You’ve been working at Move & Adjust Logistics for about three years now and you’re still not entirely sure what the company does. You’re not sure if anyone at your level knows: on paper, you seem to mostly be involved in freight, and your own role involves organising shipment schedules and assuring clients of these, but that’s just Floor 3’s responsibility, and the company has four floors: there’s Management above, and Floor 2 is off limits. What you do know, though, is that this open-plan office with its grey-partitioned cubicles and fluorescent lights is boring, ruled by a strict, selfish manager, and you’d rather be anywhere else on this dreary Monday morning.

But here you are, typing away in the Bull Pen, considering what you can bring up to make conversation with your friend, Ailyn, who sits diagonally opposite from you. She’s about your age, bubbly and beautiful, and sharing this space with her makes the days that little bit easier. She’s plump with a somewhat boyish pixie cut, and looks great in her tight cotton blouse and loose slacks. She suspects they’re doing illegal experiments on Floor 2. The CEO, Arnold Church, is known for making extravagant, outlandish investments, and it could be anything from revolutionary computing tech to biological abominations. Ailyn sneaked down there once and before she got turned away she saw lots of rat cages, but no rats, whatever you’re supposed to make of that. You don’t dare investigate yourself: better to just turn your brain off when you enter the office, compartmentalising the hours you’re meant to be here.

That’s what you’re trying to do this morning, answering mundane emails, when an internal message pops up in the lower right corner of your screen. Eva Sanders. The last name you want to see: your manager. She’s sent five dreadful words: Come to my office. Now.

This can’t be good.

Miserably, you drag yourself to your feet and sigh to Ailyn that you’ve got an appointment with Evil Eva. She’s a sly manager with a cruel streak, and at the very least she’ll be wanting to take out her own Monday Blues on someone lower down the food chain.

You walk up the stairs to Floor 4, Management, taking your time rather than using the lift, and you continue down a yellow-painted corridor lined with wooden doors. Eva’s office is close to the CEO’s stately room at the end, and has its own foyer: you enter what is effectively a waiting room, just a desk, a pot plant and some filing cabinets, where Eva’s assistant/secretary Daniela sits slumped over her computer. She’s always very presentable in a dark skirt and an immaculate shirt, blonde hair tightly tied back, despite always being exhausted and overworked.

You give Daniela a smile, because she’s as meek and sweet as Eva is wicked, a mousy woman with cute big ears and round glasses. But she barely looks up, flapping a hand for you to go right on into Eva’s office. You take a breath before opening the next door, then enter to face the music.

“Close the door,” Eva instructs before you’re all the way in. You do so, frowning at her stern tone. This might be even worse than expected.

Eva has a fine office, with an expensive wooden desk and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over a green park, a rare site here in the city centre. She’s a tall woman with an athletic figure, today wearing an expensive indigo pantsuit, white shirt unbuttoned at the top to show off a little cleavage. It’s distracting, making you doubly uncomfortable because you’re awkwardly drawn to her despite the fact she’s a rotten person. It doesn’t help that she’s got a spotless face, sultry dark eyes and raven-black hair that flows over her shoulders. She’s leaning against the desk like a seductive schoolteacher, and you wonder if she gives off this vibe deliberately. Probably.

“You were late again this morning,” Eva says. “Fourth time this month.”

“There were delays –” you start, but she clicks her tongue to tell you to shut up.

“I don’t care. You’re always late, your work is slow and sloppy and your attitude is appalling.”

You stiffen. This doesn’t sound like a regular telling-off. Your defence, which you hold in, is that everyone’s attitude is bad, and all the work is sloppy, because the work is so damn drab. Never mind that no one really knows what they’re doing.

“Nothing to say for yourself?” she prompts.

“Sorry?” you try.

“Mm.” She nods, as though she expected nothing more. She reaches behind her to take something from the desk. It looks like a toy, a water pistol or a plastic ray gun, not much bigger than her hand. She presses a button and it lights up with red LEDs, humming like it's charging up. Is she going to squirt you? You freshly ironed these trousers yesterday. Paying more attention to the gun than you, Eva says, “With your very limited aptitude here at M&AL, you will, of course, have no idea the sort of things we do downstairs. Perhaps that’s why you’re so unmotivated. But then again, perhaps you’re just a shiftless waster.”

“Hey –” you protest, because that is a bit much. You could complain to HR about that kind of language. But she looks up with a mean expression that warns you not to test her, and she tilts the gun towards you.

“Today, you’re going to learn how special our work really is. You, of all people, have been chosen to help me prove it. Thanks to your outstanding record of lackadaisical work. This is, of course, entirely off the books – it came to me in a moment of wonderful inspiration. I could fire you or I could finally put you to use. You’re going to help me get Arnold’s attention.”

“Ms Sanders,” you venture cautiously, because this is ominous in the extreme. She raises an eyebrow, but you don’t have a follow-up. What you want to say, really, is that you would like to leave now.

“Stand still,” she says, in abrupt conclusion, and she pulls the trigger.

You shriek and throw up your hands to defend yourself as the gun lights up with an electric spark that lances out towards you, momentarily blinding you. It heats you all over, and for a terrible moment you think it actually is a ray gun – they’re making experimental weapons and you’re being cooked alive! But the heat subsides and you’re still standing. Your vision is clearing.

But what you see is dizzying.

The office walls are rising taller, the ceiling expanding, and Eva, standing in front of you, is stretching. Higher and higher. You blink faster, trying to make this weird flex of perception settle, but it’s only getting worse, everything looming huge around you. You shake your limbs out, unsteady on the spot, and look down to see your feet have sunk into the carpet. That is – the pile is up over your shoes. Because you’re small now.

You’re tiny, in fact. Looking from the carpet, over to the wall, to the skirting board, then back to Eva, the change is unmistakable. Your manager’s trousers are flared over sleek black shoes with a toe not much shorter than you. You follow her trouser leg up, up, having to tilt your head far back to take in the full towering monstrosity of Eva, a smartly-dressed giantess peering down at you with a satisfied smirk.

