“Pl-please don’t do this!” He begged.  

She stood proudly with her hands on her hips as the man just over half her age looked up and begged her for mercy. She remembered how cocky he was only a month prior. He wasn’t the first person she broke, nor would he be the last.

“Oh sweety. Now’s not the time to beg. You had your chance to impress me, and you failed. At least you can be useful in a different capacity after this.”

“Miss Julia! Pl-!” The man attempted one last plea but was cut off as the warmth hit him.

The woman raised her right hand and waved her fingers sarcastically as the man dwindled into a miniature state...

His screams grew high-pitched as he felt himself shrink. The world around him grew larger as it spun.

“You Millennials are just so lazy...” She spoke aloud as she stepped toward the cloud of steam that stood in place of the man. Her thick black mules thumped against the carpeted floor. “...BUT...” she squatted down and reached down with her right hand. Gathered faces watched as she lifted a doll-like human from the ground. “...I’ll still put you to work.”

The man screamed as the giant thumb and forefinger gripped the sides of his head. His naked body hung in the cool air of the office. His legs and arms flailed uselessly.  

She smiled as the tiny man struggled between her fingers. If she wanted to, she could kill him with a snap. He may prefer that after she put him through what she had in store. Julia rose back to her full height and turned on her heel. The faces watched as she strode away. Shrink pistol in one hand. Her latest victim in the other...

“I can’t believe you people keep making me do this.” Julia chastised the man as she walked down the hall. “I’ll be 50 next year and yet I still have to stick around to keep this place running.” She eventually arrived at her destination. A large oak door awaited. A placard next to the door read ‘Julia Engles, Chief Human Resources Officer.’ Julia stepped into her office and closed the door behind her.

“I mean. This is timely. I have needed a new insole since the last one gave out.” Julia continued to speak to the small man as she walked toward her desk. Various bottles of liquor lined one of the walls. “And ever since your rude joke at my expense last month, I’ve been waiting for this day.” She added as she plopped herself into her large leather chair behind her desk.

She dangled the man in front of her face. Her eyes bore into him. “I hope you think about that as I’m walking all over you every day from here on out. The ‘wicked witch of HR’ always wins.” Julia removed her right foot from the black leather mule and wriggled her purple-painted toes in the cool office air.  She holstered her shrink pistol and then reached down with her left hand and picked up her mule from the ground and placed it on her desk.

“I’m gonna set you down here real fast. Don’t think about trying to run.” She spoke and placed the man next to the mule.

The man’s body fell with a soft thud as Julia released her grip on his head. Sore, he regained his composure and stood up next to the giant shoe. He could smell a mix of leather and sweat emanating from within it the closed toe-box.  

“Let’s see. Where did I put that?” Julia talked aloud to herself as her brunette hair, cut in an inverted bob style, bounced around. “Ah there we go.”

The small man watched as Julia lifted a ruler into the air. It had once been painted yellow but was well worn down. No doubt used heavily by Julia.  

“Stand up straight. I have to get you measured for Dept. Of Labor statistics.” Julia ordered the tiny man who quickly complied.

The man felt himself shaking as Julia placed the ruler against his back. Her, comparatively, giant fingers pushed against his chest as she lined him up against the ruler.

“6inches.” She noted. “My size 11’s are over 4 inches longer than you, little guy.” she teased.

He watched as she opened a webpage on her computer and typed away. Within minutes, his fate would be sealed. His next of kin would get a “reduction” settlement and he would be company property - “restitution” in the eyes of the government.

He blushed as she lifted her phone and snapped some pictures of him.

“Alrighty. Looks like where all done. I’ll get these uploaded this form and you, Nick Hunter Paulson, are all mine.”  

Nick watched as Julia pressed “submit” and bright green words appeared “SUBMISSION SUCCESSFUL. PLEASE EXPECT PAPERWORK FROM THE DEPT. OF LABOR IN....” His stomach sank. This was it. He was nothing more than company property for Julia to do as she saw fit now. This sadistic woman who terrorized hundreds now held his life in her hand.

As he looked up at her, he could tell she kept active and in her younger days was probably stunning. Besides some unavoidable wrinkles and looser skin, she did not look bad at 49. He wondered how rough she would be – the two had been at ends ever since his first day when he made a joke he had long since forgotten during orientation.  

