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Jack invents a shrinking app on his phone, and tests it out early one morning |
Background and « The Gap » This is a collection of stories in which Jack, a university student shrinks to various heights (1cm to 1mm) and suffers at the hands of his (not always) unaware family members and the stories will always end in his demise with characters developing in each one. Prologue Your name is Jack, a twenty something year old university student who has come home for the summer. You live at home with your mother, Claire, and older sister, Rachel. Claire has always been a good woman and mother to you and those around her, she had you and your sister when she was young. An attractive woman at 45, blonde with a good physique, she has always been a caring person towards you both. Raising you on her own has been hard, but she gets help from her sister, Anne who helped watch over you when you were younger and your mom was away at work. Your sister Rachel however has not been so caring towards you. She has always bullied you since you were little, and used her superior height to push you around. Although you outgrew her, she has never stopped picking on you whenever she can. She and her friends Megan and Sarah have been a source of pain your whole life. You have always been abit of a nerd, playing fantasy games and studying science at school. You have always been fascinated with insects, sometimes fantasizing about what it must be like from their perspective. To them, your average front yard is a jungle full of adventure and danger. You wonder what it must be like to be a fly, flying through an enormous kitchen. You wonder what a human must look like from their perspective, we must be absolutely gigantic to them. This fascination has lead you to create a device which can alter both your size and your form. The device looks like an accessory to your phone, and you have been dying to try it out since you started working on it a year ago. This summer will be a summer to remember for sure. Chapter I The Gap The day started off like any other, it was early monday morning, and your mother was at work. Your sister was sleeping in this morning from a night out with her friends. You woke up to the morning sun, and headed downstairs to make breakfast. You make yourself a nice big breakfast, today was going to be a big day for you as today you were going to test the device you have worked so long on. While eating breakfast, you think of what to do first with your device. You had the ability to shrink or to alter your form to that of an insect's, the possibilities were limitless. You decided to shrink yourself first to experience the world in your own eyes at a completely different scale. While studying entomology your favourite insect to study was the ant. They were a hardy species, and were so tiny that everything was absolutely huge compared to them. -That's it! I will shrink myself down to the size of an ant to see what it is like down there! But first... You have always wanted to eat a giant cookie at the size of an ant. You loved sweets, and wondered what a cookie of gigantic proportion would look and taste like. You set a cookie on the ground by the kitchen counter, and run upstairs to grab your device. You run back down to the kitchen and open up your phone to use your device. You set it to shrink you down to 1/2 a cm tall, this was it. You press the button and an aura of queeziness takes over you. You feel as if you are falling from an enormous height, like a roller coaster that seems to never end until you regain consciousness. You look around you and the device worked perfectly! The kitchen furniture stretches up higher than any skyscrapers you have ever seen! If you were at normal height, the fridge would stretch far into the clouds! You can't even see where the kitchen sink is. The kitchen tiles stretch far away from your miniature body, with enormous gaps much larger than yourself between each tile. You look to the kitchen counter where you left the cookie, and start making the journey over to it. You shrank yourself on the tile next to the counter which you didn't think would be so far of a trek, but at your size it takes several minutes to cross the giant kitchen tile. You get to the gap between the tile which is nearly three times your height in depth. You slide down the gap and run up the side like a steep hill. Finally, you make it at the top to the gap, and awaiting under to overhang of the imposing counter is your reward- the cookie. You run up to it, but by the time you reach it you're already huffing and puffing. The sight is marvelous. The cookie lays flat, and at your angle is the size of a castle. You go up to it and see all the cracks and holes in the surface. There are already crumbs (at your perspective) on the ground from you simply leaving it there at your original height. There are also giant boulder sized crumbs which are the same size as you nearby. You try to dislodge a piece to eat, but the surface is so hard you can't. Who would've thought that it would have been so hard to take a crumb from a cookie? You settle for a crumb which has fallen from the main cookie, and fill your mouth with the most cookie you've ever had. (Rachel's POV) Rachel woke up, hungover. Another round of wine drinking with her friends Megan and Sarah