“WAIT!!! PLEASE, LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” Tomo shouted, tears streaming down his porcelain cheeks. His neck craned towards the sky, a massive shadowy figure loomed over his small little form. The figure approached slowly but with intent to kill, clearly enjoying the whole experience as their cold, sadistic snicker boomed through the air like a nuclear missile siren. The terrified boy scooted backwards on his rear, desperately trying to muster the strength he had left in his trembling limbs. His efforts were pointless though, the figure had caught up to him in just one measly step. There was nothing he could do. “w-wait...” the boy croaked, watching in horror as the figure raised their colossal foot high above his head. “Goodbye, loser~” The figure spoke, their voice oddly familiar but still indiscernible to the frightened boy. All he could do was stare at the underside of the expansive foot that was scrunching in excitement as it was slowly lowered onto him. His world became dark, claustrophobia set in, his mind was racing as he thought about all the things he never got to do at his youthful age. Closer and closer his end drew, the stench of sweat and grime because so intense he could barely breathe. “AHHHHHH!” The boy sprung upright with a jolt, sweat coating his forehead. He blinked a few times, the sound of chirping birds could be heard somewhere off in the distance. He looked down to see his fists clenching his bedsheets with an iron grip. He let out a shaky sigh. “Not that nightmare again...” 

Tomo pulled his petite frame out of bed, lumbering over to his bathroom to start his day.

Of course, that was only a few steps away thanks to the pathetic size of his studio apartment. Even though it was so small, Tomo could barely afford it with his minimum wage job. Truly not an ideal living arrangement. The boy trekked his way through his morning routine like a mindless zombie, taking a piss, brushing his teeth, and hopping into the shower without a single thought in his mind. He stepped out of the cramped shower, grabbing the towel on the rack beside the door and quickly rubbing his long messy brown hair dry. He placed his hands on the off white sink, studying his reflection in the steam-fogged mirror. His skin was pale, almost like he hadn’t seen the sun in weeks...which wasn’t entirely wrong. He did spend the majority of his days at his computer working on college papers, playing video games, and watching anime. He placed a finger under his right eyelid and pulled down, frowning at the fact his purple-hued eye bags still hadn’t faded in the slightest. They’d been like that for weeks now.  The boy was well aware he hadn’t been sleeping the greatest but he wondered if that recurring nightmare had something to do with it. He shook his head, just thinking about the dream made him disturbed. He quickly gathered himself, wrapped a towel around his waist and headed to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee.

 Tomo reached into his cupboard and grabbed the first Keurig pod insight, lazily slapping it into his machine and clicking the flashing blue button. As the coffee maker began to whirl with life, Tomo decided to check his phone while his brew was being prepared. He unplugged it from the wall, noticing it was only at 50% battery even after charging all night. “Damn I really need to get a new phone.” he thought to himself. He noticed the time “1:40pm” plastered on his lockscreen, followed by a slew of notifications underneath it. “Shit..”

“Kei: Good morning, dork~”

sent at 11:30am

“Kei: Are you still asleep?!”

sent at 12:01pm

“Kei: You can’t even wake up on time, that’s so pathetic.”

sent at 12:26pm

“Kei: Hurry up and get on discord, loser.”

sent at 12:55pm

“Kei: TOMO I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON’T WAKE UP AND CALL ME RIGHT NOW, I WILL WILL MAKE YOU PAY WHEN I SEE YOU AT THE AIRPORT TOMORROW”

sent at 1:32pm

The boy almost fainted as he read that last message, knowing she was deadly serious. Tomo darted back to his room with his piping hot coffee and phone in hand, setting them down on his desk before quickly throwing on a pair of black sweats and a grey oversized hoodie. It just happened to be the same thing he wore yesterday but it’s not like he had much of a choice, most of his clothes were already stuffed into the suitcase he had in the corner of his room. He wasted no time firing up his computer and practically jumping onto his office chair, loading up discord and starting a call with Kei as fast as he possibly could. It wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to say his life truly depended on it.

He waited anxiously as the call tone rang, holding his breath as he anticipated the ear full he was about to get from his short-tempered friend.

The call initiated with an inviting beep, followed by the sound of quiet mic static. Tomo could hear a faint breath among the room noise, but that’s all he could make out. The frightened boy was sitting on the edge of his office chair, his limbs trembling uncontrollably. He leaned in closer to his desk mounted microphone and took a deep, shaky breath. 

“H-Hello…” He whispered meekly, finally breaking the deafening silence.

There was no response.

“...kei…” He murmured once more, his chest tight from the anxiety.

“...Hello, Tomo”. Tomo jumped back in his chair a bit, startled by her voice.

Her tone was calm, not a hint of resentment to be found. This only made Tomo more nervous.

“Say, Tomo, do you know what time I woke up at?” The boy’s body tensed, the ember of hope he had for getting off the hook instantly smothered.

“...N-no…” His heart was racing.

“That’s ‘No, Ma’am’ to you! Respect your elders.” Kei snapped back. Though they weren’t far apart in age, Tomo being 19 and Kei being 21, she loved to rub in the age gap any chance she got.

Tomo grimaced. “No...ma’am…”. He didn’t want to make her even more upset than she already was, so he played along without resisting.

“Good boy~” She let out a little giggle and paused for a moment.  “...9am… I’ve been up since 9am.” Kei dropped her voice back down, the playful tone she carried moments prior erased and replaced with cold sternness.

“And it’s….1:45pm now.” She continued, clearly doing the time zone conversion in her head. Tomo tried to speak but his throat was tight, he so badly wanted to defend himself but the words just wouldn’t come out.

“What was it you said last night? That you’ll call me in the morning? WELL IT’S LONG PAST MORNING NOW, ISN’T IT?!” Kei erupted with rage, knowing full well that Tomo was practically shitting himself behind his computer screen.

