Trouble In A Bottle by The Shrunken Scholar
Summary: I came up with the idea for this story awhile ago and decided to give it a shot. I'm not too sure about it though, so I thought I'd put up the first chapter and see what you guys think.

Shaun was an average college student, until he bought a bottle that held a lot more than he bargained for.
Categories: Giantess, Feet, Entrapment, Growing/Shrinking out of clothes, Growing Woman, Slave, Slow Size Change, Violent Characters: None
Growth: None
Shrink: None
Size Roles: F/m, M/f
Warnings: Following story may contain inappropriate material for certain audiences
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 21 Completed: Yes Word count: 40860 Read: 169556 Published: September 26 2013 Updated: May 15 2014
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

1. Chapter 1 by The Shrunken Scholar

2. Chapter 2 by The Shrunken Scholar

3. Chapter 3 by The Shrunken Scholar

4. Chapter 4 by The Shrunken Scholar

5. Chapter 5 by The Shrunken Scholar

6. Chapter 6 by The Shrunken Scholar

7. Chapter 7 by The Shrunken Scholar

8. Chapter 8 by The Shrunken Scholar

9. Chapter 9 by The Shrunken Scholar

10. Chapter 10 by The Shrunken Scholar

11. Chapter 11 by The Shrunken Scholar

12. Chapter 12 by The Shrunken Scholar

13. Chapter 13 by The Shrunken Scholar

14. Chapter 14 by The Shrunken Scholar

15. Chapter 15 by The Shrunken Scholar

16. Chapter 16 by The Shrunken Scholar

17. Chapter 17 by The Shrunken Scholar

18. Chapter 18 by The Shrunken Scholar

19. Chapter 19 by The Shrunken Scholar

20. Chapter 20 by The Shrunken Scholar

21. The Rise by The Shrunken Scholar

Chapter 1 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
This story is on a trial basis. I make no promises on finishing it. I'll upload the first chapter and then it's up to you the reader to tell me if you want more. So please a review telling me your thoughts!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 1

Many years ago, in an ancient kingdom...

Zarelda smiled in great satisfaction. Her plan had come to fruition without a problem. She was now almost fifty feet tall and the entire city was under her control. A few weeks ago she had been a normal sized woman with barely anything to her name. Zarelda had been a traveling sorceress. Always on the look out for new and interesting magics. Life had not been kind to her. At a young age she had been thrown from her village when the people discovered her powers. Zarelda wandered the land all by herself for many days and nights, living off of what little she could find.

One day a woman driving a horse drawn cart stumbled upon her. She lying on the side of a dirt road starving and dehydrated. The woman had taken Zarelda to her home and nourished her back to health. Once she was healthy, the woman told Zarelda she was a sorceress and she knew she had magic in her as well, that was why she had saved her. The woman offered to teach Zarelda as much as she could in the way of magic. Zarelda pounced on the opportunity. So she became the woman's apprentice and practiced under her tutelage. Zarelda stayed with the woman until she became a woman herself and was a beautiful one at that. She had slightly pale white skin and long black hair that went to her shoulders. Her breasts were large and her eyes bright blue. If she had grown up in a village , she would likely have already been married.

The day came when the woman could teach Zarelda no more. Everything she knew she had passed on to Zarelda. However, Zarelda had developed a thirst for power and it demanded more. One night she took as many of the woman's supplies as she could fit in a bag and fled into the night, taking one of the woman's horses. She traveled the lands searching for increasingly powerful magic. A few years later she found the lair of a great sorcerer who had accumulated many magics in his time. It was difficult, but she managed to kill the old man in a long duel. Zarelda searched his collection and found two amazing scrolls. One told how to make a interesting powder with an even more interesting effect. The other told how to make ones self immortal! Zarelda quickly used the contents of that scroll on herself. Afterwards, she went back to the scroll about the powder. A plan began to form in her head. One that would make her the most powerful being in the world...

That was weeks ago though. Now, Zarelda's plan had succeeded. She'd come here to the capital city and gotten rid of anyone who could stand in her way. Zarelda had taken the size of any powerful person in the city and locked them in a chest that was hidden in the citadel. The size she took from them became her own. Zarelda became taller than any building in the city and announced she was the new ruler of this city. Everyone swore their servitude to Zarelda. Citizens, soldiers, they were all under her command. Zarelda sat on her sandstone throne she had made for her by the slaves. It had taken some time, but it was worth the wait. The giant throne stood directly in front of the citadel. Zarelda had the soldiers positioned around her throne at all times. She didn't need them for protection, it was more a show of power for the slaves. Zarelda had set her slaves to work on many different things.

There were fifty or so people down at her feet at this moment rubbing oil into her skin. When Zarelda had grown her clothes had grown with her, the same went for the people who had been shrunken. Walking around was still tough on her feet though, so they needed care. Sometimes they needed to be washed after she crushed traitors and runaways underfoot. Some slaves were building monuments in her honor throughout the city. Others were tasked with bringing Zarelda food and drink. An affect of Zarelda's immortality was that she didn't require food or water to live, but she still liked to eat. The rest of the slaves were waiting for their shift or doing the other jobs needed for keeping the city running. " Bring me my lunch! " Zarelda boomed.

Slaves carrying barrels full of fruits, vegetables, and water climbed the scaffolding set up next to Zarelda's throne. Ten slaves reached the top and put down their barrels. Five full of food and five full of water. When Zarelda finished these she would call for more. She picked up three of the water barrels between her pointer finger and thumb, she lifted them and dumped them into her mouth. Zarelda paused at the taste of the water.

" Slave! What is wr- "

Zarelda stopped speaking as she looked at the ground to her right. Two soldiers were walking towards her carrying a chest. Zarelda recognized it as the chest she had put the shrunken lords and ladies of the city into.

" What is the meaning of this!? " she yelled.

Suddenly, she was overcome with a wave of dizziness. She closed her eyes a moment. When she opened them the far off walls of the city seemed to be rising. Zarelda looked at her feet stretched out in front of her. The slaves were moving away as her feet were steadily getting smaller. It wasn't just her feet, Zarelda was shrinking! Zarelda rose from her throne in anger. She looked to the two soldiers who had opened the chest and were taking out its prisoners. As Zarelda shrunk, the prisoners were getting bigger.

" Stop this! I will crush all of you! "

The soldiers who had been standing at the sides of the throne surged forward and surrounded Zarelda's dwindling form.

" Stand down, sorceress! Your reign is at an end! " the general shouted.

" Traitors! "

Zarelda swung her leg forward, kicking dozens of soldiers, including the general, into the air. The remaining soldiers charged forward, stabbing at her feet with their spears. Zarelda stomped her still shrinking feet, crushing more soldiers. Soldiers atop nearby buildings shot arrows at her. Zarelda was only ten feet tall now and getting smaller. She threw punches and kicks at the swarming soldiers, but they all retreated. Zarelda was shorter than all the men around her, only coming up to the middle of their chests. A few minutes later she stood level with their knees. Zarelda whimpered in defeat, almost coming to tears. Her plan had been sabotaged.

She stopped shrinking at only inches tall. Zarelda looked up at the giants around her, now they could crush her with a single step. The king of the city made his way through the surviving soldiers and stood in front of Zarelda with the other lords behind him. He crouched down and wrapped his fist around the tiny sorceress. He brought her in front of his face.

" Zarelda, today you pay for your crimes against the kingdom. In this small state, you have no magic to help you. We have already decided on your punishment. "

The king reached behind him and a servant placed a black, clay long necked bottle in his hand. He showed the bottle to her.

" You will spend the rest of eternity in this bottle. You will be stuck this size forever. That is your punishment. "

Zarelda beat her tiny fists on the kings hand. " You will pay for this! That bottle will not hold me forever! I will escape! "

The king took the stopper off the bottle and raised Zarelda over it. " Be gone. "

Zarelda was dropped into the bottle. She landed roughly at the bottom and looked up as the stopper was put back in place. Darkness enveloped her. Zarelda began to laugh. It was a twisted, maniacal laugh. She reached to her waist and pulled out a small glass vial of the powder. She had always kept some of the powder with her at all times. " Whichever fool opens this bottle will gravely regret it. "



Chapter 2 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Well you guys seem to like this. I'm really happy to see that. Here's chapter 2!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 2

The present...

Shaun sighed from exhaustion. School had been very tiring today. Work had been even worse. He had stayed up late to study for an exam and it showed. In middle of English Lit. he'd fallen asleep and Mr. Ward hadn't been happy. At lunch his friend Kyrie had given him more crap about deciding to live in an apartment alone. She kept telling him it was dangerous, that something could happen to him and no one would know for a few days. Shaun wasn't worried however. His new apartment was in a nice, safe neighborhood that very rarely had any problems.

