Tommy just sat there, looking more and more uncertain. “I don’t know,” he mumbled.

For a few minutes, they just sat there. The only sound was the scratching sound of Charlotte’s crayons and the wind picking up outside.

“So how do we get out of here?” Maggie finally asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t even know if I ever knew. It’s like I’m trapped in a dark cellar.”

“Why don’t you just go back up the stairs?” Charlotte asked, putting down her crayons.

“It’s not really a cellar Charlotte,” Tommy said with a sigh.

“Hang on,” Maggie said. She grabbed Tommy’s arm. “How did you get here?

“I’m not sure,” he said hesitantly. “It’s all so fuzzy. It’s like it’s me, but not me. Like-”

“A mirror image,” they both said.

“What do you mean?” Tommy asked.

“We try what Charlotte suggested. We go out the way we came in. We’ll just have to hope that it works for all of us.”

“So where is this way out then?”

“Up the hill and into the woods,” Maggie said vaguely.

“That’s it? We’re never going to find it in the dark.”

“OK my little munchkins, it’s bedtime,” Eliza’s voice called from downstairs.

“But mooooom…” Charlotte complained.

“Now now, tomorrow’s another day.”

“Okay,” she said dejectedly and headed for the stairs. Tommy and Maggie followed close behind.

When they came down, Eliza kneeled down and wiped a smudge off Maggie’s cheek. “I set up your bed in Charlotte’s room since you two are such good friends already.” Charlotte squealed with delight at the news. Eliza handed Maggie a toothbrush. “Now you go brush your teeth while I get Charlotte ready. And Tommy, once I’m done with Charlotte it’s your turn to have a bath.”

“Again?” Tommy whined, suddenly sounding more like a kid than before. The look Eliza gave him clearly told him that the matter was not up for discussion. “OK mom,” he said and headed downstairs. Maggie went to the bathroom and, standing on a stool, she barely managed to reach the shelf where the toothpaste was. It was hard to control the oversized toothpaste tube and she ended up squeezing out a lot more than she intended.

After she was done, Maggie took off her dress and tried to take off her diaper, but the tapes just didn’t want to come loose. She even tried to wiggle out of them, but despite feeling somewhat loose, the didn’t want to go down past her hips. Nor could she push it to the side to pee. The more she tried, the greater the urge became, until it was almost painful. She finally accepted the fact that the diaper was not going anywhere. She was going to have to wet it; and soon. Maggie was just standing still, almost holding her breath when she heard footsteps and Charlotte’s happy chattering. OK, if I wet it now, I can get changed right away. That won’t be so bad. Maggie tried to let go, but couldn’t. Then she had an idea. She sat down on the toilet. The feeling of the toilet seat was enough of a sense memory to let Maggie let go. She felt a warm rush surround her crotch and seep towards her butt. Maggie slid off the toilet, feeling the warm squish of her diaper just as the door opened and Eliza peeked in.

“So,” she asked, “are you still dry?” obviously seeing that Maggie wasn’t.

“No,” Maggie said, almost whispering. Shame and frustration at having had to wet herself almost made her want to cry.