Stories of Human Miniaturization: Part 4

Slice of life story about individuals who are willingly shrunk to three inches tall

Continuation of Stories of Human Miniaturization: Part 3


Chapter One

Veronica stepped out of the box, and recognized the polished wood surface under her feet as the coffee table. She looked up, to see her parents there, sitting on the couch, leaning forward to get a better look at her. She walked toward them, waving an arm over her head and cheerily saying “Hello!”
“Why hello dear!” Her mother said happily, “We’re so glad you’re able to come for your monthly visit.”
“Same here,” she lied, “I’ve been anticipating this for a while.”
“So you’re staying for a few days,” her father said, “Which we love. But is everything going okay at your little village? You usually seem so happy to go back. Are things with Cal going alright?”
“Yes, everything is fine. My relationship is great. I just wanted to spend some more time here than usual. I want it to be like before, when I lived here. We just relax and hang out together, not like the few hours of chatting and then back to the community.”
“Well that’s good, dear,” her mother said, “But it can’t be like it was before, with you….so small.”
“It actually can be,” Veronica said, “Just put my travel case in my old bedroom, and I’ll come and go, walking through the house and meeting up with either of you. Just the way it used to be.”
The older couple shared a look, as if the idea of her tiny self…wandering the house was the most outlandish thing. But that was the way it was when minis come home, and lived with big folks.
“We’ll see how that goes,” her father said, “So do you just want us to take you and your box into the room at some point? And attach all those pulleys and strings you use to climb?”
“Yes,” she said, “Please. It makes getting around so much easier. And I’ll be able to talk with you without you picking me up off the floor all the time.” She told them the tables and chairs to attach them to, which she felt she would want to be pulled up at some point. They took it in, though they clearly had reservations. But this was what she needed to overcome, their awkward feelings about her size.


Chapter Two

After their usual chatting, catching up on things in her life, Veronica asked to be taken to the bedroom. She went into the travel case, and strapped herself in. Usually that wasn’t necessary for a short trip, but the way her parents carried the box made it necessary. And she was glad she did, as the room tilted and swayed as they carried it. She felt the jolt of being set down, and then slid along the carpeting. The box was placed under her old bed, as she’d requested. She unstrapped, and exited the room. Her mother was crouched there, and smiled. “Enjoy your stay in your old bedroom, Rona.”
“I will,” she said, “I’ll see you in a couple hours, when I get bored and feel like walking through the house.” With that, the giant woman stood up, and stepped away, her slipper feet crushing carpet fibers as she walked. Veronica heard the thumping sounds retreating through the house after she’d gone.
She spent a few hours of the afternoon in the room, until deciding she’d withdrawn enough. She walked out, into the space of her old bedroom. She looked around, at the building sized dresser, and her larger than life sized stuffed animals. She walked under the bed, across the gap between it and her doorway, and through the gaping doorway. She wore high socks that reached to her knees, with a skirt, and a sleeveless shirt. The socks kept the fibers from brushing her legs. She went out into the hallway, and walked along that until reaching the end. She turned the corner and passed through another gaping doorway, and into her parents’ room. Her mother was there, sitting in a reclining chair, reading. Veronica walked across the room, without her looking up. Reaching the chair, she could see her mother’s arm, head and shoulders past the armrest. She cupped her hands and shouted. The microphone on her bracelet activated, amplifying her voice some, but all her mother would hear at this distance would be squeaks. She did look down after less than a minute, and was surprised to see her diminutive daughter there. “Oh, hello Veronica. Let me get you.” She reached down, and plucked her up, pressing a thumb against her front and a finger against her back. Not the most secure, Veronica felt as she was lifted, and the digits pressed into her stomach and back did hurt some, but it was only a second before she was dropped onto the armrest, in front of her looming mother. The book was set down behind here with a thump, pushing air at her backside.
“Hi Mom,” she said cheerily, her stomach and back aching momentarily from the force.
“So what brings you all this way from your room?” the giant older woman asked.
“Just wanted to visit,” she said, “No need to be aloof while I’m staying with you, after all.”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” her mother said, “I saw the strangest sign a few weeks ago. I was in that park off Quarry Road, and saw a sign advertising some kind of puppet show for minis.”
“Wow, a show just for minis,” Veronica said, “That sounds like it’d be fun.”
“It occurred weeks ago, and the sign was homemade by someone, so it was a small affair. But I thought it odd, but kind of nice that someone would do that for little people like you.”
“That does sound nice,” Veronica said, “We have stage shows at the Community, but I’ve never seen a puppet show. I’m sure a lot of home minis went, and probably enjoyed it.”
She and her mother talked for a while, Veronica teller her about the stage shows she’d seen, and asking her about her book she was reading. It turned into a deep and interesting conversation, as the two of them talked woman to woman. They hadn’t done that much while she lived there, and found that they had many of the same opinions and likes and dislikes. It was more than an hour of them conversing, before her mother had to get up to sue the bathroom.
“I should probably get back to my room and check my messages,” Veronica said, “Cal is staying with his cousins, and I’m worried they’ll try some weird form of entertainment for him. They’re not very safe.”
Her mother chuckled, then said, “Do you need me to take you to your room?”
“No, just lower back to the floor please.” With that, the fingers pinched her again, lifted her up and lowered her to the floor. She was set down, and the hand retreated. Then, her mother stood up, and walked to the backroom, her massive feet picking up and thumping down with each step. Veronica hurried across the room once she was gone, jogging at a brisk pace, before rounding the corner into the hallway. Then she walked back to her room, glad for the nice conversation they had had.