gave her a nasty headache and a queezy stomach. She dragged herself out of bed, and threw on some flannel pants, but couldn't be bothered to throw on a top and left her room in her bra. She walked past Jack's room to go down the stairs. -Wierd, normally that dweeb is busy tinkering in his room. The living room downstairs was quiet aswell. -And he's not playing video games? Maybe he went to one of his friend's house? Oh well, this gives me time alone to recover before mom gets home. (Jack's POV) You were busy eating the cookie, when in the distance you spot a black figure around your size approaching you and your cookie a number of tiles away in the middle of the kitchen. It was an ant! Your heart raced as you couldn't wait to see an insect up close at this height. You look past the ant, and maybe a few more tiles away by the fridge were two more ants although you can't make out any details because they were kilometers away. Your attention quickly shifts to the entrance of the kitchen however as you hear footsteps coming from the stairway. (Rachel's POV) Rachel made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen to grab some water. She opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of water. She turned around and saw a cookie lying under the counter. She walked up to it and picked it up to throw it away. -Ugh! Jack is such a slob! This is why we get ants in the house! (Jack's POV) boom....boom...Boom...Boom! The earth quaked as your older sister walked into the kitchen. She was slightly taller than the fridge, which made her an impossibly giant titaness! At 25, she lives at home with your mom to save enough money to live on ber own. Her long brown hair covered her shoulders, and at your perspective he could hardly see her face from under her huge breasts. Her bare feet sticking out from her flannel pants looked enormous! At this height though you can't help but admire them. Your heart races as every miniscule movement she made shook the ground beneath you. She took a step, her feet making ear deafening slaps against the tiled floor. The giantess made her way to the fridge, and you watch as your sister's giant foot narrowly missed stepping on the ants by the fridge. She opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of water. BOOM! The sound of the fridge closing was like a bomb going off in the distance. When she turns around with a glass in hand, she turns on her heel and one of the ants gets crushed under the ball of her foot and she completes her turn. As she turns, she casts her gaze in your direction with a look of disgust. You know you need to hide quickly, and bolt for the counter wall! She walks in your direction. Boom, Boom, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!! Her massive shadow engulfs the cookie. She towers over you, her feet look huge! You can see her massive toe prints and the dry skin on her biggest toes. -UGH! Her voiced boomed, and you have to cover you ears from the noise. Jack is such a slob! This is why we get ants in the house! From you position under the overhang you can only see her giant bare feet popping out from the flannel pants. Her heels rise up as she goes on her tippy toes to crouch down to pick up the cookie. Her enormous hand reaching down from the heavens grabs the impossibly large cookie and lifts it into the air with giant boulder sized crumbs falling off of it. Her heels slam back onto the tile as she stands back upright which knocks you down a little bit. Without the cookie blocking your view, you have a clear shot at her feet and you can detect a faint odour in the air emitting from them. (Rachel's POV) Cookie in hand, she turns around to throw it out in the garbage accross the kitchen. As she makes her way, she saw a tiny ant in the middle of the kitchen heading towards the counter. -EEEW! I fucking HATE bugs! She steps on the ant, and without any real effort, snuffes it from existence under her sole. She proceeds to to kitchen table and sits down to drink her water. (Jack's POV) The massive feet infront of you turn around. BOOM, BOOM!! You can see her heels for a fraction of a second before the giantess walks away towards the garbage. BOOM, Boom, BOOM, BOOM! Suddenly your sister stops. -EEEW!!! You cover you ears as she screaches something nearly incomprehensible to your tiny ears. I fucking HATE bugs!! You look on with terror and awe as her massive foot disappears, and reappears moments later over the little black ant in the distance. Her stomp sends tremors so strong you fall down. She proceeds to the kitchen table, her feet always slapping against the tiles on her way. She pulls a giant chair, a feat impossible at your new height, sits and starts drinking. After seeing how quickly the ant was crushed, you begin to panic. That could have easily happened to you. Getting nervous you decide its best to just follow the overhang to the entrance of the kitchen and regrow yourself in the hall and come up with an excuse as to where you were. Anything was better than being crushed like a bug. You follow the overhang towards the entrance. Your sister is scrolling on her phone by the table. You make it 2 tiles over when you begin to tire. Who would've guessed it would take this long? You get an idea, and decide to follow the gaps of the tiles instead of needlessly climbing over them. The only problem is that it