There's nothing I hate more than being woken up. The feeling of being ripped from a peaceful sleep ought to be illegal. 

The sound of a phone ringing forces me awake. The device vibrates far too violently for something so small, banging against the wood of my bedside table. I try to ignore it, hoping the caller will give up eventually. Sure enough, the phone eventually goes quiet. I pull the sheets over myself and turn over in my bed, slipping back into unconciousness. Not a minute later, the phone begins to ring again, enough to shake itself off the table and onto the floor.

"For the love of- Can't a guy get some fucking rest?!"

My irritation growing by the minute, I finally sit up and kick the sheets off my legs. I lean over the side of the mattress and grab the damned thing, clutching it so tightly that I feel it bend in my grip. Such cheap plastic isn't uncommon for burners. They all get thrown away in the end. I squint my eyes in the dark, trying to make out the caller. Whoever it is, they're going to live to regret bothering me in the middle of the night.

"Andrea? The fuck does she want at this hour..." I groan, exhaling loudly. I accept her call and put the phone to my ear.

"Boss," A familiar, feminine voice addresses me. Her tone is ice cold and objective. "there's trouble. Are you somewhere safe right now?"

"Why's it matter?" I groan, sighing deeply. I rub the back of my neck with a hand as I crack it left and right.

"Our operation has been comprimised."

"What makes you so sure?" I say, now fully awake.

"The cops put an APB for your arrest less than an hour ago. They're likely sweeping your public address as we speak. It's a matter of time before they find where you really are." 

I rush over to the window, peeking through the blinds. The streets are empty. I don't see any signs of a threat, yet.

"How many of our guys did they get?" I ask her while getting dressed. "Has anyone talked?"

"No, sir, everyone is fine. It seems they're only after you."

"How'd they- Never mind, I'll worry about that later. For now, I need to get out of here. Where are you at?"

"I'm at the usual meeting spot."

"Good. Have the boys to head over there. Stay where you are, I'm coming to you."

I end the call and then drop the phone on the floor. With a hard stomp of my heel, I destroy the thing without hesitation. I grab my coat and my 9mm and leave my hotel room, never to return. I tend to travel light, meaning I didn't bring much with me other than a bar of soap and a change of clothes, neither of which I'll miss. My most valuable possession is my stash of tech, which I keep in a special room in our workshop. I made it a point not to keep anything I'd regret losing at my place, for this exact reason. 

"Dumbass cops are always two steps behind. They'll be chasing my shadow till dawn." I shake my head, a smug look on my face. "Then again, all I have to do is stand still and they'll catch up."

As I make my way to the workshop, I think about what to do next. It's not easy while I'm so agitated. There's a burning question in my mind, one that I can't ignore. 

Who the hell ratted me out? 

As far as anyone's concerned, I'm an upstanding citizen. I own a humble tech repair shop on the shadier side of the city. People come to get their cracked screens fixed and to unlock password protected devices that may or may not be their own. It's not my business to ask. All I care is about is seeming as mundane as possible. I couldn't give less of a fuck about what people think of me, so long as they leave me in peace.

Though, that's only half the story. A business like mine hardly provides. Hell, in this economy, it'd leave me living paycheck to paycheck. That's no way to live, especially when there's ways to live better. There are business oppurtunities everywhere, especially in our industry. Technology's come a long way in the last couple of decades. It seems like every time something interesting gets made, the government decides to regulate the shit out of it. Illegal tech is hard to come by, and even harder to make. It's basic supply and demand. The less there is, the more people want it. And we'll provide it, but not for free.

As I arrive at the workshop, I notice that the lights are off and the metal gate's been left two thirds closed, a sign that one of my guys is in. I go over to it and knock twice, before heading around back. I wait at the other entrance until I hear someone moving around inside. The door then opens, revealing Andrea. Our gazes meet, but we say nothing. She steps aside to allow me in and locks the door behind us. We head into one the storage room, a place we made entirely sound and bullet proof, where I find Lucian, Manish, and Yeong-Su seated at the table. All three of them look visibly uncomfortable when I enter the room.

"I'm sure you've all heard the news. I'm a wanted man, thanks to someone saying something they shouldn't have." 

I pause to gauge their reactions. I look for any tells, even a slight reaction to my words. None of them seem guilty, at a glance. I wonder if that'll change in about fifteen seconds. I reach into my coat and pull out my gun, the slince of the room making the click extra loud as I switch off the safety. 

"You know, I'm in a pretty fucking terrible mood tonight. Here I was, sleeping soundly, like a newborn baby, when I get woken up by a call." 

I say this as I begin to pace around the room. Their eyes follow me as I do so. 

"A call that I never thought I'd get. A call that just didn't make sense to me. A call that makes me wonder about loyalty. Considering we handle both development and distribution, there's no middle man to blame. The only ones who are in the know are in this very room."

I stop next to Yeong-Su, putting my hand on his back. He flinches as I do so, his eyes locked onto the firearm in my hand. I give him a hard pat on the back, but he remains silent. That's fine, since I'm pretty sure it wasn't him. I just need to make the other two nervous.

"I'd like to think I'm a generous man. You show up, do your jobs, and leave with ten times the amount any legal job would pay. The only reason I take a cut is to pay the electricity bills. You know I don't make any more than you. We have an understanding. That's how we do things, right?"

I notice Manish nodding nervously in agreement. The other two follow suit.

"Now, as pissed off as I am, I'm willing to give you guys a chance. If you know something, speak now. There won't be any consequences."

I give them a minute to consider my offer. Though I said I'd give them a chance, I don't really know how I'll act if someone confesses. I can feel my finger itching to pull the trigger. I've never killed a man before, but in a situation like this, I'm not feeling anxious about it. An example has to be made, in one way or another. It soon becomes clear to me that none of them are going to speak up. I don't think it was one of them. Though I know it has to be, the feeling in my gut says otherwise. They're just university students looking to make an extra buck. They've got more to lose than me if they're caught. I doubt they would've showed up here on my order if they were guilty.

"I've seen enough. You've earned the benefit of the doubt, for now."

Finally, I put my weapon away, as it was before. I sigh loudly, venting a little of my frustration in the process. As the Boss, it's my responsibility to protect my boys, as well as our operation. Internal conflict is the last thing we need right now. We need to shift regain our focus if we want to come out of this unscathed. I suppose now is as good a time as ever to announce my plan. 

"With things the way they are, it's unlikely anyone will come after you all. Keep your heads down, show up to your classes, and don't say a word to anyone. If the cops comes to speak with you, you give them the usual story. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Boss." The three of them say at once.

"We're going to need to clean this place out tonight. Grab our product and move it out to the other location. In a few days we'll resume business. Lucian know where. After that, you wait until Andrea contacts you."

"What about you, Boss?" Yeong-Su asks, his gaze unable to hold mine for more than a few seconds. 

I feel a smirk crawl across my face. "I'm going to disappear."

"They'll find you. There's nowhere in the city that isn't on CCTV." Lucian says, looking skeptical.

"Trust me, I'm not going to be found. That's all you need to know. I need to figure this fuckfest out before we can resume business. In the meantime, you'll be reporting to Andrea."

"I'll do my best." She says, accepting her new responsibility.

"Now hurry up and get to work. Who knows how long it'll be before they come check this place too?"

The three of them practically jump out of their seats and begin collecting all of our contraband. It doesn't take long, since we keep so organized. Ten minutes later, each of them exits the workshop with a large box of tech, leaving me alone with Andrea. She leans against the wall with her arms hugging her waist. She's eyeing me as if she has something to say, but isn't sure she should say it.

"Spit it out. There's no better time than now."

"I'm concerned." She begins. "What did you mean by 'disappear'? Lucian is right, there is nowhere to go."

I give her a smile and walk over to one of our storage lockers, pulling out a device from inside. It looks like a remote, only bulkier and with less buttons.

"No one can actually disappear. What's important is not to be found." I say, walking over to her slowly. "I recently got my hands on an especially illegal piece of tech, one that can do just that."

She stares at the device, studying it. Unlike the boys and I, she's no tech person, but she's very good at bookkeeping. Even so, it doesn't take her long to recognize it, considering it was all over the news just a year ago. 

"This is one of those matter-altering devices. They call it a shrink ray."

"And who says you're just a pretty face!" I reach out and pinch her cheek. It clearly bothers her, but she doesn't complain. "These things threatened to destroy the economy after they tried to grow gold. That's the official story, at least. Turns out the real reason was because it's great at destroying evidence. Want to hide a body? Shrink it down to nothing. Got something illegal to hide? Shrink it too."