Chapter Three

She decided to call her friend Hera once she was back in her room. Hera lived a few houses down, and the two had grown up together, being friends since young children. They even had the same blond hair, though Hera’s was slightly darker now, so they’d looked alike as kids. Veronica hadn’t spoken to her much since moving out, and regretted it. But now that she was back home, perhaps her old friend could visit. She even lived close enough that Veronica wondered if she could just walk herself.
The blonde haired girl was delighted to receive her call, and the two quickly were catching up.
“I wish I’d have called you more,” Veronica admitted to her, “But I’ve been so busy since I moved out.”
“Move out,” Hera laughed, “That’s not all you did. I think that particular change you’ve done is a little more dramatic than simply moving out of your parent’s house.”
“Well, my life has dramatically changes,” Veronica admitted, “For the better. I have whole new friends, a boyfriend, and a new life. Though I do miss my old friends.”
“Well now that you’re hours away, and…you know…it’s a little hard for us to see each other,” Hera said.
“I’m not hours away now,” Veronica said, “Well, not hours to you. It might take me a few hours if I decided to walk.” She chuckled, while her friend looked perplexed.
Hera then asked “Are you at home? Actually at your parent’s house?”
“Yes, I am here. I’m spending a couple days here.”
“You’re there, while….you know?”
“You mean while small? Yes, I’m here while small. It takes me a little longer to get around the house, and they had to set up ropes and pulley systems for me to get up onto things. But I’m here.”
“Wow,” Hera said in awe, “That must be…I can’t imagine.”
“It’s an adventure, that’s for sure. But adventure is one of the reasons I did this.”
“That’s such an odd thought,” Hera said, “Seeing you while so small.”
“I come over and visit, so they’ve seen me many times. It’s just usually a few hours, not days.”
“Wow…that must be so weird…” Hera said thoughtfully.
“You’re welcome to come over and visit,” Veronica said, “We haven’t seen each other in like a year.”
“Come over there? And see you all tiny?” Hera said, as if it was the oddest concept.
“Yes. I’ll let you hold me in your hand and everything.”
“Huh,” Hera said thoughtfully, “I don’t know if I’d like that. Seeing you…like that. It’s just strange.”
“It won’t be awkward,” Veronica said, “You’ll enjoy it.”
“Yes, but will you?” Hera asked, “I’m a giant to you.”
“I’m perfectly comfortable with it,” Veronica said, “I chose to do it, remember? It won’t be weird.”
Hera exhaled, “I really don’t think I want to see you like that. But if you want me to come over, I will.”
“Excellent,” Veronica said happily. They made plans for Hera to come the next day, though Hera was definitely hesitant about it. Shrunken Veronica was an uncomfortable thought to her for some reason.


Chapter Four

The next morning, Veronica got up early and made her way through the house. Wearing a tight top and bottom, she jogged as if out in a neighborhood. She took the elevator that had been set up for her down to the main level, and jogged to the kitchen. Her mother was there, making what smelled like pancakes. Veronica went to the rope and pulley mechanism that had been attached to the counter, strapped herself in, and pulled the lever to rise up past the cabinets until she was even with the counter. The arm holding the rope swung over, and set her down on the countertop. She unbuckled herself, and walked toward where the giant woman was working, mixing something in a bowl.
Veronica let out a squeaking noise as she approached, and her mother looked over at her. She did not smile, but said, “I see you’re up early this morning.”
“I ran all the way here,” Veronica said, stopping at the bowl, “I needed the exercise.” She was sweating through the thin fabric of her clothes, and was glad no one would really notice.
“Did you sleep well in your little box?” her mother asked.
“It’s like a hotel room,” she corrected her, “And yes, I slept great.” She had to get used to sleeping alone again, however. One part of being big that she hadn’t missed, her lonely sleeping arrangement.
“Well, I’m making pancakes,” her mother said, “I guess you don’t need much, do you.”
“No, I’ll just pull off some bits for myself,” Veronica said, “Unless you want to leave a drop of batter off to the side, and make one for me.”
“I can do that,” she said, finally smiling.
They talked while the big woman worked, mixing some more and then pouring the batter onto the griddle. Veronica asked if she minded if her friend Hera came over to visit, feeling that she needed permission to invite people now that she no longer lived here. Her mother did not mind, fortunately.
“I think she’s uncomfortable with my size,” Veronica said, “And seeing me small.”
“I’m sure she is,” her mother said, “You’re absolutely tiny now. It’s awkward.”
“Well, there isn’t much I can do about that now,” Veronica said, “People are just going to have to get used to it. I’m not going to hide and avoid anyone I’ve known just because I’m small now.”
The big woman set the spoon down with a clatter, and moved the griddle to the stove. Veronica went to the abandoned spoon, and took a handful of batter and licked it off her hand. Then she walked toward the stove, where the circles of batter were starting to sizzle. She could feel the heat on her face. Luckily she was already sweaty, so being hot didn’t bother her.
“Gladys next door wants to see you,” her mother said, referring to the old lady that lived next to them, “I’d promised her that if you came to visit, and had time, I’d bring you by.”
“I’d like that,” Veronica said, “It sounds nice.”
“You really don’t mind people seeing you small,” her mother commented, as if that was unexpected.
“No, I don’t. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” She didn’t understand why they thought she should be.
Her mother plucked her up, pressing her between her thumb and finger, and carried her the few steps to the kitchen table, where she was set down. Not long after, two plates were set down, stacked with pancakes. She took in the smell, as her mother left the room to get her father for breakfast. Then, she had an idea. Alone in the room, there was no one to protest. She walked to one of the plates, stepped onto it, and stood over a stack that reached to her knees. She turned and faced away, and then fell backwards. She landed on the pancake with a light smack. She pushed herself along with her elbows until she was in the center, and laid back. She sprawled out, enjoying the softness of the pancake mattress, and the fragrant smell as well. Until she heard footsteps, then she got up and got back onto the table, standing there and acting innocent. Soon, she had her own table and chair set up, with her own plate and her own pancake bits on it. And a drop of syrup was more than enough for her.
Breakfast had been nice, she chatted with her parents, and ate until she couldn’t. Then she was lowered to the floor, and walked back to her room, despite her full stomach. She was going to be carried as few times as possible, she decided. She didn‘t want her parents to think of her as an invalid. So she went up the little elevator and made it back to her expansive bedroom, and snuggled among her oversized stuffed animals. Then she went to the travel room, and relaxed inside for a while. When lunch came, she had some fruit bits she ate, again until she was full. She was going to gain too much weight from this visit, she knew. Food was just too plentiful in a giant’s house.


