Just a note.

Let me know if you actually use this, honestly. Gives me more reason to do more chapters and makes me happy (:

Chapter 5 - A Horrible Revelation

Disclaimer: I do not own La Machine à Rajeunir. This is a translation from the original language of French.

I'll probably do the 6th chapter after this, then I'll start on chapter 1 and 2. I'm translating this first because my test is tomorrow. If you notice any translation mistakes, kindly point them out. I already noticed a few typos which I will correct later. Enjoy!


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The shrinking of my parents is making me crazy. Getting to Percé seems like an impossible mission.

            “I’m tired!” cried Sophie, sitting on the ground. “When are we going home? I want my bed!”

            “The kids can’t stand up anymore,” said Jo to me. “Me too, I will not able to stand for much longer.”

            She yawned of fatigue. The effect was contagious and I did the same.

            She was right. We are exhausted. Also, yet we could not sleep. Each second that passed was a second lost.

            “Leave me alone!” screamed Sophie who pushed her husband. She had a thick stick, which she found in the forest.

            “I want to play with your stick! Why won’t you give it to me?”

            “Because its mine! Not yours!”

            “You’re not nice. I won’t play with you anymore.”

            “Sophie, be nice, he will give it back,” said Jo.

            Suddenly, this childish argument made me realize a horrible revelation. I understood which terrible fate would fall upon my parents in the next few hours. In a state of panic, I took my friend by the shoulders.

            “Look at them, the small children. Very soon, they will be four years old, then three, and then two! Then, they will be babies. They will stop talking and walking. When they become babies, they will continue to become younger, do you understand? They will shrink to the extreme limit!”

            Jo’s eyes widened in terror.

            “They will transform into fetuses!” I added, “And these fetuses will become younger until they’re just fertilized eggs. At the end, Hugo and Sophie will disappear! Poof!”

            “That’s terrible! Let’s tell the police, Marc-André! If we explain everything, they will cooperate, I’m sure. Of course, at first they will not believe us, but at the end, they will visibly see your parents become smaller in front of their eyes. We would lose too much time. And after, do you think the police would drive us to the machine of rejuvenation?  No, they would call specialists to study my dad and my mom. We will lose even more precious time. Finally, it will be too late to save them.

            “Ouch!” screamed Hugo who fell on his butt.

            My mom’s small fist was in the air. She hit him in the right eye.

            “Why did you do that?” I asked my mother.

            “He was yelling insults! He called me stupid and a tomboy!”

            “This is not the time to be insulting each other,” said Jo who was examining my dad’s eye.

            “No more arguing!” I ordered. “Jo and I have problems to resolve and we need calm.”

            “My eye hurts,” complained Hugo.

            “Stop crying you crybaby,” responded Sophie.

            “That’s enough!” I said, “No more insults for today!” Dad started to cry.

            “I want my bed! It’s dark! I want to sleep!”

            “Does it hurt?” my friend asked him, “Come, Auntie Jo will take care of you, honey. I have a cure for you. I will put it on your eye and you will be healed.”

            Jo gave him a small kiss on the eye, but Hugo pushed her away.

            “You are not my aunt and I am not your honey!”

            As I did not want the police alerted from the screams, I helped Sophie get up.

            “Look at my dress! What do I look like? Get it off me! I want a new dress!”

            How could I disagree? She looks like she’s wearing a parachute. Beside her, Hugo looks like a clown.

            We made knots and tears in their clothes and managed to adjust it a little, but their clothes are still too big.

            “I don’t want to walk barefooted!” declared Sophie, “The pebbles hurt me!”

            “Me too!” replied Hugo.

            “Do you expect us to carry you on our shoulders?” said Jo.

            “Yeah, yeah!” replied the kids. “On your shoulders!”

            “Quieter,” I said, “You will alert the whole city.”

            “I will do what I want to do!” responded my mother. “If you don’t put me on your shoulders, I will scream as loud as I can!”