Julia smiled and threw her hands up and behind her head.  

“Has it hit you yet, squirt?” she continued her humiliation. “From this point forward your days of slacking and goofing off are over. You won’t even get to breathe unless I say so.”  

Nick stood silently. He was scared to say anything less it worsen his life.

“Welp.” Julia removed her arms from behind her head and leaned forward. “Let’s say we get moving. It’s almost lunch time.”  

Nick watched as Julia rummaged through he desk drawers once more and then held a small tube into the air in her left hand. She removed the lid form the tub and then swiftly reached for Nick with her right hand.

“Quit squirming. If this gets on my fingers I’m going to make you lick it off.” Julia threathed.

Nick remained as still as possible as he felt a cool liquid traced on his backs, arms, and legs.

Julia placed the tube back into the drawer.  

Nick’s world was then turned around and upside down as he was maneuvered by Julia until he felt the humid warmth make contact with his back. He shuddered.

“Let’s move you up just a little bit...and...there we go!” Julia smiled happily as she looked down at Nick secured to the insole of her mule. His arms were stuck to his side and is hegs were stuck together. He was perfectly straight.  

“Let’s give that adhesive a minute to dry and then we’ll head out. I don’t want to lose you on your first day!” Julia spoke with happiness Nick rarely saw from her. He watched from his periphery as Julia picked up her phone and tapped away. After what was definitely longer than ‘a minute’, Julia’s face came into view above Nick. He inspected her hazel eyes and natural lips.  

“Alright. I think we’re good to go!” She spoke chipperly. Her hand grabbed the mule and Nick soon found his perspective changed as the shoe was placed onto the ground. Julia appeared much more gigantic at this angle.

“Alrighty! See you in a few, little guy!” Julia gave her familiar wave and shifted her right leg.

Nick trembled as Julia’s sole came into view. He couldn’t help but notice the skin appeared ‘papery’, its deep wrinkles alluded to the life which Julia had lived thus far. He watched as the toes splayed as Julia stretched her leg out.

Julia toyed with the little being for a few more seconds before giving in to gravity and letting her sole fall into place within her shoe.

The fresh air was pushed from Nick’s lungs as Julia’s heavy and already perspiring sole covered him.  

“Time for tacos!” Julia yelled as she stood up.  

Nick was in agony. Julia was not kidding when she said she would control when Nick breathed. He was forced to time his breaths with Julia’s footfalls. The older woman did not worry about his well-being as each footfall was like getting hit by a truck. His body was molded into the warm flesh as he fought for breath.

“Like walking into a wet blanket.” Julia spoke aloud as she stepped out the front doors of the office building. “But worth it for Taco Tuesday.”

“Hey wait up!” A voice from behind Julia caught her attention. A blond came jogging to catch-up.

“Oh! Hey Manda.” Julia smiled as she greeted Amanda Tracey, one of Nick’s coworkers.

“Hey! Sorry! I thought it was you.” Manda spoke to Julia.  

Julia smiled down at the woman who stood a couple inches shorter than her own 5ft 8in.

“No worries! The more the merrier.” Julia smiled as she continued toward the taco truck.

“So, uh. I heard that you finally dropped the hammer on Nick?” Manda asked.  

Julia smirked, she knew she’d be fielding questions for at least the next week, “Yep. Had to D-65 him.” The two women took their spots in line for the truck.

“And. Uh? Is he here now?” Manda asked with curiosity.

Julia always liked Manda. She had an air of curiosity mixed with dedication about her.  

“Oh yeah. Thought I’d take out for some of this nice South Alabama spring air.” Julia replied. “Wanna say hi? Or goodbye? Whatever.” Julia asked and then laughed.

“Huh?” Manda asked and then her eyes grew wide. “Oh! Um. Sure?” she scrunched up her face in uncertainty.

Nick struggled to breath as his face pressed into the flesh of Julia’s sole. The heat from her body along with the air itself was suffocating. He was sure he’d die. But then...blindness.

Manda watched as Julia pulled her right foot from the mule. Her purple-painted toes glinted under the sun. Almost perfectly centered on the insole was a small white figure.

“Hey, little fella. Somebody wanted to say farewell.” Julie’s voice came from above as Nick’s eyes readjusted to the light.

