Susan, “If you're talking mentally the answer is no to the best of my knowledge. I might have changed but if I did they were so effective that I can't recognize them or so small that I can't acknowledge them. I'm not exactly the one to say which it might be. You're acting awfully comfortable about everything that has happened.”

Tina, “Well I was terrified for a while but after everything that's happened I suppose I'm finally at peace. If you had captured me yesterday I might have panicked like any of the others but well I suppose I'm prepared to be murdered at this point.”

Susan, “Prepared to be murdered? I have to think you intentionally chose those words.”

Despite the situation Tina felt herself grinning. “Yeah I did. I think I might have gone a little crazy yesterday as it's one thing to be prepared to die. It's another thing to be prepared to be murdered and know the person murdering you is going to benefit from it as well. It's not like our deal didn't allow me to have a blast of course.” A slight chuckle escaped Tina. “The way I was living I didn't expect to live long anyway I think the fact that you're going to benefit from it pisses me off more then anything else.”

There was the old intention of scolding someone for using a profanity but Susan brushed it aside quickly. “So you don't regret how you made use of the money?”

Tina, “Well that depends. Is there a certain amount you wait for us to be in debt or is there a deadline that you wait for us to reach before you come pick us up? I mean if there is a deadline then I should have spent the money far more aggressively.”

Now Susan found herself wanting to laugh once again. This was such a strange conversation yet she was comfortable with it. “It's a little bit of both. There is a certain amount that you needed to be in debt but there was also a deadline. What you probably wanted to do was spend as aggressively as you could before that deadline was reached.”

The sigh that came from her lips surprised Tina as if she felt true regret at what Susan had told her. “That is upsetting. So would you have continued letting me bury myself in debt if I had spent more aggressively.”

Susan, “Not a lot. I just needed you to be deep enough that I could claim you and to insure that you couldn't dig yourself out before that time came. You were actually pretty aggressive with your spending to begin with.”

Tina, “That's better then. So that guy you've been talking to this entire time Devin I believe you said was his name. He was the one that freed us earlier.”

Susan, “Yes. I had a long talk with him last night and now he's not so disproving of my actions now that he knows more about you and the others. Now if only I could find him.”

Tina, “That's the strange thing. You said that you betray yourself during that little rant of yours this morning. From the way you were going on it seemed like there is two of you. Is that right?”

Susan, “No. There isn't two of me. I have two bodies but there isn't two of me. I hate to keep using the same comparison but going back to the comparison between a program. It's as if they're two computers or mechanisms but they're being controlled by the same program. The experience others have with us can differ as the screens, keyboards, sound cards, processors and all of that can be different but the program is still the same.”

Tina, “Then would you say your current body is the high end model while the other body is a calculator?”

For a moment Susan went silent as she considered Tina's question. It was true that her current body had better hardware then Rita's body but what was the true difference? Rita seemed like a reasonable intelligent woman so she didn't know if it was right to say she was a calculator if her man body was a computer. Yet her true body was indeed far larger and more powerful then Rita's as well as better looking. “I don't know if that's really fair. I suppose if my current body is a modern computer then Rita's is five years out of date and missing some attachments. Plus well it's a little old and clunky looking after so more years so no where near as pleasant to look at. Especially for a buyer who knows that the high end model is just waiting for him.”

At first Susan's last statement made little sense to Tina but when she remembered Devin a chuckle escaped her. “You're trying to make your other body jealous aren't you?”

Susan, “Now why would I do a thing like that?” Even as she spoke Susan felt like her face was trying to split in half due to the grin she was trying to hold back and failing.

Tina, “So if both computers are running the same program how can you not know what your other body is doing?”

Susan, “Memory is a matter of hardware even if software influences how efficiently it is stored.”

To this Tina gave a slight nod. “That must make you feel strange about your guy knowing that he's with you yet he isn't with you. Do you feel like he's cheating on you perhaps?”

Susan, “No. I just know that I'm missing out on some enjoyable experiences. Except I'm not really missing out on them. I know that I want to experience now however and waiting for both bodies to rejoin is difficult. I wouldn't have been so upset if I had realized that I might betray me but it never really crossed my mind. I wonder if it was my idea or if Devin suggested it.”

Tina, “Will knowing which one suggested the idea change anything?”