"Wait. Couldn't we have used it to hide our tech?"

"We could have, but then we would have to cease operations entirely. I can't let that happen. Business will continue, even if it's slower."

"So you plan to shrink yourself and hide? Since you don't want to be found, I assume you plan to become quite tiny."

"A quarter millimeter, to be exact. So small that I can hardly be seen by the naked eye. There could be a hundred cops in the room and not one would be able to find me. I won't have a scent either, meaning none of the dogs'll be able to track me." I tell her, handing the device over.

"That is...difficult to visualize. I suppose that could work, but what next? At that size it will be difficult to live normally."

"You're right. That's why I'm going to be in your care."

"Excuse me?" She looks at me, wondering if she misheard.

"You heard me." I say, in a more serious tone. I give her an intimidating look, daring her to object. "I'm going to put myself in your care for the time being. Got a problem with that?"

"None, sir." She says, quite obediently.

"Good." I smile. "The device has already been configured. Press the red button to reduce me and the blue one to restore me to normal. Aim and shoot, simple as that."

I step back as she aims the device at me. She hesitates, for a moment. "Do you really trust me with this? You're absolutely sure?"

"Andrea, you're my right-hand woman. Plus, if I'm going to be hanging around with someone for a few days, I'd prefer a woman to one of those sweaty kids." I wink at her. "I probably won't be able to talk to you very easily while small. You're gonna have to get used to one-way conversations. We'll figure it out later, I guess."

Andrea aims the device at me, her thumb hovering over the red button. "I will do everything I can to help. Good luck, Boss."

A sudden bright light envelops me, making my body tingle. I feel an external force, as if I'm being pulled on in multiple directions, before losing my balance. I close my eyes, enduring the strange sensations until they ultimately subside. Only then do I open my eyes and look around.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say I'd been transported to some cold, alien world. The ground is unnaturally flat and smooth. I realize I'm standing on one of the floor tiles. To my left is the leg of a chair, a structure easily as big as a building, but much taller. There's a few more of them, being the legs of the table and the other chairs.

"Oh my." A thunderous voice rings out from high above. 

Before I can look up, I'm knocked flat on my face by the shaking of the ground. Three powerful tremors, pound the ground as something massive approaches me. I clamber to my feet and look ahead to see a black hill in the distance. Two of them, actually. It takes me a second to realize that the 'hill' is merely the toe of a high-heel shoe. 

I follow it up to the pillar of flesh that's connected to it. I make out a knee, at least a few kilometers above. Beyond that is the hem of a skirt. My gaze continue to climb, my head craning back in the process. I see hips, wider than city blocks, a waist, slimmer to match the body's frame, a chest, hugged tightly by a button-down white shirt, and eventually a face, all the way up in the sky. Long, brown hair crowns the top of the living mountain, tied neatly in a bun. Though my mind isn't ready to accept it, I know that this enormous entity is none other than Andrea.

The ground rumbles again as the colossal woman lowers her body. Darkness envelops the area as I'm cast in her shadow. Her knees touch down first, followed by her hands. Two palms, each easily as big as stadiums, land on either side of me. There's a considerable distance between me and her thumbs, though in reality it's probably just a few cenimeters. I hear the sound of clothing shifting and rubbing against itself as she gradually lowers herself on all-fours. Her face, now ridiculously huge to me, descends upon me, until she's close enough to make out my form. Her pupils shrink considerably, locking onto my position. She squints, straining to maintain that focus on me.

"Is that you, Boss?" Her breath causes a strong gale to blow through the area. She's keeping her voice down for my sake, but even so I'm nearly blown away by her faintest whisper. "I can see you. Here, please climb onto my finger."

Her upturned hand moves toward me, the index finger extended in my direction. Her knuckle touches down on the ground with an audible thud, laying her long, painted nail out for me to climb aboard. Again, she keep it a considerable distance away, just to be safe. I jog over to it. I slow to a stop once I reach the hard, purple plate. It's thicker than I am tall. I reach my arms up, but mind myself unable to reach the top without a small jump. Grabbing hold of it, I heave myself over and onto it.  

From there, I begin walking up its curvature, to the edge where the skin is pressing againt it. Using the natural bumps and ridges of her skin as leverage, I begin a short climb up to the pad of her finger. All the way, I can't help but take notice how strange the patterns of her fingerprint are. I glance at my own fingers, comparing them to hers. My curiosity takes a backseat as I overcome the steep part and the ground begins to level out. I walk to the middle of the area, since my dark clothes will stand out better there against her pale skin.

"Please hold on. I'm going to move now." Andrea informs me, giving me little time to react. 

The ground moves, causing me to lose my footing and fall on my ass. I feel intense winds on my face and a sense of unnatural gravity, which serve to throw me flat on my back. I stare upward, at the titaness' face, whose gaze never leaves me as we rise. Up we go, at speed I don't even want to think about, high into the sky. The world around me blurs, making it impossible to see anything but her. After what feels like forever, I feel her movements begin to slow down. 

Her hand, held at around hip-level, continues to rise, bringing me higher still. I manage to sit up, just as her hand begins to twist. It turns inward slightly, but that's enough to make me slide. Her finger is curling, forcing me down its length. I rush down past the first crease, then the second, eventually coming to where the entire thing meets the palm. My slide doesn't end there, forcing me across the wide plain, towards its center. Finally, as I approach the large, diagonal crease in the middle, her hand becomes level once more. I manage to stop right at it's edge, my legs dangling over the shallow trench.

"My apologies, Boss. I meant to keep you on my finger. You're not hurt, are you?"

I look up at Andrea's face, just as big as it was when I was on the ground. I must be really high up to be seeing it like this.

"Fuuuuuck that was scary. Watch your hands, will ya?" I respond, forgetting how inaudible my voice is. It takes a few seconds of silence for me to remember that there's absolutely no way I'm going to be heard.

I feel my ground move again, as I'm brought closer to her face. Her head turns, amd I'm brought to her ear. I stare at it, into the dark cavern of her ear canal. It's unsettling just how big something like that is to me now. 

"Please make your way inside my ear. Despite your size, I should be able to hear you." She suggests, tilting her hand once more. 

I begin to slide again, travelling through the trench of the crease like some sort of slide. Thankfully she had the sense not to tilt too much, otherwise I might've fallen right off. I find myself near the edge of her hand, opposite the thumb, where the crease continues off the side. I can't complain all that much, since it would've taken me a while to cross all that distance on foot. I approach the edge and peer over, gauging the drop. It can't be more than a centimeter, but it looks more like several floors. I know that tiny things tend to be sturdier, but I can't help my hesitation.

"Here goes...!"

I step off and fall into her ear, landing on the oddly soft ground below. Having felt me, I watch her hand fall away, disappearing out of sight. I hurry deeper inside, worried that being too close to the entrance could be risky. I walk until I'm at a place that I feel is safe. I find a place that's far from any of the wax boulders that populate the cavern and sit down. I guess that even an ear as clean as hers still has some of this stuff. Cupping my hands around my mouth, I yell her name again at the top of my lungs.

"I can hear you, sir. I apologize if I was rough. I've never handled anything so tiny before, let alone a human being." I feel the ground shake as she begins to walk. Each footfall sends a tremor up her body, shaking even the tiny space that I'm currently riding in. "This arrangement should do well until we get to my apartment. I don't have any pockets, and I doubt my purse would have been safe. Please, make yourself comfortable. I will not be long."

"It's alright. Beggar can't be choosers, right? At least it's warm in here." I joke, which earns me a quiet giggle from Andrea. "In the meantime, let's discuss the future of our operation. We've got some very wealthy clients waiting on their orders. If we don't deliver, there'll definitely be trouble."

"Our closest deadline is in five days. The next is three days after that." She says as she exits the workshop. I feel a sudden tremor shake her body. It's nothing more than a shiver, due to leaving the warmth of the building, feeling the cold, night air. I suddenly feel very uncomfortable. I'm not sure how to put it to words. Like, I shouldn't be feeling her shiver. It makes me feel like I'm too close, in her personal space. Human beings shouldn't be this close, I feel. Any deeper and I'd practically be inside her, and not in the fun way. 

I snap out of my trance and focus on the issue. "I know. That's the guy who ordered the neural augmentation. Tired it once; couldn't get used to how fast I was thinking."

