Jack's Site

Last updated 9/1/08. This is a text-only version. To see images, download/open the DOC file.

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Morning Endeavors
          His navy blue eyes opened. The dark, chilling room around him swirled in like a black mist. Definitely not one of his favorite times of day, for it was 7 o'clock in the morning... and school began in an hour. Now May, near the end of torture, 11-year-old Austin Davis was tired of school. Just the thought of it made him sigh. Another boring, uneventful day was before him.
          The damp bunches of brown hair clung to his forehead, pleading with him not to get out of bed. It was a hot night, and Austin wish he hadn't put on his t-shirt as well as his pajama pants. Stretching, yawning as he reached up high just before the sharp sore pain from his blue braces holding his nearly-straight teeth together told him not to open his mouth so much. After taking off his PJ's, he slowly walked across the small, cold room to his dresser.
          Even though it was small, it was cozy. His room had glass-paneled walls like most rooms in the house that displayed the home computer functions. There were two artificial windows in the room (since he wasn't on the edge of the house), which linked to a video feed from outside the house. He also had a desk which would fold out of the wall if you wanted it to, but usually, it was part of the wall. Also, if you commanded it to, the chair would raise out of a door in the hard-wood floor. The home computer that controls all this is called JANE (or Jointed Advanced Nanorobotic Emulator). She manages all systems in the house.
          The dresser is not like the old fashioned furniture piece that you may be thinking of. It's literally a function of JANE that scans you, decides what you probably want to wear, and presents the outfit to you through a little door in the wall.
          As Austin walked over to the dresser, he said, “Good morning, JANE.”
          A little black node in the ceiling flashed blue, followed by the wall closest to him light up with a holographic-looking face of a woman. The face spoke in a british accent, “Voice identification cleared. Good morning, Austin. The time now is seven-o-two in the morning. Friday, May twenty-third, two-thousand forty-five. Did you sleep well?”
          “Yes, thank you. May I have my towel?” Austin politely replied.
          “Right away, sir.” she obediently responded, which was followed by two mechanical bars sliding out of the dresser door like bars in an old closet. On one was a white, fluffy bath towel.
          “Thanks, that's perfect” he approved, removing the towel. Once he walked away, the bars zipped back where they came from and the door shut behind. Then a door popped out of a different spot on the wall.
          “Please deposit your pajamas for cleaning and storage.” JANE asked.
          Austin routinely removed the sweaty PJ's from his smaller-than-usual body and put them in the drawer. The drawer zipped back in just as fast as they came out. The system then sent the clothes down a chute to the washer that instantly washed them, dried them, and shot them back up to the dresser in under a minute.
He heard Charlie, his brother, next door talking to JANE. Charlie, 9 years old, was the 2nd born Davis member. He was only a few inches shorter than small Austin and had dirty blonde hair. All three Davis boys were connected to the large bathroom between each of their rooms. Austin's room was in the middle of the two bedrooms, so if he wanted to go to the bathroom, a hidden door would open as well as the center part of the bathroom counter would raise up, allowing someone to go through.
          When Austin stepped out of the opening, the counter lowered behind him, sealing off the way. This door wasn't put in as a hidden escape hatch or anything, but just a way for Austin to go to the bathroom without having to go through his brothers' rooms.
          “Please deposit dirty diaper for disposal.” Austin heard JANE say as he walked in to the bathroom. Little did he know it, but Charlie was ready to get out of bed and change out of a soaking GoodNite, which is basically a diaper (made by Pampers) for kids who wet the bed. In fact, Pampers bought out Huggies and Luvs which basically created themselves a monopoly over the entire diaper industry. It was big news years ago, especially since the incontinence crisis started. Thinking about all this, Austin thought he’d better get the shower going to let Charlie know he’s got it first.
           Over the past 30 years, the number of children who wet the bed has dramatically jumped from about 4 - 7 million kids to about 144 - 147 million kids. No one for sure knows why, but of course, many ideas erupted. Some said it was because of how we feed out kids, others global warming, and some even thought McDonalds was radioactive. Who knows? Nevertheless, Charlie was one of those 144 million kids that soaked their beds at night.
          When Austin got out of the shower and turned the corner, Charlie smacked into
him with his Ultra GoodNites Briefs, “Hey!”
          “Ompf! Sorry dude. I'm on my way out anyways.” Austin stuttered, almost losing his towel. As he turned one of the knobs on the drawers below to open the “secret” door, Charlie said, “Start shower, please.”
          JANE replied, “Setting shower to your preferred setting, Charlie.”
          “Would you like me to initiate the dresser?” JANE asked when the door shut behind Austin.
          “Yes, please” he replied.
          “Initiating dressing sequence.”
          Immediately following that statement, a small blue laser burst from the glossy wall and scanned his eye for about 2 seconds. The laser wasn't harmful, obviously, but it learned more about Austin's mental state in 2 seconds than anyone else in a lifetime of psychological therapy. 10 seconds later, two mechanical bars slid out of the dresser door like bars in an old closet, holding a red t-shirt, underwear, and some jean-shorts. “Red Kohl's brand tee, with Levi's shorts and Fruit of the Loom navy boxer-briefs. Is this acceptable?”
          “Yep, just fine JANE.” Austin approved, removing the clothes from the bars. Once he was clear of the bars, they zipped back in the wall, the door shutting behind them. Then, a drawer popped out of the wall.
           After slipping his boxer-briefs on, Austin said, “JANE...”
          A mellow tone made a quick chirp, indicating she was listening.
          “Please play: artist The Postal Service; album Such Great Heights. Volume: 10. Show Visualizer, too.”
          “Right away, sir.”
          As Austin finished getting dressed, a large box appeared on the wall that showed many colorful designs that beat to his favorite oldies group.
          Once he was done getting dressed he said, “JANE, stop music. Eject iPhone.”
          JANE beeped twice, opening a small drawer in the wall while the visualizer disappeared. Austin then grabbed his backpack a headed for the kitchen.
 