Susan, “Sure! It means I'll know myself even better then I did a short while ago. This is kind of neat actually. Have you ever heard the saying that you don't know what it's like to live with yourself? Well now I have a greater appreciation of what that means then anyone else. Hey Tina it's not that I haven't enjoyed speaking with you but I need to find the others and eat them.”

For a moment Tina said nothing. It sort of felt like she'd taken a shot to the stomach but she gave a nod. “I kind of wish you wouldn't have told me that but I understand you're busy. Listen I've heard your talk about sympathy but is there anyway you could make this quick.”

Susan, “Ah well I don't know about that. Not that I'm going to eat you just yet. You're one of the people I'm suppose to medicate before I eat you. You see.”

Tina, “Medicate?”

Susan, “Yeah. I don't know the details but for some reason I promised Devin last night that I would medicate certain people. You've been fun to talk to though so I'm thinking I'll take you in there with Burton and Lidia so you can enjoy breakfast and your medication. This way you won't suffer whenever I get around to eating you.”

Tina, “Is there any chance you could put on some music for us?”

Susan, “I suppose that I could but what type of music do you have in mind?”

Tina, “Anything that you can dance to. I always thought that if I was going to die I'd rather die partying. Food, drugs and some music that's close enough for me.” A slight chuckle escaped Tina as she considered the situation. She was starting to feel a bit put off by what she was doing. “Susan listen even if you're going to murder me this last bit of chatting with you has been okay and it seems like you're going to get me high. So I believe I should tell you something.”

Susan, “What's that?”

Tina, “I'm acting as a distraction for the others so they can try some plan to escape. I don't actually know what it is but if you're going to let me have a last meal I believe I should at least do this for you.”

At first Susan said nothing as she looked at Tina and lowered her hand down towards the tiny woman. Instead of moving to grab Tina however she kept her hand facing palm up. “Thanks for the information. Don't worry it isn't like you betray them or anything. I fully expected them to use any delays in the hunt to better their hiding positions.”

To this Tina gave a nod. “I figured as much.” Once Susan's hand came to rest before her Tina found herself climbing into it. “I swear I should be throwing a fit right now or trying to bargain for my life at least. Do you believe I've gone insane?”

Susan, “I am hardly the one to decide who is and who isn't insane.”

Devin, “You're right about that one. Ouch!”. Devin howled in pain as Susan delivered a quick jab to his arm. His grin refused to fade even as he rubbed his arm and glanced back at Rita's body who had been watching the entire exchange. “I swear I think you're becoming friends with your food.”

Rita, “I don't know about the others but I can't say I dislike Tina anymore. I still want to absorb her but I would feel bad if I made her suffer more then what's required. You made a good choice.”

Devin, “Do you believe you would medicate her even if I hadn't chosen her?”

Rita, “At this point it wouldn't be surprising.”

Susan, “Okay for those of you looking for a chance to escape I'm going to carry Tina into the office and set her up with her breakfast companions. Um assuming that I don't stop and eat them depending on how drunk Burton is by now. Anyway, I'll be a little delayed so if you have a way to make this more interesting for me this is probably your best chance.”

Tina, “You've really been enjoying this game haven't you?”

Susan, “It's Devin's fault. If I wasn't confident that he's watching me improve then I wouldn't have allowed this to continue nearly as long. Having an audience that I want changes things for me.” As she stood up Susan raised her fingers up to give Tina something to brace herself against. The action was more instinctive then with thought but it did strike her as strange.

Tina, “I hope you don't mind me asking but would you ever eat Devin?”

Susan, “I wouldn't harm Devin so long as I am the one in control of this body and I would kill this body if it was within my power in order to protect him. It might seem strange being nice to someone I intend to eat and I hadn't intended to be nice. That said there is no reason to be mean to you either. Besides I agree with Devin that you shouldn't be made to suffer through this.”

While Susan was walking away Devin turned his attention to her smaller body. “If you hadn't told me about Tina last night I would be pushing very hard for you not to kill her. Are you sure that killing her is truly what you want to do in this situation.”

At first Susan said nothing as she considered Devin's question. Was this a new way Tina had thought of to save her life? If that was her goal it was an ambitious one but it was having an affect. “I'm still going to eat her but I would feel bad if I made her suffer. I can see why you stay away from such gray people they can make the situation complicated if you actually speak with them. Next time I'm going to choose people I find more unpleasant.”

Devin, “That's good to hear. So are you just being stubborn with Tina or do you still believe she deserves to die?”

