Neonato Ranch - A Regression Story (Chapter 2)

This was a story I was commissioned to write - it features some themes that I don't often explore, and is primarily a slow-burn mental regression story. It's seven chapters long, I'll be posting the complete story over the next couple weeks.

Chapter 1 can be found here.

Jeremy didn’t realize what had happened right away.

Waking up in the early morning to the beep of the alarm clock, he stretched and yawned, considering pressing the ‘snooze’ button. There was a long day ahead of him, and surely five more minutes of rest wouldn’t hurt. Besides, it was so warm and cozy beneath the covers.

Tossing onto his side, he felt it. Squish.

He paused, sitting up. Another squish, and now that he’d realized it, he could smell the stale odor of urine. Lifting the covers, he looked down and confirmed his fear; he’d wet the bed.

“Crap,” he whispered, tumbling out of bed and getting to his feet. “Crap, crap-”

His boxers were soaked, along with the sheets and covers. Stripping off the wet underwear, he pulled away the bedding, examining the damage.

It was an old mattress, with a couple existing stains, but the large wet spot from his night’s wetting stood out like a sore thumb. There’d be no hiding it, unless he could get it cleaned up fast.

He took a deep breath, making a plan. They were responsible for their own laundry, so he could make this work. He’d just have to find the laundry room, dump the wet clothes, and start a load before anyone found out. Then he could figure out something to do about the stain.

A problem presented itself. His thighs were still wet, glistening with sticky, half-dried pee. If he put anything on, those clothes would get dirty immediately, as surely as if he’d just peed in them directly. He’d need to rinse off in the shower, or risk needing to do even more laundry to hide his accident.

Looking in the closet and dresser, he hoped to find a bathrobe, or a towel he could wrap around his waist, anything, but there was no such luck. He’d just have to go naked, and be fast.

It was a flimsy bit of logic, but he was in a hurry to get this taken care of before the rest of the ranch woke up. He couldn’t hear anyone walking around, and his isolated room presented an advantage in that he had no direct neighbors.

Just be quick, you’ll be okay, you just need to find the laundry room.

… and then get to the showers, fast.

Picking up the bundle of smelly, wet laundry, he wrinkled his nose and walked to the door, awkwardly pulling it open with one hand.

Stepping into the hall, he looked around, trying to guess where the laundry room might be, cursing himself for not asking the night before. Nobody was out and about, so he had a little time, but he didn’t dare run around for long.

He tried a couple doors at random, but that only showed him an empty office and a storage closet. Just guessing wasn’t going to do him any good.

Think. The laundry room would probably be near the bathrooms, because otherwise they’d need separate plumbing. Those are down the hall, to the left, so… that must be where the laundry room is, too.

Confident in his theory, he shuffled down the hall, using the bundle of wet laundry to hide his nakedness should anyone spot him in the open.

The hallway to the left was open and clear. The bathrooms were all lined up, four of them, enough to provide for a house with a couple dozen people, though you’d have to be quick to shower if you wanted any hot water.

He ignored that. He just needed the laundry room. Trying a door, he opened it, and his heart leapt. Washers and dryers, three sets, were lined up on the wall. He stepped inside, pushed the door shut with his foot, then froze.

In his haste, he hadn’t checked the whole room before coming in. Off to the side, measuring soap into a cap, stood Karen.

She looked up at his entrance, and blinked once.

He wasn’t sure what was more mortifying. The soggy, yellowed bedding, or the fact that he was naked behind it. Face burning with embarrassment, he racked his brain for an excuse, and explanation, anything-

“You didn’t mention you had a bedwetting problem, Jerry,” Karen said, simply. Stepping over, she took some of the laundry out his arms, moving it into an open washer. That was it. She didn’t even giggle.

“I don’t,” Jeremy protested, holding the remaining bedsheet over his crotch to try and preserve a little modesty.

“You wet the bed on purpose, then?” Karen raised an eyebrow, looking at him.

“No, I mean-” His blush suffused his face. “It hasn’t been a problem before. I don’t know what happened.”

“Sometimes, a new environment, stress, it can cause issues like that,” Karen suggested simply. Looking at the remaining sheet, she added, “That needs to be washed too, you know.”