“I-I can explain!! I’ve been sleeping terribly lately and I didn’t hear my alarm go off! I’m sorry Kei but I swear I didn’t mean to sleep in!” The boy finally managed to speak, his face bright red with embarrassment as he desperately tried to save himself.

“... Did you have that dream again? The one you told me about. Is that why you didn’t sleep well?” She questioned, her voice settling down once again.

“...yes…” Tomo admitted softly.

The line was quiet for a moment, he could hear Kei shuffling around in her chair but no one spoke.

“I… see…” Kei sounded out of breath, like she just ran up a flight of stairs or something.

She cleared her throat, quickly regaining composure. “Well you’re not off the hook yet! Just wait ‘till I see you tomorrow~” She teased playfully. Tomo was definitely a bit worried but he was just happy she didn’t sound mad anymore.

“Turn on your camera, I wanna see you.” She commanded, causing Tomo to quickly reach for his mouse and click the camera icon on discord.

His screen was filled with the image of his best friend sitting in her desk chair, her pinstraight blueish-black hair was cut at shoulder length with straight cut bangs covering her forehead to match. Her skin was almost as pale as Tomo’s, but she wasn’t as bony as he was. Kei played volleyball for her college so unlike the boy, she actually had quite a bit of muscle definition. She didn’t wear much makeup besides a bit of eyeliner that accentuated her beautiful grey eyes. The bedroom she sat in was extremely messy, clothes scattered all along the floor and posters from various animes plastered across the dark blue walls. Tomo noticed the look in her half lidded eyes, the same look she would glare at him with every time she bullied him relentlessly in the past. Her soft pink lips curled up in a wicked smirk, a strip of red blush stretching from either side of her upper cheek and over the bridge of her button nose. He averted his eyes away from the screen, her twisted gaze unsettling him.

“W-why are you looking at me like that?” The boy fidgeted with his thumbs, occasionally peeking back at the screen just to shoot his gaze away once noticing she hadn’t stopped staring at him.

“Because you’re so pathetic. It’s like watching a bug squirm around after being stepped on.” She laughed maniacally at the boy, his eyes wide with embarrassment. He buried his beet red face into his hands, too humiliated to look her in the eye.

“S-Shut UP, Kei! C-can we just play some video games or something?...” Tomo retaliated, desperately trying to shift the focus away from his flustered self.

“Fine fine… But hey, you should be thanking me if anything. It’s not like any other girl would ever look at you~”

He hated how right she was, but he decided not to pay her remark any mind. Tomo would convince himself he was taking the moral high ground but deep down he knew he was just too wimpy to say anything back.

…

The day went by in a flash, the two of them playing games all the way until the sun went down. Most days went like this for the pair, and despite the relentless teasing Tomo received from Kei, he wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Hey uh… I’m really excited to finally meet you, Kei…I honestly can’t wait for tomorrow...” Tomo admitted, a weary smile forming on his face as he stared into the camera. His room was now dark, only illuminated by the moonlight coming through his window and the LED monitor.

“You should be~. I’m excited to meet you too, Tomo...” Kei smiled back. The boy examined the live video of his friend, watching as her arm reached across her desk for something. She slowly pulled it back into frame, a figurine of Elizabeth from The Seven Deadly Sins firmly in her grasp. The boy watched intently as her longy milky white thumb glided up and down the action figure’s body, Kei’s eyes still glued to the camera.

“You must be as big as Diane or something.” Tomo remarked playfully.

Kei gasped, her face turning as pale as a ghost. She squeezed the little figurine in her hand, her body as still as can be.

“I-I just mean… your Elizabeth figurine looks so small in your hand…and in comparison, it looks like you would be the size of Diane… you know, like the giant girl in the show?” Tomo stuttered, worried he had offended Kei judging by the look on her face.

Colour flushed back into her cheeks, a little sigh of relief escaping her lungs as her grip loosened on the action figure.

“Y-Yeah… I guess it does look like that…” The tomboy laughed nervously, staring down at the figurine in her palm.

“Alright loser, I’m heading to bed. Text me when you’re on your way to the airport.” Kei brought her eyes back up to the screen, giving Tomo an enduring smirk.

“Oh, okay… Will do. In that case, sleep well, Kei! See you tomorrow!” Tomo beamed.

With a beep to signify Kei hanging up the call, Tomo was left alone in his dark, silent bedroom once again. He pulled the headphones off his head, placing them on the desk in front of him before prying himself from his office chair and stretching his back. He wasted no time stripping off his clothes and climbing into his twin-sized bed. Despite his efforts to fall asleep, he laid there in the dark completely wired for what felt like hours. He was just too excited for tomorrow. The boy thought about all the fun things Kei and him would do together, like getting boba or going to see a movie or staying up late and playing Smash Bros...the possibilities were endless. With his imagination running wild, dreaming up all the wonderful scenarios he was hoping to partake in with his best friend, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

…

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Tomo peeled his sleep-crusted eyes open, rolling over and covering his ears with a pillow.

“Ugh….shut up…” The boy groaned in annoyance, throwing the pillow at the alarm clock stationed on his bedside table. Of course, all that did was knock the clock across the room. The boy shuffled out of bed, rubbing his tired eyes before walking over to the alarm clock and pressing the button on top to finally shut it off. He stared at the clock in his hand, his eyes taking a few seconds to focus enough to read the green numbers displayed on the screen.

“OH SHIT!” The clock read 9:30am and his flight was in two hours! The boy took off in a panic, rushing through his morning routine faster than he ever had before. He called the uber as he brushed his teeth, wasting absolutely no time. After a quick shower, he ran back into his room and threw on a pair of beige chinos, a white t-shirt, a plain blue crew neck, and a pair of black slip-on Vans to complete the outfit. He grabbed his luggage and bolted to the front door. Tomo looked back once more to make sure all the lights were off and everything was in place for the duration of his absence. Satisfied, he exited his apartment and locked the door behind him. Thankfully, he stayed on the third floor of the building so it didn’t take him long to maneuver his way down the stairs, through the lobby and out the front door. 