Now it was just nice to be heading home. Shaun attended the local community college. He had aspirations of one day being a doctor, but it was a long way off. Shaun recently moved into an apartment because driving to school from his mothers house had taken way too long. From his new apartment it was maybe a twenty minute drive. Shaun looked in the rear view as he came to a corner. He was fairly average looking guy, except for his tall stature. Shaun was six foot five, nothing outrageous but still on the tall side. He'd gotten his height from his father who had passed away a couple years ago. Shaun had dirty blonde hair that he liked to spike up a bit in the front with gel. He had emerald green eyes and was slightly tanned. Shaun worked out on a regular basis but was by no means buff. He was toned. He was currently wearing a plain gray T-shirt and tan cargo shirts with black running shoes. Shaun turned onto the suburban street that led to an entrance of his apartment complex. As he drove he saw a cardboard sign propped up against a streetlight that read " Garage Sale " with an arrow pointing down the street. Shaun looked ahead and saw where the garage sale was being held.

Shaun decided to stop and see what they had. His apartment was still very bare as he didn't have much to put up in it. He had the basic necessities, but he wanted it to have more personality. Shaun parked by the curb in front of the house with the garage sale. He got out and walked up to one of the multiple tables they had set up in the drive way with filled cardboard boxes covering each. A decent looking lamp caught his eye. It looked in working condition and even came with a lightbulb. Shaun saw a lady walking around helping people.

" Excuse me? " Shaun called to her.

A short,tan middle aged woman came over to him. " Yes, dear? " she smiled at him.

" Does this lamp work? "

" Yes, we only put electronics that work out here. This one is only ten dollars. "

" Alright, thank you. "

" You're welcome. " she smiled and walked away.

Shaun looked around some more and found a small painting of beach for five dollars that he decided to take. Something caught Shaun's attention out of corner of his eye as he went to pay for his new items. Shaun walked to the box that the item was sticking out of. He reached in and pulled it out. It was a black bottle with a long neck and a wood stopper. It felt like it was ceramic or something. Shaun turned it in his hands and saw a symbol on its large base. Shaun had no idea what it meant or where it came from, but it was strange and cool at the same time. The best part was it was only a buck fifty.

Shaun took the bottle and went to the table where you paid. The lady at the table gave him a box to carry all his things in. Shaun put the box in the backseat of his car and continued driving home. He drove into his apartment complex and parked in his assigned spot. He got out, grabbed the box, and went up the one flight of stairs to his apartment. None of Shaun's new neighbors had introduced themselves or talked to him, but he didn't really mind. He liked his privacy. Shaun went into his apartment then closed and locked the door behind him. He threw his backpack down by the door.

There still wasn't much in the apartment. Shaun had just moved in four days ago. He didn't have a kitchen table or any chairs. All he had in the living room was a couch, coffee table, and an entertainment center with a TV in it. The kitchen connected directly to the living room. It was small, but it was only him that would primarily use it. The apartment had come with a refrigerator and freezer combination. It had also come with an oven that had a stovetop. Other than that there was one bedroom and one bath in the place. Boxes full of Shaun's assorted belongings were stacked against the walls in his bedroom.

Shaun put the box on the coffee table and flopped down on the couch. He flicked the TV on to a reality game show he'd recently gotten into and leaned back, putting his feet up on the coffee table. A luxury of living by himself. He had been watching TV for awhile when he suddenly heard a faint tapping sound. After looking around for the source of the noise for a bit, he realized it was coming from in front of him. Shaun leaned forward, putting his ear right next to the box. The tapping was definitely coming from the box. He went through the items he bought in his head.

" The bottle... " Shaun whispered, realization dawning on him. " What the hell could be in it? "

With some trepidation Shaun carefully grabbed the bottle and lifted it out of the box and set it on the table. As soon as he picked it up the tapping stopped. After leaving it on table for a few moments, the tapping started again.

" What do I do? " Shaun wondered.

Any sort of thing could be in there. For all he knew a spider or mouse could be inside. At the same time he couldn't just leave whatever was trapped in there to die. Shaun thought about what to do. A plan came to mind. He took the other items out of the box, leaving the box empty. His plan was to dump whatever was in the bottle into the box. Depending on what came out, he might run or just let it go outside. Shaun held the bottle at arms length over the box in one hand. He reached out and popped the stopper off, bracing for something to jump out. Nothing came out of the bottle, but the tapping stopped again. He lowered the bottle into the box and tipped it over. Shaun felt the weight of whatever the thing was sliding towards the bottle opening.

A red object and rolled up piece of yellowed paper fell in a heap into the box. Shaun quickly took the bottle out of the box. The red object was actually fabric. Just as Shaun was about to sigh in relief, the fabric began to stir. Out came the head of tiny woman with long black hair and bright blue eyes. Shaun's jaw dropped. He froze in disbelief. His mind shut down like someone had flipped the power switch. This was not possible. No person was that small! It had to be a doll or some mechanical toy. The minuscule woman stood up, still staring at Shaun. She certainly didn't move like a mechanical toy. The red fabric turned out to be her clothes. She wore small blouse type shirt with short sleeves that exposed her lean stomach. A loose pair of pants covered her legs. Shaun noticed she was barefoot. She also had a shawl wrapped around her arms. The woman had white skin that was pale. She was one of the most beautiful women Shaun had ever seen. Pulling the shawl tighter around her, the lady spoke. " H-hello... My name is Zarelda. Where am I? "
Chapter 3 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
All the positive feedback has gotten me pumped to write this story. Anyways, here's chapter 3!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 3

If Shaun's jaw could've hit the floor it would've.

" This can't be happening. It isn't possible. I must've fallen asleep and this is a very realistic dream. " he thought.

Shaun pinched his forearm, but he didn't suddenly wake up in his bed. " Sir? Do you speak English? " the woman called.

" Um... Yes I do. "

" Where am I? "

" Uh... My apartment. "

" No, no I mean what state? "

" Oh! Arizona. "

" Ah, I see. "

" Excuse me, ...Zarelda. How did you get so small? "

" Oh! Pardon me. I suppose this is quite unsettling for you. "

" Just a bit. " Shaun said still in shock.

" Allow me to explain. "

Zarelda told Shaun her story of how she came to be her current size as follows. She said she is actually hundreds of years old despite her youthful appearance. She couldn't say how old exactly however. A long time ago Zarelda had angered a powerful sorceress. The sorceress had shrunken her and placed a curse on her that made her live forever. She never aged and could not die. After that Zarelda was placed inside the bottle to live out eternity. Zarelda's disappearance did not go unnoticed by her family and friends. The sorceresses cruel actions were discovered by the city guard. They attempted to capture her, but she escaped and was never seen again.

No one could save Zarelda from the sorceresses magic. Her family decided they would care for and protect her through the generations. Passing her on from family member to family member. Eventually her and her bottle were forgotten and lost. The bottle did not open for many years. One day a man released Zarelda from the bottle. He slowly taught her English so she could communicate with people. That was a long time ago. The man put her back in the bottle and it wasn't opened again until Shaun did. Zarelda guessed that was quite some time ago. Shaun also found out something else about Zarelda from her story. She had an accent that he couldn't place. Probably because it was hundreds of years old.

" Wow, that's... amazing. I wouldn't believe it if you weren't in front of me. "

" Yes it is... amazing. I don't think you told me your name. "

" Sorry, I'm Shaun. "

" Nice to meet you, Shaun. "

Shaun suddenly noticed the rolled up paper by Zarelda's feet. He'd seen it before, but hadn't thought much of it.

" The sorceress put it in the bottle with me. I believe it tells how to make me normal again, but no one who has tried can read it. " Zarelda said sadly.

" Can I look at it? "

Zarelda stepped back from the paper. Shaun reached in and picked it up. The paper was maybe a couple inches taller than Zarelda herself. Shaun unrolled it and frowned. Intricate symbols were written on the rough paper in fading ink. Shaun couldn't even venture a guess what it said.

" You don't know what this says? "

" I've tried many times to read it. I cannot decipher it. "

Shaun set the paper down on the table. " Well, what do you want me to do with you, Zarelda? Return you to the people I bought your bottle from? "

" You bought my bottle? " Zarelda asked confused.

" Yes, I got it from some people who were having a garage sale. "

" ... Garage sale? What is that? "

" Um it's like a market kind of. "

" Ah, interesting. Well I did not know those people, Shaun. I don't think I want to return to them. Is it possible for me to stay here with you? "

Shaun was taken aback. " Are you sure that's what you want? I mean I just met you. "

" I have nowhere better to go and you seem like a nice young man. If its not too much trouble I would like to stay here. "

Shaun thought about it for a moment. What else could he do with her? He could give her to someone else, but who knew if they'd be as nice as him. They could use to her to get money from news stations, scientists, or worse.

