Stories of Human Miniaturization: Part 3

Follows a group of shrunken young people as they attempt to rejoin society

Follows from Part 2


Chapter One

The travel case jostled back and forth, indicating it had been handed over to someone not used to handling it. There was muffled talking from outside, it sounded like a couple.
“You’re supposed to hold it level,” they could barely hear a male voice say.
“I am holding it level,” a female voice answered irritably, as the room tilted to the side.
Across from where Cal was strapped in, Veronica gave him an apologetic look. This was familiar to her.
Another jolt, then bouncing as someone walked, then another jolt, and the male said, “Don’t jerk it so fast! She’s in there, and that’s a lot of movement for her tiny little body, remember?”
“I know,” the woman said, “I am being gentle!”
“No you’re not! You’re shaking the poor girl up. And the boy she’s bringing home.”
“Oh yes, I forgot about the boy,” the woman’s muffled voice said, “About time she finds one willing to date her. It’s too bad she didn’t find one before she got herself irreversibly shrunk.”
“It’s not irreversible,” the man said, “At least I don’t think it is. I hear different things.”
There was more muffled talk, but it was quieter, and they couldn’t hear. Normally one had to speak loudly and close by to the box for someone to hear from inside, but this couple was quite loud.
“They’re always like this,” Veronica said, her long golden hair ruffled from the movement, “But don’t worry, they’ll be nice to you. They’re always nice to new people. And you haven’t disappointed them nearly as much as I have. And all of that disappointment was before I even was miniaturized.”
“Is it just your parents this time?” he asked. The box tilted to one side, causing Veronica to gasp.
“Yes. I have a large family, four brothers and four sisters. The youngest is ten years older than me, and they all are married with families of their own. They thought they were done, but I was a surprise baby.”
He was nervous about meeting them, and envied Trina. Her boyfriend’s family had all been miniaturized with him, so meeting them was simple. She knew most of them before they had even began dating. But he had to actually go out into the real world and meet giant sized people. It wasn’t new to him, he’d met many regular sized people in the past two years, but these folks he wanted to impress. He and Veronica had been together for months now, and she was practically a daughter now to his own parents.
There was a final jolt as the box was set down hard on something, he could feel the impact from his feet, going up his body. Veronica let out a yelp from the impact. They waited, and heard more talking. “I think you need to press that button,” the woman said. Then, the red indicator light near the door turned green. They pair unstrapped, and got up on shaky legs. “That was quite a ride,” Cal said.
“Just the last minute,” Veronica said, “That happens every time. I’ve given up on complaining.”
She’d visited five times now, in the half year since miniaturizing. She tried to come once a month, but hadn’t for the first month at the new habitat. She’d actually changed habitats after a month of dating Cal, moving into a cottage next to him. There were plenty of empty ones on their row, and in their village, and in other villages, and in the other habitats. Far fewer people had miniaturized than the organization had expected. Most habitats were less than half full, and some less than a quarter.
The pair went to the door, and Cal pulled the lever. There was the depressurizing noise as it unsealed, and the doors slid apart to make the circular entryway. Through the hole, he could see the polished wood surface of a kitchen table, and at the edge two people’s midsections, covered in fabric of their clothes. “Wait here for about a minute,” Veronica said, adjusting her hair to look as presentable as possible, and she stepped out. She waved an arm over her head, and yelled, “Hi.”
Two voices said, “Rona!” and “There’s my little girl!” She walked across the table, without seeming to hurry, and up to the cliffs of fabric, and looked up at them. Their faces were out of sight to Cal from inside the door. “We’ve missed you so much,” her mother said. Her father grunted assent.
“I’ve missed you both, too,” she said happily. Her outfit did look nice, Cal concluded, as she’d been concerned about that earlier. She’d ended up picking one a blouse and skirt that went halfway to her knees. Her first choice had been one with frills and a knee length skirt.
“It looks like a dolls dress,” he’d commented at the time.
“That’s the idea,” she said, “I want to be cute. They didn’t agree with me miniaturizing, and tried hard to convince me not to do it. And I can tell they’re still not happy with it. So I need to impress them with cuteness. So I’ll look like a doll, and act all cutesy. Hopefully they’ll come around to liking my size.”
“Bad idea,” he said, “You’ll want to look as normal as possible. If they’re bothered by you shrinking, and being small, it’s because they see minis as less than regular people. Acting cutesy will support that. They already dislike the fact that you’re practically a doll, so look as normal as possible. You even want to be professional looking.” She’d followed his advice, and dressed like a small version of a normal person.