She has shrunk you. They have a real-life shrink ray and she has used it to reduce you to the size of a mouse! Your breath is suddenly short, heart racing, just looking at the sheer scale of her, impossible and terrifying. From the look in her eye, and from what she said before, and from what you know of her nasty nature, you’re now in a lot of trouble.

What should you do?!

[A] Make amends; say whatever you can to persuade her to turn you back.

[B] Get the hell away; run as fast as you can for the door!

[C] Take cover; run under the desk to get out of her reach.

“I’m sorry, Ms Sanders!” you cry, holding your hands to beg mercy. “I can do better, I’ll do whatever you want! I can see now, of course, what important work we do here, and I promise – I promise –”

Eva rolls her eyes from on high and uncrosses her legs, van-sized feet shifting before you with unthinkable power. You gulp just watching her move, and talk louder and faster.

“If you’ll give me another chance, I can be the best worker you’ve ever had! I’ll work double shifts, weekends –”

But she’s crouching towards you, a massive expanse of indigo suit filling your sky, and her arm shifts out, a hand bigger than you unfolding, fingers spreading. You’re too enraptured by her vast size to move as her hand comes down over you, and you regain your senses just in time to leap aside as her fingers close around you. Too late; her log-sized digits encircle you, pulling you back into a warm prison of flesh, and you’re lifted off the ground.

You shout in fear as your stomach leaps, Eva standing, carrying you up. The office looks scarily far away, the floor a deadly drop, as if you’re being snatched up to the top of a mountain. Her hand turns, spinning you around to her face, as big as a house before you. Her huge eyes squint at you, her frighteningly wide lips curl with a smile.

“This is perfect,” she says, her voice rumbling through you, hurting your ears. Just as worrying is the sight of her mouth moving, with little flashes of teeth larger than your head, so big you can’t help but tremble. “Now, I don’t need anything from you except that you keep quiet. Do as I say. Arnold’s finally going to take notice – he will be very pleased with these results.”

Arnold? She’s talking about the CEO, wanting to use you as a demonstration for him? By the sounds of it, this will be as much of a surprise for him as it was for you.

As you process that, Eva’s other hand rises hugely next to you and makes you flinch. You try to twist away from it as her fingers unfold, but there’s nowhere to go, held here in her fist, and she easily pinches hold of one of your arms. Eva stretches it out to the side, testing your limits and making you squawk with surprise and a little pang of pain. Her smile spreads, satisfied, as she moves your arm about. She lets go and you drop the arm, wincing, before she pokes your head with an index finger wider than your skull.

“I knew it would work,” she confides, talking more to herself than you. “They’ll see I should’ve been involved from the start.”

Your worriedly watch her eyes, noting some malevolence in there. She’s not just trying to impress Arnold, but to prove something to him, and you’re a pawn caught up in this.

So what now?

[A] Do as she says and keep quiet until you can figure out a way out of this.

[B] This is madness – begging didn’t help, it’s time to resist.

“Whatever you say,” you reply, tentatively placing your hands on her finger to steady yourself. Her smile stretches slightly further, and without another word she swings you back down. You yelp at the sudden movement, as her fingers uncurl and you fall out, about to drop to your death! But you’re caught again, finger and thumb pinching your right hand, and you dangle from Eva’s grip, legs kicking about over the great height to the floor. She uses her other hand to pull open an outside jacket pocket. You’re swung down over it and she lets go, so you fall. You hit the fabric and roll down into the deep recess of the pocket, banging against Eva’s side. She lets go of the pocket above you, cutting out all but a slither of light from above.

You brace yourself against the pocket, and against the wall of giant woman on the other side, as she moves away from the desk. Eva walks through the office and opens her door, calling out, “Daniela, get hold of Arnold and send him in as soon as possible.”

“Mr Church?” Daniela responds, uncertainly. It’s no easy feat to pin down the company CEO, after all, and here Eva is acting like they can just beckon him in.

“You heard me,” Eva says bluntly and closes the door. The exchange was too quick for you to think – maybe you should’ve called out to Daniela for help. But it’s too late now, Eva is already walking back to her desk, the movement bouncing you slightly against her.

Your giant captor sighs reflectively as she pauses, and a big weight knocks you from the side, her hand patting the pocket, reassuring herself you’re there. She murmurs, “Keep comfy. Soon, we’re going to really shake things up.”

You’re jostled again as the hand falls away and Eva goes around the desk to sit. Finally, you’re still, lying in her pocket. Eva whistles above, arms moving about, to the computer, her phone, and you quietly listen. It’s warm here, with the heat of Eva’s huge body just beside you. The pocket is soft and, despite your situation, oddly comfortable. You try to slow your breathing, to not freak out, and reassess this disaster.

Yes, you’ve been reduced to a tiny size and caught by your vicious manager, but maybe this is an opportunity to be part of something special. It’s not like you were doing anything important before, and there is a definite incredible force behind this huge woman, now. Whatever Eva has planned could put you on a path to greater success – and once this technology has been proven, maybe she’ll turn you back. There’s also the possibility that Arnold Church might help you when he sees what she’s up to, anyway.

Or maybe that’s all just wishful thinking. Eva has a mean streak; she could make an example of you in some terrible way – dispose of you when she’s done. It might be best to creep out of here while she’s complacent.

[A] Better to wait this out and see; you’re safe for now.

[B] Try to escape.

After a painfully long wait in Eva’s pocket, in which you try to keep still, struggling to wrap your brain around what has happened to you, you finally hear a door open and Eva stands up. You twist around to sit up, leaning back against Eva’s side, as she greets someone. A man replies, saying he hopes this is important.