The crisp morning air of spring blew against his cheeks, instantly making him feel a lot less drowsy than before. He saw a car pull over down the street, his phone buzzing to notify him of his uber’s arrival shortly after. Tomo made his way over to the parked black sudan and knocked on the driver side window. It rolled down ever so slightly. 

“For Tomo?” The voice called from inside.

“Yeah, that’s me. Can you pop the trunk for my suitcase?” He asked with a polite smile.

“Sure thing.”

Tomo looked back to see the trunk pop open. He made his way over to the rear of the car and hoisted the heavy bag off the ground and into the compartment before slamming it shut and heading inside the car.

“Where we headed today, kid?” The driver questioned as he disengaged the emergency brake and put the car in drive. He was an older man, probably in his late 40s from the looks of it. His shiny black hair was covered with a yellow baseball cap and his bushy salt-and-pepper beard covered the majority of his lower face.

“Um… the airport, please.” Tomo spoke meekly, still feeling out the driver’s personality.

“Oh really? Going on a trip, eh? Where to?”

“Orcam. I have a friend who lives there.” Tomo explained as the car began to merge into traffic. 

The driver fell silent for a second.

“Oh… I had a buddy that went to visit there a few years ago and… well, turns out he had a heart attack on the plane ride there…that’s what the police said, at least.” The driver’s voice was somber, he was clearly struggling to get the words out.

“I-I’m… so sorry to hear that, sir…” Tomo expressed his sympathy, not sure how to comfort the poor man. The driver wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled, shaking his head to regain focus.

“Thank you, I appreciate it. He’s in a better place now so that’s all that matters.” The middle aged man said with a bit of forced pep, trying his best to regain his composure.

“Sorry to spring that on you kiddo, forget I said anything”. The man looked back at Tomo and smiled before returning his attention back to the road.

“Let’s throw some music on.” The driver quickly changed the subject, turning on the radio and shuffling through a few stations. 

“Today is Wednesday April 21st, 2021 and you’re listening to 104.5 Slam FM. Next up, Peaches by Justin Bieber.”

Tomo groaned quietly to himself, clearly not a fan of modern day Pop music. He was a bit of a music snob, no doubt. His own playlist consisted mostly of underground indie artists and various punk outfits. Of course, he wasn’t going to express this to the Uber driver so he just decided to put in his earbuds and play his own music. He pulled out his phone to pick a song and quickly remembered he’d forgotten to text Kei when he left the house. He fired off a quick message to let her know he was on his way to the airport before sliding the device back into his pocket. The young boy discreetly air drummed to the song playing in his ear buds, gazing out the window as the landscape flew by in blur. Before long, he could see the massive airport emerge over the horizon, the boy practically bouncing with excitement as they neared. Tomo felt a tap on his knee and noticed the driver was trying to get his attention. He quickly removed an ear bud, blushing a tad from the embarrassment.

“Which terminal, bud?” The driver asked as politely as possible.

“Oh uh, terminal 3…” Tomo replied, waiting eagerly as the car pulled over next to the sign labeled with a big number three. He undid his seatbelt and swiftly rushed out of the car, circling around back to see the trunk already wide open. He heaved his luggage from the car, making sure he had everything before heading to the sliding doors of the airport entrance.

“Thanks, mister!” Tomo waved to the driver, smiling as he saw him wave back.

Tomo proceeded through the sliding doors, checking his luggage in and making his way through security without too much of a hassle. It was his first time travelling by plane so he was pretty astonished how simple the process was. He just barely reached the gate when a voice came onto the PA speakers above, 

“Last call, Flight 355 from Toronto, Canada to Starn, Orcam boarding now. Last call, Flight 355 from Toronto, Canada to Starn, Orcam boarding now. Thank you.”

Tomo rushed up to the flight attendant guarding the gate, fumbling through his papers before handing his passport and ticket over to her.

“You almost missed it…” The flight attendant murmured before handing Tomo his papers back. She almost sounded... disappointed?

“Uh… yeah, just made it…” Tomo laughed awkwardly, putting his documentation back into his carry on backpack before walking past her onto the plane. The flight attendant followed him inside, closing the plane door behind the two of them.

“Welcome aboard, sir.” The captain was waiting at the front of the cabin, motioning for Tomo to proceed down the aisle. Tomo looked around at the cabin, noticing it was pretty much empty. A few bodies occupied seats here and there but not nearly as many as he expected. The boy bowed his head and walked down the aisle, looking for his seat. As he walked by the few seats that were occupied, he noticed all the passengers were extremely old and hooked up to some kind of intravenous. Weird. He walked further down, into the next section of the plane and noticed a group of men huddled together in the middle of the seating area. Tomo glanced around the cabin and was dumbfounded to find 3 policemen with guns standing at each exit of the section. The boy was pretty weary but continued his walk towards the group of men, quickly gazing over as he walked by. His eyes widened as he noticed the matching jumpsuits they all wore, a string of numbers and letters were stitched across the widest part of their backs. It didn’t take long for Tomo to conclude that these guys were prison inmates… But… why were they on a passenger plane? The boy shuffled his way past the policeman and through the exit that led to the last section of the plane, which was completely barren besides one other boy seated in the far back left corner of the area. He looked to be around Tomo’s age, his hair was short and ginger, his skin pretty fair. They locked eyes for a brief moment but Tomo quickly broke contact and continued to look for his seat. Turns out, the seat he was looking for was only 3 seats away from the only other person in the entire section. Just his luck. Tomo removed his backpack and placed it in the overhead compartment before sitting down in his designated chair. Once the boy got settled, his mind began to contemplate his situation. The group of criminals in the cabin ahead of him was definitely a bit worrisome but it explained why the plane ticket was so inexpensive. 100 bucks for a round trip sounded like a steal at the time but it was starting to make a bit more sense. Plus, he practically got a whole cabin to himself so it’s not like he could complain that much.