Rita, “I don't know if she deserves to die any longer but I do know she doesn't deserve to live. She's somewhere in that annoying middle area so I'm choosing to go ahead and kill her.” As she spoke Susan found herself crossing her arms and taking on a different stance as if preparing for a debate.

Devin, “Okay. Well we resolved that last night so I'm not going to complain.” Finished Devin turned his attention back to the dresser. “I wonder what they're doing inside at this point. I expected some of them to climb out and make a run for it.”

Rita, “They probably realize that wouldn't be effective and are taking up positions within the dresser. I would actually suggest that they attempt to climb down and make it to the pile of clothes I'm forming. It's not likely that I'll bother to examine those until I'm done emptying the drawers.”

Devin, “Do you want to give them that little hint to make the game more interesting?”

Rita, “No! I don't mind giving them some warnings but that would be going too far. Things are a bit different when you're watching from a different point of view. I wonder if I'll even think to examine the clothes whenever I return.”

***********************************************************************************

Burton was a bit surprised to hear the office door opening as he focused on his breakfast. Was Susan there to check up on them and see if they were ready yet? Well he wasn't drunk enough to pick a fight with her yet so clearly he wasn't ready. This thought didn't get voiced as he noticed that Susan was packing someone in her hand. “Hey are you letting someone join us?”

Susan, “It seems that way. I hope you don't mind but Tina is going to be joining you for food and drugs. She also asked me to put on some music you can dance to. Burton, Lidia are you two okay with that.”

Lidia, “Sure. That's fine.” As she spoke Lidia couldn't help but drag out a few of her letters. Currently she resided within arms reach of the massive pile of powdered medication her face lightly coated in the powder. Having taken in more then her fair share of the substance there was still a massive pile left. A slight giggle escaped the woman as she looked at then rolled back onto her side. “If it's too crowded I believe I'm ready to go.”

Susan, “Well it sure sounds like you might be. I need to get back to my bedroom though so I'm going to leave you three be for a while longer. Let's see here music that you can dance to.” As she spoke Susan took a moment to retrieve a small controller from within her office desk and set it down on the table. “These buttons are very sensitive so you should be able to work them if you can't I'll be back in a few minutes. Just use this to find a song that you want to listen to.”

Nodding her head Tina was further surprised whenever Susan allowed her to climb down from her hand. Looking at Burton she could tell that he was still mostly sober but it was obvious that Lidia was well on her way to a very happy place. “I guess it's a good thing I gave up whenever I did the food might be cold if I had waited longer.”

Susan, “Well it's not hot now so you'd best get to it. Anyway, Lidia is near your medication and you have three types of alcohol to pick from when it comes to getting drunk. Please use the coffee straw cups to get your drink and I'll see the three of you later.”

Burton watched Susan for only a moment before looking to Tina. “So what did you do to end up here?”

Tina, “I talked with her for the most part. Well after I decided to surrender and came out of hiding on my own. It seems she was going to medicate me to begin with though something about talking to her guy last night.”

Burton, “Huh. I wonder if we would have been on that list if we hadn't made our deal yesterday. Did she say how you got on the list?”

Tina, “Yeah. Apparently he doesn't believe I deserve to die so she's making sure that it's a painless death. Now that I'm thinking about it I do wonder how that compromise came about. Perhaps when she comes back I'll ask her about it if I'm still thinking clearly enough to do so.”

Lidia, “I wouldn't be.” Despite having said only three words Lidia couldn't help but giggle.

Tina, “She makes a compelling argument.”

Burton, “Would you believe that she stayed sober longer then I did yesterday? I guess she likes the pills more then she likes the drink.”

***********************************************************************************

Gretchen couldn't help but feel strange as she lay the bit of carpeting down across the tape. As she settled it down she was amazed by how thin the carpet appeared. What looked to be more then thick enough to walk across didn't give her the same confidence that it did a moment ago. She would have liked to gather more but didn't believe they had the time. “That's one down. So who wants to walk across it and lay the next piece down?” Gretchen didn't truly expect an answer from the others as they all knew what slipping off the carpeting would mean to them.

Rusty, “Since you started it how about you just keep going.” While they had been working together when Devin was with them with him gone neither Gretchen or Rusty had any loyalty to one another beyond their own escape. He doubted that she would take his suggestion and was surprised whenever she stepped onto the carpeting.

Gretchen, “Sure thing. Now hand me the next piece. If she comes back while I'm standing here I'll be seen for certain.”

