“Worship me… like a goddess…!” Melanie’s laugh was riddled with moans. She was touching herself, her panties halfway down her legs. At her feet was Scarlet, squished between her soles, overtaken by the scent of sweat.

“Drink my spit,” Melanie ordered, “or I’ll twist your legs off. Is that what you want?” Nicky buckled under the threat. With tears bubbling at her eyes, she lowered herself towards the puddle of saliva provided for her -- Melanie pushed her in, coating her in the thick liquid.

“If you let go, you’ll fall into my mouth,” Melanie giggled. Over her head, above her mouth, was Kimberly desperately clinging to a pen that Melanie playfully twisted, forcing the woman into a constant scramble for balance. “Do you feel my breath at your feet? Maybe becoming nourishment for my massive body would be the best use for you…!”

“Look, look, Adrian!” Melanie had the three women pinched between the fingers of one hand, hoisting them upside-down by their feet. Their squirms and kicks only punished each other, accidentally punching themselves while making no progress to escape this terrible treatment. “Hmm, hmm… Which one should I kill? Oh-- d-do you know that one game, Adrian? Marry-Fuck-Kill…? Is that it? Well, we could play that now! Haha, which one are you going to fuck? If you had to marry one of these three, it’d probably be Kim, right? She’d make a good wife. Nicky is cute, she has an ass that you just want to beat, don’t you think? I guess that leaves Wormslut to kill! You want me to kill Wormslut? She wants to die, so she won’t be mad at you! I’ll just grab her by the head, just like this, and a little pressure, and a twist, and--”

Adrian jostled awake. She breathed, clutching her chest where it felt like a hole had been formed. She winced, and remembered the thoughts that plagued her; another body-wide shiver. Turning around and facing the ceiling did nothing to calm her, the depth of space between her and the solid sky only serving as a constant reminder of how tiny she was.

Those were not dreams just concocted from a traumatized imagination. They were unfortunate memories that constantly welled up in Adrian’s head when she tried to sleep. Since Nicky had been shrunk, three days had passed, and none of them had gone by uneventfully. Melanie always had plans, there was always an itch that she would make the others scratch, and Adrian could never ignore it. She had no choice, Melanie made sure of that.

Despite being only recollections, they felt just as real as before. Adrian could vividly remember every shout and whine that the others made, their lives perpetually toyed with and belittled. That last memory, where Scarlet was chosen to die -- did she die? Or was the image of her head splattering so gruesome that Adrian had subconsciously deleted it from her mind?

She wasn’t dead, Adrian recalled. Afterwards, the four had been allowed to mingle, as Melanie had finished playing with her toys and had reverted back to that eerie casualness. Adrian scoffed at how Melanie’s personality could be so twisted; callously playing with human lives for her sexual amusement for one minute, and then the next she would be quiet and tender, in her weird way of showing kindness. It was during this mingling that Adrian tried again to speak with Scarlet, but she couldn’t get a word from her. Scarlet never talked anymore, not unless commanded to by Melanie.

Adrian rose from laying down. Her heart was racing and sleep had slipped from her hands once again. Every night is like this, she thought. I can’t even dream of escaping her--

“Adrian?” Her name had been said, breaking the silence that made the night so peaceful. Adrian leaped from fright, as though her heart had jumped into her throat. Of course, it was Melanie checking up on her, her titanic form stretched out across the field of mattress beside the nightstand. “Y-You look startled… You were tossing around a bit…”

“I’m fine,” Adrian said reflexively. Her voice was tired and unaimed, at least while she still woke up and gathered her thoughts.

“S-Something is on your mind…” Melanie’s expression was soft, like the pillow her head sank into. “You can tell me anything, A-Adrian…”

Adrian scratched at her head. She was groggy, and now her gigantic kidnapper was trying to convince her to open up. She sighed, What’s the point? She’ll just keep asking. A bitter look met with Melanie’s concern. “I’m just… I’ve been having nightmares. That’s all.”

Melanie frowned. “That’s not good…”

“Yeah, well…” Adrian bit her tongue, physically restraining herself from making an unwise comment. “Wait. W-What are you doing up? What time is it…?”

“It’s 3 am,” Melanie answered, rustling under the sheets to fetch the phone that she had checked not long ago. “And, well, I-I couldn’t sleep either… I don’t get a lot of sleep. Not when I have the chance to watch you sleep, hehe…”

“You’ve been... watching me sleep?”

Melanie nodded, though she became bashful immediately after her response. “You’re s-so cute… and your snoring? Extra cute…”

Adrian blushed, one hand feeling the side of her body, the body that had been observed diligently by this other woman. Her fingers tightened at her sleeve, distressed by this information.

“Since we’re awake…” Melanie rose, the bed groaning underneath her weight. Once seated, she picked up Adrian into her cold hands. A chirp left Adrian, but not much else. “W-Why don’t we… t-talk? A normal talk.”

Adrian could refrain no longer. “Ha, well, it’s a little hard to hold a conversation like this.”

Melanie smiled apologetically. She exhaled, parts of her breath messing with Adrian’s loose hair. “It’s been almost a week now… I suppose you’re still not used to this…”

“... Why do you have to keep them?” Adrian looked to the desk. As distant as it was, the neon colored compartments where Melanie kept her prisoners was visible, even through the dimness of the room. A normal perspective would imply the storage of regular desk items, like pens or scissors. Thus, it felt more cruel to remember that real humans were living in there, locked up like pets. “Whatever. Right, it’s too late, isn’t it? You don’t know a cure, anyway.”

