Chapter Five: Correcting Mistakes

“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

                                                                                                                                                                -Buddha

                                Adam awoke to a tumultuous world. He found everything around him was in a state of flux. He flew through the air letting out a horrific scream as a large wallet appeared directly in front of him drawing nearer by the second. 

                “Oh shit” was all Adam could manage to get out as he raised his arms above his head in a futile attempt to protect himself as he crashed into the wallet. His body came to a sickening halt as he slid down the length of the pocketbook.

                A dazed expression fell across Adam’s face as he heard the loud booming voice of a man in the room.  The magnitude of which the two spoke only allowed Adam to make out small segments, but from what he could gather it was Riley’s father. 

                Struggling back to his feet, Adam looked upward wondering where he was in relation to the opening of the purse. All he could see was a massive wall of knit material which loomed above him. The wall held yards upon yards of greyish fibers which appeared in a crisscross pattern creating a mesh wall that extended outward in every direction above him. Fear coursed through his veins as he looked about not knowing if he was looking at the side wall of the purse and it was just lying on its side or if he was looking at the top of the purse and it was closed shut.

                In all this turmoil, hope appeared before Adam for the first time. What looked to be stories above him was a miniature flashlight which had gotten turned on in all the commotion. The flashlight illuminated much of the space around him, which left Adam with the ability to see clearly for the first time in what felt like days. As he looked about trying to take in the surroundings, he noticed that his impact with Riley’s wallet had caused the button holding the flap down to loosen up enough to the point in which the wallet had slightly unfolded.  He immediately began surveying the wallet, wondering if it could hold something that could help him get out of this fabric cell.

Adam looked from left to right before he pulled himself up and over the lip of the wallet and tumbled inside. The lighting inside was dim and the two walls were pressed tightly together which led Adam to try to shove them apart in hopes of creating a  little more room but neither side would budge.  Resting briefly, Adam noticed Riley’s Georgia license. It was simply massive in size which made the birthdate stick out. The date seemed wrong as it said May 19th 1994. 

Adam moved in closer to see the other details of the card hoping this was some kind of fake license, but everything he knew about Riley fit with this identification card. He knew that she lived in Georgia, grew up in Columbus Georgia, was going to the University of Georgia in the fall  , every detail she told him fit with this identification outside of the age. Adam re-read the identification card several times hoping he had misread something.

                “There must be some kind of mistake. That’s the only thing that makes sense.” Adam said to himself while the booming voices of Riley and her father echoed around him.  Adam noticed the license was tucked into one of several flaps with plastic windows. Climbing out of the wallet Adam used his legs to pull over the next flap hoping that this would clear things up. He knew Riley wouldn’t have lied to him about such an important detail.

“This has to be a fake license.” Adam thought climbing back down to look at the card in the second compartment. His heart perked up as he found a second identification card; this one from the state of New York.  As Adam looked closer he noticed this Identification card said May 19th 1988 and contained some glaring details which didn’t fit. The height was wrong, as Riley is over six feet tall and this one says five foot five, the weight didn’t seem to match Riley’s frame.

“There is no way she should have this card, she isn’t a resident of New York.” Adam’s brain quickly started to fill in the pieces when the purse once again begun to shake and shudder. Adam tumbled out of the wallet and cried out in pain as a hair pin clasped around his ankle like as if it were a bear trap. The purse fell back to earth with a thud and Adam felt himself land against a strong netting made from Riley’s knit sweater; the grey netting begun to fall all around him pinning him against the floor before he could react. The titanic sized hand of Riley entered the purse as the bright lights from the outside world shone in for the first time.

                The hand itself looked simply beyond words as it darted past Adam shoving the grey knit sweater to the side as if it were nothing. The strong grey fibers pushed against Adam’s body entangling him further in its grasp as he felt himself and sweater shoved around as the hand dug deeper and deeper in the purse. The entire event spanned only ten to fifteen seconds but it felt like hours to Adam. As the hand finally retreated out of the purse, he began to struggle beneath dark grey fibers of the sweater. The more Adam fought his way out the more entangled he became.

                “Okay calm down.” Adam said to himself as he let his muscles relax and took a few deeps breaths. As he did so he could feel the sweater loosening around him. He slid down to the floor started to work his way out from beneath the sweater which was a bit easier said than done with a hairpin stuck around your ankle. Adam kicked and pulled a bit finally breaking his leg free from the sweater.