"Shall I have the boys prioritize his order?"

"Yes. It might be a rushed job, but we can have it done in time. The next order was the..."

"The visual implant." She finishes my setence for me.

"How's the progress on that?"

"Manish has been working on it for the last week. He said he was close to completing it."

"Good. Have him finish ASAP. If we can get those two done quickly, it'll buy me enough to time to sort out this mess and get out of your hair. And your ear, I guess."

"As you wish, Boss."

It doesn't take long to for Andrea to get home. I couldn't see where we were going, but I figure she must not live far away. I feel a rush of warmth as we enter a building. The shaking becomes more intense as she ascends two flights of stairs, to her floor. I hear the click of a lock, and then we enter what I assume is her place. She quietly shuts the door behind her, locking what sounds like three, possibly four, distinct locks. 

"Damn. You'd think she was the fugitive, not me." I whisper under my breath.

I notice something huge appearing in the corner of my eye. I turn to look, seeing her hand hovering just outside, like before. She must want me to climb on. I stand up, beginning to walk out to it, when I feel the cavern tilt. For the third time today, I find myself sliding uncontrollably. I yell profanities even as my body slips out, going into a freefall. I land more roughly than before, bouncing once and tumbling twice onto the skin of her palm. It leaves me reeling.

"Dammit, Andrea! You careless bitch!" I yell, no longer being heard.

She moves her hand around to her eye and inspects me, confirming my location.

"Welcome to my home. I don't usually invite guests, but you are more than welcome, Boss." 

She lowers her hand down to a wide open space that I realize is a coffee table in her living room. For once she allows me a chance to make my way off, rather than simply dump me. It takes a little over a minute, but I travel the length of her finger, down to stable ground once more. I brush myself off and fix my clothes, staring daggers at the giant woman before me. Despite being so high up, I'm barely mid-thigh with her. I still have to crane my head back just to see her.

"Please wait here. I am going to bring you some thing to make you more comfortable."

Andrea walks away, leaving me to myself for a few minutes. Despite my complaining, I admit that being so small and alone is not fun. Without a big person around, I begin to feel sort of helpless. It's definitely not something I'll miss when I'm big again.

My giantess bookkeeper returns with an assorment of tissues and cotton balls in her hands, as well as a magnifying glass. She sits down on the sofa behind the table and leans in to place the objests around me. Without a word, she begins to carefully and meticulously tear at the items into tiny pieces, arranging them into...something. Once she's done, she presents her creation to me, sliding it over to my position.

"This is the best I can do. Please use this as a bed. It will probably be very large for you, but I suppose that is not a bad thing. I have also provided a clump which should serve as a blanket."

I approach the oversized 'mattress' of condensed fluff, inspecting it. It's not visually pleasing, but it should be comfortable to sleep on. I'm impressed she was able to make something like that so quickly. I look up to meet her gaze. She's looking at me expectantly, hoping to earn my approval. Unable to voice it, I simply jump up and down, waving my arms in the air. Her eyes squint, but they manage to make out my gesture.

"I am relieved." She gives me a toothless smile, standing up to her full height. She puts a hand on her hip and leans on one leg, the other hand moving to cover her mouth as she yawns. "We will talk more in the morning. With all due respect, I am far too tired to be of any use to you. Have a good night, Boss."

She walks over to the wall, switching the light off. I hear her walk into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. I'm then left on my own once more. I strip down to my underwear and quite literally climb into bed. It takes some effort, but I manage to drag the makeshift blanket onto me, which provides warmth. I close my eyes, trying hard to clear my mind of worry until the morning. Here, as I drift to sleep in this soft bed, in total darkness, I almost forget that I'm small.

Almost.

I tend to be a pretty heavy sleeper. Noise, light, and temperature rarely wake me. I didn't even think that motion would do it, until I feel the floor begin to shake. I stir, slowly, blinking as my eyes adjust to the light. I'm in a bed that isn't my own, in a place that I don't recognize. That might be cause for alarm, if not for the fact that I hear Andrea's voice in the room, mumbling something to herself.

"Oh, right. I'm small."

I kick the cotton 'sheets' off of me and hop out of my 'bed'. I stretch my tired body as I look out at the enormous woman in the distance. I can see her in the kitchen, behind the island. This apartment, being as small as it is, has it connected to the living room. You'd think with how much I pay her she could afford someplace nicer. She must be not be a big spender. Her choice, I guess. As long as she does her job, I couldn't give less of a shit how she lives her life.

"Hey, Andrea, make me a coffee while you're over there!" I yell, laughing at myself. I know she can't possibly hear me from way over there.

I hear the clattering of what sounds like a plate and a cup. She seems to be going about her morning routine. My suspicions are confirmed when she comes out from behind the counter with a piping hot drink and plate of food in hand. Though, my eyes are focused on anything but the food. She's dressed in a black nightie with lace around the top and very thin straps. It ends at about mid thigh, the vast material moving with the sways of her hips. She's showing a lot more skin than I'm used to at the shop.

"Damn, what a great start to the morning..."

She comes over to the table, not once looking down. She sits down on the sofa, stretching her legs out onto the table. The heels of her feet land not too far from me with a an earth-shattering boom. It's akin to a bomb going off, minus the heat and flying debris. The force causes the table to shake violently, knocking me several feet into the air. I land painfully on the hard surface. The process is repeated as her other foot comes down like a meteor. I've experienced earthquakes before, but this is something else. I ride out the aftershocks, until all has gone still again. She places her plate in her lap, giving me a look at the jam on toast that she prepared. Bringing her cup to her lips, she blows on it, before taking her first sip.

"Mmm..."

Picking myself up, I stare at her in disbelief. I've never known her to be so careless, even in her worst moments. Had her feet been slightly to the left, they would have landed right on me! Did she forget I'm here? Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, she must be tired. But even so, she can't be that tired! Not when my life is on the line! My stare turns into a glare, watching her eat her breakfast without a care. She's in another world entirely, relaxing as if she's got the room to herself.

"Andrea! What the hell was that!" I yell at her, jumping up and down and waving my arms. "You could've killed me!"

I find it a lot less funny when she doesn't hear me this time. I grit my teeth in frustration, deciding to take matters into my own hands. I guess I'll have to make myself known. I run over to her left foot, my destination, her heel. As I approach the towering feature, I begin to notice how much dust has accumulated on the sole simply by walking barefoot through her home. Each piece of dust or lint is easily as big as a semi.

Coming right up to her, I begin to feel the familiar heat of her body. There's a slight smell of sweat from the night before. I try to ignore it as I pull my leg back then swing it forward with all my might, giving her a swift kick. My shoe hits the dense skin without making so much as a dent. If anything, I might have hurt myself more than her. That only makes me angrier. I give her a the wall of flesh a punch, and then another. I keep going until my knuckles begin to feel raw. 

Still, nothing.

"This is pointless! How the hell is she supposed to feel me when I'm smaller than a speck..."

In my anger I give her one more hard kick, which seems to get me a response. The floor shakes again in response to her movements. High above, she's curling her toes. Two of them press against each other, producing a loud crack from the knuckle. Her foot then relaxes, her toes still wiggling idly.

Her movements cause some of the dust on her foot to dislodge, raining down onto me. I have no time to run, as the accumulated filth from her floor buries me. I feel the weight of literal dust weigh me down. Thankfully, I'm a strong guy. My build allows me to dig my way out, albeit with some struggle. Just as I've freed my upper body, I feel something new, something much larger, hit me. I lands on my chest, pinning me on my back. I don't immediately realize what it is, my instincts telling me the trunk of a tree just fell from the sky. 

The realization hits me like a truck. This huge, long thing...is nothing more than a fallen hair. Its deep brown color tells me it came from none other than Andrea. I push against it, straining my muscles, but it doesn't budge. I struggle and twist, trying anything. Maybe better leverage will allow me to move it? I push against it until I'm red in the face. No, it's clear that this single, strand of hair is far too much for me. God, that's so difficult to admit. To think, I wanted her to feel my blows when I can't even lift a damn hair. 

"I take it back, this morning fucking sucks."

I lay there for a few minutes, catching my breath. It's difficult, due to the dusty air and sweaty scent. It feels thick, like I could bite into it. I can't believe that the person who could be helping me is literally an inch away and yet unaware of my predicament. I knew being small would make me dependent on her, but this is difficult to swallow.

