“The town of Clarksville is a tight-knit community, a resilient community, and I know that if we band together, we will overcome any challenges we face.”

Ralph Gardner, the mayor of Clarksville, did his best to look resolute. If he failed at that task, he could hardly be blamed. Gardner wasn’t a career politician, or a power-hungry climber. He was a father, a former schoolteacher, a community member.

So “Mayor Ralph”, as the locals called him, could be forgiven for his rumpled suit, his shaky voice, and the bead of sweat forming on his furrowed brow. A plump, pleasant looking man of about fifty years old, he wasn’t built for a crisis.

“I - I know this is a difficult time, for all of us in Clarksville, but we - we have to stay strong.”

The mayor cleared his throat, as if to continue, but as he looked up from the speech sitting on his podium, it became clear he had nothing else to say.

“I guess it’s time for questions” he said with an awkward laugh.

A young woman sitting in the second row shot her hand up before he had finished his sentence.

“Julia, go ahead-“

“Mayor Gardner, what do you make of the sudden “growth spurts” that took place during yesterday’s hurricane?”

Julia White was the Clarksville County Tribunes shiny new field reporter. Fresh out of college and eager to prove herself, she was Ralph Gardner’s worst nightmare.

“Well, Julia, first off, call me Ralph.”

The press pool was in no mood.

The mayor cleared his throat once again. He looked down at his podium, as if searching for an answer in the speech he had already delivered.

“Look, Julia, how long have our families known each other? You went to school with my boys. You’re a sharp reporter, Julia, but I’m not in the position to confirm or deny these claims of - ”

“Mr. Gardner, how tall is your wife?” Julia White wasn’t messing around. The room was agape.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a simple question. How tall is your wife?”

“That’s a silly - ”

“Are you going to answer the question?”

The mayor cowed. “Oh, I don’t know — around 5’4 I would wager. I haven’t measured -“

“You were right Mr. Gardner, I did go to school with your boys. Your wife used to drive me home from school. In fact, I think I have her phone number. Should I give her a call and ask her how tall she stands today? Maybe she is in the position to ‘confirm or deny these claims’.”

The mayor’s voice rose “Ms. White, that will not be necessary - ”

“Better yet,” the young reporter stood up “How tall am I, Mr. Gardner?”

“Julia -”

The scene unfolded on television for the whole town to see.

The room was dead quiet. Julia looked around at the press pool, then back at the mayor.

“I have been 5’2 my entire life. I now stand at 5’8. Are you going to tell me that I shouldn’t believe my own eyes? Are you going to tell the people of Clarksville that they shouldn’t believe their own eyes?”

The mayor opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it. What was the point? His days behind that podium were numbered.

________

I watched the news conference, like everyone else. I only knew Julia White as an upperclassmen and Clarksville Prep alumni, but I’d heard from my folks she was quite the spitfire. Now I believed it.

I felt bad for the mayor - it wasn’t his fault Clarksville was the epicenter of some f***ed up cosmic experiment.

I didn’t know how to make sense of the recent events - no one did. All I knew was that Sarah Avery Loughlin was head over heels for me.

“Nathan, come on! Catch up!”

“Coming!” I ran to catch up with Sarah. We had made it to the summit of Mount Troy, a hike Sarah had made many times. I can’t say I’m much of an outdoorsman.

It had been a week since the "weather event", as they're calling it. It was an event, that's for sure. Every woman in town grew exactly 6 inches during the storm. No more, no less. Sarah, who measured at 5'8, grew to my height, at 6'2. I heard one girl on the volleyball team had grown to a whopping 7 foot 1 inches tall - I'm sure coach Carlton was thrilled. I couldn't help notice the women had gained more than height - Sarah certainly had filled out, and was all the better for it.

“Come on you slow poke! I told you I wanted to get a picture of us up here before the sun goes down.”

I looked at her dumbly.

“I take this hike with my parents every year, and we always snap a photo. I wanted to take one with you, remember?”

“Give me a second to catch my breath.” I smiled, still winded.

Sarah looked radiant, standing at the top of that mountain. Wearing a crop top that exposed her midriff, and yoga pants that left little to the imagination, her figure was on full display. Standing at 6’2, with legs longer than my own, and her blond hair blowing in the wind, she looked like a Greek Goddess.

“Come here, you!” Sarah yelled out. She was really set on this photo, wasn’t she?

But Sarah had different intentions. As I reached her, she pulled me in. We were at the perfect height for kissing now, and Sarah loved taking advantage of that. Sarah isn’t strong, per se, but she’s definitely fit, so she sometimes manages to catch me off guard.

I can’t say I minded the sudden show of affection. I certainly didn't mind her breasts pushed up against me, ones that had only gotten larger. I slid my hands down from her waist to her hips. God, her skin was soft. I slowly started to slip my hand down her yoga pants. Sarah didn’t mind either.

Sarah broke off our kiss in reverie.

“Oh god, Nathan….” She was definitely enjoying this hike.

“Nathan!” Sarah laughed, “Nathan! Stop it!”

I pulled away. “What’s wrong? I thought -“

“It’s almost sunset!”

Sarah straightened her hair, fixed her pants, cleaned a smudge of dirt off her top, and pulled out her phone in about 30 seconds.

This girl could flip on a dime, that’s for sure.

*Click*