                As he freed himself from the sweater Adam’s craned his head upward. He wasn’t sure what he was going to see; or what he wanted to see, but he was completely shocked to see Riley staring down at him. She had a look of surprise and wonder spread across her face which seemed to be engulfed by the opening of the purse. Adam reached downward trying to pull the hairpin from his ankle, but it was around him much too tight. There was no way to run or stand with the hairpin tightly hugging his foot. The realization that in a purse he had nowhere to run hadn’t hit him.

                “Ruh-ruh-riley” Adam managed to sputter out as he looked at her cascading brown locks of hair and her flawlessly smooth and clear skin even now seemed to radiate happiness.

                Adam found himself with only the ability to watch as her hand reached towards him dismissing anything else in its path. Meekly Adam tried to back away but her hand was on top of him in seconds. A feeling of warmth emanated from her hand as it blanketed around Adam’s tiny nude body. The feeling would have been relaxing if not for the fact his body was pulsating with fear over the fact of being completely immobilized by her now immense girl power.

                “Its, its really you isn’t it? How did? Why are you? You are real right?” Riley stammered out struggling to get out everything her mind was telling her. “You feel like a real person, you are cold but warm like a person feels. Adam ? say something please!” Riley said as she brought the miniature man closer to her face.

                Adam didn’t know whether to feel afraid, angry or relieved. He was furious over the fact that Riley had lied to him about her age. If he had known he true age he wouldn’t have given her the time of day, but taking his current situation into account being found by someone is a step in the right direction even if it wasn’t a medical professional.

                “Riley thank god” Adam started saying and as soon as he started speaking it all just flowed out of him. As he explained the entire ordeal he had experienced, so far. As he finished his side of the story he noticed just how close he was to her face. He could reach out and touch her if he wanted too.

                “Sorry, it’s just your voice is so high pitched and quiet it’s hard to hear you without you real close up like this.  I’m so sorry I fainted the first time. So much of your struggles were my fault.” Riley said as she extended her finger towards Adam. He could see her pointer finger wobbling from left to right a bit as she bit her lower lip as she always does when she’s not sure if she should do or say something

                The grip on her lower lip was released just enough for her tongue to slip out ever so slightly moistening her lower lip. As her tongue slid across her lip her finger pressed against Adam’s chest, sliding down rubbing his chest like a person would a dogs or cats.  The corners of her mouth turned upward flashing a slight smile before her finger pulled away Adam’s stomach, and slid down his thighs pausing at his midsection for a brief moment.

                “You’re real, I mean it’s really you, all of you is here, just so tiny. I can’t believe just a surge of electricity could cause this. Are you sure all you did was just plug the phone charger in?” inquisitively asked Riley as she continued to visually inspect Adam.

                “I don’t get it either. This is not possible, I shouldn’t be able to sit in your hand and yet here I am standing against every shred of scientific evidence saying that I can’t happen. I need you to” was all Adam could get out before Riley interjected.

                “Wait, I need to tell you this Adam. It’s important before you say anything else. I need you to know that…that I love you. I know we have known each other just a few weeks, but sometimes, you just know when something feels right, and no matter what, I will love you, and stand by you in all this. We will find a way to get through this okay?” Riley said as she let out a sigh of relief elated to get her feelings out.

                “I appreciate that, I want to believe that and I probably would have when we got out of bed today, but you’re staring at me like some alien.”

“I’m not, I’m sorry.” Riley said averting her gaze to her IPod.

“I’m still me regardless of what happened and that’s more than I can say about you. Were you ever you? Atleast, the you that I knew, or was that really you?” Adam blurted out.

“What, what are you talking about?” Riley said as she returned her gaze to Adam.

“I saw your identification in your wallet, both of them. You’re what 18 year olds? I’m a grown man in my thirties Riley.”

“I was always going to tell you, but the more we talked the more perfect everything seemed. The only thing I ever lied to you about was my age. My feelings, thoughts, and opinions were always me. This doesn’t need to change anything.” Riley barely got out before Adam interjected.

“I’m sorry, but for me it does and you’re still young and soon enough I will just be a bad memory. So just press call button and let the nurse take me away.”

“I love you Adam and I know you love me. You have every right to be a little hurt, and I know with a little time that too will pass. All of this, is gods will, and I know you don’t believe in god, but if this doesn’t make you a believer what possible can? God knew we were right for each other, and that distance was going to keep us apart. Now, we can be together always.” Riley said with a smile on her face as she lovingly looked down at Adam.

“Always? What are you talking about? I’m sure I will see a facility near Lisa and the girls.” Adam said a bit confused.

