Faint rumbles in the distance woke Max up. His body sprang to life in eager anticipation as the rhythmic noises grew closer with each passing second. Once the ground started trembling with each sound he hurriedly peeked out from his room to greet his Mistress.

“Good morning Mistress!” Came his shrill, excited cry to the woman towering before him. To be blessed by the sight of this woman every day was one of life’s greatest pleasures. He loved everything about her, from the way she always dressed in casual shirts and jeans, to her lengthy brown hair, and even that indifferent look she always had when talking to him. He simply couldn’t get enough of this woman.

His Mistress said nothing, only signaling with a finger that she wanted him to leave his room. Naturally he complied as all good pets do and quickly climbed out and made his way before her feet, immediately falling on his knees to properly kiss her toes.

But something was off. Max puckered his lips to start the morning worship but his Owner took her feet away. He could only look up with blank confusion, unable to grasp why she would do such a thing. Had he failed her in some way? Her empty expression told him nothing.

Then she said words far crueler than any he could have ever imagined. “I’m letting you go.”

At first he chuckled, thinking it a mean jest from her. “Come on Mistress that isn’t funny.”

“Don’t call me that.” Max winced; she sighed and went on. “I’m serious. I’m letting you go. It’s been five years already. We had a good run but these things gotta end at some point.”

“B-But why?! What have I done to upset you? I’ve been a good pet haven’t I?”

“Precisely the point. You’ve been a good pet, too good. I can’t have myself caring about my toys. So I’m getting rid of you.” She snapped her fingers, instantaneously changing the shrunken man back to his original, human height. “If it means anything you did a good job while you lasted.”

Max could feel his eyes watering as his whole body started to shake. “No no no no no no no no! Don’t do this Mistress! I want to keep being your pet! Please!”

The rant was cut short as a loud sound echoed in the room, Max’s cheek stung. “I’m not your Mistress! My name is Rebecca. And you’re Max. Now get out of my house.”

“But what about my home?!” The sniveling mess gestured to where he’d stayed for all these years.

“Those are my shoes. Not your home.”

Her concise, emotionless response made him wince. “Where will I go? What will I do?”

“Not my problem. Now get out before I call the police.”

“Please Mist-“

“OUT!”

After years spent obeying that voice Max found himself crossing the door without even realizing it, Rebecca slamming it shut right behind him. He stood there with a blank look on his face, paralyzed by the reality of what had just happened. Without even realizing it at some point his feet started moving. Where he was going and how long he’d been walking he did not know. All he could tell was that he wasn’t in a neighborhood anymore. Vague memories from his life before Her told him that this was the bad part of town but he really didn’t care.

Everyone he passed either reacted with disgust or ignored him entirely. Not that he could blame them. His clothes were the same tatters he’d worn for years, years of dirt and grime were caked on every fiber of his body, and though he couldn’t tell, everyone always covered their noses around him so he probably smelled too. None of it mattered. He wasn’t a person. He hadn’t been for years. Trying to walk amongst these normal people., it was no wonder they found him repulsive.

Eventually his feet got tired of carrying him and he rested in a small alleyway. Max couldn’t get the mental image of Her out of his head. The years they’d spent together. The times they played with one another. The worship, oh the worship. What he’d give just for the chance to kiss those feet one last time. Never again. That gift was lost now and forever. “What now…?” He grumbled under his breath to no one in particular. He had no Owner. He had no money. He had no home. Just that morning he was living the dream. Now all that was left for him was to lie down and die.

“…Huh…?” His glazed eyes spotted something landing in front of him. Out of curious instinct more than anything else he found himself grabbing it for closer inspection; it was a five dollar bill, probably a charity gift from some passerby who felt sorry for him. Seeing it reminded him of those days he’d long since forgotten. Once upon a time he had a job, friends, even a home. Then he met Her and everything changed.

Those memories were comforting during these dark days. A part of him couldn’t help but wonder if this was the world’s way of trying to tell him something. Perhaps…perhaps this wasn’t as bad as he thought. His Mistress would never have abandoned him if she thought he couldn’t care for himself. If She believed in him then he should too.

But first: food. Hours had passed since he’d woken up. The realization hadn’t hit him until he saw the bill but his stomach was beginning to growl. Faintly, he could remember passing a convenience store during his mindless wandering. After picking up food there he could hole up for the day and start to piece his plan together. Slowly he climbed to his feet and headed out, increasingly optimistic about his future.

The sound of bells ringing when he walked in brought back all sorts of nostalgia. Max glanced around the store with a wonder-filled look. There were so many options. He could eat like a king here.

“Can I help you?” An annoyed feminine voice caught his attention.

Instinctively Max found himself lowering his head, a habit built from his years of servitude. “Yes, just give me a second please.” His eyes darted up just enough to recognize the woman behind the counter was colored but nothing more.

The woman rolled her eyes. “Then can you get out of line? You’re holding everyone up.”