As Gretchen stood on the carpeting Amal couldn't help but remember when she had forced him to go ahead of the group. She had used him to see if the path was safe. As he felt the weight of the carpet in his hands he was tempted to do more then hand her the carpet. Unfortunately if she managed to stay on her feet but ended up on the tape he could be in serious trouble. So he was careful in handing her the carpet. “Have you considered what we're going to do after this without Devin?”

Gretchen, “Find a safe place to hide and think about food and water. Our best bet in this situation is either to sneak out whenever she has some company over or to get to a phone and call for help.”

Rusty, “That sounds about right but you're forgetting something. If anything has been made clear it's that she has feelings for that jack ass that left us. I mean did you hear what she said a little while ago? He wasn't certain that some of us should die so she's giving those people drugs? I don't know what part he's played in her decision making but it's clear he's part of this.”

Gretchen, “I think that's a recent development. Okay hand me another piece of carpet.” As she spoke Gretchen was careful to press down on the carpet while using her toes to better secure her footing. It was the first time she was actually glad she didn't have any shoes as she worked to retain her footing.

This time he couldn't just hand her the carpet Amal knew that much. She was two strands out from them and asking her to move back to their location would be too much. Amal was rather surprised whenever Rusty stepped out onto the carpet bridge and handed Gretchen the next carpet strand leaving him the only one back on land. “So you're thinking about taking him hostage again?”

Rusty, “If we can get our hands on him.”

Amal, “Do you really believe we'll be able to do that? I doubt she'll risk relaxing her guard with us.”

Gretchen, “Are you sure about that? From what I heard it seems like he's hiding from her still. He just isn't helping us any longer.”

Amal, “I don't believe so. Didn't you hear what she said with Tina? Apparently they're two of her and one of them is with him.”

Rusty, “Is that what she said? With the way she was going on I couldn't follow a thing the bitch said. If she hadn't shrunk us I would think she was entirely insane with that magic talk of hers. After spending the last few months in a cage though and seeing how her body changed I'm inclined to believe she could make another one of herself.”

Gretchen, “You were one of the first she captured weren't you?”

Rusty, “Yes. Whenever I was first brought here there was only five of us including me.”

***********************************************************************************

Susan, “I'm back! I hope you all missed me. Now let's see what we have here.” As she spoke Susan settled back down in front of her dresser and leaned to her side in order to look under the dresser. She wasn't surprised to find that no one had jumped down while she was away. They probably expected that to be the first thing she would search. After holding her position for a moment she set back up and resumed emptying the bottom drawer which by now held very little clothing. “Oh! It's been a while since I last wore this.”

It was impossible for Devin to keep from being curious as he heard Susan. Apparently she wasn't going to be quick in the reveal though as he watched her looking into the bottom drawer. From the position of her arms it was clear she was holding something but he couldn't be certain what. Instinct told him to move further whenever he felt a hand press against his shoulder suddenly pulling him down. His heart was made to jump when Susan's head suddenly moved from side to side rapidly scanning the room.

Rita, “I'm trying to bait you out of hiding.”

Susan, “Darn! Well fine if you won't reveal yourself maybe I'll just keep what this is to myself. It's not like I know what it is either after all.” As she spoke Susan pressed the garment against her stomach and folded it up so no one else could see what it was. She then began to scan the room slowly. “You know I really want to see what this is as well. After all I can't tease you about what it is without knowing what it is.”

Rita, “Not fair!” As Susan listened to her larger self she gave an annoyed snort. She had known that hiding with Devin would upset her but she didn't think of the ways she could upset her as well. “I can be such a big bully.”

Devin, “I believe your victims would agree.”

Rita, “Well just you watch! If I don't show you what it is then I can't tease you and that goes for me as well. I won't be able to resist showing you what it is.”

Even as she was speaking with Devin through Rita's body Susan couldn't help but look down at the tiny garment. It really was amazing how much her body had changed as she imagined trying to wear the bit of cloth now. The thought itself made her giggle even as she struggled to keep it hidden from herself and Devin. Was that more likely to bring him out though or would the thought of her trying to wear the little garment have more of an affect on him? It wasn't as if she could put the garment on now with so many people inside the room not in her belly. “Well fine then if you want to see it then you can come to me.” As she finished speaking Susan slipped the cloth into the keep and use pile of clothing.