“That won’t be necessary, you can stay with me. You said yourself that you loved me, but I could tell you didn’t want me to have to pick up and move across the country. That’s just kind of man you are. You would never want me to give up my dreams to be with you. Now you can just come back out east with me, and I know given time you will love me just as much as before. You will see that the age difference doesn’t mean anything, and I can wait because I love you Adam. Now don’t be mad, but remember how I said I was going to school in the fall. I didn’t lie about that, I really am going to school in the fall, just not the school you thought. I still have a year at Columbus High School left. I swear that is the last lie I told you.”

“Oh my god. I’m going to jail. I am going to jail, wait no I’m not your parents will just kill me when they see me. I can see it now, your mom swats me to the floor with a dish rag and your dad finishes the job with the underside of his boot. How, how could you do this to me?”

“I can see your upset, and being the caring adult girlfriend that I am I can admit I’m partly to blame for this, and you might need a little space.” Riley said reaching back into purse and opening up the case for her glasses. As she pulls out the black rimmed glasses she slides them on her eyes blinking a couple times to adjust her vision as she sees Adam clearly for the first time.

                “Girlfriend? A little upset? I’m not going home with you. This is not happening. You get a doctor in right now or put me down and I will find one myself.” Adam shouted before feeling Riley’s hand tilt. He grabbed at her fingers in a feeble attempt to stop his descent, but in a matter of moments he was free falling through the air. The farther he fell the larger Riley seemed to get. As he crashed into the case that had been holding her glasses he felt his back cry out in pain.

                “No wait, you can’t do this. You can’t do this! I don’t love you!!” was all Adam could get out before the case slammed shut with a loud click.  Adam continued to shout at the top of his lungs, while pounding against the roof of the case.  So frustrated with the events as they unfolded his mind had forgotten about the pain in his back or the hairpin still clamped around his ankle.

                “Now you won’t have to be so worried about being killed while in my purse. I will take you out when I can, my dad’s coming back. Kiss Kiss” Riley said before slipping the case back into her purse along with her IPod.

                “Good news princess, I spoke with Doctor Jefferson here, and we should be able to fly you back tomorrow no problem. They are just going to give you a little sedative so you can get a good night’s rest. Mother and I will be back tomorrow morning to fly you home.

                “Dad wait, no sedative.” Riley said as the doctor injected her with the sedative.

                “Shhhhh, it’s okay princess, your mother and I will be here first thing. You just rest now.” Her father said as he gave her a kiss and smiled warmly as he watched her eyes flutter closed.

                The next twenty hours were some of the most long and painful of Adam’s life. He pounded against the top of case for some time, but he eventually wore himself out and the pain in his back and ankle had overcome him.  He could her Riley and her father talk for a few minutes, then it got quiet. He couldn’t make out much of what was said but he clearly heard the word sedative, and then it got dead quiet after that.

                Adam was left with just his thoughts. He kept processing the events that had happened, and led him to this situation. He couldn’t believe that a high school senior had done him in. As much as he hated to admit he had fallen for her when he thought she was twenty four, but knowing the full picture he just felt dirty. All he could think of now was that at eighteen year olds she was about half his age.

                As Adam continued to lay in the case, and the hours continued to creep by he started to wonder if maybe this was his punishment. Maybe there really is a god, and the years of non-believing had caught up with him.

                “Yup, this is probably what hell is.” Adam said to himself before he finally heard someone come into the room. The footsteps were soft as they shuffled about the room for a while before finally feminine voice called out Riley’s name. Adam could hear her groggily start to stir awake, and the case he was in shimmied about, as the purse was lifted up, and tossed onto the chair.

                “Hey it’s nice to see you in your natural position, on your back.” A female voice said sounding nearly on top of Adam.

                “I was wondering when you would show your face Chewbecca.” Riley taunted as she sat up seeing her sister Becca.

                “I wanted to come yesterday, but dad was going all crazy. This just proves you’re his favorite you know. Anyway, they are still parking the rental. So how did this happen? Mom said you were in some hotel room, so who was he?” Becca asked as she pulled the chair in closer.

                “I’m not a slut like you; shouldn’t you be helping me get ready?” Riley said as she started to stand up for the first time in a day.

                “fine, but don’t you think this is over. You are pretty sneaky though, I will give you that. I diligently packed up all your stuff last night from your hotel room and found no trace or clues of mister right, but I did find some condoms. Naughty, naughty Rye.” Becca said as she pushed the chair back.

                “How about some clothes? Not all of us are accustomed to walking around nude.” Riley quipped before Becca threw her clothes at her.

                “We are supposed to meet mom and dad in the lobby once you change. I will get your chariot from the nurse. Your doctor said you have to exit in a wheel chair” Becca said.

                “Fine, let’s just get this over with. I’m ready to go home.” Riley said looking down at her purse briefly with a smile.