“Hey.” The ginger kid spoke, breaking Tomo’s train of thought.

“My name is Peter, it’s nice to meet ya.” Peter smiled, extending his hand for a shake.

“Tomo.” Tomo reached out to accept his offer, gently shaking the stranger's hand.

“Have you been to Orcam before? It’s my first time.” Peter inquired, trying to spark a casual conversation.

“No I haven’t. It’s my first time as well… actually, it’s my first time on a plane at all if I’m being honest.” Tomo replied, figuring he would entertain the ginger boy for a little.

“Oh no way! Are you nervous at all?” Peter asked politely, Tomo pleasantly surprised with his concern.

“Nah not really… Getting here on time was the nerve racking part.” The two of them chuckled a little.

“Well good because I wouldn’t be able to deal with you puking all over my shoes or something.” Peter gave a Tomo friendly slap on the back.

“Duly noted.” Tomo remarked snidely.

“So, what are you planning to do in Orcam?” Tomo asked.

“Oh well, I met this girl online a couple of years ago and we’ve been dating ever since. Can’t wait to finally get some, if you know what I mean.” Peter winked smugly, nudging Tomo in the arm with his elbow.

“No way!!! I’m going to meet a girl I met online too! What are the odds?!” Tomo could hardly believe it, the only other kid on the whole plane going to Orcam for the exact reason he was.

“What a coincidence!” Peter exclaimed. “How long have you guys been dating?” He continued.

Tomo froze up a bit, his face turning bright red like a tomato.

“W-well uh… we’re not actually dating. Just… friends.”  Tomo admitted with guilt. His feelings for Kei were kind of complicated. As badly as he didn’t want to acknowledge it, he did have a bit of a crush on her. She could be mean and cruel at times but Tomo loved that part of her. He viewed it as her way of showing affection. The only thing that really stopped him from asking her out was the long distance. That…. and the fact he was scared of getting rejected and ruining their friendship. 

“Oh, sorry to assume, dude. But hey you never know, when you finally meet her in person you guys might become more than just friends~” Peter winked at Tomo once more, grinning ear to ear. A loud chime rang throughout the cabin, drawing the boys’ attention away from their conversation.

“Please fasten your seatbelts, we’ll be taking off shortly.” 

The feminine voice echoed from the speakers overhead, the two boys quickly following it’s instructions and buckling their lap belts. The plane began to slowly taxi it’s way from the gate to the tarmac, inching along until it set itself up at the bottom of the runway. The turbines began roaring as they spooled up with air, the plane suddenly launching forward at neck breaking speed. The cabin rumbled vigorously before finally settling down once the plane parted from the ground, upwards toward the sky. It was a surreal feeling for Tomo. The boy looked out the tiny triple paned window to his right, watching as the city of Toronto grew further and further away from him. Little did he know, this would be the last time he ever saw his home.

“W-WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!” Tomo thrashed vigorously as he dangled high in the air from the shadowy figure’s fingertips. They casually swung him from the back of his shirt, giggling as the boy did everything in his power to break free. “I-I’M TALKING TO YOU! ANSWER ME!” Tomo cried out once more, his throat raw from screaming for his life.

“Why am I doing this?” The figure spoke, it’s voice still familiar but indistinguishable to the shrunken boy. “Because I can. And there is nothing you can do about it, bug~”

Tomo screamed as the figure opened their enormous mouth, strands of spit forming and snapping at the corners of their lips as they parted wide. Their hot, humid breath washed over the tiny boy’s form like a sauna from hell. The figure raised Tomo high in the air, tilting their head back and positioning their open maw beneath him. Without warning, the fingertips that pinched his shirt released their grasp and the minuscule boy plummeted towards the wet steamy abyss, landing with a splat on top of their expansive tongue. The giant’s lips slammed shut, completely sealing tiny Tomo in darkness. The tongue beneath him began to slither about, knocking the boy all around the inside of the giant mouth like a pinball. He tried his best to resist the big wet muscle but it was just too strong, easily overpowering his every move. His ears popped as he felt the figure begin to suck on him like a hard candy, a low pitched moan emitting from deep within their throat and booming off the walls of his fleshy prison. The giant tilted their head back once more, causing Tomo to slip down the length of their smooth tongue like a waterslide. The tiny boy desperately tried to grab onto anything he could to stop his descent but his efforts proved pointless, quickly nearing the back of the giant’s throat. He felt his legs being sucked down into the massive esophagus, knowing he was seconds away from being swallowed alive. 

“STOP!!!” Tears streamed down his face, screaming and thrashing uncontrollably when a loud gulping noise pierced his ear drums.

The boy awoke in a panic, his breathing heavy.

“Are you okay, Tomo?” He heard a voice call from his left, spinning his head around to see Peter with a concerned look on his face.

Tomo observed his surroundings, a wave of relief washing over him when realizing he was still on the plane.

“Y-yeah, I’m okay… just a bad dream.” Tomo slumped back in his chair, turning his face away from Peter to hide his sweat soaked forehead. He’d never had a night terror in public before so it was quite embarrassing.

“I figured as much. You mumbled some stuff in your sleep that had me real worried. It sounded like you were about to die or something.” Peter chuckled awkwardly.

“O-Oh, I’m sorry I worried you! I-It happens from time to time...” Tomo blushed a deep crimson red, absolutely humiliated by his unconscious antics. “How long was I out?” Tomo continued.

“Uh… Probably a few hours or so?” Peter responded after a quick moment of pondering.

“I see…”

...

