanging clothes and sheet covered furniture, I found my old night light plugged into a socket next to my old crib. The gentle glow was comforting, like an old friend I hadn’t visited in a long time. I turned off my flashlight and walked towards my crib. I’m average height for 12, but still, the crib seemed just as big as I remembered it. It was as big as my bed downstairs. Looking around, I realized that most of my old baby furniture was nearby. I scratched my head. What could have been making the noise up here? As if to answer, my pajama pants were suddenly pulled down. I gasped and quickly tried to reach for them, dropping my flashlight as I did. As I bent down to get at the hem of my pajama pants, I was suddenly pushed over and rolled onto my back. I tried to make out who was doing this, but I couldn’t see anyone in the soft glow of my old night light. I tried to get up, but found something was holding me down. I couldn’t feel or tell what, but before I knew it, my underwear was gone too, and something was being put under me. I smelt baby powder, and realized what was happening. A disposable diaper snugly taped itself around my waist. The force holding me down was lifted and I was able to get up. I shakily got to my feet, touching at the fluffy garment that had been put on me. It crinkled, but… didn’t really feel that awkward. I looked around to find out where my underwear and pajama pants had gone. I noticed my flashlight resting on the floor and reached down to pick it up, but as I did, my pajama shirt was pulled off my head. “Hey, stop that!” I told no one in particular. It wasn’t happening in a rough manner, it was more like my shirt was choosing to take itself off my body. Whatever was happening, no one listened to my demand and I was soon left standing in just a diaper with no pajamas in sight. “Can I have my pajamas back please? I’m getting cold.” I told no one again. I shifted from one foot to the other, my diaper crinkling as I did so. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something snake across the floor. I began to feel a little worried, but my body lifted one leg and the thing on the floor turned out to be one of my old footed sleepers. It helped itself onto my raised foot, and I found I was raising the other. Feeling betrayed by my feet, I tried to reach down to stop the advancing sleeper, but instead of finding bunched up cloth, my hands apparently found the sleeves and the garment worked itself the rest of the way on me. I felt the zipper pull itself up my back, and I heard a series of snaps as the opening under the arch of my legs was closed. I began to breathe a little faster. This was freaking me out. Clothes were dressing me, and apparently my old clothes were a lot bigger then they used to be. There was a wooden clack, and I turned around to find the side of my crib had been lowered. I started to take a step away from it, but something gently nudged me from behind and I stumbled forward banging my knees on the edge of the crib. The same little nudge pushed me into my old crib and the side promptly rose. I was about to cry out when my hand brushed up against a warm bottle. My fingers grasped it and the nipple was in my mouth before I could call out for help. Something felt strangely familiar, and yet… it was scary, because I couldn’t stop myself. I sat down on my thickly diapered rear as nursed the bottle. Whatever I was drinking, it tasted sweet and warmed my stomach, sending a little euphoria to my entire body. I laid back and continued to drink. My eyes were getting a little heavy. With every swallow, sleep came a little closer, and I felt a little happier. My diaper began to warm, and I realized with surprise that I was wetting it, but it didn’t bother me that much, it somehow felt right, like that’s what I was supposed to do. I shut my eyes as I finished off the bottle. I was so tired, and my old crib was so comfortable. My thumb found its way to my mouth as I took the bottle out and drifted off to sleep. Sometime later, I awoke with a start. I couldn’t tell where I was. I looked around and saw a little light spilling through one of the windows in the attic. It must have been before dawn. I shook my head, trying to get rid of the sleepiness. I actually felt really good, like I’d gotten the best sleep of my life. I sat up, and as I did, I felt a soft mass shift under my bottom. I began to smell something a little off. I looked myself over and gasped when I remembered last night. I was still in a sleeper and thickly diapered. I reached down and popped some of the snaps around the crotch of my sleeper and felt at my diaper. It was warm, and definitely wet. Not only that, but from the smell and odd feeling on my rear, I think I’d also pooped it as well. In a panic, I got up and reached for my crib bars. They fell with no problem. My pajamas were folded and left neatly on a dresser nearby. I quickly took off my sleeper, grabbing an old towel from one of the piles and covered myself with it. I scooped up my clothes and ran out of the attic before my mom and dad got up. I took my diaper off in the bathroom and cleaned up. After I’d cleaned up, I got the ladder pushed back up and made it back to my own bed before anyone else had woken up. All during the day, my mind was on what happened the night before. A part of me couldn’t believe it, another part of me hoped that it would happen again. I’m not sure what it was, or… what put me in a diaper; but every time I’ve gone up in the attic late night since… I’m not disappointed, and I get a great night’s rest in my crib.