            How long have we been carrying my parents? I could not tell. We were on the edge of the forest near the rode. Suddenly, the headlights of a car lit up a small, abandoned lodge between the trees.

            I pushed the door. The inside was empty. We fell on the ground from fatigue.

            “I need to pee!” said Sophie.

            “Can’t you wait?” I asked her.

            “Me too! I need to pee!” said Hugo.

            “If this is true, get up. I’ll take you to pee outside.

            My dad did not move.

            “Pipi, pipi, pipi,” giggled Sophie.

            “Pipi, pipi, pipi,” laughed Hugo.

            In a moment, our laughter invaded the lodge. Then they were asleep. A little later, I heard a snore. Jo was also asleep.

            Finally, a moment of peace and quiet. I tried to reflect, but my thoughts were lost in a thousand directions. As soon as I started having an idea, it disappeared. So I decided to sleep and find a solution the next morning. But I could not fall asleep. There was nothing to do, my eyes stayed open. Since the night was black, I stayed, unmoving, listening to the sounds of the forest late into the night.



Screams woke me up.

            Four rotten, broken walls surrounded me. The rays of the sun shone through the broken windows. On the dirty floor were two crying babies. They were naked. There were ripped adult clothes found around them. My parents were no more than one year old. This small, delicate creature with a mouth like small flower, a nose no bigger than the end of my finger, is this really my mother?

            This baby with a round stomach and chubby thighs, is this really my father?

            “Jo, wake up! We don’t have a second to lose.”

            She heard the small cries and my friend got up immediately.

            “They must be hungry, these poor angels. We must buy for them milk, baby bottles, clothes, diapers! And us too, we need to eat!

            “You know that we don’t have the time!”

            “And if the babies die before we arrive at Perce?”

            “Try to help me instead of talking like that!”

            Jo left to look for water and I got on my knees before the babies. I looked at them for a while as the tears flowed down my cheeks. I wished so much that the shrinking would suddenly reverse. I want my parents back! This mission was becoming impossible. I looked at my parents closely, trying to recognize any sign of them on their faces, anything.

            Then, my head fell on my chest like it weighed several tons. In my empty brain, I heard some phrases repeated: “It’s over, Marc-André. There is nothing you can do. Your parents will disappear!”

            “What do you have, Marc-André. There is no time to feel depressed. Courage, my friend!”

            Jo returned to the lodge without water. After wiping my tears, she turned to sit near me, but she was suddenly immobilized with a scream of surprise.

            I looked up. Two people were found near the door. They were in black outfits and helmets. I recognized the man and the woman who tried to kidnap my parents.

            They did not abandon their task. They may have followed us at a distance. Or if they lost sight of us, they came to this lodge to try to find us.

            When they advanced one step, Jo and I had the same reaction. We threw ourselves over the babies. Each of us took one in our arms.

            I noticed a crack in the wall, just beside us. With all the speed I had, I jumped towards the hole. But the kidnappers threw themselves at me and grabbed the leg of the baby. Without losing a second, I elbowed him and he let go.

            I immediately slipped through the crack and I ran towards the forest. Jo was following me.

            We ran like wild animals chased by dogs. I needed to flee the criminals to protect the babies. Above all, it was necessary to prevent the bandits from taking us.

            Behind us, the crackling of breaking branches was coming closer. The trees were so close together that we had a hard time moving advancing. Suddenly, the trunks spaced out and an open field was before us.

            “An airport!” said Jo, “Look at the yellow plane, near the shed! A man is getting on!”

            I shouted to get the attention of the polit. He turned around and jumped when he saw the people in black.

            I did not need to do any explaining. He jumped on the plain and told us to follow him. We took a seat behind him.

            “Superhero will save you from these bandits!” he said in a voice loud enough to drown out the noise of the engine. “Superhero is my nickname. My colleagues always say that I’m not afraid of anything!”

            His plane was already rolling on the runway. I turned around and saw the people in black stop running and turn towards the terminal. A police car approached them quickly. A second police car appeared also.