This despair from Adrian made Melanie grimace. She looked down at her feet, where underneath the bed was a little corner of paper. She never did clean up completely after that spiral into rage. The ripped pages of the occultic book still lay around, discarded into little pieces. Most of the book was fine -- it sat on the floor, not far from the other ritual items -- but the pages served as a heavy reminder of what kind of power could rush through Melanie’s veins; a reminder for both her, and her shrunken captives.

Melanie had no reply, and Adrian didn’t want one. Truthfully, Adrian hoped that her question wouldn’t activate another fury from Melanie, and she was content to see that Melanie was remaining calm. Of course, as she also knew, that calm could shatter at any moment.

Melanie finally spoke, and her first words after such a long pause made Adrian shiver in suspense. “We… should go out.”

“... Out? Out where?”

“Mm… Y-You’re right,” Melanie shook her head, “very bad idea.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Adrian chuckled, almost falling into hysterics from just the idea of being able to leave this room, willingly no less. “We should go out! This room, it’s driving me crazy, I-I need fresh air, a-a-and space, a-and sunlight!”

“Ahh, hmm…” Melanie whined. Adrian could feel the huge body jittering from nervousness, little squirms that accompanied her noises. “I don’t know… Th-The world out there would be scary for you.”

Adrian’s heart burned, a fire that threatened to turn her emotions into ash if she didn’t convince Melanie soon. “You would keep me safe, wouldn’t you?”

“I… I would try, of course, y-yeah--”

“I believe you. I mean…” Adrian swallowed, finding the lie uncomfortable to commit to. “Look, y-you might do some… fucked up things, but you’ve always been nice to me. But… I haven’t been able to believe you. I just feel like-- You know, the same as Kimberly o-or, uh… Nicky, the same as all of them. Just another… object.”

Melanie hid her expression this time, though it was hardly different from before. However, she did nod in agreement. “I see what you mean...”

“So…? C-Can we…?”

“I don’t know… I just randomly s-said that, it seemed like a good idea--”

“It’d be like a date.”

“Haaah…” Melanie choked. Her throat swelled at Adrian’s words, as did a warmth in her chest. She was glad to have been hiding her face upwards from Adrian, now that it was colored a deep pink. “A d-d-d… daaa…”

“A… A date.” Adrian smiled, genuinely enamored with how Melanie was reacting. Melanie was a merciless monster that used magic to shrink people, but she was also a college-aged girl with a real crush. A moment later, clarity came to Adrian; Melanie was a merciless college-aged girl that used magic to shrink people, including her crush. Her smile turned blank, dwelling on how such evil could blossom from an otherwise mundane type of person.

Melanie was still recovering from the shock. Little laughs left her lips, but she did well to control herself. She finally looked back at Adrian. “Th-That sounds… nice! Err, awesome! I-I’ve never… I’ve never gone on a date before…”

“Really,” Adrian said, unamused. She shrugged, “Where are you going to take me?”

“Ah~ I don’t know just yet… I-It was just an idea. You shouldn’t think of it like I’m just taking you somewhere, though… e-even if that is sort of the case. If you don’t want to go somewhere, I-I wouldn’t want to force you.”

“Sure,” I guess. “Well… You’ve never been on a date, huh? Most couples, uh, have their first date at, like, a mall.”

“I see that a lot,” Melanie said, in reference to movies and television shows, not personal insight. “Hmmm… Oh, I can see why. Th-There’s lots of stores, and other things to do. You can walk around and usually find something your partner would want…” Melanie giggled, some of her blush still in tact. “I have to admit, normies and their dating culture are pretty smart…”

What the hell does that mean? I guess she isn’t wrong…

“There’s an outlet mall near campus, isn’t there?” Melanie lifted Adrian a bit higher, closer to her face. “I-Is that a good place to go? There’s stuff to do there, right?”

The proximity of Melanie’s face added with her nervous questions made Adrian pressured to respond. She thought quickly, and decided that this was her best chance. Asking for anything more was a risk that Melanie might forget the idea altogether -- she had to strike now while Melanie was uncertain of herself. “Yeah, absolutely,” she answered. “I’ve gone there before, a couple times actually. I-It’s… fun.”

“That’s good! Fun… F-Fun is what we want to have, so that sounds perfect! Hehe…” Just slightly, Adrian was lowered away from Melanie’s overbearing expressions. Her eyes, dim as they were, flickered with the enticing thoughts of going out with Adrian, as well as figuring out the gritty details. How would she keep Adrian hidden, while still enjoying the mall itself? What activities could even be shared with someone only three inches tall?

Melanie returned focus to Adrian. She sat her obsession down back onto the night stand, then twisted back to retrieve her phone from the other side of the bed. “I-I’ll do research…!” Melanie chuckled. “I’ll make us a nice agenda… W-We’ll do everything worthwhile! It’s our first date, after all…”

Adrian had no reply, finding that Melanie was already lost from any conversation they were holding. As Melanie flipped through her phone’s internet browser, she muttered to herself continuations of what they discussed, comments that were under her breath but hearable for Adrian. She definitely likes to prepare, Adrian noted. Whether it’s a date… or kidnapping someone…

The sun rose, but barely did any of its light shine through the blinds of Melanie’s bedroom window. After an hour of looking into the options at the outlet mall, Melanie had a plan and the drive to take Adrian out. Motivation came when her eyes befell the tiny Adrian, a reminder of who she was doing this for.

