Fountain of youth?

Alice was an adventurer at heart, though most of her adventures took place rummaging through forgotten corners of her city. That’s how she found herself deep underground, exploring an abandoned part of town, a labyrinth of tunnels that seemed untouched by modern times. She had heard rumors about it—whispers of a place where time had simply stopped, and Alice’s curiosity couldn’t resist.

After hours of navigating dimly lit pathways, she stumbled upon something completely unexpected: a hidden garden. Vines draped over old stone archways, and flowers bloomed as if it were the peak of spring. In the center, surrounded by well-kept hedges, stood a fountain. The air felt magical, fresh, with butterflies floating lazily around her.

As she approached the fountain, she noticed a golden plaque on it that read **"Fountain of Youths."** Her eyes squinted at the last letter.

"Huh, they must have made a typo," Alice muttered to herself. "Fountain of Youth. Youths?" She shrugged. “Eh, close enough.”

Without overthinking it, Alice leaned down and took a sip of the water. It was crisp and cool, like the perfect summer drink. Almost immediately, a wave of energy coursed through her. She felt lighter, more refreshed. “Wow, maybe this *is* the real thing!” she marveled, standing taller. But then, something curious began to happen.

Her stomach gurgled. "Okay, maybe I drank too fast," she chuckled, patting her belly. But the bloated feeling didn’t stop. It grew. Slowly, her belly expanded, as if she were suddenly in the early stages of pregnancy.

“What in the world—?” Alice touched her stomach, watching in disbelief as it continued to grow rounder, larger, until it looked like she was carrying several babies at once.

Her eyes darted back to the fountain. She noticed another plaque she hadn't seen before, tucked behind some ivy. She waddled over, her now massive belly making her movements awkward, and brushed the ivy aside to reveal the inscription:

**"This fountain blesses those who drink with the power of creation, granting them eternal youth through the birth of endless lives. The 's' is important."**

Alice blinked at the words, then glanced down at her belly, which was now so large she could barely see her feet.

“Oh. I guess the *s* *is* important,” she said with a laugh, shaking her head at herself. “Should’ve paid more attention to that.”

As she stood there, feeling dozens of little kicks from within, Alice couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. “So, what now?” she mused aloud, still in good spirits. After all, she was alive, forever young, and, well, *eternally pregnant*, but at least she wasn’t alone!

The butterflies still fluttered around, the garden as peaceful as ever. And though she was now carrying the weight of creation itself, Alice couldn’t help but feel that this wasn’t such a bad adventure after all. At least she’d never grow old—or run out of company!