Chapter Five

When her friend Hera arrived, her mother came to collect her. “I’ll carry you to her, dear,” her mother insisted, “No sense making the poor girl wait for you to walk across the house.”
So Veronica sat in the cupped hand, gliding through the house, with the wall of stomach behind her. She was set down on the kitchen table, with a, “Here she is, all three inches of her.” Veronica hopped out of the hand, and the shadow of her mother moved away, then footsteps retreating. But her attention was on the large girl looming over her, a look of distaste and horror on her face.
“Oh my…Veronica, you poor thing.” Hera breathed. “You’re so…small now!”
Veronica laughed, “Yes, I am. And I love it. Being little is so much fun!” She overdid the enthusiasm a bit, but she wanted to put her friend at ease. Hera got a confused look. Then it turned to pity.
“So you’re…you’re happy with this?” she asked, perplexed.
“Yes, very,” Veronica said. “This fits me so well.”
“But you’re…like a mouse. I could crush you with a thumb.”
“A person my own size could crush my larynx with their thumb, and get the same result. I’m no more vulnerable than I ever was. Safety is just how careful you are, and insulated from the world around you.”
“Well, you still look weird,” Hera said, “Where did you get that little outfit?”
“They make clothes for us. As well as other things. We have stores and things at the community in the dome. And some people make hobbies of making clothes themselves. Others are manufactured. We have everything we need for normal lives there. It’s really quite nice.”
“Then why come back here, with us big people?” Hera asked.
“Because I miss my family,” Veronica said, “And my friends, too. I’m not going to make a thing like size difference isolate me from them.”
“I’d never thought I’d hear you say you miss family,” Hera chuckled, “You sure you’re right in the head?”
Veronica laughed, “I only see them rarely, and yes, of course I miss them now that I don’t have to live with them.” She went into detail about her new boyfriend and her friends at the dome. Hera listened, her discomfort fading as she listened to and watched the tiny girl. Veronica started to feel comfy again.
Veronica was telling her about the frequent swims in the lake, and Hera said, “I didn’t know you liked to swim. You never did it before.”
“I love it,” she said, “I regret not doing it more before, but there aren’t really any lakes around here. It’s so nice just to be out and about, and randomly decide to go swimming.”
“And they have little swimwear for you?” Hera asked, “Do you keep it on you or something?”
Veronica laughed, “No, silly. We swim in the nude.”
“Communally?” Hera asked in surprise.
“Yes. We’re naked around each other quite often. And naked swimming is the greatest.”
“Interesting,” Hera said thoughtfully.
“Yeah, I do miss swimming while I’m here,” she said, “I might have Mom fill a pot or bowl for me later.”
“I could do that now,” Hera said, “I’ll just watch you swim around.”
“That sounds nice,” Veronica said, “Just make sure it’s warm water.”
Hera got up, and gout out a bowl, filling it with water. She set it down on the table next to Veronica, making a loud bang that only she could hear as more than a tap as it hit the table.
She started taking off her clothes, aware that Hera was watching. When she tossed the last of her underwear away, completely bare, she faced her humongous friend. “Okay, you can pick me up with your fingers and drop me in. Don’t worry about touching me anywhere, I don’t care.”
Hera reached with two outstretched fingers, and thumb and forefinger. She slid them along her stomach and back, the edge of her thump pushing up on Veronica’s breasts. Then she was lifted up, and held almost a foot over the bowl. The fingers loosened, and she slipped through, giving a fun yell as she did. She splashed into the water, making a plop to Hera’s ears. She surfaced, feeling the warm water on her skin. She held her arm up, “Perfect!” Hera smiled.
She swam for a time, treading water as she and Hera talked some more. When the water started to cool, she asked to be taken out. Hera reached her fingers in again, and plucked her out, setting her down on the table. “Cold?” her friend asked, “Need a towel?”
“Nah,” she said, “I’ll air dry.” So she stood there naked, taking up to her friend, who didn’t mind.
When Veronica was dry, leaving a small puddle on the table, she didn’t bother getting dressed, and Hera didn’t comment on her lack of clothes. She sat in her friends hand as she was lifted up and held in front of her eyes, to be examined. Then set down and idly chattered as they always did.

Her mother came into the room, and saw the bowl, came over to the table, then looked to her daughter. “Swimming, I see,” she said.
“Yes,” Veronica said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Are you done?” her mother asked, putting her hand on the bowl.
“Yes, I am,” Veronica said, “Water’s too cold, and I got tired.”
The bowl was lifted away, emptied, and put away. Her mother sat down, joining the conversation.
“Sorry about being naked in the kitchen,” Veronica said to her, “I hadn’t dressed from swimming yet.”
“I don’t think it matters,” the older woman said, “Not at your size.”
“I think it kind of suits her,” Hera said, “Little people wearing clothes seems a little silly, them not wearing them doesn’t seem outlandish at all for some reason.”
“Yes, it does seem that way,” the older woman said.
“Anyway,” Veronica said, changing the subject. They didn’t mind her being nude, and she was comfortable not wearing anything, so one less thing to worry about.


Chapter Six

Cal was glad to finally get time for a video call with Veronica. With his cousins finally leaving him alone, he’d made the trek through the house back to the room in the travel case. Veronica appeared on the screen, and she was topless. He smiled, saying “I like that look on you.”
“I didn’t undress for you, silly. I’ve been this way for most of the day.”
“Your parents don’t mind you going around topless?”
“I’m actually naked, and no, apparently they don’t. I undressed to go swimming while my friend Hera was over, and she didn’t protest when I put didn’t put clothes on. Neither did my parents. So I just stayed that way, even after Hera left. They weren’t any more uncomfortable with my being naked than they are about me being small. Which they seem to be slowly accepting. So I told them about how often we go without clothes while we’re at the habitat.”
“You rarely go without clothes,” he reminded her, “You walk around naked the least of anyone.”
“I did go to dinner naked that one time with all of you. And I told them about that, too.”
“And you were worried what your parents would think if they knew…and you then told them about it?”
“Yes. And they didn’t care. They’re definitely more bothered about me being small than naked. They’ve even agreed it seems more normal for me to be tiny and naked than tiny and wearing tiny clothes.”
“Huh,” he said thoughtfully, “Weird.”
“Naked is natural, they said, Being shrunk is not. It’s extremely unnatural, they say.”
“Well at least they’re accepting of one thing about you. Hopefully you’ll be that way more.”
“Anyway,” she said, “They’re getting more and more comfortable with me being small each day.”
They talked about her day some, and her visit with her friend. He was glad to hear she was enjoying herself, and getting along well with her parents. She did miss the town they called home, as did he.
“How is playing with your cousins?” she asked, laying back so her breasts stuck up from her chest.
“It’s more of being played with,” he said, “They’re supposed to be teenagers, but they act like kids.”
“Young teenagers are kind of kids,” she said, “That’s what I’m finding from my nieces and nephews.”
As they talked, there was a rumble like and earthquake, which got more and more intense, but Cal seemed to not notice. Veronica commented, “I think you have a visitor.”
“It’s my cousin Sasha, judging by the footfalls,” he said, “She doesn’t walk light.”
There was a heavy thumping against the wall from outside, and it filled the house.
“Sounds like she wants you for something,” Veronica said.
“Yep,” he said sadly, “We’re going to have to cut this conversation short.”
“It’s okay,” the naked blond girl said, “We’ve talked enough. We’ll see each other soon.”
She disappeared, and the screen went blank. He got up, walked through the house as more thumping ensued, and went out the door, to find Sasha’s face looming in front of the house. “Yes?” he asked.
“Do you want to play some?” the humongous thirteen year old asked.
“What kind of playing?” he asked.
“I’ll drop you into a pillow, over and over,” she said, “I know you like that.”
He sighed, “Alright.” And he stepped off the porch. A hand came toward him, fingers outstretched, and closed around him from the shoulders down. He was lifted into the air, as the fingers pressed into him. Being held in front of Sasha’s eager face, he rose as she stood. Then she turned, and began walking, with him feeling the bobbing of the hand from her movements. He was looking forward to home.
After an intense session of being dropped over and over into a soft satin pillow, he sat on Sasha’s knee, raised to level with her face. Her light skin made a perfect rounded surface.
“So,” she said randomly, “What do you like most about being small?”
“Uh,” he stuttered, “I’m not sure. That’s like asking someone what they like most about being themselves. Could you say what you like more about being you?”
“Well,” she said awkwardly, “I mean, you seem to enjoy it. I was just wondering why it’s so wonderful.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever considered it wonderful. It’s just a different way to live.” A thought occurred to him, and he asked, “Are you thinking about being miniaturized someday?”
“I’ve thought about it,” She said, “And I sometimes consider if I’d like it or not.”
“You shouldn’t,” he told her, “It isn’t for everyone. And you’re far too young to even think about it. Most people do it after they’re thirty. It isn’t for someone who’s unsure.”
“You did it when you were young,” she said.
“Because my parents did it. I wouldn’t have done it on my own. I don’t regret it, but it isn’t for a young person to do. It’s a huge commitment, and you have your whole life ahead of you.”
She seemed satisfied with that, judging by her massive face. To his relief.