“It’s more important than you can imagine. I’ve got exactly the proof of concept you’ve been waiting for,” Eva says, “and I wanted to show you in private, before anyone else, Arnold. Before your meeting this afternoon. See, I’ve been telling you this would be possible, and I have a demonstration –”

The pocket is pushed open as her huge fingers probe in, fresh light hitting you, and you try to drop deeper, away from her, on instinct. It’s no use, as she probes only briefly before touching you and pinching your right leg. She pulls you up, out, and you wriggle and try to shove free as her fingers roll you, balling you back into her palm like a spider’s legs wrapping you up. You’re smothered briefly in her fist as Eva lifts you up, making your stomach drop, then her hand opens again and you’re left lying there, gasping for air. You’re halfway between her smirking face and the startled face of a young, strikingly handsome man: Arnold Church. He’s immediately recognisable, of course, the fiendishly successful entrepreneur who runs Far Edge Logistics, though sightings of him flying through the office are rare. He’s a square-jawed, unfairly fit man prone to tight shirts and glistening white smiles, often seen on the front of magazines. He’s often in the news preaching one philanthropic project or another, making clear to the world he’s using his disgusting wealth for good, though you’ve never been quite sure what he does in the company, beyond schmoozing and delegating. Surely he’s not on board with Eva’s inhuman scheme?

Eva tells him, “You see, it does work with human subjects. And this one I prepared especially for you. Unofficially, of course.”

Arnold recovers from his surprise to ask, “You did this without approval?”

“Approval? When you scarcely even keep me informed about what’s going on downstairs? Yes, Arnold, I did what was necessary because your other managers are too scared to. More importantly, though, I did this without a paper chain. I took a spare device, last night. No one else knows about this. And trust me, no one will miss this cretin. And for the sake of seeing the project through to completion, this is a worthwhile sacrifice, for sure.”

Arnold stares at you carefully. Whether he’s impressed or disapproving, you’re not sure, but your nerves are tingling at what she’s saying. Eva’s been scorned by this project and gone rogue, and your fate here, apparently, is a dark secret. It’s a surprise to Arnold too, though, he might not be on board with this. Given the chance to handle this discreetly, he might help you.

Do you . . .

[A] Protest now – make it clear you’re not here by choice.

[B] Keep quiet; you’ll be safer if you don’t rock the boat.

[C] Trust neither of them; try to escape while they’re distracted.

As Eva goes to say something else, to seal whatever deal she’s pushing for, you run a couple of steps to the edge of her hand and jump. A fall from here could be fatal, but you’re moving on pure instinct, whatever it takes to survive, and it’s not the floor you’re aiming for but Arnold Church himself. Yelling with the thrill of the terrifying leap, you kick your legs back and swing your arms through the air as you glide out, away from Eva, and down, towards the giant man. You see his expression light with alarm before it’s just his shirt in your vision. His tie, passing too quickly.

Stretching with all you have, you catch the tip of the tie just before it’s out of reach, and you cling on tight as you thump into Arnold’s belly. You’re hanging free now, fingers slipping as you kick about for purchase. Arnold’s legs stretch down below you, still a horrendous fall, fifty feet or more? And there’s nothing to get your feet on. Arnold leans slightly forward, only making you dangle further out, without any hope. The tie fabric squeaks between your fingers.

A shadow engulfs you a moment before giant fingers encircle you, and you yelp as you’re closed again into a warm hand. Pulled back from Arnold and lifted. You struggle as the fingers tighten, but you’re completely trapped, arms and legs pinned in this soft, smothering fist.

“I’m sorry about that,” Eva says. “Obviously I’ve only just –”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Arnold cuts in shortly. He sounds unsettled by your escape attempt, the surprise of encountering a tiny person catching up to him. “Get rid of it.”

“What?” It’s Eva’s turn to sound surprised, as Arnold walks away, opening the door. It’s her hand you’re in, you realise, and he’s leaving. “But this is a major breakthrough –”

“It’s been done outside lab conditions and is clearly trouble. I wasn’t here and I didn’t see it. We’ll talk about this later. A serious talk.”

You try to struggle, to make a noise, begging him to come back, but it’s no use.

The door closes before Eva can muster a response herself, her scheme shot down thanks to you startling the giant man. You’ve thwarted her, at least, but you feel her flesh constricting around you, walls closing in. You’ve upset her plans and you’re trapped in her hand! You wriggle your shoulders against her palm and fingers, trying to nuzzle your head up, to get some air, some light. But her grip is tightening and you can hear her breath deepening. She’s furious: you can feel the anger tensing her fist around you and her fingers start to tighten.

“Stop! Wait!” you shout, but she squeezes, and your face is pushed into her flesh, squishing your eyes closed and filling your mouth with salty skin. You can’t move now, can’t even shout, as her grip keeps tightening. Pressure mounts from all sides, as the giant woman squeezes tighter. Tighter. You can’t breathe, and it’s only getting stronger. There’s a crack, and you’re shot through with pain, as she closes her fist completely, crushing you in her hand.

You’ve been working at Move & Adjust Logistics for about three years now and you’re still not entirely sure what the company does. You’re not sure if anyone at your level knows: on paper, you seem to mostly be involved in freight, and your own role involves organising shipment schedules and assuring clients of these, but that’s just Floor 3’s responsibility, and the company has four floors: there’s Management above, and Floor 2 is off limits. What you do know, though, is that this open-plan office with its grey-partitioned cubicles and fluorescent lights is boring, ruled by a strict, selfish manager, and you’d rather be anywhere else on this dreary Monday morning.

But here you are, typing away in the Bull Pen, considering what you can bring up to make conversation with your friend, Ailyn, who sits diagonally opposite from you. She’s about your age, bubbly and beautiful, and sharing this space with her makes the days that little bit easier. She’s plump with a somewhat boyish pixie cut, and looks great in her tight cotton blouse and loose slacks. She suspects they’re doing illegal experiments on Floor 2. The CEO, Arnold Church, is known for making extravagant, outlandish investments, and it could be anything from revolutionary computing tech to biological abominations. Ailyn sneaked down there once and before she got turned away she saw lots of rat cages, but no rats, whatever you’re supposed to make of that. You don’t dare investigate yourself: better to just turn your brain off when you enter the office, compartmentalising the hours you’re meant to be here.