“Huh? Oh! Sorry.” Without even realizing it he cut the line and positioned himself in front of the counter. Behind him Max could see two other customers annoyed by the sight of him. Their looks made him uncomfortable so he hurried his way to the back of the store and out of sight.

Familiar brands of chips and soda surrounded him. He’d long since forgotten what they all tasted like but he couldn’t see himself going wrong with basic potato chips and water. Plus they were the cheapest and he needed every penny he could save. Thankfully the other people were gone when he got in line. He hurriedly placed his items on the counter so he could stop bothering the clerk too.

She did her best to avoid interacting with him, silently scanning his objects and reaching a hand out for payment. When Max lowered his gaze and slipped the bill into her hands she wasted no time in handing him his change and gesturing to the door. “Have a nice day.”

He ignored the sarcasm in her voice and happily took his things, quickly leaving to go back to his alley. Not even a moment after he left he could clearly hear the woman in the store gagging and taking deep breaths.

Back at his alley he excitedly opened his new foodstuffs and ate a chip. The very next second he coughed it out with a disgusted look. The chips tasted horrible. Nothing compared to what his Mistress once fed him. Nothing compared to the crumbs beneath Her feet.

He shook his head at the thoughts. This was just something he’d have to get used to as a part of joining society again. But at least water was fine. He could drink that easily. It was just…bland. There was no flavor to it. Not like his Mistress…”No!” He shook the thoughts off again. “I can’t think about her like that. She isn’t Mistress! She’s….R-Re-Rebecca….” Simply saying the name took the wind out of him.

Taking a deep breath, he put one of his hands back into the bag of chips. He could vaguely make out the sound of thunder in the distance, and had a feeling he’d be in for a rough night without any sort of shelter.

Max managed to choke down the chips one at a time, gagging all the while. He did it out of necessity, and not any sort of pleasure. The only thing he was thinking of the entire time was his former Mistress, Rebecca. He’d spent far too long at her beck and call, and he feared he’d never be able to adjust to his new life.

A droplet of rain hit the top of his head, and he shivered. He wished he was back in her shoe, sleeping the night away in safety. Bringing his knees up to his chest, he forced the last of the chips down his throat, and began to drink the water.

Tossing aside the empty bottle a moment later, he watched as the rain gently began to pour on his dirty form. It felt nice, and cool. This had to be a sign too. The rain was here to cleanse him, and lend him a new lease on life. He didn’t know where he’d need to go, but he’d make it through this ordeal, just as he’d survived those endless nights under Rebecca’s feet.

Sitting down, he leaned back against a building’s brick wall, and decided to try and get some sleep. Thankfully it didn’t seem like a bad storm, and he managed to get to sleep fairly quickly.

In his dreams he was back home: in his Mistress’s shoes. Curled up into the toe, he enjoyed Her scent, and the prints left behind by Her toes. A gentle breeze blew across his face, and he shivered, curling into himself tighter into Her insole, and praying for warmth.

Like the perfect, benevolent Goddess she was, Rebecca appeared at that exact moment, and slid her foot into the shoe. In an instant the breeze was gone, vanquished by the unstoppable wall of foot flesh that had intervened. In its place, the pleasing scent of his Owner filled his lungs, and he waited for the gentle embrace of Her toes.

It was not to be. Sunlight tickled his eyes, and he woke up back to the harsh reality. It was a new day, and the sun had risen. He was thoroughly soaked from the rain, but figured it had at least helped to clean him, and make him more palatable to the rest of these regular humans. The people he would need to be spending the rest of his life with. Away from Her.

Squinting his eyes shut, Max pushed those thoughts out of his mind. Times had changed. He stepped out of the alley, shielding his eyes from the bright sun. Relatively few cars occupied the roads, and he wondered which direction he go. They all seemed equally confusing, and aimless to him.

Max arrived at a park. He didn’t know how he’d wound up here, and couldn’t have retraced his steps if his life depended on it he was so aimless. He felt as if he needed a break, and approached one of the park’s many benches to take a seat.

People seemed just as eager to avoid him now as they did before, but at least now they no longer covered their noses. Joggers ran past him, children played in the grass, and a mother sat at a bench on the walkway across from him. She chatted on her cell phone mindlessly, occasionally stopping to take a bite from a sandwich she held in her other hand.

He was smitten with her. Those ruby-red lips opening and coming down on the pieces of nourishing bread. Her powerful teeth biting through, and tearing a piece of her meal free from the rest of it. The hypnotizing motion of her chewing as she ground the food down into a more manageable form. And the powerfully erotic way she swallowed, and sent the food down her gullet.

He imagined himself in the stranger’s food. He was back to his normal size, and had somehow become trapped. She was too busy talking on the phone to notice him, or his feeble cries. Everything was so big and terrifying at his size. With a casual motion she opened her mouth, moved the sandwich forward enough to engulf him, and then...

“Excuse me sir.”

Max was broken from his reverie with a light tap on the shoulder. Turning his head back he met eyes with a female police officer and quickly averted his gaze. Years of being taught to never meet his Mistress’s eyes directly had conditioned him to assume the same of all women, his face flushed in embarrassment over his failure.

