The ocean of soft golden wheat danced like a wave under the caress of the early Autumn wind. Matilda plunged herself amidst the stalks, overwhelming her with the thick scent of hay. Her breath rasped in her chest, blood pounded in her head, her legs felt like fire. She pushed herself a few yards deeper into the crop before she collapsed onto her side, sprawled and panting.

Delilah had been with her until only a few moments before, but now there was no sign of her. In fact, there was little sign of anything: no voices or screams, no birds or farm animals, but also no booming footsteps. Sadness, anxiety, guilt, and relief bubbled inside her. She knew she wasn’t safe, not by a long shot, but for the moment it seemed like she had lost her pursuer.

In the wake of the chaos, Matilda felt her throat tighten and eyes sting with tears as her thoughts turned to Delilah. Obstinate, brusque, overconfident, witty, beautiful Delilah... Their relationship had always been complicated, teetering between friendship and something more, never quite crossing that line. For five years, their shared moments were filled with longing looks, tender lingering touches, and the stolen sweetness of secret kisses. They had dreamed of a future together, saving to move to a new province as friends, but the unspoken hope of something deeper had always lingered between them. Now, Matilda thought bitterly, those dreams were chaff in the wind. With the back of her hand she quietly dried her damp cheeks.

Exhaustion and grief weighed on her like a blanket. Matilda shook her head hard, determined not to lose consciousness, then forced herself up to sit on her knees. She knew that as long as she remained on Coalwynn Farm she’d be in danger. Even if the house was still standing she couldn’t go back there, but she wouldn’t be able to make it to a place of safety without some supplies. Not in her current condition.

Straining, she pushed herself up, wiped the grimy sweat from her brow, and dusted off her olive dungarees as she considered her situation carefully. The barn was her only remaining option, but Anna likely knew that as well. If Matilda went now then she’d have to sneak inside in broad daylight; but… and she felt sick for even thinking it… Anna might still be chasing after Delilah, which could give Matilda the chance she needed.

Glancing up at the pale sky she noted that nightfall was still hours away. The sun almost made the decision for her. Wearily, Matilda brushed strands of blonde-streaked mousy-brown hair out of her sun-kissed face and sucked on her broken lip as she quietly ventured forward.

When the haughty taxman had left angrily a week earlier in his smoke-belching horseless carriage, a popular new transportation method amongst the wealthy, Delilah had assured her that the pock-faced man was all bark and no bite. Little did they know that he had recently employed a giant from the east to do his biting for him. And now Matilda and Delilah were paying the price, and it would likely cost far more than a few extra coins.

Matilda’s dark reverie came to an end as she approached the edge of the yellow forest. Between thinning stalks of wheat she could clearly see a massive glinting granary and the barn beside. Half of the barn’s façade was covered in a fresh coat of burgundy paint, the other a peeling motley ochre. Matilda’s heart twisted at the knowledge that she and Delilah would never finish refurbishing it. Next to the building stood a burgeoning apple tree surrounded by a small garden where Matilda had practiced her hand at horticulture and botany. Surreptitiously, she approached the border, eyes and ears straining for any sign of the giantess.

Aside from a whispering swish rustling through the grains and the hammering of her heart inside her chest, all was quiet. Like a mouse sneaking from its den, Matilda left the sanctity of the wheat behind and scurried toward the barn door.

“Took you long enough.”

Icy chills ran down her spine and her hackles stood on end. She had to run, to get away, the barn door was right there! But her legs simply refused. Matilda twisted slowly and took in the sight of Anna lazing on her side, head propped up with one hand. The massive woman lay in the field only a few meters away from where Matilda had come from. It was so close, in fact, that if it hadn’t been noon then Anna’s shadow would have likely alerted Matilda long before she reached the barn.

“Well…?” The large woman boomed, a trickle of mirth in her voice.

“i- I’m sorry I ran. Please don’t…”

“Look pipsqueak, I’m just here for the money. If I leave here with the 28 gold pieces for the magistrate, then you’re off the hook for your belated payment. But if I don’t...” She let the threat linger in the air, and when she was sure it had sunk in, Anna climbed to her feet, the earth shaking as she shifted her weight in the process. A huge swathe of the once majestic field of wheat was now reduced to a patchwork of broken and flattened grass remnants where the giantess had lounged but moments before.

Matilda’s eyes followed the shadow along the ground then peered up to study the colossal woman. The sun hanging at its zenith forced her to squint. Anna solved the problem as she stepped forward, eclipsing the bright light entirely. She stared down at the trembling Matilda with eyes like pools of sable, a look of contempt and amusement flickering across her face. Now at full height, Anna was almost three times the size of the barn. Her cinnamon coloured skin was radiant under the afternoon sun and her black hair had a glossy sheen that reminded Matilda of raven wings. Anna’s cream coloured blouse was similar to those worn by Delilah, but as the material softly swayed in the wind it seemed more like sails of a ship than a piece of clothing.