That’s what you’re trying to do this morning, answering mundane emails, when an internal message pops up in the lower right corner of your screen. Eva Sanders. The last name you want to see: your manager. She’s sent five dreadful words: Come to my office. Now.

This can’t be good.

Miserably, you drag yourself to your feet and sigh to Ailyn that you’ve got an appointment with Evil Eva. She’s a sly manager with a cruel streak, and at the very least she’ll be wanting to take out her own Monday Blues on someone lower down the food chain.

You walk up the stairs to Floor 4, Management, taking your time rather than using the lift, and you continue down a yellow-painted corridor lined with wooden doors. Eva’s office is close to the CEO’s stately room at the end, and has its own foyer: you enter what is effectively a waiting room, just a desk, a pot plant and some filing cabinets, where Eva’s assistant/secretary Daniela sits slumped over her computer. She’s always very presentable in a dark skirt and an immaculate shirt, blonde hair tightly tied back, despite always being exhausted and overworked.

You give Daniela a smile, because she’s as meek and sweet as Eva is wicked, a mousy woman with cute big ears and round glasses. But she barely looks up, flapping a hand for you to go right on into Eva’s office. You take a breath before opening the next door, then enter to face the music.

“Close the door,” Eva instructs before you’re all the way in. You do so, frowning at her stern tone. This might be even worse than expected.

Eva has a fine office, with an expensive wooden desk and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over a green park, a rare site here in the city centre. She’s a tall woman with an athletic figure, today wearing an expensive indigo pantsuit, white shirt unbuttoned at the top to show off a little cleavage. It’s distracting, making you doubly uncomfortable because you’re awkwardly drawn to her despite the fact she’s a rotten person. It doesn’t help that she’s got a spotless face, sultry dark eyes and raven-black hair that flows over her shoulders. She’s leaning against the desk like a seductive schoolteacher, and you wonder if she gives off this vibe deliberately. Probably.

“You were late again this morning,” Eva says. “Fourth time this month.”

“There were delays –” you start, but she clicks her tongue to tell you to shut up.

“I don’t care. You’re always late, your work is slow and sloppy and your attitude is appalling.”

You stiffen. This doesn’t sound like a regular telling-off. Your defence, which you hold in, is that everyone’s attitude is bad, and all the work is sloppy, because the work is so damn drab. Never mind that no one really knows what they’re doing.

“Nothing to say for yourself?” she prompts.

“Sorry?” you try.

“Mm.” She nods, as though she expected nothing more. She reaches behind her to take something from the desk. It looks like a toy, a water pistol or a plastic ray gun, not much bigger than her hand. She presses a button and it lights up with red LEDs, humming like it's charging up. Is she going to squirt you? You freshly ironed these trousers yesterday. Paying more attention to the gun than you, Eva says, “With your very limited aptitude here at M&AL, you will, of course, have no idea the sort of things we do downstairs. Perhaps that’s why you’re so unmotivated. But then again, perhaps you’re just a shiftless waster.”

“Hey –” you protest, because that is a bit much. You could complain to HR about that kind of language. But she looks up with a mean expression that warns you not to test her, and she tilts the gun towards you.

“Today, you’re going to learn how special our work really is. You, of all people, have been chosen to help me prove it. Thanks to your outstanding record of lackadaisical work. This is, of course, entirely off the books – it came to me in a moment of wonderful inspiration. I could fire you or I could finally put you to use. You’re going to help me get Arnold’s attention.”

“Ms Sanders,” you venture cautiously, because this is ominous in the extreme. She raises an eyebrow, but you don’t have a follow-up. What you want to say, really, is that you would like to leave now.

“Stand still,” she says, in abrupt conclusion, and she pulls the trigger.

You shriek and throw up your hands to defend yourself as the gun lights up with an electric spark that lances out towards you, momentarily blinding you. It heats you all over, and for a terrible moment you think it actually is a ray gun – they’re making experimental weapons and you’re being cooked alive! But the heat subsides and you’re still standing. Your vision is clearing.

But what you see is dizzying.

The office walls are rising taller, the ceiling expanding, and Eva, standing in front of you, is stretching. Higher and higher. You blink faster, trying to make this weird flex of perception settle, but it’s only getting worse, everything looming huge around you. You shake your limbs out, unsteady on the spot, and look down to see your feet have sunk into the carpet. That is – the pile is up over your shoes. Because you’re small now.

You’re tiny, in fact. Looking from the carpet, over to the wall, to the skirting board, then back to Eva, the change is unmistakable. Your manager’s trousers are flared over sleek black shoes with a toe not much shorter than you. You follow her trouser leg up, up, having to tilt your head far back to take in the full towering monstrosity of Eva, a smartly-dressed giantess peering down at you with a satisfied smirk.

She has shrunk you. They have a real-life shrink ray and she has used it to reduce you to the size of a mouse! Your breath is suddenly short, heart racing, just looking at the sheer scale of her, impossible and terrifying. From the look in her eye, and from what she said before, and from what you know of her nasty nature, you’re now in a lot of trouble.

What should you do?!

[A] Make amends; say whatever you can to persuade her to turn you back.

[B] Get the hell away; run as fast as you can for the door!

[C] Take cover; run under the desk to get out of her reach.

Pumping your arms and legs as hard as you can, you sprint for the colossal door, aiming for the little gap under it. You should be able to fit, surely – if you can just get there ahead of her. Eva doesn’t move for a moment, watching you, and you take advantage of every spare second to get ahead. It’s a distance of dozens of metres though, and you’re not in the best shape for this, heart pounding. In fact, you do quick calculations as you go: at three or four inches, every foot must be the equivalent of about twenty feet. You’re not sure how accurate that is, but it seems reasonable that the couple of metres you’ve got to cross to reach the door could actually make for a forty-metre or so dash. Further than you’ve had to run in a while, but spurred on by the pursuit of a giant.

