The Best Halloween Treat (Patreon)

Gherin has been struggling to enjoy Halloween recently. But one visitor is going to make sure he does this year…

The Best Halloween Treat

Halloween was a tough night for Gherin

The desert hare had always had a strange relationship with the holiday. His family had never been particularly keen on the holiday and by the time he’d become a teenager they had insisted he was too old to go out in costume to collect candy from door to door. Every year he’d asked his parents for a costume, every year they’d given him a sheet with holes for a ghost and held his hand around the neighborhood. He’d collect a small amount of candy and return home, his desire for a fun night out never fully satisfied.

The only small consolation had been his older brother. Drew was three years older than Gherin, and during Halloween had tried to make the night much more fun than his parents conservative views on the holiday. He’d told him ghost stories after they got back home, he’d given him lines to say to neighbors and had always shared his candy with him. Those were the best memories of the night to the hare, those he’d had with another who gave him the sense of fantasy and suspense that the holiday was supposed to provide.

These days though, they were fuzzy memories. Drew was now several states over, having gone to an out of state college to pursue his career. Gherin himself had only recently graduated, but had found a good enough job to hold down a small house in a nice suburb. He still needed to brighten up the place a little, but where he could he’d taken the time to make it look like a home. It was something he took pride in, the space that he had to his own and to make special for the times ahead.

Now, he was dressed in a simple costume that he liked to bring out every year. A waistcoat, tux and black sheet he used as a cape. A set of plastic vampire teeth completed the Dracula look nicely. Sometimes he’d use fake blood too, but he’d decided to forego it this year.

RIIIING

The doorbell going off shook him out of his reminiscent thoughts and shoved him back to the present. Another kid to give candy to, or come up with a suitable scary trick. He had fun with the latter sometimes, though this year none of them had asked so far.

“Hello sweetie”

When he opened the door he saw a young woman, maybe his age or a little less, standing in front of him in a long black robe. The white wool of a sheep was visible through the oversized sleeves, though she’d made the effort to dye her hair a bright green. A huge black hat matched and covered all but the fringe, clearly indicating the costume of choice tonight had been a witch for this person. Expecting to see a child by her side, Gherin looked down to her left and right, only to see empty space.

“Hello! Are you trick or treating tonight with anyone?” Gherin asked, smiling weakly.

“Oh no, I’m just wandering around and saying hello to my neighbors. I love tonight, it’s such a wonderful atmosphere”

Gherin rubbed the back of his head, shuffling with a little discomfort as he adjusted his expectations of the conversation ahead “Yeah… was more fun as a kid though huh?”

The woman chuckled “Oh you can make it as fun you want dear. Besides, you look like you enjoy dressing up a bit!”

Gherin laughed weakly “Oh this is just a silly outfit I slapped together” he sighed “Besides, I don’t really go around the neighborhood much. Don’t think the kids even really know me.”

The woman crossed her arms and moved a little closer “Hmmm… Just as I thought…” she muttered.

Gherin raised his eyebrow, his smile falling. “Look, I should probably…”

The woman raised her hand, the hare stopping as if on command “You want to be out here too don’t ya?”

“What?” Gherin shook his head “Like, visiting neighbors?”

“No no no, trick or treating!” she grinned “Getting out and having a good time, not sitting around indoors and letting everyone else have all the fun!”

The hare breathed out, a little relieved that’s all it was “Heh, ok a little. I mean, it’s Halloween, how can you not want to just enjoy it again.”

The woman put her hands on her hips “Well, I’ve got just the thing, if you’ll take it? A little fun idea for a bunny like yourself”

“Bunny?” Gherin guffawed “Ma’am, I’m definitely too old to be called that!”

“But… what if you weren’t?” she smirked “What if you were just a little bunny again? In your little Halloween outfit, being a scamp and getting candy just like old times.”

He shuffled nervously “Well… I mean it might be fun but I can’t exactly go back in time can I?”

The lamb's eyes glowed green and her smile widened “Oh no, not exactly. But I can help there…”

A strong wind pushed Gherin back into his home, the woman following in and levitating slightly above the ground. The hares mouth dropped open, his plastic fangs falling free.

“What… what’s happening?!”

“You’re going to have such fun, little bunny! Now, hold still…”

Blue light started shining from around the hare, the woman closing the door behind her as it intensified in strength. He could feel his body starting to freeze up, making him unable to run or escape. His muzzle closed shut as well, the most noise coming from him being a panicked moan.

“Oh shush, stop being so dramatic” the lamb chuckled “I’m not going to hurt you, quite the opposite!”

This did little to reassure Gherin. He wasn’t in any pain, but a tingly feeling was spreading from his feet up to his chest.