At the thought of her missing partner Matilda felt her stomach twist. Her anxiety and worry boiled over within her, growing far stronger than the logical voice telling her to be meek and obedient to placate the giant.

A deep breath, and, before she could think, the words came tumbling from her mouth, “where… Where is Delilah?”

“Oh, the little rude one? She should be the least of your worries…” Anna said in a lyrical voice.

“Please, I have to… I need to know.”

The giant glared down at her, an eyebrow raised. The seconds dragged on and Matilda knew she had said too much. She was going to die here and now because she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She shut her eyes and winced, the thought of the massive boot snuffing her out with the ease of a mill grinding grain forming in her mind. But nothing happened. There was no pain, no crunch, no punishment. She pried an eye open expecting the worst, but Anna only grinned.

“Alright cutie, I’ll tell you. Last time I checked in on her she was out cold, but alive.”

“Out cold!? Is she okay? What- what happened? Where is she?”

Anna’s expression turned to mock-innocence, dark eyes sparkling with glee.

“Well, when I asked her where the money was she was quite impolite and told me to ‘shove it…’ So I did.” She grinned again, a hand settling on her waist, before she continued, “Now, unless you want to join her, you’ll bring me the money.”

Matilda’s face turned sallow as she processed the words. She had to consciously stop herself from sobbing and being sick on the spot. A dull numbness engulfed her mind, leaving her lips to move in silence. All she could do was nod, and hope that that was enough to prove her cooperation. 

Too afraid to make the giantess wait longer, Matilda turned on her heel and, with legs that felt like jelly, once again made her way to the barn door. It slid open easily and she could hear, and feel, Anna crouching down behind her to peer into the ‘large’ building. In the center of the room were the thresher and plow, and in the back a small door leading to the study. A barrel of apples stood by the entrance and bales of hay lined the walls.

“Ooh, are those apples? I’m starving!”

Matilda had to jump to the side as a thumb and forefinger, each almost larger than her, sped to the barrel and plucked it up like an olive from a bowl. The giant popped the entire thing into her mouth and a splintering crunch rang out as she chewed. Anna swallowed the season’s worth of fruit with ease and ran her tongue over her gums. Not willing to stick around any longer, Matilda darted inside while Anna got comfortable. Heading straight for the study, she only narrowly avoided falling over from the trembling of the very earth around her as Anna moved about outside.

The study was a far smaller and darker room than the barn. A curtain of vines had grown over the only window, the thick foliage blocking almost all light. More importantly, verdant tendrils sealed the hinges in place, denying her of any meager hope for escape. She fumbled around in the gloom until she managed to tug on a thin chain. The claustrophobic room was illuminated ever so slightly by the guttering electric light. The convenient invention was still a puzzle to her, but she smiled wistfully at the memory of Delilah swearing up and down that oil lamps were now a thing of the past. She felt tears forming again and shut her eyes. Maybe if she gave Anna everything, even more than they owed, Delilah would be returned? She had to hope.

The thought seemed to calm her, and soon Matilda was able to open her eyes and watch as the bulb buzzed and gradually gained more energy, eventually becoming strong enough to bathe the room in lambent light.

A wine carafe had fallen over, making sodden ruddy rags of the ledgers and books that had been left on the desk for later review. Shelves, jars of tallow, and finely painted vases lay broken on the ground. The gardening tools also lay scattered on the floor, now a disheveled heap of metal and wood. Matilda felt a small surge of relief when she saw the small portrait of her and Delilah still firmly pinned to the wall. It was that same day that they decided to save up and leave the province. To escape to some place where your sweat wasn’t used to fatten someone else’s already bulging pocket. And if they couldn’t find a place like that, they’d make one, together. Just as friends… of course…

A deep groan followed by a sharp, thunderous crack tore her from the memory. Matilda snatched up the spade and hurried out to see what had happened.

Anna sat outside, body blocking the quickest route into the field. She had a bored expression across her face as she cleaned her nails with a tree branch. Beside her lay what remained of the apple tree, uprooted, snapped in half, and with leaves and stripped off bark littering the vegetable garden. Whether the giant decided to destroy the tree for a branch to clean her nails with, or if it was simply a convenient afterthought, Matilda was too horrified to ask.

Keeping her head down she briskly walked to a dry patch in the corner of the veggie garden. Unlike the rest of the garden, the ground here was hard-packed. Some weeds had tried to sprout at the very edge, but wilting was all they got for their efforts.

The spade bit into the ground with the sharp scrape of metal on densely-packed earth. It didn’t bite in far, for all the effort she put behind it, as the soil was baked hard by the afternoon sun. Eventually, she found a rhythm to it though, and soon she got lost in the task. She was so engrossed in her work that when a welcoming shadow shielded her from the sun she didn’t even think twice about it. At least not until she heard a deafening giggle…

“What are you doing?” Anna asked, almost like addressing a puppy digging into a carpet.