Rita, “No! No. No. No. I can't do that to myself! It's not fair. Not fair. Not fair!” As Susan called out she shook her head from side to side suddenly forgetting what she had told Devin about staying hidden moments ago. There was no hand or words to calm her down as Devin continued to look on more interested in her response then actually staying hidden. “Devin can you believe how mean I'm being to me!”

The fact that big Susan felt little Susan had did worse wasn't something Devin was going to mention. At least he assumed big Susan felt little Susan had done worse. Instead he smiled at her. “Just think of how happy you're going to be whenever you find out what she's talking about.”

Rita, “How can I tease you about it if I don't show it to you though!Now neither of us can tease you using it because I don't know what it is and I don't want to reveal it to me.”

Devin, “I don't know if this is so much about teasing me at the moment. I believe you're more interested in teasing you.”

Rita, “Not fair!”

Susan couldn't help but believe she had made the right choice as she imagined how her smaller self was responding to all of this. “I know if I want to know what the clothing is all I have to do is come out of hiding and rejoin me. So why don't I do that? Come on me let's rejoin into a focused whole again or at least share some memories.”

Rita, “I won't beat me that easily! I'll find a way to tease me even without revealing our location. Now what can we do?” As she spoke Susan stopped watching her larger self and set down trying to think of their choices. If she had some clothing she could leave that out somewhere and make it look like she and Devin were having sex but they didn't have that. She couldn't move around a great deal either.

Listening to the entire exchange Erich took in a deep breath. He had chosen to rely on his hiding place and hope that it would be sufficient. He wasn't confident that it would be enough to keep hidden any longer from how careful Susan had been in her search but he wasn't confident of anything right now. Currently those who had the best chance of survival were those hiding somewhere other then the dresser. If only he hadn't fallen asleep he knew that his group would have been the better off.

Tabitha, “So Erich do you think you're one of the people they decided to medicate?”

The sound of another voice reminded Erich that he wasn't alone in this and oddly he found himself smiling. “I doubt that. I have quite a record.”

Tabitha, “Really? You seem like a decent enough person to me. Back when we chose to try hiding here you really seemed to be trying to keep people alive.”

Erich, “It wouldn't be bad to die with people thinking that I suppose. How about you? You've been pretty quiet this entire time.”

Tabitha, “I can't say I had any good reasons for following. You had a plan and that was more then what I had. With all of us trying to escape you would think that at least one of us would have to get out of here alive. From what I've been hearing though I'm not sure about that.”

Erich, “I've spent a little time trying to think of a way to kill myself since I've been hiding in here. She wants us so badly that it didn't seem like a half bad idea. It doesn't seem like she was joking whenever she said that we aren't capable of killing one another or ourselves.” A sigh escaped Erich even as he looked up into the darkness. He was rather certain she would be finishing with the drawer below them at this point. Part of him truly wished that he had a gun.

Tabitha, “That sounds like you tried to kill yourself.”

Erich, “I found some lose thread and tried to strangle myself to death earlier. Whenever I tried to make the not tight enough though my hands refused to cooperate and now my throat just hurts. Any interest of coming over here and seeing if you can bind the thread tight enough?”

Tabitha, “If I did that who would be willing to tie the thread around my neck? I don't think I would get a very good death if I were to kill you.”

A sigh escaped Erich even as he nodded in agreement with Tabitha. “You're probably right about that one. She would be angry to say the least. It might be worth it to me to see her upset though and know that I cost her something. So any interest in me trying to strangle you to death?”

A soft chuckle escaped Tabitha as she listened to the question. “I have an idea. Do you think that we could hang ourselves? What if we just secured one end of the thread to a lose bit of the drawer and made a noose around our necks then just dropped. Do you believe the magic would stop us from killing ourselves by such means?”

It was strange but Erich found himself pulling himself out of his hiding place and looking towards the back of the drawer. “I'm going to find out. I just hope I have enough time.”

It was strange but Tabitha felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing Erich's response. “Is there enough thread for two people? I would rather die thinking about how angry she's going to be when she finds my corpse then thinking how she's enjoying murdering me.”

Erich, “I believe so but if you're serious we need to hurry.”

***********************************************************************************

Susan, “Well I guess that's all of this drawer.” As she spoke Susan took hold of the drawer placing one hand underneath it and lifting it slightly while the other pulled on the handle. It easily slid out from within the dresser and she wasted no time standing up and walking towards her bed. A large grin spread across her lips as she imagined how the shrunken people had responded to this. No doubt they expected her to return the drawer to the dresser once it was empty. She had no such intentions.