Nick groaned and then gasped as he saw Manda towering over him. He had a crush on her since she started 8 months prior – he had been working up the courage to ask her out. Her seeing him like this was the ultimate nightmare.

Manda blushed as she saw the tiny man in full nudity. His body affixed to the insole of the head of HR’s shoe.  

“Oh. Um. I just...um. I wanted to wish you well.” Manda was at loss for words. This wasn’t like a traditional firing or somebody quitting. She didn’t quite know what to say.

Julia had been somewhat aware of Nick’s crush on Manda and seeing him so powerless and helpless as she looked upon him with pity was one of the best gifts his shrinking had brought thus far.  

As the scene played out a “Next!” came from the truck.

“Oh! That’s us!” Julia exclaimed and then quickly put her foot back into the mule.  

Within a millisecond, Nick’s view of Manda was replaced back with the wrinkled flesh under Julia’s foot...

20 minutes later, Julia returned to her office, tacos in hand. She took a seat behind her desk and pulled out three al pastor tacos. She slipped her feet from her mules.

“Damn. It’s humid out there. I hope neither of you drowned.” She teased Nick and her other human insole, a small brunette woman.

Covered in Julia’s foot sweat, he was forced to watch the giant woman eat her lunch. He waited for even a small onion to fall toward him, but Julia was quick to devour every taco without a crumb falling.  

“Those are always so delicious, but they always make my fingers greasy. Here. Help me out.” Julia began to bend down toward Nick.

The giant greasy fingers pressed into his face as he was ordered to lick. His eyes burned as spices mixed with the sweat that already covered.

“Thanks for that.” Julia spoke and then sat back up.

For the rest of the day, Nick lay affixed to Julia’s insole as she worked. Only occasionally being worn to go to the bathroom or run into another office.  

Around 4:30, Julie reached up and stretched. “Alright. I think that’s enough for the day. Y’all ready to go home?” she asked down to Nick and his cohort. Without waiting for a reply, her soles soon covered them both.  

That night, Nick remained affixed to the mule and kicked into Julia’s shoe closet. He was woozy from hunger, thirst, and heat. He did not remember passing-out...

The next day, Nick was awoken by Julia’s thunderous foot-steps. He knew she was divorced, and her daughter was in college in California, so he wasn’t surprised she owned a large house by herself.  

Without so much as a ‘good morning’ Julia’s foot once more pressed onto him as Wednesday began.

As Julia walked into the office, she made her morning rounds through the different departments.  

“...yeah he’s like her slave now...” hushed voices caught her ear as she passed through Marketing where Nick had worked.

“Who’s a slave?” Julia turned the corner to surprise Manda and two other girls who were gathered in Nick’s old cubicle clearing out his stuff.

“Oh!” One of the girls jumped at Julia surprise appearance. “Oh nobody! Nothing!” She attempted to return to rummaging through the items left behind by their former coworker.

Julia chuckled, “You know. I never really thought about it that way but yeah, maybe he will be my little slave. Forced to do whatever I tell him. Hell, once I get him trained on painting nails, maybe I’ll lend him to you girls for the day.”  

“I’d like that.” Manda grinned slyly.

Julia kicked off her mules and sat down behind her desk.

“Welcome to day 2 of the rest of your life.” Julia spoke down to Nick who groaned. His entire body and soul ached. “And I know you’re hungry, so I brought breakfast, but you’ll have to something for it...”

Nick wanted to cry. He couldn’t believe Julia was already taking to humiliating him on such a grand scale. It was just before lunch time, and she had practiced all morning to get him to follow her orders. He now stood before her gigantic feet he could see the veins against the tops as the toes wiggled.

“Now under the toes!” Julia spoke like she was trainign a dog but instead Nick rolled on the ground to be under her toes on her right foot which drummed him and then kicked him away.

“Okay! Lick!” She ordered again.

“EWWW!” gathered voices sang in unison as the small man stuck his head between her big and second toe and licked.

“And now. Kiss!” Julia commanded.

Exhausted, Nick walked and placed a kiss on the right big toe. His tongue was drenched in Julia’s sweat and skin.

“I guess you girls we right. After only one day and he’s my slave.” Julia curled her toes with her words.  

Nick wanted to die as Manda and his former coworkers sat in Julia’s office and watched the display.

“Hey, Manda. Didn’t you have a small crush on him?” One of the girls asked.