" Alright, you can stay with me. "

Zarelda smiled widely. " Thank you, Shaun! I will find a way to repay you! "

" You're welcome. " Shaun smiled back.

" Could you take me out of here. " she gestured to the box she was in.

"Ummmm... "

" You can pick me up, Shaun. I'm used to it. It's fine. "

" Okay. " Shaun said reaching back in the box.

He cupped his hand behind Zarelda and she sat down in his palm. He gently raised her out of the box. Shaun jolted as Zarelda brought her feet up on his palm, they were cold.

" Why are you bare foot? I thought when the sorceress shrank you your clothes shrank too? "

" I was not wearing shoes at the time. " Zarelda looked around Shaun's apartment in awe. " Will you show me around? I haven't been out of the bottle for some time. "

" Sure. "

Shaun spent the rest of the day showing Zarelda his apartment and teaching her about new technologies. She barely knew any of it, often stopping him to ask questions. Zarelda was thoroughly amazed by all of it. After he told her all he could about new technology it was getting late. Shaun explained to her that she could stay with him as long as she liked, but that because of school and his job he'd have to leave her alone for awhile sometimes. Zarelda understood and said she'd be fine without him. Shaun put a blanket in the box he'd talked to Zarelda in so she could sleep in it. It was the best he could do on short notice. He filled a small bowl with water and set it a corner of the box in case she wanted any.

Due to the sorceresses curse, Zarelda no longer required food or water. She could have some if she wanted though. Shaun put the box on the floor next to his bed. He still hadn't gotten a nightstand. He stripped down to his boxers and got under the sheet on his bed. He looked over the edge and down at Zarelda. " Good night. " Zarelda was already laying on the blanket, she looked up at his voice. " Good night. " she smiled. Shaun put his head on his pillow. He thought about the events of the day and grinned. He quickly dozed off.

" Tricking this fool was far too easy. " Zarelda thought with an evil grin on her face. " Now all I have to do is wait for a chance to give him this. " Zarelda pulled out the vial of powder. " For his stupidity and kindness maybe I'll make him my first new slave. " Zarelda's wicked grin widened.
Chapter 4 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Zarelda may not have magic, but she can still cast a " spell " or two.
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 4

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

" Uuuuuggggghhhh. " Shaun moaned hitting the snooze button on his alarm clock.

It was on the floor so he had to fumble around for it. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

" Shaun? Was that the... alarm clock? " A small voice called.

The events from the previous day suddenly came back to me. He leaned over the side of the bed and saw the cardboard box that housed the diminutive woman who'd just called for him.

" Yeah, that was the alarm clock. "

" Okay, I was frightened for a moment. "

" Nothing to worry about. I gotta get ready for school. You can go back to sleep if you want. "

" I think I will. "

" Alright, I'll be back in a bit. "

Shaun quickly took a shower and got dressed for the day. He returned to his room and crouched over Zarelda's box. " Zarelda? You wanna get out of there? "

Zarelda nodded up at him. Shaun scooped her up gently in his hand. He carried her into the kitchen. " Do you want something to eat? "

" Yes, that'd be nice. "

" I'm gonna put you on the counter, okay? "

Shaun set her down and opened the fridge. " What do I give someone that size? " Shaun wondered. He didn't have much in his fridge yet. After searching it for a few moments, he found a bag of grapes. " One of these should do. " Shaun popped one off and held it out for Zarelda. Using both hands the tiny woman picked it up. In her arms it was about the size of a baby.

" Think you can handle that? "

" Yes. "

" Okay. " Shaun prepared himself a bowl of cereal while Zarelda took small bites out of the grape. He leaned against the counter opposite Zarelda and started eating. As he finished and ran the bowl under some water, Zarelda spoke up. " I can't eat anymore. "

Shaun looked down at her and saw that she had only eaten a small chunk of the grape.

" Alright, give it here. "

She dropped it in his hand. Shaun threw it in the trash.

" I'm gonna have to go soon. So, where do you want to be while I'm gone? "

" Could I watch the ... TV? That's what it's called right? "

Shaun laughed " Yes, that's what it's called. Come on. "

Shaun carried her into the living room and set her on the coffee table. " Do you want me some water or food just in case? "

" No, I'll be fine. "

Shaun nodded and turned on the TV. " You remember how to change the channel and everything? "

" Yes. "

" Alright. " Shaun sat down on the couch and put on his shoes. He went to the front door, grabbing his backpack.

" I'll be back in awhile. Have fun. "

" Goodbye, Shaun. "

" Bye. " Shaun went outside, closing the door behind. He locked the door and started walking towards the staircase. Leaving Zarelda alone didn't sit well with Shaun, but he couldn't drop everything and stay home with her. " Oh, well there's nothing else to do. Besides how much trouble could she get in? "

" Getting rid of that fool was easier than I thought. Acting all nice was becoming annoying. " Zarelda walked to the edge of the coffee table. " Now I just need to get off this table and find something he's going to eat or drink. " Zarelda paused in thought. " No, no. If I get off the table I won't be able to get back up. That would be too suspicious. At my size I'd never be able to get to any of his food or drinks. No, I'm going to have to wait. Hopefully not too much longer. "


Shaun's day had dragged on painfully long. Despite his own reassurances, he still worried about Zarelda. So Shaun rushed through the day as quickly as he could. Kyrie picked up on it asked him what had him so distracted. Shaun had replied that he was anxious to get home because something would be waiting for him. Kyrie assumed it was a new piece of furniture or a computer. Shaun let her believe that. After school, he headed to his job as a assistant at a medical clinic. He mostly cleaned and brought patients food and medications, but it was a start towards his dream job. The job paid pretty decently , enough to make a living, and he enjoyed his work. Some patients were nicer than others of course, but Shaun didn't get mad easily so it worked out. Eventually, Shaun was pulling into his parking spot at the apartment complex. He trudged up the stairs feeling especially tired, but excited to see Zarelda. The tiny lady was very cute, Shaun couldn't deny it. If she wasn't shrunken and hundreds of years old, he might've asked her out. Shaun unlocked his front door and stepped inside.

" Zarelda? " Shaun called.

" Shaun! You're home! " Zarelda called back.

Grinning, Shaun threw his backpack down and walked over to the coffee table. Zarelda stood at the edge grinning up at him. Shaun sat down on the couch. " So, how was it today? "

" I was fine, like I told you. I watched TV all day. The world is quite interesting now. "

Shaun laughed " Yeah, it is. " He took off his shoes and got comfortable on the couch. Zarelda was watching some animal documentary. " This is interesting to you? "

" Yes, it's fascinating. "

" Alright, do you want anything? "

" No, thank you. "

Shaun went into the kitchen and got a bottle of water. Zarelda and him sat in silence for awhile, just watching TV. While Shaun took a long sip of water, Zarelda turned to him. " Shaun, can I ask you a favor? "

" Sure. What's up? "

" Could you find a place for me to wash myself? "

Shaun's eyes widened slightly. " Uh... S-sure. Yeah I can find something for you. I'll go look around right now. " Shaun got up and surveyed his apartment. His first thought was one of the sinks, but he decided against it. Zarelda deserved something better than a sink. " Hmmm, oh! She could use a bowl! " Shaun thought triumphantly. He pulled open a cabinet and looked through his multiple bowls. Shaun eventually chose a small ceramic bowl. " This should be big enough for her. " He set the sink to a warm setting and filled up the bowl. " Now, what about soap? " Shaun thought about it, but then saw the hand soap next to the sink. " This should do. " He pumped two shots of soap into the bowl and mixed it up with his finger so bubbles formed. He brought the bowl out to where Zarelda sat on the coffee table. " Is it alright if you wash up in the kitchen? It doesn't matter if you splash a bit in there. "

" Yes. " Zarelda sat down in Shaun's hand, bringing her knees up to her chest...

" I live for the day when this boy can no longer hold me in his hand like a toy. Soon he will be my toy. " Zarelda thought sourly. She had been carried by many people over the years and it always brought up a feeling of anger in her. She was a mighty sorceress! No one should lay a hand on her unless she allowed it! In her current situation, however, she didn't have much choice. She hoped to change her situation soon though. At her minuscule size she may not have her magical powers, but she still had her womanly powers. With her looks, she could cast a spell on any man. This is what she planned to do by taking a bath in front of Shaun. Shaun carried her into the kitchen and set her on the counter. The bowl was placed next to her. Zarelda was maybe a head taller than the bowl. " I'll need a lift into it. " she called up to Shaun.

