The day had started picture perfect. Or it would have, if everyone’s attention wasn’t worrying over the news about the giants. But with few clouds in the sky, a hearty buffet breakfast and Monday’s empty beaches providing the best undisrupted photo opportunities, Simon nearly forgot there were women out there with the mass of skyscrapers and large mountains. The only problem of the day came when new information about the colossal women appeared in the news. But still, there was so much time to do so little preparing, Simon and his partner Joanne, took their time setting up.

“I don’t get why you’re so concerned.” Simon said with a scoff as he checked the settings on all his cameras. “Not only is she in California, thousands of miles away, she’s not exactly aggressive.”

“They said she was headed for the pacific.” The lithe, 36-year-old Joanne retorted, slightly annoyed that Simon was making light of her concern. “You know… the pacific… the huge ocean we’re completely surrounded by.”

“Which is rather big. It’s not like a hallway where she has to pass these islands to get to the other end.”

“Well she’s-fucking-50,000-feet-tall, Simon! She doesn’t have to be aggressive and she doesn’t have to be anywhere near here! At her size, all she has to do is let one rip and ‘Boom!’ a city’s gone.” Simon chuckled at this, to which Joanne couldn’t help but join in. But she was serious. “No, I’m not kidding!” She whined, her grin fading, “She can probably cause tsunamis all the way from California. And if she does find us and just… snaps or something, starts tearing the place apart, where are we going to go? We’re completely surrounded by ocean. She could just stomp the island to bits and I’m pretty sure we can’t hide or sneak away in the ocean.”

Those last sentences did dent Simon’s docile armor. To Simon, this could have been a perfect day: pictures of beautiful bikini women, a few hours in the placid, meditation-inducing dark room and a wild night of parties, but no. The first assignment he was going to let loose on and it became a day with the chance of tsunami’s, stomps and farts.

“Well, if she does come by, I hope she brings Salma Hayek along.” Simon said flatly, twisting open his camera as he tried to hide the concern she drove in him. “She’s still a manageable size, right? 600-700 feet? Man, how awesome would it be if giant Hayek modeled for me?”

Joanne didn’t answer, but continued to set up her light fixtures.

The first of the seven models was Jennifer England, who arrived in a separate car. The blonde from Lansing, Michigan had a separate schedule and stayed in a separate hotel, just like all the other models. Though he’s explained to many men that photographers see the models only during the photo shoots, they didn’t envy him less. Jennifer came out of the changing rooms, from the makeup and clothing people, wearing a green and white bikini that stuck to her curves like taut plastic wrap. Her hair was shoulder-length with curls that housed streaks of brunette swirling with the gleaming natural blonde. He had seen her earlier photos in Maxim magazines and to be honest, little seems to have changed. Her breasts were still full and teardrop shaped, her stomach still tight as a drum and firm, feminine legs that flexed as she walked.

“Hey!” Jennifer waved, greeting them all with a warm smile. “So you guys wanted a full-out muscle shoot, right?” She said lightheartedly, gritting her teeth playfully while she flexed her toned arms this way and that.

“Honestly, I do.” Joanne said through grins, “But, I’m pretty sure Maxim doesn’t want to immaculate all their subscribers.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that would we?” Jennifer said as she shook Joanna’s outstretched hand.

“I’m your photographer, Joanna. I’ll be leading the photo shoot. And this scrawny guy here is my partner Simon.”

“Hey.” He nodded, holding back the urge to gaze lower.

“What’s up?” She smiled back.

The shoot proceeded as planned. Modeling music was played for Jennifer and plenty of good shots were made, only on the beach though as the publisher didn’t want pictures of her in the water. After a roll of film and a fourth of a memory card, Joanna had her model go for a touch up in the bathroom’s temporary wardrobe. Jennifer came back after a few minutes, catching Simon in the middle of readjusting the lights. Something was different. The second he laid eyes on her, there was something off. It was almost as if she was carrying something heavy on her shoulders, though he barely noticed it. But when he looked at her feet, she was dragging them a little through the sand, as if her toes were made of lead.

“Alright, ready for our last set?” Joanne asked, holding up her camera.

“Ready.” She replied eagerly, fanning herself with her hand despite the rather cool day.

“Jennifer,” Simon spoke up, “are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She said casually, “why?”

“Oh, just making sure.”

Halfway through the shoot, Jennifer began perspiring. At first, it was almost unnoticeable, but before the last six shots, she seemed like she had been in the ocean.

“For these last few pictures, why don’t we take them in the water?” Joanne gave Simon a look that told him she knew what she was doing.

Jennifer waded in, sitting down and letting the waves wash over her a few times. She then stood and walked further in the ocean, obeying Joanne when she ordered her to stop. Waist deep in water, Jennifer eyes began to seem dead.

“Jennifer, could you shake the water out of your hair?”

She didn’t respond, but allowed her eyes to close as she began to rock side to side. Joanne lowered her camera from her face.

“Jennifer?” Joanne asked, suddenly alarmed. Simon was already running into the surf when Jennifer collapsed into the water.

Simon hooked his hands beneath Jennifer’s shoulders, lifting her limp head out of the water.

“Oh my god!” Simon howled in astonishment as his entire body trembled and strained from the weight. “She’s freaking heavy!” he panicked.

But his complaints fell on deaf ears. Joanne stood on the beach looking onward as she spoke loud and calmly into her phone, covering her other ear with her free hand. The moment she noticed Simon flailing in the water, grunting and gritting his teeth, she pulled the phone away from her ear.

“What-the-fuck are you doing?” She yelled, marching towards the crashing waves.

“She’s really heavy!” He screamed, slowly dragging her through the water, completely aware of how ridiculous that sounded. “I’m not joking! Please help me!”

Joanne said a few more words into her phone before dropping it on a towel, running into the waves as Simon stumbled backwards into the water. Jennifer’s head landed in Simon’s lap. He yelped in pain under the unexplainable burden. It was just a beautiful face covered in wet, curled blonde hair, but it weighted like a damn bowling ball. Supporting her head in his hands, Simon kept Jennifer’s mouth above the water as Joanne separated the model’s legs, positioning herself between them. After a count to three, they struggled to lift the unconscious body.