“Um, yeah, but…” he trailed off. “I’m not…”

“What?” Karen asked. “You’re not dressed?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, if that was something that bothered you, you should have done something about it,” Karen pointed out. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“Erm… but…” he stammered, before buckling and tossing the sheet in the washer.

She poured her cap of soap in, started the wash, and faced him again. “Well, until we know it’s not going to be a recurring issue, we’ll just have to do something about it. Billy’s driving in to town today, I’ll have him pick up some pull-ups for you.” Looking down at his waist, she asked, “What size are you? Small?”

He knew she wasn’t talking about that size, but he covered himself and looked away anyways. “Erm… A thirty inch waist?”

“Alright.” Putting the cap back on the soap, she said, “I’ve got some work to get to, unless you need something else?”

She already knows, Jeremy considered. “Erm… stain remover? For my mattress?”

“In the storage closet, top shelf. It’s for removing stains left by pets, but I’m sure it’ll work for your accidents, too,” Karen said. Wrinkling her nose, she added, “Maybe take a shower, first.”

“R-right,” he said. Turning, he stepped out the door, running across the hallway to get into an open bathroom.

After showering, he was relieved to find a towel in the bathroom, so he could walk back to his room without being completely naked. The stain remover was right where Karen had told him, and after spraying the mattress down and dabbing it all up, it didn’t seem so bad.

It was just a freak accident. Nothing to be concerned with. He could put the whole incident behind him. Dressing in appropriate work clothes and boots, he felt ready to face the day.

Breakfast was flapjacks, again prepared by Billy’s skilled hands. They were stacked up by the time Jeremy got to the kitchen, free for the taking. He took a couple on a plate, drenched them with syrup, and took a seat with the other new hands.

One of the girls giggled, Jeremy couldn’t remember her name. Kimmy? Carey? “What’s funny?” he asked, feeling automatically defensive.

She shook her head. “Nothing.”

He felt a bit of discomfort form in the pit of his stomach. They know. How do they know?

“Erm… how did you all sleep?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“Pretty good. You?” Ned asked.

“Eh, so so.” The conversation moved on. Nobody said anything, not explicitly, and Jeremy sighed in relief. Either he was being paranoid, or they just weren’t going to say anything.

Morning chores came. He was tasked with sweeping out the barn and getting hay in the troughs for the horses, scooping out manure to keep their stalls clean. The barn was full of the earthy smell that came along with livestock, the not-quite-unpleasant odors that were identical across a thousand ranches, and before too long, Jeremy had picked up those smells too, soaking into his clothes as he worked.

While he did his job, all the others all went off on their own work, maintaining the ranch, overseeing various duties that could be done with minimal experience and a can-do attitude. He wasn’t quite sure what everyone was up to, but he knew they were all working towards the betterment of the ranch.

It took a couple hours, and it was hard work, but Jeremy didn’t mind. It was the price he paid for the chance to stay here, after all, and he liked being useful. He was part of the team, all working towards a common goal.

His hands were starting to get a little sore from gripping shovels, brooms, and pitchforks by the time he got everything wrapped up and neat. Based on the clock on the wall, he’d finished just in time - he’d have a chance to run back to the ranch house, get some water, wash up his face and hands, and most importantly use the bathroom before riding lessons.

Turning, he hung up his tools and started walking back-

RING! RING!

The bell outside the barn rang, signalling that it was time for riding lessons. Jeremy swore, half jogging to get outside, looking to see that a group was already forming inside the pen.

Pursing his lips, he ran over, taking in the rest of the group. Everyone else looked clean and collected, meaning he was the only one with dirt and sweat marking his face and clothes.

Karen glanced at him, but didn’t comment besides saying, “Alright, well, with Jerry here that’s everyone. Are we all ready to get started?”

Jeremy shifted his weight from foot to foot, feeling awkward. He had to pee, but he didn’t want to cause a fuss two lessons in a row. It could wait. “I’m alright,” he said, doing the math on how long he could hold it.

I should be alright for a couple hours.

“Okay, then. Well, let’s start by reviewing what we went over yesterday…”

The lesson started much the same as yesterday’s. There was a bit of review, and then Karen brought out the horses. The hands were broken up into two groups of six, taking turns riding the six available horses. Jeremy got paired up with Kimmy who, having more farm experience than most of them, let him take the first turn.