It was the strangest moment as he had to fight the urge to clap for Susan. He didn't expect her to put the clothes back in the dresser even if she intended to keep them. He didn't expect her to walk away with the drawer leaving those inside of the dresser all the more exposed. He doubted that any of them did. As he watched Susan walking towards them a strange thought struck him and even made him chuckle a bit. “Hey Susan how much do you believe that your toes have changed?”

Rita, “I believe that they have. My entire foot looks different now but I never really looked at my feet at this size.”

Devin, “Your toes look thicker then they did before.” A slight chuckle escaped Devin as he looked to Rita's body. “Thicker toes would make sense if you're strengthening your body especially for combat. Good thing to as this means I don't have to worry about you pinching me with them anymore.”

Instead of commenting Susan looked to the toes of her larger body. They had become thicker and sturdier in appearance. Yet she wasn't worried about no longer being able to pinch Devin with her toes. That could be a surprise for later so she just smiled for the moment. “I'm surprised that I haven't heard me and you talking. I didn't have trouble hearing the shrunken person that fail.”

Devin, “We're not screaming at the top of our lunges and you're not focused on us. I am curious if our voices are more powerful then when we were full sized from a proportional view point. Just the changes to the mechanics of our lunges thanks to these smaller bodies could have some unexpected results.” As he finished speaking Devin turned back to Susan's toes and watched as they squeezed a bit of carpet between them. He heard her set the drawer down and then she turned. This simple action ended up creating a current of air strong enough to ruffle Devin's hair.

A delighted chuckle escaped Susan as she felt the wind rush past them. “Devin did you feel that!”

Devin, “Yeah it's kind of hard to miss.”

Rita, “Oh that's the type of power I want! No more! But not on this small scale I want to truly have such power. OH it's just so frustrating having to resort to weakening others to have the type of power I desire.” A sigh escaped Susan as she turned back to herself. “For now we'll just have to make do with a simulation of that power.”

Devin, “So you want to have power over me do you?”

Rita, “Not like that! I want to be powerful and have you explore me not to dominate you. Shrinking you only lets me simulate what I'd actually like to do until I can do so.”

As she settled back down in front of her dresser Susan took hold of the next drawer up. The first drawer had been disappointing in terms of the number of people she had found. She had higher hopes for this drawer as she pulled it out. The back of the dresser came into view and she leaned over slightly to see underneath the drawer. “Hello.”

Erich couldn't help himself as his lips parted a cry of frustration escaped him as he found himself looking up at Susan. He had the thread rapped around his neck but hadn't managed to secure it to the dresser drawer. Then she had opened it up and the shaking had been sufficient to throw him off. He was in the carpet with Susan looking down at him before he even knew what was happening. “You couldn't have given me another thirty seconds?”

Susan, “Don't you mean us? You shouldn't forget your lady friend Erich it's not nice. Now what do you two have around your necks?”

Tabitha, “He tried to hang me! He said he wanted to deprive you of everything that he could so he was going to hang me and then himself!”

Susan, “Oh my! Tabitha you should know better then to snitch and Erich! Trying to hang yourself is just wrong. No matter how certain things seem you never know how they're going to end until they've come to an end. I suppose you felt that your death was assured so you could hurt me by giving up your life but suicide isn't right.” As she spoke Susan looked to both Erich and Tabitha. Their relative position and the ropes around both of their necks left her certain that Erich hadn't actually tried to kill Tabitha. The difficulty of hanging a struggling, unbound person who had no visible signs of conflict was quite staggering. “Tabitha I'm pretty sure you're fibbing to me by the way and that isn't good either.”

Erich had nearly been knocked over whenever he heard Tabitha's outburst. He didn't know much about her but for her to respond in such a way was shocking even for him. “You fucking bitch! I didn't do a damn thing to make you come with me.” Erich was about to continue whenever he felt a sudden increase in pressure and heat on both his sides while his view of Tabitha was blocked by Susan's other hand. A sharp scream struck his ears even as they were pulled out from the dresser.

Susan, “I don't believe any of you ever learned to mind your language. I would ask the two of you which came up with the idea of hanging yourself but there isn't time for that. Tabitha Erich says you're trying to deceive me and I'm inclined to believe him. I'm afraid I'm going to have to punish you for that. Both of you tried to kill yourselves so I'm going to have to punish both of you for that as well. I believe you both know what happened to the last person who tried kill someone else.”

