"You seem preoccupied tonight" Claire said looking at Aspen. "Even though I told Keith to relax, he's running himself ragged taking care of all those we brought back" Aspen said picking up a nail file. "It's been what...a week since they came here?" Claire asked. "Just about. He converted my old room into a makeshift suburban neighborhood. Dollhouses lining the walls. Ladders for the sink and toilet. He even put down fine green carpet to simulate grass" Aspen said taking the file to Claire’s toenails. "Sounds like something is bothering him. You know how he tries to distract himself with work" Claire said watching her shrunken lover smooth out her toenails.

"It's the missing time in our heads. Those notes too. What color tonight?" Aspen asked. "Pink. My thing is this. That girl died doing Whatever you guys were doing and you two survived. I'd leave it at that and be grateful" Claire said. "There was something I didn't tell him afterward. My pussy was very sore when we came back to the hotel. Claire...I think I was raped" Aspen said Holding a toothpick. "My god...and the baby?" Claire asked. "Fine. No blood or severe pains that would point to miscarriage" Aspen replied softly. "And if Keith knew he'd lose it" Claire said. Aspen nodded. Aspen held her little big toe between her fingers and began to paint the nail. "You look sleepy" Aspen said. Claire didn't immediately respond but did eventually seeing Aspen wanting to change the subject. "I've been sleeping about 18 hours a day. I swear my belly is bigger every time I wake up. Can't even paint my toes now" Claire said.

"I said leave that to me. It an honor to pamper your feet" Aspen chuckled. "Not long now" Claire said patting her belly. "Week and a half to go. I assume your mother is going to be midwife?" Aspen asked. "She insisted on it. No grandchild of mine is going to be delivered by a veterinarian" Clare said smiling. "Wish we knew the gender. The suspense is killing me!" Aspen said moving to her third toe. "So do I. Can't pick a name" Claire said. "What about Bethany after your grandmother if its a girl?" Claire said to her. "Grandma would've loved that" Aspen said blowing on her toes. "You miss her don't you?" Claire said. "...everyday. I remember that morning that we found her" Aspen replied. "At least it was peaceful. Going in her sleep" Claire said. "She's going to miss out on seeing her grandbaby" Aspen said sniffling. Claire lifted herself up and pressed Aspen's watch shrinking her even further. Before Aspen could object, Claire had her in her hands cuddling her.

"Believe me when I say I get that life is unfair. But you had some wonderful years with her. Try to be happy with that" Claire said. Aspen nodded and hugged her index finger. "Now you have a decision to make" Claire said to her. "What decision is that?" Aspen asked. "Mouth or pussy. Either way my little love bug is going inside me" Claire cooed. "I'd prefer pussy. You had nachos tonight" Aspen replied with a grin. The girl, not even the size of an ant, was lowered feet first into the borrower girl's cunt. "I missed this so much. Kick your feet sweetie. That's it" Claire gasped as she pushed Aspen deeper and deeper. The tiny giantess was as gentle as she could be with Aspen. Such a thing was precious to her. Dominating her usually much larger lover. Aspen felt that she was wetter and tighter than normal. Her body heat made her sweat. Her juices flowing and thick in between her teeny toes. She was up to her chest inside Claire.  

Claire began to move her in and out of her. While doing so she thought back to the illusion that Titania casted on her. Claire being a human and Aspen the borrower. Claire concluded she would've been a somewhat sadistic human but that was then and much has changed. Watching Aspen die, getting pregnant, being a better sister to Ritchie. And right now, using the most loved being in her universe as a sex toy with the gentleness of a concert pianist, Claire wondered if she could be human and still be herself. Looking at Aspen slick with her juices and the tiny girl with a smile on her face, she felt human. It wasn't the domination that made this kind of sex special to Claire. Trust was a good part of it but no, it was the illusion of being a human sized girl. And the euphoria of Aspen having such love and trust in her made her cum. "You squirted a lot this time" Aspen said slipping out of her. Claire put her on her belly. Aspen was startled by the movement inside. "The baby kicked!" Aspen yelled. "She wants to meet the person who makes mommy so happy" Claire said. Aspen grew to her size and cuddled Claire. Claire rubbed her hair as Aspen sucked her nipples for her milk. Aspen stopped as Claire had fallen asleep abruptly.

Keith had told her not to be alarmed at that as her body was building stamina for birth. Satisfied that Claire was alright, Aspen grew back to human size and carried the tiny sleeping girl to her room. She tucked Claire into her bed and took a shower. After cleaning herself up, Aspen noticed that the light in her old room had a faint white glow. She peeked inside and was amazed. "You outdid yourself" she muttered looking at the sleeping Keith on the floor. There were LED lights placed around the makeshift dollhouse neighborhood like lamp posts. There were even a few inside the houses. Some movement caught her eyes. There was a man standing on the balcony of one of the houses. Aspen took a few steps towards him, her feet sinking slightly into thin green carpet. The man saw the giantess in her nightie coming towards him and went to enter the home. "It's alright. I won't hurt ya" she said bending down. The man saw her panties slightly as the hem of her nightie bunched up on her thigh. He paused to look at the massive fabric.

"It's pretty isn’t it?" she asked. "Wha...?" he said. "The lights" she said looking around her. "Oh, yeah" he said. "So, you like it here? He tries to make it as comfortable as he can for you" she said. "It's nice for permanent house arrest" he said. Aspen didn't exactly like his lack of gratitude. "Beats the alternative of being burned alive because of what you are. Warm and safe home, streetlights so you see at night. He even made the bathroom borrower friendly for everyone. Hell, I found a bunch of you using my Netflix account to binge watch Spartacus" Aspen said sitting down. Her butt shook the floor just enough for a little person to notice. There was an average of six people to a dollhouse so more than a few peeked outside to see what was going on. "A gilded cage is still a cage. You're a nice girl but we have memories of being human. Humans aren't wired to be kept like this. We want open skies, sunlight, a breeze in our hair. And we get that's he's doing this out of guilt, but no matter how tricked out our fake suburb is still a prison" he said.

"Guilt? Guilt of what?" Aspen asked. The man paused. He figured how close they were, the giant called Keith had informed her of what had happened. Aspen picked him up by the waist from the balcony. "I asked a question. We have missing time in our heads. Do you know what happened during that time?" she asked. The man was frightened. Her fingers were squeezing his abdomen. Not hard but not gentle either. He realized that neither one knew that Keith had caused the cruel death of two of their kind. "I'm really trying to be nice here but you're pushing my buttons. I care a great deal about that man over there drooling in his sleep. If you know something you better tell me" she said sternly. People were really looking now. "Anyone got something to say?" Aspen asked looking at them. "He tortured a guy and fed her to that Eliza chick. His girlfriend went and killed herself while he and Eliza fucked" an older teen said nonchalantly from his bedroom window. Aspen placed the man back on the balcony. "Fuck you tell her that for?!" someone hissed at him.

"Oh, come on. There's 31 of us here. You think that many can keep a secret?" the teen replied. Aspen shivered. "Why...why..." she said visibly upset. "Don't think it was his fault. She has some ability to control people. While we were caged we would see others act normal but when she met with them they would be like evil or something" a woman said standing on a small porch. Things began to click in Aspen's mind hearing that. Keith mentioning the last thing he remembered was Eliza pointing her ring at him. Their trepidation around him. and lastly a dark possibility. The pain in her vagina when she came too. The thought she may have been raped and it was Keith that had done it. "My sweetie. What...what did they do to him?" Aspen muttered crying. "I take it he's a good person?" the woman asked. "A great person. He'd give his life to protect those he cares about" Aspen replied. The community saw Keith differently now. He was just as much a victim as they were. What he was doing wasn't out of guilt. He genuinely cared.