“The… the money we saved. We buried it down here,” she replied quickly, flicking another shovel of dirt over her shoulder.

She could feel the giantess’ gaze as the massive woman studied her and she had to stop herself from shivering. The minutes dragged by, the hole deepened, and Matilda was worried she might be giving the impression that she was stalling, but a heavy thunk sound signaled she had found it. A walnut chest, ornately decorated with copper now stained verdigris, emerged from the ground as she cleared away the remaining sand.

Dropping to her knees, she fiddled with the clasp until it popped open. Maps of her province and of the country of Alryon filled the chest. They were once pristine and ivory white, but long nights of planning had left the edges torn and weathered, the large pale papers now a discoloured ochre, taupe, and umbre. She somberly placed them to the side to reveal the treasure beneath.

A neat pile of glimmering gold coins almost glowed at the bottom. Matilda felt a rush of relief when, after a quick count, she realised there were thirty two pieces: not only would she be able to pay the debt, she might also be able to convince Anna to spare Delilah. Hurriedly she scooped up the coins, realised she wouldn’t be able to carry it all, then grabbed a few of the sturdier-looking maps to use as a make-shift tray.

She felt like a clumsy servant bringing a platter of ambrosia to a goddess. Carefully, she stepped over and around rows of vegetables, arms straining at the weight of the twinkling metal.

“My my, you really don’t disappoint, do you, little one?” Anna grinned at her approach. She flicked the treebranch away then lowered her hand, palm upraised. “Let’s see if you have enough.”

“I- I counted thirty two gold pieces,” Matilda squeaked, her voice sounding pathetic and scared to her own ears. “That’s… that’s four more than what was owed,” she meekly reminded.

“Well aren’t you clever for a bug,” Anna giggled warmly. “I’d still like to see for myself though so hand it over.”

The hand hovered before Matilda’s face, forcing her to stand on her toes and heave the heap of coins with all her strength. A satisfying clink rang out as it crested over and landed in the monolithic hand. Anna studied the contents in her palm, pushing and prodding the money with her thumb as she silently counted.

Matilda opened her mouth to speak, hurriedly shut it as her anxiety overwhelmed her, then took a deep breath to steady herself. Delilah needed her, this was their only chance, she had to do this. She tried again, “uhm, since well… since we have a little extra gold I thought… you see, my friend… could you maybe let her out? For uhm… the- the extra money that is?”

Anna patiently finished counting then peered down. She cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips. “Let her out? But she feels so good back there. Besides, you don’t even have enough here to save yourself.”

Confusion and terror surged inside her as she took an involuntary step back, “but… but you said if I brought you 28 pieces then we’d be safe, you’d let us-”

“I said if you had 28 pieces for the magistrate, but this only barely covers half of my service fee. So little one, I take it this is all of it…?” A cruel and knowing smile spread across her face as she dumped the money into her pocket, eyes never wavering from Matilda.

Matilda bolted, running as hard and fast as her legs would allow. She didn’t care where she was running as long as it was away from Anna, she had to get away. Her foot snagged on the fronds of a carrot. She rolled and caught herself, letting the momentum carry her up and forward again. A wagon sized knee crashed to the ground on her left, dust from the impact blasting into her tear stained eyes. She reeled away and the second knee slammed down to her right. Away, she had to get away.

A shadow crept over her and a chortle thundered from behind. Something yanked her ankle, tripping her over and slamming her into the earth. She squealed as she felt herself being dragged back, her fingers instinctively clawing at the ground. She screamed and kicked and thrashed, snatching at radishes, at carrots, at gourds, but nothing would slow the pull of the giantess.

The floor fell away and Matilda found herself grabbing at air. Hair whipped in her face as she blindly fought against the pinching fingers. To and fro, to and fro, she swung, her struggles not slowing for a second. The rush of air around her slowed, and soon she felt herself merely dangling in the air, the gentle wind plucking at her.

Still squirming, but nearing exhaustion, Matilda pushed hair out of her face. She nearly choked when she saw how high up she was. Slowly the world turned as she surveyed what used to be her home. Wheat rolled out into the distance, flowing over hills like waves. The main house and cistern were easily visible from here and she could even see the neighboring farm’s windmill poking out from the horizon. The silo drifted into view, then the half-painted barn, then the grinning face of Anna.

She whimpered as she saw full lips parting to reveal perfect marble-white teeth. Anna’s fragrant breath washed over her, the faint scent of fruit reminding her of the power of those giant jaws.

“You know little one, it’s a pretty long road back to the city, even for someone like me. Those apples weren’t nearly as filling as I’d hoped, got any other food hanging around?”