Now she stood under their gaze, as her mother gushed, “You look so cute, Veronica!”
“You do look very cute,” her father agreed.
“Thank you,” she said, “I usually don’t wear things like this, at the habitat everyone kind of acts normal.”
“Do you like this habitat better?” her mother asked.
“There are more people, and I’ve done better making friends, and of course there’s Calvin.”
“Where is your new boyfriend, isn’t he coming?”
“He is,” Veronica said, and she tuned and yelled back to the capsule, “You can come out now!”
Cal stepped out, and saw the large sized people. Veronica looked as if she were talking up to fabric draped cliffs, with colossal heads. They were an older couple, looking around sixty. They were slightly older than that, and having nine kids had a tendency to age people. He walked toward then with a smile plastered on his face, trying to look friendly. “Why hello,” they said to him enthusiastically.
“Hello,” he said, the clear and nearly invisible microphone on his shirt amplifying his voice. He’d joined in a couple of phone conversations between them and Veronica, so he had spoken to them before. But not in person. He kept a steady gait, coming to where they started to loom, next to Veronica.
“As you know, this is Cal,” the girl said, turning her head to whip her blonde hair, motioning her hands.
They had a nice conversation at that point, the couple was quite pleasant and respectful. While they disagreed with their daughter’s choice in miniaturizing, they still loved her, and cared that she was doing well. And they seemed to like Cal, too. Which he found to be a relief.
“So you met at some kind of volunteer thing?” her mother asked.
“Yes,” Veronica explained yet again, “We were volunteering at the museum, we were cleaning off the artifacts. Little people are good for that, since we’re not as clumsy and don’t damage them as much.”
“Did you ever interact with the general public,” her father asked, “the people viewing the things?”
“No, they kept us away from big people. Some minis don’t leave the habitats, and don’t ever see or interact with a big person, so when they go out for things like that, they’re insulated.”
“I guess you’re not one of those, Veronica,” her mother said with a smile.
“Not at all,” she said, laughing, “I like big people. Cal does too, he’s always visiting family or friends.”
“Yep,” he said, “I spend a lot of time in hands and laps.” The older couple laughed.
The couple had been shoulder to shoulder, but soon separated and moved to different sides of the table, and the diminutive pair stepped back so they were between each. They continued talking, and Veronica finally seemed relaxed. She usually got tense when visiting. She was clearly glad he was there.
They talked to the huge couple, Veronica going out of her way to seem enthusiastic about her new situation. She was sure she’d made the right decision, and wanted to convey that to her parents, who had their doubts. “You’ll have decades to prove to them you made the right decision,” he’d told her, “You’ll be a middle aged woman that fits in their hands. Be happy then.” But she wanted to show their doubts were unfounded, so told them about all the fun things they did and how happy she was. Really, there were not many fun things, and the habitats got quite boring. There were festivals and concerts, but they were sparse affairs, without many people showing up. Parties were all the same people, and there really were no new people to meet. The habitats were too empty. And those that lived there spent more and more time away, out in the real world. Houses were only lived in part time.

Chapter Two

After an hour of talking, there was the distant sound of someone coming through the door. Holly came into the room, saying hello to her parents and smiling wide when her eyes caught the small couple in front of them. “Hi” she said cheerfully, waving her hand with bent fingers, the light shining off her long golden blonde hair as she walked across the room. Her footsteps thundered with each step.
“Hi Holly,” her mother said, and her father echoed it. The woman bent down and hugged each of her parents, and then bent over and rested her elbows on the table, peering down at her diminutive sister.
“Hello Nika,” she said happily, her eyes on the tiny blonde girl in front of her, and her eyes moved to Cal, keeping the smile, “And Hello Cal! It’s so nice to finally see you in person!”
“Likewise,” he said up to the huge woman, whose face was propped on arms like tree trunks. She looked like a more aged version of Veronica, with wrinkles around the eyes, and skin that was slightly cracked and worn. He had talked to most members of Veronica’s family now, but only on video calls or over the phone. Holly seemed to like him quite a bit, even telling Veronica in private “not to let him get away”.
“Have a seat,” their father said, and Holly pulled back and chair and sat with a plump.
“I hope you don’t mind that I timed my visit at the same time as yours, Nika,” Holly said, “But I was in the area and decided to stop by. I won’t stay long, though.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Veronica said, “I’m glad to see you. You need to meet Cal, too.”
Holly laughed, “I do, I’m so glad my sister finally gets a boyfriend. I thought Geri would be dating before you were.” They chuckled. “I am glad to finally meet you, Cal. And to see my little mushroom again.”
“That’s what she called me when I was lit…uh, I mean very young,” Veronica said to him.
“Yes, and now I get to hold you again, just like when you were a baby.”
“I’m a lot smaller than a baby,” Veronica said, “I could stand on a baby’s head and it’d be fine.”
“So Holly,” her mother said, “How are the kids?”
“There doing great. Geri made honors again, as expected. Nyssa is still breastfeeding, and I’m not in a hurry to get her off. She’s my last, after all. And the others are just…being themselves.”
Her mother chuckled, “Be careful saying one is your last, or just before forty five one will show up.”
They all looked down at Veronica, who giggled awkwardly.
Holly was the oldest, the couple’s first baby, and the first to get married and have kids. She was already an adult when Veronica was born, and her own youngest was just a few years younger than Veronica as well. All had the same straight blonde hair, as did many of their children.
Holly and Veronica both talked to their parents, with Holly pausing every time Veronica said something, and looking at her in addition to the others as she spoke. She wasn’t excluding her tiny sister. Nor her new boyfriend, who all three of them seemed to like. When the older couple got up, the mother to use the bathroom and the father to check on something, Holly waited until they were gone. “How about you come over to my place after leaving here,” Holly whispered, “I’d love to have you over.”
“I’m going to be here for a few more hours,” Veronica said. “It’ll be kind of late.”
“You can stay over the night,” Holly said, “You don’t have anything to do tomorrow, do you?”
Veronica looked at Cal, who shrugged. They did not, as usual. She pondered a moment, then said, “We can do that. We’ll stay the night, and visit tomorrow. I haven’t been to your house since being shrunk.”
“I know,” Holly said, “The kids haven’t seen you yet. I can come back by to get you…”
“Nah, we can have the courier bring us by,” Veronica said, “After we leave here.”
“Wonderful,” Holly said, smiling wide, “I can’t wait to have you!”
“I just have one request,” Veronica said, “Don’t let the kids handle me. I’m not ready to be held by kids.”
Holly nodded, “Agreed.” Then smiled excitedly. “You’re going to love it there!” Veronica rolled her eyes.
When their parents came back, they talked for a few more minutes, until Holly stood up, and said her goodbyes. The sound of her footsteps trailed behind her. And the loud door closing. Then she was gone, and it was just Cal and Veronica, and her parents. They went back to another conversation.
At one point, Veronica’s mother went and chopped some fruit, and set the plate on the table. The diminutive pair walked up to the slices and pulled bits off to eat. Then the big people picked up the slices with their fingers and ate. Then they moved into the living room, her mother setting her hand out, and carrying them to the other room. They stood and later sat on the coffee table, as the others leaned over them to talk some more. It was a pleasant few hours, and as it got later the couple seemed to be getting tired. Finally, the time for the courier to arrive came, and they said their goodbyes.
“I’m glad you’re happy, dear,” her mother said, “And it’s nice to finally meet you, Calvin.”
With that, the small ones went into the travel case, sealed the door, strapped themselves in, and waited. “I think they’re warming up to your size,” Cal said, as the case jarred and tilted back and forth.
“I think they are, too,” she said, “Hopefully they actually accept it, and are truly happy for me.”
With that, they felt the jolting and jarring as the case was picked up, and handed to the courier. Then it was smooth again, as they were carried to the storage van, with slight shudders when their case was put into an empty slot in the case holder. Veronica had been sure when summoning the courier that they knew to bring them to her sister’s address. They got comfortable and relaxed for their short time alone.