"Please don't cry. You'll make the grass wet" a tiny voice said from down below. Aspen looked to see a young girl. One of the few kids in the group. Aspen didn't know all their names but took note to learn the names of the kids. They were the ones who were suffering the most out of this situation. "Carly" Aspen said picking the girl up. Aspen loved cute tiny people and tiny kids were on top of her list. Claire had mentioned that seeing how Aspen spent so much time with them this week. Aspen joked it was practice in becoming a mom. Carly was nine years old in appearance. Mixed ancestry judging by her green eyes and brown skin. Out of all the kids, Carly was coping the best. She even spoke and played with two other kids who spoke no English at all. Carly had let it slip she didn't want to go back home. When Aspen asked, Carly didn't answer. Aspen left it alone as the teeny little girl had enough going on.

"The grass?" Aspen asked. "It's really carpet but the giant called it grass" Carly snickered. Aspen chuckled a bit. Aspen wiped her eyes. "Bet you want to okay outside huh?" Aspen asked. The girl tapped her bare foot in her palm shyly. "Uh huh" she replied. "I'll talk to him about it in the morning" Aspen said. "Thank you!" the girl chirped. Aspen gently kissed her. "Love ya" Aspen said. Carly hugged her cheek and kissed it. After setting the girl back down Aspen addressed everyone. "Please don't tell him what you know. His heart couldn't take it" she said. "We won't will we?"  the woman asked stepping off the porch and yanking the teen by the hair. "OWW! No...no we won't" he said. Satisfied, Aspen left the room to go to bed.

"Damn my neck hurts" Keith muttered as he sat down at the breakfast table. "Then sleep in your bed" Aspen said drinking orange juice. A gathering of the homunculi community was eating with them as well. It was slightly annoying to Keith as he liked to be intimate with Aspen during the morning. "Where's the pregnant girl?" he asked. "With her mother getting the nursery the final touches" Aspen replied. "That's nice. I thought about designing a special shrinking pad. Shrinking diapers over and over is going to be a hassle" he said. "You can do that?" Aspen asked. "The theory is sound. The basic structure already works in your watches. Have to figure out the energy consumption. Lithium cells won't cut it" Keith said picking up some bacon.

"Our guests have asked if they can go outdoors" Aspen said. "I don't know Aspen" he said. The "guests" took notice. "You worried about them escaping?" Aspen asked. "Part of it. They have human memories and experiences. They have no idea how to cope with a gigantic world" he replied. "So, you are worried something could happen to them?" she asked. "I prefer to think of myself as their guardian not their jailor" he said. Aspen gave a told you so look to a few. "Then take them on a survival class like you had with me. You can watch them and they get some fresh air" she said. Keith thought about it as he moved his scrambled eggs. He saw they were waiting on his answer. The boy Chase looked very hopeful. "Fine! Fine but in staggered groups of five. They all take turns" he said. The homunculi nodded happily to get something. 

An hour later...

"As you can see I've divided you all up in a specific group. Two men, two women, teen going through puberty, and a boy and girl. The reasons are because what I'm going to teach will sometimes be specific to either gender, age, or biology. Now everyone get in the box please" Keith said setting the box down. The group of five were curious as to what he had planned and what he meant by "specific". They all had clothes on for outside travel. Sneakers, pants, a loose shirt, all shrunken down for them to wear. Such clothes Keith had bought at a hand me down store days ago. He carried them away from the house to a familiar area. He sat the box down and had them get out. Once that was done she shrunk down to their size. They still couldn't get over the fact someone had developed shrinking tech.

"I want you all to look around for a moment" he said. Everyone did. As Keith mowed the lawn every week, the blades to grass were still high enough that they obscured their gaze. Especially so for naturally shorter folk. The ground was dry and mostly flat but at their size they could feel the unevenness of it. A twig was as big as a tree log. Pebbles as big as small boulders. Women and a man trembled as it was more than clear how enormous the world truly was for them. The kids stared in awe. "Can anyone tell me how far we are from the house? Anyone...? Just a guess?" Keith asked. "Uhh...700 ft.?" the teen boy asked. "Nope. Try 50 ft." Keith answered. They were shocked as they thought it was even further than 700 ft. "First lesson. At your size, the sense of size and distance can be distorted. This is important to know if you want to get somewhere before dark. Not to mention seeing possible threats in the distance."

"Now I will go over some ground rules. First of all, if you need to urinate or defecate then cover it up immediately with dirt. Second, while walking, your feet will get sore and sweaty, only take your shoes or socks off when you know nothing is around" he said. The teen boy was snickering. "This shit ain't funny kid. Foxes have been known to hunt around here and they have good sense of smell. For the women, if you're ovulating, find a very good hiding place until you stop. Predators can smell the increase of pheromones and estrogen. For the kids, they won't smell much to a predator as they don't sweat as much but they will tire out faster and have a lack of focus we adults have. You will have to be their eyes and ears sometimes. And as for you Mr. Comedian. Teenagers going through puberty are the most vulnerable. They sweat a whole lot more. Produce pheromones a lot. Their bodies scream "please eat me" to predators" Keith said looking at dead at the face of the tiny teenage boy.

"You make it sound like a death sentence being out here" a man said. "I'm cautious. I used to live out here before I came to this house" Keith said. They all looked confused. "I'm not human. I'm really a borrower" he said looking into the sky. "Bullshit!" another man said. "Says the guy who just saw me shrink. Long story but I assure you I'm telling the truth. God that smells..." he muttered wrinkling his nose. "What's smelly?" Chase asked. "I sprinkled wolf piss around the area for our safety" he replied. They frowned. "It keeps rabbits, squirrels, snakes and shit from this area. They smell the piss they think a wolf is close by" he explained. "Squirrels and rabbits are dangerous?" a woman asked. "Absolutely. Just because they don't eat meat doesn't mean they're harmless. Squirrels are very combative over food and shelter before hibernation. They will rip your little throat out if you're carrying something they want. Rabbits run on a scale of 350 mph this size. Normally they won't bother you but males will kill you for food. Females will kill you if they can't find food if they're pregnant. I shit you not" Keith replied.

The little girl listening began crying. "I'm sorry for being so blunt but soft shoeing the dangers won't do anyone any favors. One moment..." he said taking his own shoes and socks off. The dirt under his bare feet was cold and silent...perfect for him. The colder the dirt, the easier it was for it to transmit vibrations. "Why are you barefoot? Didn’t you say that was bad?" Chase asked. "Borrowers have better senses than humans. We feel vibrations in the ground, keener since of smell and sight, better hearing and we have tougher skin. We don't get sunburnt easily or get cuts from touching or stepping on things that could hurt someone like you. It's how we survived as a species" Keith said.

"They're smart too. Learn things very fast" a man said. "Yeah we do. You knew that?" Keith asked. "I'm a biology teacher...I was one...I...oh shit" the second man muttered realizing he was remembering the life of someone else. "Easy buddy. So you're familiar with borrowers I take it" Keith said. "This is confusing but yes. We dissected some each year. Studied a few. Kept one in a tank for a year. Oh fuck man I didn't mean anything by it!" the man said. Keith stared at him for a moment. The word poetic Justice rang in his head for an odd reason. "Look around you...Mr..."

"Brad. Just call me Brad" the man said. "Well Brad, the shoe is on the other foot. We look like humans, have kids like them, want a safe decent life like them. Did you flinch as they screamed when you cut into their flesh?" Keith asked. The man whimpered and nodded. The others backed away from him in disgust. "Anything you want to say in your defense?" Keith asked. "...I'm sorry" he muttered. Keith walked up to him...and passed right by him. "The challenge you all will be facing is simple. Get back to the house before sundown. I suggest you do before then as owls frequent this area. My advice is to not touch the blades of grass with your hands like so, use the palm. You'd be surprised how sharp blades of grass can be. Begin" he said pointing towards the house.