“N-no, don’t don’t please don’t! I don’t wan-”

“Oh there must be something… you wouldn’t want me to go back on an empty stomach, would you?”

“This is wrong, I’m a person! Please don’t do this, I’ll do anything, I just-”

“You’ll do anything…?” Anna smiled and bit her lip before she continued, “This was a fun game but I think we both know you lost it with those words. Thanks for volunteering!”

Anna’s mouth widened as Matilda was carried higher. Her protesting turned into unintelligible wails as the giant tongue extended out, a slide leading to the abyss. The giantess’ humid breath billowed over her again, sticky moisture clinging to her skin and frizzing her hair. A strand of saliva webbed from tongue to teeth, warping and twisting.

A booming, sultry “Aaaah,” filled the air.

The grip on her ankle vanished, her insides lurching as she plunged through the air. The world rushed by in a dizzying blur. She landed on the tongue with a wet splat, but her momentum barely slowed. She hugged and grabbed and flailed, anything to slow her descent, the sight of Anna’s throat flexing as she breathed and readied herself for her meal sending Matilda into a frenzy. She somehow twisted around, fingers clinging to Anna’s tastebuds. Spit soaked into her clothes, warm, viscous, wet seeping through and spreading across her skin. The revolting feeling made her heave in disgust, then she tried to scramble forward, away from the throat.

Teeth, tongue, and lips framed a clear and sunny autumn sky. Her vision became blurry and she had to blink spit and tears out of her eyes. She was so tired, her arms could barely hold on, let alone drag her forward. Her knee slipped, her face slamming into the spongy flesh before her. She was so close, she just had to pull herself forward.

The red cavern dimmed. Beyond the ridge of teeth Matilda could see lips beginning to seal. She let out a scared and weak, “please…” before the world went black.

The tongue rolled beneath her and she found herself pinned against the hard ceiling of Anna’s palate. Rough tastebuds slick with drool enveloped the front of her body, grinding into her, tasting her, savouring her. Desperately, she tried to push the tongue away, but the fleshy leviathan flexed and rolled her back into place. An unbearably loud “mmmmm” nearly deafened her before the tongue undulated and she felt herself move back. Her terror reached its peak, saliva pooled around her, time seemed to stop in that moment…

Glirck!

Pressure from all sides. Slimy flesh smeared across her face and thick ooze pressed into every part of her body, lubricating her for the miserable journey deeper into Anna. There was a blinding pain as a rib cracked. She tried to scream only to have the air squeezed from her chest. But all of that was nothing compared to the knowledge of what’s to come. The slippery tube of Anna’s throat squeezed and contracted, squeezed and contracted as it guided her down.

The muscle around Matilda’s beaten body tightened one last time before unceremoniously squeezing her into a meaty groaning cauldron. She fell through the stygian darkness before plunging into roiling reeking waters.

She thrashed under the boiling water, blindly trying to find a way up. The ocean around her churned, tumbling and tossing her under its waves. Clumps of partially digested food, masticated apples, and splinters of wood clung to her clothes, her hair, her skin. Her hand touched a fleshy furrowed wall, a wave slammed her entire body against it. Matilda was forced to breathe but found herself inhaling a lungful of putrid stomach acid. She sputtered and coughed but the burning sensation spread through her chest. Her head was pounding, she needed air, she needed to get out.

Her head breached the surface. Matilda hacked up the vile fluid and paddled forward, all while gasping in the noxious air. The soaked clothes dragged on her like weights and she had to struggle as much to keep her head above water as she did to move forward. Swimming blindly, dangerously close to collapse, she finally reached the edge of the hellish prison and clambered against the rugae with her arms. Sandy particles swirled around her legs as she kicked to stay afloat and a bubbling foam had begun to settle around her middle.

“Please! You can…” she violently coughed up more fluid, “you can still let me out! Please!!!”

An itching sensation was beginning to spread over her skin. Beyond exhausted, she tried to scream but the sound simply dissolved amidst an endless orchestra of groaning, thumping, squelching, gurgling. Her shoulders shook as she began to sob. She couldn’t save Delilah and she couldn’t even save herself. There was nothing she could do, even struggling was pointless. Nothing she could do but slowly melt away in a soupy grave inside Anna’s guts.

Her armpits and groin began to burn, and if she focused she could feel acids gnawing away at her extremities. Beyond a steady thrumming heartbeat Matilda could hear a deep gurgle bubbling somewhere above before the entire stomach shook with an ear splitting Urrp!

The pulsing walls shunted her back and she grabbed aimlessly at the darkness, then splashed back into the broiling chyme. Everything was burning now. She wanted to swim but she couldn’t stop her arms from trying to brush the searing pain away. She sank lower and lower, her head pounding to the rhythm of Anna’s heart. She was so tired. All she wanted was to run away with Delilah…