Chapter Three

The next day, the pair lay out in the sun, on a flat rock, in Holly’s backyard. Water from a small fish pond lapped at the rocks a few paces. “Last night was interesting,” Cal said.
“Being ogled by five giant children was a bit more than simply interesting,” Veronica stated flatly.
They’d arrived at Holly’s home, and the woman had set the case down in her bedroom, and met them when they emerged. She’d taken them to the kitchen, setting them on the counter as she talked to them. Then she’d put Veronica in a small handheld box, closed it, and yelled for the children to gather. Cal watched, unseen, from the counter as the kids gathered around the table, for the surprise their mother had for them. Then Holly pulled open the box, to reveal Veronica smiling up at them.
There had been gasps and squeals, as the excited children took in the sight of their mother’s shrunken sister. Veronica had climbed out of the box, and talked to them from the table. They had squeezed together to get a close sight of her, as she tried to seem casual. When it was finally over, Holly had sent the kids to bed, and reunited the couple. They sat on an end table as she sat on the couch with her husband, watching movies. They’d brought chairs from the travel case, so all had comfortable seats.
When the full sized couple went to bed, the small pair had been taken back to their chamber, where they pulled out beds. After a tiring day, they’d easily fallen asleep. And the next day, the kids were already at school, so they’d had a nice breakfast with Veronica’s sister and brother in law. And after a few hours of conversing, they were taken outside, and set by the side of the meter wide pond.
Blades of grass that the mover had missed rose up between the stones, as did weeds. Veronica stood up and stretched, the sun gleaming off her bare fair skin. “I’ve never been naked in a backyard before,” she stated as she looked around. Then she looked at the water, with the dolphin sized fish.
“Minis get away with nudity in many situations, especially in public places,” Cal said.
“I gathered that,” she said, “I still couldn’t see myself being naked in a restaurant or something.”
“We’re harder to spot with clothes off,” he said, “Since the bodies are just one solid color.”
She stood in front of him, her fist sized breasts sticking out from her chest. Then she turned around and walked to the edge of the rock, over-looking the water. “I don’t think the fish will eat me,” she said.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to…Veronica!” he said, as she hopped off and disappeared out of sight. He jumped up and ran to the edge, looking down at her as she swam at the surface of the dark green water.
“It feels really nice in here, the sun’s warmed it well,” she said.
“Those fish…” he said, then jumped off himself. He plopped into the water, and surfaced just as she jumped on top of him, pushing him back under. He slid around her clumsy attempts to hold him under, as she tried grabbing him, and then pushing her body against his, and he poked his head out of the water. She came up beside him, laughing. “See? The fish don’t care.”
“You know they poop in here,” he said.
“It’s settled at the bottom,” she said, “And that’s true of every lake and pond.”
She jumped on top of him again, and they wrestled in the water for a few minutes. Then they swam to the rocks that lined the pond, leaning against them as they caught their breath. They were in the shade here, while the rest was in the sun. The basin seemed large to them, enclosed with steep rocks on all sides. But gaps in the rocks and uneven sides would give them opportunity to climb out.
They swam out toward the center, diving and swimming. The fish eventually came for them, brushing and bumping into them. They simply pushed them away, sometimes kicking them.
“If we use our legs against them, they’ll realize we won’t be an easy snack and give up,” Veronica said.
The fish did leave them alone after that, occasionally gliding by but not making contact. They just kicked out a leg if they got too close, to remind them who the apex predators were.
They climbed out of the basin, and back onto a flat rock. They strolled along the rocks, hopping from one to another, back to where their clothes were. Then they sunned themselves some more. They finally got dressed, and climbed down from the stones into the grass, which was to their waist. They walked a few inches, to reach the first stepping stone. They climbed onto that, walked across, and then lowered themselves back into the grass. Sometimes the stones were close enough that they could jump from one to another. They noticed the spots near the center were more worn from footfalls, and near the edges the surfaces were rougher and sharper. They reached the patio, and jumped from the last stone onto the concrete slab. They walked across that, until they were in the shadow of the house.
“Imagine falling from that,” Veronica said, motioning to the top of the wall, where the roof hung over.
“We’d go splat” Cal said, “Completely flattened.”
“Like a bug on a windshield,” Veronica added, “We’d just be a fine paste.”
They reached the base of the steps, which led to the back door. There was a wood plank from the patio to the door, acting as a ramp for them. They walked up it, reaching the screen door. There was a hole cut in the corner, but the wires of the mesh were reattached. Veronica unhooked them, and squeezed through the opening. Cal followed, and they reattached the mesh when they were through.