"Oh my, Boss!" I hear her cry out. An earthquake follows as she finally moves her feet off the table. Doing so inadvertently launches more filth my way, burying me again after I'd climbed halfway out. I sense movement, the winds produced as she kneels beside the table manage to blow the dust out of my fast, letting me see again. The next thing I know, I'm met with Andrea's huge face in mine. Her huge eyes stare at me with a mix of worry and guilt. "I forgot that you were here. I cannot believe I put my feet in your face, sir. Please forgive me."

Her fingers carefully grab onto the hair, removing it from me effortlessly. She then leans slightly closer and purses her lips. A powerful gust comes my way, clearing the dust from the area and into the air, freeing me. Even with her blowing so gently, my butt begins to slide as I'm pushed back. She then leans in a little closer to inspect me, checking on my condition. In her panic she must have forgotten that I'm difficult to see, let alone make out little details.

I watch her expression change, as if she's worried. No, it's not quite that either. It's more like disgust? Her eyes no longer focus on me as she scrunches her nose. She sniffs, and then her eyes close for a moment. Her mouth opens as though she's about to say something, but no words come out.

"Acheeoooo!"

Suddenly, a storm of wind and fluid unlike anything I've seen before blasts in my direction. While he gentle puff of air a moment ago was enough to physically move me, this is another thing entirely. I close my eyes and put my arms in front to myself to block the brunt of it, only to be impacted by something large and wet. It launches high into the air. My eyes are still closed, so I have no clue how far I'm flying, but even so I'm well aware that my body is spinning hopelessly as I do. 

All of this happens in the span of two seconds. By the end of it, I feel myself land on a relatively soft ground, my body drenched in water. I try to sit up, but I'm stuck in a glob of something sticky with an unpleasant smell. Remaining still for the moment, I try to make sense of where I am. All around me are tall, thick trees of fiber that are as tall as buildings. The world is entirely gray and covered in large dust particles as big, if not bigger, than those on Andreas foot. I look to the sky, seeing the bottom of what looks to be a table high above me.

"She fucking sneezed on me. Sent me off the table and into her shag carpet..."

It then dawns on me that the fluid I'm trapped in is a chunk of mucus she just sneezed out. I wretch, feeling disgust spread through my body. I'm coated in the stuff, even beneath my clothes. I guess all that dust in the air must have irritated her nose. That's still no excuse! She could have turned her head!

I try to pull myself out of it, to no avail. Like with the dust and that hair, I'm too weak to remove it. How goddamn pathetic. A basic bodily function nearly killed me. How the fuck am I supposed to live this down...

I feel the ground quake again, more intensely than before. Wiping some of the slime from my face, I try to turn my head to look over at the source of the commotion. A shadow falls over the area as something huge lands not too far from me. I see an incredible pillar of flesh, stretching into the sky. An arm, I realize. Straining my neck against my sticky prison, I follow it up to the torso high above me.

"Boss? Hold on, I'm going to find you. Please be alright. I was so careless..."

The giantess in on her hands and knees crawling on her carpet. Her eyes scan the area for any sign of me, among the jungle of carpet fibers. I follow her gaze, which seems to be looking in the entirely wrong place. Just my luck! this situation couldn't get any worse. No, wait, it can. Already, the heat of the room is causing the mucus to dry up. If it fully stiffens, it'll be like solid rock to me. At that point, I'm basically a goner.

"Fucking hell. What a way to go."

Another powerful boom is felt as her body moves, her focus moving in my direction. Suddenly, her gaze seems to meet mine. She lowers her body slowly, as if to drop it on me, but doesn't. Her eyes light up when she see me.

"Boss! Stay still, I will have you out of there in no time. I have a dust allergy, I could not help it."

With extreme care, she plunges her nail into the glob and digs me out along with a substantial amount of the stuff. I feel another rush of wind as she moves. I don't care about where she's taking me, only that I shake off as much of this shit as I can. By the time I'm mostly clean of the stuff, rather as clean as I'm going to be, I find myself being placed back on the table. I climb off her nail, returning to the area near my bed.

"Boss, I don't know what to say. I am mortified. I am ashamed. I wish I could take back the last few minutes. Please, forgive me. I will do better."

I don't even look her way, I'm just that pissed off. Never in my life have I been humiliated like this! A man like me doesn't get humiliated. I'm above this. How dare she treat her superior in this way, that ungrateful bitch. When I'm back to normal, oh boy, she's going to pay. I'll make her feel even worse than I do right now.

"Thankfully I noticed that wet spot on my carpet. Had I not, you might have still be there now."

She tries to smile, but it comes off as forced and awkward. It feels insulting. Does she even hear what she's saying? Her snot was easier to see than me. That's how little I am now. A speck, a literal nothing. I'm speechless.

Andrea then reaches for her plate, which has been sitting on the sofa beside her, and breaks off a tiny chunk of bread and jam. She places the offering near me, the building-sized food item bigger than anything I could eat in a month. She then hurries to the kitchen, returning with a bottlecap filled with water. It's enough that I could swim in it.

"I am sure you are feeling hungry by now. How rude of me not to offer such an important guest something to eat and drink. Please, have your fill. You might also want to bathe, especially after what I put you through. Feel free to use what you do not drink for that."

As angry as I am, the sight of food, water, and a bath is too much. I put my anger aside and begin to fill up on everything she gives me, although I'm really not in the mood for jam at this point. It replenishes the energy I lost in the ordeal. In the meantime, Andrea leaves to give me some space, returning to her bedroom. Good riddance, I was getting sick of her already. Once I'm done eating, I climb up the side of the bottlecap and dive into the pool of lukewarm water. I clean off any remaining filth from the only pair of clothes I currently have, yet my feelings of earlier are harder to wash away. I'm not as angry as before. This is something else. Something I'm not sure I have a name for.

Andrea returns after some time, now dressed in her work attire, at which point I decide to climb out. I leave my soaked clothes on, since the warm temperature of the room combined with my own body heat should be enough to dry them. It's better than walking around naked. The giantess sits down on the sofa across from me, bringing with her an assortment of items. I see she's got her work notebook, a pen, the shrinkray, and a pair of walkie talkies. The professional kind, not some plastic kids' toy.

"I hope you enjoyed the meal, Boss. If you are craving anything, anything at all, do not hesitate to tell me. I will do my best to bring it for you." Her expression is serious again, no longer flustered like before. She picks up one of the walkie talkies and places it on the table near me. Aiming the shrinkray at it, she presses the red button and reduces it. The hulking piece of equipment disappears, reduced to almost nothing before my eyes. "I was thinking about how we could communicate better. None of this would have happened if I had been able to hear you. With this, your voice will be audible without having to ride around in my ear."

I walk over to the spot with the now-tiny item and pick it up. Holding it in my hand, I notice that it's light. That comes as a relief after being unable to push dust particles away. I hold down the side button and speak to test it out.

"Andrea?"

I hear my voice replayed at a far louder volume from the other device on the sofa. I wait for Andrea to pick it up to answer me. She doesn't do that, instead reacting with a faint smile, confirming she heard me.

"Oh, right. You don't need to use yours."

"I am happy to do that, if you prefer."

"No, it's fine. At least you can hear me now. Keep that thing charged, alright?"

"Yes, Boss. Though, its battery should last the week, even with excessive usage."

"If you say so."

"Boss," She begins. "if you are feeling up to it, I would like to discuss the plan. I will need help keeping the operation active. I would also like to help you sort out your situation."

"My situation is none of your business. Do what I told you and focus on your assignment. I'll answer questions about that, if you need. I'm surprised someone like you needs help with anything, honestly."

"Is that a compliment, sir?"

"It means you aren't living up to my expectations." I sigh, fed up with her. "Let's get this over with."

Andrea's expression tells me she's feeling guilty. Outwardly, she looks calm. I know the difference, having worked with her for many years. It's subtle, the way her eyelids droop, or the slight wrinkle between her eyebrows. She tends to tilt her head lower when she's feeling this way. When I make a request, she's always quick to acknowledge it with a 'Yes, Boss', or something similar. Her silence speaks volumes. It's tics like these that make me so good at reading people. There's nothing she can hide from me.

After what she put me though, I'd hope she's feeling bad. I've never seen negligence like this before, let alone in a situation so delicate. It makes me regret putting myself in her care. I'd have asked her to pass me to someone better, but I don't know anyone as loyal. That said, her loyalty stops being a factor if I end up dying while in her care. if you can call what she's put me through 'care' in the first place. Now that she can hear me, I'm going to be much harsher than before. Hopefully that'll be enough to stop her from nearly killing me once every fucking hour.