Breakfast
Austin’s mom was in the kitchen making waffles, his favorite. Lauren Davis had an average height for her age, a year younger than Austin’s dad at 36. She usually spent her time in the kitchen when she was home. If she wasn’t in there, though, she’d be outside fussing with her flowers or reading a book in the study. But boy, did she have a talent for cooking. For a living, however, she taught English at the local high school.
In the morning, the kitchen was the place to be. It was warm and cozy, golden-colored walls insulated the feeling of a productive day ahead, or, at least allowed you to savor the rich flavors of your waffles. It was one of the only rooms in the house where all of the walls weren’t those fancy interactive glass panels, but still, it’s design and functionality made it a cool part of the house. The island also acted as an elevator to the basement, sinking into the floor when you wanted it to. Austin’s dad had all kinds of neat technical machines, toys, and gizmos down there that if he wanted to easily bring up to his office, he could.
Austin’s father, Jack Davis Sr., was a burly man that loved electronics. He worked at Applsoft Inc., where they make all the high-tech things in our house. At Applsoft Inc., Austin’s dad is an executive, so we get a significant discount on everything from JANE things to iPhones. But nevertheless, Austin’s dad seemed like a bear, but he was more like a giant teddy bear. You could go to him with any problem and he would just give you a big hug that squeezed all the troubles away.
After a little Lucky Charms, Austin & Charlie grabbed their things and ran out the door. The bus was a new model called “RideMaster” by Blue Bird. It had a funky air-suspension system that made it practically float on air. Dirt road full of pot holes? Never mind it, we’ll just float over it. Charlie called it a spaceship, due to it’s high-tech look, much different than the busses his dad use to ride.
 