" Okay. " Shaun began to reach his hand towards her.

" Hold on! I'm not taking a bath with my clothes on. I need to undress first. "

Shaun gulped nervously, his eyes widened at the same time. " Are you sure you want to do that in front of me? "

The corner of Zarelda's mouth quirked up in a slight grin. " Shaun, there's no need to be shy. If you're going to he taking care of me this would've happened eventually. Why not sooner rather than later? Besides I trust you. "

Shaun paused awkwardly. " Umm... Okay then. "

Still grinning, Zarelda began to take her clothes off. " This is far too easy. " she thought. She rolled up her shawl and dropped it on the countertop. She dug her thumbs into the waistband of her pants and slowly took them off. Soon enough her womanhood was exposed and she kicked the pants to the side. Shaun gave a small cough and tried not to look directly at her. It was a worthless effort, his eyes kept going back to her. Zarelda seductively removed her top, showing her perfect breasts. Shaun's face turned red. " Perfect, " Zarelda laughed to herself " , he's putty in my hands. " Zarelda looked over the edge of the counter and saw the crotch of Shaun's shorts was beginning to stir. " I'll take that lift now. " Shaun lowered his hand next to the bowl. Zarelda stepped onto it and Shaun raised his hand a bit. Zarelda settled into the bowl, using the rim to hold herself steady. " This quite nice, Shaun. Thank you. "

" No problem. You wash up, I'm gonna go to the bathroom and get something for you to dry off with. "

Zarelda propped her tiny feet up on the opposite rim of the bowl. " Don't be too long. " Shaun nodded and left the kitchen. She waited until she certain he was out of earshot, then burst out laughing. " Simple minded fool! He's probably playing with himself right now! " She laughed for a few moments longer, then started to wash off. She really did want to clean off. Seducing Shaun was just a bonus to that. Shaun returned a few minutes later with a small hand towel. He set it on the counter next to the bowl Zarelda was bathing in. " Thank you, Shaun. " Zarelda said with a big smile.

" No problem. "

Zarelda stood up in the bowl, covering her breasts with her hands. " Could you give me a hand out? " Shaun cupped his hand behind Zarelda and she sat her bare butt on his palm. He gently lifted her over the rim of the bowl and onto the counter. She grabbed the towel and wrapped it around herself. " Shaun, I've been meaning to ask you. Do you think you could get me some new clothes? I've been wearing these for a very long time. " " Yeah. I'll try to find something, but it might be a little hard. " " All I ask is that you try. "

The two spent the rest of the evening watching TV, Shaun did some homework at the same time, and had a small dinner. At bed time, Shaun put Zarelda back in her box and got comfortable in his own bed. He was kept up thinking about Zarelda's request for new clothes. Eventually a good idea came to him. " That should be perfect! " Shaun thought happily. He rolled onto his side and quickly went to sleep.
Chapter 5 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
It was brought to my attention that I never explained why there's only one tag. For some reason the website will only let me add one. I have no clue why, but any help with that is greatly appreciated. This story will mainly be about feet, growing woman, shrinking man, and some violence. A few other things will be thrown in from time to time. Just thought I'd let you know. Enjoy!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 5

Shaun was particularly excited about getting home today. He was excited to get home every day, but this was different. He had gotten Zarelda a present and couldn't wait to give it to her. Shaun pulled into his parking spot and grabbed his backpack and Zarelda's present from the passenger seat. He took the stairs two at a time and jogged to his door. His excitement caused him to fumble with his keys, but he managed to unlock the door.

" Zarelda! I have a surprise for you! " Shaun shut the door and set his backpack down. Zarelda was on the coffee table waiting for him as usual.

" What is it? " she asked as Shaun sat down on the couch.

He held up a grey plastic bag. " You got me a bag? " Zarelda asked confused.

" No, haha. It's in the bag. " Shaun reached in the bag and pulled out a toy doll. The doll was encased in plastic packaging and was wearing a yellow sundress.

" A doll? "

" Well, the dolls not for you. Her clothes are though. "

" Really? Oh, thank you Shaun! I love it! " Zarelda clasped her hands together with a large smile.

Shaun returned her smile " Hold on a minute. I'll get it out for you. "

Shaun carefully opened the packaging so he could return the doll in case it didn't fit the tiny woman. " It was a bit awkward buying a doll. I told the cashier I was buying it for my little sister. She really didn't seem to care either way. "

With some effort, Shaun freed the doll from its plastic prison. He carefully removed the dress from the doll and handed it to Zarelda. " Try it on. Lemme know if its not the right size. I'm going to get a drink. " Shaun left Zarelda to change clothes and went to the kitchen. " She may be small, but she's one of the best looking women I've ever seen. " he thought sneaking a peek at Zarelda from the corner of his eye. He got a mug from the cupboard and poured himself some milk. When he came back into the living room, Zarelda had already changed into the dress.

" I love it, Shaun! " Zarelda said spinning around in it.

" Glad you like it. I'll try to get you more every now and again. "

" Thank you so much! How can I repay you? "

" No need to. It's a gift. "

Zarelda frowned " I can't just take this for free. "

" Don't worry about it. I gotta go to the bathroom. Be right back. " Shaun set his mug on the coffee table and got off the couch. Zarelda watched him go out of the corner of her eye. She waited until she heard the door close, then reached into the small pocket of the dress and pulled out the vial. " This is my chance! " Zarelda thought with a wicked grin on her face. She ran to the mug, thankfully she was a head taller than it, and dumped the powder into the milk. The powder worked with any amount, but the more you used the faster it worked. She only had a little bit so it would take longer, but it would get the job done. Zarelda cupped her hand and took a few sips of the milk. " All that's left is for that idiot to drink some. " Zarelda moved away from the mug and waited for Shaun to return. A few minutes Shaun came back, flopping down on the couch.

" Well, I have to type an essay. You can watch whatever you want, I'll be in my room. I'll come out and check on you from time to time. " Shaun said grabbing his mug.

" Thanks again for the dress. " Zarelda said letting her excitement trickle out.

Shaun stood up and took a sip from his mug. Zarelda almost cried out in victory, but she kept her emotions in check. " You're welcome. Oh, by the way, I'm going shopping for stuff for the apartment with a friend tomorrow. You'll have the place to yourself another day. "

" Okay. "

Shaun left for his bedroom. Zarelda waited until he was out of earshot then jumped up and down in celebration. She was finally going to be normal sized again! She would have her magic back! " It's only a matter of time now. " Zarelda grinned evilly.


Shaun pulled up in front of the house Kyrie shared with her friend, Victoria. He honked twice to let her know he was there. Kyrie had agreed to help him get some things that'll make his apartment look much better. He watched as Kyrie came out of the front door. Shaun had known Kyrie since his junior year of high school. When he'd first started talking to her, he'd had a small crush on her. The two quickly became great friends. Shaun decided against ever asking Kyrie out on a date or anything of the sort, it was just too weird. They had remained friends ever since. They both ended up going to the same college after high school. Shaun ate lunch with her and some other friends every day. Outside of school, they hung out whenever their individual schedules allowed it. Kyrie was a fairly short girl, maybe 5'0. She was a mixture of Hispanic, Asian, and Irish ethnicity. Her hair went down to her shoulders and was dyed a deep red. Today she was wearing a white T-shirt, running shorts, and black flip flops. Shaun would never admit it to her, but lately those old feelings for her had returned. He didn't have a clue how to approach the situation. He kept hoping something would come to him. As Kyrie opened the car door Shaun grinned and said " Hey, how's it goin' short stuff? "

" Hahaha, that hasn't gotten old in all the years I've known you. "

" And it never will. " Shaun laughed.

Kyrie buckled in and flipped through the radio stations. " Jeez, make yourself comfortable why don't you. "

" Okay! " Kyrie slid her feet out of her flip flops and put them on the dashboard.
" Get your feet off my dash. "

" No, hehe! "

" Ugh, whatever. You ready to go? "

" Lets roll out! "


Shaun and Kyrie walked around the furniture store. Shaun was looking for a bed frame and a desk. He'd already ordered the desk and was now searching for a bed frame.

" Hey, that one looks nice. " Kyrie said pointing to their right. The one Kyrie was talking about was made of black wood and had drawers built into the base. Kyrie crouched down and pulled out one of the drawers " Oooooh, fancy. "

Shaun looked at the price tag. " Yeah, that's doable. It is pretty nice. "

Kyrie stood up and looked at Shaun. She opened her mouth as if about to speak then closed it and frowned.

" What is it? Is there something on my face? " Shaun asked.