Chapter Four

Inside, they were on the tile floor of the kitchen, with the wall of the counter on the other side of the gap for the door. Along the other side was the wall of the island counter, separating the kitchen space from the space for the table. At the far end of the wall, at the base, was a pair of legs. They walked along, toward the feet that were planted on the floor, not moving as the person stood there.
Looking up, Veronica commented, “Looks like Seri didn’t go to school today.” They walked toward the thick white columns, which widened as they rose to the knees. They reached the closest foot, and Veronica yelled, “Seri!” Then she hopped onto the foot. It flinched, the heel picking up and twisting some, before setting down again. Then the toes slid over as the foot rotated, as the body above twisted. High above, the girl was looking down at them, curiosity on her face turning to amusement.
“Aunt Veronica!” Seri said happily, bending over and reaching down. “Can I pick you up?” she asked. “Yes, you may.” The children hadn’t been permitted to hold or even touch Veronica the night before.
Fingers wrapped around Veronica, sliding around her torso and chest, then her legs. They pressed tight, squeezing her. She yelped. “Sorry,” the girl said, and the grip loosened. She was lifted up, and set on the counter of the island. Then Seri reached down again, and picked up Cal. He was set next to her. They looked up the girl’s chest at her head, as she looked down at them. Veronica put her hands on her hips.
“You should be in school young lady!” she scolded.
“Sorry, I missed the bus,” the twelve year old said.
Behind them, a magazine was splayed out, the girl had been reading.
“What are you reading,” Veronica asked up to her, turning back to look at the open pages.
Seri said the name of the magazine, “It came today. Since I was home, I figured I’d get it and read it.”
“I’m guessing your mother knows you’re home,” Veronica said.
“She does,” Seri said, “She already chastised me for it.”
“Good,” Veronica said, “Then I don’t need to lecture you about it anymore. Anyway, how are you?”
“Good,” Seri said, “I liked the unexpected visit yesterday. I was really surprised.”
“Excellent,” Veronica said, “I’m glad I was finally able to see all of you.”
“And this is your boyfriend, I guess?” Seri asked.
“Yep,” Veronica said, and introduced them. They exchanged pleasantries.
Later, Seri lay on the couch, her head propped on the side, her legs bent with her knees sticking up. The magazine was propped on her legs as she read. Veronica and Cal sat on her abdomen, at the bottom of her shirt, looking up at the pages and reading along with her. An arm would reach over their heads, fingers gripping the top corner of the pages and pulling them to the side, revealing the next page.
“Are you enthralled by the reading?” Veronica asked him playfully.
“No,” he said, chuckling, “But I’ll survive reading it.”
“It’s a magazine meant for preteens,” Veronica said, “I don’t imagine you find it interesting.”
“No, but spending time with your sister is important.”
“It is,” she said, “She’s just so big now!”
He laughed, “You’ll get used to it.”
“You say that about everything,” she said, “But I suppose you’re right. I’ll get use to my niece being the side of a cruise ship. I am going to be this way forever. I just remember her being so small before.”
They looked up at her face, to see she was staring at them curiously. They were speaking quietly, so there was no way their voices carried for her to hear, but they were facing each other as if talking.
“Are you two comfortable?” she asked.
“Yes, we are,” Veronica said, yelling toward the face.
“Are you bored?” she asked.
“No, we’re just enjoying hanging out with you,” Veronica said brightly.
The huge girl smiled, “I like hanging out with you, too. Especially now that you’re so small.”
“Well that’s good,” Veronica said, “Because I like being small.”
“And I like you small,” Seri said, “I’m glad you did it.”
“Me too,” Veronica said, standing up, “Are you ready for the next page?”
The girl nodded. Veronica took a few steps, her feet pressing into the shirt and the cushy flesh under it. She stepped from the shirt onto the top of the pants, and walked down her hip to the propped up page. She bent down, took a corner in her hand, and pulled it back. She walking up the hip and along the top of the pants, dragging the page, until she was on the other side, where she let the page fall. Then she walked back, stepping from the harder material of the pants to the soft fabric of the shirt, and sat down next to Cal. Seri looked on, impressed. “That looked like a lot of work,” she said.
“It wasn’t bad,” Veronica said, “I can be useful and productive, even small.”
She turned her head to the page, as did Seri’s eyes, and started reading. There was a light gurgle from below them, as the intestines worked, but they disregarded that. She turned around and asked her niece a question from time to time, and the girl spoke to them as well, as they hung out together.
After a while, Seri grunted an “ugh,” and said, “I have to use the bathroom.”
The pair stood up and stretched, stiff from sitting for so long. They went to the side of the waist, where the shirt dropped off, and slid down the side, landing on the couch cushion below. The massive body sat up, sending a gust of air and shifting the ground underneath them. Seri swung her legs over and got up, rising like a skyscraper. Then she walked off, feet thumping loudly against the ground.
“Judging by the noises her guts were making,” Veronica said, “She’s going to be a while.”
“Want to get down, or wait here?” he asked.
“Let’s go visit my sister,” Veronica said, “It’ll be a long walk through the house, though.”
They walked across the cushion, warm from the large body that had just been lying on it, to the back edge, where the couch backing rose up like a cliff. They went to the corner of the cushion, where there was a gap between it and the next one. They lowered themselves through the gap, into the dark interior of the couch. They walked behind the cushion wall, encountering crumps and other chunks. “Gross,” Veronica said, kicking them away from their path. They walked the length of the couch, reaching the wall of the armrest. There was a small hole here in the lining beneath their feet. They lowered themselves through, and climbed down through the substructure of the couch. They used springs, wooden framing and metal bars to climb down, reaching the last wooden plank of framing. They dropped down to the carpeting below, in the dark underside. They walked out into the light, with the back of the couch looming like an odd cliff face. They walked along the wall, under an end table, passing its pillar like legs. They stayed close to the wall, finding themselves out in the open.