School
Separated by two grades, Austin and Charlie went their separate ways after they checked in. At their school, each kid got his own ID card that hung on a lanyard around your neck, which was used for access to certain rooms, lunch, and attendance. In order to enter the building, you have to have an access card unless if you want to talk to Gordy, the very large security guard standing at the only unlocked entrance: the front door. In order to leave the building without activating the alarm, you had to slide your card. It was a great way to monitor attendance. Besides, kidnappings have increased over the years, making school security tough to beat. The only unlocked rooms in the school were the office, and the security station.
          So, when Austin went to his class in the morning, he would swipe his card to gain access. Once he was in, he didn’t leave. If you had to go to the bathroom or somewhere else, the teacher would log a pass into the computer (stating where you were going, and at what time), you’d swipe your card to leave, and swipe your card to get in to your destination. If you didn’t get to your destination (or the office) in 5 minutes, the security office would be alerted. If you went into a different room than you were suppose to, the security office would be alerted. If you tried to leave the building, the security office would be alerted.
          At lunch, kids who were buying lunch would swipe to get in the kitchen, and the kids who brought their lunch swiped into the cafeteria directly. At the end of the day, you’d not only swipe to get out the doors, but also to get on the bus. Sure, it was annoying at times, but the Supreme Court must have thought it was necessary, even in an elementary school. A few kidnappings, kids ditching school, and some parental complaints is all it takes.
Nevertheless, it was nice for Austin to get home. Once he walked through those doors, it was pure relief. In the spring, Charlie had Soccer after school, so he was gone until 5-ish when their mom brought him home on her way from work.
 
Afternoon
During the day, the youngest Davis, Jack Jr., stays at home with their baby-sitter. Jack, named after his father, is only a baby at 2 years of age. Nothing really special about him, he’s just a cute little blonde boy that was a surprise to the family.
Nevertheless it was Austin’s job, now that he was old enough, to take care of Jack until their mom and Charlie got home. That meant changing him, feeding him, playing with him, and more…
          After giving “Jackie” to Austin to hold, along with a quick exchange of thanks, the baby-sitter left. Heavy and nearly naked, Jack giggled and played with Austin’s t-shirt as his big brother surveyed the squishy Pampers that was casually loafing on his arm. The result wasn’t much that Austin wanted, but was necessary to take care of. Wasting no time, Austin carried smelly Jack up to his room to get changed. The deed was dirty, but someone had to do it. Besides Austin was a pro.
          This time was no different than the other hundred times he’d changed Jack’s diapers. He had a strict, working procedure. First he’d unfasten Jack’s soiled Ultra Cruisers and pull it away. Next came the not-so-pleasant cleaning of his butt and “privates”. Then came the fresh-smelling baby-powder that would puff everywhere. Finally, he’d pull the sides tight and fasten the tapes. Jack was good to go.
          Jack was spunky that day, pulling and tugging, moving and squirming. He took a hold of the baby powder, “Mine!” he cheerfully announced. This of course was followed by a big white puff that launched into Austin’s face, making him a ghost. Jack was fascinating at times, yet Austin was stuck with him. Playfully, Jack jumped off the table, dusty with baby-powder, and ran down the hallway. Austin rolled his eyes, chasing after Jack in a deliberately-slow pace saying, “I’m going to get you” enthusiastically. It was funny to see Jack’s diaper bounce around as he thudded around the house.
          Next, he swooped Jack up and bounced him down on the couch. Unable to resist the histerical giggling, Jack was under one of Austin’s infamous tickle attacks. This silly play lasted for a good hour or so, before Jack would announce, “I’m hungry.”
          After feeding him some apple sauce, putting a t-shirt on him, and changing him again, Austin took little Jack outside to their little play set. He loved the sand box, even though Austin knew he’d have to clean sand off him later, and jumped right in. As he expected, Jack got sand all over himself: on his face; in his hair; down his diaper… Delaying the inevitable of giving Jackie a bath, Austin casually sat on a swing, swaying back and forth.
          There was a time when Austin was the one getting all messy without consequences, which he envied for greatly. Jack didn’t know how lucky he was to be a baby, having no homework, school, chores, or any duties at all.
          After filling his diaper with sand instead of what it was meant for, it was bath time. Jack knew what that meant, and shuttered when he heard it. “No!” he protested, violently.
          “Now Jack, c’mon, that’s not very nice” Austin retaliated.
          “I don’t want to” he barked, just before running off around the house. After playing this game of Cat and Mouse he made for himself, thinking he solved the problem, Austin let him come around to meet him. Snatch!
          “Hey!” Jack shockingly yelped.
          “It’s time for your bath, and be good, because I don’t want to put you in time out.”
          Jack didn’t like that at all…and, he didn’t mind showing it either. Kicking and screaming in Austin’s stronger arms, he did everything he could to get away.
 