The two of them chatted back and forth for the remainder of the flight, touching on topics such as the video games they played, the music they listened to, and  the anime they watched. It turns out they had quite a bit in common.

“Attention all passengers, please fasten your seat belts. We’re about to land.”

The voice spoke over the cabin PA once more, followed by the same chime Tomo heard at the beginning of the flight. The boy looked out the window once again, hoping to catch a birds eye view of the foreign country but was surprised to find the window completely blacked out now. Frowning, he looked around the cabin to see if he could catch a glimpse out of any of the other open windows but all the ones he could see seemed to be blacked out as well. The cabin jolted as the wheels touched back down to earth. Tomo grabbed his arm rest to keep himself stable as the plane rumbled vigorously. Before long, the plane slowed to a halt and the seatbelt light above flickered off, indicating it was time to exit the aircraft. The two boys stood up, collecting their carry-on baggage and headed up the aisle. The rest of the plane was completely empty now as their section was the last to dismount. Tomo and Peter walked past the pilot, his eyes glued to the floor. The pair of boys proceeded through the gate and into the airport, following the signs that directed towards the luggage retrieval. It didn’t take long for the boys to realize the airport was a barren wasteland, not another human insight. The sound of their sneakers clacking against the cement floor reverberated off the walls, it was eerily quiet. Their walk was short, coming across the conveyor belt just as their baggage arrived. It would have been hard to miss them considering they were the only two suitcases to appear.

“Well… I guess this goodbye.” Peter said as he hoisted his bag off the rotating platform.

Tomo grabbed his bag as well, following Peter’s lead.

“Yeah I guess it is…” Tomo trailed off.

“Hey Peter… Does something seem… off… about this place?” Tomo finally managed to spit it out. Ever since he boarded the plane he had a weird feeling stirring around inside his gut. He thought it might have just been nerves but after seeing the gloomy flight attendant, the old sick folk, the prison inmates, the blacked out plane windows, and NOW the abandoned airport…. he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

Peter looked at the petite brown haired boy, a bit perplexed. “I mean… Now that you mention it... yeah... it is a bit gross in here. I mean for fucks sake, there aren't even any windows in this damn airport!” Peter laughed, placing a hand on Tomo’s shoulder.

“Listen, I think you’re just a bit nervous to meet your lady friend. It’ll be fine, I promise you. Here…” Peter had an idea, pulling out his phone from his pocket.

“Add your number to my phone and let me know how it goes. Maybe I can give you some advice on how to get her BEGGING for you. I’ll be your wingman, in a sense.” Peter beamed, a confident smile plastered across his freckled face.

Tomo bit his lip nervously, knowing that Kei would never “beg” for him in a million years. If anything, it would be the other way around. 

“Sure… will do.” Tomo played along and smiled back softly, entering his number into Peter’s phone. He tried to send a test message but it didn’t go through, his eyes darting to the top right corner of his phone screen to see he had no service.

“Don’t sweat it, just ask for the WiFi when you get to her house.” Peter instructed, snatching his phone back from Tomo and shoving it into his front right pant pocket.

“Right…”

“Okay well, talk to you later Tomo! It was nice meeting you!” Peter waved as he ran off towards terminal two, clearly ecstatic to meet his girlfriend.

“You too, Peter!” 

“And remember, Tomo… Just be cool!” Tomo waved back until Peter disappeared out of view. The boy sighed, looking around the airport casually. He remembered Kei telling him she’d be at terminal 1 to pick him up. If only he had service to let her know he was here. Knowing how punctual Kei was, she was most likely already waiting outside so Tomo didn’t worry too much. Without further procrastination, the boy began walking towards terminal 1. The directive signs led him down a long, dark hallway, using the Trav-O-Lator on the floor to help make his journey a little quicker. His breathing was shaky, his whole body jittering with nervous excitement.

“What if she thinks I’m lame? Or… what if she teases me for being short?” 

Tomo couldn’t help but stress over what he thought her first impression of him would be. He stood at a not-so-impressive 5’2”. He wasn’t sure how tall Kei was but the odds of her being slightly taller than him were pretty high. Even if it was just an inch difference, he knew she wouldn’t let him live it down. He shook his head, trying to suppress his anxious thoughts. 

Tomo rounded the final bend of the long, twisting hallway and was met with the sight of a large metal door. He paused in front of it, taking a deep breath. He knew Kei was waiting on the other side of that door.

“Just be cool.”

Peter’s words echoed somewhere distant in his mind.

Tomo pushed the door open, a shower of sunlight beaming down into his face and blinding him.  It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the new lighting conditions. When he could finally see again, his whole body froze.

He had entered a courtyard, the beige sun-washed cobblestone under his feet stretched off in a gigantic square. A stupidly high chain link fence surrounded the whole courtyard, not an exit in sight. Past the chain link fence, an abundance of the strangest trees Tomo had ever seen littered the landscape. They stood about 6 feet tall and were bright green with no bark. They swayed loosely in the wind. Before Tomo could take in anymore of his surroundings, the sunlight suddenly vanished, leaving him in a dark shadow that consumed the world for as far as his eyes could see. The boy looked up toward the sky, expecting to see a large cloud covering the sun.

“w...w…” Tomo completely blanked, babbling like an infant as he searched for words. His eyes were wide with shock, his brain feeling like it had completely broken down trying to process what he was seeing. A figure. A huge, colossal shadowy figure loomed high above him. Just like the one he saw in his dreams. Tomo’s legs gave out underneath him, falling to the ground with a thud.

“This… C-Can’t be real… I’m… dreaming…” Tomo stuttered in a frightened haze, his eyes fixated on the gigantic being.

Suddenly, the figure began to lower itself to the ground, sending a strong current of wind blowing past the boy as it squatted. The sun peeked out from behind the figure’s head as it got low to the ground, illuminating Tomo’s surroundings once again. The boy was even more shocked than before, finally able to see the giant’s face. Blueish black hair… pale skin… beautiful grey eyes blown up in massive proportions… there was no doubting it.