"So." I say, causing her to flinch as I break the silence. "What is it that the big, forgetful, giantess needs from little, old me?"

"She- Or rather, I, need to some questions answered. I cannot handle all of your affairs on my own, nor can I deal with your associates in your absence." She clears her throat and picks up her notebook, flipping to a specific page. Her eyes scan for something while she mutters under her breath. She then looks up, in my general direction. "First of all, we currently owe money to a...Mr. P?"

"Mr. Peterson sold me the semiconductors for this month's projects. I was supposed to pay him sometime this week."

"Sometime two weeks ago, sir."

"Crap. He's not the type to deal with strangers. Even if I gave you the money, he wouldn't take it. This whole mess couldn't have happened at a worse time." I groan loudly, pacing around. "We can worry about him later. If he can wait two weeks, one more shouldn't matter."

"I will make a note."

"What's next?"

"There have been several calls to the workshop. Your private line, to be exact."

"Those are probably from anxious clients. They heard the news and want to make sure my arrest won't lead back to them. Not like it matters, since they're not gonna find me."

"I suppose they would not want a stranger to return their calls."

"Yeah, unfortunately. That's how connections work. There ain't no one who can be me other than me." I chuckle. "I say ignore them too. They can wait until this is sorted out."

"I am impressed, sir." Andrea sighs, loosening up. "You seem so confident. You must have a solid plan. Are you certain there is nothing I can do to help? If you would just fill me in, I am confident I could be of use to you."

Suddenly, I go silent. Despite my carefree demeanour, I'm still at the starting line with no plan to speak of beyond becoming small and hiding. I keep saying that I'll have this sorted in a week, but that's just me being optimistic. I can't show fear or worry around my subordinates. The Boss doesn't get cornered. He's the one who corners. 

"Of course I do." I lie, the words leaving my mouth with inflated assurance. "And didn't I already tell you that I could handle things on my own? This is for me to know and for you to find out later. Someone betrayed me, that's a fact. Until I figure out who it was, I'm not sharing shit with anyone. Not even you, Andrea."

For the first time ever, I see Andrea display some genuine emotion. The ever-cool and collected woman reacts to my words. For a brief moment, it looks as if she's hurt. I feel no guilt, as I think about all the danger she's put me in. My remarks work a little too well. Suddenly, I feel like saying some more not-so-kind things, but I hold off. I'm not a child, I can refrain from saying the first thing that pops into my head.

"I..." Andrea whispers. "I understand."

An awkward silence follows. Yet again, I have to be the one to break it.

"Moving on..." I say, with tone that expresses my impatience. "Is that all, or did you need something else?"

Andrea brushes her hair over her ear and purses her lips. She takes another few seconds before speaking again. "There are some numbers I would like to go over with you. In light of this month's increased business, we have to wash more money that usual. Also, some of the numbers do not quite add up."

That catches my attention. My eyes light up at the prospect of a clue, something to lead me in the right direction as to finding my rat.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" I snap at her. "Go on, show me. I need to see this."

"Right away, Boss."

Andrea begins to read out numbers from her notebook, referencing purchases and sales of our contraband. After just a few numbers, I begin to feel dizzy. It's tough for me to work with things that I can't see for myself.

"Stop. Stop, before I lose track."

She pauses, looking at me curiously. "Was I going too fast? I apologize if so."

"Let me read for myself. Bring me over there." I order her.

"Sir?" She looks at me witha puzzled look. "Are you asking me to put you on the notebook? As in, on the page?"

"Basically." I shrug. "Think you can handle that? You know, moving me there?"

She simply nods, leaning forward toward the table. She places her finger before me, nail touching the table, for me to climb onto. I make my way up the hard, polished slope. Once I've hiked up to a safe spot, she transports me over to her notebook, sitting in her lap. Tilting he nail, she slides me off onto the page. I don't complain this time, seeing as it's a relatively short distance and doesn't put me at risk. Upon landing, I realize I'm going to have to cling to the paper, since she's holding the entire thing at a slight angle with her other hand. 

"Is this better for you? I hope you are not too close to see."

Indeed, I am too close to make anything out. Each handwritten digit is huge. The penstrokes themselves are wider than I am tall. Clearly I didn't think this through. Though, I have no intention of admitting that after requesting to come here.

"It's fine. You worry too much about things that don't concern you, focus on doing your job, yeah?"

She resumes going over the numbers, while my mind wanders. I can't make heads or tails of what any of this means, so I just nod and occassionally give her an 'mhm' or a 'yeah'. She knows what she's doing. I'm sure she's just worries about her own work out of self doubt.

As my mind wanders, so do my eyes. I turn my head to look at her, marvelling at how enormous she is from way down here. It's the same feeling I had when I was at her feet yesterday, only the view is a lot nicer. My eyes shaemlessly trace the contours of her modest chest in that button-down shirt of hers. I stare, enjoying the fact that she can't notice.

"Boss?"

"What?" I ask, snapping out of my trance. I haven't been listening for a while.

"I need to turn the page. I was asking if you would like me to move you?"

"Yeah, I heard you!" I lie, again. I become defensive, for no apparent reason. "I was going to get down on my own. See?"

I try to climb down from the paper, moving slowly to the bottom. I aim for her thigh, below. While I could slide, it's a considerable distance to the bottom. I'd rather not take chances. Up above, she watches me patiently, keeping still while I struggle to cover what is ultimately a pathetic distance. In my frustration, I try to speed up, which results in me slipping. I slide down the page, accelerating right until I reach the bottom. 

I land on the edge of her thigh pretty roughly, tumbling a few times. Having come too close to the edge of her skirt, I start to slide again, right off the side of her leg. I fall once more, landing hard on the surface of the sofa cushion below, breaking my fall by landing on my arm. I'm pretty sure I heard several cracks along the way. Picking myself up, I roll my shoulders and hug my very sore arm.

"Boss! Are you alright?" Andrea looks down, locating me beside her. She looks genuinely worries, but all I see is pity. I look for my walkie talkie, finding it not too far away. I go over and collect it, gritting my teeth as I hold down the button to speak.

"You idiot! Didn't I say I could do this on my own?!"

"Boss, I-"

"You moved! Your little movement caused me to lose my footing..." I say the first thing that comes to mind. Whatever will fit my narrative. "And then I fell! I could've died! My arm's all busted up now, thanks to you! I swear, you're fucking incompetent!"

Andrea holds her tongue, accepting the blame without so much as a complaint. "I should have stayed still. That was careless of me, sir. It will not happen again."

"It better not!" I yell, huffing angrily. I take a minute to catch my breath and calm down. "I'm done listening to numbers. Sort the rest out yourself."

"I will do my best." She nods, moving her finger toward me. She places it down so that I can climb on.

"Are you shitting me? You want to move me again? What, did you not get enough of a laugh out of me falling just now?"

"I would never laugh." She says, gazing at me intensely. It's enough to make me nervous.

"Whatever, fine. Let me stay here. I'm comfortable sitting on the couch, like normal people do."

"Alright, but if you change your-"

A sudden ring of the doorbell cuts our conversation short. One look at Andrea tells me that she is as surprised as I am. I thought she wasn't the type to invite guests over? She looks down as me before carefully rising from her seat. I'm pulled in toward her as the cushion fights to return to its form, now free of her weight. She walks over to the door of her apartment, peeking through the peephole. I fully expect her to return to me, but to my surprise, she begins to unlock the door.

It opens, revealing an older, heavier woman with graying hair. She is shorter than Andrea, but at least twice as wide. She looks too different to be a relative and way too old to be a friend. She might be a neighbor.

"Hello, dear! I'm sorry to drop in so suddenly, but I need some help reading a letter." The older woman smiles.

"It's alright, Mrs. Ruth. You are welcome anytime. May I see it?"

The woman hands Andrea an envelope, which Andrea proceeds to inspect. In the meantime, the woman begins to walk inside. She's still pretty far away, but her size is intimidating. It's hard enough dealing with one giantess, let alone two.

"My eyes aren't what they used to be." She sighs. "I wish I didn't have to bother you, but I recently lost my glasses."

"It is no trouble, ma'am. You are never a bother." Andrea gives her a warm smile.

