Leah Hester and her husband Dan had the shock of their lives when Dan’s mentally handicap brother Brad started changing.  It didn’t start out as an illness for Brad who had suffered from a mild form of Downs, but something gradual.  Dan refused to put Brad into a home after losing his parents so many years ago that Leah and him agreed to let Brad come live with them.

Brad was a very gentle soul that Leah accepted as part of the package the day she married Dan.  Brad loved building things and painting pictures, but most of all Brad loved his three year old nephew Josh.  The two would play games and watch Sesame Street together.  Josh never needed an imaginary friend with having his childlike uncle around.

It started with Brad being despondent at first.  Then Leah noticed he took an interest in reading and math.  That all happened before the physical changes in Brad.  Then came the day that Leah and Dan noticed Brad face was starting to change.  Brad's abnormally round face started to take on more of a normal definition.  His tongue stopped protruding so much, even his soulful blue almond shaped eyes starting changing.  Finally Brad's five foot two frame began growing.  Leah then noticed that Brad started looking her five foot five frame straight in the eyes.  Leah became scared.

Dan had heard of the Gaea Foundation and contacted Dr. Vincent Gunderson right away.  Dr. Gunderson came out to the farm to have a look at Brad.  Leah, who had once been a registered nurse, had copies of all of Brad’s medical records at the ready.  Leah quit her job shortly after having Josh and Brad moved into their farm.  Leah will never forget that fateful meeting...

“There is no denying, your bother is evolving Mr. Hester,” said the tall blond doctor.

“I’m becoming like those big people I see on T.V.” Brad said in an almost normal voice.  Without his tongue protruding so much, Brad’s speech has improved greatly.

“Looks that way,” Dr. Gunderson said, giving Brad a warm smile.  “According to your file Brad, you have grown a whole three inches.  Do you feel smarter?”

“I have been reading the dictionary,” Brad said and Vin patted his knee.

“Good, keep it up,” Vin then said.  Vin then looks to Leah and Dan.  “I want to talk to you in private.”

“You run along and go play with Josh,” Leah tells her brother-in-law.  Brad smiles and obeys.

“We need to talk about arrangements,” Vin finally said with Brad out of earshot.

“I’m not putting him in a home,” Dan went to the defense.  The lawyer had heard the same speech time and again regarding his little brother.  It was bad enough hearing about the ‘special clinics,’ let alone having to put Brad away in one, even though Gaea House is different.

“I must keep an eye on him, Mr. Hester.  He is the first case of this kind,” Vin said.  “There are no reports of a disability of Brad’s extent reported.  Of course, there is the woman in California that was wheelchair bound or the Iraq War veteran in Montana that experienced his arm growing back, but not a mental disability.”

“No matter, I’m not putting him away.  Besides we live here in Spartan Falls.  Gaea House is only a short drive away and if it gets to the point he can’t live in the house, we do have a barn that’s only getting used for storage.  I can look into having it converted,” Dan said on the burst of breaking down.  Dan didn’t want to be apart from Brad.  Dan always protected his thirty-one year old brother, even as kids.  Dan got into many fights because of his so-called retarded brother.

“I can send someone out.  We can see what we can do with your barn, Mr. Hester.  Be honest, I don’t know if Brad will adapt too well at Gaea House.  I see that you and your wife take great care of him here.  I can arrange for weekly deliveries of this specially formulated shake that you need to start feeding Brad immediately.  This will help on your food bill considering you may have noticed Brad’s increasing appetite.  Encourage him with his learning.   The newly evolved love learning new things, eventually Brad will be smarter than you or I.  I will make regular visits to see how he’s progressing,” Vin explained, knowing that the Hesters couldn’t part with their beloved family member.  Vin had seen it time and again.  No one wants to put their disabled family member into a facility.

“What about his face?  He is becoming unrecognizable,” Leah said.

“He is losing his disability.  His chromosomes are changing.  His whole physiology is changing.  All the symptoms of Downs will fade as he grows, but his true personality will never really change.  His body will even become stronger and more propionate,” Vin answered.  “Brad will become the person he should have been without the birth defect in his system.  He is going to grow up in more ways than one.”

Dan felt something for his younger brother that day and it was hope.

Life at the Hester house went on.  Brad kept on growing and soon was rubbing his head on the eight foot ceilings of the farm house.  His features grew into a boyish, almost angelic face, like that of an angel in a renaissance painting.  His blue eyes sparkled with intelligence.  His curly blond hair was never out of place.  His body became that of a well sculpted man.  Evolution made the once handicapped Brad in a handsome and smart giant.

“Hey there big guy.  We have a present for you,” Leah said, looking up into those almost unrecognizable light blue eyes.  Brad was still there behind those friendly eyes, just a more improved version.  Deep down, Leah missed that lovable teddy bear of a little man in a way, but she loved the new Brad just the same.

“Moving day,” Brad said in an effortless voice.  Leah nodded as she stirred the cookie dough.  Brad put his extremely long arms around her and gave Leah a hug.  Yep, he was still the same Brad despite his oversized and perfect body.  “Thank you for not letting them put me away,” Brad then said in a chocked tone.  The very large man was starting to cry.

“We could never be apart from you, big guy.  You’re family,” Leah said as she turned around and looked up into those soulful eyes.  The shape of them may have changed, but they were still Bradley Hester’s eyes.  Leah stood on her tiptoes and reached up to hold his cheeks.  Hard to believe this handsome creature had been the same sweet Downs man that she had grown to love.  “You will always be our Brad, no matter what happens.  Dan and I could never lock you up.  You understand me,” Leah then said. 