“Tomo!!!” The feminine voice boomed through the air, the same one he heard in his night terrors time and time before.

“K….K-Kei…?” Tomo managed to squeeze the words out of his throat. 

“Ah, you recognized me!! I wasn’t sure if you would… after all, I’m sure I look a bit… ~different~ …. In person~.” The giant girl giggled playfully.

Tomo was still in utter shock, his tiny brain so overwhelmed to the point where he felt paralyzed.

“Come here…” Kei slowly reached her hand down into the fenced off courtyard. Tomo’s fight or flight instincts finally kicked in, jumping to his feet and running at full speed in the opposite direction of Kei.”

“Where are you going, dork. There’s nowhere to run~” He looked back to see her gigantic hand following close on his trail, slowly catching up to him. Distracted by his pursuer, Tomo slammed face first into the chain-link fence, falling flat on his back. Without a second wasted, her massive fingertips pinched onto his right leg, hoisting his body high into the air. Tomo screamed at the top of his lungs, almost puking as he watched the ground beneath him grow further and further away as the giantess stood up to her full height. His rapid ascent abruptly halted once he reached the face of the giant girl, her swimming-pool-sized eyes intently inspecting his little body as he dangled upside down from her fingertips. Tomo wasn’t necessarily afraid of heights but anyone in their right mind would have been scared shitless in his situation.

“You looked so STUPID running into that fence down there, Tomo.” Kei laughed, her voice much louder at this closer proximity.  The frightened boy began squirming in her grasp, scared for his life and not sure what else to do.

“What are you doing? If you keep wiggling like that you’re gonna fall. Look down Tomo, is that really what you want?” Kei smirked smuggly. The boy quickly realized she was right, falling from this height would most certainly mean instant death.

“Here… let me give you a little taste~” Without warning, the girl released her grip on his leg. 

Tomo screamed once again, his tiny body plummeting towards the ground far below.

“This is it. This is how I die.” Tomo thought to himself as he raced towards his impending doom.

Out of nowhere, Kei placed her other hand in the path of his fall, letting Tomo collide into her expansive palm. To his pleasant surprise, it was fairly soft and easily cousined his impact. The small boy rolled over onto his back, not really noticing any pain due to the adrenaline shooting through his veins.

“Oh my god, are you crying?! That’s so pathetic~!” Kei scoffed at the miniscule boy. Tomo quickly brushed his hand under his right eye, horrified to find it was indeed a bit wet.

“I was just playing around. You really think I’d let my new pet die already?” Kei couldn’t hold back her laugh, extremely amused by how easy it was to manipulate the tiny boy. Tomo had a hard time retaliating against Kei when he thought she was normal sized but, NOW… the poor boy couldn’t even muster up a single word.

“Well I’ve had my fun. Let’s go home, loser~” Kei spun around on her heels, walking away from the tiny airport with a skip in her step.

The fleshy floor Tomo rested upon swayed with the giant girl’s every step, the cool afternoon air of spring blew against his cheeks. With his mind in a state of shock and his body frozen with fear, one of Kei’s earlier remarks bounced around the inside of his skull continuously.

“New pet.”

Tomo could feel the fog inside his head begin to clear. The past 10 minutes felt like a blur. The last thing he could remember was Kei shoving his motionless body inside her cardigan pocket, followed by the sound of a car door slamming shut. He laid at the bottom of the linty pouch, trying to wrap his head around the incomprehensible predicament he got himself into. The thick beige wool surrounding him scratched at his skin. Tomo could hear his giant captor idly humming along to the tune of Peaches by Justin Bieber as it gently droned from the car radio, her nonchalant attitude directly contrasting Tomo’s frightened state of mind. The first question heavy on his noggin was;

“How is she so big?”

 It just didn’t seem feasible. Was he having some strange lucid dream? It seemed likely. The boy brought his hands up to his cheeks and slapped himself a few times… nothing happened. He proceeded to pinch his forearm as hard as he could, wincing in pain. Again, nada. No part of his situation made any sense, regardless of which way he spun it. He knew he definitely wasn’t dreaming but that didn't stop him from continuously harming himself over and over in a desperate effort to wake up from this terrifying nightmare that he refused to believe was reality. The car stopped, Tomo’s heart skipping a bit as he heard Kei put the car in park. The engine fell silent as the giant girl removed the key. Tomo bounced around the pocket as Kei stepped out of the vehicle and began walking. The boy tried to piece together what was happening outside of the dark compartment he was stored in based on the noises he could make out. Heavy footsteps, jangling keys, a screeching door, shoes tumbling across the floor. Eventually, his world became still. No more sounds, no more bouncing around. He looked up to see two huge digits slithering past the entrance of his fabric cave, blindly feeling around for their prey. The small boy scooted as far back as he could in the pocket, avoiding the fleshy pincers for as long as possible. It was inevitable though, he was sitting duck. The tip of her wiggling index finger grazed past Tomo’s waist, a shiver shooting up his spine. The giant thumb quickly followed suit, wrapping around his back and pinching his body between the two finger pads. He was slowly hoisted out of the pouch like a toy from a claw machine. His eyes darted around, observing his new surroundings. Well… new was the wrong word, he was well acquainted with this room. Just not from this perspective. The dark blue walls he was oh so familiar with seemed to stretch on for miles, the multiple piles of clothes on the floor looking more like mountains far off in the distance.

“Welcome to my bedroom, little one~” Kei sat down in her computer chair, placing Tomo on the desk in front of her.  The boy stumbled to find his footing as she released him from her grasp. The trash littered desktop was as big as a football field to the tiny boy. Everyday items such as the empty soda bottle to the left of him now seemed so incredibly intimidating, it’s behemoth size really putting into perspective just how small he was in this new world. He looked to his right to see a plastic statue of Elizabeth from The Seven Deadly Sins looming over his pathetic form.  It took a second for him to realize this was the same figurine Kei was holding on camera last night. He remembered calling it small, but now he only came up to her knees.

