Chapter 1: Vorena Hatches Her Plan!

A sturdily built thirteen-year-old girl with dark blonde hair entered the living room of her mother's home, and asked: "Mom, can we get a shrunken man as a pet?"

The mother set her electronic tablet on her lap. "Vorena, we can't afford one. I'm a single mother, and your Dad doesn't really contribute to our finances."

"But some of the girls at school own one, a couple of the popular girls own several of them!"

Vorena's Mom used a remote control to turn on a video. "Watch this video, it will help you understand more about the world we live in."

The large monitor mounted on the living room wall sprang to life, and the video played.

"About a dozen years ago," the narrator of the video began, "a group of people from an alternate reality known as the reality trekkers arrived on our planet, and they shared their immense technology with us. They taught us the most efficient way to build nuclear fusion reactors, force field generators to protect soldiers during war, and rocket propulsion technology that finally allowed us to put men on Mars.

"Out of the dozens of miraculous devices they taught us to build, none were as popular as the neutrino dissimilator. Dimensional singularities are opened inside the centers of each quark and gluon particle composing the protons and neutrons of the atoms being miniaturized, causing the quarks and gluons to collapse around the now-empty space because of the vacuum that forms. The excess matter is discharged through these dimensional vortices and forced into another dimension. This causes a decrease in size, weight, volume and mass.

”The electrons remain normal sized. A dimensional membrane alters the strength of their charge so it corresponds with the decreased charge of the miniaturized protons, while simultaneously maintaining the proportional distance of the atoms from one another. A reactive dimensional membrane speeds up the vibrations of the miniaturized atoms so the shrunken person has increased thermal resistance, giving them the same proportional body temperature as at normal size. 

“This protects a shrunken person from getting too cold or too hot. The reactive dimensional membrane senses when it is cold or hot, and speeds up or slows down the vibrations of the shrunken atoms to correspond with the temperature of the environment.

”When used as a home security measure, neutrino dissimilators render the victim immortal, so they no longer need food or water, and they stop aging. With our current economy, the average family can expect to pay no more for a neutrino dissimilator than for a brand new car.

"Laws in the United States needed to be changed. The constitution was modified so that criminals could be sold and purchased as toys, and the owners are now free to do with them as they please. A law known as the stature statute was enacted that allows people to use their home security system to be equipped with neutrino dissimilators, and any intruders who get miniaturized are yours to keep indefinitely in some states. You should check the laws in your state to see how specifically the stature statute affects you as a consumer."

Vorena's Mom turned off the monitor. "So you see? When I was your age, there was no such thing as miniaturization. But even though we can't afford a shrunken man right now, our home security system is equipped with neutrino dissimilators, so if an intruder ever breaks in, I'll let you keep them! That’s one good thing I can say about your father, he bought us a top of the line security system with a built in neutrino dissimilator.”

"I'll go over to my friend's house," said Vorena. "Her older sister might know of a way I can acquire a captive."

"That's a good idea!" said Mrs. Ardent. "But don't get home too late, it's Friday, and we're going on a trip to the coast tonight, and we won't be back until Sunday."

"Okay, Mom!"

Vorena exited the home, and made her way down the street to her friend Bristol's home. She rang the doorbell, and the intercom lit up with Bristol's face. "Identify yourself!"

"Vorena Ardent!"

"Come on in, Vorena!"

"Thanks, Bristol!"

Vorena entered the home, which was much more spacious than her own home. Bristol was the same age as Vorena, and her older sister was a freshman in high school. Both Bristol and her sister were playing with their shrunken captives.

"Brianna, can you help me out?" Vorena asked.

"With what?" Brianna asked.

"I want a shrunken man, but my Mom says we can't afford one. Do you know of any ways to get one for free?"

"You can check the personal ads online," Brianna replied, "but you can't officially own one of them, it's more of an agreement. I wouldn't recommend it, though."

"Why not?" Vorena asked.

"Ninety percent of the guys wanting to be shrunk are looking to be owned by teenage boys," said Brianna. "It's difficult to find a heterosexual man who is looking for a female owner. 

"Can't I go on the dark web and advertise my blog?" Vorena asked. "We're going away on a trip, and I already wrote about it on my blog. If some criminals find out nobody will be home this weekend, they might try to break into my house this weekend, and our home security system will shrink them. 

"I can let you do that on my computer," said Brianna.

Vorena got on Brianna's laptop and went to a chatroom on the dark web and made a post showing when her and her mother would be going on vacation, and when the house would be vacant. 

“Be sure to advertise an older version of the home security system you have,” said Brianna. “That way, the newer version you have will catch them by surprise.”

“Thanks for the advice, Brianna,” said Vorena, and she did as the older girl suggested. After about an hour, Vorena was done and went home.

When Vorena got home, her mother was already packed for their trip. Vorena's suitcase was ready, too.