Chapter Seven

Veronica walked across the room, with massive furniture looming in the distance, toward the chair where her mother was reclining. She was again engrossed in a book, not noticing her tiny daughter walking toward her. She’d spent the morning to herself, eating in her room, and decided it was time to socialize. So she did the trek through the house, which she was getting used to at this point.
Reaching the chair, she gripped the rope and started climbing. She reached the top, finding herself on the arm of the chair. She yelled, getting the giant’s attention.
“Oh, hello Veronica,” the older woman said, “What a nice surprise.”
Veronica jumped from the arm of the chair, onto the incline of the woman’s stomach. She stepped to the middle and looked up at her. “Hello,” she said, “Enjoying your book?”
“I am,” her mother said, “I see you put clothes back on today.”
After spending the remainder of her friend’s visit naked, and through dinner, and the after dinner movie, she’d decided to wear clothes for the day. It still felt weird not to. “Yes, I did,” she said.
“Why? I thought you liked being naked.”
“Just occasionally, not all the time. I’m not like others at the community, who rarely wear clothes out.”
“We heard that minis like to go naked in their little communities,” she said, “So we aren’t surprised.”
“You heard that?” she asked, perplexed, “Have you been reading up on minis?”
“Oh, yes dear. Ever since you became one. Your father and I have been doing our research. They say you all like to go naked as a way to cope with your situation, you know, being stuck at your small size.”
“It’s not to cope, there’s nothing to really cope with,” Veronica corrected her, “It’s a cultural thing. We don’t see nudity as indecent. Mostly because some of the first to miniaturize saw it as an opportunity to be naked all the time. So it was quickly accepted in the communities.”
“Interesting,” she said, “So you do wear clothes more often than not?”
“Yes, very much so,” Veronica said, “It’s just occasionally…it’s nice not to.”
“So what other cultural things are there in your community?”
Veronica told her about some of the things they did, odd things that became routine, or other strange traditions they’d picked up. The giant listened with interest. Their choices in cuisine she found quite intriguing. Their favorite and popular foods were definitely unusual to outsiders, she knew. It ended up becoming a nice conversation. Hopefully another large step toward gaining acceptance.
She was eventually plucked up and set down on the ground, and she went back on her way.
She was out of the living room, and on the hardwood floor of the foyer, on her way to the elevator to the second story, when the front door opened. She resisted the urge to run and hide, and stood there, out in the open. A strong gust of air rushed past her, blowing her dress against her front side. Her father’s shoes glided through the door, and clomped onto the rug, muffled but still loud, crushing the fibers as they came down. She looked up, to see him looking down at her and smile. The shoes lifted, and clopped down on the polished wooden floor, echoing loudly. They stopped in front of her, massive things that were dirty, ripped and worn. The lower legs bent forward, the knees protruding past her, as he crouched down over her. She looked up at his aged face, towering above her through the spread legs, the shadow of his body surrounding her. “Hello,” she said brightly.
“Hello, Nikka,” he said, “It’s nice seeing you out and about.”
“Yes, I was just going back to my room after visiting with Mother for a time.”
“That’s a long walk,” he said.
“It is, but I’m not in a hurry. We minis are used to walking long distances to get places. But at least we don’t need jobs, or the stress that comes from them. It makes leisurely strolls through houses better.”
“Well, I was helping our neighbor, Gladys,” he said, “I’m fixing something, and I need my tools.”
“Gladys wants to see me, doesn’t she?” Veronica said.
“She does. We’ve promised you’ll be brought by at some point while you’re here.”
“I definitely will,” she said, “What are you fixing?”
He told her about the machine that needed repairing, and how he needed to take it apart to do it.”
“You don’t need to take it apart,” she said, “I can climb in there and do the repairs.”
“You?” he said, chuckling, “You’re three inches tall!”
“Exactly, much easier to fit. What you need to do sounds like something I’ll be strong enough for. And definitely tiny enough for. It’s really just a fuse, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” he said thoughtfully, then said, “Would you really want to climb in there and do that?”
“Yes,” she said, “I’m up for some work. Especially if it helps someone.”
He shrugged, “Might as well try it. If you get stuck, I’ll have to take it apart anyway.”
He reached his hands down, and scooped her up, then slowly stood up. She got off her back and onto her knees. He held her in his cupped hands, in front of his face. “You sure you’re up for it?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” she said, kneeling so that one leg sat on the edge of each hands, facing his curious face.
“Then let’s go.” He moved his hands over to his shirt pocket, and Veronica climbed across the hand, noting the rough and scratchy skin, pulled back the fabric of the outer pocket, swung her legs over, and slipped herself in. She fell a few inches, landing where the sheets of fabric met, and felt him walking, and heard the echoing footsteps. She got comfortable, waiting for him to gather what he needed.
Much later, Veronica emerged from the small opening, pushing her upper body out of the hole and letting her legs fall with the rest of her onto the carpeting. She laid on her back, exhausted, before forcing herself to stand up. She felt the cool air on her bare skin, having worked naked to avoid damaging clothes. She looked up at the eager faces of her father and Gladys, the kindly old woman who had lived next door to them for forty years. “I fixed it,” she said tiredly. This was the third thing she’d repaired. The first had needed a fuse replacement, but this device needed her to fix some loose parts. It had taken all her strength to do something fingers easily could have, if they could have reached. She’d had to brace herself and put her whole body into it. But it had worked. Now her body was sweaty, smeared in dirt and grease, and her hair was in a tangled state she’d likely never recover from. They probably couldn’t even tell she was naked, with her dress safe in her father’s shirt pocket. Before this, she’d fixed a clog in a vacuum cleaner, which had covered her in filth. She’d had water from the sink run over her after that, but this level of dirty wouldn’t be so easy.
“Thank you so much,” Gladys said, “I never realized how useful a tiny person could be.”
“We do loads of things once thought impossible,” Veronica said, “I’m not even going to say what minis that are doctors and nurses have to do. But I’m glad to be able to help.”
She was plucked up, a finger and thumb pressing onto her sides, and carried to the sink, where she washed off yet again. This time she used dish soap to remove the grease. She was soon standing on the woman’s coffee table, a magazine under her feet, as her father and the woman looked down at her.
“Well, it really wasn’t hard,” she said, “The hard part was getting to it.” She then described what she had done, crawling through the tight corridors of the interior, pushing through spaces not meant for humans, leaving out the more painful parts. Every muscle in her body felt sore now, but it was worth it to prove herself useful. She could tell even her father was impressed.
“Now that was a lot of work for you, poor little one,” Gladys said. “I owe you something as a reward.”
“Nope, no reward needed,” she said, “It’s what neighbors do for each other. You babysat me countless times when I was lit…err…small…uh…young. When I was really young,” she corrected. The big people sniggered, then asked her a few more questions about what she’d done. It had been a good way to spend the afternoon, she reflected. And the visit went on for at least an hour, as the old woman gaped at her in intrigue. The concept of shrunken people was thought impossible for most of her life. Now here she was, proof that it was indeed possible, and for some, preferred.
“So, Gladys,” her father said at a break in conversation,” is that all my little daughter can do for you?” As they had talked, Gladys threw many glances at Veronica, who didn’t mind. The woman was still intrigued by her tiny size, obviously.
“Well…no, no…that should be all.”
“If there’s something else,” Veronica said, “You can say it. I reserve the right to decline, of course.”
Gladys chuckled, “Very well. The garbage disposal in the kitchen sink is clogged. Or stuck. Or something. It just won’t work, and water backs up. But I’ve been putting all sorts of mush and things down there.”
“So you want me to crawl through mush and discarded food to clear it out?” Veronica said thoughtfully.
“Yes,” Gladys said, “But I don’t expect you’d want to do it. So I won’t be offended if you choose not to.”
“I’ll do it,” Veronica said, cringing at the thought, “Let’s just get it over with.”
“Sweetie,” her father said, “Don’t feel obligated to do it. It sounds absolutely disgusting.”
“Just don’t tell Mother. It’s not very ladylike to go down into clogged garbage disposals.”


