[ WP ] Two people discover a fountain of youth . The problem is that upon drinking the water you turn back into an infant . The two decide to take turns raising each other in order to live forever until one day one of them decides to break this agreement .

How had it come to this, Jill wondered. It was supposed to be the two of them forever. They'd watched as the borders of countries shifted and as technology advanced beyond their imaginations. They'd left their imprints on the world as writers, artists, and scientists. Subject to different experiences and personalities, their desires varied each time but they'd always informed one another at the age of 13. It felt right since that's when it had all began for her. 
 
 Her younger brother, Jack, had slipped and tumbled down into the river at the age of 11. He hit the water with a splash. It wasn ’ t a peaceful river, but it wasn ’ t especially dangerous either. Besides, Jack was a strong swimmer. He was probably OK. As expected, he scrambled up onto a rock. From that vantage point, he ’ d seen a hole under some roots of a tree growing. Meanwhile, she'd carefully made her way down the river bank. 
 
 She called over to him. `` You alright?'' 
 
 He nodded, pointed to the tree, and said `` I'm gon na check it out.'' 
 
 `` Check what out? Jack?'' He had swum over to the tree beyond the roots and disappeared out of sight. She sighed and lowered herself into the river. From the water, she could see where he'd gone. She hoisted herself up, poking her head through the hole and saw him crawling. She clambered in and followed. As she followed him, it was clear there was no light at the end of the tunnel. After 15 or 20 feet, it opened up a bit. As she moved out of the entryway, enough light shone in to bring a sparkle to some ripples in a pool of water. 
 “ Cool! ” Jack proclaimed. “ I ’ m thirsty. ” 
 
 She started to protest, remembering when she had drank some stagnant water and got sick, but he ’ d never heeded her warnings in the past and had always lucked out. She lowered her head and sniffed. It didn ’ t smell bad. She wasn ’ t sure if that mattered. She stuck her hand in and could feel the bottom. Not very deep at all. 
 
 Jack gulped up some water and let out a satisfied sigh. Just after he recommended she try it, she heard a howl and could faintly see him convulsing and contorting. “ Cut it out, Jack. Not funny. I ’ m going back home. ” She shifted around and faced back to the river, but heard the sounds of a baby crying. It wasn ’ t Jack. No way could he make that kind of sound. How had a baby gotten down here? 
 
 As she twisted back towards the puddle, she asked Jack “ You hear that baby? ” No response. She heard some splashing, felt some of the water hit her arms, and more cries. She reached in the direction of the cries – where Jack had been – and felt what was definitely a baby. Still confused and surprised a baby would be there, she cradled it under her arm and called out again for Jack. “ Don ’ t try to scare me Jack. I ’ m carrying that baby. ” 
 
 She moved around the rest of the small clearing trying to find Jack but found nothing. She heard nothing other than herself muddling around and of course the baby crying. She started trying to reason it out and only came up with one possibility. Except it was crazy. The water turned Jack into a baby? 
 
 Auto-pilot kicked on. She crawled out of the hole, carefully held the baby above the river as she climbed down and set it up on the bank so she could climb up. She ran panicked way back up to the house while she and the baby cried in tandem. Her mom met them at the back steps asking what happened. 
 
 Mind racing and amongst tears, she sputtered out, “ It ’ s like Moses! This baby was going down the river in a basket. Jack jumped in after it. He got a hold of the basket and put it up on a rock, but his foot must ’ ve gotten caught on some branches or something cause he went under. I jumped in to get the two of them, but I couldn ’ t find him. I ’ m sorry. I ’ m so sorry. I was supposed to look after him. ” 
 
 Her mom, heart breaking, wept as Jill told her tale. She reached out for the baby and looked it over. After that, her family adopted the young boy in Jack ’ s memory and raised it as their own. 
 
 Snapping back to the present, she pointed her flashlight over to the two babies at the edge of the tiny pool kicking their feet and crying. He betrayed her. He brought someone else into their secret space. This time, he ’ d fallen in love and they ’ d raised her together. They wanted to live forever together, falling in love again and again. In private, she ’ d tried to convince him that it didn ’ t work that way. Each time you drank, you were different. She echoed the stories he ’ d relayed to her: remember how we ’ ve been writers, artists, and scientists? Our passions change. We can ’ t control it. How will you control this? 
 
 She navigated her way out of the tunnel with them in tow. 
 She drove into the city and left them on a bench at the entry of a hospital with a note explaining the two babies were brother and sister. 
 It was over.