Chapter Five

They journeyed across the house, finally reaching the open door of Holly’s bedroom. They went in, through the narrow gap between the door and the frame. They could see the enormous woman lying on the bed, watching a television that was across the room. They walked toward the bed, reaching the fabric that hung down to obscure the underside. They were able to climb that, gripping it with their hands and between their legs. Then they climbed the box spring box, which had loose threads for easy climbing. Then it was the mattress, which had the comforter with more looks threads. They reached the top, and walked across the mattress toward Holly. She spotted them and grinned.
“Hello, my two little ones! Did you walk all the way across the house?”
“Most of it,” Veronica said to her humongous sister, “It really wasn’t a far walk.”
“Well I’m glad you made it. Want to watch TV with me?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Veronica said, and they sat down. Holly was laying on her side, so they sat next to her stomach, watching the distant screen. “This is turning out to be an interesting day,” she said to Cal.
“It’s a typical day for a mini,” he said, “When we’re put and about in the world. Which you definitely need to do more of. You can’t stay sheltered in the habitat forever.” She nodded agreement.
They were surprised with a small figure appearing in the doorway. “Hi Baby!” Holly said to Nyssa. The toddler smiled gleefully and ran to the bed, with rapid thunderous steps. She jumped onto the bed, shaking it like an earthquake it under their diminutive pair. As she crawled toward her mother, her eyes set on Veronica and Cal. She stopped moving, and stared at them with wide eyes.
“Hi Nyssa,” Veronica said brightly, “How are you?”
“I’m good,” the young child said, then she started twisting herself and sitting up, looming over the pair. She looked at her mother, “Can I hold her?”
“I don’t know, I think that’s up to her,” Holly said. The girl looked at the small people.
“You can hold me,” Veronica said, walking up to the girl, “Just please be gentle.”
A small hand came out, and smacked into the tiny girl, closing around her. Veronica squirmed so her head and shoulders were sticking out of the fist. Nyssa raised her fist up to her face, examining Veronica.
“She’s itty bitty, isn’t she?” Holly said to her daughter.
“She is itty bitty,” Nyssa said, eyes focused on the tiny person in her hand.
“And you’re so big!” Veronica said to the hulking form of her niece, no trace of nervousness in her voice.
Cal watched nervously, as the toddler clutched his girlfriend, holding her like a toy in front of her.
Suddenly, the girl got distracted, and swung her hand away, and Veronica shrieked.
“Oh Nika,” Holly said, as the hand swung back and forth, up and down seemingly in circles.
“Now set her down,” Holly said, “Very gently. Little people are very delicate.”
With that, the girl lowered her hand, and opened it. Veronica jumped out when it was low enough and stood in front of the child. “Thank you for being gentle. I might let you hold me again.”
“Can I play with her?” the girl asked her mother.
“No, baby, she’s not a toy. She’s your aunt. Little people aren’t played with like that.”
With that, Veronica rejoined Cal, who felt immense relief. “That was scary,” she admitted quietly.
“For you and me,” he said. The girl spoke to her mother, and the pair sat back down.
“I guess I’ll get used to it,” Veronica said jokingly.
“Yes, that is something we’ll both have to get used to,” he agreed.
Her sister yelled out, “Seri!” After a few moments, the taller child appeared I the doorway
“I have to feed Nyssa, and I don’t think your aunt wants to see me take those out. Can you take her?”
Veronica and Cal walked around the toddler, into the middle of the open area of the bed.
“So that’s where you both went,” Seri said, “I was wondering where you’d wander off to.”
She walked to the edge of the bed, and reached down with two hands. The pair stood, as the hands closed around each of them, so their heads were sticking out of the mass of flesh. They were lifted, and carried out of the room. Seri set them down on the desk in her bedroom, and sat at the chair, her upper body looming over them. The chair creaked from her weight. “Thank you,” Veronica told her giant niece. She laid her arms down in front of them, like a pair of fallen trees, and leaned forward slightly.
“Now we can talk,” she said, “That magazine was boring you, I’m sure.”
“We’ll be leaving soon,” Veronica said up to her, “Our courier will be here in about an hour.”
“Then you can talk to me for that time,” the girl said brightly. So they talked with her for several minutes, Veronica getting used to talking up to the enormous child.
They did get some time to visit with Veronica’s sister before the courier arrived to take them back. She came into the room, saying to her daughter, “Can I take your aunt?”
Seri sat back, and Holly reached down for the pair, hands closing around them both, and they were lifted away. “How soon until the courier gets here?” she asked Veronica, whose head and shoulders stuck out of the fist she held up to her face, blonde hair spilling out into the top of her hand.
“A few minutes,” Veronica said to her, “Any minute now.” The huge blonde woman nodded.
The giant carried them to the front room, and set them down on an end table, and sat down on the chair next to it. She lay her arms on the armrest, and leaned onto her arms, her face over the table.
“So, how did you like it?” she asked, smiling expectantly.
“It was great,” Veronica said, walking close to the edge, toward the looming face of her sister.
“Great enough that you’ll want to stay with me for a while?”
“Depends,” Veronica said suspiciously, “How long is a while?”
“Days,” Holly said, adding, “Maybe weeks. Or…” she smiled sheepishly, “Maybe forever.”
Veronica laughed, “A wonderful offer, but I’m happy where I’m at. I don’t want to leave the habitat.”
“Was it too much?” Holly asked, “Being in the big sized world?”
“Not at all,” Veronica said, “I just like my life as it is. Maybe someday, I’ll reconsider.”
“Well, I hope you keep us in mind when you do decide to leave the habitat.”
“I’m sure the others will come with the same offer,” Veronica said, “I just don’t want to think about it.”
Holly grimaced, then got up, and thumped out of the room. She returned with the travel case, setting it on the table behind them. “Happy travels,” she said.
“Thank you,” Veronica said, and Cal echoed her. They went into the box. Not long after, the doorbell rang, and the box was lifted, and they were handed over to the courier. It had been a pleasant visit. But they were happy to be back in their travel case, and on their way back home.


