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It's been a few weeks since Steven realized he had the "Shrinking Virus" and his mental state has taken the turn for the worse. Where he use to be happy, charismatic and open to people he was now always depressed and angry at everything. The good thing was that the disease had now stabilized itself so he wasn't suffering from lack of muscle mass or stamina anymore. Of course he had to work out twice as much to keep up his strong appearance but at least he had a normal level of strength again (Well, normal for a shrinker, that is). However, he knew that he would gradually become weaker and weaker and it was only a matter of time before his lack of strength was as evident as his lack of height. 

 

A few days after he contracted this illness he made it a priority to book an appointment with his doctor, hoping that maybe he really was being paranoid or maybe this was something completely different and curable. But alas, the doctors confirmed his worst suspicions and there was now no doubt in his mind that his life truly was over now. Of course the doctors tried to reassure him that his life wasn't "completely over" and that he can still "live relatively normally" but all of this just sounded like a load of BS designed to give the patient hope happiness. He was actually about to fly into a rage at the doctor when they warned him that negative emotions stimulated the progression of the illness. 

 

What? I can't even get upset now to help deal with this? That's like pointing a gun at a person's head and saying if they get scared then they die.

 

The doctors informed him that the most effective and popular method of dealing with the condition was meditation as if helped calm the nerves, cleared the mind and helped people control their emotions.

 

"But I don't know how to meditate. And I still don't see how sitting still is going to help me calm down. I've always found that exercise helps with anger"

 

"Yes, exercise is good for relieving stress" The young doctor said "However, because this disease attacks a person's physical abilities as much as their height it is not advised to overexert yourself." She picked up a book from her shelf and handed it to Steven "Meditation helps to control emotions and prevents them from effecting you which is the best way so far to halt this disease"

 

Steven looked at the thick, hardcover book in his hand. "Meditation for beginners. How to control your inner hulk". Although he didn't like the idea of literally just sitting down to combat this virus was willing to do anything if it meant staying alive for longer. Great, now he was starting to sound like his father.

 

Before he left the doctor's office she asked him if he had a guardian yet as it was ill advised to put it off for too long. It was mandatory for everyone affected by the "Shrinking Virus" to sign up and be put under the care of someone else. Steven said that he didn't know anyone he could trust his life with, he hadn't even told his family about his condition yet. After all, how do you tell someone that you're going to shrink away to nothing? The doctor put her hand on his shoulder.

 

"I know this must be hard and unfair but your family can help. That's what families are for, to be a crutch when you fall down and need help back up." she removed her hand and walked back to her desk. "Anyway, for the time being a recommend you continue staying in school, social interaction is very good the mind. Isolation breeds depression so it's best that you stay close to your friends and family rather than push them away"

"I'm not pushing anyone away"

"No, but you're not letting them in either"

 

After a few more minutes of talking Steven left the office with a thing of bad news, a book on meditation and a lecture. The doctor didn't understand what it was like living at his house, how his family would treat him if they knew he was a shrinker. There was a good reason he was keeping them in the dark. He wasn't pushing them away, he was keeping them at a safe distance for his own protection. Of course, if they couldn't be trusted enough to know about his condition could any of them really be trusted enough to be his guardian?

 

His Stepmother? Um, no, next. What about one of his friends? He would be able to move out and live the rest of his shrunken days under the care of someone who wasn't going to abuse him. Ugh, no way, he couldn't bare the constant pity his friends would drown him with not to mention they would stop seeing him as their strong, smart friend and more like ... a shrinker. The last person on his list that could be remotely worthy was his older sister, Megan, after all they were very close and he knew she would never mistreat him. Well, not intentionally of course, but he saw how she acted around their dad once he started shrinking. How she gradually started to treat him more like a small, helpless child the more he dwindled down until that's exactly what he became. She didn't even realize that she was doing it, it's just how she now saw him. 

 

Driving home, Steven's head was full of questions about his future and about what he was going to do. He felt as if he was being slowly pushed towards a cliff and there was nothing he could do to back away. Sooner or later he was going to be pushed over the edge and he had to figure out a plan for when that happens. The doctor also told him to stay in school because "being around friends and loved ones is the best thing for you now". She said this as if she thought he was going to run away from the world and hide. He wasn't a coward, of course he would stay in school. This disease wasn't going to take his life away from him!

 

Steven pushed all of these thoughts from his mind and tried not to think about his inevitable outcome hounding on him. Fortunately the virus wasn't shrinking fast enough to be clearly noticeable on a day to day scale and in the past three weeks he had only lost about 2 centimeters of height. And this was with him being flooded with dread and despair which means if he could really control his condition than he might be able to halt it completely.  Of course this was just wishful thinking of Steven's part, his mind trying to give him some hope to hold on to especially when hope was what he needed most of all. The virus might not be noticeable short term but in the long run he saw how his clothes became baggier, objects became heavier and his family looking like they were constantly growing in unison.  

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With monday came another week as usual with the same boring things that Steven just didn't care about anymore as there was no point in participating i a world he was no longer a part of. As per schedule Megan was the first downstairs making the lunches that should be prepared by Linda but ... well, you know what she'd say- "It's beneath me", "Not my job", "if you want to stay in my house you have to pull your own weight". And so Megan resigned herself as the slave of menial jobs with her being forced to cook and clean, like a modern day cinderella, less she wanted to be evicted. These jobs took priority over her already massive amounts of homework  she had to do and so it was no wonder she wasn't getting the marks she deserved.