“Oh god. Please don’t remind me.” Manda buried her face into her hands which earned laughter.

Julia smirked. Anything that Nick valued was gone. The younger man had no choice but to submit to her from here on out...

The rest of the week consisted of Julia showing Nick off to the rest of the company. Though she had shrunken and tortured dozens of others before him, she was quite proud of how easily she had broken him.

“I guess all you needed was a strong authority to set you in the right direction. Huh?” Julia asked as the shrunken younger man carefully painted her left big toe with candy-apple red polish.  

Nick remained focused for fear of being punished by Julia in one of her unique ways...

Julia eventually took to naming Nick her ‘good luck charm’ as the company began to see massive growth and she was granted a substantial raise. She seemed to even soften as the little man grew to be more receptive to her whims...

As she sat on her patio overlooking the Mobile bay, Julia sipped on a late afternoon vodka and cranberry. She sat with her legs propped on a wicker foot stool. Nick stood chewing a callus from her left heel. A collar around his neck was linked by a chain to a toe ring on her right second toe.  

“You know, shrimp, I think this was meant to be.” Julie spoke as she watched the sunset and sipped her drink. “It was obvious you weren’t going to do much with your life and you’ve become so obedient. You get to spend your days ensuring that I’m happy while I near retirement.”
 
Tears rand down Nick’s face as he pressed his teeth into a thick pad of skin and chewed.  

------------------------------------------

Four months later:
Julia laughed and sipped from her water bottle. She sat in the shade under a magnolia tree. Her shoes sat to the side with socks stuffed within.

“Wow. An entire marathon before my 50th.” She sighed.  

“I like to think it was your good luck charm.” Manda’s voice came from her left.

“Oh yeah. Things really have been better since he was D-65'd.” Julia nodded and snapped her fingers. “Between the toes, please. I don’t want to get athlete's foot.”  

Nick diligently complied with the older woman’s orders.

“So, how’s John?” She asked Manda referring to the man who had replaced Nick in Marketing and who started dating the girl.

“Oh. He’s just wonderful. So thoughtful, smart, and mature.” Manda smiled.

“Mature really is the way to go. Isn’t that right, Nick?” Julia smiled at the small man who was forced to lick her sweat

Nick hated himself. He couldn’t believe what Julia had turned him into. He sometimes forgot that he was supposed to be enjoying his 20s; go on adventures with friends; at bars trying to pick-up girls. Instead, his hours were now spent at the behest of this woman he used to consider an ‘old hag’. The worst part is that she made him like it – he feared that if he ever did get back to his full size, he would look for a woman just like her. Confident, focused, and demanding.

“You know you sometimes remind me of my ex-husband.” Julia spoke down to Nick as she sat at her kitchen table reading the news on her tablet while eating an egg-white, wheat-bagel, turkey sausage sandwich she made herself after her morning run. “He thought he was such hot shit. Slept around on me during most our marriage. I really only stuck with him for Scarlett’s sake.”

Nick looked up from the ground as Julia paused to take a bite from her sandwich.

“Oh yeah. He thought he was so slick. Had his high-powered sportscar and would leave for long-weekends for ‘meetings’. Idiot didn’t even know I was getting my Shrinking Certifications.” Julia took another bite of her sandwich. “I waited until Scarlett left to go to Europe for the summer of her Junior Year of Highschool. It made it easier to plan things out. I wish I could have gotten a picture when he walked in and saw me standing there with a girl of my own...” Julia patted the pistol at her side. “It was great. He fought and screamed and, I’m sure, cussed, but then as Summer wore on he, began to change. By the time Summer was almost over he practically begged for me to abuse him which I obliged.” Julia smirked.  

“Eventually, I got the divorce papers filed and no longer had a use for him so one night I just flushed him down the toilet like the piece of shit he was.” Julia finished her sandwich and wiped her hands.

Nick had stopped licking between Julia’s toes and looked up at her in shock. She returned his stare with a toothy grin.

“Oh don’t worry little guy. I think you’ve been a great boy toy. If anything, you may be worth something on the secondary market. Now let’s get moving. I’m running late...”

