November 5, 2022: Urban Exploring Pt. 4 (Patreon)

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 

"There you boys are. Look, I made- Hahaha, what area you wearing?" giggled Skip's Mom as soon as she saw them come into the kitchen. "Is that a diaper under there?"

"It's a- It's a- It's a-" Skip stuttered, as his brain tried to come up with a plausible answer.

"It's a costume!" said Trey, stepping in to help his friend. "Part of it, anyway. We're working on it."

"Oh! That's pretty cool guys. What is he supposed to be?"

"Big butt grandpa," said Trey without missing a beat. "It's a work in progress."

"Got it," said Mom, stifling her laughter. "Well, alright you two. Try out my batty blintzes, my pumpkin pumpernickel, and my monster mashed potatoes! I have a feeling this will be a hit at the church potluck. You're still coming to that, right Skip?"

"Oh, yeah... uh... about that. I think I might have other plans..."

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun! Trey can come too!"

"I don't really want to intrude," said Trey, holding up his hands.

"No really. I insist," said Mom, in a tone that told the boys she was not asking. "I'll go ahead and phone your mom and make sure you have permission so no worries there. In fact, I should call her right now."

Mom picked up her phone and began dialing, while Trey whispered to skip.

"Dude, try the damn food already before she ropes us into any more church stuff."

"Alright, alright," whispered Skip, who was still getting over the shock of being seein in a diaper by his mother. "Nice save, by the way."

"Think nothing of it," said Skip, picking up a batty blintz. "Mmmm! Very good Mrs. Skip's Mom! I think you have a winner!"

Skip's mom shot Trey and Skip a thumbs up as she talked on the phone with Trey's mom. Absolved of their responsibility, the two of them quickly snuck back up to Skip's room where they flopped back on his bed.

"Well this is just great. Am I gonna be stuck in diapers until Halloween? And what am I gonna do after Halloween?"

"I can answer that," said Dean, who magically poofed into existence once again.

"Could you not do that?" said Skip, holding his chest. "You are seriously freaking me out."

"I mean, I am a ghost. It's sort of my job?" said Dean holding up a hand. Skip did not look amused. "Alright, fine. I won't do the disappearing reappearing trick. Geeez. You sure know how to take the fun out of being a ghost. Anyway, you are correct. You'll be stuck in diapers until halloween, but if you manage to stay out of the nursery until then, all the diaper stuff will go away and you'll be safe until next October."

"Really?" said Skip. "You mean I'll have to go through this every year? And why October?"

Dean sighed as if annoyed by the very question. "Because that's when the spirit world is closest to the human world, duh. Everybody knows that."

"I didn't know that," said Trey, raising his hand.

"Okay, whatever. That's why."

"Okay, so I gotta avoid the nursery and ghosties. And how do I do that, Mr. Genius," said Skip.

"Easy. By being a good baby so they don't have to come for you and set you straight."

"Being a good baby?" asked Skip. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"Oh, heck," said Dean. "Now you've done it! Quick, Trey, you have to pull down the back of Skip's diaper and spank him!"

"What?!" they both said. "NO way!"

"Yes way! It's either you discipline Skip or the ghost hands will come back and do it for you."

"Crap," said Trey, standing up and cracking his knuckled.

"What are you doing?" asked Skip, backing away.

"You heard the dude! It's spankin' time!"

"No way!" yelled Skip, trying to get away, but Trey was on him before he could get anywhere, especially slowed as he was by the awkwardly thick ghost diapers. Soon, they were on the ground with Trey wrestling off the back of the diaper to expose Skip's butt.

SMACK.

He managed to reach around and get one or two good ones while his friend struggled.

"Here, let me help," said Dean, who slipped in the oversized ghost pacifier as Skip opened his mouth to scream. "There! A few more spanks oughtta do it!"

"Mmmm mmmm mmmfff!" whined Skip, his voice muffled completely by the pacifier as he tried in vain to pull it out.

"This hurts me more than it hurts you," said Trey, grinning as he smacked his friend's butt. Of course, it was obvious from his smile that it did not, but there wasn't much Skip could do about it. And who would he tell? He wasn't about to go downstairs and whine to his mom with a pacifier in his mouth.

"That should be good," said Dean.

"Better do one more then to be sure," said Trey, getting one last good one in before he pullled Skip's diaper back up and gave it a pat. "That's what you get for... uh, what did he do again?"

"Cursing," said Dean, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "He can't do anything that a kid wouldn't be allowed to do and that includes bad language, staying up after bedtime, and especially taking off his diapers."

"Wow, sucks to be him," said Trey. "And what about me? You said I was involved too? What do I gotta do? Cuz iIt's obviously not what he's gotta do."

Dean smiled. "That's easy! As his designated caretaker, you gotta make sure Skip stays out of trouble. Make sure he goes to bed on time, uses his diaper like a good boy, gets spanks when he uses foul language or breaks any other rules, and so on and so forth."

"Mmmph?!" said Skip.

"Hold up, hold up," said Trey. "I'm his 'caretaker'?"

"That's what I said," said Dean, as if it was completely obvious. "You're old enough to be his babysitter, at least in the eyes of the nursery staff. That means that they trust you to take care of the baby, and if you don't, he'll be their responsibility - and so will you."

"Aww, man! Why?"

"Hey, I don't make the rules," shrugged Dean.

"And just why are you helping us anyway?" asked Trey.

"Mmm. Mmm mmmmm mmm mm," echoed Skip, his hands on his hips.

"Because I'm just a nice guy, I guess," said Dean, who could only keep a straight face for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Bwahaha! Okay, okay, not even you guys would buy that, would you? It's because it's entertaining to watch mortals try and keep their freedom. You're not exactly the first to happen into the nursery. Who do you think put the big 'DO NOT OPEN' on the doors?"

Trey and Skip shrugged.

"A mortal, dummies," said Dean. "Whatever, anyway, you two are the first two mortals to come through in a looooong time, and I'm soooo bored down there being an eternal ghost babysitter. I just wanted to come along for the ride and see if you schmucks can actually make it til Halloween! Then I'll be gone and so will all the troublesome ghosts of the nursery. At least until next year."

Trey sighed. "This is gonna follow us our whole lives, huh?"

"Pretty much," said Dean. "So you better not move too far away from your friend here. Either that or find him a good mommy to take care of him, hehehe."

Skip didn't find that joke amusing one bit, and he would have said so too if it weren't for the pacifier. In very colorful language from the tone of the muffled noises he made in response. Perhaps it was best that he remain pacified for the time being, thought Trey.

"I'm not going to have to change him, am I?"

"Welll...." said Dean, scratching his chin. "Sorry, bud. You're gonna have to start learning. I ain't gonna keep doing it for you."

"Crap."

"Yeah, that'll come later, too."

The two boys looked at each other, and winced. Neither were looking forward to that eventuality, but unfortunately for them, Dean looked dead serious. Literally.