Some precautions had to be taken. Transporting a shrunken person out in public had its natural risks, so Melanie sought a strategy to keep Adrian hidden. A few adjustments were made to her usual messenger bag so that Adrian could be stowed away, out of sight from strangers. One of the side pockets was modified to be more stable and comfortable, allowing a miniature person to travel along while seated, free from most types of bumps.

“A-Adrian, listen to this one… I’ve turned my messenger bag into a passenger bag…! Hehehe…” Adrian didn’t laugh.

This good mood followed Melanie to her desk. While she and Adrian would spend the afternoon away, the other shrunken women would be allowed out onto the desk, along with another simple meal and the return of Melanie’s speaker-like earbuds. It was the same playlist as before, the one catered to Adrian’s tastes; Kimberly and Scarlet may have avoided the music, but Nicky was pulled to the familiar rhythms and tunes, much like Adrian herself had.

“All of you, be good while we’re gone,” Melanie said, half of her tone being a warning. “Don’t kill each other, that’d be a shame to clean up after a long day. Though, I suppose if one of you strangled Wormslut, none of us would bat an eye.”

This wicked comment was what she left the three captives with as she concluded getting ready. Her attire wasn’t much different than usual, consisting of a long-sleeved dim-purple sweater and standard skinny jeans. The messenger bag completed the outfit, and with worried breaths, Melanie lead herself and Adrian out the door and in the direction of the outlet mall.

The confines of the side pocket were dark and fairly cramped. Adrian had little confidence in its stability; she sat down with her knees hugged against her body, perpetually on edge. The possibility of being crushed, suddenly and without warning, deeply concerned her, but just as heavy on her mind was the curiosity to see the huge world just outside the black fabric walls. She could hear the sounds of a giant reality, even making out familiar details like cars passing, people murmuring, and a bus squealing. It was their bus, she figured, as she could feel Melanie climbing aboard and eventually taking a seat.

The bus was in motion when light had then peeked into the pocket. Adrian readied to defend herself against an intruder, but it was just Melanie’s finger. It snaked into her enclosure in pursuit of Adrian’s flank, petting her side up and down with a gentle touch. Adrian tried to push the digit away and express discomfort, but the tight fit and lack of strength made it hard to do so. Adrian closed her eyes and ironed her patience. In the meantime, she took note of Melanie’s finger and its anxious shivering. This petting wasn’t for her own benefit, Adrian realized, but for Melanie herself.

The trip felt much longer than any usual outing to a mall, at least from Adrian’s angle. The bus stopped, Melanie departed, and a long walk followed. Eventually, the lack of distractions made Adrian antsy in a world where she could be unexpectedly killed, or worse; a sharp fear, like glass embedded into her head, was that this was all a farce, and Melanie was in fact leading her somewhere awful.

Tempted by this, Adrian stood up and reached for the pocket’s hem. It was buttoned close, and just slightly too high to manage anyway, but she was tall enough to lift her head above the edge. Her view was severely limited, she could only see straight down from a slither, and what she saw did not calm her. Down below, miles of land flew past like a raging river, demonstrating just how massive and unending this gigantic world was. Adrian understood for sure that she would not live out there, on the ground at the feet of many.

And there was many feet to be concerned of at the outlet mall. All different types of people shopped leisurely that day, crossing over from one store to another, many accompanied with friends or relatives but none wise enough to know that amidst the crowd was a kidnapper and her kidnapee. It wasn’t terribly busy, it was only noon on a weekday, but there was enough foot traffic that Melanie had to watch out for, especially if she wanted to unveil the shrunken woman in her pocket.

The rhythmic motion of Melanie’s walk ended abruptly, and Adrian felt the bag move and land somewhere with a not-so-gentle thump. She was unharmed, but it did toss her down from the edge of the pocket. A second later, the pocket opened up, casting in a ray of light. Two fingers then reached within, latching onto her body softly and slowly lifting her out into the open air.

Melanie released Adrian onto a dining table she had sat down at. Right away, Adrian absorbed her surreal surroundings. It really was the mall, but her new perspective made the scene feel strange in every way. She looked first for any other people, anyone that could potentially notice her. Escape was her plan, after all, but she couldn’t trust just anybody. Just as much was there the possibility of being freed was there the risk of getting trapped in an even worse environment. Regardless, that would have to wait; Melanie was careful in choosing on a corner table that would have her back turned to the other mall goers. There was nothing Adrian could interact with, other than Melanie.

Once Adrian caught her balance, she turned back to Melanie. Right away she noticed Melanie’s pale expression. She looked emotionless to the untrained eye, but Adrian was familiar with that look of paranoia and fear. Melanie looked straight down at Adrian only when nothing else was worriedly catching her attention. Sweat formed at her brow and at her neck, an almost sickly appearance.

Adrian looked around again, disturbed by the elongated silence. “So, we’re here…” she said, gesturing out to the table she was on. “Uh, didn’t you have an agenda for us?”