Keith left them and grew back before sitting down. His eyes saw their movements in the grass. It was slightly easier for the group as they could see the giant in the distance giving them a reliable direction to go. It was slow going for them. Pushing blades of grass without cutting themselves was tedious. Crossing a foot took the better part of ten minutes. By the time it was three, they had covered 23 ft. They had slowed down considerably as they didn't have borrower stamina.  Keith went into the house and returned with food and drink. His bare feet crushing the grass ominously before the group. He shrank down to dispense with the necessities. They all looked exhausted, especially the kids. "This is hopeless" someone muttered. "How do you figure?" Keith asked out loud as he handed out sandwiches and water shrunken down for them.

"I don't think we covered half the distance and we're worn the fuck out" Brad said. A woman covered the ears of the kids. "Oh get off that. You think salty language is the worst thing for them right now? Look around" he said. "You think it's bad for you now huh?" Keith said. "Safe bet" he replied. "You my friend have it far easier than you realize. I lost my parents when I was young to a mudslide that could fit in your hand if you were human sized. My sister was murdered for an experiment when I was a teen leaving me all alone in this world. I ate from garbage cans to survive. I even turned tricks for Johns" Keith said whispering the last part to him. "One day I will be comfortable enough to let you out in the public but until then my job is to keep you safe from others...and your originals. Break time is over and you're burning daylight" Keith said standing up. He walked a few feet away before growing back to normal. 

They began walking again but saw the giant was irritated. Keith didn't like how the man acted as if he was being shortchanged. Maybe it was that or the other guy who admitted to cutting up borrowers...we'll to be fair he didn't but Keith had a hard time seeing it different. Memories was one thing, but he had the same personality too. Hours passed as the giant watched their progress and kept an eye to the sky looking for hawks. They had stepped onto the concrete at the ginormous sliding glass door right at sundown. "Congratulations" Keith said opening the door. The exhausted group entered. Two of them carried the kids. "That was a fucking death march!" the man from before yelled. "Didn't have to be. Apparently, you didn't learn much from this exercise" Keith said. "Like what? That your attitude changes like the fucking wind? No Carol I won't shut up!" the man yelled as a woman pulled on his arm.

Keith walked over to a candy dish sitting on the edge of the fireplace mantle. He picked up a peppermint and dropped it in front of the man. The giant candy made a nice crack and thud against the hardwood floor. "Pick it up" Keith said. The man glared at him. "I said pick it the fuck up" Keith said coldly. His huge foot menacingly tapped the floor. The man saw that Keith was not to be fucked with. The man lifted the candy with surprising ease. "There. You happy?" he asked. "How heavy do you think that is scale wise?" Keith asked. "Dunno. 5 lbs.?" the man replied. "More like 50. It feels light to you because you and the others are much stronger than humans. I gather about 5 times...possibly 6. You might not have the stamina of a borrower but you have greater strength. I watched you for hours walking through the grass. You all avoided sense patches and went around. Time you wasted. Sure, the grass might be sharp, but you could've flattened them with ease. It should've only took you half the time to get here. Furthermore, you didn't keep a steady pace. Everyone marched at different speeds."

"How many times did you all have to stop for the kids to catch up? Ten...fifteen? If you mirrored your pace with the children you wouldn't be so exhausted. You’re still thinking like humans! News flash! You're not! It's time you started thinking like borrowers. Borrowers work as a team. They aren't just families. Each person has a role. First and foremost is watching the other person's back. Something humans have a problem with their everybody for themselves attitude. You said you're a biology teacher. So you know what plants are safe. You there. What memories do you have?" Keith asked a woman. "Daycare worker" she replied. "Then you're good at keeping track of a bunch of shit at once. You there" Keith said. "Accountant" the other man replied. "Good memory. Good for navigation. And you kid?" Keith asked. "Nothing bro. I'm 14" he said. "Play sports?" Keith asked. "Football" he replied. "Then you're tough. One of the most useful here."

"I see potential in all of you so stop with the pity party. I am your guardian but more importantly I'm your teacher. I will teach you how to survive in this world. That will be my crowning achievement! I..." Keith was yelling until he stumbled over. Aspen who had heard the shouting came downstairs. "Keith!" Aspen yelled running to him. "I'm alright. Just got dizzy" he said. He pushed past her and went to his room. The group was silent. "You guys look like shit" Aspen said seeing how filthy they were. "Will he be alright?" the woman known as Carol asked. "He's exhausted taking care of you all. I didn't mean to guilt trip" Aspen said seeing their faces. "Tell him...tell him we'll be fine" Carol said. Aspen nodded and left them. Later on, a few of the women were bathing in the sink. Because of how many there were, communal bathing was necessary.

"So how was it Carol?" a woman asked. "Intense. I once hiked the Blue Ridge Mountains but it was never like that. Constantly worrying about being attacked by something" she replied. A Chinese woman sat nearby splashing water on herself. She spoke almost no English but she could tell this Carol woman had been through a tough day. Her name was Chen Fei. Her last memories of a normal life were giving blood at a donor station at her college in Shanghai. Then she found herself standing naked in front of a western giantess namely Eliza. Surrounded by people her size in a cage, she wondered if this was some elaborate nightmare. Shrunk somehow and being held prisoner. But the feeling of hunger and thirst dismissed that. The giantess taped her to the table and slid a huge and painful cotton swab up her vagina and rectum. Chen screamed in Chinese for her to stop. Fat lot of good it did. And the worst was yet to come. Her hymenal blood soaked the cotton swab as Eliza put it down. She was flipped onto her back and her legs were lifted up.

The giantess snickered as she watched her tiny toes curl in fright. She let go of her legs and brought a strange device over to her. Her giant fingers held her right leg in place as the device hummed to life. There was a strange flash and Chen screamed. A searing pain from her delicate tiny sole shot up her body. When it was done Eliza placed her back in her cage. Chen looked at her foot. A barcode had been laser tattooed into her sensitive bare sole. Days passed and she watched horrors. Some taken and cut up before her. Drained of blood still alive. The one called Annika ate one man. Chen had given up hope of ever surviving. Then came this man Keith. Her gaze catching him seeing he was just as cruel. But he returned to their room very different. His voice sounded ancient, regal, authoritative.  He and the one called Aspen argued. She assumed it was about them as he kept pointing to them.

They left the room and returned to collect them. Chen knew not her fate and the others but feared the worst as she saw Keith dousing everything he could with flammables she felt stark terror. She was certain he rounded them all up to burn them all in one go. And she saw the hated giantess Eliza dead and Annika laying not far away. No doubt killed by Keith. Chen felt an eerie calmness fill her heart. He killed them and now was going to burn this wretched place to the ground. She felt she could die with absolution knowing that. But she and the others were shocked that he carried them into the elevator. He wasn't going to burn them? He was saving them?! Chen felt the desire to live again.

They were brought to a beautiful home that was spacious even if she wasn't a tick under three inches tall. Gone was the regal tone Keith had but she wasn't disappointed. This was better. Kind, caring, considerate. Made homes for them. Gave them access to baths and toilet. No more cedar chips for her. He even wired their new home for light. And as much as Chen wanted to go to China, equally she didn't wish to leave the place Keith called home. Chen wasn't into westerners...or at least the original wasn't. But his kindness was like an oasis in the desert for her. Aspen and the blonde tiny called Claire was nice to them for sure but to watch the giant work himself feverishly to help them spoke to her heart. She was disappointed she wasn't chosen to attend this outing group. Must've been something for them to come back dirty and reeking. Chen used what little English to ask questions.

"Good?" Chen asked making a walking gesture. "Tired and sleepy girl" Carol replied making a sleeping gesture. They were of good spirits if Carol wasn't upset. The women tried to make Chen feel like family. Similar circumstances and all that. She wasn't the only one that felt isolated. One girl only spoke French. A man spoke only German. Only woman spoke what they learned later to be Swahili. A language barrier is as powerful as a physical one. And then there was another thing she had to contend with. It was inevitable really. So many men and women together it was natural for couples to form. A few holdouts didn't as they felt conflicted with memories of spouses. And with so many there, it was easy to see certain quirks appear...sexual quirks. A few men stared at her feet. Others her ass. And then some just wanted to fuck her with having an Asian fetish. Chen could deal with the others but the last one incensed her. She wanted a man who loved her for being her. Not because she was Asian. And as she watched Keith more and more...she felt the need to be with him.