Chapter Eight

Not long after, she stood in the sink. She’d been there get cleaned, but this was different. Gladys set the end of a string down at her feet, and Veronica tied it around her waist. The giant old woman looked down at her from above, concern on her face. “I’m ready,” Veronica said.
She string was pulled tight, and her feet lifted off the ground. She was glided over to above the drain, and slowly lowered in. She felt very apprehensive about this. She passed through the ring at the top, into the dark hole. Above, the flashlight clicked and she was bathed in light. Which didn’t help, as she looked down at the multicolored mush below her. Chunks of vegetables, discarded tomato sauce, noodles, an unidentified brown sludge, and who knows what else. Pools of liquid, perhaps cola, perhaps water, had formed in some places. She descended, deeper into the drain pipe. And then, her feet hit the mess at the bottom. Her ankles were buried, then her calves, as she sank into the sludge. Her feet hit something relatively solid, and she stopped sinking, as she was buried up to her upper legs. She yelled up, and the string stopped loosening. The smell of discarded food was overpowering.
She took a tentative step, and slipped, landing on her back as her upper body submerged. “Yuck!” she said, felling fully disgusted. She got onto her knees, and pushed through the mass, feeling noodles and bits of meat slide against her skin. She pulled her legs over the blades that would slice up the food, glad that it wasn’t working. She reached the edge, and reached in with her arms, finding the holes, or where the holes should be. They were indeed clogged. She pushed her fingers around the bits of whatever was blocking, pulling out seeds or vegetable chunks or some unknown hard bits. Then she went to the next hole. She worked, arms buried in the mess, something like tomato sauce covering her body, freeing the various clogs. She would have to lecture Gladys about what not to put in there.
She did not know how long she worked, but she kept herself focused on her work, and not her surroundings. Finally, she had circled the whole area, finding only open holes instead of clogged ones. She yelled up, “Turn on the water!”
“Won’t you drown down there?” Gladys asked from above.
“Just for a minute. I can swim.”
There was a gushing sounds from above, as water poured into the space. Within seconds, the liquefied sludge was to her shoulders. She yelled up, but realized Gladys couldn’t hear. Fortunately, when it was to her neck, the water stopped. She listened as it drained from below her, and the water level slowly sank. Soon, it was back to sludge again, up to her knees. She yelled up, “You’ll have to run the disposal, but not with me in here. Lift me out!” With that, the string went taught, and she was pulled upward.
When she was even with the rim of the drain, she grabbed the side, and pulled herself up and out. She lay on the steel basin, back in the natural light and fresh air.
“Oh my word, Nikka,” Gladys said from above, “You are absolutely coated in…it.”
“It’s just food,” Nikka said, standing up and looking up at the looming face above.
“Where’s my father?” she asked.
“He’s repairing a bookshelf,” she said, “That’s too much for you, obviously.”
“Just run the disposal now,” she said, walking across the sink, toward the side. Soon, the loud grinding filled her ears, as the metal blades she’d been crawling around pulverized the sludge. The water gushed out of the faucet above. She lay on the metal, where it curved between the basin and the wall. Her skin was covered in red, green and brown slime, with chunks affixed to her skin. But she wasn’t concerned. When the grinding got quieter after a few minutes, Gladys turned it off.
Nikka stood up, and said, “Now lower me back in, to see if everything is gone.”
The string got tight, and lifted her up. She again was glided over the drain, and lowered. She descended into the dark, until the light clicked on and she could see the steel walls sliding past. Her feet hit solid metal, and she found there was no sludge. There was slime, she felt it under her feet. But no gross sludge. The metal blades had done their job, and the drain holes were no longer clogged. She yelled, and was lifted out again. Fortunately, it was the last time. Not long after, she stood in the basin again, looking up at Gladys. “It’s clear. Your drain is unclogged.”
“Thank you so much,” the old woman said, “You have done so much for me.”
“Us minis are incredibly useful,” Veronica admitted. Then, she stood under the stream of the faucet, washing herself off. Gladys lowered a finger with a drop of soap, which she gladly used to scrub herself. When she was certain she was clean, she stepped out from the stream of water. Fingers came and plucked her up, closing on her stomach and back. And she was set down on the counter, where she finally was able to sigh in relief. “I’m not doing that again,” she said sternly. Gladys laughed. “I should hope not. You looked absolutely gross coming out of there.”
“I felt gross,” she said, “I still feel gross. My skin is clean, but it’ll be awhile before I actually feel clean.”
A few minutes later, she was back on the coffee table, with Gladys and her father sitting there, leaning forward and looking down at her. She told them about what was causing the clogs, and that Gladys needed to be more careful about what she put down there.
“I’m not doing that again,” she said, “So take care of that drain.”
She was glad when it was finally time to be plucked up and dropped back into her father’s shirt pocket. She got comfortable, reunited with her dress, hearing him converse with Gladys for a few minutes before he left. When he was back, he walked up to her bedroom, reached in two fingers for her, and plucked her out again. He set her down in front of the travel room, “That was a really nice thing you did for her,” he said, “And saved me loads of work.”
“You do things for her, no reason why I shouldn’t. And us minis have our uses.” He nodded agreement, then stood up and exited the room. She went back into the travel room, drank some water, and then plopped down on the bed. She had no intention of getting up for a long, long time.