“I-I did,” Melanie stuttered. She whipped her head back, feeling the presence of somebody watching, but no one was there. “I’m… I’m nervous, heh… There’s lots of people around, i-it’s busier than I hoped…” She turned solemn, leaning in slightly closer towards Adrian. “Maybe I should turn around and go home--”

“We came all this way,” Adrian pleaded. She avoided sounding too desperate, but she really did want to stay here, for the sake of finding even a shred of help. “It’d be such a shame to turn back now. Can we get going, please?”

Melanie sighed, her breath dense with conflict. Her arms stretched onto the table, surrounding Adrian between them. It seemed Adrian’s reassurance was failing, with Melanie still seeming gloomy about being out in public. Though it pained her to inspire such empathy, Adrian understood she had to calm the giantess. She approached the two giant hands and messaged her own into their flesh. The skin, for once, was quite warm as she stroked up and along the twitching fingers.

“The point of going out is to relax,” Adrian said. “Let’s have fun together. Let’s focus on just that. Okay? So, what’s first on our schedule?” She chuckled, “If I’m being honest, I’m definitely scared, but I’m also excited.”

Melanie managed a smile, and just slightly did her temperature go up from Adrian’s tender touch. “Ah… Hearing that you’re scared… It sort of makes me your protector, doesn’t it? Hehe… I’ll keep you safe. Don’t worry. I have to be responsible… This is our date. It has to be fun.”

With this motivation in mind, Melanie lifted her head with just an ounce more spirit than she had before. “I wanted to visit this little place… Have you ever had boba tea before…?”

Adrian had not before tried boba tea, and Melanie was pumped to learn that. She got up immediately and pocketed Adrian back into her bag, then set off for her destination; a beverage stand, humbly run by a lone employee that stood surrounded by counter tops. As much kick as there had been in Melanie’s walk, her energy ceased when she got close to the vendor. She shivered -- one step forward was canceled as another mall goer passed by her, frightening her into stasis. She swallowed to gather her courage, and holding dearly to what little she could find within herself, she stepped forward again, each step more of a struggle than the last.

Within Melanie’s messenger bag, Adrian could sense that Melanie was still riddled with anxiety. It was quite curious, and even a little entertaining, that her building-sized kidnapper had such trouble with something as mundane as ordering a drink. Again, she peeked out from the pocket, more to listen in on Melanie’s conversation than to actually see anything.

“Good afternoon,” the clerk greeted brightly, turning away from a drink he was preparing. He paused in anticipation of a response, but Melanie gave none. He chuckled and went on, “Are you ready to order, miss?”

“No-- Yes, i-in a second,” Melanie stumbled over her choked words, eyes flashing at the clerk and then away towards the countertop menu. She was shaking, able to restrain herself only enough that the clerk wouldn’t notice. The clerk offered a polite smile to show his patience, allowing her as much time to think as she needed. As her eyes glazed over the selections, it seemed true that she would need a lot of that time.

Adrian listened in more closely, just as Melanie shuddered to speak up. “Mm… M-Mo...cha…”

The clerk leaned in to better hear the subtle voice. “What was that--”

“Mocha!! Th-The mocha flavor…” A stiff finger from Melanie pointed directly to the option. “Uhh… Th-That one…”

“Ah, the mocha flavor,” the clerk repeated.

“I-If you don’t have it, never mind…”

“Uh, w-we do! We have that flavor, so, one mocha boba tea? What size?”

Oh come the fuck on! I didn’t think this far…! Melanie bit her lip, and her pointed finger retracted to a cheek. “Size… Ah, size,” Melanie giggled; it was a chilling little laugh that unsettled the clerk. “Er, err… s-small.”

“I’m sorry, our sizes are medium and large--”

Oh of fucking course your sizes are only medium and large! Then why not just assume I wanted a fucking medium, dipshit?! “Oh, medium, then. M-Medium is great…”

Adrian sneered as the scene played out, even muffling a small laugh. She was rooting for Melanie, actually, and even she didn’t believe it at first. Adrian had a soft spot for these sorts of things, someone overcoming their personal obstacles, no matter how small. It was satisfying to see Melanie win in the end, even if her victory was only as meager as ordering a single drink from the mall.

Once the beverage was made, Melanie retrieved it and made a straight course back to the table she had claimed as her own. Her body was still in shakes over such a tense interaction, as though purchasing a boba tea was a serious crime and the high of being a criminal was wearing off. She brought Adrian back out onto the table, where now also stood a statuesque cup filled with a sweet brown liquid and dotted at the bottom with thick tapioca pearls.

Adrian had expected Melanie to say something first, but she found the girl to be silent. She was still gathering her breath, it seemed, so Adrian made the first remark. “This is a lot for just me,” she joked. “I guess we’re sharing, huh? Makes sense…”

Melanie’s discomfort faded away, if gradually, in the presence of Adrian’s voice. “I sort of wish I was you right now,” she said. “A giant boba tea sounds amazing. I-I could use one, right now…”

“Alright, so, what is boba tea, anyway?” Adrian chuckled as she pointed at the bottom of the drink, where the ball-like additions pressed into their transparent walls. “I have got to know what these are.”

