Adam usually liked history class, in fact it was his favorite of all his classes at school, he really wasn’t feeling it today. Rather than listen to his teacher’s lecture on the causes of the civil war, he was lost in his own notebook. He didn’t care for what was on the projector in front of him, nor the mass of information that was being spewed at him. Yes, he was staring down at his notebook, but he wasn’t writing down anything relevant to this subject. Even though his finals were coming up, Adam didn’t exhibit any interest. This behavior was consistent with a directionless, unambitious late teen facing the confusing world of emerging adulthood, which he certainly was. There was no enthusiasm, but there wasn’t any dread either. He really wished he could be somewhere else, somewhere from a fantasy world of his own making. The notebook was a portal to that world. He was writing stories and drawing pictures. But not science-fiction and fantasy stories like you’d expect from a kid as nerdy as he was, but something he couldn’t share with anyone.

 

Adam had a fetish called macrophilia. A sexual fantasy about giant women. Not just tall women (though he’d no doubt find that exciting!) but women that could literally tower over him like a mountain. His dream was to be shrunken down and made into a woman’s pet and plaything. He couldn’t recall a time early in his life where he didn’t have this fantasy. Maybe he had an experience as a baby involving an overly sensual adult that wired something into his subconscious, or maybe it was all those crazy cartoons that his parents substituted for a babysitter. Sugar and Nickelodeon are not exactly the best combination for a developing child, but that was well over their heads. His mother and father were loving and meant well, but they were absent-minded. Leaving Adam to his own devices and his own imagination was a running theme of his early childhood, and still was even on as leaving high school to enter the grown up world was imminent.

 

Adam had turned 18 last month. He could drive to school, he could vote, he could sign up to the military. But everything else in his life indicated to him that he was still a child inside. How was he supposed to feel like an adult? Adam made little effort to grow up, preferring to lose himself in his own mind and indulge in his kinky fantasies of giant girls than try to take on even a shred of responsibility. He had no idea how he expected to handle moving away to college next year when his parents hadn’t even taught him how to do his own dirty laundry. His grades were good enough for that, he knew, and his parents had lately been exerting pressure on him to hurry up and select a major in something pragmatic. Computer science, engineering, accounting. Something in that department. If he could have it his own way he’d choose to study creative writing just as an excuse to write more stories and lose himself even further in his little world.

 

On his notepad, Adam was drawing a woman. And next to the woman was a tiny man. Obviously, the little guy was supposed to be him. And was the woman some porn star? Or a beautiful famous actress? A school crush?

 

It was Cindy.

 

Cindy was Adam’s first and only love. And Cindy knew Adam well. But to her he was just a concern of her profession. She was a clinical psychologist and Adam was her client. One of many depressed and anxious teenagers that she counselled and equipped with mental toolboxes to help cope with their unfulfilling and troubled lives. He couldn’t tell her about his feelings without jeopardizing their client-therapist relationship (causing him to be referred) and that’s saying nothing of the age gap between them. She was over 10 years his senior and with a body and mind like hers Adam was amazed she wasn’t married yet. With someone like her as a regular part of his life, he didn’t feel much interest in the girls at his school. And honestly, few of them would have much interest in him either.

 

Adam’s drawing of Cindy didn’t leave much to the imagination. He made sure to exaggerate her amazing curves, her huge plump breasts, her thick lips and did what he could to draw the way she did her hair. A clean bun that sat at the back of her head. Even her hair alone was seductive.

 

“God, all of Cindy’s male clients must want to bed her.” Adam thought to himself.

 

The school bell rang. Adam gathered his things and made for the door like lightning. He didn’t want to get caught up the trio of jocks that loved giving him trouble: Brody, Paul and Derek. They were the kind of guys that played football, chased cheerleaders and barfed gallons of beer on the weekend. And it need not be said that they weren’t fond of guys that Adam. They were really on his back the last couple of weeks. The Star Trek shirt that Adam wore to school was less a piece of memorabilia and more a punching back for them. It broke his heart when they managed to tear it up. He was lucky enough to meet LeVar Burton of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ fame at a convention and have him sign it. Now it was just a signed piece of stretched fabric punctured with holes.