“Better than ever,” Brad said and took one of Leah’s small hands into his.  “You will always be my sister.”  Leah then returned Brad’s hug.

Brad loved his new home despite the fact that everything was oversized to him now.  He lived on his brother’s property in a barn made for his growing form.  Brad enjoyed his new sensory experiences.  The telepathy came as a complete shock to the newly reborn Brad.  Then one day out the clear blue, Brad did something that no other giant has done before.  He learned to move objects with his mind.

He was going through his sparsely furnished barn looking for Josh with whom he was playing hide and seek with.  Josh enjoyed it when his mom and dad went out leaving his Uncle Brad to watch over him.  Leah and Dan enjoyed their new independence since Brad had become capable of watching Josh on his own.  Brad never minded watching his nephew so that his hard working brother and sister-in-law could have some alone time.  Brad felt he owed it to them for all the years they helped take care of him.

“Where could he be?” Brad said aloud, playing along with his nephew.  Brad could easily find him now, before the change this was a serious game for him to play.   Now he felt like an adult amusing a child.

“I bet he’s in my cabinet,” Brad said as he opens the door to where he stored his supply of shakes.  No Josh.

“I bet he’s under my bed,” Brad said and just as he thought about it, the twenty-foot bed levitated off the ground revealing a very frightened tot.  Not frightened by the giant, but by the enormous bed floating above him.

Brad reached out for Josh and pulled him out from under before the bed came falling.  It made a loud thud noise.  Brad held the sobbing Josh in his long arms.  Josh felt smaller by the day.  “I didn’t mean to scare you, Josh,” Brad whispered as he soothed the boy.

Then Brad did something he had never attempted, he used his telepathy to contact his giantess doctor, Allison Hayes.  She wasn’t really a legal practicing doctor in the humans eyes, but the giants all thought of her as one.  Ally took a special interest in her very special patient and told Brad to use his abilities to contact her whenever he felt the need.

Dr. Hayes, it’s me, Bradley Hester.  I think I just learned something new.  Brad transmitted out.

You learn something new every day, Brad.  It’s a part of who you are.  What have you learned?  Brad heard the calm voice of Allison Hayes in his thoughts.

Is moving objects with your mind new?  Brad transmitted back.  Despite his newfound intelligence, Brad was still a little childlike in so many ways.

Very new.  No other giant has that ability.  Did anyone else witness this?  Allison’s thought came back.

Just a very scared little boy.  I’m hoping he can go beyond this experience.  I’d hate to have my nephew hating me. Brad transmitted back.

I’ll make sure Dr. Gunderson knows about this; in the meantime work on learning it.  Talk to you tomorrow at our next appointment.  Josh should be perfectly alright. Allison transmitted back.

Josh turned four and Brad was now twelve feet tall.  It was hard for Ally and Vin to make an educated guess as to how tall Brad will become.  The Downs Syndrome had stunted his original growth making it impossible to tell.  Allison Hayes and Dr. Vincent Gunderson stay at the Hester farm that day to celebrate a very special little boy’s birthday.

“How’s everything at Gaea House?” Brad asked Ally.  Brad had only been to the facility a few times since his change.  Leah had spoken with the facilities advocate a handful of times on the phone, but had never met the mysterious, Steven James.

“It’s going good.  Maybe Vin came arrange for you to come some day?” Allison says.

“I don’t want to leave here, but maybe I’ll come visit,” Brad responded.  Allison knew that Brad was shy, maybe even shyer than the colossus living in Alpha Two hangar.

“You’re welcome anytime, Brad.  You know our door is always open,” Vin said.

Two days later, Leah took Josh to the toy store for his birthday treat.  Josh jumped up and down the aisles looking for that toy car he wanted.  Leah went to pay for it and just as they were walking out, a tall gray hair woman and a little red-headed boy came walking in.  The boy must’ve been about five or six.  Two Spartan Falls police officers escorted them in.  The little boy seemed very disciplined and calm as he walked over to the toy trucks.  Then Leah heard the commotion from the parking lot.

People craning their necks to look up at the sky.  Leah didn’t understand what they were looking at until she was fully out of the store.  She saw at the back of the parking lot stood a giant bigger than the generic box store building.  Bare feet and wearing what looked like the typical scrub outfit that most giants wore.  Blood red hair trailing past his shoulders as he shyly smiled down at the crowd.

Leah felt sorry for the creature as people looked at him as if he were some sideshow freak.  The giant appeared backwards and a little frightened, almost as if he was using the gorgeous red hair to hide his very handsome face behind.  The giant put her in mind of the one living in the barn behind their house.  Then Josh didn’t help when he opened his mouth and pointed out the obvious.

Leah approached the giant without fear.  She knew that someday she would be looking upon Brad the same way.   She apologized for her son’s rude behavior, but the giant seemed a little amused.  Then she recognized his face, it was Steven James.  Then that familiar voice spoke that she had heard on her telephone before.  Steven James was the most perfect creature she had ever seen, even Brad’s new beauty paled in comparison.  Then Leah felt she offended him.  She didn’t like it when anyone spoke ill of Brad or made crude comments about him, so she quickly apologized for her rude behavior.  Leah then thought that she better introduce herself and Steven did the same.  Then the giant surprised her with an unusual comment.

“Tell Brad he is welcome anytime.  I’ve heard so much about him from my good friend Ally.  I’d like to meet him,” The giant looked down at her with his clear green eyes and a warm smile.

“I’ll see if I can drag him away from his barn long enough,” Leah said and Steve laughed.  Then Leah watched as the giant began his walk back to Gaea House, holding an oversized four-year old and the nice gray haired woman that Leah has met before.  Leah liked Robin McAllister in the few time they met in passing.