"Bless you, Andrea." The woman says, as she walks over to the sofa. I feel a growing anxiety as she makes her way over to where I am, looming over me. "I hope you don't mind if I sit down."

The unaware giantess turns, showing me her enormous backside as she places her hand on the sofa's arm to brace herself. Suddenly, Andrea bolts over to us, stopping the older woman before she can lower herself. In a moment of panic, and with no time to spare, Andrea turns around. She forces her hip against the other woman, pushing her over to the other cushion.

"O-Oh my!" The giantess cries out as she falls onto the sofa. Her voice indicates surprise rather than in pain. In the process of saving me, Andrea drops the envelop onto the sofa, landing across from me. I'm so relieved that I don't even blame her. Her quick thinking saved me...

"Y-You should not sit there, Mrs. Ruth! Because... B-Because..." Andrea struggles to think of an excuse.

The older woman laughs, amused by the situation. Rather than get angry, she simply waves her hand dismissively. "You young people are so picky! I didn't mean to take your spot, dear." The lady then reaches over to collect the envelope. She looks my way, but I don't worry since she claims to have such poor eyesight. To my surprise, she begins to squint. The expression on her face changes, and I can tell beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she's seen me. "What is-"

Andrea catches on, realizing my cover is about to be blown. She's quick to react, turning around, and lowering her body to sit down. I have no time to react. The last thing I see is Andrea's enormous rear descedning upon me, before all goes dark. I feel an intense pressure and heat on top of me as my body is pressed into the sofa face-down.

"Thank you for understanding! I know it is silly, but I am partial to this spot. I always do my reading here. So, shall I read you your letter now?"

"Oh, please do. I would be so grateful."

I listen to the two giantesses talk as I struggle beneath the incalculable weight of Andrea's ass. Before I can get too angry, I question how I'm still alive. By all means, I should be a red smear on the back of her skirt right now. She seems to have adjusted her position, aiming to sit in a way that places me in the tiny pocket of space where her body won't press on me. I crawl forward, to a place where there's enough room to stand upright. It's dark, so I have no clue where I'm going. 

"Bitch actually sat on me..." I shake my head in disbelief. "Trapped under an ass. Never thought I'd end up here."

As Andrea tries to keep up appearances, it becomes clear that the older woman is feeling quite chatty. Until she gets up to leave, I'll be stuck here. If Andrea so much as shifts her posture, she'll end up killing me. I guess this is as difficult for her as it is for me. I'll save my complaints for after I'm out of here. 

"Something tells me she wants me to find my way out on my own. Fine by me, I was getting sick of her 'help' anyway."

Given her size, as well as the size of the sofa, I reckon it's going to be at least a kilometer trek. Given how careless my loyal but careless giantess is, I wouldn't bet on her staying still for long. I should hurry. I pick a direction at random and begin running towards freedom, through the maze of wrinkles that is Andrea's skirt.

It's been at least twenty minutes since Andrea trapped me here, and I feel like I've made zero progress. I keep thinking that if I go in a straight line, then I'll eventually reach the outside, but that's easier said than done. Her skirt is the problem. It prevents me from going out in the direction of her legs, since I'd simply reach the cliff of the sofa cushion and be stuck. Due to her huge, fucking ass, I can't go out to the left or right either, which just leaves going out the back. 

But even that is difficult!

"Can't believe the ass I used to stare at it now my prison. I wanted to smack it so many times, but I don't think that's possible anymore..."

I was joking when I called the wrinkles of her skirt a maze. I didn't think they would literally become a labyrinth! After wandering for so long, I've lost all sense of direction. I feel like I'm getting somewhere, but I have nothing to show for it. I keep finding dead ends, only to backtrack and find myself in an unfamiliar place. Like the labyrinth of myth, these pathways are indeed shifting. Every little shift of Andrea's weight completely changes the world down here, beneath her. She doesn't even realize the hell she's put me in!

"Calm down. Worst case scenario, she gets up when the older bitch leaves and free you. You can stay right here and wait it out."

While I could wait it out, time isn't exactly on my side. It's hot in here, like scorching hot. The air is thick and stale. Her natural body heat is making it like a sauna. I'm feeling dizzier by the minute. Honestly, if I don't get out of here soon, I might just pass out...

"Okay, new plan. I wait for a clue as to which way to go."

I plant myself down and fold my arms, waiting. I need to watch her shifting again. Maybe then I'll be able to tell where her ass is so that I can run down the middle.

"Damn. Am I really in a situation where I have to run through Andrea's crack? What the fuck even is this..."

Two minutes later, I notice the world around me moving again. I spot movement north and south me. Judging by the tightness to the west, I guess that's the front. That only leaves east. I stand back up and resume my journey, trying to stay in a straight line. Some areas provide enough space to walk through, while others are so tight that I have to commando crawl through them, squeezing my way forward. Combine the exertion with the heat, and you've got one very sweaty, very tired man.

My vision begins to blur as an overwhelming urge to lay down hits me like a truck.

"No. No! Come on, I'm almost there. It can't be that much further. She's just one woman, not a planet!"

I push through further, crawling under yet another wrinkle. Suddenly, I feel a draft of cool air. My eyes light up, realizing that I must be close. The lack of tightness means it can't be that far now! Mustering my strength, I jog the rest of the way forward, though the twists and turns of fabric, determined to reach freedom. 

It takes another twenty minutes, but I finally reach the end. I can see light and I can taste the freshness of the air. It's so good. I do have to hike up the depression caused by Andrea's ass, a steep slope in its own right, but it's a cakewalk compared to what I just went through. I soon find myself in a sort of tunnel, created by the space between the giantess' back and the back of the sofa. It's very wide, likely on purpose. 

"If she was sitting any differently, I wouldn't have had a chance of getting out. I guess she can use her brain when she needs to."

I walk around her rear, eventually walking out onto the vast expanse of the cushion. The first thing I see is the older woman, sitting beside Andrea. She's so much heavier. I bet if she'd sat on me I'd be gone. No, I'm sure of it. The woman's got so much lard on her that I can hardly look. She's unsightly. I turn my attention to Andrea, watching her converse with her neighbor high above me. I will need to get her attention. If I touch her, she'll probably feel me, but there is not exposed skin around. Her clothing is too thick for that. I do, however, see her hand in the distance, resting on the cushion, palm-down.

"Hmm. I guess that could work."

I run by her thigh, staying close to her to avoid detection. The distance is pretty big, but it's not like I have another option. I make it another two kilometers before I'm completely drained. I keel over, panting as I try to catch my breath. I close my eyes, resting them for a moment. After all that running, I'm only at her mid thigh! Why does everything have to be so fucking big...

"Stay still, dear. I think there's a bug next to your leg."

The other woman's comment causes my eyes to flutter open. I try to sit up, only to be met with her giant hand descending upon me. Time seems to slow down. I consider my options as fight or flight kicks in. If only I was standing, maybe I could run. No, I doubt I'd be able to get far. Normal sized people are too fast, I wouldn't stand a chance. In a second, her index finger will press down on me, grinding me into paste. That'll be it.

I tense up, cowering before her as I await my death. A part of me hopes that Andrea might react in time. Maybe she'll save me? All it would take is for her to put her hand out. As the woman's hand dominates my field of view, I realize that my wishes will not be coming true. I feel a lot of motion around me as her hand crashes down beside Andreas leg, the smack causing an audible boom.

And yet...I'm still alive.

I look around, seeing the pillars of her fingers on either side of me. It seems she missed? Only then do I remember hearing her talk about having bad eyesight. I can't believe that's what saved me. Her hand pulls away so that she can check it. She scowls when she finds it clean of any squished bugs.

"Oh dear, I think I missed. Let me try again..."

My heart practically stops when I see her going for me a second time. I'd been so relieved that I neglected to keep running. There goes my one chance! How could I be so stupid?!

"Fuck. Fuck! No! Stay away from me, you goddamned bitch!" I scream bloody murder, despite knowing that neither of them can hear me.

Before her hand can reach me, Andrea's intercepts it. She was too slow the first time, but now manages to stop her. I look up, meeting the giantess' worries gaze. Her face is pale, and her eyes are wide. She sees me. Thank fucking goodness she she's me. I'm saved.

Andrea looks at the woman with a smile and gentle lets her hand go. "I apologize for being forceful, ma'am. I believe that all life is sacred. Even bugs. I would much rather set it free, given the chance."

The other woman seems surprised, but her expression softens and she also smiles. "How very kind of you! I really should do the same. The little thing has a right to live."