Chen got out of the bath and left their room. Not unusual. Many of them roamed the house when they arrived late at night. If just to take their mind off of shit. Chen made her way to his room and stopped at the doorway. He wasn't alone. Aspen was there sitting on his bed talking. "So it was a success?" Aspen asked. "They made it before dark. Not exactly a success but not a failure either" he replied looking at the ceiling. "You look more stressed than ever. I shouldn't have asked you to do that" she said. "No. It was a necessary thing. They know now how dangerous it is trying to leave" he replied. Aspen laid back on the bed and placed her feet on his chest. Keith rubbed her feet but seemed somewhere else. Chen looked at her own feet. She felt disheartened as it seemed his heart belonged to another.

"Why don't we go on a trip. A real trip. No missions. No adventures" she said. "Anything in mind?" Keith asked. "Hawaii" she replied. "Sounds good to me" he said stooping the foot rub. Aspen wriggled her toes. "Not gonna suck them tonight?" she asked. "I'm very tired sweetie. I just want some sleep" he said. "...alright. Sweet dreams" she said leaving him. This caught Chen by surprise. The way she was dressed and now she flaunted her giant feet, she was sure they would fuck. It was probably her loneliness that emboldened her to approach him. Keith clicked off the lamp on his nightstand and rested to go to sleep. Chen crawled up the bedspread onto the bed itself and made her way to his pillow. When she got to it she just sat down and stared at him. His breath was warm and minty. His eyelashes huge to her but seemingly delicate. She contemplated his sleeping giant face for over an hour.

Keith farted in his sleep causing Chen to laugh louder than she would've wanted. His eyes fluttered open. "Claire...you're not going into labor...you're not Claire" he said as his enhanced vision kicked in. "Something you need? Are you hungry Chen?" Keith asked casually petting her hair. Chen was shocked. There we're 31people including her in the group and he knew her name. "He remembered my name?!" she thought. On the second day of their arrival, Keith asked the names of everyone for the very least to try to make them feel better about their circumstances. A friendly gesture to put them at ease. They didn't know and Chen still doesn't that Keith is a borrower. And borrowers have excellent memories.

His touch felt soft to her and she weakly hugged his finger to her. "Lonely?" he asked. She didn't get the question but his soft eyes said he was concerned. Chen began to slide her shoulder straps on her dress off. Keith snatched his phone off the nightstand and opened his translator app. Setting it to Mandarin he asked "Chen...don't" he said. The phone translated. Chen pulled up her straps and cried lightly. She muttered something. "Speak here" he said pointing to the phone. It barely caught her muttering voice. "Of course you don't want me. Sorry for offending you" she said. "No. That's not it Chen. You're vulnerable. Lonely. Scared. You're reaching to someone you think can protect you. You...you don't owe me anything if you think this is what you need to do to curry my favor" he said. Chen looked at him. She was happy that he didn't reject her because he had no feelings for her. He wanted to do the honorable thing. This only made her desire him more.

"I...I want to be held! I want to be loved!" she cried. The translator did its job and he felt sorry for the tiny girl. Keith laid on his back and placed her on his chest. He let her cry her heart out as he caressed her back. Keith understood her torment. Looking at her, she was maybe 19 or 20. Her hopes and dreams were ashes and now a terrible life smaller than a doll, with all the hardships and dangers. Promising college student and it all ended (or began) by donating blood. Her original was living her life and she was stuck as the copy. The phony. The Asian girl made from pain, broken souls, and death. "I can’t be your lover. I can be your friend" Keith said. Keith meant all good things by saying that but to Chen...it cut deeper than rejection. She had enough friends. A baker's dozen and then some. She wanted him and he denied her in a cruel way. She wondered how she could possibly live in this home with her feeling that way to remember this night. 

"I don't want to live..." she muttered. His blood ran cold hearing that. "I'm alone. Nobody speaks my language. Unloved and...I cannot have children" she said. This was something Keith had feared immensely. There were a few details that Keith didn't know of homunculi as his memory was erased. But one critical detail did emerge within the first few days of their coming to live with Aspen, Claire, and he. Homunculi can't have kids. They got the parts and plumbing so to speak but with that many females in the house it became clear fast that not one female has their period. Maybe it was the middle of their cycle but with that many at least one should. Even the oldest (by existence not biology) was now 29 days old. This was crushing to them. Being with someone eased the pain but no children? Keith relayed this info to Aspen and they both feared the same thing. Suicide.

"You...you don't mean that Chen. There's more to life this that. You have to give it time" he said shaking a little. Chen said not a word and got up. "She'll do it" a thought in his head said.   Keith asked himself what he should do. He didn't want to lose her...lose anyone. The voice in his head replied. Keith grabbed Chen. "Chen...do you still want to die?" he asked. She fought his grip and finally stopped. She nodded. "Then I'll eat you" he said quietly. "Go ahead. I have nothing to live for" she said. Keith was astounded by how broken she was. He had to push further. Keith sat up. "I'm not swallowing you whole. I will chew you up. My teeth will tear your flesh off your bones. Crack and snap your bones to splinters. And when I'm satisfied I'll swallow. You'll probably be still alive. Goodbye Chen. You gave it your best" he said. There was a coldness to his voice that terrified her.

Keith pushed her into his mouth and closed it. Her breathing quickened as she felt his tongue pushing her body on top of his teeth. He brought them down slowly. Chen screamed. Keith didn't hurt her. Nope. He gently chewed on her as he sat on his bed in the dark. Her screams got louder and within a minute he pinned her thigh and bit down slowly. Now this was enough to cause pain but not enough to break the skin. An almighty scream rattled his teeth and he spat her out. "Please don't eat me!" she shrieked. Keith placed her on the bed as she sobbed. He grabbed his watch and shrank down. Chen had never seen him do this and it shocked her enough to stop crying. He held her hands still slick with his saliva. "I'm sorry but I needed you to want to live. I get how you feel right now. Alone, unloved. I was even a test subject like you and it cost me the most precious thing in my life."

"And like you I wanted to end it all. I sat on the side of a highway bare ass naked one night thinking I could end the pain if I just stepped 15 feet in front of me. You know what stopped me?" he asked. She shook her head. "A man...a human man stopped his car, gave me his clothes, and took me to his home. I only stayed for three days as I knew I'd get him into trouble with the government...long story. My point is no matter how terrible it may seem, there is someone out there to pull you from the darkness. I can't be your lover but I will care for you and keep the darkness in your heart at bay" he said. Chen hugged him tightly. Her tiny naked body shook with emotion. Keith kissed her forehead. "I love you in the way it matters most to me" he said. Keith picked up her soggy dress from the bedsheet. "I'll...umm...get you another" he chuckled. Chen smiled at him. To make sure she was alright, he had her sleep with him. Keith awoke the next morning to find her gone but an intention was made on his pillow. He figured she stomped it out with her little feet before she left. "TK. Thank you...you're welcome Chen" he said.

Keith watched the kids mesmerized by morning cartoons as he ate his cereal. Claire popped up to snatch a Cheerio from his bowl. "Morning" he muttered. "Sup. Where's Aspen?" he asked. "Shopping. She booked us a flight and hotel for the trip tomorrow" she said. "About that. I'm not comfortable with you going. You're due to give birth very soon" he said. "Sun. The beach, drinks with umbrellas in them. My ass is going" Claire said. "And if you go into labor early? What about on the flight?" he asked. "I'm going to be locked down for a long time after I have the kid. Let me have this. If you love me you'll let me go" she said. "Low blow Claire" Keith said eating his food. The front door opened and closed as Aspen carried in shopping bags.