Tomo gasped as something heavy collided with his stomach, easily knocking him on his ass. He brought his attention forward to see Kei’s fingertip hovering above his body. He hadn’t even noticed how close she’d brought her face was to the edge of the desk, a big grin plastered across her billboard-sized face.

“Wow…. This is my first time seeing one of you shrinkies in person..” Her enormous eyes were glimmering with excitement.

“Are you happy to finally meet me?” The giant girl asked smugly. Tomo could feel her hot breath wafting over him as she spoke.

“I…” The boy squeaked, not sure what to say. His eyes were glued to the massive fingertip still looming above him.

“The answer to that question is ‘Yes, ma'am’...” Kei snapped at him, lowering her digit on to the tiny boy’s chest and snickering.

“A-AH!! S-STOP IT, KEI!!” Tomo cried out from beneath her hefty fingertip, pinned firmly to the desk below despite his struggles.

A low, soft moan escaped Kei’s lips, her smirk morphing into a toothy grip. She applied more pressure onto Tomo, completely disregarding his pleas.

“G-GAH!” Tomo shrieked louder, a sharp pain radiating from his chest as he felt the air being forced out of his lungs.

“Ah~ The noises you make are wonderful, Tomo.” Kei’s sultry voice droned as she marveled at her tiny friend squirming below her.

“P-PLEASE KEI, S-STOP THIS!!” Tomo’s pain only intensified as Kei began twisting her finger into his body.

“Begging me to let you go already? But I’m hardly applying any pressure~” Tomo watched powerlessly as the giant girl bit her lower lip, her eyes burning with amusement.

“Fine fine… Have it your way, whimp…” Tomo gasped for air as Kei slowly lifted her finger off the miniscule boy. 

Coming to visit Kei, Tomo knew she was bound to bully him but never in a million years did he expect to be pinned under her index finger like a bug.

“What’s wrong, Tomo? You look… scared~” Kei gazed down upon Tomo’s trembling form. The fact he couldn’t recall seeing Kei this thrilled before scared him senseless.

“Is… Is this really happening?” The small boy stumbled nervously over his words.

“Of course it is, silly. I know, it’s hard to believe… a girl brought you into her bedroom! I’m sure you didn’t expect that to ever happen in your sad pathetic life!” The giant girl erupted in a sinister laugh, Tomo’s face glowing crimson red.

“T-THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT…. I…” The tiny boy took a second to regain a sliver of composure.

“I mean… how… how is this possible? How are you so… giant?” Tomo desperately wanted answers.

“Ah, I guess you would be confused. I suppose I can fill you in~.” Kei shuffled in her chair before she continued. 

“I’m not actually from earth. Well, I WAS born on this planet but my kind originated from someplace else. Long ago, my people lived on a planet far away from here. It was very similar to earth, but much bigger. Giant women were the apex predators and little tiny people like yourself scurried around beneath our feet~” The giant girl poked Tomo in the chest playfully. He managed to keep his footing this time. “The only way for my species to breed is by eating tiny men. Unfortunately, we got a bit greedy and quickly wiped out the whole tiny population in our own world. With no way of reproducing and our numbers dwindling, we began looking for a new planet populated by tiny humans. That’s when we came across Earth~”

Tomo could hardly believe his ears. Giant aliens that reproduce by eating humans? It sounded like something straight out of a sci-fi novel. Plus, Kei didn’t resemble anything like what he expected an alien to look like. She wasn’t lanky and green, she didn’t have black beady eyes and an odd shaped head. She looked completely human, just MUCH bigger.

“Once we landed on your puny planet, we struck a deal with your world leaders. We agreed not to take over your world by force in exchange for a few things. First, we were to be given a surplus of humans to use as a means to breed. Not all of you, but a select few that had no purpose left in your society. Such as, criminals with life sentences and sick folk that were on the verge of death already.”Tomo instantly recalled the passengers on his flight, Kei’s description matching perfectly to the people he saw occupying the plane. It was all starting to make sense.

“Second, our existence was to be kept a secret. That way, idiots like yourself would come to us on their own free will~. With our conditions met, we built the country of Orcam in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and now we live peacefully among you tiny things. Or at least, that’s what my history books say.” Kei’s eyes rolled in annoyance, obviously becoming a bit bored with the story telling.

“If it was up to me, I’d just take over your tiny civilization by myself!~ It’s not like any of you could stop me, I’d make you all worship me like your Goddess~...” She paused. 

“But of course, any Giantess that leaves the country is punished by execution….” Kei groaned with displeasure. “So stupid, I don’t understand why we have to be so ‘peaceful’ all the time.”

Tomo was bewildered. A race of man-eating Giantesses... living right under his nose his whole life?! The boy’s world view was completely flipped on its head. All these years of thinking Humans were the elite species when in reality they’d just been living under someone else’s thumb this whole time.

“Y-.... Y-you’re gonna… e-eat me?” Tomo’s eyes were wide with fear, his face flushed of any colour. He could feel his bones rattling uncontrollably, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

The giant girl before him brought her attention back to the terrified boy, tilting her head slightly as she inspected him.

“Huh? Oh, no no!  Of course not… I’d MUCH rather keep you as my little plaything~!”

Tomo couldn’t fathom what being a ‘plaything’ for this sadistic young woman entailed, but he knew he wanted absolutely no part of it. Without even thinking, his legs began to move on their own, taking off in a sprint across the length of the wooden desktop. He didn’t know where he was running to, or what he planned to achieve, but the fear that consumed his being clouded any season of reason he had left.