 

Adam made it through the halls and to the outskirts of the school, heading into the trees nearby. Living close to his home and in a small town he wasn’t afraid of being jumped by hoodlums or lunatics. Matter of fact he loved to escape to the woods. They were peaceful and he could lose himself in his thoughts. Thoughts that were often dominated by gigantic women crushing him between their breasts, sticking him in their shoe or swallowing him alive.

 

As he was walking, he felt he was alone. He heard some rustles in the bushes and brushed them off as woodland critters scurrying about and then…

 

*THUMP*

 

Adam fell to the ground feeling a powerful force hit him from behind like a ton of bricks. The notebook was thrown 4 feet out of his reach and slid into a cluster of autumn leaves. Before he could collect himself, Adam felt both of his arms being grasped. Those jerks Paul and Derek had them in their grip and made an effort to dig their nails into his arms. This wasn’t the first time he was ambushed like this and surely wouldn’t be the last. Knowing how these horrible experiences usually went he didn’t put up any resistance. As he was held tight, the ringleader of the trio, Brody appeared in front of him wearing his smug asshole smirk. Brody picked up the notebook out of the cluster of leaves.

 

“Hey loser. Did you drop something?” Brody said, waving the notebook in front of him teasingly.

 

Adam would have loved nothing more than to break Brody’s nose, but such an attempt would lead to him getting a worse beating than he bargained for. It was better to let them have their rough fun with him, get the anger out of the systems and move on to something equally pointless, cruel and idiotic.

 

Brody flipped through the notes, expecting to find something that could justify mockery. In his mind anyway. And he came across the drawing of the giantess Cindy.

 

“Ooooooo, what’s this?” Brody teased “Some kind of weird sexual drawing? What did you draw here, shit-for-brains?”

 

Feeling enraged at his fetish being discovered, and not taking into account that Brody and his goons didn’t understand it Adam snapped back. “It’s none of your business, meathead!”

Adam retaliating at anybody was rare. He was meek and shy. But it bruised Brody’s ego well enough.

 

Brody gave Adam a hard punch in the stomach. The pain urged him to gag, almost puking. Paul and Derek dropped him to the ground, his face going right into a pile of crusty leaves covering a damp patch of dirt that rubbed into his skin. The bullies each gave him a few kicks across his body. Although this was an assault, they knew not to take it so far to prompt the passive Adam to call the police and escalate the matter.

 

Brody tore the Cindy drawing out of Adam’s notebook and dangled it in front of the poor boy’s face.

 

“See this? Yeah, so this is what you do in class? I thought nerds were supposed to be smart. I don’t know what this says about you, but I suggest you get your head checked out. Now watch this.”

 

Without mercy Brody slowly tore the drawing in two lengthways. He wanted to savor Adam’s anguish at the sound of the paper slowly ripping. Then he dropped it and stamped it into the soil, leaving several holes with his football cleets. A few hours of effort over many boring classes, all done to cope with his depression lay in ruin on the floor of the woods.

 

“Freak.” Brody said before starting to walk away. His goons followed him, after Derek dropped a ball of spit into Adam’s hair. As they went on to spend their afternoon on some other form of savagery,

 

Adam lay there aching and crying. He stared at the shredded remnants of paper crumpled into the leaves. At that moment he wanted Cindy to nurse and shelter him like a guardian angel. He wanted it even more than revenge against those pigs.

1 HOUR LATER

 

When he finally found the energy and motivation to move and the tears stopped flowing, he picked up what remained of his drawing and carefully placed it in his backpack. Despite the piece being ruined he couldn’t detach the emotions he had placed in it. This drawing represented his greatest dream and depicted the woman that he was in love with. He couldn’t treat it carelessly, no matter what state Brody left it in.

