Chapter Three: Courage to Love

                “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

                Fear, is what flowed through Riley Parker; Adam’s body motionless, miniaturized, and defenseless as she peered down at the man who held her in his arms just hours ago. This isn’t the kind of fear when you get when you see a spider, cockroach, mouse, rodent or happens to grip you with fright; this was true unequivocal fear.

                Riley struggled with the idea of a person being so small. The man she loved was so much taller and smarter than the creature which lay before her. The slightest of movements on her part was enough to send it flying. It was at that very thought that Riley paused. Creature, it, smarter, smaller, all rang in her head as her brain wrapped around the idea of it all. This was still Adam, regardless of size or anything else. This was Adam.

                Tears slid down Riley’s face faster than she could wipe them away. All she could think about was how she had killed another person. How could anyone forgive her, much less herself?  Visibly she shook while unconsciously she crouched down to get a closer view.  As she did so she spotted his miniature chest rise and then falls ever so slowly.

                “Thank god you’re alive. Adam, Adam honey, wake up! Please!” Riley pleaded as her tears continued to fall from her face.

                Adam’s eyes fluttered open momentarily before the brightly lit room caused his eyes to wince shut, while the colossal figure of Riley loomed over him as relief assaulted his senses. Tear drops the size of water melons pelted the carpet around him with one landing square on his face as the salty tear water slid down his face.

                “Riley” Adam struggled to vocalize as he looked up at the massive woman who hovered over him.

                “I was so scared, I thought you were dead. I had no idea it was you down there. You’re just so small, I mean really, really, really small. You should see yourself, it’s unbelievable.” Riley said vocalizing her thoughts. A sense of awe washed over Riley as her eyes scanned the diminutive man. As she continued looking over Adam’s nude body recognition of the situation filtered into her brain. A man had shrunk. She was staring at a shrunken person.

                Normalcy was beginning to return when Adam saw Riley’s eyes glaze over and rollback before collapsing to the floor. The thud of her body slamming into the carpeted floor of the hotel room was enough to send to Adam rolling end over end. The ground shook as if an earthquake was happening, but as Adam tumbled over he couldn’t help but realize nothing else was shaking. A Second later everything stopped. Adam rolled over to see the massive form of Riley sprawled out on the floor.

                “Shit, you have to be kidding me” shouted Adam as he looked up at the ceiling which peered down at him as if they were the heavens themselves. He rushed over to the unconscious Riley nearly tripping over her rope like brown and blonde hair as the smell of lavender perforated the air around him.

                Adam’s heart raced as he approached the dormant giant. His swift strides begun to peter as he approached her face pushing several strands of hair out of his way as if they were vines hanging from tree branches in some African jungle. Gently at first Adam slid his hand down Riley’s soft, smooth skin as the warmth radiating from her skin made him realize just how cold he was.

                “You really are gorgeous. Most men would think I’m a fool to say no I don’t want a beautiful, young, voluptuous woman as a girlfriend. How many times can a guy in his thirties land a nearly flawless young woman such as you? I love my wife though, and my girls, but this isn’t waking you up.” A loud pounding at the door jarred Adam as the garbled voice boomed. Moments later the door swung open as the housekeeper walked in.

                “Mam, are you alright. Mam!” The high school aged girl shouted as she rushed towards the woman.

                Adam’s heart was racing as his the floor groaned by the quick, heavy footfalls of the young woman.  Subconsciously Adam backpedaled as his head craned upward as he stared past her khaki pants and dark green polo in an attempt to see the face of the young blonde teenager in hope of her being a housekeeper he was familiar with. Any hopes of contact quickly unraveled as her dark black sneaker filled the sky blocking his field of vision. Adam dove out of the way as her sneaker slammed against the ground.

                “AAHHHHH” screamed Adam as he panted heavily looking at his legs just inches from the tread of her shoe. “I, I could have been killed.” stuttered Adam as he crawled several feet away before looking back again.

                “Now what do I do? I could be stuck here, or found by this housekeeper or worse yet sucked into the vacuum,”  Thought Adam while the young housekeeper bolted up from her crouched position stepping over Riley as she rushed to the phone.

                “Yes, this is Sarah Palmer. I’m a housekeeper here at the Fitzgerald Hotel. I have a guest unconscious but breathing lying on the floor. I tried waking her but she’s unresponsive.” Adam was petrified. He needed medical attention and help but he could see his chances of getting any were slim to none and slim was heading out the door.

                “Think, think, think, my best chance for help is going to get carted off on stretcher unless I want to throw myself at some stranger.” Adam yelled frustrated. “Sex, that’s it.” Adam said as he remembered that Riley tried to set her purse on the chair while they were making out as they entered the room but she missed the chair.

                Spinning on his heels he spotted her large tote style studded shoulder bag. It was lying on the floor wide open. Knowing he was out time Adam ran towards the open shoulder bag. His heart was racing as his side ached. He was sucking in wind faster than a balloon could expel it.  As he reached the bag he noticed several of her things strewn about before he saw a huge flaw in his plan. The purse appeared to be several stories tall and standing upright.

                “She’s right here” The housekeeper’s voice boomed as the paramedics rushed in. Adam collapsed to the floor out of breath and out of energy. There was no way he could get into her purse. He would have to be Spiderman to get into that thing. He was no rock climber, and had no super powers. It was all he could do run here.

                A dark shadow quickly flashed overhead followed by the massive frame of the tiny teenager.  Adam’s eyes bugged out as he saw the young woman crouch down. He tried to scream but nothing was coming out as her hand reached down towards him.   A second later he felt himself shoved between a hairbrush and an iPod as the young woman tossed him carelessly into the shoulder bag.

Adam slammed chest first into a Buick sized wallet as he felt the bag lurch upwards. As the bag ascended he tumbled from the wallet falling between a tampon and bottle of hand sanitizer.

“Here’s her purse. I called the front desk and she’s not registered with Mr. Price. So were not sure who she is.” The housekeeper said as the paramedics wheeled Riley out of the room.