“It’s a milk-tea drink,” Melanie explained. “I’m surprised you’ve never had it… I-I suppose it’s more of a n-nerd thing. Well, it’s very sweet, a-and cold. As for those down there,” Melanie shook the drink, displaying to Adrian how the pearls flowed, “that’s tapioca. You chew on them! They clog up your straw, but I guess you won’t really be using one.”

“You chew on them? Ergh, h-how do I do that?”

“Um. You suck them up, a-and then you move your jaw--”

“Okay. I know how to chew. I meant, how do I do that? When I’m, you know…” Adrian waved down her torso, presenting her miniature stature.

“That’s what you meant, ahh. Well… I… I could…” Melanie stuttered in an attempt to find any reasonable answer. A long silence split the conversation in this pursuit, until she could only give a pitiful look down at her beloved. “... I could chew it for you first--”

“Hahaha! Ahh, man,” Adrian kicked at the tabletop. “Yeah, I’ll just sip from your cup.”

“Sorry…” Melanie closed her eyes. “I didn’t… I didn’t think this all the way through. T-To be honest, I just got really excited when I saw this place had boba tea…”

Though Adrian couldn’t enjoy the boba aspect of boba tea, she was able to cherish the taste of the drink. Melanie had lowered the drink off the edge of the table, and Adrian was given access to the cup’s rim, just at mouth level for her to sip from. Although not the best way to savor the treat, Adrian was grateful to enjoy something so manageable at her size. Unlike food items, drinks felt very much the same as they did when she was at her uncursed height. For these uneventful moments, Adrian was able to let go of the otherwise constant pressures of being tiny, distracted instead by the sweet mocha flavor.

“That was pretty good,” Adrian said. She had taken a seat on the table, satisfyingly filled, but with a growing urge to be moving again. Sitting at the table drinking boba tea was not going to increase her chances of escape, a goal she couldn’t afford to forget. “Where did you want to go next?”

Melanie sipped the same drink from a long straw, using that time to prepare her next thought. “N-Next, uh… um, I th-thought we could go shopping.”

“Heh, whoa, at a mall?” Adrian laughed. “Let’s not get too wild. What store?” Hands on her hips, Adrian looked left and right for any nearby stores, though Melanie largely blocked her view. Part of her also wondered what kind of places Melanie would shop at. Her mind immediately went to things dark and outcast, like what would normally appeal to goths. A few stores came to mind, none of which Adrian had a keen interest in being tiny in.

“I had… a couple shops in mind,” Melanie said, her lips pursed around the tip of her straw while she spoke. “There isn’t a lot here but… clothes stores…”

Adrian tilted her head. “That sounds fun, but you sound… worried.”

“I don’t… err…” Melanie closed her eyes after taking a glance at her own attire. Her voice was even quieter, “I don’t go shopping for these things very often…”

“I’ll pick something out for you, how does that sound? You can sneak me into one of those stores and I could find you an outfit. I’m not a fashionista or anything, but I can put a shirt together with some pants.”

Melanie lifted her downed head, clearly hesitant at first but still growing to the idea. “... Would you actually…? Hah, th-that sounds really fun. I’d wear anything for you…”

“S-Sure,” Adrian vaguely agreed, “then let’s go.”

Melanie was awestruck at first, not realizing how Adrian’s energy, despite her diminutive size, was truly inspiring her to move. Her hands shook less when they were flattened as a platform for Adrian to step into, and before she realized it, one such fashion store was now her surroundings. All around her were shirts, skirts, pants, jackets, suits, even accessories like hats, purses, and rings. Simply walking through the front automatic doors had stunned her into vacantly looking around, figuring out a place to even start.

The thought of Adrian being with her empowered her to move -- as did an approaching employee, one that seemed cautious to greet the creepy customer that had just walked in and stopped moving altogether. Melanie sought out privacy first and foremost, and so she secluded her and Adrian into a corner where neither customer nor employee would raise a brow.

Melanie was faster and more nervous when she removed Adrian from her bag pocket. “I-I’m… gonna panic…” she mumbled.

“No no! Don’t worry!” Adrian was a bit forceful with this assurance, but a tender massage into Melanie’s palm forgave that tone.

“Sorry,” Melanie said. “I’m not a good date, am I…”

“Oh, please. Y-You’re… uh, you’re doing fine.” Adrian bit her lip as each lie became more sour to speak than the last. “So! Clothes. You normally wear dark and heavy stuff. Maybe we should get you out of that comfort zone a little.”

“Eh? N-Not everything I wear is… dark and heavy…” Melanie winced at Adrian’s counter of a glance. She looked at her own attire, pained by the dulled purple. “Okay, you’re kind of right, b-but--”

“Lighten up, Melanie, you should let me pick for you!” Adrian gave her words a more friendly tone, subtly trying to manipulate the giantess that held her. “You just said you’d wear anything I picked out. So, uhh… There!” Adrian pointed to a rack of skirts just beside Melanie. “That red skirt, with the cute belt? That should be a nice color! And it looks airy, too, that’ll probably be a change of pace.”

“Errh… A skirt...” Melanie chuckled, turning partly towards the article in question. “I don’t wear those… a lot…”

“You wore one when you, uh… shrank me,” Adrian bitterly reminded. Melanie flinched, but giggled into that memory. “What about that?”