Chapter Six

Miles away, Fiona answered the door, and took the box from the courier. She went into her bedroom, and set it down on her dresser. Then pressed the button that indicated it was safe to exit. Trina came out of the small hole, her tiny figure waving up to Fiona. “Hi!” she squeaked.
“Well hello to you,” Fiona said warmly, “I’m so glad you were able to find time to come over.”
“Sorry,” Trina said, standing in the open space of the dresser, looking up at her huge friend, “My new boyfriend takes so much of my time. We just like spending time together.”
“That’s good then,” Fiona said. “Is his family miniaturized as well?”
“Yes, they are. They all did as a group, when they were young teenagers. So they’ve been mini for years. His sister is dating a boy who did it recently, though, on his own.”
“Wow,” Fiona said, her lips curling into an amused smile, “So people are now growing up that way. They start as shrunken kids, part of a shrunken family, and turn into small adults.”
“Yes,” Trina said, “It’s amazing how some people have been this way for a good chunk of their lives. I’ve seen babies born there, too. They’ll never know being big.”
“And I can’t believe it’s been two years for you, Trina.”
Trina laughed, “Yes, it has. I can’t believe it’s been so long, either. It goes by fast.”
The pair caught up some, before Fiona set her hand down in front of Trina, palm up. Trina stepped onto it, and sat down, with her bent legs facing the fingers. Fiona slowly lifted her, cupping her hand so the edges inclined around Trina. She lowered her to just below chest level, and cupped the other hand under Trina’s for additional support. Then she slowly began walking, keeping her hand still as she had done many times now. Trina looked up the wall of stomach, draped by a shirt, with the breasts shaking above her head. They had grown since she’d first miniaturized, they hadn’t been so large at first.
Fiona walked her friend down to the finished basement, and set her down on a high table with taller chairs. Trina climbed out of her hand, and stood on the tabletop, as Fiona reached into her pocket, and pulled out a cushioned chair. She set it down behind Trina, and sat down herself. She laid her arms down in front of her, across her chest, and leaned forward. Trina sat down and crossed her legs, remarking, “Well this is comfortable.” Her giant friend gave a toothy grin.
Trina sat in the comfortable chair and listened as her friend told her about recent things in her life, most if it was repeated from when they talked over the phone, but she still listened. The huge face loomed over her, speaking softly as it was easier on Trina. Nothing was worse than people who spoke to them with force, sending hot breath at them, and spittle flying out of their mouths. Most people weren’t even aware, and many changed how they addressed minis once they realized. A few drops landed on the table nearby, as Trina listened and offered advice, but that couldn’t be helped.
The mouth closed and Fiona stopped talking for a moment, then asked, “So what’s new with you? Tell me more about this new boyfriend of yours. What’s going on in your little town?”
Trina talked about home for a time, telling odd stories about her friends and neighbors.
“Such a strange place,” Fiona said, “I wish I could visit. Without crushing everything, of course.”
Trina laughed, “So much destruction. You’d leave big footprints in the streets and fields. And if you had to use the bathroom while you were there…you’d flood us all out.”
Fiona laughed, “That’s not something I’ve thought of. I’d ruin your whole ecosystem.”
“Which is why we prefer to visit you,” Trina said.


Chapter Seven

Cal and Veronica were back at the museum, cleaning off a jeweled bracelet caked in layers of mud. The pair were working along together, as the others dealt with other artifacts recovered from the shipwreck. A hose with a jet of water got off most of the mud off, now they were scrubbing and chipping away at the hardened bits. They were trained on how to avoid damaging the golden finish and colorful rubies. But it was hard work. “Ugh,” Veronica said, her long blond hair swinging wildly as she worked. “I hope people enjoy this museum piece after all the work we’ve put into restoring it.”
“I don’t even know if the public is aware that minis put the work in,” Cal said.
“People have no idea how beneficial we are to society,” she said, stopping from scrubbing to face Cal, soap suds covering her hands and arms, and splattered onto her legs and chest.
“It didn’t take long for people to realize the niches we could fill,” he said.
“My friend Sally was thinking of taking a job working for the public transit authority, fixing their autonomous busses. She’d just crawl into the engine there and do the work, without one of them having to take it apart. She likes working with that kind of stuff, and it would make big people’s lives easier.”
“Maybe if your parents understood how important we are to the world now, and not some vulnerable pet-like people, they’d be more accepting of your size change.”
“Oh, I think I came up with a possible solution,” Veronica said, prying a chunk of dirt off the metal ring, “Sally and Jada both say that I need to go over there and spend more time with them.”
“You go over there once a month,” Cal said, “For hours. Think more time would change their minds?”
“Actually, yes,” she said, “They said their own parents and siblings had issues with them, and they just stayed there for a few days at a time. Jada was there a week, and they warmed up to her in that time.”
“Would you really want to stay there a week?”
“You’d join me for some of it, but I need to be there by myself, and interact with them.”
Cal shrugged, going back to scrubbing the metal with a cloth, finally exposing the gold. “Whatever you think will work. Doesn’t sounds pleasant, though.”
“It won’t be,” she said, “That’s why I’m debating it. But I should probably try it. It’s the old ‘they’ll get used to it’ strategy. We do say that a lot to new people that see us. And it’s sort of true.”
They went back to working, Veronica unsure if it was really a good idea or not.