Chapter Nine

Veronica did get up when her mother came to ask if she wanted to join them for dinner, and she accepted. She was picked up in a fist, and carried down to the kitchen. The other hand grabbed her tiny table and chair and set them out between her mother and father’s seats. She was soon enjoying her meal, talking up to the imposing giants. Her food was bits taken from the roast and vegetables, far too much for her to eat, but negligible scraps to them. Her microphone was turned up, so they heard her clearly as well, so she could focus on her food and not having to yell. It was a nice conversation, one like the many they had before. It seemed the couple was finally accepting that their daughter was forever tiny. Even after the meal, the three of them chatted for a while. Then, she was picked up in a fist again, and taken back to her room. Her table and plate were set to the side, in a corner of the counter. And she was lowered back to her room, bid her mother goodbye, and went back to her “chambers”.
She was surprised to see a message from Hera. She traded messages with her, finding Hera seemed curious to see her again. The young woman was clearly uncomfortable with the size difference, but she seemed willing to try and sustain their friendship. So she convinced Hera to come over to see her again. And she soon found herself standing on a desk in the study, with her huge friend looking down at her. And they were soon chatting as if things were normal as well, though Hera still had the poise of discomfort. Veronica could see that more than a few conversations were needed.
After enough times of “I want to see your house”, Hera sighed and agreed to bring Veronica home with her. “You can spent the night,” Hera said happily, “Just like you used to.”
“This’ll be so much fun!” Veronica said, “Just tell me mother.”
“Will she mind?” Hera asked.
“Doesn’t really matter,” Veronica said, “I’m an adult. I can do whatever I want. That’s why I said to tell and not ask. She should know her guest won’t be in for the night.”
Hera reached for her and hesitated, “How do I carry you again? You can’t sit in my palm the whole way.”
Veronica instructed her to wrap her upper fingers around her body, squeeze tight, and lift her up, then closing the rest of her fingers on her legs and under her feet. “Keep it tight, but not too tight. I don’t want to fall, or be crushed.” With that, Hera brought her friend out of the room, met her mother in the living room, and told her about their plans. “Have fun,” the older woman said, “And please be careful, Veronica. I know you’re a grown woman, but I don’t want to see you hurt for being small.” With that, they left the house, with Hera carefully walking to the sidewalk, with her mini friend in her fist. ‘
Much later, she lay in her bed, her eyes on Veronica, who lay on the pillow a hand length away.
“I don’t know how I’m going to get used to you being so small,” she admitted.
“You will get used to it,” Veronica said, propping herself up on her elbow, looking at the head laying in front of her. “We sat that a lot, actually. Sometime to each other, but many times to big people as well.”
“How was it for you, adjusting to it,” Hera asked.
“There wasn’t any real adjustment,” Veronica said, “I’d been expecting everything to be big, after all.”
“There must have been some shock,” Hera said, “I’m still feeling shock looking at your tiny body.”
“There was no shock for me. Remember, I wanted this. I chose it. I spent the months, weeks and days leading up to it…just imagining how it would be. Fantasizing about it. You really can’t know how much I wanted this, to be like this. After years of imagining it, I was finally the way I wanted to be.”
“So, it was more of a…’finally’ kind of thing?”
“Yes. Seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t believe it was real. But I was so happy it was. I still am.”
“I just don’t understand how you can like…being small.”
“Part of it is desire for adventure, part of it is boredom. Most of it is the feeling of not belonging, and not fitting into the regular world. I’ve always felt like that. Now, I feel like my place in the world fits me.”
“That is really, really weird.”
“It is. I admit, I’m a little crazy. But I like the way I am now. So there was no adjustment. There was some time to convince my brain it was real…but I was more…happy to just be how I wanted to be.”
“Such a strange thing to want,” Hera commented.
“I said I was a little crazy,” Veronica said. And she knew it was true, but it didn’t matter now. As long as people accepted her. She’d accepted her new life immediately, but getting others to was the hard part.
Veronica woke up the next morning with something heavy on top of her. She could feel the wiry hairs against her skin, and the weight of it, knowing Hera’s hair had plopped onto her in the night. She crawled out from underneath, along the pillow, until she was free. Then she slid down the pillow, to the mattress. She leapt from the mattress to the nightstand next to it, and walked past a box of tissues, a phone lying flat like a glass topped table with no legs, and the wide base of the lamp, to the low pot filled with dirt. She stepped over the rim into the soft soil, and squatted. There was no plant in the pot, it was there for her convenience. There were bits of tissue, which she used to clean herself, and she buried the waste by shoving dirt over it with her foot. Then she went back to the bed, jumping the chasm again, and climbing up the pillow, and laying down next to the mass of hair. Her friend’s head snoozed, oblivious to her excursion. It was nice not having to worry about waking people up.
When Hera finally woke up, she sat up, and started down at Veronica, who lay on her back on the pillow. The moving of the massive head woke her, and she looked up to see Hera looking down at her with a warm smile. Hair trailed down and collected a few paces away. “You’re such a cute little thing now,” Hera remarked, “So little and precious looking.”
“How nice of you to notice,” Veronica said, smiling up at the face, feeling the warm breath come down.
The huge girl grinned, saying, “I have an idea. I want to try something.”
“Ugh,” Veronica grunted, knowing the mischievous look, “Let’s do it.”
She soon found herself on her hands and knees, on the arched back of Hera’s hand. The girl grinned behind her, sending more hot breath her way. Veronica was starting to sweat from the heat, and regretted wearing clothes at the moment. “Go on,” Hera said behind her, Veronica feeling the impact from the energy of her voice. She crawled forward, to the outstretched finger. She swung her legs around and straddled the base of the finger, resting them on the webbing between. Then she scooted her butt along the digit, using her hands to push herself along. She got past the first knuckle, feeling the wobbling from he weight. She looked down, noting how far below the pillow was. A fall would hurt, but not injure her from this height, a couple feet up. But she still felt the anxiety of the height. She reached the second knuckle, and felt the finger begin to bend downward. “Careful,” she said, looking back, “Hold it straight out.” The finger got more rigid, and she pushed herself out farther. Then she reached the end, her hands rubbing the fingertip and her butt on the smooth nail.
“Impressive,” the voice said behind her, “Now let’s see you walk it.”
“Fine, but don’t let it sway.” Hera gave a “mm hmm”.
So Veronica scooted back, to the back of the hand, and slowly stood. Then she calmly stepped one foot in front of the other, onto the finger. She held her arms out, concentrating on her balance, as she walked along the narrow digit. And then she felt herself losing her balance, gave a yelp, and felt her feet slip. She fell, her hand brushing the finger as she tried to grab it. She smacked into the hard yet cushy surface of the palm of a hand, having fallen half a foot. The hand swung slowly, and Hera was grinning down at her, showing slabs of white teeth. Veronica lay there, sprawled out, as the stinging faded.
“Glad I caught you,” Hera said, “I think you’d have missed the pillow and hit het mattress.”
“Meh, I’d be fine,” The tiny girl said. The hand lowered, and she sat up, scooted to the edge, and hopped out onto the nightstand. She stood and looked up at Hera, who lowered her face.