 

Adam got home and saw that neither of his parents had come home from work yet. Good. He didn’t want to have to explain why he was so late coming home and he didn’t want their overbearing presence and the risk of the conversation moving to his study habits, college majors and the future. His bulldog, Harry, who loved Adam more than anything else in the entire world rushed to greet him. But all Adam could muster at this time were a few half-hearted strokes of his head before brushing past him.

 

Harry was unintentionally made into a therapy dog for Adam. He didn’t have any special training, but he loved that he could speak at him to let out his frustrations without any fear of him telling anybody else. Wanting to let it out he invited Harry into his bedroom. Harry rushed to Adam’s bed in excitement and got cozy, then stared at his owner/friend panting with joy.

 

“Wish you understood things, big boy.” Adam said.

 

He picked up his phone and sent a text. It was to his best (and only) friend, Marty. Adam and Marty had been each other’s only way of coping in their high school environment when they met 4 years ago. It was a school culture where sports ruled and the toxic popularity contests were rampant. Neither of them fit into that mold, but they fit into each other’s lives through a shared interest in video games, movies, tabletop RPGs and the like. The only secret between them, as far as Adam was concerned anyway, was his love for Cindy and the giantess fantasy surrounding her.

 

He texted “I’m not feeling it tonight, dude. The jocks got me bad this afternoon. I’m going to take a shower and go to bed early.” His best friend had plenty of unfortunate counters with them himself.

Marty replied with “No problem. I’m sorry dude :’( But just remember those jerks are going to spend the rest of their lives working at McDonald’s!”

Although he liked to think that this was sure to be their future, he didn’t want to be reminded of him own lack of direction and ambition. He just wanted to be somewhere where he would be happy.

 

But Adam was not true to his word. He cleaned himself up in the shower and then immediately jumped on his computer. He would then spend the next several hours looking at giantess websites that showcased models, animations, stories etc and lose himself in the sexiest fantasy of all time. The sun would go down and he’d be in his happy place, at least for now. The only thing it was lacking was Cindy and he couldn’t wait to see her again.

 

For Adam, he had left the world that he never felt like he belonged for the one he wanted to be. Forever and in bliss.

It isn't easy being a psychotherapist. You have to put aside all the baggage in your own life to help others deal with theirs. Some clients are an absolute delight to work with and occasionally it reaches a point where you feel sad about not being able to cross the client-practitioner boundary and become friends. Especially after a client has expressed all their deepest thoughts to you and you've aided them in their path to happiness. Other clients on the other hand are immensely difficult. They're resistant to their therapy, don't follow up on the homework you set for them and are sometimes outright aggressive and place the blame on you.

 

Although she loved her job, Cindy's last client of the afternoon was one of the latter types and made her feel like running in front of a moving train. Cindy had only been in the field for a few years, but was so successful that she had opened her own practice before her 30th birthday. Having a near-obsessive work ethic and being in the top 5% of most of her college classes has that effect. At 29 years old she'd passed the big question mark of her twenties and was set on what she was going to do for the rest of her career. She was set.

 

Ben had spent the last 45 minutes attempting to justify reasons why Cindy's advice wasn't working for him. He was suffering from a gambling addiction that had for the last few years placed immense financial hardship on his family. They were weeks behind on the mortgage repayments and facing the real possibility of the bank taking their home from them. Ben's wife was threatening him with a divorce if he didn't get his compulsions under control. Cindy could tell he wasn't sitting on the lounge in front of her by his choice alone.

 

"It's just... my wife. She doesn't understand why I do this. It's not just a choice. This is my drive. Playing poker online is the only time I feel I have any real power in my life. Overbearing boss that belittles and demeans me left and right, then I come home to her nagging at me and a pile of bills waiting to be paid. And where's the thanks?! You know what, I think my wife is the problem here. If she stopped being such a bitch I wouldn't need to gamble."

 

Without passing judgement on his frustration, Cindy took a few notes down before replying. She gave a look that implied sympathy as best she could.

"Ben, we've so far had three sessions together and I haven't seen any progress so far. I'm beginning to doubt you're taking this seriously."