would take you out from the overhang and potentially putting you in your sister's line of sight. You decide to shrink yourself a little more to avoid detection. You grab your phone, and hit the button. The world begins to enlarge again, and you get that falling feeling. Although this one is nothing like the last. You are now 1/8 of a cm tall, and make your way through the channels of the gaps. The room is even bigger, and you can't see your sister anymore from within the gaps although you can still hear every movement she makes. She starts tapping her foot which vibrates the gap you are in. Unfazed, you press on. You are making good distance, and are in front of the sink all is going... -KIDS!! I'm home!! You hear your mother's voice echo from the hall in which you were heading. Uh no. -HEY MOM! Your sister replies, not looking away from her phone. boom...boom...Boom..Boom, BOOM! You look up to see from the gap the form of your gigantic mother! From you angle you can only make her out from the waist up, you can't see past her breasts but you can tell that she is huge. A little shorter than Rachel, your mom was slightly larger than she is however and her footsteps were even heavier. Her frame disappears from view. -Hey Rach! Let me just wash my hands real quick. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Your mom was walking in your direction to use the sink. BOOM, BOOM, BOOOOOOOM!!! Your mother steps right over the gap you are in. She was wearing her favourite pair of brown sandals. Your whole world is shaken by the last step, and you are engulfed in shadow. Looking up you can faintly see the dirty sole of the sandal among the shade. You can smell leather, and hear muffled sounds coming from above. It sounds like your mother is washing her hands as there is a sound like a quiet waterfall. You really begin to panic now. -Mom would have stepped on me without even knowing it if i wasn't in the gap! Oh my god, i gotta get big again, quick! You are interrupted by the muffled sound of conversation between the two giantesses. -...last night? -...Megan's... Jack is?... bad. -...friend's...nice... tired... feet... Suddenly the eclipsing sole of your mother's sandal disappears. And you look up at the giant goddess which is your mother. She holds onto the counter, and her legs are starting to move BOOOM, BOOM, BOOOM, BOOOM! Your mother kicks off her giant sandals. SLAP! SLAP! The sound of her hot bare feet slapping against the tile is deafening. Her feet are on both tiles that you are between, and when you look up you can barely make it past her ankles and calves! You take the time to admire her feet. You loved how women's feet matured, the dry skin, the slightly cracked heel, her wrinkled sole... She is wearing a capris jean with a nice white blouse which you can hardly make out at the angle. Suddenly you get a powerful odour which tears your eyes. A mix of sweat and leather hits your tiny nose, it would almost unbearable if you weren't so hypnotized by it. SLAP *stick*, SLAP *stick*, SLAP *stick*, SLAP *stick* your giant mother walks towards the table and pulls up a seat next to your sister, her feet sticking to the tile with every step. (Claire's POV) -Kids! I'm home! -Hey mom! Rachel replied from the kitchen. Claire was tired after a long day at work at the hospital. She had been on her feet for what felt like an eternity, and was glad to be home. She walked into the kitchen to greet her daughter. -Hey Rach! Let me just wash my hands real quick! Claire walked to the sink without a second thought and began washing her hands. -How was last night? She asked her daughter. -It was good! I went to Megan's... Hey do you know where Jack is? I haven't seen him all morning. Not that that's entirely bad. Rachel replied, giggling a little. -He's probably at a friend's, be nice. I'm tired, and my feet are killing me. Claire finished washing her hands and kicked off her sandals. Her feet touched the cold tiled floor, and it was pure bliss. She walked to the table and pulled up a seat next to her daughter. -Why do you have to be so mean the Jack? Also, put on a shirt! (Jack's POV) -Not like anyone's gonna see me. Besides mom, he deserves it! I woke up this morning and found a cookie by the counter! Then i found a bug in the kitchen! -Eew, you killed it right? We don't want bugs in the house... As your mom and sister were having their conversation, you were in full blown panic mode. One giantess was scary enough, now two? And while your mom supported your entomology choice in school, she certainly had no love for bugs and after seeing that ant being crushed, you surely felt like one at their feet. You bolted through the gaps at breakneck speed. -Ya but it was gross! He's such a pest mom, always talking about bugs. Like if he wishes he could be one or something! You steel your nerves and poke your head above the gap to see where you are. Besides, you were too little for them to notice anyways. You look around, your mom and sister are frighteningly giant, you look down from where they are sitting and see their bare feet on the floor. Your mother's heels are raised from the floor, she moves them up and down, almost touching the ground but never quite making it. Rachel's are crossed, and she spreads her toes before you go back into the gap. It appears you got sidetracked in your haste, cause you're near