“I’m ready for breakfast, how about you?” Veronica nodded enthusiastically.
Not long after, Veronica stood on the kitchen table, next to a bowl full of cereal. Hera nonchalantly stuck the spoon in, pulled out a pile, and it disappeared into her mouth. Some flakes dropped as they were lifted, crashing back into the others in the bowl. Veronica idly wondered what it would be like to jump in, smashing the crispy flakes with her body. But she didn’t want to annoy her friend, who seemed to be accepting that Veronica was and forever would be three inches tall.
“I still can’t get over how comfortable you are with all this,” the giant girl said, crunching cereal in her mouth as she talked, “you’re the size of a bug, but completely at ease. No fear or anything.”
Veronica shrugged, “I just don’t see it as a big deal. I’m used to it. I was used to it before I even did it, that was how sure I was that I wanted it. I’d like people to accept it like I have.”
“Well, accepting the sight of you so small is one thing, but agreeing with your decision is another.”
“People just have to get used to it,” Veronica said, stepping to the side of the bowl, and pulling out a flake. “There is no going back, after all.” She began munching on the plate sized crisp.
“I thought it was possible to grow people back,” Hera said, dipping the spoon in and taking another mouthful, keeping her eyes on Veronica as she did.
“That’s a myth,” Veronica lied, finishing her flake, and reaching in for another. “There is no going back. It’s definitely not an option.” Hopefully they wouldn’t question that. While the technology and means existed, even if she wanted it, there was no guarantee they would offer it to her. They weren’t obligated to do it, that fact was communicated from the beginning. So it was easier to just say there was no going back. And for people like Veronica, there really wasn’t. She had no intention of ever returning to her natural size, and didn’t want to endure people trying to convince her. So she said her little white lie, just to make her life easier. When she finished that flake, as Hera watched her silently, she reached in for another, this time going deeper. Her arm brushed the crisps as she closed her hand around one saturated in milk. She crumbled it up in her hand, and pulled it out.
“I can’t get my head around you being this size forever,” Hera said, dipping her spoon in for another pile.
“I can’t visualize going back,” Veronica said, eating the mushy contents of her hand, milk draining between her fingers and running down her chin. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Whatever,” Hera said, “You were always weird.”
“That we can agree on,” she said brightly. The conversation changed, as the two girl shared their cereal.
When the last of the flakes were gone, with only a few soggy bits and dust sized particles, Veronica dipped her hand in and swished it around. The milk was warm now. She grabbed a few floating bits in her hand and ate them, as Hera sat with her arms crossed in front of her, like two down trees.
“I think I might be in the mood for a milk bath,” Veronica stated. Her friend looked at her oddly.
“Seriously?” Hera asked, “It’s gross in there, with soggy bits and a good amount of my slobber.”
“I don’t mind,” Veronica said, reaching her arm in up to her elbow and swishing it around.
“Then do whatever,” Hera said, “I usually don’t drink the milk anyway.”
With that, Veronica pulled off her clothes, and pulled herself up, swung her legs over the rim, and dropped in with a plop. She felt the coolness of the milk on her skin, and the leftover chunks hitting her lower body. She sat her back against the side of the bowl, immersed up to her stomach. Hera looked at her curiously, leaning forward so her face was over the bowl that now contained her friend.
“So,” Veronica said casually, “Tell me more about this series you’re into.”
“Well…” Hera started, then went into a description of the show that she’d mentioned earlier. Not taking her eyes off the tiny naked girl in front of her, as the two went into another conversation.
Afterward, Veronica got out of her milk bath, and Hera dumped the milk and cleaned the bowl. Veronica stood in the sink, and let the water from the faucet wash over her. She’d submerged herself up to her shoulders at one point, with only her head poking out, so her whole body needed cleaning. Once that was done, Hera held her in her fist, and carried her to her bedroom. The pair watched the show, with Veronica sitting on her shoulder as she lay back against the headboard of the bed. Strands of hair draped around her like a curtain, rustling with each small movement of her friend’s head. She found herself more and more comfortable, and her friend was getting comfortable with her too. Which made this excursion that much better. It was nice to approach normalcy again.
After a few hours of watching TV, Veronica decided it was time to leave. It was her last day, after all, and she wanted so spent some more time with her parents. So Hera grabbed her, dropped her into her purse, and took her back home. She bid her friend goodbye, and hugged her neck before the giant sauntered off. Then she was again facing her parents, who seemed relieved she was back, unharmed.
“The giant was kind to me,” she said lightly, “She didn’t hurt me at all, and released me when I asked.”
They chuckled awkwardly. And it was back to the tension.
She spent some time with her father as he worked at his workbench. She talked up to him, and he talked absently to her. His focus was on what he was doing, working things with his massive hands, but he chatted with her. She stood among the scattered clutter, with things like random drill bits and washers laying about. When he turned to work at another part of the desk, or took a step for something farther, she followed, making her way through the maze of tools and scraps. She walked around a drill, and past a twisted piece of metal that was leftover from some project. There were wood shavings here and there, and small bits of metal only her eyes could see embedded in the surface. The space obviously saw lots of work. As she walked along, she continued the conversation. He apologized for moving, and she said it wasn’t necessary, she didn’t mind walking. She stayed clear of whatever he was working on. It was practically an active construction site, after all, and she didn’t want to get hit with stray shrapnel.
After that, she spent time with her mother. The woman sat in a wooden reclining chair on the back patio, and Veronica perched herself on the wide arm, next to the actual arm. The two women chatted, about people they knew or things they’ve done. The older woman was intrigued by how common casual nudity was, even among families. But she wasn’t offended, stating how interesting it was that they had their own unique culture. She seemed quite understanding, especially now towards Veronica’s situation. There was mention of tiny grandbabies, which caused Veronica to blush.
Veronica found herself bored, and stiff, sitting with her knees against her chest and butt on the hard wood. So she got up, stepped to the arm that lay along the wooden plank, and pressed her hands into it and climbed. She sat atop the arm, and swung her leg over so she straddled it. Her mother watched in amusement. “You were always such a silly little girl,” she remarked, “I’m glad you haven’t lost that. Or regained it. Since you were such a miserable teenager.”
“I’m definitely a silly little girl still,” Veronica shouted, “Especially the little part. I got very little, and sometimes just as silly. But littler than any child.” She held her arms up, “Woo! Tiny for life!”
Her mother chuckled. “Glad to see you’re still entertaining. I think I like you more as a tiny young woman than the unhappy normal sized teen girl you were before you left.”
Veronica giggled. It was clearly the case that she was much, much happier with her life now.”
When it was all over, she received the notification that the courier was close to arriving. So her mother took her to coffee table in the front room, brought the travel case, and the couple wished her well, and thanked her for the visit. Then she was back in the case, as the courier came and took her away. It was a good visit, she thought to herself, it could not have gone any better with the giants.