 

"Well," Ben said "my wife is the one not taking things seriously. If she wants these money problems to go away, she has to stop giving me reasons to blow it away!" He was almost shouting at this point.

 

"Ben, it's okay to be angry. But we need to get the root of these problems. You're displacing your own problems on your wife." said Cindy "and you know what? I couldn't blame her for her frustrations."

Even the best therapists have slips now and then. This was one of those moments for her.

Ben chuckled. "You're siding with her now? Huh, well I have a real reason for her to be angry. I'm fucking another woman. Her best friend."

 

Cindy was flabbergasted. Although dealing with people having affairs wasn't new to her, she didn't expect this session to take such a turn. Nor was she prepared to hear Ben say it so pridefully.

 

"And you know what, Cindy?" Ben said "I wouldn't mind adding another affair on top of it. Just to get back at the whining bitch. You're not a bad piece of ass. Why don't we end this session early and get a hotel room somewhere?"

 

This on the other hand was a first for her. A client propositioning her right in the middle of a session? After he confessed to having an affair? That wasn't about to fly. Ben's moral bankruptcy and displacement of responsibility and etiquette were truly something.

 

Cindy let out a sigh. "Okay, Ben, that's really not appropriate. And we are ending this session early."

 

"Why not have some fun, Cindy? I'm not trying to attach any strings here. You deserve to end a hard day's work with some cock in your mouth. We could make it a regular thing." Ben said with a creepy leer.

 

"Ben, we're done." Cindy said sternly, opening the door for him.

 

"Fine. Why would you need me? You've probably fucked half your male clients already and popped out their babies. Just leave the middle-aged gambler in his own misery."

 

"GET THE FUCK OUT!"

An outburst like this was out of character for Cindy. She normally went out of her way to be patient, accommodating and nurturing for her clients.

 

Ben stormed out of the practice, making an effort to scream back at her on his way out. "SLUT!"

Cindy wasn't sure if the man's problem was gambling or cocaine abuse given his lack of emotional stability. Cindy slammed the door.

 

She collapsed into her chair and started to cry. She could barely hold back the tears.

 

"You're a good therapist. He's the one with the problem." she kept telling herself in her head. Over and over and over again. As much of an asshole he was, not being able to help Ben made her feel insecure in her work. She loved being in control in her profession and falling short in helping clients felt threatening. "Even the best psychologists can't help some people."

10 minutes passed. Cindy collected herself and went into the foyer to see her administrative assistant. "Annie, cancel all of that last client's appointments. And take the rest of the day off after. Your pay won't be affected."

Annie dutifully completed the request, knowing not to pry too closely. She had overheard the crying. Cindy left for her car... carrying Ben's file.

 

***

 

It was dusk. Cindy sat studying Ben's personal details in the growing darkness. She took note of his address. A powerful desire had arisen; Revenge for the horrible things he had just said to her and justice for the poor family stuck with that jerk full time.

 

20 minutes later she found the house. She peered in through the windows. A trio of teenagers were on the upstairs floor laughing and making a ruckus. It looked like they were smoking marijuana and watching TV. Nothing unusual. Downstairs she could see a middle-aged woman crying. That had to be Ben's wife, no doubt upset about all the money problems the bastard was causing and the impending end of her marriage. Then through another window a few doors down she could see Ben on the computer. Playing online poker and drinking beer. Just as expected. She parked her car a few doors down and walked towards the house.

 

Cindy tapped on the window of the room Ben was in. He looked, and seeing that it was Cindy he smiled at her, with an equal degree of excitement and smugness. As far as he was concerned, Cindy had changed her mind on his offer. Ben opened the window.

 

"So the sexy therapist decided to take me up on my offer after all? Come on in."

 

Cindy climbed through the window. "Yeah, I had some wishes I needed to fulfill." she replied, playing the role of the horny practitioner trying to fuck her client. "Close your eyes and unzip your fly, I'm gonna do something nice for you."