Evening
          After getting his bath, Jack was changed into another diaper and put into his footed sleeper. This meant nap time, another bad thing to come. Nevertheless, it was his punishment for misbehaving. Besides, after vowing that he’ll never fall asleep, the crib worked it’s magic, and baby Jack was out cold in less than 5 minutes.
          Another hour went by of watch TV until Austin’s Mom and Charlie came home. Relieved, as usual, he greeted them both and updated his Mom on Jack’s latest. Then, without a further ado, He and Charlie went upstairs and played video games until supper.
          Friday was pizza and movie night. It was a nice, simple meal to have. By 7 o’clock, the pizza guy arrived, and it was time to pick a movie. With JANE, you could watch movies on the Netflix network that streamed directly to your house. All you had to do was navigate your way through the catalogue that appeared on the glass wall. The wall was the TV.
          “Okay boys, go up and get your jammies on before we get started” Mom ordered.
Obediently, the Austin and Charlie ran upstairs to their rooms. All Austin had to do was slip on a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. Charlie had to do the same, but with a diaper on.
          Because he wet the bed, Charlie did have to wear diapers at night. He doesn’t like to refer to them as “diapers” but, really, that’s what they are. Pampers, who makes Jack’s Cruisers Ultra, also made GoodNites, which is what Charlie wore. However, he wore the Ultra GoodNites, because when it comes to Charlie’s bedwetting problem, the word “wets” doesn’t do him any justice. He literally soaks his diapers.
          Nevertheless, Charlie didn’t mind wearing them openly around the house. In fact, he’d usually only wear diapers to bed, nothing else. On Saturday mornings, he’d wake up and leave his wet diaper on and go about his morning business in it. He was to lazy to take it off. That didn’t bother their mom much, either. As long as he didn’t smell like pee, she couldn’t care less. But it’s not like he wore them all day. There was one time that he didn’t take them off until well after lunch, but that’s because he was sick at the time.
          After Charlie came downstairs with just his diaper and a t-shirt on, they all sat down on the couch and began to chow down. Austin filled his lungs with the wonderful smell of fresh baby powder that lingered around Charlie.
          When the credits started rolling, Austin looked next to him to find Charlie sacked out, his heavy head resting on his shoulder. His mouth hung wide open, breathing with a soft occasional snore. Pizza sauce covered his lips and cheeks, and there was a half-eaten slice of pizza slumped over in his hand.
          This lack of ability to stay awake came from their dad, who was also asleep in the adjacent couch. It was just another day in the Davis household, and all they had to do now was crawl into bed.

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Nothing beats Saturday morning cartoons
Austin woke up to the usual sounds that echoed through the high ceilings of his house. The smell of good old fashioned coffee filled his lungs with a warm, vibrant feeling. Locks of his hair were matted together, indicating he had another hot night.

He noticed that this was suddenly happening more often. No longer would he be able to wear his favorite pajamas as summer came closer every day.

Then he remembered what happened last night. No, how hot he was a night shouldn't be his primary concern when it came to bedtime. Last night, Austin had another close call. More frequently now, he's been waking up with these sudden urges to, well, “go”. He’s tried to stop drinking as much before bed, but as time goes on, it keeps getting worse and worse. Before, it’d just be a matter of his mind waking him up telling him that he was full... but now, it’s becoming to the point where he can’t ignore it. Tonight, the feeling was so intense that he became in a hurry. “What am I going to do?” he thought.