" No, no. I swear you seem a bit shorter. "

Shaun squinted at her " You're hilarious Little Red. "

" No, I'm serious. You look a couple inches shorter. "

" What if you just grew a couple inches? "

" Hmmm, I guess that might be it. " Kyrie said doubtfully.

" Maybe I won't be able to call you Little Red for much longer. " Shaun laughed and turned to get a sales clerk. Kyrie looked at the back of his head with a confused frown.


Shaun shut the front door behind him, locking both locks.

" Shaun! I have fantastic news! " Zarelda cried.

Shaun rushed to the coffee table " What is it? ".

Zarelda raised her arms " Look at me! "

Shaun didn't see anything different about her. She was still barefoot and wearing the dress he'd gotten her. Then he noticed it; Zarelda was maybe 2 inches taller!

" Oh my god! What happened? " Shaun asked sitting down.

" I don't know! It just happened! I noticed that my eye level was higher, my hands and feet were bigger too! I think the sorceresses curse is wearing off! " Zarelda said happily.

" This is great! I'm so happy for you, Zarelda! We have to celebrate! " Shaun rushed into the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of wine Kyrie had given as an apartment warming present. He also grabbed a corkscrew. " Wait, I don't have a cup small enough for Zarelda. " An idea came to him. He hurried out of the kitchen towards the bathroom. " Hold on, I'll be right there. " he said to Zarelda. Shaun opened up the medicine cabinet and pulled the small cup off a bottle of cough syrup. He returned to the couch, placing the cup in front of Zarelda. " You do want some of this, right? "

" Yes! Very much so! "

Shaun popped the cork, letting fly off to the corner of the room. He poured a small amount into Zarelda's cup, then took a large sip for himself. " I hope your not a lightweight. " Shaun laughed. Zarelda awkwardly picked up the cup and took a large gulp. Some of it spilled down the front of her dress. Shaun burst into a fit of laughter.

" I could say the same to you. " Zarelda said wiping her chin.

" We'll see about that. "


A couple hours later Shaun passed out on the couch. He'd drunken most of the wine himself, only giving Zarelda a little bit. He began to snore loudly. Zarelda was sitting on the coffee table with her legs laid out in front of her feeling quite pleased with herself. One of the perks of being immortal was that alcohol barely affected her. On the other hand, it would make the powder work even faster on Shaun. The small dose she'd given him would've taken a few days normally, but the wine will quicken the pace greatly. It was all going according to plan. Zarelda's muscles tensed as she started to grow again. Her devilish smile appeared once again.

Chapter 6 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Sorry about the wait. My reserve on this story ran out. So, it'll be a little while between updates but don't worry. The story shall go on! From this point on things are gonna start picking up.
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 6

Shaun woke up with a pounding headache. He rolled over and almost fell off the couch. " Ugh, what happened last night? " As he rose up to a sitting position, bits and pieces of the previous night came back to him. Shaun sighed, propping his head on his hand. " I need an ibuprofen. " Shaun shuffled into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. He got the bottle of ibuprofen and unscrewed the cap. He shook out two pills and swallowed them dry. While he closed the medicine cabinet, he noticed something strange in his reflection. His head wasn't as high as it usually was in the mirror. Shaun shrugged, blaming it on the hangover. He undressed and hopped into the shower.

Immediately something felt off, normally he had to tilt his head forward to get his hair wet. Now, the water was falling directly on his head. Shaun didn't think much of it, continuing with his shower. He stepped out a few minutes later and started to towel off. Shaun didn't notice it, but the towel covered a little bit more of his body than usual. After that, he went to his bedroom and threw on some clothes. He chose a striped blue T-shirt and jeans. Shaun returned to the living room to find Zarelda laid out on the coffee table asleep. She had gotten a few inches bigger over night. Shaun guessed she was almost 8 inches tall now. He sat down on the couch and poked Zarelda in the stomach. She jolted awake, sitting up quickly.

" Hm? Oh, it's you Shaun. What's the matter? "

" Nothing. I woke up a while ago and thought I'd wake you up too. "

" Oh, alright. "

" Looks like someone couldn't hold their wine very well. " Shaun grinned.

" You're one to talk. After you got nice and drunk, you picked me up and waved me around singing some song about a Barbie girl. "

Shaun's face turned red. " Um... Sorry about that. "

" It's okay. It was actually quite humorous. " Zarelda laughed.

" Anyways, I think I'm gonna try to get some unpacking done today. What do you wanna do? "

" I think I'd like to sleep some more. Could you put me on the couch when you get off? "

" Sure. " Shaun cupped his hands and placed them in front of Zarelda.

She climbed over them and sat down. He traded places with her on the couch. " Alright, I'm gonna make some coffee then get to work. "

" Okay. See you later. "

With that, Zarelda closed her eyes and got comfortable. She leaned back on a couch pillow and crossed her legs in front of her. Shaun went to the kitchen.


Zarelda sat on the couch quite comfortably. Her plan was in full motion. All she had to do was sit back and wait. Shaun could work all he wanted to, it would only increase the speed of the powder more. Zarelda hated it, but she knew she would have to continue to act nice around Shaun for a couple days. At least until she was so much bigger than him that he won't be able to do anything to her. It was worth it to be normal sized again and have her powers back. This new world she was in would soon be bowing at her feet. The first one to be doing that will be Shaun.


Shaun wiped some sweat off his forehead. He quickly cut open another box. So far, he'd already gotten through about five or so. This one contained another batch of his book collection. He slid it over to the bookcase he had assembled earlier and started putting the books on the shelf. He was almost done when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Shaun slid his phone out and unlocked the screen. There was a text message from Kyrie. It said " Do u want 2 get some lunch? " Shaun replied saying yes and when. A few seconds later, Kyrie answered saying she would be over to pick Shaun up soon and to be ready. Shaun was already dressed so all he had to do was put on his shoes. He continued to unpack for ten minutes until a sudden thought occurred to him.

" Oh, shit. Kyrie can't see Zarelda! " Shaun scrambled to his feet. He'd already wasted ten minutes and it didn't take Kyrie that long to get here. He rushed into the living room, stopping in front of the couch.

" Zarelda! You have to wake up! " Shaun said in as loud a whisper as he could manage.

Zarelda's eyes opened lazily. " What is it? " she grumbled.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. " Crap, I need to take you to my bedroom. Kyrie and me are going out to lunch. I'll be back in an hour or so. Okay? "

Zarelda stood up. " So be it. "

Shaun gently scooped her up. Pretty soon he wouldn't be able to hold her in his hands. She was getting big. He hurried around his bed and set her in her box. " Alright, I'll be home as quickly as I can. Bye. "
" Good bye, Shaun. " Zarelda said dully.

Shaun opened the front door to see Kyrie standing there with her hands in her pockets. Today her hair was loose around her shoulders. She was wearing a purple blouse, dark blue jeans, and black Vans.

" Hey, you ready to go? " Kyrie asked pointing her thumbs toward the stairs.

" Just need to get my shoes on. " Shaun said turning away.

" Hold on, turn around. "

He did as she asked. " What? "

" You are totally getting shorter! I couldn't have grown that much in a day, Shaun. "

Shaun smirked at her " Kyrie, I'm not even wearing shoes. Calm down. People don't just shrink. "

Shaun's thoughts immediately went to Zarelda. " Well not nowadays anyway. " he thought. Shaun picked up his shoes and went to the couch. He pulled them on, then double knotted them. Oddly, there was a lot more room in the shoes. Now that he thought about it his clothes were loose too. " Come on. Don't let Kyrie get to you with all this. " He shook his head. Shaun grabbed his keys off the table and stood up. " Okay, let's go. " Shaun locked the door behind them. As Kyrie walked towards the stairs, he couldn't help but notice his field of vision was lower. " What the hell is going on? "


Shaun practically ran up the stairs to his floor, taking them two at a time. Something was definitely wrong. Not even five minutes ago, he'd made a very disturbing discovery. Kyrie had given Shaun a ride home from the restaurant and everything seemed fine. They both got out to do the traditional goodbye hug. They embraced and then Shaun noticed it. Usually, he was a full head taller than Kyrie when they hugged. He could rest his chin on top of her head. This time, however, his eyes were a couple inches above the top of her head. He nearly fell over from surprise and disbelief. Kyrie must have picked up on it because she let him go, taking a step back.

" Are you alright? " she asked genuinely concerned.

" Y-yeah, I'm fine. I think something I ate didn't agree with me... I-I gotta go. " Shaun turned and quickly walked away.

" Hey! Text me later and let me know how you're feeling! If it gets worse I'll take you to urgent care, okay? " Kyrie called after him.