"Little thing? Take that back, you fucking bitch!" I yell at her, giving her the finger. "I'd knock your teeth out if I was normal sized!"

Andrea's hand lowers to the couch, collecting me with her nail. I'm tossed, more roughly than ever, as she tries to make her actions seem natural. A quick flick of her finger sends me into her palm, tumbling several times and landing on my face. Her fingers then curl, creating a dome around me. As they press together, I find myself in a dimly-lit cage in her fist.

She rises, walking over to the window and opening it. She pretends to toss me out, while deliberately tilting her hand so that I fall onto the window sill. She closes the window and goes back over to the woman, who has not gotten up.

"Leaving already?" Andrea asks.

"I'm afraid so. I've taken up enough of your time already, dear."

"I will see you out." Andrea walks over to her offering an arm to help her walk. "It was a pleasure. Please visit any time."

"Absolutely! You are like a daughter to me, Andrea."

"That is so sweet, Mrs. Ruth. And you are like a second mother to me, as well."

The two of them embrace, before the woman leaves and Andrea shuts the door behind her. She sighs loudly, before rushing over to the window, bending over to speak to me on equal level.

"Boss... I am terribly sorry. I saw no other way. I tried not to move so that you could get out on your own. Are you well?"

Still furious after being called a bug, I cannot contain my rage. My anger at the woman suddenly transfers to Andrea. Rightfully so, after she planted her ass on me.

"How fucking dare you, Andrea! Did you forget your place? Do you not know who I am?" I scream at her, causing her to shrink back, fear visible on her face. "I'm not a bug. How dare you call me that!"

"Sir, I never once called you-"

"Are you calling me a liar?!" I cut her off. "I heard the two of you talking. Just because I'm temporarily tiny doesn't mean my ears stopped working!"

"I am sorry. I needed to keep up appearances."

"Appearances? Appearances?!" I cry out, so angry that I'm physically trembling. If I were bigger, I would have smacked this bitch with the back of my hand. I'd have sent her to the ground, preferably with a black eye. "Are you going to try to justify sitting on me? Out of all the things you could have done, you chose to put your fat fucking ass on me!"

"I realize that it might not have been the best course of action, but I had to act fast." She explain, calmly. "If she were to see you, she would have discovered we possess size altering technology. We would have been exposed."

"I find it hard to believe that a supposedly smart woman such as yourself could not think of a better action." I huff, rejecting her excuse. "I can think of at least three!"

"You are right, sir. Please, tell me what I should have done." She asks, genuinely interested in what I have in mind.

"I...Umm, well..." I struggle to think of something. I just said that to make her feel bad. I can't actually think of anything better. It only serves to make me more frustrated. "It doesn't matter now! What's done is done. At least I'm alive, no thanks to you."

She remains quiet, giving me a chance to calm down. The look in her eyes is strange. She looks to be frustrated, guilty, and angry all at the same time. Despite the verbal lashing I just gave her, she hasn't expressed her feelings in a disrespectful way. A part of me wishes she did, so I could yell at her more. I need her to feel as puny and insignificant as I just did.

"Boss." Andrea whispers, now standing up to her full, indimidating height. I'm hardly at waist level with her now. "I think that I should give you some space. Clearly I am not good at caring for you while you are tiny like this. I keep making mistakes. I will move you back to the table and do some work in my bedroom until lunchtime. If you need me, just use the walkie talkies. I will hear you. Is that okay?"

"Huh. First good idea you've had in a while. Sure, let's do that. I'll work on my own shit in the meantime too."

She offers and hand and I climb aboard. She moves me back to the table and walks away without a word, disappearing into her room. I'm left alone now, finally free of that clumsy giantess. 

"I need to get my shit together and get big again. Else this nightmare will never end..." I climb onto my 'bed' and lay back on it, relaxing. I close my eyes and recount the events of this month, before I had to get small. "There's got to be something. Someone who acted strangely, or a potential information leak..."

I spend the next hour playing detective, until my fatigue catches up with me and I drift off to sleep.

I open my eyes, rousing from my slumber. I'm still in the makeshift 'bed'. Feeling hot, I kick off the 'sheets' and rub my eyes.

"What was I just doing? Oh, right, I was trying to figure out who the rat could be."

I check the time on my watch, which tells me that I dozed off for about two hours. I sit up and yawn, climbing down from the oversized lump of cotton. As my eyes adjust to the light, I look out to the sofa across from me, at the figure of a giant woman sitting there quietly. She has a plate in her lap, with rice, steamed vegetables, and thin slices of beef.

"Andrea." I say into the walkie talkie. "How long have you been there?"

The giant woman flinches upon hearing my voice through the larger walkie-talkie. Her gaze then falls on me, or rather, the 'bed' which is much easier to spot at a distance. She covers her mouth so that she can respond despite having a mouth full of food. "You startled me, sir. I haven't been here for long. I only just finished making lunch." She takes a moment to swallow her food before removing her hand. "I know you do not like to be woken up, so I started eating without you."

"Looks like you forgot to cut me a piece." I say, with some irritation in my voice. Must I explicitly ask for everything? "What? Can't spare a tiny man a crumb?"

"I have already left you some freshly cooked food nearby." She says, with no emotion in her voice. "Please help yourself."

"You did?" I say, looking around for it. To my surprise, it's right there. I hadn't noticed it. Apparently my brain isn't fully awake yet. "Ah. Thanks..."

I go over to the bits of food and begin to eat my fill. Considering how nice it smells, I'm surprised I hadn't noticed until now. It tastes good! I didn't know that she could cook. I also didn't know that she has a nosy neighbor. And that she has a dust allergy...

In fact, I don't know all that much about her at all.

I mean, yeah, I know how she is at work. She's efficient, focused, and dedicated. However, I've recently learned that there's a lot more to her. A personal side, that she keeps entirely separate from her obligations in our operation. The same goes for the guys, but I haven't known them for nearly as long. I try to list five things about her, unrelated to work, and can't name more than two. 

I look at her skeptically, as we both eat. She is no longer looking at me, her attention back to her food. She is usually more talkative. At least, she has been ever since I went into her care. The more I think about it, the more I feel that something is wrong.

"Wait." I mutter, making sure that my walkie talkie is off. "Could... Could it be her?"

Andrea is so loyal and cooperative that I never considered that she could be the one who betrayed me. I was so quick to blame the guys that I never even pointed a finger at her. In my mind, her being a traitor was impossible. There's no one else who knows the intricacies of our operation as well as her. Other than myself, obviously. She certainly stands to gain from my arrest. The guys like her more than me. While she doesn't have the connections I do, she could potentially take over this operation. All she would need to do is get rid of me.

"It all makes sense. There's no way I would be the only one they're after. At least one of them should've been in the same shitty situation. Did they plan this together? Were they conspiring against me?"

I take another look at Andrea and scowl. The more I think about it, the more the idea solidifies in my mind. My doubt disappears. I know I've found the culprit. I toss my food aside, spitting out what was in my mouth. I have no apetite now. I doubt the food is poisoned, since she's also eating it, but I just don't feel hungry. I feel sick. To think that someone I trusted could stab me in the back!

"Andrea." I say, my tone inidicitive of my mood. "We need to talk."

The giantess puts her fork on the plate and promptly places her unfinished meal on the table, a respectable distance away from me. She then gets down on her knees, sitting on her legs so that she's close to the table.

"What would you like to talk about, Boss?"

I hesistate, caught off guard by how casually she is acting. Clutching the walkie talkie tightly, I decide to confront her. "I've been thinking about my situation. About who could have exposed me. And most importantly, why I'm the only one in trouble."

"I see." She nods, a smirk creeping across her lips. "Have you come to a conclusion?"

"I might've."

"I also have an idea." She adds. "If you are not willing to share it, then shall I go first?"

Again, I hesitate. What is she talking about? There is no way a guilty person would be able to act so calm. Is she a psychopath? I'm so confused. Before I go ahead and accuse her to her face, I keep my mouth shut and listen.

"Go on."

Andrea's smirk grows into a pleasant smile as she begins. "You will be pleased to know that there was never a rat. I believe your situation was caused by an information leak. A simple accident, sir."

"An accident?" I repeat, in disbelief. "You're telling me all of this happened because someone fucked up?"

"Yes, that is what I think."