While Vorena and her mother were riding in their car heading to the airport, a couple of low-lifes who read Vorena's message on the dark web had been waiting for the Ardents to leave, so they could rob the home. Curtis Sey directed his friend Neil Krall to one of the windows. They had burglary tools, and planned to de-activate the security system 

Curtis thought he had de-activated the security system, but after they crawled inside, a neutrino dissimilator fired on them, reducing them to about a centimeter tall, instantly. The window they had climbed through shut automatically, trapping them inside the home.

"I thought you knew how to disarm this kind of security system!" said Neil.

"The message on the dark web said it was an earlier version," Curtis replied, "this system is newer."

"So what are we going to do now?" Neil asked.

"We just have to wait for the owners to return," Curtis replied, "that neutrino dissimilator made us effectively immortal, so we won't need food or water until they return."

Meanwhile, while riding in their car, Vorena's mother received a text from her vehicle's automated system that was linked to her home security system.

"We have to go back," said Mrs. Ardent.

"What is it, Mom?" Vorena asked, feigning ignorance.

"Our home security system just notified me that two people just broke into our house, and the neutrino dissimilator miniaturized them."

"Really?" Vorena asked, trying to mask her joy.

"It looks like you're going to get a shrunken captive after all!"

"Just one?" Vorena asked. "I thought you said there were two of them? 

"Yes, there were two," Mrs. Ardent replied as she re-programmed her car's destination on the navigation console. "You can have both of them, I was just using a figure of speech."

Before long, Vorena and her mother were back in the driveway of their home. They got out, and headed toward the front door while Mrs. Ardent used her keychain to automatically lock their car door. When they went inside, they were quick to close the front door so the shrunken intruders couldn't escape.

"Home security system," said Mrs. Ardent, "locate shrunken intruders!"

There was a large monitor on the wall of the living room, the same monitor that Vorena watched the video earlier showing the history of neutrino dissimilators. An infra-red scan of every room in the home showed the centimeter tall intruders cowering beneath the couch, not far from Vorena.

"Well, there they are, kiddo! It's your job to capture them! I'll get a jar. I cooked spaghetti the other night, I saved the jar the spaghetti sauce came in, I'll go call the police and retrieve it right now."

The two tiny trespassers were no match for the sturdily built adolescent, and soon found themselves tightly clenched within Vorena’s firmly clenched fists; one of them in her left hand, and the other in her right. Vorena lifted one of them over her mouth and prepared to drop him in, when her mother returned with the empty jar.

“Vorena, no!” Mrs. Ardent said assertively. “We have to take them and register them at the court house! But first, the police will be here in a couple of minutes to make a report. The crime rate is so low now that criminals can be reduced and sold at auction, so the police basically have next to nothing to do these days.”

The police officer arrived and observed the captives, ensuring that they were safe. He had Mrs. Ardent sign a digital clipboard, and she took a photo of the case report number, then the police left.

“We have to get to the courthouse before it closes,” said Mrs. Ardent. Vorena followed her mother to the car.

“Does this mean our trip to the coast is canceled?” Vorena asked. 

“We couldn’t make the flight now any way, now that all of this has happened.” Mrs. Ardent told Vorena as she got into the driver’s seat. Vorena got in on the passenger side, carefully holding the glass jar containing the captive criminals. “This is more important than some little vacation to the coast. 

Once they were on their way, Vorena asked, “How is all of this legal, Mom? I mean, all they did was break into our house. How can we keep them as pets now, indefinitely?”

“When shrinking technology was introduced,” Mrs. Ardent replied, “people wanted a reason to acquire captives. Within two or three years, the constitution was modified to allow serious criminals to be miniaturized and purchased as pets.”

“But what about burglars?” Vorena asked. “That doesn’t seem serious enough.”

“I was getting to that,” Mrs. Ardent replied. “When all of the most dangerous criminals were miniaturized and sold, legislation was passed that made criminals with less serious offenses eligible for being miniaturized and kept as pets.”

“That’s so cool!” said Vorena. “I just have one regret about all of this!”

“What regret?” Mrs. Ardent asked.

“I wish shrinking technology would’ve been introduced when you were my age, mom! Then you could’ve had captives just like me.”

The car pulled into the parking structure behind the courthouse, and Mrs. Ardent and Vorena got out and headed into the courthouse building. Vorena was carefully clutching the captive criminals who stood about one centimeter tall.

They entered the building and a guard directed them to the room they needed to go to. An older man was sitting behind a huge desk with electronic tablets strewn everywhere. When Mrs. Ardent caught his attention, he stood up and reached across the desk and shook her hand.

“I’m Jacob Cavendish, I’m the court official who deals with the acquisition of new captives. How exactly did they come into your care?”

Mrs. Ardent explained the break-in, and read off the report number on her smart phone given to her by the police officer. Mr. Cavendish suggested a more secure container, so Mrs. Ardent purchased it and Vorena put her two shrunken criminals inside. Within five minutes, Mrs. Ardent and Vorena were heading back to the car, as the legal owners of Neil and Curtis. He destinies of the would be burglars had taken an unexpected turn, and they now found themselves the property of a thundering thirteen-year-old!