            The police were chasing the bandits! Because of the helicopter, probably. Such a device could not fly over the area without prompting people’s suspicious.

            I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

            But our pilot, who noticed the arrival of the police, slowed down his plane.

            “No, don’t stop!” I shouted at Superhero. “Take off!”

            “What? Even if the police came and stopped the bandits who are following you?”

            “We need to get to Perce as fast as Possible! These babies will die! If we arrive on time, there is a chance to save them!”

            “Message received.”

            The kidnappers now ran towards the forest. Suddenly, the black helicopter appeared in the sky. The helicopter was close to the ground, just above the head of the bandits. The man and woman grabbed on. Then, they did a spectacular pirouette and they jumped into the helicopter.

            “They are not ordinary bandits, but professionals!” exclaimed Superhero.

            When the plane was in the air, the helicopter went in another direction.

            How much time was left to prevent the death of my parents? Now we are approaching Perce, the hard part was yet to come.

            Léo Lepitre, manager of the machine of rejuvenation, would he help us? Probably not because he’s part of the group of men who organized the whole thing.

            This man, does he have the possibility of reversing the process of shrinking? I think that this method does not exist and my parents will disappear.

            The babies are constantly crying. I never imagined that these small beings could produce such a noise.

            “These are cries of distress!” said Jo. “And we are happy to listen to it. Soon they will be so small that they will fall unconscious.”

            “But they make more noise than the motor of the plane!”

            Right away, Jo lifted up my dad. The pants of my friend were soaked.

            “What is this?” shouted Jo.

            The smell of pee quickly spread through the plane.

            “This is disgusting!” shouted Jo, who held Hugo as far from her as possible. “I have never been so insulted in my life! I hate you Marc-André! You have to be a bastard for involving me in this story!

            “Calm down, you lovers,” said Superhero. “You will scare the kids!”

            “We are not lovers!” corrected my friend. “And these little monsters are not my kids! They are his!”

            Another stream of liquid was running from Hugo, which made Jo distance herself from him more.

            At this moment, a voice came from a loud speaker:

            “This is Corporal Wright of the Quebec Provincial Police. According to our information, you are transporting two suspected kids and failed to report this. Go back to your departure point and stop.

            “Don’t listen,” I said to the pilot, “you are responsible for the death for these two babies.”

            “Do you swear you are telling the truth?”

            “I swear!”

            “Alright then. In prison, I will do crossword puzzles. I love them, but I never have the time to do them."

Chapter 4 - Luce's Suspicions

Disclaimer: I do not own La Machine à Rajeunir. This is a translation from the original language of French.

I know I'm doing the chapters in a mixed order. I'm translating this first because my test is tomorrow. If you notice any translation mistakes, kindly point them out. I already noticed a few typos which I will correct later. Enjoy!


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As soon as the caravan was on the road, we came across a police car. Five seconds later, another one passed us, its siren blaring loudly.

            Jo and I were sitting at the back on a car seat. Hugo and Sophie were facing us. Luce, on another seat, was reading an information book.

            We finally escaped the police. But this was not the end of our problems, like Jo already said. The assault of a police officer was a crime, and our escape made the situation worse. Al the officers in the region were surely looking for us.

            But what worried me most was the helicopter. Why were the bandits trying to take my parents? What were their intentions and why are they interested in the phenomenon of their rejuvenation? For sure, these mysterious people are well organized.

            I already knew that the black car was following my dad and mom before they left. Now, I know for sure that the spying started during their trip to Perce, when they left the machine of rejuvenation.

            Even if it seems stupid, the name of the machine is more than to just attract tourists. Hugo was right. The machine was really capable of making humans younger.

            I could see things more clearly… Dad and mom fell in the trap of a monstrous organization. They used them like guinea pigs for a strange experiment.

            Everything makes sense! The people in the helicopter were trying to capture my parents to analyze them, for sure!

            They must get to Perce very quickly. If the machine of rejuvenation is the cause to our problems, then there could be a solution! When we arrive at Perce, we must be very careful. The bandits will surely try to kidnap my parents again.