The ground quakes with the thump of a giant footstep, your manager coming after you. Time to give it the last of your reserves – head down, arms back, you surge for the finish line. Another giant footstep as you dart over the next ten metres. Almost there. But you sense a huge object coming from behind, the push of air, a shadow passing over you – and you’re hit from behind, a nudge, but by a shoe so massive that it throws you off your feet. You’re airborne for a moment, carried forward by the great weight, then you smack into the floor and tumble over yourself, moving so fast you’re scraped on the carpet.

Dazed, you rock up onto your hands and knees and twist back to see Eva looming massively over you, her giant right foot near your left side. Even the toe of her shoe stands taller than you. It taps once, ominously, and you cringe at the sight, so easily able to imagine yourself falling under it.

“I admire your spirit,” she says, “but that’s enough of that. Now, are you going to cooperate, you little bug?”

You sit back on your haunches, trembling with fear. This woman who has dominated your working life for so long with her sharp looks and mean words is now a physical embodiment of terror, big as a skyscraper and clearly not going to hold back. One of those shoes could easily squish you flat, to say nothing of the rest of her enormous body that towers overhead. And there's a fierce focus in her eyes, watching you like a
predator. Ready to pounce.

Experiment, that’s all you are to her now. But at least the assurance gives you some hope – she’s not planning to hurt you right now, however easily she could. And she’s so impossibly powerful, so massive above and around you. Then, you’re still so close to the door . . .

[A] Go for it; you might not get another chance.

[A] Go for it; you might not get another chance.

You position yourself carefully, as though turning back to Eva, to make her think you’re stopping – then you leap towards the door. It’s about five metres away, and your sudden jump clears half of that. Just a little extra scramble – but you’re hit from the side, Eva moving quicker than you. Her toe only needs to turn, a small movement that’s enormous for you, to slam you rolling over the carpet again. You stop, lying on your back, vision blurred from the impact, staring up at the tower-sized giantess as she stares from the sky.

She doesn’t look amused.

“Forget it,” Eva says. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”

She lifts her foot, and you trace the giant shoe with disbelief as the scratched sole rises over you. An ordinary shoe now capable of squashing you flat – and she’s actually considering it! Your manager, stern and cruel as she’s often been, surely wouldn’t step on you – murder you?

“Bye, bug,” she says, though, and you hear her cold dismissal. Yes, she would.

You quickly try to get up, shifting to the side, but her foot comes down. In an instant, Eva’s shoe lands on you, so fast, and huge, and heavy, that you barely feel it when your crushed into the carpet.

[Well that was a short-lived escape – good thing I've got the alternative ready for you...]

[B] Don’t risk it; give in and wait for another opportunity.

You drop onto your knees and hold up your hands in supplication, calling out, “I’m sorry! Please! Don’t hurt me! Give me another chance, I can be the best worker you’ve ever had! I’ll work double-shifts, weekends –”

Your giant manager crouches towards you, a massive expanse of blue suit filling your sky, and her hand swings over, bigger than you, fingers spreading. You stare in wondrous fear as the hand comes down, and you let her take you, no sense in running now. Her fingers encircle you, pulling you back into a warm prison of flesh, and you’re lifted off the ground.

You shout in fear as your stomach leaps, Eva standing again, carrying you up. The floor’s a deadly drop below you, as if you’ve been lifted as high as a mountain. Her enormous face rests before you, huge eyes squinting. Her frighteningly wide lips curl with a smile.

“This is perfect,” she says, her voice shaking you, hurting your ears. Almost as bad is the sight of flashes of her teeth, as big as your head, so big you can’t help but tremble at her raw power. “You seem to be functionally perfectly. And are spirited. We can have a lot of fun, I think. But for now, I don’t need anything except for you to keep quiet. Do as I say. Mr Church will be very pleased with these results.”

You twist in her grip, instinctively looking to the door behind you, and the promise of the rest of the office, all the other people out there. You were so close to escape, and you realise Daniela should be just on the other side of the door. You could risk shouting for help.

[A] Just do as Eva says until you can figure out a way out of this.

[B] Yell for help.

“Whatever you say,” you reply, tentatively placing your hands on her finger to steady yourself. Her smile stretches slightly further, and without another word she swings you back down. You yelp at the sudden movement, as her fingers uncurl and you fall out, about to drop to your death! But you’re caught again, finger and thumb pinching your right hand, and you dangle from Eva’s grip, legs kicking about over the great height to the floor. She uses her other hand to pull open an outside jacket pocket. You’re swung down over it and she lets go, so you fall. You hit the fabric and roll down into the deep recess of the pocket, banging against Eva’s side. She lets go of the pocket above you, cutting out all but a slither of light from above.

You brace yourself against the pocket, and against the wall of giant woman on the other side, as she moves away from the desk. Eva walks through the office and opens her door, calling out, “Daniela, get hold of Arnold and send him in as soon as possible.”

“Mr Church?” Daniela responds, uncertainly. It’s no easy feat to pin down the company CEO, after all, and here Eva is acting like they can just beckon him in.

“You heard me,” Eva says bluntly and closes the door. The exchange was too quick for you to think – maybe you should’ve called out to Daniela for help. But it’s too late now, Eva is already walking back to her desk, the movement bouncing you slightly against her.

Your giant captor sighs reflectively as she pauses, and a big weight knocks you from the side, her hand patting the pocket, reassuring herself you’re there. She murmurs, “Keep comfy. Soon, we’re going to really shake things up.”

You’re jostled again as the hand falls away and Eva goes around the desk to sit. Finally, you’re still, lying in her pocket. Eva whistles above, arms moving about, to the computer, her phone, and you quietly listen. It’s warm here, with the heat of Eva’s huge body just beside you. The pocket is soft and, despite your situation, oddly comfortable. You check your pockets for your phone, thinking you might get help somehow – but you don’t have it. Left it at your desk downstairs, a bad habit stemming from having it out too much at work. You try to slow your breathing, to not freak out, and reassess this disaster.