“So, I know you’ve probably been hiding away in here while desperate for some candy outdoors” she began, making small motions with her hands that sent sparks slowly towards Gherin “but don’t worry, I’ve got just the thing!”

The bunny felt himself rise from the ground as the tingling feeling intensified. Light started shining brightly in front of his eyes, forcing him to close them as reality felt like it was warping around him.

And then, in an instant, the feeling stopped. The light dimmed and his eyes opened to the room again.

“Wha… wha happened?”

The hare's hands shot to his face as he heard the sound of his own voice. Its pitch had increased substantially, his tongue feeling as though it was barely within his control as it moved around his mouth with the words.

“Gosh you look precious! You were such a handsome bunny under all that!”

Gherin looked down and his jaw dropped. His hands and feet had become pudgy and stout, his fur thicker around his arms and legs and his tummy just a bit more pronounced under the costume he’d been wearing.

He’d shrunk. Not just a little bit, but down to the size of a toddler, at best.

“Wha you dooooo?” Gherin tried to get himself to his feet but found himself wobbling as he tried to adjust to the new balance his body was demanding.

“I just made you a little bunny for the night! I can see the look of a neighbor in need of assistance a mile away. Not very often I have to use regression magic though…” the lamb bent down and helped Gherin balance on his feet, adjusting his trousers and shirt as though she’d just dressed him for the evening.

As she did so the hare noticed something new. Well, not quite new, but certainly not something he’d been familiar with for quite a while.

“A diaper?!” he squeaked, seeing the waistband pop out from just above the waistline of his pants and hearing the crinkly as he pulled away from the lamb “I’m not a baby!”

“Oh dear, were you not quite potty trained at this age?” the lamb giggled “Whoops, sometimes I guess I go down a little too far.”

Gherin blushed. He’d not exactly trained early, but how young was he? How far back had this

woman's magic taken him?

“Now, how about we go out and get some candy hmm?” She took his little hand and started leading him towards the door, the hare still completely stunned. They were outside the front door before he realized what was happening, the woman pulling it shut and bending down next to him.

“Now, Gherin was it?” she tapped him on the nose, the hare feeling another strange feeling run through his body as she did so “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Momma Janice is gonna keep you nice and safe”

“Momma… Janice?” Gherin repeated back. He looked around the neighborhood, seeing other kids dressed up and going door to door, jack-o-lanterns lit up in the darkness of the suburbs “What… what if someone sees me?!”

“Then they’ll see a cute little bunny in his first costume!” she giggled “What, you think they’re gonna see a twenty something professional when your pants are that crinkly?”

The hare blushed, the lamb reminding him of his diapered state doing nothing to improve his shy demeanor. He couldn’t go out like this! He jumped back towards the door, only to realize he was now not even tall enough to reach the handle.

“Don’t worry, your place is safe until we get back.” Janice gave his now baby sized tux a little tug at the collar and Gherin spun round. A flick of her fingers and a small basket appeared in her

other hand, offering it to the hare with a wry smile “Now make sure to keep this nice and safe. It’s where all your candy needs to go!”

Gherin felt himself starting to panic, but even as the forefront of his mind was telling him to be scared, another part was trying to convince him to stay calm. He could ride this out, he wasn’t hurt and this witch didn’t seem to want to do much more than take him trick or treating…

He could go along with this… right?

The hare took Janice’s hand and started to walk with her down the porch of his house until they reached the road. Cars were mostly off the street, leaving room for kids to run in the road with wild abandon and move from house to house. Rather than try to lead, he let Janice pull him past the first two houses next to him and towards a neighbor he knew had a couple of children.

“Well, I know these wonderful people are home! At least the Dad is, I think the Mom is out with her little ones…”

Gherin followed her up the porch and hid behind her legs as she pressed the bell outside the door. The loud footsteps of the father were clearly audible as he approached, before opening up to greet the two of them. He was a huge rhino, someone who would’ve dwarfed Gherin even

before he’d been shrunk down into his current predicament.

“Trick or treat!” Janice said, spreading her arms out and grinning at the man in front of her. Gherin hid behind her, trying to avoid the gaze of his neighbor

“Oh ho! Well well, I see a witch!” he laughed “And her little accomplice!” He bent round to look at Gherin, who continued to avoid being seen as best he could.

“Oh dear, he’s a shy little guy tonight huh? First time out?” he smiled “Ah not to worry, I’ll give ya a treat tonight, here ya go kiddo!”

The rhino grabbed a bag from just next to the door and put a single miniature chocolate bar into Janice’s basket.

“Thank you sir! Happy Halloween!”

“You too dear! And to you as well little guy!”

Gherin nodded weakly back and shuffled in place as he closed the door, Janice turning around and looking down at him with a little sly smile.