            With her head lying against her small husband, mom was sleeping. I, who believed that the rejuvenation would stop, was well aware that not only would it continue, the process would speed up.

            Luce lifted her nose from her book to watch my dad or my mom. She doubted something, for sure.

            Sophie was cute and I had difficulty not looking at her. She was not my mother anymore, but a girl so beautiful that it could knock me over.

            “Why are you looking at her like that?” whispered Jo.

            I blushed in embarrassment.

            “You’re making love eyes at your mom! No, but seriously?!”

            “What are you plotting, you two?” demanded Luce.

            “You, the alien from space, leave us alone!”

            “Please, Jo, I beg you. This is not the time to argue with her!”

            “You’re defending her! Then I understand well, am I the only one here who hasn’t lost their head?”

            “This proves that Marc-André knows the difference between an fascinating girl and an idiot.”

            “What! What did you just say, you species of pocket calculator?”

            “Can you not talk so loudly?” complained Hugo. “My girlfriend is trying to rest”.

            Jo breathed a sigh and turned her back to me. After a moment, Luce broke the silence.

            “You and your boyfriend look suspiciously alike. Are you related?” Luce had just asked one of the questions I was most nervous about. She was right. Hugo and I, we looked like two peas in a pod.

            “Why do you hide the truth from me, Marc-André? Don’t you trust me?”

            “If you think he is my brother or cousin, you are wrong.”

            She examined my dad from head to toe. Then, still suspicious, she continued to read.

            “It’s true that we look alike?” asked Hugo in a whisper.

            “Yes.” I replied.

            It was not only our traits that were almost identical. Like me, this boy had straight shoulders and long, skinny arms. We also had the same worried look.

            Before we got on the caravan, he rolled the sleeves of his shirt again and the bottom of his pants. The result was not pretty. And his shoes were too big.

            “Why do we look alike if we aren’t brothers or cousins?” asked Hugo, always whispering.

            “It’s a long story!” I responded.

            “Hmm…I don’t remember much. I know that I live at Rivière-au-Renard and I want to be come a writer when I grow up. But besides that…”

            After a tender glance at my mother, he smiled.

            “She, I have not forgotten. She is Sophie. When I look at her, I feel a blissfullness in me. I think she is the love of my life.”

            I nodded in agreement, because I have no doubt about it.

            “With you, I feel the same kind of feeling. It’s strange because I don’t know you. Who are you?”

            “I’m Marc-André.” I whispered in a touched voice.

            “Marc-André… You seem nice. Are we friends?”

            “Friends?…That word doesn’t seem strong enough, I think.”

            I avoided his eyes now because of my tears, which I was trying to hide.

            “You became smaller!” cried Luce with a finger pointing at Hugo. “Since recently, you have shrunk about 15%! You clothes were already too big, but now it’s enormous! I want explanations!”

            “I promise,” I replied, “all this is absolutely normal, I swear.”

            “Normal? You’re mocking me. On the contrary, this is scientifically impossible!”

            “Why are you shouting like that?” asked Sophie, half asleep.

            “She shrunk! Her dress is even bigger for her!”
            “My dress?” repeated my mother, looking down.

            She suddenly cried, with surprise mixed with fear on her face.

            “My breasts! They disappeared! It’s awful! What am I becoming? I want to find my breasts!”

            As if jumping from her seat, Luce turned towards her dad at the front.

            “Papa! Two of the passengers are biological errors! Stop now! I’m scared!”

            Less than a minute later, we were standing on the edge of Highway 132.

            “I don’t know who you are, or what you are,” said Henri-François d’Estragon looking at us with serious eyes, “you lied to me, you abused my good will, and you sacred my daughter! Your problems no longer interest me. Go to hell!”

            When the caravan went away, I was crushed with discouragement. We were in a sticky situation up to our neck. Shadows were surrounding us. On the highway, the vehicles were passing with cruel indifference. My only relief was that in the sky, there was no helicopter.