 

Steven felt sorry for her but always seemed to find a way of getting out of actually helping her. Not once did he help her with the dishes or making lunch or even offer his assistance. Even Clara, the resident brat of the family, would sometimes drop her annoying act and help her big Step Sister with some chores. Did Steven think himself better than Megan because he refused to let himself be bullied around by their Stepmother? How would things change when he gets smaller and smaller? Would she be the better one? 

 

Maybe this explained why he was avoiding her. Even though he wasn't the closest person in her life or the nicest person she knew he still found himself avoiding her more and more ever since he got the virus. Even doing lunches he would just sit there and avoid eye contact or go to his room to eat in peace. Even when she tried to talk to him he would just grunt or say "not now, later". Was he afraid that if he looked at her he would see a towering sister who saw him as some child? he didn't want them to drift apart but couldn't bring himself to talk to her either.

 

This odd behavior hadn't gone unnoticed by said sister in question. At first she thought it was his way of dealing with an exam that was coming up; shut everyone out and focus on your work. But he had been doing it for quite a while now, if there was an exam it would have finished by now. This was something far worse ... oh, Linda was coming down. 

 

The heavy stomping noise which announced the arrival of their step mother could be heard making its way down the stairs. Megan immediately got the coffee pot and poured the dark liquid into Linda's king sized cup which she drank out of every morning. The eggs were also cooked but the toast wasn't ready yet, hopefully Linda was in a patient mood. This hope was dashed when she saw Linda enter the kitchen carrying her father as if he was a cat. Just like a mother cat picks up a kitten by the scruff of its neck so was Scott being carried by his collar. 

 

Linda marched over to Scotts oversized baby chair and dropped him into it backwards, she really must have been in a bad mood this morning. Did Scott do something to upset her or was she just in a morning mood? This didn't matter at the moment, however,as Megan quickly scooped the eggs onto some newly cooked toast and placed it in front Linda, before starting to make her own breakfast. No one was allowed to make food for Scott as he belonged to Linda and therefore could only be fed by her hand.

 

"How are you this morning, mother?" Megan asked with a smile. She always had to try and stay on Linda's good side if she wanted to stay in the house. Her eyes floated over to Scott who was looking at her with teary, begging eyes, most likely asking Megan to help him as he was starving. She felt so sorry her father but knew that she wouldn't ever get away with breaking Linda's rules and so turned away from her pitiful father and ignored his pleas.

"Did you have a good sleep, mother?"  Megan tried again but when Linda answered it was with neither eye contact or a friendly tone.

 

"Don't talk to me as if we're equals. You're just some pitiful creature sucking at my supportive teet. If it wasn't for me you'd probably be living on the street . Can't afford a house, can pay for college, serving as the family maid is the only thing you're good for. Why don't you just drop out of school and put all your effort into that?"

 

"What an excellent idea mother!" Jade called as she strode over to the kitchen, a look of smugness and a walk of confidence. "Why don't you quit college and become the family bitch? It's unlike you're smart enough to ever get a job, we're practically doing you favor by allowing you to be our servant."

 

"I think I'll stay in school and get a job"

 

"You know" Jade said, not even listening to Megan "My pretty much more qualified than you in every way, and you're so much older than me. How does it feel to have such a talented little sister whom you can never hope to compete with?" Jade turned her attention to her tiny step father whose head was down as if he was trying to fade away and hide. "Oh, look at how cute little daddy is." She bent down and squeezed his cheeks as if he were a child "You're so adorable ... and pathetic! You know I read study that said that if one person got the virus then their direct relatives are more likely to contract it as well." Then turning back to Scott she licked his entire face from his chin to his ear as if he were a candy "Hmm, tastes like coward. I wonder what you'll taste like when you shrink Megan. Maybe like loser, after all it's genetic."

 

"Please" Scott whimpered "Your breath" Jade's horrid halitosis washed over Scotts face in a wave of new morning breath.

"I'm sorry, what did you say? I think you forgot something. What are you suppose t call me again?"

Scott didn't say anything for a while before he whispered even more quietly "Ma'am"

"That's better"

 

Megan was stiff as a board. She was on the verge of both crying and screaming in anger and she didn't know what she wanted to do first. Jade was of course untouchable by Linda's rules but that wasn't what made Megan so upset. Jade was right in saying that she was more qualified in everything because she was. Whether it be fitness, intelligence, looks or friends, Jade had her beat by a mile and she knew it. Megan knew that she had to get out of this place as soon as possible.

 

"Jade" Linda said without turning away from her eggs "Leave him alone." Of course Linda didn't care about Jade harassing Scott because she cared about him and his well being, it was more like she cared about the services he provided. Whether it be from his massages, his money or his submissives, Linda had many reasons for keeping Scott around and if she let Jade continue to harass him like that he'd be microscopic in a month. 

 

Scott also offered many occupational bonuses for where she worked. When he started shrinking Linda decided to take a job at his workplace knowing full well that having him by her side she'd be able to excel through the ranks. ANd that she had done. The employees use to love Scott for his amazing charisma, charm and intelligence. he knew how to do the job perfectly and make everyone perform at their best without being some hard ass douchebag. In fact, if he hadn't contracted the illness he could very well be the CEO of the company by now but alas that is not the case. Instead he had his wife who used his popularity and power, not to mention the pity he got from everyone at the office, to rocket her forward in the ranks. In a short time she'd occupy the same position he once did and she did it in about half the time.  

 

Jade put her hands up as if surrendering to the police and backed away slowly "Right, right, of course dear mother. It isn't my place to play with your toys, I'll just have to get my own" She looked at Megan and gave a slight wink before heading over to the table and picking up and apple.

 

 

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