I let Richard lead the way as I motioned towards my room.  I still couldn’t get over the fact that petite me can actually see over the top of my husband’s head.  Jesus I felt mammoth but not as much as poor old Ben.  Judith looked like a munchkin compared to him.  I felt bad for Judith who couldn’t seem to dry her tears.  Ben folded down as much as he could so he could comfort his wife.  Whatever the news is, it can’t be good.

I sat down on my bed while Richard paced the room trying to find the words to say.  I couldn’t bare the silence much longer but I knew it was Richard’s time to speak.

“You’ve grown quite a bit,” Richard mumbled.  “They told us they weren’t sure if you would quit.  They also said there is no cure or way to reverse it.”  My stomach let out a growl.  Even though Ben and I just ate, our appetites seem to be getting more and more ravenous by the day.  “They also told us you can eat enough to feed five families and that if you don’t eat, you show signs of starvation.”

“That’s what I understand.  That is of what they tell us.  They won’t tell us much,” I said as I folded my arms.  Richard could barely even make eye contact much less look at me.

“They brought us here because this is the last time you are going to see me,” Richard frowned as he looked down at his shoes.  “I don’t like it. I don’t like the whole situation Sarah.”

“Take me home then.  We can work something out,” I said but I knew it was useless.  Richard was in the same spot I was.  Ben and I were locked tight in here.

“There’s no working anything out Sarah.  We know that.  Our marriage is already in a bad place.  They told me and the others that you are now property of the United States government.  They wiped all your records out.  I came today hoping to serve you divorce papers but when I got here, they pretty much took care of it for me already.  I was told that there will no longer be a Sarah Peterson,” Richard sounded solemn. 

“Richard,” was all I could say.

“Sarah, this is probably for the best.  The boys and I are having your funeral tomorrow.  The government is paying for it.  As of now I’m a widower with two sons.  We’re all going to be widowers or in the case of that kid, parents without their son.  I don’t like it Sarah but this is how it’s going to be,” I spied a tear coming out of the corner of Richard’s eyes just as I was holding mine back.  “I wish to God that they would’ve let the boys come.  I know you would’ve wanted to see them.  This isn’t right.”

“No, it’s not.  I didn’t ask for this,” I sobbed.  “I feel like a massive freak Richard.  If only I stayed home that night.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered Sarah.  There were reports of people missing from their sleep and their homes.  People that had good marriages and a happy life.  Look at the man you’re sharing a room with.  Jesus Sarah, you should’ve seen his wife’s reaction to this,” Richard wasn’t happy about this.

All the sudden a strange vision flashed through my head.  I wasn’t the only one getting this as I’m sure Ben and the others are too.  The bright light came into view and then an extremely large shape.  Then another one.  Loud voices speaking in a strange language I never heard before.  Words wanted to escape my mouth but they couldn’t.  I felt retrained as I was lying on my back and then I felt it.  Several needles entering my skin.  I began to scream for my freedom but the words just weren’t coming out.  Then a strange sensation washed over me after all the stinging.  One of the large forms came at me closer.  It was a humanoid of sorts with large blue eyes and thin white hair.  The creature was massive and I was frightened.  The creature seemed to be giving me a sympathetic smile.  Jesus, he was as big as a building.  Then the vision ended with me sitting on the bed in a catatonic state.

“Sarah,” I heard Richard saying my name.  “You okay sweetheart.”  Richard hasn’t called me sweetheart in like forever.  The worried look on his face said it all.  My constant hunger pangs stopped as did the growling.  I felt a strange sensation wash over me.  I felt peaceful for a moment.  Richard kept saying my name but I wasn’t answering, I couldn’t.  Richard was becoming increasingly concerned.  That was when it started.

I stood up but I don’t know why.  I looked down at my husband and noticed that he was slowing becoming smaller.  Richard gave me a horrified look.  I wanted to speak but I couldn’t.  My body felt numb.  I couldn’t speak and I could barely move.  The spandex in the bra and shorts slowly gave away.  I could feel my clothes tighten along my skin testing the limits of the spandex.  Then the ripping sounds.  My body slowly stretching upwards but there was nothing I could do about it.  I felt strange and motionless.  I was aware but I couldn’t move or speak.

Judith ran into the room.  Her jaw dropped when she caught sight of me, totally naked at this point.  I felt like I was looking out of a three story building.  Alarms sounded.  A voice came over the loud speakers declaring a total lockdown.