Chapter Eight

Trina stood with her arms crossed, looking up at her cousin Seth. The boy wasn’t getting any better with learning, despite her tutoring him, and countless times helping him with schoolwork. He sat back in his chair, a colossal figure, arms also crossed, looking down at her, perplexed on his face. She stood at the top of the page, her feet pressing through the thickness of the page. The lines spread out in front of her, with sloppy writing all the way down. “I’m really not understanding this,” he said.
“Its history, what is there to understand?” she asked, “You just memorize facts.”
“Yes. But…I just don’t get it. I can’t memorize all these dates and people and stuff.”
“We’re not even to the twenty first century yet,” she said, “That gets really confusing in the first half.”
“Ugh,” he grunted, “Can we just take a break?”
“We already took a break. Now get back to writing. I’ll tell you what to write…again.”
He learned forward, picked up a log of a pencil, and set his hand on the paper with a thump.
“Now write this,” she said, thoughtfully. She dictated what to say, as the pencil grinded against the paper. She knew this wasn’t the way to do it, but he wasn’t going to understand any other way.
She heard footsteps, and felt an ominous feeling. The last thing Seth needed was an interruption. The door flung open, and the cute blond girl walked in. “Hi Seth!” she said excitedly.
He flung the pencil away, and turned to loop up at her, it crashed into the stack of book and rolled across the desk. “Ugh,” Trina said to herself, too quiet for the big people to hear.
“I thought you might want to hand out,” she said happily.
“I do,” he said, “My cousin Trina and I were just finishing up.”
“You’re…” she said, looking around the room, then realization hit her face, and her focus went to the desk, where she spotted Trina, standing there. “Oh, you’re tiny little cousin,” she said excitedly.
“Yeah, you’ve met before,” Seth said.
“Yea, she’s so little and cute,” Marsha said, “I didn’t even know she was in the room while we were…”
“Yea, she’s kind of stuck there until I let her down. I forgot.”
“Speaking of which,” Trina yelled, activating her microphone to amplify her voice, “Can you let me down so I can leave. Our studying seems to be done.”
“Oh, don’t leave on my account,” the girl said, “I like hanging out with you.”
“But if we’re going to make out, she’s not going to want to be here,” Seth said.
“Don’t worry,” the Marsha said, “We won’t be doing any of that.” Seth looked disappointed.
Not long after, the pair were sitting on the bed, shoulder to shoulder, with a laptop on Marsha’s knees. Trina sat on her leg, the smooth bare skin under her, laptop in front of her. It was a movie she had wanted to watch, and Marsha had insisted she join them. And the girl talked to her more than her boyfriend, to Trina’s amusement. As dumb as the pair were, they were both nice, she found. Marsha saw her as a curiosity, but clearly wanted to be her friend, so Trina felt she should try and oblige.
Soon it was quiet, or at least the talking had stopped. Trina got engrossed in the movie, hearing the rustling of clothing fabric behind her, and the shifting of the massive bodies. Then she heard the smooching from above her. She felt she should leave, but was too involved in the movie. So she stayed on the girl’s leg as the couple smooched. The leg under her shifted occasionally, rolling just enough to toss her onto her side, and she had to steady herself, but she ignored the commotion above her.
She finally decided it was time to go, and she slid down the leg onto the mattress of the bed. The smooching stopped, and she looked up to see Marsha looking down at her, having felt Trina’s pants slide against her skin. “I’m sorry, Trina,” she said, “I guess you don’t want to be here for this.”
“You both need your privacy,” she stated, standing next to the wall of flesh that was the girl’s leg.
“Can I get your phone number?” Marsha asked, “So we can talk sometime?”
“Uh, sure,” Trina responded, not expecting that.
Marsha pulled out her phone, and set it on the mattress in front of Trina. She got to the input screen, and looked at Trina expectantly. Trina said her phone number, and the fingers tapped it into the screen. Then it disappeared and the phone locked. “I guess this is goodbye then,” Marsha said, “Until next time.” A hand reached down for her, extending two fingers. The clamped down on either side if Trina, and she was plucked up into the air, and set down on the carpeting at their feet. Soon, there was the sound of smooching again, as she walked past the shoes, and then crossed the room without looking back. She reached the door, got onto her stomach, and slid underneath. Back in the hallway, she emerged and stood up, and headed back to the main part of the house, where everyone else was. She felt she needed to socialize with other adults now.
Later, she was back in the travel room, when there was a tapping. She went out, to see Marsha again. “I’m glad to connect with you again,” she said, “I’ve come over and you’re never here.”
“Well, I don’t live here after all,” Trina said. She didn’t mention the times that she had actually been there when Marsha came over, and chose not to interact with her.
“So you live in a place with other minis?” Marsha asked, “Like some tiny-land or something.”
“We’re not mythical creatures,” Trina said, “It’s a domed community with towns and houses, where everything is scaled to our size. We don’t live like elves in trees or anything.”
“Well, you’re mythical to me,” Marsha said, “I’ve never seen a tiny before you, and no one I know has either. We’ve heard of them, but never seen them. So that is what mythical means, isn’t it?”
“Well, not really. We’re more obscure than mythical, technically. And we’re normal people who have shrunk. We’re not a race, and we’re not born this way.”
“But what about babies that are born to minis? Aren’t they actually born that way?”
“Well yes, but they’re not a separate race or anything. They’re just born from minis.”
“Whatever,” Marsha said, “I’ll be glad to talk to you again. I feel we have so much to talk about.”
“You’re that interested in the mini lifestyle?” Trina asked.
“Well, it sounds like it would be horrifying to be so small, but that people willingly do it, and you don’t seem horrified at all. It just seems so weird.”
“We’re all just weird people,” Trina said, “Its fun, and adventurous. I like it, but it’s not for most people.”
“I’m sure it’s not,” the giant girl said, smiling. Trina did not know how she felt about her new friend. But Marsha seemed to really want to be friends, and it would be rude to deny her that. The giant soon stood up, and her massive shoes thumped away. And Trina was relieved to be rid of her.
Across the house, Cal sat on Jane’s stomach, on the fabric of her shirt. His fourteen year old cousin looked down at him, answering his questions. He held the paper up in front of him, glad it was too small for her to read the answers. Quizzing her on her reading was extremely helpful to her, she said, and Cal was the only one who did it correctly. When he asked her something, her eyes looked up in thought, and then went back to him as she answered. She smiled when she got something right.
“I wish I could bring you to the test, you could sit on my shoulder and tell me the answers,” she said.
“The whole point of it is for you to learn,” he said, “and you’re doing well without cheating.” And he probably wouldn’t remember the answers anyway, he needed the sheet to know what to ask.
He was sitting with his rear in her belly bottom, or the top part before it got tight. He joked about storing things in there, and she just gave a sour look. But it was a comfortable seat, and her flat stomach gave an easy view of her face, beyond the small breasts that poked up. She’d offered for him to sit on one, but he’d declined. She and her brother liked having their tiny cousins to visit, and their aunt and uncle liked having them there as well. He was spending more time out of the habitat, with big people, than inside lately. And now that Veronica was getting along with her relatives, that time outside may grow even more. She’d sounded happy with her extended visit to her parents, and they were finally accepting of her small size. And her choice to become so small. He hoped they’d see how happy she was with her life now, and how she liked being that way, and their misgivings would go away.