 

Ben giggled and started breathing heavily in anticipation. Cindy could smell the booze all over his breath. Gross. As if the idea of giving him any pleasure at all wasn't gross enough. Ben obeyed and closed his eyes, expecting to get a fantastic blowjob from a woman almost 20 years his junior.

 

Cindy was grinning in excitement, and it had nothing to do with performing fellatio. She waved her hands in front of him in the air. A bright violet strobe of light followed Cindy's hands like a trail before fading away again into the dark.

 

Several seconds had passed and Ben was feeling nothing. Cindy was silent. He wondered what the hell was she doing. Reaching a stage of awkwardness, he decided to speak up.

 

"Come on, Cindy, you gonna suck me off or not?"

 

Then Ben opened his eyes and saw BIG changes. Everything was HUGE. His chair was enormous. His desk was enormous. Even the empty beer bottles he was stacking on the ground beside his desk towered over him. And that's saying nothing of how enormous Cindy was to him, and he came to a horrifying realization when he looked up and saw her staring over him with a menacing look in her eyes.

 

The arrogance that normally made Ben the jerk that he was had all but vanished. "Wha-wha-wha-wha-whaaat the fu-fuck is this!" he yelled, barely able to make a sound louder than a small bird's chirp. He shook in intense fear.

 

Cindy continued to look down and had her excitement contained. "Ben, what you said to me was awful. What you're doing to your family is awful. Cheating on your wife and not making an effort with your gambling problem and blaming others? You, Ben, are simply awful."

 

*BOOM*

Cindy stomped on the floor close to him. Ben didn't utter a word. All he could bring himself to do was quiver and croak terrified sounds. Sounds somewhere between shouts and cries. Seeing she wasn't about to get any coherence from him, Cindy continued. Not that he could have influenced her anyway.

 

"And I'm a big fan of justice. I love it when awful people like you get their comeuppance."

 

Still barely able to contain his terror, Ben started begging. "Cin-Cin-Cindy, puh-puh-lease don't do anything to me. Just ch-change me back and-and-and I won't say anything to anybody! I swear my life on it!"

Cindy looked down. Her expression did not change.

"An-an-and I'll stop gambling right this second!"

Still, Cindy was not moved by this promise. She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows as if to tease him.

"And I'm gonna tell my wife the truth about her friend and me! I'm-I'm gonna pledge to be a better husband! I'm gonna make everything right again!"

Cindy laughed at Ben devilishly. He knew he was doomed.

"Please don't hurt me, Cindy. Please! Marie and Brody, they need me so much!"

Finally, Cindy responded to his pleas. "Marie and Brody need you gone."

 

And like that, Ben's fate was sealed by the gigantic woman standing over him. Cindy reached down and picked him up. Ben had forgotten everything of his bullshit promises already. All he could think about was the horror awaiting him as he screamed and flailed his limbs about.

 

Cindy tilted her head back and dangled the half-inch tall Ben above. She opened her mouth. Ben looked down to the terrifying sight of Cindy's open maw. Her pearly white teeth and long pink tongue. Strands of saliva sticking between the roof and floor of her mouth and pools of spit in the corners of her mouth. The uvula at the entry of her throat. He couldn't process any of it clearly. The sight of it all simply filled him with overwhelming fear. His body was confused between a fight, flight and freeze response. And none of them would have helped him. At this point all Ben could do was look down into the open hole that was Cindy's hungry mouth or choose to close his eyes and hope the end would be quick. He did the latter, pulling his eyelids in tight and wrapping himself in a ball.

 

Cindy laughed at the tiny helpless man. "Any last words, asshole?" Her laughs were like thunder to him. But Ben remained silent, locked in a fetal position and eyes shut tight. And like that Cindy dropped him. Ben landed on the giantess' tongue and slid back towards the back of her throat.

 

*GULP*

 

She swallowed him. Alive. Ben was destined for several hours of extreme pain as digestive acids tore away at his helpless body. His screams would not be heard through the thick walls of Cindy's flesh. And Cindy loved feeling him swim around in the fluids, pounding on the inner walls of her stomach begging to be let out. They both knew his fate by this point however. His body would be broken down, his nutrients would be absorbed and Cindy's body would dispose of the remains.