the middle of the kitchen floor a few tiles from the table and away from the entrance. Surely you could have been there by now. As you start to head down the gap, you hear a noise coming from a few tiles down. Suddenly a massive ant head emerges from the gap two tiles away from you by the entrance. The same ant that Rachel nearly stepped on by the fridge. The ant, now larger than you, is making its way in your direction! -He has a good imagination, Rachel. And i think he's been working on some virtual reality thing for the past year. Just because bugs are disgusting, doesn't mean your brother is. Your mother's voice boomed. As you were close to the giantesses, their conversation echoed in your ears. Their voices filled the room. You could hear everything! But now wasn't the time to eavesdrop. The giant ant was coming right for you! You knew you couldn't outrun it, so in desperation you pull out your phone and go to press the button to regrow yourself. Even if you randomly appeared in the kitchen, it would be better than death. -What if he actually managed to turn himself into a bug? -It's impossible, Rach. -So when I use my imagination, it's a bad thing? If I found him I would glue him on some scotch tape and leave him on the floor somewhere, or maybe just step on him there and then! She says while stomping her foot against the floor. Even a few tiles away, your older sister's stomp was enough to send huge tremors your way. You lose your footing and drop your phone! It shatters, and is unusable now. -God noooo!!! That was my only way out of this mess! Rachel i'm gonna kill you!! You look up at her, as she laughs. Her hatred for insects like you... -If you don't kill me first... You follow the gap and turn right, away from the entrance and towards your family members. Out of options and in the open, you run towards the people (well atleast the person) who loves you most. -Answer my question mom, c'mon! -I don't know Rach, he's my son. -Use your imagination mom! If I found him I would put him on a spider's web, or maybe drown him in a glass of water, or smack him with a fly swatter! The ant was now less than a tile away, and gaining ground fast. You start to sprint towards the table. -IF you found him. If he was a bug, I would probably just step on him without seeing him. Your mother says. Hearing this, you start to slow down. She DID almost step on you without realizing it... you are nothing more than a bug to her now. Now a tile and a half from the table. You realize just how small you are. You can barely see your sister's face. You can see the entirety of your mother, she was a mighty giant to you, but what was your plan? You clench your fist and yell out in desperation, clinging onto your humanity. -MOOOOOOOOOM!!! RAAAACHEL!!! I'M DOWN HERE, HELP M- At the point the giant ant is upon you. It has you by the arm in its mandibles. You face the monster and are terrified. You punch the ant in it's eye. It didn't like that, and lets go. -Maybe if I saw him as a bug and I didn't know it was him i would squish him. I might put him outside, or use some bug spray. And if that doesn't work... -MOOOM!! RACHEL!! HELP!!!- BOOOOOOOOOM! Your mother stomps her foot on the ground. -Mom you're not brave enough to touch a bug and put it outside! Let's face it mom, he'd probably get eaten by a bigger bug or something. He's not that tough. As the ant flinches, you decide to sprint. Now out in the middle of the tile you wave you arms and make as much noise as you can. Your mother laughs, the sound is deafening. -HA!! You're right Rach, I mean it would be terrifying for him though! They're creepy enough when they're itty bitty and smushable, I don't even wanna think what it would be like to face a giant one! Hey! Speaking of eating, or I guess being eaten hahaha, let's get lunch going! -Sure thing mom! And let's chill on the bug stuff, my skin is crawling. (Claire's POV) Claire gets up from her seat. She is about to go to the fridge when she spots something on the floor. An ant. -Eew, speaking of bugs I really gotta talk with your brother. Look, there's an ant right there floor. She points out the bug to Rachel. -GROSS! See mom i told you! She says getting up from her seat. Wait, it looks like there's a smaller bug on the tile too. (Jack's POV) The ant, no longer staggered makes its way towards you. You turn away to look for help one last time. Your mother gets up from her seat. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! The all too familiar pounding of footsteps shakes you to your core. You look up, and see your mom in her full glory. Although you still cannot see her face from under her breasts. -MOOOOOOOOOOM!!!! RAAAAACHELLLL!!!!! IT'S ME!!! JACK!!! HELLLP!!! Your efforts might have paid off, as she looks down in your direction. Finally, you see her face. Her beautiful eyes look down towards you. -MOM! YES, IT'S ME!! YOUR SON!! However, soon your hope turns into despair, as your mother stops looking at you, and casts her eyes behind you. Her expression says it all, disgust. Your heart sinks. -Eew, speaking of bugs I really gotta talk with your brother. Look, there's an ant right there on the floor. The blonde giantess points at the ant. You turn around, to see the predatory ant still making its way towards you. You turn back. -YES MOM! KILL THE ANT!! -GROSS! Your sister yelled, her cry was