Nick groaned in misery. Each breath he attempted was a battle as the sticky, warm flesh enveloped him. His arms and legs glued tight to the leather surface on which he lay, he was unable to work himself into a comfortable position. Instead, he was at the complete mercy of wherever Julia’s foot decided to move. His face covered in sweat, he did his best to blink his eyes and clear them, but they burned persistently. He felt the pressure around him lighten and seized his opportunity and inhaled deeply. The stale air filtered through Julia’s toes and into his lungs...

“Happy belated birthday!” An older blonde smiled at Julia and handed her a small gift bag.  

Julia glanced at the bag and smiled at an image of a basset puppy wearing a birthday hat printed on the glossy paper.

“Aw. Caroline. You didn’t have to.” Julia spoke as she took the bag from the woman.

“Of course I did! What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t get you something for your 50th birthday?” The blonde replied.

The two women stood chatting in the office break room. Caroline had recently returned from a two-week cruise with her family and was excited to catch up with Julia. The two had both worked together since their 30s when Caroline arrived to take over payroll. They became close friends as well as office gossips.  

“Aw! I love it!” Julia screamed as she opened the bag and pulled out her gift – a coral coloured tumbler.

“Read it!” Carolina directed her friend excitedly.  

Julia turned the tumbler around to find extremely small writing. It had to be no more than a size 4 font. She squinted and then sighed as she pulled a pair of reading glasses from her shirt pocket.

“...If you can read this you got on my bad side...” Julia read aloud and then burst out laughing. “Oh my god! I love this!” she shouted and leaned in to hug her friend.

The two women embraced and then Julia stepped back.

“I’m glad you like it. It was actually Frank’s idea.” Julia referred to her long-time husband.

“Aw. Tell him I said thanks.” Julia inspected the tumbler some more and then lifted it, “I’m going to go use it right now.” She turned to walk to the break room’s coffee station.

Within Julia’s right loafer, Nick was subjected to the familiar cadence of her footsteps. Shortly after being shrunk, he was surprised to notice the world within a shoe had a surprising number of sounds. His ears listened as accumulated sweat squeaked and squelched against the shoe’s leather. The rumble of Julia’s footfalls provided a heavy bass to the world. The suction of her instep against the insole provided a rythmic slap.  

Julia hummed to herself as she rinsed out and dried the tumbler. She then poured herself a nice tall pour of fresh coffee from a stained, glass pot.

“You're the only person I know who can drink that stuff straight.” Caroline spoke to her friend as Julia placed the lid on her cup without adding anything.

Julia took a sip and smacked her lips in satisfaction. “An old coworker used to say it kept me bitter.”  

Both women laughed and then Julia sighed. “Welp. Supposed I should get to my office. Got to do a disciplinary signing.”  

“Oh. Well don’t have to much fun.” Caroline winked.

The two women hugged once more and then went to star their days...

“Fuck no. This is bullshit. I’m not signing that!” The screams echoed in Julia’s office.

“Ms.Burnett. Please be advised that if you refuse to sign the discipline sheet this would qualify you for termination under Chapter D-65 rules.” Julia’s right hand rested over the pistol holstered on her right hip.  

“So fucking what!?” Kayla Burnett fumed. This was her first job out of college, and she couldn’t believe the things she had been accused of after only 8 months. “I did not do any of what was accused. You can take that paper and shove it up your ass!” The young blonde screamed angrily and then turned to leave. “Wait. This doesn’t' feel...” she began to speak but her voice disappeared into the ether.

Julia shook her head as she stood up, “The stubbornness of youth, huh?” She looked down into her right loafer in which Nick was glued. She smiled as his small head nodded.

Kayla’s head ached as the sights and sounds of her new world assaulted her. She stood up and shook her head, “What...what the fuck did you...” She began to scream but stopped as the world shook around her and then Julia appeared above her.

Julia sighed, “I guess you really wanted me to do paperwork today?” she then lifted her left leg over Kayla.

Kayla was speechless as she watched the gigantic size 11 sole lift from the ground and then hover above her. Its deep wrinkles and worn calluses were magnified 100 fold at her size. She turned to run but it was too late.

“I can’t wait until I retire. I’m getting too old to keep bending down.” Julia spoke as she used the big and second toe of her left foot to grab Kayla from the ground.

Kayla screamed as the giant digits positioned around her and then clamped together. The clamminess between them acted to adhere her to the skin.

Julia balanced herself on her right leg as she lowered her right hand to her left foot until they met. She splayed her toes.