 

Having freed Ben's family from a selfish and dishonest husband and father, Cindy took a moment to use her powers for another few good deeds. She placed all the money that Ben had paid for his prior sessions on the desk. Several hundred dollars in a paperclip. She then climbed back out the window and made her way across the street. Looking through the windows into the other rooms again again she could see that Ben's wife Marie was still crying, and that Brody was still upstairs fooling around with his two friends. They had not heard the events in Ben's office. They suspected nothing. She aimed her hand at the house and a bright purple light sat on her palm, illuminating the dark street. The family's rent problems were wiped away. Although she rarely used her powers to interfere in the everyday lives of others, she felt driven to take action this time. They'd wonder where Ben disappeared to, but Cindy hoped they'd see that they were better off without him.

 

Cindy returned to her car and drove home, planning to spend the rest of her evening drinking mocktails and watching sitcoms on Netflix. She looked forward to a better day at work tomorrow.

It was Saturday morning. Adam woke up hours later than usual. He'd spent much of the evening losing himself to his giantess fantasies online and neglected virtually all interactions with others in that time. After his parents called him out for dinner the night before he barely interacted with them. He passively responded to their urges for him to write out college applications. They even pushed for him to write to Ivy League schools. Harvard, Princeton, Cornell. Evidently his mother and father had fantasies of their own. Even if he could put aside his depression and discipline himself to study harder, he didn't raise his college hopes higher than the Illinois State University in Chicago. Without a choice of a major, it didn't really matter where in the world the university was or how prestigious it was perceived to be. Knowing he had to do something about all this eventually, Adam mumbled something out to them that was neither oppositional nor compliant, just passive.

 

He took his pasta into his bedroom and ate it while reading an amazing giantess story. It was about a guy named Liam being shrunk down by his mother, sister and girlfriend after they mistakenly believe he is into the fetish and torment him. Every giantess fan had their own interests. Some liked women towering over the tallest buildings in the world, some liked women that were overly nurturing and gentle, and others liked stories of unaware women unknowingly stomping on tiny people. Adam however loved the idea of being dominated with malice and incorporating taboo elements. He just wished that the writer could get new material out sooner! "Must be some lazy guy that doesn't do anything useful with his time" Adam thought to himself.

 

He ended up not going to bed until the early hours of the morning. He spent all his time in the company of only his dog Harry and the finest of giantess erotica, photo edits and pornography starring the hottest actresses. If Adam wasn't in love with Cindy, he might have fallen for Katelyn Brooks, who he considered the best model working in the giantess industry. And he didn't masturbate either. What he wanted was the psychological smothering of losing himself in the material for all those hours in isolation. It didn't make up for the upset over the beating and the drawing of Giantess Cindy being destroyed, but he wouldn't have traded that night away.

 

Feeling hungry, Adam went out to the kitchen for a pop tart. He ended up wishing he hadn't when he saw his parents sitting at the counter looking concerned.

"Do you want to explain this, Adam?" his mother, Ellen asked sternly. His father, Curtis looked just as boot-faced as his wife.

 

Adam's hunger vanished in seconds. "Ummm... explain what?" he said, trying to act as though he was ignorant of what this might be about.

 

"This is from your history teacher. She says your attention is dropping. A lot. What is the meaning of this, Adam?! We thought you liked history?!"

Adam stood looking guilty and lost for what to say. "I just... I haven't felt motivated. I... I've been tired. I don't know."

She was unimpressed with his response, but his father made an effort to be diplomatic. "We don't know what's going on with you. You don't talk, and I'm beginning to think you don't listen either. We were willing to put aside your low grades in math as it not being your gift. We want you to play to  your strengths. This though? This is throwing school away as a whole."

 

"I'm not throwing school away, dad. I'm just feeling-"

 

Curtis cut him off. "What you're feeling is anxiety. You're becoming a man, but you're not showing it. And you're pissing away your college plans by wasting time in class writing in that little notebook of yours. What do you write about anyway?"