"What are you two up to?" Aspen asked. "Busy guilt tripping me" Keith said. "Not true! I was just...explaining the benefits of bringing me along" Claire said. "Is that so? Does it involve passionate sex?" Aspen asked. "Not really" Claire replied. "Does now" Aspen said scooping her up and carrying her away. Aspen surprised her by carrying her outside. As she walked, Claire saw that she was heading to the creek that ran parallel with the property line. Their home sat on an acre of land. The main road ran past the front of the house and the back kept going until it neared a barbed wire fence belonging to a dairy farmer. It was Aspen's little hiding place since she was a child. Aspen was somewhat of a tomboy when she was little. Catching frogs, skipping rocks. When her parents passed, her grandmother would come out with her and help catch frogs. Shed get grossed out when grandma offered to cook them. As she got older and more girly, she spent more time with Claire. One day Aspen brought Claire there so she could see the outside without worrying about something eating her.

"Creek looks smaller" Aspen said sitting on the bank. "Same to me" Claire said sitting in her lap. Aspen slipped her shoes off and put her feet in the cool water. The giantess sighed as the coolness eased her aching feet. She bent down and picked up a leaf. Pinching the center, she pulled out a tiny part. Aspen dipped it in water to soften it. Gently pulling her top off, Aspen slipped the leaf onto Claire. "Hello my fairy queen" Aspen said bowing. Claire grinned and returned the bow. Aspen sat her down and Claire twirled and danced around. Her tiny sandals skipping along the pebbles on the shoreline. "Been awhile since we did this" Claire said looking up at her giantess lover. "Yep. Ironic that how many times we played this you turn out to be actual fairy royalty" Aspen said. "Or how about the time you fucked up and made my dress out of poison ivy?" Claire asked. Aspen laughed so hard she snorted. "Not funny! I was itchy for days!" Claire yelled. "No I'm remembering you neck deep in calamine lotion" Aspen snickered. "That shit was all the way up my buttcrack" Claire said.

They laughed at the memory for a moment. "It feels more real now" Aspen said after picking her up. She caressed her bulging belly. "Our relationship?" Claire asked. Aspen nodded. "It’ll feel more real when you're wearing a bridal dress" Aspen said softly. Aspen pulled away the leaf and rubbed her tiny breasts. A bit of breastmilk leaked out. Aspen licked her finger clean. She pulled off her panties and flicked her tiny sandals. She gently kissed her delicate feet and rolled her onto her back as she lay in her palm. Aspen sucked and licked her ass and sent shivers up Claire's spine. Her fingers caressed her blonde hair and she rolled her onto her back. The cheeks of the giantess were flushed as she brought Claire to her face. Her fingernail crisscrossed her belly. "I love you" Aspen said. Claire whimpered as she understood that wasn't meant for her, it was for the baby. "Please put me inside you...I’ll be okay" Claire said.

Aspen glanced around and saw nobody in view. She slipped her panties to her ankles and gently pushed Claire feet first into her cunt. She was slow, she didn’t speed up. She didn’t dare to. No matter though. As far as she was concerned, they were the only two people in the world right then. "I love you...I love you" Aspen kept saying as she pulled and pushed the little pregnant girl in and out of her like a prayer chant. Claire enjoyed the feeling of being inside her. It felt so warm. Her pussy squeezed her body just right. Her tiny toes pushing against her walls felt like touching wet cotton. And the thought of her growing baby not far back from her feet thrilled her. The weirdest thought crept into her mind.

Claire thought about wriggling deeper inside. Far deeper than she ever been and climbing into her womb just to feel...to hug...the fetus that held her lover's child. Claire understood how Aspen felt. They were kids, then teens. Suffered the loss of Aspen's grandma together. Formed a relationship. Planned marriage and now becoming mothers. Claire came as she was inside Aspen. Her cum and juices mixing with hers. And with a contented smile, Aspen came as well. Aspen washed her in the creek as she hummed to herself. She dressed her and looking into those sparkling blue eyes, kissed her. "Want to go back?" Aspen asked. "No, let's just stay here a bit longer" Claire replied. And so they did for several hours just staring at clouds telling one another their desires and dreams.

Later that night, Keith went downstairs for a drink. Aspen had fallen asleep on the couch with Claire. Netflix logged out on sleep mode. He walked over to cover them with a blanket and he felt strange. He closed his eyes and when he opened them the blanket was covering them. "Huh?" he asked himself as he didn't remember doing that. It worried him a little as he still didn't know why he had holes in his memory from earlier. "Whatever" he muttered trying to focus on their trip tomorrow. He laid back down in bed and fell asleep.

"So you can handle this Rebecca?" Aspen asked. "Leave it to me. They act up and I'll rat them out" the borrower woman said. "We appreciate this Rebecca" Keith said checking their bags. "Just promise you'll watch her like a hawk. I don't like this idea, but I see this means a lot to her" Rebecca said. "Okay everyone. You know the rules. Clean up after yourself, don't cause her trouble, and don’t try to run away. I saw a stray cat yesterday so don't get any funny thoughts" Aspen said to the group of homunculi. Keith gave them a glare and a few got the message loud and clear.

They took turns napping. Someone had to watch over Claire at any given time. The flight was noisy coming out of LA. Vacation goers excited to visit paradise. College students made up almost the entire flight as now they were out of school. Their flight landed in Hilo Hawaii as Aspen had chosen a quieter locale from the insane amount of tourists going to Honolulu. Still though there were a couple boisterous students riding the shuttle bus to their hotel. "Welcome to Volcano Acres. How many in your party?" the receptionist asked. Aspen yawned. "2.2 guests" she replied. "2.2?" the woman asked confused. Aspen pointed to Claire who was busy looking around from her purse. "That's adorable. Just a moment while we set your rooms up" she said. Keith looked around. He admired how the brick was smoothed and polished volcanic basalt. He noted that it all looked so fresh and new.

"Very nice" he said. "Thank you. The bricks were made from Kilauea itself. The active volcano a few miles from here" the woman said as she typed. "An active volcano?!" Claire yelled. "Not to worry little miss. Pelé herself makes our volcanoes very gentle. Pelé is our local folklore goddess" the lady replied winking. Claire liked the respect she was given. Not pet or thing. Miss. "Oh let me help you" Keith said to the bellhop loading their luggage. As he stepped his foot caught on a raised bit of floor tile causing him to trip. "I'm alright!" Keith said embarrassed. "You sure sir?" a man asked in a suit. "Yeah. Only my ego is bruised" Keith replied. The man smiled and turned his back. He muttered something into a walkie as he walked away. They were shown to their room and Aspen flopped onto the bed and kicked her shoes off. "So what should we do first?" Keith said sitting down handing them a flyer.

"This sounds nice. A spa bath. Claire, you think that sounds good?" Aspen asked. "Hell yeah. A human other than yourself pampering me? Count me in!" Claire yelled. "Go ahead you two. I'm out to take pictures before it gets dark" Keith said. Both went their separate ways. Keith went to the lobby and Aspen followed the signs for the spa. Keith entered the entryway and looked down to avoid tripping once more. "Well damn" he muttered seeing the floor was perfectly fine. "You guys fixed it that fast? It was barely 10 minutes" he said. "We pride ourselves on hospitality" the receptionist said. Keith shrugged and left the hotel. "Welcome to our spa. You can place your borrower here" a young woman said. Aspen placed Claire on a table. "You may both disrobe" she said. Aspen had no trouble but Claire was hesitant. "Claire come on" Aspen said dropping her robe. "...alright" Claire said getting naked. "Little miss. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You look very cute pregnant" the girl said smiling. "Thank you" Claire said blushing.