I laugh, surprised that she would have the audacity to lie when she is guilty. Here I was thinking she would have a convincing excuse. I might've believed her! Blaming this on an error is so ridiculous that I can't help but laugh.

"Sir?" Andrea frowns. "Are you alright?"

"I'm just peachy!" I continue to chuckle. "And who do we have to blame for this 'accident'. Oh boy, this should be good..."

She makes an awkward face, her gaze remaining focused on me. I wait for a response, but she remains silent. Only then do I stop laughing.

"You don't mean me, do you?" I whisper into the mic. "Watch yourself, Andrea. If this is a joke, it's not funny."

"With all due respect, sir, why would I joke about such a serious matter?"

"So you're saying that I fucked up somehow? That I'm the one responsible for this shit?!"

"If you will allow me to explain-"

"Please do! Enlighten me!" I yell, feeling my anger swelling. "Tell me exactly how I fucked up!"

"Perhaps I shouldn't..." Andrea leans back, visibly uncomfortable.

"Andrea. This is an order." I growl. "Do not make me repeat myself."

The giantess leans forward again, sighing deeply. I feel a rush of hot air in my face, but I'm too worked up to care.

"While you were asleep, I ended up visiting the workshop to review the CCTV footage. It was on Thursday afternoon. You had stepped out to speak with one of our 'clients', when someone walked in." She explains, trying to jog my memory. "You'd left the door open, so this person entered and began browsing our merchandise. For whatever reason, this nosy person made their way into the back, peeking into our storage room. There had been an illegal augment on the table, which they recognized. They left the shop in a hurry before you could notice anything was amiss."

"And then they called the cops? Sure, let's go with that." I shake my head. "Still doesn't explain why your and the guys aren't in the same situation."

"Actually, it does, Boss." She corrects me. "Officially, I am merely your secretary. I have no background in technology. I could never hope to produce the things you or the boys do. As for them, they were never formally employed. As far as the authorities are concerned, they cannot be tied to you. You are the only one who could have worked on the augment."

While her story makes some sense, I simply can't believe it. Every fiber of my being is screaming bullshit. There's no way I messed up like that. I'd have heard someone coming in, let alone going into our backrooms. Unable to hold it in any longer, I finally come out and say it.

"Andrea, cut the crap! I know it was you! Frankly, these excuses are pathetic."

The giant woman's expression becomes one of shock. "Me? Boss, are you excusing me of betraying you?" She leans in closer, uncomfortably so, until her face is all I can see. I hold her gaze, seeing what is likely pain in her eyes. "Boss... No, Nathan, I would never dare-"

"Never call me that, Andrea!" I scream in outrage. "You forget your place!" 

Suddenly, I see her lips quivering. She seems to be holding back tears. What a typical woman! She thinks crying will evoke sympathy? Hah, fat chance! I'm not so gullible. I would never fall for such an obvious farce.

"I cannot believe that you would accuse me." She whispers. "After all we have been through."

"Can you blame me? It makes perfect sense! You've been so close to me. Who else would be able to strategically leak information while also avoiding incriminating themself? The boys may be skilled but they aren't that crafty. They're dogs! I trained them well and now they do as they're told. You, however, are not like them. I always knew you had ambition, I just never thought it would grow so big that it'd cause you to stab me in the back!"

"I do not know what to say." She shakes her head slowly. "I am at a loss for words."

"I bet it was so funny, watching me panic. I fucking shrunk myself, Andrea! I became a fucking speck just to hide, willingly putting myself in the care of the one I thought I could trust most." I continue to rant, my pent up feelings pouring out my mouth. "And the accidents! I thought you were careless idiot, but you were really just toying with me! What, was that old bitch in on it too?!"

Suddenly, Andrea's expression becomes angry. "What did you just say?"

"Oh, sorry, guess you're giant fucking ears missed that! I asked if that giant, old whale was part of your scheme!"

Andrea stares daggers at me. "Take. That. Back."

"Why should I?" I laugh. "You got an ear complex or something?"

"Insult me all you want, but do not insult Mrs. Ruth. That woman has nothing to do with this. Take it back, now."

"No." I shrug. "Fuck you, and fuck her."

Andrea pounds her fist on the table, sending me flying backward. I land roughly on the tabletob, injuring my shoulder. I look up to find that she's standing now, her full, enomrous height looming over me. Her fists are clenched tightly at her sides, but she doesn't move to attack me or anything.

"I have endured this abuse for long enough." She says, grabbing her walkie talkie and switching it off. "I am going to talk and you are going to listen."

"Turn that on right now, Andrea!" I yell, but my tiny voice has no hope of reaching her, way up there.

"Checking the footage wasn't the only thing I did while you were asleep." She says, folding her arms over her chest. "Despite what you told me, your clients were very willing to deal with me when I called them. I sorted out the payments and sales that you claimed could only be done personally. It would seem that I am just as capable as you, in that respect."

She begins to pace around the table, her heavy footsteps sending tremors through the ground. I follow her as she walks around.

"Time after time, I am blamed for your mistakes. Even when there is video evidence of your error, you refuse to accept responsibility. You blame me, your right hand, and...former friend." She brings a hand to her face, dragging it down to touch her lips. "I have dedicated so much time and effort to building this operation with you. We could have worked through this, together. I would not have abandoned you in your time of need."

She faces away from me, wiping what I assume is her eye. 

"All of the 'accidents' that you blame me for are also your doing. If you had not gone near my feet, you would not have gotten trapped in dust, nor would I have sneezed. If you had not asked to stand on my notebook, you would not have fallen. If you had not insisted on remaining on the sofa, you would not have been at risk of being found." She turns back around and walks over to stand in front of me, leaning over with her hands on her hips. "I cannot fathom what went through your head when you crawled out into the open, after I had hidden you. All of your misfortunes were caused by your own choices! You are small because you made yourself small. Do not blame me for this!"

She falls back onto the couch, breathing heavily. Her eyes appear to be puffy now. She manages to catch her breath and continue.

"Becoming small has revealed the pathetic, little man you truly are. You used to go around doing whatever you wanted, intimidating those poor boys, and violating me with your stares. Do you think I never noticed? I can feel that filthy gaze on my body even while you are tiny. You thought you were a big-shot, the boss of an infamous crime syndicate, but you are not. You are nothing more than a small fry."

Andrea leans forward, causing me to yelp. In her state of mind, I fear that she might attack me.

"I wonder what you planned to do if I really was the 'rat'. If I truly wanted to hurt you, I could have easily stepped on you the moment you became small. It would have been a traceless crime. Instead, I did everything I could to make you comfortable. Your wellbeing was my utmost concern. I- No, I am finished. You may speak now."

She reaches over and switches her walkie talkie on. Without thinking, I say the first thing on my mind.

"I can't stand the sight of you. Make me big again, so I can handle this myself. I don't need you anymore."

Andrea stands up, walking into her room without a word. She then returns with the matter-altering device in hand. She drops it on the floor, raising her foot above it. With a powerful stomp, she crushes the device, reducing it to a sparking, useless lump of metal.

"Are you fucking insane, woman?! How am I supposed to get back to normal now?!"

She reaches for me, using her nail to scoop me up. I'm collected, along with some flecks of dust, and flicked into the palm of her hand. I tumble on the flesh of her palm, worsening my shoulder injury in the process. She brings her hand up to her face as she walks over to the window.

"It is clear to me that this operation can continue without you. In fact, I believe we will be able to achieve far more that you ever could. The world is better off without someone like you. You wanted to disappear, so I will grant your wish."

"No! Andrea, stop! Please!" I cower, fearing she'll crush me. "I don't want to die!"

"I have no intention of killing you." She tells me, as she opens the window. "I will not put blood on my hands. You are not worth that." She extends her hand out the window. Beneath it are shrubs and other plants that decorate the garden. "Live out the rest of your days as a speck. Goodbye, Nathan."

I feel the ground beneath me disappear as she turns her hand over. The walkie-talkie slips from my grasp, leaving my screams unheard as I plummet down to the dirt below. I land in a pool of mud, near the stem of flowers that have recently been watered. I desperately look for the device, but cannot find it. Somewhere high above, I head a window shut. I scrape off the mud and other gunk from my body, shivering in the cold. I seek shelter beneath a rotting, fallen leaf. Hours pass, while I struggle to process what just happened. For the first time ever, I feel truly alone. I wish someone would wake me up from this nightmare.

"She'll come back for me. I know she will." I mutter under my breath. "Someone will. Surely..."