Chapter Ten

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 Eleven

Miles and miles away, Veronica stood in the jar, with her hands pressed against the glass sides. The outside was distorted by the curved glass, as if sped past her. Fingers clamped down on the top of jar, above her head, trailing down. The hand was covering the holes in the lid, blocking the light. Cotton lined the bottom, soft on her bare feet. It swung back and forth as Trixie walked, and she felt it in the pit of her stomach. Then the movement stopped, as her enormous friend paused her walking. Large shapes of full sized humans milled about, oblivious to the tiny person in the jar. She heard distant voices, as Trixie talked to someone. And the sounds of activity through the glass. Through the glass she could see the classroom, and the giants strolling around were obviously students.
She didn’t mind the jar, it was a better way to travel then a purse. She was locked in, of course, but she’d agreed to it, and the cotton on the bottom was comfy. And no one knew she was in here, or even noticed the jar in Trixie’s hand, but she could see everything. Then, she felt herself rising into the air, as the jar was lifted. She could hear better now, and made out the conversation. Trixie was here to pick up her cousin, and give her a ride home. And she’d suggested Veronica come along, which she’d agreed. Now, she heard, “Do you remember my friend Veronica?” form Trixie.
“Yes, I do. How is she?” the older woman’s voice asked.
“She’s doing well. She’s actually here, on her way to see you.”
“Oh, how nice! I get two of my students to visit,” the teacher said, “I love it when former students stop by to chat. I get to see how their lives are going as adults. I can’t wait to see her walk through the door.”
The jar rose above the desk top, and Trixie’s other hand closed around it, obscuring Veronica’s view. AS it hovered in the air, she heard from the older woman, “What is that, Trixie?”
“An art project,” Trixie lied, and set it down on the desk. Veronica felt the impact. “Actually a surprise.”
There was tension on the jar, as a hand gripped the lid, and turned. It slid away, and light flooded in. Veronica stood in the middle, and looked up to see the teacher’s curious face. It turned to confusion, then amazement. “Oh my….is that….”
Veronica, now in full view, put her hand to her head and waved, “Hello!”
“It’s Veronica,” Trixie announced, “She’s been shrunk.”
“I…I see…” the teacher said, in shock. “You’re so small, Veronica,” she stuttered. Veronica laughed.
Not long after, she stood on the teacher’s desk, with a stack of papers behind her, a coffee mug a short distance away, and the looming woman in front of her. Trixie stood on the other side of the desk, arms crossed, not forgotten by the woman. Her attention was on Veronica, eyes fixed on her.
“I see you still have the same hair,” she said, referring to her straight golden blonde hair.
“Yep,” Veronica said, “I’d say I was all grown up now, but it’s actually the opposite.”
“You always had a good head on your shoulders,” the woman said, “And I’m sure that hasn’t changed. So I guess miniaturization isn’t as bad as some people say it is.”
“No, it’s not. But it’s not for everyone. Only a very few people…weird people like me…could live with it.”
“Her voice hasn’t always been that high pitched and squeaky,” Trixie commented, getting a glance from the teacher, who looked back down on the tiny girl.
“So, tell me all about it,” the older woman said. Veronica smiled, and went into her usual speech.

To be continued in Part 5