Aspen and Claire laid down on their respective tables. "We first start off with a gentle massage to loosen the muscles, we then move on to a mineral bath, and then exfoliation" she explained. Aspen groaned slightly as the woman pushed and kneaded her back muscles. "Don't worry...Claire was it? Your special masseuse will arrive in a moment" the lady said seeing Claire jealous. "Ah. There you are Lea. Please begin" the lady said to a teenage girl the size of Claire. "I didn't know you had borrowers here" Aspen said. "...yes. Borrowers came from the mainland many years ago" the lady replied. "She's cute. I never seen a borrower with such dark skin before. She looks very Hawaiian" Aspen said. The lady didn't make a comment to that. Claire turned her head slightly only to see a pair of tiny bare feet to her right. Then she saw Lea as she sat on her knees. Claire was turned sideways because of her belly and Keas had her lay on her back.

Claire was mesmerized looking at Lea. Like Aspen, Claire had never seen a borrower with such copper skin before. She wasn't like Bentgrass. No, Bentgrass said she was the last. Borrowers have different skin tones due to long ago mixed blood. Lily said as much. But over time those skin tones lightened. Lea showed no sign of mixed ancestry. Black hair, brown eyes, copper skin. And about those eyes. A hint of sadness in them. Lea went to work massaging Claire. Starting at her shoulders and working her way down. She skipped her belly and worked on her thighs. Claire closed her eyes in content. Even with enhanced stamina, her legs hurt more now. Her ankles and back. And of course her delicate tiny feet. Lea held her foot on her lap and rubbed her sole. Claire let out a cute squeak as Lea's fingers rubbed between her dainty toes. In her embarrassment, Claire was getting wet. "You can stop" Claire said. Lea didn't say anything but she did smile and pat her arm and nod. She kept massaging her feet. "Oh" Claire said realizing that Lea knew she was aroused and thought nothing shameful of it.

Claire liked looking at her. She was 17 at most. Very pretty and her skimpy clothing showed her body off well enough. She was concerned slightly how Lea didn't speak. "Training?" Claire wondered. Part of this reminded Claire of the koonago inn but unlike them they didn't hide themselves from the world. It seemed very above board. Claire heard something coming from Lea. She looked closer at her face and saw she was sniffling. Lea was rubbing her belly back and forth. Claire held her hand to her belly. Lea smiled brightly as tears fell from her eyes. "Lea? What's wrong?" Claire asked. Lea opened her mouth to speak. "Lea. You've had a long day. Get some rest" the lady said. Lea nodded and left the room. "Sorry about that. Lea was with child last winter. She miscarried" the lady said. "That's so sad" Aspen said. "It was. We all grieved for her. Time for the baths" she said. Aspen reclined in the bath with Claire soaking in a wooden bowl. "It's very peaceful" Aspen said. As if on cue a bunch of college girl came in laughing and chatting. "...had to say it huh?" Claire asked.

"Oh she's adorable! Can I pet her? Can we hold her?" three girls asked standing naked around them. "You ask her" Aspen said. They all looked at Aspen funny. "Okay...sure...can I hold you?" one girl asked. Claire sighed. "...only if you give us some peace and quiet" Claire replied. The girl gingerly picked Claire up. "She's pregnant" the girl whispered to her friends. "Is that so weird?" Claire asked annoyed. "I've never seen one pregnant before. Ours wasn't" the girl replied. "You had one?" Claire asked. "Dad bought one for me when I was in middle school. We tried to mate her with my friends borrower but it didn't take" she said. "Odd...I wonder why" Claire thought. The girl was gentle at least and he handed her to her friend. It wasn't too bad. They were extra careful with Claire seeing she was with child. They asked her questions about her baby. The father, names for the kid, when she was due. The last one petted her lovingly. "Thank you very much" the last girl said kissing Claire. Aspen was slightly annoyed but she was pleased that her treatment was more humane than previous encounters with strangers.

They even had a conversation as they soaked. Janice, Tina, and Shakila were their names. They came from the same college back in Arizona. Their first year of college done, they saved up to go on vacation together. Aspen was jealous. She hadn't gone to college. With her grandma dying and life in general, she didn't have time. She wondered what she missed out on. Shakila was into African American studies, Tina was in business, and Janice was going for a teaching degree. Aspen felt...inferior. The girls left them and Aspen sat quietly in the tub. "Something has you down" Claire said. "It occurred to me I have no plans after we...you know get you rights. What to do about a career?" Aspen asked. The girl jumped out her bowl and swam over to Aspen. She climbed up and sat on her left breast.

"Well the world is changing. We just saw proof of that. Maybe you can get a job connected to borrowers? You are an expert on them" Claire said. "...maybe" Aspen said quietly. Claire rubbed her giant nipple with her feet. "There's no rush Aspen. Life is good the way it is now" Claire said. Aspen tingled as her nipples got hard. "You're right. We got time" Aspen said picking her up and kissing her. "Ready for your exfoliating session?" the lady from earlier asked coming into the steamy room. They smiled and nodded. It was weird to them as they took smoothed rocks and scrapped their skin. Another borrower, a male this time attended to Claire. They were afraid it would hurt but it didn't. When they were done their skin was as smooth as silk.

Meanwhile...

Keith was busy shooting pictures at the caldera of the volcano. A guide ushered for them to leave. "You need to leave folks. The volcano is unusually violent today" he said. Keith noticed the ground trembled and a ropy powerful burst of lava erupted not far away. It puzzled him. "Hawaiian volcanoes aren't this violent. A fluke I guess" he said following the tour group.

(Authors note: Kilauea is the most active volcano on Earth. Because the lava from Hawaiian volcanoes is thin, the gases inside escape easy. Hence gentle eruptions.)

Keith returned to their room and went over his pictures. One caught his eye. "Eyes in the cloud? A coincidence but still creepy" he said flicking past the picture. The door opened and Aspen and Claire walked through. "Look at you two. Smooth as glass" Keith said caressing Aspen's arm. "What about me?" Claire asked waving her little arms. Keith picked her up. "I could rub on you all night and not get so much as a blister" he said rubbing her up and down his cheek. Claire giggled at his corniness. "Took pictures?" Aspen asked holding his camera. "Yeah. Got some really good shots until we were shooed away" he said sitting down next to her. "We met some really nice girls. Even some local borrowers. It was very weird Keith" Claire said. "Weird in what way?" Keith asked.

"They had really tanned skin. Natural tan skin. And this one girl had a miscarriage" she replied. Keith turned to look at her. "Borrowers don’t miscarriage unless they're seriously malnourished or injured. Tan skin...how tan?" he asked. Claire pointed to their wooden table. "That doesn't seem possible. Multiple generations would dilute that. Even incest wouldn't account for that. We know borrowers mated with humans long ago but they mated with European settlers mostly" he said. "Hawaiian natives?" Claire asked. "Most likely but mainlanders have been bringing borrowers for many years now. There was a huge boom after Hawaii became a state" he said. "Leave it. We're on vacation" Aspen said pushing her foot into his chest. Keith held her foot. "You're right..." he said softly before taking her big toe into his mouth. Aspen shivered in delight as he sucked her toes. It was the gentleness and the look in his eyes.

For him it wasn't a fetish. It was testament to his love for her. He let go of her foot and pulled her panties off. "You forgetting me down here?!" Claire yelled up. "What should we do with her? You want me to eat her?" Keith asked grinning. "Maybe shove her up my ass?" Aspen snickered. Keith picked her up. "I dunno. She looks plump" Keith said licking his lips. Claire's heart raced as she was brought to his mouth. "Take a deep breath" he whispered before pushing her into his mouth. Keith held her firm and kissed Aspen pushing Claire into her mouth. They exchanged her again and again for a long minute before letting her out. Claire wanted to yell at them but each one had a look of pure love for her. She couldn't stay mad. Keith place Claire on the bed before shrinking he and Aspen down to her level. Once done, he pushed his dick into Aspen. Aspen straddled his cock as Claire climbed onto Keith and pushed her pussy into his face. Claire huffed and moaned as he darted his tongue in and out of her.