“Oh you silly sausage!” she bent down and gave his cheeks a little pinch “Come on, live a little! Well, you are living very little at the moment but you get me right?”

Gherin nodded back shyly. Did he really have to worry at all? Could he not just enjoy himself?

“I… I dunno…”

Janice sighed and took his hand “Come on, let's go to the next house. This time I want you to ask for the trick or treat. Can you do that kiddo?”

Gherin blushed, but nodded back, trying to keep himself from just hiding again or running back to his house. He could do this…

Janice went straight to the next house up the street this time, one covered in all manner of halloween decorations that made it look like something from centuries past. Jack-O-Lanterns were everywhere, and it was clear the owner thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. Janice rang the bell and made sure to move Gherin in front of her, nudging him forward and handing him the basket.

The puma that arrived was dressed as a countess, perhaps even a vampire like Gherin. She wore a huge black dress that covered most of her body. Gherin’s view from below made her feeling vastly more imposing, like a headmistress or evil stepmother.

“Oh my, a fellow vampire!” She bent down to Gherin's level as he held out the basket, breathing

deeply before finally getting the courage to speak himself.

“Tri…Twick or… Tweat?”

The lisp in his voice made his blush come back two-fold but the look on the woman's face made her go from genuinely somewhat scary to completely harmless in an instant. Her eyes opened wide and she quickly went to grab some candy from inside.

“Oh you’re positively adorable!” she cooed, putting two bars of candy inside Gherin’s basket “Definitely going to grow up to be a big scary vampire!”

Gherin felt himself smiling, his mood shifting as he felt the words hit places he’d only imagined before now.

“Oh I’m sure he will!” Janice responded, giving him a quick pat on the rear “For now the scariest thing is changing him!”

Gherin immediately felt himself go bright red, going back to hiding behind Janice as his neighbor laughed “Oh look, you’ve made him all shy! Don’t worry kiddo, there’s no potty monsters on Halloween! Go and have fun!”

The hare nodded back, words failing him as he tried not to think about the crinkly undergarment around his waist too much even as attention was being deliberately drawn to it.

“Thank you! Have a good evening!”

The next half-hour was a blur to the hare. The visits to the houses continued at a pace, more giving him treats and commenting on the adorableness of his costume, the adults in the doorways insistent that he get something for doing such a good job.

He was smiling. He could feel it as they started to walk back towards his own house. The realization that this was the most fun he’d had on a halloween night in a long time was starting to settle in, a degree of resistance to the idea of ending beginning to enter his mind.

“Umm… Miss Janice?” Gherin pulled on her cloak “Tha… thank you”

The witch stopped just before getting to his porch and bent down, giving him a little tap on the nose again. Another tingling feeling went through him as she did so, his smile widening as it tickled.

“No problem kiddo, I know when a little guy needs a hand” she smirked before pulling the front of his tux pants, the hare’s eyes going wide as she invaded his most private area “Speaking of which, I see a little guy who definitely didn’t like the idea of seeing the potty monster today”

“What?!” Gherin looked down, grabbing his pants away from the witch and looking at the state of his underwear. Sure enough, the front of his diaper was discolored and sagging, all the indications that its wearer had lost themselves in play and ignored the need to visit the restroom.

“Come on, I’ll change you for bed” Janice picked him up and hoisted the hare onto her arm, opening the door to his house and moving him through “You’ve been a wonderful little guy for me tonight”

Unable to stop himself, Gherin buried his head in her shoulder. An involuntary yawn came to his maw, his body welcoming the idea of a long night's sleep.

“Don’t worry, when you wake up, you’ll be back to being a big boy again” Janice said as she opened the door to his bedroom “Halloween is a special night for little ones and you were very well behaved”

Gherin’s thumb went into his mouth as she laid him on the bed, his costume glowing as it began to transform and change. He saw his diaper thicken and change in amongst the movement of the cloth, going from soggy to dry but pushing his legs much further apart.

“Night-time diapers, don’t want you to have an accident before you’re ready to use the potty again do we?”

The hare nodded and looked up at the ceiling, closing his eyes as the tingling feeling continued. He started to drift off, his brain running out of energy to comprehend what was happening.

“All your candy will be on the table when you wake up. Treat yourself tomorrow ok?” Janice let her spell take its course, Gherin’s costume changing into a footed sleeper that did nothing to

hide the diaper bulge beneath it “But for now, get a good night's sleep little one”

Gherin felt himself being tucked into his bed, his legs moving to a comfortable position before sleep started to take over.

“Next year” Janice started before opening the door to his room and getting ready to leave ““I’ll make sure to come a bit earlier”

The last thing the hare heard before sleep took over was the lamb closing the door with a single line that made him feel the most comfortable he’d been in years.

“Happy Halloween, baby bunny”