 

He had kept his giantess fetish secret from his parents for all his life. He wasn't about to reveal it now. "Just... stories."

 

His mother sighed disapprovingly, and Curtis continued. "Well, save the stories for your free time. Grow up and apply yourself. You'll regret it when you're spending this time next year mopping up floors in a roach-infested kitchen somewhere."

 

"Can I go now?"

 

"Yes, you can go." Curtis granted him "But you're gonna fix up your act. And fast."

 

Adam knew his parents were right. His father wasn't cruel enough to say that he thought his son was on the path to become a loser outright, but he knew he was thinking it. He returned to his room, looking at both the split remains of the Cindy drawing, and the pile of schoolbooks sitting disorganized on his desk. Looking between them it was like the angel and devil whispering into each ear like in old cartoons. Right now, he just had to get out. Adam took out his phone and texted Marty.

 

Hey. Walk in the park? Parents have been on my ass. AGAIN :'(

 

Marty, likely wanting any excuse not to study himself agreed. They would meet up and be strolling around together within the hour.

Adam drove to the park, blasting music loud to get his frustrations out. After parking, he met Marty who was sitting on a park bench. His friend wasn’t looking to be in the brightest of spirits either.

 

“What’s up, buddy?” Adam asked, wanting to put aside his own problems momentarily.

 

“Feeling down. I don’t know what I’m gonna do when school ends. Don’t know if it’s college, or work.” Marty replied.

 

“Story of the year it seems.” Adam replied. “My parents are driving me crazy. They’re on my ass about my grades. They’re on my ass about college applications. Now my history teacher sent a letter home to them to tell them what I’ve been doing in class.”

 

Marty was focused on his friend. He could see the nervousness in Adam’s eyes. “You can tell me about it if you want. We’re both in similar boats here and this is a safe place.”

 

The two boys started to walk laps around the perimeter of the park, kicking a littered Sprite can around as they went.

 

Adam went on with his story. “I have to be honest; I think I just hate the idea of working. I can’t think of a single career I’d be interested in pursuing. Mom and dad naturally want the very typical high expectations-high grade jobs for me. Engineer, doctor, lawyer. Even these jobs that pay a lot of money aren’t motivating me. The only thing I’m motivated to do is write stories. And that’s what the letter from my teacher was about. Shouting out to them about all the time I’m wasting in class writing stories! It’s one of the only things that keeps me happy, and they all want to take it away from me so I can write down notes about some shit that happened over a hundred years ago!”

 

Marty, knowing the confusion about not knowing what he was going to do later in life very well looked on with sympathy. “You could try to be a writer, man? If you’re passionate about it, maybe that’s your calling. Write novels, write short stories, write movie scripts. Do something cool with your life. I don’t want to see you stuck working in some boring office somewhere.”

 

Adam scoffed. “I wish. Few people would want to read my stories.”

 

“What do you write about?” Marty asked. In his curiosity he only expected that Adam was writing about alien invasions, murder mysteries, tales of war. The kind of stuff that led to blockbuster movies and bestseller novels.

 

Having already had the uncomfortable taste of exposure that morning, Adam paused and thought to himself for a few minutes. If he couldn’t tell his best friend about his fantasy, who could he tell?

Adam exhaled. “You have to promise me you won’t tell anyone else. People at school already think I’m shy and weird.”

 

“Oh, no can do. I’ll have to tell all my friends in the popular crowds!” Marty joked, reassuring his friend.

 

“I’ve got an uncommon sexual kink. And I’ve been writing stories about that. Stories about… being shrunk down really really small. Like… inches tall. Sometimes less. And… being played with by gigantic hot women.”

 

Marty wasn’t judging. “Yeah, I think I’ve heard of that fetish before. It’s okay, though. It’s harmless and it’s yours to enjoy.”