Yes, you’ve been reduced to a tiny size and caught by your vicious manager, but maybe this is an opportunity to be part of something special. It’s not like you were doing anything important before, and there is a definite incredible force behind this huge woman, now. Whatever Eva has planned could put you on a path to greater success – and once this technology has been proven, maybe she’ll turn you back. There’s also the possibility that Arnold Church might help you when he sees what she’s up to, anyway.

Or maybe that’s all just wishful thinking. Eva has a mean streak; she could make an example of you in some terrible way – dispose of you when she’s done. It might be best to creep out of here while she’s complacent.

[A] Better to wait this out and see; you’re safe for now.

[B] Try to escape.

While Eva is humming to herself, focusing on something on her computer, you carefully, very slowly shuffle your way up the outer-edge of her pocket, pressing against her side as gently as you can. You climb up with small movements, and pause when she shifts, until you finally get your arms up over the tip of her pocket and pull yourself out. You look up the great height of her side, but can’t see much beyond her arm outstretched above, hand resting on the desk. Good, it shields you from her view. You get your leg over the pocket and lower yourself over the other side, where you pause at the daunting drop. It’s a good thirty feet down to the carpet from here, with no easy way down – the chair only has one central support, no legs nearby. You either have to jump or try and crawl down the length of her leg, where you’re sure to be noticed.

Eva shifts her bum, making the decision for you – a flap of the jacket jolts you and you lose your grip. You grunt rather than scream, bracing yourself for impact, and drop hard to the ground. You hit the carpet with a thump that knocks the wind out of you and sends you rolling, but when you stop on your back, looking up, you seem to be okay. A little pain, not much. At this size, perhaps you can survive bigger falls – something to do with less air resistance, you tell yourself, thinking you should’ve paid more attention to science at school. But you’re free from her, on the floor unnoticed, even if she’s sitting massively above you. She’s turned away, computer angled towards the window.

You quietly get up, recovering your breath, and creep around to the edge of the desk. The door is a few hundred metres beyond, a big distance without any cover. You should be able to get there unseen, but only if Eva stays still. On the other hand, down here you’re definitely out of sight. If she doesn’t notice you’re missing, she might move at some point, giving you a better opportunity to get away.

[This was again pretty short so I'm jumping straight to the next bit: trying to escape again!]

Keeping one guarded eye back on the desk and Eva, you hurry out over the carpet, trying to balance speed and quietness. Your manager’s engrossed with something on her computer screen, probably some personal shopping or internet drama, undoubtedly not work. It’s enough of a distraction that she doesn’t notice you, and you’re able to reach the massive door. There, you crawl under the gap and out into the foyer area, where you straighten up and take a big breath of relief.

It catches in your throat, as you realise you’re not alone here either: there’s another giantess, at another desk, between you and the door to the corridor. Eva’s assistant Daniela looks enormous even in her slumped posture, typing at her computer. She is definitely working, and looks like she needs a break. You notice her foot under the desk tapping nervously away, a New Balance trainer rising and falling in a simple movement with enough power to kill you.

You need to get to her desk, so you continue across the carpet, keeping slow and careful not to draw her attention. As you reach a desk leg, hidden from Daniela’s view, you hear a snarl back beyond Eva’s door. There’s rapid movement. Your manager has realised your gone. You move more quickly under the desk, to get out of sight, before she can come after you.

Should you keep going, rather than risk being caught, or try your luck here? Daniela might be able to help you. To protect you.

[A] Keep moving – run for the corridor.

[B] You need help – try and get Daniela’s attention from the floor.

[C] Play it safe; if you climb under Daniela’s chair, you’ll be hidden and can climb higher up.

You jog towards the chair, giving Daniela’s monstrous New Balance trainer a wide berth. She taps her toe with an idle motion that belays the magnificent power of this giant woman, a tap big enough to kill you. You hurry onto one of the prongs of her wheeled chair and continue up it to the central pillar that holds up her seat. It’s metal, hard to grip onto, but there are ridges from its telescopic structure, and you stretch up to catch one. You pull yourself up with a great heave and get your feet onto the slight lip of metal, then push hard against the beam to keep from falling. You strain to reach the next segment, and as you’re pulling yourself up Eva’s door bursts open. It startles you and your legs slip, but you keep hold. You quickly pull yourself higher, into the shade of the chair.

“Where’d it go?” Eva demands, storming into the foyer area.

Daniela jumps in the chair, rolling back slightly, and you’re almost thrown off. You cringe as you see her giant shoe thump the floor near where you’d stood. She stutters, not sure how to respond as Eva marches about her small workspace, looking in the corners, growling. You jump at the next ridge, taking you directly beneath the seat – and catch hold. You haul your lower body up and hook your legs under a strap of metal. There, you pause, hanging on tight as you see Eva’s shoes stomp near Daniela’s. She snarls without explaining herself, looking all over Daniela, crouching. You shake in position, willing her not to see you.

Then, with a huff, Eva rises again and walks out into the hallway.

Daniela exhales in relief, the same time as you, then whispers, “What the hell?”

You’re both very still for a moment, listening as Eva hunts about outside, then Daniela decides she can’t just ignore this strange behaviour. She stands, giving you a little bounce, and walks out after Eva, calling, “Ms Sanders? Can I help?”

As her footsteps retreat, you hurry to spider along the underside of the chair. It has an underside of stitched material and various bolts and metal fixings, so you’re able to pull yourself along upside down as if using a net. You reach the edge of the seat and dig your hands into the fabric cushion to pull yourself up, legs swinging free for a frightening moment. With one last effort, you flop onto the chair.

You lie there for a second to catch your breath, appreciating how much higher the back of the chair rises above you, likewise the desk before you. The chair arms are slick plastic, not much chance of climbing them, but the chair has rolled close to the desk, where one drawer is slightly open. You could probably jump to that, shimmy up the ridge of the drawer above, or squeeze inside for cover.