“I was trying to impress you,” Melanie admitted. “I overheard you liked girls in skirts. I-I wanted to look good on the day we’d be together…”

Weird as hell answer, as usual, Adrian groaned under her breath. She wouldn’t be argued against, regardless. “Pick it up, we’ll have you try it on at least. Will leggings make you feel better? And a shirt, something you’d like... “

Despite all of Melanie’s reservations, she followed Adrian’s directions without too much question. Doubts still dribbled from her mouth with every new selection, but she had given her word to Adrian that she would at least give her sense of fashion a try. With no intent on breaking that word, Melanie soon found herself with an arms full of different tops, bottoms, and accessories, so much so that it was actually better to hide Adrian within the clothes themselves.

All this was in fact part of Adrian’s plan. She wanted to scope out the store discreetly, to locate any opportunities for escape or assistance. Those opportunities Adrian did manage to find were despairingly out of reach. Certainly, she had concluded, she couldn’t foolishly make the risk to shout out to someone, not when Melanie was overhead and not with a voice as tiny as it was. Despite this setback, Adrian felt confident as Melanie approached a dressing room, all due to a glimmer of hope. The security cameras, she thought, they’ll eventually notice me. They have to. Even if it’s just a glimpse, someone could see me, and…

Her rapidfire thoughts for salvation were silenced when the dressing room door was closed and locked. Melanie’s demeanor appropriately relaxed now that she had broken line of sight with so many people. The enclosed space felt much more secure to her, primarily because it alleviated that pressing fear that someone would notice she was carrying a shrunken woman around.

“I must look crazy out there,” Melanie chuckled, “talking to myself sometimes… I hope no one heard me…”

You think you just look crazy? Adrian smiled, forcing out some sympathy. “Don’t try to get off subject -- I want to see you wear these things!” Adrian was genuine in this remark, looking over the clothes that were laid out on a small bench she, too, stood upon. “This is a decent haul, wouldn’t you say? Try that skirt first, I want to see it in motion!”

Melanie shivered, but her expression was in contrast to her visible hesitations. She smiled back at Adrian, warmed in that glowing positivity. She agreed, quietly stripping her own clothes off until she was only in her underwear. Then, just after a cold air swept over her bare skin, she began donning the first choice of clothes. Included with the red skirt was a black v-neck, chosen for its safety with Melanie’s usual aesthetics, but a more colorful shirt went over it, unbuttoned and picked out to match with the skirt. Just as suggested, Melanie had picked out a basic pair of leggings, and after equipping the belt, she stood bashfully in front of both the mirror and Adrian’s judgement.

“Hey, you’re actually making this work,” Adrian chuckled, rubbing her chin in thought. “What do you think? I think you look great.”

“I think… that I look…” Melanie held her tongue, noticing then that the words forming in her mouth were already so offensively bitter and harsh. She looked into the mirror again, concentrating first on the green eyes that looked back at her, then to the outfit she wore. Her arms crossed over most of her torso, until she decided to stop hiding and take a better examination of herself. She turned to view different angles, though her critical expression went unphased. The most she could do was concoct a cracked grin, “I look different.”

“Welcome to the world of buying clothes,” Adrian teased. “That’s the point, silly. You look more… alive! Less like a ghost, you know?”

“A ghost…” Melanie sighed, this time mentally criticizing her long black hair. She giggled at herself, “I’ll always look like that, as long as I have this swamp hair…”

“Your what hair?” Adrian scoffed and shook her head. “Hey, I had your hair in mind when I picked these out. I think your hair is fine, anyway! It’s long and fun, that’s what any girl would want!”

Melanie leaned her weight to one side, still unsure of this fashion, but curious of something else. “Why d-don’t you grow out your hair?”

“It gets so curly,” Adrian replied. “If it gets any longer than this, I’ll have to straighten it, and… I don’t know when that’ll get to happen. Or if I’ll get the chance to cut it, either.”

“I’ll… I’ll find a way,” Melanie promised. “This outfit… is nice. I want to keep it.”

“Hoho! Alright, I’m feeling a lot more confident now in my eye for fashion!” Adrian kept the mood light, walking over to the big pile of clothes nearby. “Let’s look at what’s next. A new pair of jeans can make a huge difference, so why not put that on, and…”

Guided by Adrian, Melanie tried on outfit after outfit. Although her demeanor was always icy, each new set of clothes was successfully thawing her. Her smile became warmer and her voice more lively, if only marginally. Both girls were impressed with how different Melanie could look with just a change of color, a light distraction to how strange their scenario was. Once again, Adrian found herself thinking less about her size situation, even while gawking up at a mountain-sized model that weakly posed in each outfit.

The two separated the best selections from the pile -- only two outfits and a handful of accessories, but more than Adrian initially expected to convince Melanie to buy. Adrian listened in on yet another stumbled conversation between nervous Melanie and an unsuspecting cashier, though it was a smoother talk than the one from before. Not having to wait long, Adrian was removed from the pocket and placed onto a dining table once again, this time neighboring a plastic bag of clothes that could swamp a barn.

“Melanie, uh, how do you pay for this?” Adrian asked, knowing Melanie didn’t have a job. “I wasn’t paying attention to the prices when we were browsing, I totally forgot, but that total at the end? Holy shit.”

“Heehee… Yeah…” Melanie’s expression was stuck between discomfort and pride. “I-I have… a decent amount of money right now. Thanks to Kim, actually…”

Adrian felt her chest sink, reminded of Kimberly and the reality of their world. She recovered, and said, “I… should have figured as much, actually.”