“It’s happening to Ben too,” I heard Judith tell Richard.  “What are we going to do?”

“How the fuck should I know?” Richard responded to the small woman.  At this point everyone and everything was small to me.

“Dear God in heaven,” Judith muttered.

As this strange thing was happening to me, I became aware that Richard and Judith weren’t the only voices I was hearing.  Aaron and Liz shared one of the dorms next to ours.  I could hear Aaron’s mom through the walls, screaming.  It was happening to everybody.

The sensation began to ebb.  I was slowly coming out of my catatonic state when I looked down.  Down farther than I ever expected.  Richard looked all of six inches tall to me.  At this point all my modesty went out the door.  There was nothing I could do about the nudity.  Even the bed sheets wouldn’t work at this point.  I felt massive at this point as I blinked my eyes.

“Sarah?  Jesus Sarah,” Richard said in a shaky voice.  Judith ran out of the room and back to Ben.  It’s a good thing we were being kept in a warehouse sort of building.  If Ben and I were still at the other place, we would’ve left it to rubble with this strange growth spurt.  Strange isn’t really the word for it.  I felt different.  I wasn’t hungry anymore; my mind was buzzing and my hearing and vision, way better than expected.  Despite my point of view, I could still make out Richard’s every feature.  The crow’s feet at the corner of his eyes, the wrinkles in his shirt.  It was all beyond strange.  Then my concern didn’t reach out to my scared and shocked husband, it reached out to Ben.  I wanted so much to see his kind face.  I all the sudden wanted to feel normal.

I heard the small footsteps of men and women running in the hall.  “Get those people out of the rooms,” I heard a commanding voice shout.  Soldiers came into the room and grabbed Richard.  I just stood there, speechless.

“Ben!” I heard Judith yell.  “Don’t let them take me!”

“Judy!” Ben voice sounded even more commanding than the dinky soldier.  “Leave her alone!”

Richard went of his own free will but I have a feeling the situation is much different in the other room.

“You took my son!  I’m not letting you bastard take my wife too!” I heard Ben.

“Sir, he has the woman.  He smacked two of our men across the room.  They’re both going to be alright.  Stevens has a broken arm.  What should we do?” I heard one of the soldiers say.

“Firing is not an option.  The subject will wear down.  Retreat,” I heard the soldier’s Bluetooth.

I waited until Richard and the soldiers were out of the dorm.  I realized Ben and I are now trapped.  The automatic doors were much too small for our gigantic frames.  The only escape is to break down the walls.  At our new size it shouldn’t be too hard to do but right now I was more concerned about Ben and Judith.  Despite my lack of clothes, I bucked up and went to Ben’s room.  There were no doors, just walls.  There stood Ben, all sixty-two feet of him holding his wife in the palm of his hand.  Fragments of his ripped shorts lies on the floor and Ben held a sheet over him manhood with his other hand.  Judith was shaking.  Not with fear but anger.  I have a feeling that anger is directed towards the soldiers that tried to take her away.

“Are you okay?” I asked, trying not to dwell on the fact that I am complete in the buff.  Ben being the gentleman he is ignored my lack of clothes.  He was focused on Judith.

“No,” Judith said, still seething with anger.  “Those bastards were going to take Ben away from me like they did Ryan.”

“Ryan?”  I asked and Ben turned away.

“I wasn’t the only one missing Sarah.  Ryan was with me,” Ben quietly confessed. 

“When they came for Ben, those bastards took Ryan too.  They wouldn’t let me see him,” Judith began to sob.  I stared at Ben with my mouth open.  “They tore children away too!  This isn’t right!”

Ben didn’t care about his modesty at that moment as he let the sheet drop to the floor.  I was too shook up to think about my own modesty.  Ben began petting his wife gently while Judith cried.  Ben loved his wife, there was no denying that.  It didn’t matter to him that he looked much younger and has a full head of dark hair.  Ben didn’t care about that.  He only cared about his family. I cared about our privacy when I realized the cameras were well within my reach.  I smashed them between my fingers till the static and beeps died down.  I knew then that they couldn’t see or hear us.

“Sarah and I are going to find a way out of here.  We don’t care if we have to tear this place apart to do it.  Judy, I promise that I will find our son,” Ben whispers to her.

“I’ll tear it down brick by brick myself if I have to,” Judith responds.  Ben and I give her a gentle smile.