Nevertheless, he slowly crawled out of bed, trying not to think of last night. He’d much rather focus on the day ahead, Saturday. Charlie was next door, watching “Captain Smash” on his wall. Captain Smash was one of those huge TV fads that everybody likes, except you. For example, there was SpongeBob SquarePants back in the single digits, along with Hannah Montana. Then there was Bubble Gum Gubert in the 10’s and 20’s. Then, in the last few decades, there was Looney Toons: Space Adventures, Baby Batman, and of course... Captain Smash. We had to do a project in school that researched the history of popular TV trends.

But TV is starting to become a thing of the past. Virtual Imaging Systems are starting to come around, where, you’re not only watching the action, but you’re in it. They are really expensive, though, and only just starting to come around. “It’s a little bit more difficult that simply making a holographic environment” Austin’s dad would always say. Applesoft was one of the companies who came up with the idea.

Still, Austin and Charlie liked watching good old fashioned TV...especially Captain Smash. Charlie was dressed in his usual attire on a Saturday morning, nothing but his diaper on. Austin paid no attention to the small detail, as this was like any other Saturday morning. They’d watch Captain Smash get abducted by the evil Zorbatrons until about 9, loafing around in the bean chairs. Jack would sleep until 10, if they were lucky, so they didn’t have to worry about that whining thing for the mean time.

Austin watched Charlie, though, relaxing half-asleep in his red-leathered chair. He noticed that his diaper was puffed out, the indicator pictures blotched out to the point where they didn’t even exist. For a second, Austin almost envied for Charlie’s diaper, only so he wouldn’t have to get up at night.

But then he did a double-take on himself, questioning his very logic. “What has come over me?” he frantically went through in his mind. But, unfortunately for Austin, Charlie would shift in his chair, making the diaper crinkle a bit. The sound was unbearable, almost intoxicating...until he snapped out of it again, this time standing up. “Ugh...” he moaned, voice squeaking. “I’m tired of sitting here. Let’s go eat something, then...uh...” he suggested aloud, trying to come up with something to do before his brother’s GoodNite captivated him again, “...let’s go fishing!”

Not just catching fish
After loaming around in their PJ’s during breakfast, Charlie and Austin ran upstairs to get dressed. Saturday morning breakfasts weren’t exciting in the Davis house. Nobody wanted to cook that early, so it usually came down to cereal. Needless to say, it didn’t take the boys long to eat it. Besides, they were too excited.

The Davis house was perched on top of a small mountain in the Appalachian Mountain chain, which crowned the East coast of North America. Okay, so their “mountain” was more like a large hill, but it still was home to them.

Surrounded by woods, their little sanctuary was perfect for outdoor sporting. They frequently went hunting, four wheeling, and fishing around their house. Not to mention the unforgettable classic play of just pretending you were king of the woods. Tall pine trees stood high over their heads, like ancient body guards that made a border between the outside world and their little round-top lawn. It’s not like they were secluded though, it was only a half-mile’s walk down the steep driveway to the main route.

As the boys set forth on their morning adventure, Austin received this chilling tickle down his back. It was like something you get after entering a haunted house. He felt that something was out of place.

The walk through their woods is always a peaceful one. The way the wind flows through the trees, rushing high over their heads was captivating. They usually fished in a river that ran down in a gorge through the mountain. Where they were, the slope was shallow enough to walk and jump across the river's huge boulders, serving as a broken bridge. They would often venture down river where the sides of the gorge would grow high above them. The rock walls show hundreds of years of erosion, with its various shades of gray.

To Austin, it was funny to see his brother struggle to catch a fish. He was usually very good at fishing, but today the current was very strong, and the fish used this to their advantage. This wasn't funny to Charlie, though.
"Heh, heh, heh" he mocked Austin, "I don't see you making any progress..."
"Hey, little bro, I'm just taking my time" Austin returned, waving his finger at him. Austin was in all the school plays, so he often used his hands dramatically when be spoke. This time, he raised his hands in the air quickly, "However, you couldn't catch a fish even if it jumped out of the water" mimicking his hypothetical fish's movement with his hands as he taunted Charlie.