Before you can decide, the door opens again and one of the giants returns. Your blood turns to ice at the thought of Eva, but a quietly uttered curse tells you it's Daniela, having been rudely dismissed. She approaches the desk muttering, “Piss off then, you weird bitch.”

[A] This is your chance to flag her down; wave to her from the chair.

As Daniela’s feet thump closer to the desk, you run for the edge of the chair and jump. You make it just in time, as the chair is thrust back sharply, and you land on the slightly open drawer, your feet just catching it. You windmill your arms, almost falling back, but manage to tilt forward, steadying. A whoosh of air and a great movement behind you alerts you to Daniela sitting heavily down and you wince at the power of her. She scoots in, knees sweeping past under the desk, and you look up, considering jumping back to her leg or getting in the drawer.

You have to move, either way, teetering on this drawer lip – or you'll fall!

But you don’t get to choose: Daniela’s hand comes down towards you and you almost jump out of the way in surprise – but it keeps going, past you, and her leg-sized fingers hook onto the drawer top and pull it out. You get only a second to marvel at how massive her simple hand is, right next to you, before you’re thrown off balance and spin to fall into the drawer. Ready for a sharp drop, you actually have a soft landing, sinking into what feels like a bed of thick jelly. You steady yourself as the surface wobbles around you, and your arms and legs sink through gaps as you try to sit up, objects snaking over you. You try to shift again, only to wobble and sink a bit further, and you're forced to go still and try to figure this out. It takes a moment to appreciate what’s going on, and you almost laugh when you do. You’ve fallen into a pool-sized tub of gummy worms, bless Daniela and her hoard of snacks!

But as you’re celebrating your safe landing, the giant secretary’s hand returns overhead, fingers spread. You dive to the side, pushing through the worms with all the efficiency of trying to swim through a ball pool. You just avoid her enormous fingers digging into the sweets. You drop back to watch as her fist closes on a handful of worms that wriggle as if alive between Daniela’s fingers. There’s more than twice your volume of sweets in her hands, effortlessly lifted from the drawer, and you see up high that she’s not even looking, eyes fixed on her computer as she idly snacks. She opens her mouth wider than necessary, a gaping maw even for her giant size, and shoves the whole mouthful in. You’re transfixed by the sight, Daniela filling her cheeks with worms as big as your limbs; she pokes in any stragglers and gives a few rushed chews before she starts gulping them down. The secretary is so stressed and hurried that she’s sneaking masses of sweets without even chewing them properly, probably worried Eva will come back.

Moving reflexively, still not looking down, Daniela reaches out for another handful, her fingers spreading above you.

 What are you going to do?!

[A] She’s dangerous: take cover!

[B] Shout at her, time to get her attention!

You pull yourself partly out from the worms and shriek for Daniela’s attention, stretching your arms wide. Her massive hand looms over you, spread wide enough to eclipse the sky, and for a second it looks futile – she’s going to scoop you up! But it pauses there, just above you, as you shout louder. Daniela withdraws her hand slightly, revealing her face looking down, and her big eyes widen, huge behind her glasses, her mouth open.

Daniela gives the briefest scream, as if she’s seen a mouse, and just as quickly whips her other hand up to cover her mouth, with admirable restraint. She stares with shock as you recover your breath, sinking slightly back into the worms.

“Damn,” you gasp, that was close. “Daniela, listen –”

“What are you?” she interrupts, leaning in over the drawer, her face so massive that you cringe deeper down in fear. Her finger comes up a moment later, to poke you. “Am I dreaming?”

You weakly push the finger back and call out, “No, you’re not. Stop it!”

But her wonder carries her past surprise and fear, and she pinches you by the arm, finger and thumb clamping on your wrist. You try to pull free, uselessly, as she lifts you out from the drawer, gummy worms tumbling around your legs. Daniela sits up, dangling you in front of her gawking face.

“You’re so small,” she says. “Are you real?”

“Yes I’m real!” you bleat, trying to keep calm as your legs hang free over a high drop down to her lap. “And I’m alive! Don’t let go!”

“Oh!” Daniela says, startled by the thought that hadn’t occurred to her, and in that surprise she almost does drop you. She squeezes your wrist, overcompensating, and swings her other hand up to hang you over the palm. But she doesn’t let go, it’s just there in case you fall. “Oh, I’m sorry. Wow. This is just. It’s a lot –”

“It’s –” you begin, wanting to explain about Eva, the ray gun, the possibility of getting big again. You don’t get to – the door swings open and your manager comes in with a floor-shaking footstep.

“Ms Sanders –”

“Ah ha!” Eva says, as if she’d heard Daniela from the hall and guessed exactly what was happening. Before the secretary can react, Eva moves to the desk and her hand snatches up, fingers encircling you. You cry out, but Eva’s fist closes on your face and you’re torn from Daniela’s grip. You squirm, wriggling your shoulders up as you hear Daniela yelp and stand, chair knocked back. As you manage to push your head up free of Eva’s fist, gasping for air, your manager stomps to her door and Daniela comes worriedly out from behind her desk.

“But Ms Sanders, that’s –”

“But what Daniela?” Eva snaps back. “It’s clearly none of your business and a highly confidential matter. Are you going to make a fuss, or can I count on you to pretend this never happened?”

Daniela stares numbly at you for a moment, as much at sea as anyone would be faced with encountering a tiny person whose giant captor is acting as if this is totally normal. Eva has you now, though, and you can see the secretary is out of her depth.

What should you do?

[A] Play along; wait for another opportunity, without getting Daniela in more trouble.

“Help me!” you yell at Daniela. “Eva shrunk me without warning – she’s trying to kidnap me –” You’re cut off by Eva adjusting her grip, loosening her fingers so you slide lower into her fist, then she closes it hard, sealing you in. Your struggles are absorbed by her flesh. You can’t see, but you can hear the giant women’s voices.