“Mm… You don’t sound happy.” Melanie smiled. “I’m sorry, but it’s money she isn’t using ever again.”

“Won’t you… get caught? Isn’t that easy to track?”

“I’ve been careful,” Melanie giggled. “It didn’t take much work. Kim gave me her pin number, all I had to find was a distant enough ATM. Heh, I-I… even took the receipt, and showed it off to Kim. I thought it’d be nice for her to know…”

Adrian wiped her brow, sweat forming from such stressful thoughts. Suddenly, the sight of the outlet mall and its gigantic proportions became dizzying, so much that even keeping her balance was a small challenge. Melanie took note of this, but the only comfort she could provide was a shielding hand; Adrian maintained her space from it.

“Uh… What’s next? I guess I got my answer, so…”

“Well, I had an idea.” Melanie was eager to move the conversation away and back towards their date. “It’s… a surprise. I’ll show you.”

Adrian hesitated to respond. Her stomach felt sick, dampening her mood towards surprises. Yet, she also knew that it wasn’t her choice. Melanie looked excited, there was no denying her plans. She swept Adrian into her hand and back into the bag. Another walk followed, not much longer than the previous trek.

Inside the pocket, Adrian tried to gather clues of where she was being taken, but listening to sound cues was impossible. Everything outside the bag was just jumbled noises, shifting in pitch and tone as Melanie made her from the outside and into her destination. Before she could come to her own conclusion, Adrian was presented with an answer, withdrawn from the bag and into another blinding light.

Adrian’s vision cleared to reveal an amazing sight directly in front of her -- a plush rabbit toy, with limbs as floppy as its long ears. Despite being just an object, it first scared Adrian to witness a creature so large, easily three times her height. Adrian collected her thoughts and looked elsewhere. To her left and right, more bunnies, all the same until they became a line of bears, and then a display for a whole different brand of toy.

“Oohhh,” Adrian stepped back in Melanie’s palm, turning around to absorb all of her surroundings. There was so much more color here than the clothes store from earlier, with toys of all shapes and sizes being showcased along towering shelves. It was a toy store, of course, but Adrian had no response other than the bewilderment of new scenery.

“Th-There’s lots we can do here,” Melanie whispered, more on alert than even before. Adrian could understand why, as just a second later did she hear the chilling cry of a child somewhere in the store; both grimaced, and while Adrian hated being hidden, it was better than what alternatives existed. Melanie went on, “I wanted to return the favor.”

“... The favor?” Adrian snapped out of her general curiosity and back to Melanie.

“You bought me some clothes. I wanted to buy some for you!” Melanie rose slightly, having been on her knees while talking to Adrian. Around the corner was a new aisle, long and with an extensive collection of dolls from all sorts of brands. One section in the middle had only accessories for dolls, primarily different outfits.

Adrian still said nothing while comprehending this surprise. The promise of clothes didn’t mean much to her, not when her choices were limited to what toys would be wearing. Instead, her focus was on the dolls themselves, plastic models with stretched out proportions, caged in shiny boxes. Most of them were taller than Adrian was, only reinforcing the eeriness of the aisle, but some of the toys were even smaller than her.

Melanie didn’t notice this. In her other hand was a tiny clothes rack that held up a black, frilly dress. “Oooh, please look at this!” she giggled. The outfit was raised adjacent to Adrian, leveled to match her frame. Adrian looked down at the garbs with a perplexed reaction, uncertain how to feel of something that was not only slightly too big, but something so out of her style. The black frills and lace combined with the short, poofy skirt made the outfit seem dark. Appropriate to that, it was part of a vampire themed collection, hence its cryptic aesthetic.

“Hmm.” Adrian forced away her initial reaction tentatively. Lying was getting harder. “It’s… It’s a little much for me, don’t you think?”

Melanie’s smile dimmed and she lowered the dress. “I thought it looked good…”

Adrian chuckled. “Maybe there’s something else here? Something that I can move around in, preferably.”

“There’s lots of options.” Melanie moved forward, glancing up and around the aisle to always ensure no one would catch her holding Adrian. “Summer wear, winter wear, swimsuits, pajamas… Considering you’ll be like this for awhile, we should stock up while we can.”

Adrian laughed, and she agreed. Melanie toured her through the wide selection of dresses, shirts, and accessories, allowing her doll-sized love to try on any outfit -- as long as she could squeeze into it. Three-inches of height wasn’t ideal for fitting into doll clothes, as both girls found out, but a few outfits were picked out that not only could Adrian wear comfortably, but were more in line with a style she’d actually like. Of course, there were compromises, like the brighter colors on a t-shirt or the lack of properly fitted pants to go with her starry sleep shirt, but Adrian was content with the haul.

It was when they were leaving that it dawned on Adrian what had just occurred, and she trembled from the thought. It was when she was put back into the pocket, and when she’d usually lift up to listen in on Melanie’s awkward conversation with an unsuspecting cashier. She realized suddenly that she hadn’t batted an eye at the concept of “stocking up” on clothes. She remembered what Melanie said, about how long they had to plan for. Adrian looked at her hands, then past them at her waist, her legs, and her feet. She had blinked, temporarily blinded to what was happening to her world.