Keith rubbed her borrower ass with his hands until Claire spun around. Facing Aspen, Claire kissed her as Keith fucked himself in and out of her. His hands felt the wrinkles in her tiny soles and Claire trembled from the pleasant tickling. And with his soul bare Keith muttered "I love you both so much". With that utterance, he exploded into Aspen. His voice literally invaded Claire's pussy causing her to cum. Aspen felt him blast his seed into her and she came. He held them both in each arm to his chest. Kissing each forehead, he let out a contended sigh. The jet lag and the day's events took their toll and they fell asleep in each other's arms (or chest in the case of Claire).

Keith awoke during the night. The wind outside had picked up. He looked out and saw the red orange glow of the volcano and had to get a picture of it. Quietly skulking about the room, he slipped on his slippers and walked out the room. With the hallway lights down low, Keith got lost and found himself standing in front of an incomplete section of the hotel. He would've turned back but he sensed something. Something odd. "What was that?" he asked himself hearing a skittering on the floor. His enhanced vision caught the briefest of motion...but nothing else. "Just the wind" he thought as he turned around and left. Even at 3 a.m. it was busy in the lobby. Drunken college guests roamed the bar as he entered the entryway. He stepped out and felt the strong breeze. "Typhoon off the coast. Should make for some good waves bro" a young man said to him outside. The man was obviously high and proved it as he took a drag off a joint. He offered it to Keith. Keith took a puff, held it in, and let it out.

"Is it gonna hit?" Keith asked. "Naw but it will dump some rain in a few days" the young man replied. "Awesome isn't it?" Keith asked pointing to the glow in the horizon. "Ultimate lava lamp" the man chuckled. Keith laughed at him and not the joke. Keith took some pictures. Suddenly there was a crash. Keith followed the sound around the hotel to where the construction was. "Oh shit" he muttered seeing half if it demolished. "Stay back sir" a man said. "Is everyone alright?!" Keith asked. "Everyone is fine but please stay back. The wind caused the collapse and it could further collapse" the man in the suit said. "You sure? I swear I smell blood in the air" Keith said. The man shooed him away. Keith stayed back but listened as the man made a call. "Yeah...nobody was hurt. Well I did warn you they rushed it. Yeah...yeah...I don't think so. I'm sure they were caught in it when it fell. I'm sure it will delay the schedule. No. We'll have to transfer them to this to even try to meet it now" he said. He stopped talking when he saw Keith looking at him. The man walked away.

Keith returned to the hallway that led to the construction. It had already been roped off and a worker standing there to make sure nobody entered. "Where did you go?!" Aspen asked as he returned. "Outside to snap pics" he replied. "Fuck was that noise?" she asked. Some construction fell due to the wind" he said. "Something the matter?" she asked. Keith laid back in bed and pulled her close. "Not our problem" he said to her. "She didn't even wake up" Aspen said looking at Claire. "Let's have her choose what we do tomorrow. Make a day of it around her" he said. "She'll love that" Aspen said kissing him. Keith snuggled her tighter as he drifted off to sleep.

"Keith wake up!" Claire screamed as she slapped his cheek. "I'm up! Christ Claire..." Keith groaned as he opened his eyes. Claire looked very upset. "Aspen is gone!" Claire yelled. Keith looked over to see Aspen was not in bed. He glanced at the bathroom door which was open. Nothing. "She probably went downstairs for breakfast. I know she didn't ditch you. In fact, we planned for you to be queen for a day" Keith smiled. "She was gone when I woke up and that was an hour ago!" Claire screamed. "...okay. Put your clothes on" he said. As soon as they were dressed, they headed to the front where the bar and grill was. Soon as they arrived it was clear that something was very wrong. A row of guests were screaming at a man in a suit. "I assure you were looking into the situation!" he yelled. "You own this place right?! How can you explain so many disappearing at your hotel?! Fuck are you playing at?!" a man screamed. Keith walked over to him.

"Disappearing? People have disappeared?" Keith asked. "My fiancée was gone from my room and I come down to see if anyone saw her and come to find out a shitload of others are gone too!" he yelled. "And she didn't just step out for a walk?" Keith asked. "In her fucking nightie?!" the man yelled. "The Menehune took them" the receptionist muttered. "What did you say?" Claire asked poking out of Keith's chest pocket. "The Menehune took them because..."

"Shut that superstitious shit up!" the manager yelled raising his arm. Keith grabbed it and squeezed. The man winced. "Enough" Keith said shoving him away. "Explain...explain quickly" Keith said coldly. "The Menehune spirited them away because of how we treated them. I know it. We used them to build this hotel. So many died...they...they must've took them for some reason" she said. "Revenge..." Claire muttered. "They better hope they aren't harmed" Keith said quickly going outside. Keith pulled his phone out. "What are you doing? Her phone is in the room" Claire said. "Not calling her. She wore her size watch to bed last night. Wasn't on the nightstand when we left so she still has it. I put a GPS transponder in them in case we ever lost them...or each other. Just have to pull it up...aw shit" he muttered. "Not found....that's impossible. You'd have to be a half mile underground for it not to pick up" he said.

Claire broke into sobs. "Aspen....Aspen..." Claire sobbed over and over. Keith held her in his hand and lifted her head up with a finger under her chin. "We will find her Claire. I need you to be brave" he said. Claire wiped her eyes and slightly nodded. "So, we can't see where she is now but I bet I can trace her direction. The GPS would’ve pinged her location every minute. There! Her trail leads to Kilauea and then stops" he said. "Oh god they sacrificed her to the volcano..." Claire muttered. "No. It stops 1000 ft. before that. We're going" he said running. The wind was stronger now. Dark clouds on the horizon. "What are these Menehune?" Claire asked. "Dunno. Some local lore. I am curious..." he said. "What if they're some 10 ft. lizard men!" Claire yelled. "Then we'd have some evidence of that. We're going the right way though. Look" he said pointing to footprints in the black sandy soil. "How do you know they're not tourists?" Claire asked.

"5 toe prints and a curved sole. If Aspen and the others were taken overnight, it stands to reason they were barefoot" he replied. Keith didn't stop running until the trail ended. "No more footprints. Nothing..." he muttered with worry. "Aspen! ASPEN!" Keith screamed. Nothing. "She's gone...my Aspen is gone and there's nothing here!" Claire yelled shaking. Keith closed his eyes and when he opened them...he was different. "No. Not nothing. I sense it faintly. A doorway" he said. He began drawing shapes and symbols in the soil. "What are you doing?!" Claire yelled. "Quiet little one. This takes concentration and it's been literal ages since I used such an incantation. How I miss using magic at the snap of a finger" he said. "Little one? Ages?" Claire mumbled.

When he had finished the incantation, it glowed. A shimmering door appeared out of thin air. Keith took Claire through it. "This is....AAAAAAAH!" Claire shrieked as she saw something to her right. "What is...sonofvabitch!" Keith yelled looking at what she saw. Standing next to Keith...was a strange figure and that's wasn't all. Claire was the same height as they were and a weird white glow surrounded them. "Who the fuck are you?!" Keith yelled. "Well this is awkward. This is not how I wished for us to meet. Calm yourself Keith and Claire. I mean you no harm" he said. "Dude I'm not in the mood for cryptic shit!" Keith yelled gripping him by his throat. With barely a gesture, the man sent him flying to the ground. "Interesting. So much mana here I can use low tier magic without arcane help. You need to keep calm Keith if you plan to save Aspen" he said extending his hand. Keith grabbed it and got up. "You won't believe me if I told you who I was" he said. "I suspended disbelief two adventures ago" Keith said. "Fair enough. My name is Oberon. Pleasure to meet you" he said.

"Wait...the Oberon?! Okay...second question. Where did you come from? Is it here?" Keith asked looking around. The landscape was very similar but vibrant with flowers and palm trees. The sky bluish orange as if a constant sunset. "No. This reality marble is not of me" he replied. "Reality marble?" Claire asked looking at her body and comparing her height to Keith. "The term for a pocket realm created by old magics. The reality as you know it is divided into separate realms. The mortal one, the realm of gods, and the aether-realm or what you'd call the afterlife. A pocket realm borrows aspects of two realms and mixes them together. Apparently, this realm relies on a spiritual one. Our forms are the manifestations of our souls. Hence why I appeared. I've been living inside you for some time" he explained. Both were dumbfounded.