            Did our enemy lose our trail? Probably not. But then, where were they hiding? Why don’t I hear the sound of a helicopter?

            A road sign said that Matane was close. This meant that we still have half the trip left.

            “We’re walking, the night is coming soon, at the police are looking for us. Not even mentioning the kidnappers! This is already more than we can handle” said Jo with a mournful voice.

            “Do you always have your wallet?” I asked Hugo.

            I found two twenty-dollar bills. On the other side there were three credit cards.

            “Not all is lost, Jo. There is surely a bus station at Matane. We will go to Perce by bus.”

            My parents are following almost joyously, as if this is fun. Right now, they don’t look like lovers, but brother and sister.

            Sophie was bigger than Hugo, but right now Jo was bigger than her.

            To adjust my mom’s dress, Jo made knots in several places. For my dad’s loose pants, I replaced his belt with a cord on the road. I also tore the back of his clothes. We got rid of the shoes because they were useless. Now, my parents were walking with bare feet.

            They were pitiful. They looked like poor, homeless, abandoned children.

            Night came when we arrived at the bus station in Matane.

            “Two police cars are waiting for us!” whispered Jo to my ear. “One at the entrance of the parking lot and one at the exit. If we enter the station, the police will arrest us!”

            “Not necessarily. Among the youths they’re searching for, two are impossible to recognize. Anyways, you stay here with Sophie.”

            I took Hugo by the hand. While crossing the lit parking lot, I kept my head held high. I did not want to seem like a fugitive criminal. However, my legs were limp, and my heart was beating loudly.

            The presence of the police was not my only worry. If the next departure for Perce was the next day, we would lose too much time.

            Once in the station, I sighed of relief. Immediately, I headed towards the schedules. When I read that the next departure was in 23 hours, I almost cried of joy.

            “Destination?” asked a big, lean man.

            “Perce. Quatre billets. One way”

            “That’s 140 dollars,” he said.

            “I don’t have cash. Is credit okay?

            “No prob… hey! What? You are too young to have a credit card!”

            “My friend has one. His parents gave it to him for his birthday. They are rich and they wanted to give him a big gift.”

            “If his parents are rich, he would be like someone from a Charlie Chaplin movie!...Sorry. You must pay cash.”

           
            “You can’t do that! This card is legal!”

            “Listen well, boy. I don’t where you got this card. Did you find it? Did you steal it?...Do you see the police outside? I should report you but I am a good person. So, disappear before I change my mind.”

            We ran across the room at full speed. When we entered the parking lot, a man called us over.

            “Hey you! Yes, I’m talking to you!”

            It was a police officer. He was running towards us. All the muscles in my body tensed, like a paralyzing drug was injected.

            “Where are you going?” asked the officer.

            “Nowhere,” I replied, “We live a few blocks from here.”

            “Ah, good… Him, is he your brother? Why is he dressed like that? Halloween is in October!”

            My mind was blank. I was not able to make a response to this question. To my big surprise, Hugo spoke.

            “We are poor, mister officer. Our dad is jobless and our mom is sick. So I have to wear my dad’s old clothes. But eventually, my dad will find work and my mom will heal. Right? What do you think?”

            Moved, the police officer lost his domineering tone. He kneeled down on his knees to look at Hugo in the eyes.

            “Times are tough, my boy,” he said gently, “but your family will survive, I’m sure. Don’t be upset.

            This police officer was very young, and very sensitive. His voice was touched. In the next moment, he adjusted his cap and resumed his usual expression.

            “One last thing,” he asked us. “Have you seen two four young people in this area? One boy and one girl around your age, with a man and woman around 17 years old?”

            “I haven’t, I’m sorry.”

            He smiled one last time at Hugo, and then he left.

            “You are wonderful!” I whispered to Hugo.

            “Yeah! I have lots of imagination. Later, I want to be a great writer!”

            Suddenly, I felt a strong emotion for this boy who was my father, while at the same time, was not any longer. This small boy realized his dream, at least partly. I knew because I know the writer he will become.