Tabitha, “No! It wasn't my idea I swear! He forced me to do it.” As she scream Tabitha could feel her heart rate speeding up. The death that awaited her before hand was hardly a peaceful one but now it would be far worse. Instinctively she began to beat her fist against Susan's fingers in an attempt to hurt her or force them to release her. She was quite surprised whenever the pressure on her body sharply increased forcing the air from within her lunges out in an instant.

Susan, “That's enough fibbing Tabitha! Oh you are such a naughty girl. Okay to the bathroom. It's the antacid bath for both of you and Tabitha I'm going to have to think of something extra for you.”

It felt as if something had grasped his heart as Erich listened to Susan. Digested alive was hardly a pleasant fate but the notion that she was going to take steps to insure that his death was prolonged was even worse. “Isn't there anything else that can be done rather then prolonging our deaths! Perhaps there is something that I could do for you or inside of you that would serve as appeasement! Just please don't draw my death out.”

Tabitha, “Please! I don't deserve to die like this! At least let me have.” Once again Tabitha felt the air forced from her lunges as Susan squeezed her stomach lightly.

Susan, “Tabitha hush! I guess your crime is a bit different then the last one. After all he tried to kill another and you only tried to kill yourself. What you did was still very wrong though Erich and I can't have my food thinking that it can just kill itself. You have to be punished for what you did.”

Erich, “If we're both covered in antacid though it'll prolong my death an undo amount!”

For a moment Susan was silent as she looked at Erich. He did have a point. Indeed everyone she swallowed for the next little while or was still alive inside of her would have their death prolonged by the antacid bath she was about to give them. She didn't want to punish everyone.

Rita, “Huh. I didn't think of that yesterday but just eating one person covered in antacid would prolong the deaths of everyone who was still alive inside of me or going inside of me. A version two or three body would also hold up longer then a version one making the pain last longer. That mistake was entirely my doing but I was pretty upset.” As she spoke Susan turned her thoughts to how she could punish people who had behaved poorly without punishing the others she had eaten with a longer death. The answer came relatively quickly.

Susan, “Okay Erich you have a good point I hadn't actually thought of that. So no antacid bath for the two of you. I know let's go down stares and I'll cover you both in a nice thick flavorful syrup. That way I get something to enjoy and your deaths get prolonged for punishment! Tabitha you're going to get an extra thick syrup for what you did.”

Tabitha, “No! It wasn't me it was all his idea! He.”

Once again Susan found herself forcing the air from Tabitha's lunges as she began to walk towards her training room. “Tabitha one more outburst like that and I'm going to have to add to your punishment. You know it was fibbing to people that helped land you in this position.”

While they had talked last night Devin had told Susan the people he believed deserved mercy. He hadn't thought about causing someone to suffer a worse death and wasn't certain he should. “Susan you know if someone had accidentally punished you to an excessive amount like you did those people yesterday you would demand compensation as well. What do you believe should be done to you for what those others suffered due to the antacid bath?”

Immediately Susan felt her smile drop and pout began to form on her face. “But I didn't mean to!”

Devin, “I know and that helps but would you truly just forgive and forget if someone caused you such pain? Even if we forget the pain that they would have suffered without the antacid bath how much did that truly add to their suffering and what should be the price of such a mistake.”

Rita, “Well it's not like I can do anything to make it up to them they're dead after all! So I'll just be really careful not to make such a mistake again.”

Devin, “Susan.”

Once again Susan's face was made to drop and she puffed out her cheeks in frustration. Even if she couldn't make amends to those she had caused to suffer more then they should that didn't mean she shouldn't face the consequences and it didn't mean she couldn't make amends to humanity. “I said I made a mistake and would be careful.”

Devin, “I believe that you should do some volunteer work as well to make up for the undo pain.”

Rita, “Ah! Can't I just donate some money to a charity! That would help more then what I can do without revealing myself and besides. Time spent helping with charity is time we're not enjoying one another.” As she spoke Susan's tone of voice changed and she moved closer to Devin using her arms to press up on her breast to make them appear all the more appealing.

Devin, “You mean time that I have to rest and recover? I might actually appreciate that.”

Rita, “Mean! Don't believe you'll be getting away from me that easily! You'll never escape from me I'll always have one or two bodies with you at all times.” As she finished Susan straitened and locked eyes with Devin suddenly feeling very confident. He wasn't going to escape from her that easily.