" Uh huh, sure. " Shaun said over his shoulder.

When he got to the stairs, his composure completely shattered. Now, he was wrestling the locks on his door open as fast as possible. After a few mistakes, he got it open. He slammed the door shut, locking both locks. Shaun leaned back on it and sighed. " What's happening to me? Why is this happening to me? " he put a hand on his head, raking it through his hair. " What do I do? " Shaun said defeatedly, sliding to the floor. He sat there for awhile, thinking about what to do. The answer came to him suddenly. He felt stupid for not thinking about it sooner. Shaun climbed to his feet, going to his bedroom. He sat down on the side of the bed next to Zarelda's box. " Hey, Zarelda. I need to talk to you. It's important. " Zarelda had gotten bigger since he saw her last. At this rate the box wouldn't be big enough for her much longer. She was sitting in the corner of the box, braiding her hair.

" What is it, Shaun? You seem upset? "

Shaun took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. " I... think I'm shrinking. No, I know I'm shrinking. You have to know something about this right? "

" No, Shaun I don't. I'm sorry. It might be a part of the sorceresses curse. I must be taking your size from you. I wish I knew how to stop it. "

" You're sure you don't know anything? " Shaun asked desperately.

" No, I'm truly sorry. "

Shaun looked at the floor, still trying to accept the situation. " Alright then. I think I need to be alone for awhile. " Shaun got up and left the room. " Shouldn't be too much longer. " Zarelda thought happily. Out in the living room, Shaun decided he wanted to know just how much he'd shrunken so far. He grabbed a tape measure, pulling it out next to him. He pinched it where it leveled with the top of his head. Shaun looked at the measurement and almost fell over. He was 5'3! A couple days ago he was 6'5! Shaun sunk down onto the couch. His heart was beating rapidly. He was terrified. How small was he going to get? Pretty soon Zarelda would be the one carrying him around in her hand. Shaun put his head in his hands. " Oh, god. "
Chapter 7 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Happy to get this story rolling again. I think I'm going to switch off writing both of my current stories. I'm still not too sure about this one, so if you like it please let me know. Things get interesting in this chapter. Enjoy!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 7

Shaun clutched his cup of coffee shakily. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. All he could think about was the fact that he was shrinking and while he shrunk, Zarelda kept growing. He wasn't comfortable around her anymore. She was in her box sleeping in his room. His mind had come up with the idea that the further he got from her, the less he would shrink. Shaun doubted it worked like that, but it helped ease his nerves.

When he woke up that morning the first thing he did was check his height. Last time he checked he was 4'9. By association, that meant Zarelda was over a foot tall. That was a couple hours ago though. Who knew how much their sizes had changed since then. Shaun's clothes were getting exceedingly baggy on him. The only way to keep his shorts up was to constantly hold them when he walked anywhere. His belts were all too big. His shirts went down to his knees. So, he decided it was best not to go to school today. Or any day until he was back to normal. Hopefully, that wouldn't be too much longer.

__________________________________________________________
Two days later...

" Shaun! Are you awake? " Zarelda called walking out of the bedroom.

The box Zarelda usually slept in was much too small now. She had taken to sleeping in Shaun's large bed. It would soon be hers anyways. Meanwhile, Shaun slept on the couch. The fool tried to be as distant from her as possible these days. He couldn't leave the apartment, he was too afraid. Soon enough, Shaun would depend on her for everything. They were both roughly the same size now, about 3 feet tall. Zarelda was a couple inches taller. Because Shaun kept changing his clothes, they weren't shrinking with him like they were supposed to. He was reduced to wearing one of his T-shirts like a dress. It went past his knees and almost to his ankles.

The sight pleased Zarelda to no end. However, it still wasn't enough. The shrinking process needed to work faster. Zarelda had a plan just for that. Any physical exertion would increase the shrinking speed, but she knew something that would benefit them both.

" Yeah, I'm awake. "

Turning the corner of the couch, Zarelda found Shaun sitting on the edge with his phone next to him. He was so small he could no longer hold it in his hands.

" Who are you talking to? " Zarelda asked climbing up on the couch next to him.

" My friend, Kyrie. She kept asking questions about why I wasn't going to school. I told her a family member passed away and I'd be gone for awhile. It's not the truth, but I can't let her see me like this. Zarelda... Can you think of any way to reverse this? I can't be this size forever. "

" Shaun, I'm sorry. I have no idea how to stop this. I was fine with being small, I got used to it. I never wanted to grow at your sake. If I could fix this I would without hesitation. Shaun, I promise I'll take care of you like you did me until I figure out a way to reverse this. "

Shaun looked at her with fear in his eyes. Zarelda loved that look. Shaun put his head in his hands. " Oh God, how small am I going to get? "

Zarelda scooted closer, putting a hand on his shoulder. Shaun was too upset to care. " Focusing on it is going to drive you insane. You need to keep yourself distracted. " Zarelda leaned in and kissed Shaun's cheek, this made him look up.

" What are you doing? "

" I never repayed you for your kindness. I can't pay you in money, but I can in a much more... primal way. I haven't been able to do it because of my size. We're both about the same size now and you need to relax. "

Shaun sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking. " I... I've never done it before. "

Zarelda smiled. " It's been hundreds of years since I've done it. I'll be just as bad. Take off your shirt. " He hesitated a moment, then did as she said. " Typical man. " Zarelda thought standing up on the couch. Shaun finished tugging off his much too large shirt and let it fall to the floor. He watched as Zarelda slowly undid the Velcro straps on her dress. Shaun's tiny penis began to grow. The dress fell around Zarelda's ankles, she stepped out of it and took slow seductive steps towards Shaun.

Zarelda was a beautiful woman, the most beautiful woman Shaun had ever met. She knelt down on Shaun's lap, straddling him. They started to kiss, slowly at first but becoming more furious. Zarelda stopped kissing and put her mouth to his ear. " Don't think about it. Just do it. " She gently pushed him onto his back. The two were both grinning, but for very different reasons...

__________________________________________________________

Shaun awoke groggily. Sunlight filtered through the window slats, making him squint. Zarelda and him spent most of the day on the couch, they did it twice. It was now 5:35 PM.

" Hmmmmmm... Zarelda? "

" I'm right here. " Zarelda sat at the other end of the couch with her legs tucked underneath her. She had put her yellow dress back on at some point. " How was it? " Zarelda asked smiling.

" Great. Thanks, I really needed that. "

" It was no problem. Shaun, I have bad news. You got smaller in your sleep. A lot smaller. "

Shaun looked down at himself, there was noticeable difference then before he fell asleep. He had lost about a foot of his height which meant Zarelda had gained a foot. " Shit. " he sighed. Zarelda started to crawl toward Shaun. He realized just how big she really was compared to him. She placed her large hand on his chest, it almost completely covered it.

" I haven't been entirely truthful with you, Shaun. I feel I should tell you the truth. I lied an evil sorceress didn't do this to me. I was the evil sorceress. I found a spell to make myself immortal all those years ago and a powder that could change a persons size. Later, I found out it came at the cost of another persons size. I took over an entire city. A kingdom. It was great for awhile, then the little fools tricked me. Slipped me the powder in my water. Me! An immortal all powerful sorceress! They changed the powder so I couldn't use my powers while shrunken and put me in that bottle. To keep the bottle safe they formed an order to protect it for the rest of time. To keep me imprisoned! The bottle was passed on through the generations of order members. "

" Sometimes, they would open the bottle. Make sure I was still inside. Even let me stretch and get fresh air. It was then they taught me new languages. The day they put me in that bottle I swore when I got out the world would pay. That day came when you let me out, idiot. I slipped you that powder I spoke off. I kept some with me all those years. Waiting for my chance to use it. It's been torture acting nice these past few days. Especially with your stupidity. Now, you can't fight me. You can take on your new role as my slave. "

Shaun waited a moment to make sure she was done talking with a confused expression, then gave a nervous laugh. " You're messing with me aren't you? I have to say it's not very funny though. "

Zarelda took her hand off Shaun's chest. " This is no joke. I would demonstrate my power, but I can't yet. Once I have finished stealing your size I'll have it back and that's when the real fun begins. "

An evil smile spread across Zarelda's face. Shaun saw it for the first time. He was surprised he hadn't seen it sooner. There was pure evil and malice in her eyes. Shaun's heart beat fearfully in his chest. One thought ran rampant through his head. " I gotta get outta here. " Shaun flipped off the couch and landed on his side on top of his shirt. He scrambled to his feet and ran towards the front door. He wasn't thinking, he just wanted to get away from this terrifying woman.

" Little bastard! " Zarelda screamed.