Kayla screamed as she fell from between the toes into Julia’s awaiting palm.

From within Julia’s loafer, Nick watched as she returned to her chair and began the registration process he had now witnessed dozens of times since his own shrinking.

Kayla's screams continued as Julia dropped her upon her desk. She cowered as Julia’s hand reached over her and grabbed a massive tumbler. Kayal watched as Julia took a sip and then reached back to place the tumbler back onto a coaster. As Julia’s hand pulled away, Kayla noticed the small writing on the tumbler, “if you can read this...” Her stomach dropped at the dark humor.  

“Let’s get this over with.” Julia spoke down to Kayla in exasperation and began typing on the computer. She watched as Julia rummaged through her desk and pulled out a ruler. Kaya tried to run as Julia’s hands then descended toward her.

Julia barely had to concentrate as her fingers easily ensnared the smaller girl.  

Suddenly much more aware of her own nakedness, Kayla attempted to swat away Julia’s fingers as the larger woman put her through the registration process. “Don’t fucking touch those!” She screamed as one of Julia’s fingers pressed into her breasts to force her toward the massive ruler against her back.

“4 ¾ inches.” Julia noted aloud and typed into the computer.

Kayla’s head swam as the numbers hit her. No way was she only 4 inches tall. She was the tallest in her friend group. No way did she shrink so much. She felt her heartbeat in her chest as panic set in.

Julia finished typing into her computer and then looked down at Kayla, “Alright. Here’s the deal. You’re my third D-65 this month and my loafers are both occupied. Unfortunately, the system is full so I can’t allocate you to somebody else at this moment. That means you’re mine until a spot becomes open.”

Kayla struggled to stay conscious as Julia’s warm coffee scented breath washed over her.  

“As such. I’m putting you in my pocket for the rest of the day. I don’t want to hear a peep from you until I get home. Do you understand?” Julia asked sternly.

Now fearful for her life, Kayla nodded meekly.

Julia rolled her eyes, “NOW you shut up.” With this, she grabbed Kayla and shoved her into her front right pocket...

“These damn kids now days.” Julia grumbled to herself as she stepped through her home’s front door. She pushed off her right loafer and looked down at Nick as he was revealed. “If these new workers aren’t careful, I’ll have an entire closet of new insoles, little guy.” She teased. She kicked off her left loafer to reveal a small black man glued to its insole.

With her bare feet resting on the cool hardwood, Julia wriggled her toes and then reached into the front pocket of her capris.  

“Welcome to my abode.” She spoke to Kayla as her thumb and index finger held the girl’s torso.

Blinded by the light coming from Julia’s home’s many windows, Kayla struggled to remain calm. Between the giant fingers squeezing her chest and hanging the equivalent of hundreds of feet in the air she was frozen with fear. Along with the reality of no longer seeing her friends or family, Julie completely holding control of her life was now a very real thing.

Julia looked at Kayla who was nearly catatonic, “Not so tough now, little girl?” she thought to herself and smirked. Shen then reached down and grabbed her loafers with her other hand.

Kayla struggled not to vomit as she was whisked through the house by the giant woman. The entire experience was extremely disorienting. Without a word from Julia, Kayla was taken to a room with a large bed. No doubt Julia’s master bedroom. As the tiny girl looked around, she had to give props, the room was smartly decorated in a contemporary style.  

*THUMP* *THUMP* Kayla was startled as Julia let her loafers fall from her hand with no care for the men inside.

“You know you kind of remind me of my own daughter. She’ll actually be graduating this year. Maybe she’d like you as a present? It’d be like having her own mini me.” Julia smiled at the thought.

Kayla trembled at the thought of being nothing more than a gift for some girl fresh out of college.  

“J-Julia! M-miss Engles!” Kayla began to scream in hopes of the giant woman hearing her. “I’ll c-change! You can keep me to clean the toilets in the office! I’ll do anything! J-just please c-change me back!” She begged.

Julia lifted the little woman to her face and cocked her head to the side.

“You know. It’s kind of amazing how everybody squeaks differently when they’re shrunk. Yours kind of sound like a bird.” Julia smiled and then continued. “Anyway, there’s no use begging. Until they come up with some sort of microphone or something there’s no way I’ll understand you. Nick learned long ago that the best way to get my attention is just to do good work. And believe me, you’ll be doing a lot of work.”