“We got a complaint about you loitering, and ogling women?” She asked, folding her arms over her chest, waiting for him to respond.

Cringing, Max turned and looked back at the woman he’d been staring at. How long had she been watching? She now stared him down with a displeased look, and he again averted his gaze.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll just be on m-“

“Why don’t you leave the park, sir, and I won’t have to take you in.”

To anyone else it would have been a suggestion, but Max interpreted it as an order from a higher being. Nodding his head shamefully, he stood, and walked back the direction he’d come. So much for spending the day in a nicer place, he told himself and before going back to walking aimlessly through the roads.

It was getting worse. Everywhere he looked he couldn’t help but imagine himself back at the size he deserved to be. A woman walked her dog in a pair of flip flops and he imagined himself plastered to her bare sole, worshipping it all the while. Another woman rode her bike past him and he pictured himself trapped to the seat, feeling her impossible weight crush him into the seat the entire ride. A jogging woman stopped to tie her shoe, and he saw himself being re-fastened into place after jostling loose disobediently.

He was a broken man. He found himself at a bus station, waiting for it to arrive. It hadn’t even been a day and he needed to go back to Her. She needed to take him back.

As he sat on the bench, a woman approached, seating herself next to him. Not wanting to appear rude, he immediately stood, and stepped away from the bench. In his mind, he was not allowed to be on the same level as this woman, but upon hearing her scoff in an offended tone, he knew he had messed up.

The bus arrived half an hour later. A long, awkward half-hour later. The woman had since sat sideways on the bench, allowing her legs to take up the entire thing, as if daring him to do something about it. He never would. Not in a million years. He had no right to go against her will.

After the bus doors opened, Max waited for the woman to step onto the bus before stepping in himself. He still had a bit of change, and breathed a sigh of relief that he was still able to afford a ride. Thankfully, the bus was relatively empty and he took a seat at the very back end, desperate to avoid any further conflict for the day.

The woman from the bus stop still sat sideways in her seat, allowing her feet to hang off the edge and into the aisle. She bobbed her foot back and forth idly, and Max watched her with wide eyes. Her shoes were identical to one of the many pairs his Mistress had owned. Memories flooded back into his mind, and he wondered if this woman would be willing to accept him as well. How could he go about it? Just walk up, and ask her?

What if she did, but instead of keeping him she simply crushed him where he stood. He couldn’t have done a thing about it. Those clean sneakers would rise above and blot out the fluorescent lights of the bus. With a quick stamp, he’d be turned into a bloody stain on the bottom her shoe and be forgotten even more quickly.

Still, it was better than life without his Mistress. Maybe he should gather up the courage to ask her?

Biting his lip, Max stood and sat back down. He didn’t have it in him to speak to a woman without being spoken to first. That was one of the first rules She had instilled in him, and besides, he was going to pay Her a visit now. This experiment was over. He’d shown he was too pathetic to do it, and she’d have to take his miserable self back.

Noticing the countryside turn familiar, Max stood again and signaled for the bus driver to stop. Stepping forward, he made sure that he didn’t disturb the woman’s presence as he walked past, and carefully stepped off the bus.

He was in familiar territory now. Even before his walk down this street yesterday he’d observed it many times before. His Mistress would regularly take walks in this area in her efforts to stay fit and he was present for every single one of them. She’d stop at a sidewalk, peel her socks off, and allow her feet to air out. In the process of doing so, he’d get some air himself, and be allowed a moment to try and make her feet feel better after the run. His fingers would turn moist as he rubbed the soft sole for minutes at a time, before he would suddenly be scooped back up into the sock, and she’d re-clothe her foot.

Sighing at the pleasant memories, Max approached the front door to Her place. His palms were sweating as he gently knocked on the door, and stepped back.

Rebecca answered the door, immediately frowning at the sight before her.

“P-Please take me back Mistress!” Max said, feeling the tears begin to flow from his eyes. Looking directly at her was like staring into the sun, and he could feel fat tears begin to flow down the side of his face as he prostrated himself before her.

With a burst of light, Max found himself shrunken again. He hadn’t even noticed, but she had answered the door barefoot! After a full day of denial he was going to experience Her glory once again! That perfectly formed foot rose into the air, hovered over him a moment, and pressed down with all the gentleness in the world. It was Her way of showing affection to him, and his breathed in Her scent deeply. It was so much sweeter, and nicer than the air.

With a loud ‘CRACK’, Max hit his head on Her porch.

“Go away or I’ll call the fucking cops!”

She hadn’t taken him back. She’d denied him, and pushed him down when he’d kneeled before her. His bottom lip began to quiver, and he rubbed the back of his skull. It was bleeding. He didn’t know where to go now. He’d squandered the last of his money getting here, and she hadn’t taken him back. He didn’t know where he’d go. He didn’t know where he’d sleep. He didn’t know how to live without her.

He was alone.