“Ms Sanders?” Daniela says.

“Oh, shut up,” Eva huffs. “Just be a good mouse and shut up.”

There’s a moment where the secretary wrestles with her conscience. You fight harder against Eva’s hand to show how desperate this is. You try and shout, but your mouth is pressed into Eva’s palm.

“No,” Daniela whispers.

“What?” Eva snaps, losing patience.

“I’m not a mouse, and I’m not going to let you –”

There’s sudden movement. Giant feet thumping about as Daniela lunges at Eva. You’re thrust to one side, arm stretched away from the secretary, then pulled back again. You rise up and down with harsh jerking movements as the two women wrestle over you, then a finger probes into Eva’s fist, poking your head – one of Daniela’s! Eva’s given a sharp surprise and her fingers open, then you’re falling, the floor quickly approaching as you yell.

You hit the carpet hard and bounce, as the shadows of the giant women move over you. Daniela pushes Eva back against the desk, both her hands on your manager’s wrists, and Eva furiously shoves back, teeth bared. As they struggle, their feet scuff from side to side, one of Eva’s truck-sized pumps landing just near you. You back off quickly, avoiding being accidentally squashed, but don’t flee outright. Eva’s elbow knocks papers and a lamp off the desk, and she pushes back hard, breaking Daniela’s grip. She gives the secretary a harsh slap that sends Daniela stumbling to one side with a gasp. Their steps are massive, quaking the ground, and you’re in awe for a moment; it’s like a Godzilla duel. Eva straightens up, with murder in her eye, but this is Daniela’s territory – and you see she grabbed something in their struggle.

As Eva lunges towards her, the secretary swings a tower-shaped paperweight around and thumps her temple. Eva snaps back against the desk, then swings around to collapse, her giant body stretching towards you. You run, and just avoid being flattened by your enormous manager’s arm as it slams into the carpet. Eva groans, twitching but otherwise barely moving. You back away from her massive uncurled hand. Daniela stands hugely over her, mouth open in shock at what she’s done, holding her weapon out to one side.

Her eyes find you, searching for what to do next.

[A] Tell Daniela about the shrink ray; she can trap Eva with it.

[B] Don’t waste time, get Daniela to take you the hell out of here!

[C] Forget these giant women, run for it!

“Daniela!” you shout, jumping up and down on the spot, “we need to go! Fast!”

The secretary is startled out of her daze, able to hear you well enough despite your size. Eva twitches at the sound, likely to stir soon, and it triggers Daniela into motion. She crouches quickly, gingerly avoiding her boss to reach a hand towards you. You skip further away from Eva’s outstretched arm and stumble into Daniela’s spreading hand. She gently scoops you up, palm and fingers soft as they surround you, and you’re lifted, with a stomach-turning lurch. Daniela whispers an apology to you, cradling you close to her chest, and she turns to run. You bounce in her light grasp as she thumps out of the office into the hallway, where she hesitates, considering the best direction.

You right yourself in her hand and watch between her fingers as she rushes on, towards the stairwell, and shoulders her way in. As the door swings shut behind her and she starts scuttling down the stairs, she holds you near her mouth to quietly ask, hot breath rushing over you, “What happened? What do we do? Do you think I killed her?”

“No,” you reply. That’s the problem.

As if confirming your thought, the stairwell door slams open a flight above you and Eva’s familiar huff announces her entrance. Daniela falters, slowing down rather than speeding up, and your manager snarls, “You insolent little shit. Get back here.”

“Hurry!” you yell, and Daniela starts running again. She only gets two steps, clumsy in her anxious retreat, and she strips over. You’re jolted hard in her hand as Daniela flies off the final steps and slams into a wall. She slips down to the floor as Eva sprints around the stairs above. You catch a glimpse of her huge form skidding into view then notice the shrink ray in her hand.

“Look out!” you scream, but it’s too late.

There’s a brilliant spark of light, a crackle of electricity. You sink down, dropping fast, though Daniela’s hand remains massive around you. The rest of the world is what’s changed. Daniela’s fingers uncurl as she stands, pressing herself against the wall, and screams – she is still giant above you, but the stairwell is now hard to fathom beyond, so distant and enormous.

Eva stands over both you, a titan that you can’t take in without scanning from side to side. Her upper body is so high up that it’s a haze to you, the tip of a far off mountain that booms down the steps towards you. Towering over both of you: if Daniela shrank to your former size, then you’ve doubled that. You’re a spec now, probably not even visible to Eva.

The sky shifts, Eva’s enormous leg bending out, and the dark cloud of her torso sweeps overhead. From it, an object bigger than a building reaches towards you, as Daniela keeps screaming, not even able to run. You want to jump off her hand, run for yourself, but you’re too high up. All you can do is watch as Eva’s tremendous palm spreads before you, fingers colossal to the sides, and the fist closes. Daniela is pushed into her flesh, her hand in turn pinned back against her chest, closing over you, and you’re swamped in muggy dark as Eva lifts you both.

“You hurt me,” Eva rumbles, her voice shaking you like thunder. Daniela shifts, squeaks in fear and apology, but it’s feeble, knowing she’s defeated. “You insolent worm. I squash insolent worms!”

There’s no reason in the gargantuan woman; she’s moving on rage. Her fingers tighten and you’re pressed harder into Daniela’s chest, squeezed out from her open hand into the the fabric of her shirt, the soft give of the top of her breast. You try to struggle free, to crawl up, but it happens too fast – Eva’s squeezing hand presses you into place, a wall of flesh behind you, maybe Daniela’s hand or arm or Eva’s palm, and your face is squashed into the secretary’s chest, your limbs pinned there. Daniela shrieks in pain as you’re pressed harder into her, smothered by her warm flesh, and there’s an awful crunching sound as her bones break.

You can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t even see as you’re squeezed into her, and you and the giant secretary are crushed, together, in Eva’s terrible grip.