Julia walked from her bedroom to the connected bathroom, “Now you just hang-out here while I wind-down. Lucky for you I’m going to skip the treadmill tonight.” Julia spoke to Kayla as she placed the tiny woman on her bathroom sink.

Kayla looked on as Julia stripped from her clothes. She felt her face reddened.

“Hope you’re not a prude. Gonna have to deal with this for now.” Julia spoke as she strutted by.  

Though in shock, Kayla did have to admit Julia’s body was great for her age. The woman obviously took great care of herself.  

The next 15 minutes consisted of Kayla looking around awkwardly for some way to escape while Julia hummed songs she didn’t recognize. Eventually the water cut off and the woman emerged. Kayla quickly averted her eyes.

Julia chuckled as she watched the tiny girl turn away.

“If this is going to be a problem for you, then maybe you should switch with Nick or Jalen? I’m sure neither of them would mind the view.” Julia joked.

Kayla briefly thought back to the countless times seeing Nick’s body within Julia’s footwear no matter how hot it was, and she was often barefoot. She shuddered at the thought of herself being forced to be under the older woman’s sweaty feet.

Eventually Julia was dressed in what Kayla guessed was her nighttime attire. An oversized white t-shirt with “BUTLER UNIVERSITY” emblazoned on it and a pair of sweat shorts. She looked down and grabbed Kayla from the sink top.  

“Let’s go get the boys and head downstairs.” Julia spoke to the smaller woman. Her bare feet slapped against the tiled floor as she walked from her bathroom...

Kayla’s face was contorted in disgust. Julia’s torso towered above as the woman was sat at a granite-topped kitchen island. Her loafers sat on the countertop as well. The tiny woman watched as Julia pursed her lips and pushed a globule a spit out. It fell into one of the loafers with a lout *PAT*...

Nick was used to the routine by now but it was never not degrading.

Julia had informed him during his first week being shrunk that the glue she used was specially sold by sex stores for holding tiny people to things. It was strong enough to last through multiple days but could be dissolved by simply licking it off. Obviously, she wasn’t going to lick her own insole so, instead, Nick was subjected to a near nightly saliva shower...

Kayla watched as Julia reached into her loafer and fished around for a couple seconds – eventually Nick Paulson was pulled into the air before her. She watched as Julia’s giant fingers neared and then lowered him toward her.

Still covered in Julia’s spit, Nick struggled to clear his eyes as the blurry image of Kayla came into view. He eventually felt his feet touch solid ground and braced himself as Julia’s fingers pulled away.

Kayla was slightly taken aback as she was so used to this man being nothing but a doll in Julia’s shoes but now he stood over her by almost 2 inches.

His vision cleared; Nick looked down at Kayla. It was never not a jarring experience whenever he was introduced to a new shrunken person. He feared he had shrunken Stockholm syndrome and preferred being the smallest person in the room at this point.  

As the two took one another in, Julia’s hand soon arrived with Jalen. She softly placed him down.

Kayla noticed that Nick and Jalen were about the same height. Nick was maybe taller by hair. She then thought back to learning about how shrink pistols work and that users set a percentage to shrink. She was curious if that was why she was smaller.

“A little trio. When’s the last time we had three or more of you together, Nick?” Julia asked down as she stared down upon the shrunken humans. “Oh yeah. After the Christmas party last year...a few too many eggnogs were consumed...” Julia trailed off  

“Well, Kayla. Ready to start your training?” Julia asked aloud and shuffled her shoulders in a teasing fashion...

A week later, Kayla felt zombified. The energy had been sucked from her thanks to Julia’s ‘training’. She no longer felt human and trembled around anybody larger than a foot. At to top of it all off, one of her worst nightmares was coming true.

“Miss Engles. No way. Really?” A young redhead seated across from Julia’s desk bounced giddily.  

“Yep. You passed all criteria for a D-65 so she’s all yours.” Julia smiled as she finished assigning Kayla to her former coworker...Julia knew this was Kayla’s office rival.  

Something about breaking another human down to make a different human happy really struck a chord with Julia. Under her desk her toes clenched Nick’s face as she watched the girl scoop up Kayla, “Ready to live in my shoe for the rest of your life!?” The other girl boomed as she skipped Julia’s office.