She hopped off the couch and took off in pursuit. Despite Shaun's best efforts Zarelda took longer strides and quickly caught up. She shoved him from behind, making him lose his balance and fall in heap. Shaun started crawling, a desperation move. Zarelda planted her big foot on his back, pinning him to the floor.

" Let me go! You're insane! Get your big ass foot off me you psychotic bitch! "

Shaun flipped onto his back by Zarelda's long toes. She hoisted him up by the arm like he was a child throwing a tantrum. Zarelda cocked her arm back and back handed Shaun in the face. Shaun saw stars, his vision blurred. " Let me- " He was rocked by a ferocious punch that sent him sprawling to the carpet. " Lal... " Shaun couldn't form words anymore, he was too stunned. Zarelda took a handful of his hair and slapped him once more. Blood spat from Shaun's mouth and he fell over unconscious.

" Fucking little shit! "

Zarelda stomped down on Shaun's side. A hacking cough escaped his lips, but he didn't regain consciousness. Zarelda stood for there for a few moments over Shaun's unconscious form, catching her breath. She raised her hand, feeling something wet on it. Shaun's blood was smeared across her fingers. She knelt down and wiped it on the floor. Grabbing both of his arms, Zarelda dragged Shaun into the bathroom. She laid him in the middle of the white tile and stared down at him with an angry stare. Zarelda padded out of the bathroom and reached up on tip toes to close the door. " Well, I feel much better. " Zarelda smiled. Her muscles suddenly tensed, she fell back against the door. " Oh, yes! This day gets better and better! "
Chapter 8 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Zarelda's fun has only just started.
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 8

Shaun's eyes snapped open and he sucked in big gulps of air. Almost immediately, he started to cough viciously.

" Nnnnnnn... " he moaned.

His body hurt in multiple places. The right side of his chest felt like it was on fire every time his lungs expanded. Both sides of his face throbbed painfully. The slightest brush of his finger on his lip made him flinch away. Picking his head up, Shaun saw he was in his bathroom. He was still naked and sprawled out on the tile. When he tried to get up the pain in his side flared up, making him sit back down. Shaun readied himself and stood up as quickly as possible. Not letting the pain stop him. He lifted up his arm carefully and saw the area over his ribs was an ugly purple color.

While he was unconscious, he'd gotten smaller. He wasn't sure how he knew for sure, he just did. Shaun went to the door and beat on it with his fist.

" Zarelda! Zarelda! Let me out of here! " There was no reply. " Dammit! That bitch! I trusted her! I helped her! Look what it got me. "

He leaned back on the door and slid down to the tile. Shaun hated to admit it, but his situation seemed hopeless. It seemed Zarelda didn't want him to escape and if she didn't want him to, there wasn't a good chance he'd be able. After all, the psycho was stealing his size! She had beaten him senseless with no resistance on Shaun's part. How could he fight someone twice his size, probably more now. Shaun eased onto his good side, propping his head on his hand. He doubted Zarelda would be opening the door anytime soon. Without any brilliant escape plans coming to mind, Shaun thought some rest would do him well.

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Two days later...

Zarelda kept Shaun trapped in the bathroom for two more days. Those two days were absolute hell. The first night Zarelda had come into the bathroom with two bowls. One was filled with water, the other with grapes. Shaun kept a safe distance away from the still growing giant. She set them down, then looked at Shaun with a wry grin.

" You don't get these for free. You have to earn it. "

Zarelda advanced on Shaun. Shaun took two steps back, but realized there was no way out and stopped. Zarelda crouched in front of Shaun.

" We're going to do it again. I don't care how much of a fight you put up. It's happening. " she said already undoing the straps of her dress.

" Don't touch me. I'm not doing anything for you. "

" You really don't have a choice. "

Zarelda picked Shaun up under the arms and leaned back on the floor. Shaun kicked at her stomach, thrashing in her grip. Zarelda smacked him across the face. His already sore face exploded in pain again.

" Stop fighting. It'll only make things worse for you. "

Five minutes later, Zarelda rolled Shaun off her chest. She stood up, pulling her dress back on.

" That was fun. Get some rest. I might be back later on. "

Shaun lay there, still dazed from what just happened. He was fairly certain he just got raped. After that, Shaun slept in the cabinet under the sink. The tile was too cold, the wood offered somewhat warmer bedding. The next day Shaun was woken up by Zarelda ripping open the cabinet door.

" There you are! Get out of there! "

Zarelda grabbed one of Shaun's arms and legs. She roughly yanked him out of the cabinet. Shaun thudded against the floor, all his bruises were hit with a stab of pain. He sucked in a painful breath from between his split lips. Looking up, Shaun saw that Zarelda had grown even bigger, best he could figure she was about five feet tall. Shaun would be inches tall very soon.

" How dare you hide from me you worm! "

" I wasn't hiding! The floor was co- "

Zarelda slapped Shaun, he fell over making his bruises throb.

" Do not talk back to me! I am your master! " Zarelda put her foot across Shaun's stomach and pressed down.

" Ahhhhhhh! Please! Please! Stop! I'm sorry! " Zarelda took her large foot off, Shaun started to cough uncontrollably.

" Remember that before you speak to me next time. Stay out of that cabinet! "

For the rest of his bathroom imprisonment Zarelda didn't say a word to him. When it came time to do his business, Shaun ran behind the toilet and did it there. Zarelda could clean it up herself if she cared enough. Every now and again Zarelda would take his water bowl and refill it. Shaun assumed the shrinking was affecting his appetite, only a few small bites of a grape made him full. Each time she would pause for a moment and look at him with a satisfied grin.

On the morning of the second day, Shaun figured he'd finally dropped below a foot tall. Because he slept on the tile the previous night he woke up cold. He scrunched up against the wall opposite the toilet and rubbed his arms for warmth. At some point that day, a thought popped into Shaun's head. He realized the reason Zarelda was keeping him confined in here was to break him down. She could beat him physically with little effort as was proven by his battered face, but he wouldn't let her beat him mentally. He would hold out as long it took for him to escape. A mental breakdown could wait until he was free and safe.

The third day turned out to be his last day trapped in the bathroom. That morning Shaun woke up and nearly yelled in terror. He was at most five inches tall now! The bathroom was like a city. His mind was having trouble adjusting to his tiny stature. Shaun eased himself into a sitting position, leaning on the wall of the bathtub. A few hours later, Zarelda opened the door triumphantly.

" Hello, slave. The powder has done its job. The process is over. It pleases me greatly to see you so small. "

She took two steps closer to Shaun. He pushed himself flat against the bathtub. Zarelda's monstrous toes wiggled happily in front of him.

" There's even better news. My powers have returned. "

Zarelda raised her hand palm down, splaying her fingers out. An invisible force grabbed Shaun's arms and legs, lifting him off the ground.

" Whoa! What are you doing?! "

He continued to rise steadily into the air, getting closer to Zarelda's outstretched hand. Shaun flailed around, kicking at open air. Zarelda's hand came down and closed around Shaun.

" It feels so good to have my powers back. You haven't seen anything yet. " Zarelda laughed.

Shaun squirmed in her grasp. He was carried out to the living room and set on the coffee table, much like Shaun had done for Zarelda a few days ago. She sat down and just stared at him for awhile with a half smile on her face. Feeling uncomfortable and very vulnerable, Shaun positioned one leg to cover his exposed crotch.

" So? What are you going to do? Kill me? " he asked not looking her in the eye.

Zarelda started to laugh. " Oh, Shaun. I wouldn't dream of it! You're the one who set me free of that accursed bottle. No, you're my first new slave and I plan to keep you for a long time. I want you to see what you unleashed on the world. Let's heal those bruises. "

A warm light began swirling around Shaun. What pain was left in him melted away. Zarelda picked up a long, thin square object off the couch next to her. Shaun recognized it as his laptop. He hadn't noticed it when he was set down.

" Now, you're going to teach me how to use this. There a few things I need to find. "
Chapter 9 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Fair warning. The foot action starts in this chapter. Just wanted you to be aware.
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 9

Shaun spent the rest of the day teaching Zarelda how to use the laptop and how to get where she needed to go. Zarelda knew more than she originally let on. Not only could she speak English fluently, she could spell it too. Once he taught her how to start it, use the keyboard, gave her his password, and open a search engine; she was off. Shaun really wondered what she was looking for, whatever it was it couldn't be good.

" Ah ha! Found one! How do I locate it? "

Zarelda had pulled up a page for a herbal ingredients store. It was a local store, only a couple miles away.