Were thoughts of escape just an illusion to convince her to keep living? She wrestled with that nagging thought, harking back to Scarlet and her resolve to be killed. Was that the better of fates to strive for? A quick, merciful death at the hands of her godly captor? Did she come with Melanie to the mall only to pretend to escape? Or was escape just that impossible, and she had found herself more accepting of that? Here she was now, putting on clothes for Melanie and wondering what she would be wearing that next day, as though it was normal to be shrunk and transformed into a doll.

“This has been a lot of fun so far.” Melanie’s words woke Adrian from a trance, one she hadn’t even known she was asleep in. She looked up from the hand that now held her, Melanie having taken her to a corner of the outlet mall. “I-I’m glad you got me to come out… Even if I am feeling a bit sick, being out here for so long, i-it’s good to get some fresh air, and to do things… with you…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Adrian said. On her mind still lingered her issues with complacency, and it was difficult to wipe those worries away. She exhaled, hoping to find some clarity within her mind. “Where are we off to now?”

The date continued into the afternoon -- visiting stores, browsing and buying, eating snacks, and then ultimately a movie. Melanie was ecstatic for this part, not only because it was a typical dating experience to be had with the person she madly loved, but also because it would be dark and cool, allowing her to free her heart of the anxiety build-up. It was also a luxury to have a space where Adrian could come out without worry of being seen, hidden by both the blackness of the theater as well as the fact that most people would be looking elsewhere.

Adrian tried to enjoy the movie for what it was. Indeed, not unsurprising for Melanie, the movie chosen to be seen was one Adrian was certain to like. In her shrunken state, Adrian managed to find the film as a decent distraction, even genuinely able to enjoy it at some points. It wasn’t just the movie, but her surroundings. The darkness acted as a chance for Adrian to forget that she was sitting on the lap of a giant woman, neighboring a truck load of popcorn with a chocolate-peanut butter cup left open for her. She closed her eyes, encasing herself in further darkness, and used the action pack sounds of the movie to pull herself away, if only for that hour.

“Did you like it?” Melanie whispered. Adrian had been watching the credits roll while most of the audience made their exit. Melanie smiled, “I feel kind of pumped up now!”

Adrian yawned, “Yeah… It was great, as good as I thought it’d be.”

Melanie looked around at the emptying theater. The credits music rotated over to the next song as even more names scrolled across the screen. “Let’s wait for everyone to clear out,” she said, keeping her volume low. “Having you out here like this is relaxing, and no one will really notice. That, and… I-I sort of don’t do well in moving crowds…”

It’s literally not my choice, Adrian thought. “Sure, yeah. What time is it anyway?”

Melanie glanced at her phone. “Hah… P-Probably time for us to head home,” she giggled. “It’d be a bad way to end a date if I were to miss the bus.”

More idle conversations between the two helped pass the time. The credits concluded, all noise faded, and the lights gently illuminated the room. Melanie stood up, allowing Adrian into her hand and keeping her sheltered behind another. She wanted to hold Adrian as long as possible, in the safest areas of what could be considered public. There was a thrill to be had, knowing that a tiny, secret lover of her’s could potentially be spotted. Little did she realize that this form of captivity was torture for Adrian, who still hoped that somehow, someone would notice her and do something.

Melanie exited with Adrian tightly secured in her hands, but she hesitated just outside the theater doors. She noticed an adult couple being spoken to by a young woman, handing them some kind of flier. The only reason Melanie stopped was to find a different route around this potential interaction, eyes shifting left and right for a clean escape. The last thing she wanted was to be waved down by what she mistook to be some promoter for another store at the mall.

But she was stopped, as soon as the young woman finished her spiel with the couple. Melanie shivered when she heard footfalls rushing to her, almost like it was some kind of emergency. Speeding up her own pace to leave her behind was no option either, not without seeming overly rude and attracting suspicion. She held her breath and turned, facing the woman and noticing then that they must be the same age.

“Excuse me! I really need your time, for just a minute!” the woman called out, raising one of her fliers into the air to wave Melanie down. “Please listen, it’s very important! I need everyone’s help!”

Melanie bit her lip, unable to even whimper out a reply. This silent pause was an opening for the other woman to continue, so she handed that same flier to Melanie. It was a cheaply printed handout displaying a black-and-white photo of another young woman. At the top of the page were words that created a horrible void in Melanie’s stomach, words that weighed heavier on her eyes the longer she looked at it. “MISSING PERSON.”

“My friend disappeared a week ago,” the woman said, figuring Melanie to be deeply digesting the contents of her flier. Her voice teetered above panic, “Her name’s Adrian. Sh-She’s the same height as me, shorter hair than mine, she’d never grow it out. She goes to college around here, the police are no help, I-- I need everyone to help! Have you seen her? Anywhere?! Even anyone that might look like her, please!”

Melanie’s lips quivered, her teeth just short of chattering. That black-and-white photo, unmistakably, was the exact same woman that she had there, hidden in her hands and overhearing the conversation with hyper awareness.

This voice that Adrian heard, beyond the closed fists of Melanie’s hands, was one she had noted to memory, for better or for worse. She confirmed it by peering through the littlest gap to the outside world available to her, looking up at the giantess just opposite of her captor. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

The woman desperately searching for Adrian was Erin, her ex-girlfriend.