Chapter Nine

Eleven years earlier, Bridget sat at her desk, pondering the universe. She saw a head approach over the cubicle walls, and prepared to look busy. Living a normal life, working in a cubicle wasn’t what she’d dreamed of when she was a child, but it was how she afforded her apartment. At least she worked with interesting science stuff, she thought. Of course, if had been far more interesting on the other end, she thought. Then she pushed the thought from her mind. That was a different life, she told herself. And not one that she was wanting to share. Too many odd questions, if people knew.
She got back to work, tapping the keyboard and reading the monitor. This was far different from the life she could have had. That she had had. Now, she worked in the lab that did miniaturizations, the same one her father worked at. But he was a high up researcher, she was a low level lackey. Only months before, she’d been miniature. And looking back, it had been amazing. But she’d finally decided to grow back to normal, one of the few given that option. She felt as if she’d rushed going through with it, after choosing, worried she’d change her mind. But if she didn’t grow back soon, she’d stay that way forever. And that was a step she wasn’t willing to take. And now at full size, or big as she still called it, she was settling back into a regular life. A regular boring life.
“Bridget?” a voice said from behind her, and she turned to see a man holding a box of clear plastic. “I was told to bring these to you?”
“Yes,” she said, “I’m doing the orientations.” The box was set down gently, and the man stepped away. She looked through the clear plastic walls, to see figures inside. They’d been sitting, but stood now and went toward the outside door. There were four of the tiny figures. Miniatures. New ones, too.
She had been given the task of addressing a group of people that had just miniaturized. They’d been examined and spoken to, by people that would have seemed like giants to them. But those medical people didn’t have the gentle demeanor that she did. She knew minis, since she’d secretly been one for so long, and knew how they liked to be treated. So she was permitted to talk to them.
The little people emerged from the case, some smaller than the others. Children, she realized, it was a family. She’d seen a few of them, and knew they were being allowed to miniaturize now. The children would have the option of growing back once they reached adulthood, but they didn’t know that now. No one knew someone could be brought back. So far, she was the only one besides the early test subjects. And she hoped she didn’t encounter anyone who had known her. There wasn’t much chance of that, of course. Minis were now being taken to a secure site, a domed habitat that was miles away. It was expensive to build, but had everything a person would need. She’d visited the old model town, where she’d once lived, and now empty, looking down at it from above. It didn’t seem a home at all. It was good no one had to live there anymore. The Lab getting government money had made it obsolete.
She talked to the family, four finger sized people, though the kids were more like toes. They seemed bright about their future, and had good expectations of it.
“So what are your names, and how old are you?” she asked the kids in a gently voice.
“I’m Hope,” the tiny girl said, “And I’m eight.”
“I’m Travis,” the boy stated, “And I’m ten.”
“Well, are you two excited about your new lives?”
They nodded, then shouted “Yes” at a word from their mother. Likely telling them that the big lady couldn’t hear them. The woman stepped out in front of the others. “So when do we get to go to our new home in the Habitat?”
“In a couple days,” Bridget explained down to her, “We need to observe you to make sure there are no issues. Medical or psychological. There won’t be, of course, we haven’t had any before, but we like to be safe. And our biggest priority is keeping you safe and comfy.”
The people liked hearing that, smiling up at her. She’d talk with them some more, until they filed back into the case, as the box was called. Then they were taken away, whisked off to their new lives. She envied them, wondering what might have been if she had stayed. But she would never know now.


To Be Continued...