To Be Continued!

Chapter 2: Vorena Lives Up To Her Name!

Once Vorena and her mother were home, the sturdily built thirteen-year-old girl took her two captives to her bedroom and shut her door. She took them out of their container and placed them on her desk. She was sitting far enough back in her chair that the captives had a good view of her face.

“Both of you are now my helpless slave toys,” said Vorena. “I want to swallow one of you! That would make me feel powerful!”

Neil and Curtis looked at each other, then Neil addressed his mighty mistress.

“That wouldn’t be right,” said Neil.

“Why not?” Vorena asked.

“Because we could get digested,” Neil replied. “If we stay too long inside your gut, we could die.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Vorena asked.

“He’s saying it’s murder,” said Curtis. 

“Why is that so bad?” Vorena asked. “You’re my property now, I can dispose of you as I please! You’re just a couple of criminals, your lives don’t matter!”

Vorena reached down and grabbed Neil, and lifted him above her open mouth. Her teeth were immaculate, with no fillings or cavities. Her tongue was clean, because she had brushed her teeth before heading off on the trip her mother had planned earlier.

Vorena let go of her tiny captive’s legs, and gravity forced him to drop into the mouth of the beautiful behemoth. Vorena closed her lips and forced the tiny man to the back of her mouth, and swallowed him. 

Neil slid down Vorena’s esophagus and dropped into her stomach. There was a pocket of air, but he tried to hold his breath as long as possible to conserve oxygen. He was covered in chyme, and he could smell the ingredients of the pizza his conqueror had consumed earlier that afternoon. Neil knew that neutrino dissimilators rendered the victim immortal, but wondered how much that applied to him if he was inside of someone’s belly. If her stomach acid was too intense, would his immortality be useless?

Several seconds after swallowing her captive, Vorena lifted her shirt slightly and looked at her abdominal region.

“I can’t believe it! I finally have a captive in my belly!” Vorena rubbed her tummy, then covered her stomach back up with her shirt and put Curtis back in the container. She went to the living room and told her mother she had swallowed one of the captives.

“We don’t own a neural stimulator, doesn’t your friend Bristol have one?” Mrs. Ardent asked.

“Yes, Bristol and Brianna both have one!” said Vorena.

“Head over there and ask if you can borrow one to vomit up your captive.”

“Mom, you don’t seem too concerned about my slave toy!” said Vorena, noticing her mother had a casual disregard for the swallowed captive’s safety.

“They’re virtually immortal, Vorena. They can probably survive in your stomach for a long time. Now head over to Bristol’s and have them let you use their neural stimulator to vomit up your captive. I can’t afford to get more captives for you. If you kill one of them, that would be a waste.”

“Yes, mama,” Vorena replied, and she headed out the door and went to her friend’s house.

She came to the intercom and Bristol beeped her in. Once inside the living room, Vorena lifted her shirt slightly, revealing her abdominal region.

“Two burglars broke into our house, and they got shrunk. We registered them as my property, then I swallowed one of my captives!” said Vorena. “My mom sent me over here to borrow your neural stimulator to vomit my slave toy back up.”

Bristol thought this was funny, and laughed as she went and retrieved the first aid kit, and pulled out the neural stimulator.

“It’s fully charged, just make sure you plug up our bathroom sink so he doesn’t go down the drain.”

As Vorena entered the bathroom, Bristol continued: “Somehow, it doesn’t even surprise me that the first thing you did was swallow one of them.”

“Why not?” Vorena asked.

“With a name like Vorena, it comes with a territory!”

Within a minute, Vorena had used the neural stimulator to vomit up her captive, and she rinsed him off in the sink.

“Do you want to introduce him to my captive?” Bristol asked.

“Sure,” Vorena replied. She followed Bristol into the bedroom and watched as her friend got a container identical to the one Vorena had just purchased, and dumped out her shrunken man. Vorena set her drenched captive down next to him.

“Slave!” Bristol said in a firm tone of voice as she slammed her fist down on the table where she had dumped her captive. “Introduce yourself to my friend’s slave toy!”

“I’m Seth, I was sold at an auction and now Bristol is my owner,” said Bristol’s captive. The two shrunken men shook hands.

“I’m Neil, I broke into Vorena’s home recently and got miniaturized. She’s my owner now.”

“So you’re new to this?” Seth asked. “You’d better get used to being treated like a commodity. People treat their pets better than most people treat shrunken captives. 

“Is it really that bad?” Neil asked.

“It’s worse,” said Seth, “but you’ll get used to it.”

“I think they’ve socialized enough,” said Vorena. “I’m taking my captive home to dry him off.”

Vorena grabbed Neil and exited Bristol’s bedroom and home, and returned to her own home. Neil wondered what the towering teen had in store for him when they got home.


To Be Continued!