As he got up on the horse, legs spreading wide so he could sit in the saddle, he felt the pressure in his bladder redouble. That made up his mind; after his turn was over and Kimmy was riding, he’d run back to the ranch house and use the potty.

Er… the bathroom.

He frowned, uncertain.

“Everything alright, hon?” Kimmy asked.

“Oh, yeah, just… distracted,” Jeremy said, leading his horse in a tight circle. Making conversation, he asked, “So you grew up on a farm?”

“Growing corn and soybean,” Kimmy replied. “Plus an apple orchard. We’re actually neighbors, and the cattle here come over to graze on our cover crops. I’ve known Karen since I was a little girl.”

“So why’d you need to join on as a hand?” Jeremy asked.

“Didn’t need to, I wanted to.” Kimmy shrugged. “It’s out of the house, but still close to home. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, it does.” Jeremy squirmed in the saddle. Just say something and go. It’s not a big deal.

Despite the thought, he felt too awkward to bring it up. Following Karen’s guidelines and taking tips from Kimmy, he rode the horse up and down the yard, practicing keeping his balance with a little more speed, learning to give guidance and steer.

And, all the while, the pressure in his bladder was growing at an uncomfortable rate.

Finally, time came for them to switch, and Karen approached him and Kimmy. “How are you two doing?”

“He’s really learning a lot,” Kimmy said. “I thought, since I’ve done all this before, he could just take a second turn if that’s alright with you.”

“I don’t mind. Jerry, you want to keep learning, right?”

“I…” Jeremy squirmed, but he couldn’t bring himself to just say ‘I need to pee’. “Yeah, sure. That’s fine.”

“Well alright, then! Carry on.” Raising her voice, she called, “Everyone else, switch! And if you need to take a bathroom break, now’s the time.”

Crap, Jeremy fumed, as he returned to his riding practice.

There wasn’t much else for him to do, at that point. If he changed his story now, saying he had to pee when he’d been fine just a moment before, he’d look particularly silly. His only choice was to hold it until the next switch.

That had to be fine. He was an adult who had mastered his potty training after all, even if his uncomfortable squirming implied otherwise.

Ten minutes later, though, he’d given up on the idea of waiting until the next switch. He was struggling mightily, legs trembling a little with the strain of preventing an accident. Turning his horse, he rode over to Karen to explain.

“Everything looks good with your form,” she said immediately, as he trotted up and stopped. “You might be holding your legs a little tense, but your posture is good. Has Kimmy been giving you any tips?”

“I- yeah, a couple,” he started to say. “Look, I-”

“I saw your gallop across the yard. Trigger’s an old boy, he doesn’t usually go that fast. He must like you quite a bit,” Karen said. “Do you feel like you’re getting along with him?”

“Who? Oh, you mean-” Jeremy looked down at the horse he was sitting upon. “Yeah. He seems nice. I need-”

“Just a moment.” Karen whistled with her fingers, getting the attention of the yard. “Everyone, gather round!”

“Why-”

“Since you’re doing so well, I’d like you to give a little demonstration,” Karen explained. “Just ride in a little circle, so everyone can see your posture.”

“But-”

“Unless you feel like you’re not doing a good enough job?” She interrupted, eyeing him.

By that point, the others were gathered round, watching him carefully. Jeremy squirmed, trying to come up with an excuse that wouldn’t sound ridiculous. He couldn’t.

Blushing, he said, “Um, I need to pee-”

Just then, his body decided that it’d had enough. The pressure simply vanished, bladder giving way as he flooded his tan breeches. The light fabric turned dark and yellowed, the stain spreading out from his crotch while his face turned pink, letting out a little ‘meep’ sound when he realized he’d lost control.

Nobody said anything, except to giggle as the hot urine ran down his legs, dripped off the saddle, and dampened the dirt beneath his horse. There was no playing it off, no pretending that he wasn’t simply peeing his pants in front of everyone.

Finally the stream stopped. Kimmy was one of the hands laughing, a few more were looking away and rubbing at their necks, politely pretending not to notice.

Karen was the first one to speak up, breaking the silence. “Well, you certainly don’t need to pee any more, do you now, Jerry?”

Blush turning to a darker red, Jeremy shook his head.

“So, give us a little ride around, show your posture, and then you can go wash off that saddle and change your pants. Okay?”

He looked at the dirt, humiliation making it hard for him to argue. “... okay.”