Charlie's face widened with disbelief. Austin felt as if his taunt had worked until the awe-struck boy calmly stated, "Do that again..." in a quiet voice.
Confused, Austin's face closed up. "Do what again?"
"Say what you just said again..."
So, Austin said it again, but with no motion in his hands. Charlie, unsatisfied, interrupted him half-way through, "No, no... with your hands and everything."
Irritated, Austin explained it to Charlie again, unsure of where he was going with this. Again, Charlie's mouth dropped, his eyes starring beyond his brother. Austin sensed this, so with his hands still in the air, he turned around. What he saw startled him, making him jump back, nearly falling over.
A fish was floating in the air, flailing water as it squirmed around gasping for breath. When Austin put his hands down, the fish dropped. "Bloop!"

Both boys looked at each other briefly, an excited look in their eye. They looked like they had just found out that their near future held a shopping spree to the toy store. Quickly, both of them jumped up, Charlie impatiently repeating, "Do it again! Do it again!"

Meanwhile, Austin was lifting his hands up, waving them around trying to get another fish to pop out. Nothing happened though, of course. Finally, he saw a fish slowly float by him, just taking it easy. Austin held out his hand, almost reaching for the fish, and thought about it lifting out of the water. It wasn't working.

Not giving up, he tried closing his eyes, thinking about it real hard. Suddenly, he heard a few drips and Charlie frantically boasting, "It's working!" Opening his eyes, Austin was both excited and astounded. He found that his muscles in his arm were tense. When he relaxed them again, the fish dropped. Curious about his discovery, he wondered what else it would work on.

Little did the boys know, they were being watched with eyes that weren’t amused. This person, who ever he or she was, watched carefully. Austin caught whiff of something out of place. Something... didn’t feel right. He suddenly felt cold, prickling needles poked their way down his back, delivering a chilling sensation. The fear set in. It almost seemed as if the environment was telling him to get out. It wasn’t of course, but it seemed like it.

Like most people, when you become afraid, your senses rise, alerted to the slightest misplaced thing. That’s what Austin was feeling. Now, he tuned Charlie out completely, who was still running his mouth, “Try this, try that!”

Coldly, Austin held up his finger, motioning for Charlie to become silent. The small 11-year-old felt as if everything became very still. He knew they were being watched.

Running
“Let’s go” Austin strongly suggested, “I...don’t feel so good.”
Charlie bought his excuse, “What’s wrong?”
“Something just doesn’t feel right.”

Suddenly, a small crackle of twigs erupted from his right, quickly turning his head. The person had moved positions, an obvious mistake. They were in plain sight now.

Austin looked around, frantically. His eyes scanned the surrounding forest for possible threats like a computer. Nothing, nobody. Still, Austin felt an urge from his bladder to get a move on.

So, practically dragging his brother behind, Austin briskly tramped back to the house. His pace quickened however, when another crackle popped in the air...closer. Also, his bladder was basically punching at his nervous system, screaming at him to run.

“I must be going crazy” he panicked. Quiet whispers were all around him. “I’m hearing voices, now? What next?”

He looked at Charlie, who was now running along side him, “Do you her that?”
Lifting his eyes, his brother smirked, “Heh...no... Hear what?”

Suddenly a long, agonizing feeling of pressure was slamming itself into Austin’s stomach. He couldn’t stop to pee... he didn’t feel safe. It was getting difficult to run, too. He was running out of options, and he knew it.

Their house was coming up now in sight. “Charlie!” he yelled, “Don’t tell Mom and Dad!” The wind blew in his face. Charlie nodded, nearly tripping over a log as they galloped over obstacles.

Up the deck, “Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang!” their feet made, shuffling on the deck boards, trying to stop. With a quick unlatching of the sliding-glass door, they were in.

“Ompf!” Charlie tripped on his way in. Hurrying, Austin closed the door once he was in, right before he ran upstairs to the bathroom. Almost there, terror erupted on his face. Pee almost started to drizzle down his leg right before he planted himself on the toilet. He made it.