"Living inside me? Why?! And are you responsible for my missing memories?!" Keith yelled. To answer your second question...yes. As for why that would take more time than we have. We haven't found any bodies but I'm sure they were taken for not so good reasons. I promise to explain when we have the time. Right now, we need to find Aspen" he said. Keith was not happy with his answers. "And how do we do we find her. I don't see shit for miles" Keith said. Oberon pointed at Claire. "She will lead us to her. Her soul is entwined with Aspen's" he replied. Oberon placed his hands on her shoulders. Close your eyes and focus. See yourself going to Aspen" he said. The scenery warped and convulsed. When it stopped, they stood at the entrance of a tiny village surrounded by forest. "Shall we see who's home?" Oberon asked.

Meanwhile...

"Just stay calm. Panicking isn't going to solve anything" Aspen said. "How can you be so calm at a time like this?!" a girl screamed. "Stop yelling!" another girl screamed. Aspen, like the others had gone to sleep in their beds and awoke laying on cold dirt. They were being held in a large structure made of mud brick. Very large actually. 14 people including Aspen were being held inside. Not one of them over the age of 25. The youngest among them was 16. Youth was the only common factor as boy and girls were there. Aspen wasn't the first to awake. A young man ran for the opening to the structure only to impact an invisible barrier. Aspen watched as the girl cried to themselves. She knew that Keith and Claire wouldn't stand idly by with her being missing. Suddenly, a young man entered the hut. His hair short and raggedy. A grass hula skirt around his waist and no underwear. He eyed each one and his eyes locked in on the girl sitting next to Aspen. "Don't you..." Aspen was saying until he backhanded her sending her on her back. The girl yelped see what happened and froze in terror as she noticed a stone knife hanging from his grass skirt. He grabbed her by her ankle and gazed as her bare foot. Her fair skin seemed to mesmerize him as if he'd never seen a Caucasian girl before. "Please don't hurt me" she muttered to him. He paid her no mind as he sniffed her foot. He sniffed her leg and hair. Her almond hair just as puzzling to him. He grabbed her tee shirt and tried it clean away exposing her breasts. The man roughly grabbed the right one and squeezed causing her to whimper in pain. The others watching thankful he had not turned his attention to him. The men however were working up the nerve to attack him when his back was turned.

The man chuckled at her pain and nodded his approval of her firm youthful breasts. "Oh god he's goons rape me..." she muttered seeing his erection poking out from his skirt.  "Hey buddy" Aspen said. The man turned around and got a swift powerful kick in the balls. Aspen had slammed the sole of her foot on his testicles as hard as she could. The man gasped in pain and fell to his knees. He took his knife out. Her heart raced. Aspen was terrified. "Keith...help me..." she whimpered. The ground shook with slight tremors and frantic yelling came from outside. Another man entered the room. They argued in a foreign tongue. The new one pointed outside as if to beckon his friend to come. The man eyed Aspen and left with his friend.

"This is fucking weird" Claire said seeing tiny men with spears trying to surround them. "Appears we found these Menehune that lady was taking about. Figured they'd be our size" Keith said. "This is their realm. Their natural state. I bent the laws of this realm for us to enter. Be on guard though. Even in soul form we can still be hurt" Oberon warned. The first group stood in awe of Claire. Fair skin and golden hair was unnatural to them. Even her toes confused them as they had never seen toenails painted purple before. "Stay back!" Claire said stomping her foot causing the closest the stagger. One shouted and they charged her. With a gesture, Oberon sent them flying with a gust of wind. They were petrified of him. Pointy ears. Command of the wind. Freakish glow. They didn’t know to either fight him or bow to him. "Aspen...I can sense Aspen!" Claire said pointing to a structure. Claire took off running.

"Wait Claire!" Keith yelled chasing after her. Claire was too concerned to give thought to the Menehune around her. The two guarding Aspen and the others watched as the golden-haired giantess ran to them. They raised their spears. "ASPEN!" Claire screamed. "Claire? Claire! We're in here!" Aspen yelled. Her ears picked up her voice. Delighted she was still alive. Claire took a breath. "Ow!" Claire said feeling her ankle pricked. She looked down and one was ready to stab her again. Claire was too incensed to hold back. She kicked him as hard as she could. He body pulped from the impact causing a spray of blood as his crumpled body was sent flying. His friend, the one that was going to attack Aspen stood in disbelief. He'd seen someone he'd known since childhood killed so easily by a woman larger than the tallest palm tree. Aspen clamored to the entryway held back by the barrier. She saw the man pissing himself looking up. A shadow loomed over him. He got on his knees after tossing aside his spear. He was begging for his life.

Claire looked at him. She was not in a forgiving mood. His kind had kidnapped her lover. If it wasn't for Keith, she'd never seen Aspen again. She said nothing as she raised her dirt sole over him.  With borrower strength and speed, she smushed him into the dirt. His body simply popped sending blood all over. Aspen couldn't believe what she had seen. It was Claire’s foot. No doubt. Aspen had played with her feet more than enough to recognize each tiny scar and curve of her toenails. The giveaway was the purple nail polish. A special kind with silver metallic flakes in it. Aspen realized she and the others had a new problem. Claire took her foot off the body to admire her thoroughness. The dirt soaked in blood so much it pooled slightly where her big toe of her footprint made an indention in the soil.

Claire felt powerful...utterly powerful for the first time in her life. Size role reversal had occurred before to her...mostly with Aspen. This was different. This wasn't even like when she raped that shrunken stewardess. She had power of life and death those times but she never acted on it. This time she had. She had ended a life under her feet. Being a gentle soul, it would've bothered her, but these Menehune things dared to endanger the most precious person in her life.  Her fiancée. Her soulmate. Her Aspen. Claire tore the roof off the structure and found over a dozen people inside, but her eyes was on just one. Claire snatched her right up and cuddled her crying so hard she was gasping for air. "It's okay baby. It's okay" Aspen said trying to calm her. "I was so scared! So..." Claire said falling to her knees. Those inside was astounded to see a giantess save them. "Why...what's happened to us?!" someone screamed. "Oh god...please tell me it's not another shrinking curse" Aspen said.

"It's a curse alright. Transformation curse to be exact. Shrinking is part of the package deal" Oberon said walking to them. "And who the hell are you? Why is Claire so huge? Keith? Keith!" Aspen yelled seeing him. Keith rushed over and took her from Claire. He kissed her face. "You’re not hurt are you?" he asked. "Hurt no. Confused as fuck!" Aspen yelled. "Aspen meet Oberon. Oberon this is Aspen" he said. "We've meet once before. She won't remember it though" he said. Aspen narrowed her eyes. "You! You’re responsible for our missing memories aren’t you?!" Aspen yelled. "I am but we can save this discussion for later" he said. "Fuck that! I want answers now!" Aspen yelled. The ground shook hard and a blast of lava erupted not far away. They stared dumbfounded as the lava condensed into humanoid form and began taking steps. "It's appears you'll get answers. Just not the ones you're seeking" Oberon said.

Oberon got in front of them. The Menehune turned to face the molten creature coming towards them and bowed. "This power...this is not good" Oberon muttered. The lava cooled and hardened. It cracked and bursting forth was a naked woman of exquisite beauty. Her skin like gleaming copper. Black hair shone like obsidian in the sun. Her eyes orange as hot magma. Every step she took sent tremors into the ground. In her wake was footsteps of charred glass made from melted sandy soil. An aura of flame danced along her nude flesh. "Who defiles my sacred realm? Who dares kill my servants?" she asked. "I do. You have taken those precious to us.  We want them retuned to us whole and free of your curse" Oberon replied. She approached him. The air grew intensely hot.