“Where are you going, nerd?!” Kei was obviously not impressed with his choice to run.

Without a second to react, her giant fingernail slammed into his back like a battering ram, catapulting him off the edge of the desk with ease. The boy plummeted through the air, free falling for what felt like an eternity before crashing into the ground below. The massive carpet fibers lining the floor cushioned his fall just enough so he didn’t break any bones, but it still hurt excruciatingly bad. Sprawled out on his back, groaning in agony, he watched the enormous Kei stand up from her chair and face him. NOTHING in his life leading up to this moment was as terrifying as what he was witnessing right then, his best friend looming over his body like an almighty Deity. He was powerless, only able to watch as she lifted her titanic, stocking clad foot high above him. 

“...k-kei…” Was all the poor boy managed to murmur as her colossal sole slowly lowered on top of his minuscule form. The pressure wasn’t too intense, but it was heavy enough that there was no chance of him wiggling free.

“Oh, Tomo. Looks like I’m gonna have to teach you your place~.”

The scent of mildew and sweat assaulted the inside of his nostrils, the black fabric still damp from being inside of her sneakers. She began rolling his little body like a massage ball beneath her foot, giggling with amusement as the tiny boy beneath her whimpered in discomfort.

“Mmm… You feel so good under my foot, Tomo~! You have no idea how long I’ve been dreaming of this day…” The behemoth girl dragged her sole across Tomo’s tiny body, finally positioning him on his back beneath her big toe. His little head poked out into the fresh air every so slightly, giving the tiny boy just enough room to see the face of his giant tormentor high above him. There was that look again; half lidded eyes, a wicked grin, a strip of blush stretching over the bridge of her nose… It used to just make Tomo embarrassed, but now it petrified his whole being.

“I own you, loser. You BELONG to me now. You’re MY property. Do you understand me, bug?” The giant girl spat at him coldly, her words cutting into Tomo’s soul like a sharp knife.

“P-PLEASE, JUST LET ME GO!!!” Tomo squealed in anguish, practically on the verge of tears.

“YOU DIDN’T ANSWER MY QUESTION, SPECK!” Kei bellowed, slowly applying more weight onto the squirming teen trapped below her big toe.

“G-GAH!! O-OKAY, I UNDERSTAND! JUST P-PLEASE STOP!!!” Tomo couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks, his lower body burning with intolerable pain.

“Good boy…” She brought her voice back down, satisfied with his obedience.

“Fine, I’ll let you go…” She paused to muse for a moment, letting off some of the pressure. “IF… you kiss my toe~!” Her sadistic snicker boomed from up above.

At this point, Tomo didn’t even want to think about what would happen if he declined. Her request was humiliating, but he was in no position to refuse. Swallowing his pride, he leaned forward and placed his puckered lips upon her humongous socked toe. As he pulled away, a residue of salty footsweat danced across his lips. He looked up at the titan of a girl, hoping to god she was satisfied with his torment.

“Hmm… Even though you looked so pathetic making out with my toe, I couldn’t really feel it…” Her eyes widened as an epiphany popped into her head.

“Oh, I have an idea!!” Kei slid her giant foot over Tomo once more, scrunching her sole to pinch him between the spot where the underside of her toes and the ball of her foot met. The giantess sat back down in her chair, swinging her body around to face the computer. She released her grip on Tomo, letting him fall face first into the carpet beneath her desk. The boy rolled over to see a large black article of clothing fall from the sky, landing with a thud just next to his tiny form. Kei slammed her barefoot inches in front of Tomo, the tremor from her stomp almost causing him to topple over. The rancid, musty smell of her foot was ten times more intense now that it was free to breathe. Tomo could feel his eyes stinging from the stench.

“Now, let’s try this again. Give my toe a kiss, loser~” She commanded, wigging her bolder-sized toes up and down to tease him.

The boy stood in place for a second, desperately wanting to refuse her. The humiliation was getting to him, he felt so helpless against her demands.

“I said.. KISS!” She instructed once more, irritation building in her voice. 

The tiny boy approached hesitantly, his eyes inspecting the numerous creases and wrinkles caking the face of her toe. He kneeled down in front of the meaty appendage, puckering his lips once more and planting them gently on the damp, fleshy wall.

“Oh my god, you’ll just do anything I say, won’t you, Tomo~?” The power drunk giantess sneered down at him.

“N-NO! That’s not-” Tomo was quickly interrupted as Kei slid her foot forward, spreading her toes and trapping tiny Tomo in the area between her big toe and her index toe. Bits of lint and toe jam lined the inside of her toe cleavage, the smell somehow even more horrible than before.

“Stop talking. Lick it, bitch. And don’t make me ask twice.” Her voice was stern, deadly serious.

Tomo gulped nervously, a lighting bolt of pure terror shooting up the length of his spine. The timid boy bent down, grimacing as he stuck out his tongue. He gently placed the tip on a patch of her salty skin, his body instantly shuddering due to the revolving taste.

“Ah~! That’s much better. Keep going, dipshit. And while you’re down there, why don’t you snack on some of my toe jam!” Kei bathed in her new found control over the tiny boy, absolutely adoring every second of it. She grabbed her headphones off her desk and slipped them over her head, pushing a strand of her midnight blue hair back behind her ear.

Tomo felt like he wanted to puke, the whole situation degrading him to his very core. He continued to lap at the sweaty flesh between her toes.

“I’m gonna play some games now. Just keep doing that and I’ll have no reason to stomp your pitiful life out of existence.” She giggled sinisterly, flexing her toes to give Tomo a little squeeze.

“OH! I almost forgot… Incase you get thirsty…” The giant girl pursed her lips before spitting a massive glob of hot sticky liquid onto the top of her foot. The saliva trailed down into the crevice that held Tomo prison, soaking his little body instantly.

“Drink up, loser~”