so loud you are stunned in agony. See mom i told you! Rachel bounced right off her chair. Her stomps on the ground shook you, and you stumble. Wait, it looks like there's a smaller bug on the tile too. She points her finger at you with an air of disgust. Your mother looks down at you, but looks confused. -Where? I dont see anything... She didn't even see me. -Are you blind?! There are clearly two bugs on the floor! Your heart sinks and you fall to the ground weeping. Your sister has condemned you to death. You are nothing to her but a bug at her and your mother's feet. -That little speck there? Your mom says. You sure? I thought it was a crumb or something. Ouch. Not even a bug... -No it was waving its antennas earlier, I swear! Rachel says, now looking more and more grossed out. Your towering mother crouches down. Her giant face coming closer, squinting a little to get a better look. At this point, the ant is upon you. It picks you up with its mandibles and throws you. You try to struggle but are caught in its jaws. Your mother's eyes widen, and she stands back up to full height. -Gross! You're right! I saw it move when the ant was on it. You try to fight off the monster, but it's mandibles have a firm grip on you. Its antenna are pounding you, harder than anything you've ever experienced. -Hey mom, what if this was Jack? Your older sister said jokingly. -Hah, funny rach. It's just a tiny bug... being eaten by a bigger bug. I wonder what type it is? Your brother would know. You are losing the struggle with the ant, and you try one more shout. -MOoom! -Just kill it mom. Your sister said. -I'm not wearing any shoes! -So!? Rachel boomed. Time is running out, you look up and see a shadow cast on your tiny frame. Your mother’s sole. Her heel rests on the floor as she raises her foot above you. You can see all of her foot print. Every wrinkle, all the swirls and dry skin. The smell is overwhelming... -Kill it! I stepped on an ant with my bare feet. Your mom retracts her monolithic foot from your view. Suddenly there is light, then you see movement above although you are too busy being eaten alive by an insect to pay too much attention. -Hang on. Your mother says. BOOOOM, BOOOOOOOOOOM. Your mother's foot lands right next to you, you can see all the cracks and dry skin on her heel for just a moment as she then walks away. BOOM, BOOM, Boom, Boom. As your mother disappears from sight, Rachel looks on with disgust at these pests by her feet. Booom, Booom, BOOOM, BOOOOM, BOOOOOOM, BOOOOOM! Suddenly a brown wall appears to your left. With your titan mother standing above you. A shadow comes down, your mother has put on her sandals. Before you can process what happened... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM SQUISH The ant was dead. Crushed under the weight of your mother's titanic sandal. You however were only half crushed, with your head and arms escaping between a gap in the sole of the sandal. With you bottom and ant's body mangled together, you are stuck to the bottom of your mother's sole. She turns her sandal over to inspect the bodies. You look up at the grossed out faces of your mother and sister. -Disgusting. Her beautiful face said in disgust. Did I get them? Your mother asks. Your sister's giant face appeared and blocked you whole vision. -I think so, it's hard to see cause they're so tiny, and you didn't need to use your sandal. Your sister's face disappears, and your world is turned back around and you start plummeting to the ground. Then your world is catapulted in the air! Your mother has kicked off her sandals again. Midair you fall off the sole, your mangled body lay there on the cold open tile by the cabinet. Barely breathing, you hear those terrible sounds. BOOM, BOOOM, BOOOOOOOOM! Your sister's nearly steps on you as she leaves the kitchen. Your mother starts to prepare dinner. BOOOM, BOOOOOOM, BOOOOOOOOM, BOOOOOOOOOM!!!! Her feet are at either side of you. You can't muster the strength to say anything, or move your head. Your mother is getting something from the top shelf of the cabinet you figure because she is on her tippy toes. You look at her arched foot, the wrinkles, dry skin and cracks on her heels dominate your vision. Without warning, she turns, and her bare heel is cast on your tiny frame. (Claire's POV) Claire kicked off her sandals. She knows it was only an ant and a tiny bug, but that was enough to gross her out. -Bugs are so nasty, I would never step on one with my bare foot. She thought to herself as she went towards the cabinet. Rachel left the room, and soon she was getting the ingredients from the top shelf. She was too short to reach them and need to get on her tipoy toes. When she finally got what she needed, she rested her feet back on the floor. ~pop~ Her eyes widened. She looked at the sole of her foot and there on her heel was the body of a tiny bug. It looked alot like the one she had just killed, and hoped she wasn’t get an infestation of these pests. -Gross, but it wasn't that bad. Maybe i overreacted. She thought. If i come across these types of bugs again maybe i won't wuss out infront of Rach again and just step on them. After all they're so tiny, oh well. I wonder when Jack will come back, he can't know about these bugs or else he'll breed them or something. She flicks your corpse off her heel and continues to cook dinner. End. |