 

Seeing that he was truly in a safe place to share, he continued. “And lately I’ve been particularly fixated on the idea of my therapist Cindy being my owner. I have a bit of a crush on her. I’ve felt like that a while now. But she has to be like ten years older than me and isn’t gonna break our client-therapist relationship. So… I’m reclined to my fantasy.”

 

Marty was never one to judge. He was a nice guy that offered advice when it became clear it was needed, but otherwise respected boundaries. And he saw that this was one of the rare times he’d give advice before someone asked for it. “I think you should make an appointment. As soon as possible. Don’t tell her about having a crush because that will make things awkward. But tell her about the fetish if you haven’t already. Tell her the effect it’s having on your motivation and your grades. Maybe she can point you in the right direction so you can have the best of both worlds. To get good grades and be a writer of erotica.”

 

Adam thought about it. Maybe it was possible, but he didn’t have a lot of faith in it. “I’ll make an appointment.”

 

Both boys had been looking at the ground for the last few minutes working this issue out. Then Marty’s eyes widened when he looked up. “Ooooooh shit.” Adam looked up and almost repeated Marty.

It was the three jocks. Brody, Derek and Paul. They had been walking in the park too and moving towards them. It was rare that they ever gave Adam and Marty trouble when they were together, given that they were cowards that liked to pick on the nerdy kids only when they were completely outnumbered.

“Well, well, well, it’s Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum” Brody exclaimed, his two goons laughing as they trailed behind.

Marty, being the more confident of the two boys, even though he wasn’t particularly confident generally took stand. “We don’t want any trouble Brody. You go enjoy your day and let us enjoy ours.”

The jocks came closer. They reeked of marijuana. It wasn’t even midday yet either. Better they stink like potheads than smell like boozers, Adam thought. They didn’t want them impulsive and violent.

“Guess you’re drawing those weird giant woman pictures with your dipshit little friend, aren’t you Marty?” Brody said, pointing to Adam. “Little shrimp would never get some unless it was with someone into the same freaky crap.” Adam was the shortest of the five young men, standing at only 5’4. Maybe that played a role in the psychology of the fetish. He wasn’t sure.

Well, if you two losers must know we’re actually looking for my dad. He’s been missing since yesterday. We’re worried that someone jumped him over some money he owed.” It wasn’t normal for Brody to be sharing things like this with them. Clearly, he was emotionally compromised, but still trying to hide it by picking on them.

Marty showed concern. He couldn’t imagine the idea of anyone in his family disappearing. Adam, having been beaten up by the jocks less than 24 hours before was less open to feeling sorry for him.

Brody sighed. “Well, we don’t have time to waste.” He handed Marty a missing person poster. It read:

MISSING SINCE TUESDAY MARCH 24
BEN SULLIVAN
49 YEARS OLD
5’9, 202 POUNDS
PLEASE CALL THIS NUMBER IF YOU SEE THIS MAN OR KNOW OF HIS WHEREABOUTS.

Adam looked at the details. The place he was last seen wasn’t far from Cindy’s practice. The jocks then moved on.

“Poor kid.” Marty said. It was the first time Adam had seen his express any pity for an asshole like Brody. After the boys walked a few minutes longer, talking about Adam’s fantasy, his schoolwork, college and his depression they decided that he better go home and start dealing with it all.

“I’ll call Cindy’s office. I’ll make an appointment soon. Maybe she’ll know how to make me happy. Maybe she’ll know what I’m supposed to do with my life.”

Marty gave his friend a pat on the back before leaving him at his car. He was a true pal.

Adam was home. He sat down and dialed Cindy’s practice’s number.
“Hey, I’d like to move my next appointment with Cindy closer if possible.”
Cindy’s assistant Annie was on the other end of the line. “You called at just the right time, Adam. One of Cindy’s clients has cancelled all his appointments. Does Friday afternoon at 4:00pm work for you?”

“That’s perfect. See you then.” Adam replied. He felt very lucky getting that spot. He could drive there right after school.

He couldn’t wait to see the woman he loved again. He couldn’t wait for her show him what his future was meant to be.