" What the hell does she want from this place? " he asked himself.
To Zarelda he said " It's not too far away. How are you going to get there? "

" I don't know! You tell me slave! I can't drive a car. "

" Well there's the bus or a cab, but those cost money. "

" You have money, don't you? Where is it? " Shaun hesitated, not wanting to give up his wallet. " If you don't tell me, there are other ways to get it out of you. "

" It's in my room on the nightstand. The black leather. "

Zarelda got up and and walked into his bedroom. She came back out already searching his wallet. " Where's the money? "

" The green paper. "

" This is money? Strange. "

Shaun watched her thumbing through his dollar bills with some anger. There was around fifty bucks in that wallet. At least she didn't know about credit cards.

" Tell me about these... cabs. "

He spent an hour helping Zarelda plan her trip to this store. The bus seemed the better idea because it was cheaper and you got a card for the whole day. The only reason Shaun cared about Zarelda saving money was because she taking care of him now and he needed food. He gave her directions to the bus stop and how to get to the store from her stop which she wrote down on a piece of paper. Zarelda was all set for her trip.

" Good work, slave. You can have the night off. "

She waved her hand and her cardboard box appeared on the table next to Shaun.

" You're making me sleep in this? "

" What did I tell you about talking back? "

" Nevermind. "

" That's another thing. I am your master and you will address me as such. Master, mistress, queen, goddess. Any of those will do. Every time you don't address me correctly there will be a punishment. Do you understand? "

" Yes... mistress. "

" I think you're going to become an excellent slave in time. "

Zarelda scooped Shaun up in her hand and dropped him in the box. He landed roughly on the towel at the bottom. A water bowl appeared in the corner.

" Good night, slave. "

The lights were turned off, leaving Shaun in total darkness.

" Whatever that bitch is getting from the store can't be good. I have to find out what she's planning. I'm the only person that can stop her. The worlds in serious trouble if it's only hope is five inch tall man versus an immortal psychotic sorceress. " Shaun laid out on the towel, despite his fear and anxiety he quickly fell asleep.

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Zarelda stepped out of the shower with a smile on her face. She hadn't felt this great in a very, very long time. She was no longer small, had her powers back, and was freshly cleaned. Getting used to being big again was taking longer than she liked. She bumped into things a lot and knocked over items she reached for. It was a small price to pay for her new size. Zarelda toweled off and wrapped it around herself. She went into her new bedroom and opened the closet. She wanted to get to the store and back as fast as possible. The idea of leaving her slave alone didn't sit well with her. He could get into some mischief while she was gone.

However, Zarelda needed this ingredient. All of the powder she had she used on Shaun. To carry out her plan, she needed to make more. Getting her revenge on the world would be near impossible at her current size. She needed to be much bigger. Zarelda decided to wear a red T-shirt and a pair of tan shorts. Both were slightly baggy on her, the size stealing wasn't an exact process. The shirt didn't bother her, but she grabbed a belt for the shorts. Shaun's new box was still on the coffee table where she left it when she walked out. Peering inside, she saw his tiny naked form wrapped up in the towel. The thought of waking him up crossed her mind, but the slave could use some rest.

She grabbed his wallet off the the kitchen table and went to the front door. As she was about to walk out, she looked down at her bare feet. After being barefooted for so long, it seemed natural to her. Fortunately, Shaun had many pairs of shoes. Zarelda went with a pair of what Shaun called flip flops. " What a stupid name. " she said sliding into them. She wiggled her toes noticing that even these were big on her. With her new shoes on, Zarelda exited the apartment. She waved her hand and heard the locks click into place. A big breath of fresh air filled her lungs.

The previous day she had gone out onto the balcony to get her first taste of fresh air. It was better than she thought it would be. She also got her first look at the new world around her. The differences between her own time and the present were vast. Zarelda was nearly overwhelmed by it all. The buildings, cars, and especially how people dressed. Not of it mattered, however. When she grew big enough, she would make the world into whatever she wanted it to be. She walked down the stairs slowly and carefully, not trusting herself not to fall. Her body still moved clumsily. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Zarelda looked out across the parking lot.

Multiple cars were spread throughout it, sitting under metal roofs. The ground underneath them was a black rock like substance with white lines painted on it. The cars were all placed between two of the lines. Plants were growing amid small rocks next to gray walkways. A woman walked by in a shirt that revealed her arms and bosom with shorts the totally exposed her legs. She held a pink rope that was tied around the neck of a small brown dog. " The world has become a strange place in my imprisonment. " Zarelda thought to herself.

" You look totally lost. Can I help you find something? " a male voice spoke behind Zarelda.

She whirled around to find it was a young man who had spoken to her. The mans skin was deeply tanned and his naked arms showed pronounced muscles underneath it. His hair was spiked crazily up in the air, but was shaved short on the sides. A small strip of facial hair was left just below his lower lip. He wore a black shirt without arms and black shorts made of a weird material. Looking past his odd appearance, he was a handsome boy.

" Yes, I think you can. I'm looking for the bus stop. "

" Oh, that's right outside the complex. I could take you to it, if that's alright? "

" Yes, thank you. "

The man started to walk, following the gray rock walkway. " I haven't seen you around before and I think I'd remember. " he smiled with his lips.

" I just moved in a little while ago. " Zarelda said remembering what Shaun had told her to say.

" Really? I didn't know there were any new tenants. Are you liking the place? "

" It serves it's purpose. " Zarelda didn't like all of the questions he was asking.

" Yeah, it's not the greatest. It has pools and a free gym though. You try them out yet? "

" No, not yet. "

The pair lapsed into silence. A few minutes later they arrived at the bus stop.

" Well, here you are. Bus shouldn't be too much longer. "

" Thanks again... I'm sorry. What's your name? "

" Raul. Listen if you ever want someone to show you around or just chill with, I live in apartment 24B. Come by any time. " Raul said rubbing the back of his head.

Zarelda understood what Raul was trying to say. " Yes, if I ever get lonely I'll stop by. " she said flashing her best smile.

Raul returned the smile and walked away, taking furtive glances over his shoulder. " Idiot. I think I know where I'll be going when I make a new batch of the powder. " Zarelda thought sitting down on the bus stops bench.

__________________________________________________________

" Zarelda! Zarelda! Let me out of here! " Shaun yelled beating on the side of the box.

He had been in the box for hours now with no sign of Zarelda. Even if she had gone to the store, she should've been back by now. Zarelda had only given him a water bowl and he was hungry. When nature called he went into a corner and did his business. It was really starting to stink. Just then, Shaun heard the locks on the front door clicking and it opening. Shaun cupped his hands around his mouth.

" Zarelda! Is that you? " he called.

The only reply was the door being slammed shut. He heard the smack of flip flops on feet and a paper bag crumpling. Zarelda's face appeared over the box.

" Hello, slave. Did you sleep well? "

Shaun was about to give her a sarcastic response, but remembered it would only get him in trouble.

" Yes, mistress. "

" Ahhh, someone's learning. I had a very interesting day. I learned quite a bit myself. "

She reached in, grabbing him around the waist and lifted him out of the box. He landed shakily on the table, almost losing his balance. Zarelda brought her face down in front of him, a large grin already on her face.

" Today, I found out about something called a credit card. I looked in your wallet and found one in there. You neglected to tell me about it. I did my research so you can't lie to me. Now, give me your PIN number. "

Shaun didn't say a word. Zarelda raised her hand and wiggled her fingers. Fire started to dance around her fingers, but it didn't seem to be hurting her. " There are other ways to get it out of you. When you've had enough, I'll heal you and we can do it all over again. "

A wave of fear crashed down on him. He had no doubt Zarelda would do it and enjoy it too. Reluctantly, Shaun told her the number.

" There's a good slave. " Zarelda said putting Shaun's laptop on her lap.

" What'd you get at the store... mistress? "

" Nothing you need concern yourself with. I did find more than one item that I was looking for. "

He was about to pursue the subject, but thought better of it. They were silent for five minutes while Zarelda did something on the laptop. Suddenly, she put her monstrous feet up on the table. Shaun jumped back in surprise.

" Massage my feet, slave. "

Somewhere inside himself, Shaun's anger bubbled over.

" No! This is where I draw the line! I'm not touching your gross feet. "

Zarelda looked up from her work. " Pardon me? Would you like to try that again? "

" I am not massaging your gross feet. "

Shaun repeated slowly. Zarelda set the computer down next to her and took her feet off the table. She leaned forward, pointing a finger at Shaun.

" You'd be amazed at all the different powers I have. It's quite... shocking. "

Shaun would later realize what happened to him next. He only saw it for a split second, but a bolt of electricity shot from Zarelda's finger and hit him square in the chest. Shaun blacked out and went flying back, landing on the table with smoke curling from his chest. Zarelda waved her hand and the warm glow enveloped him. Shaun's eyes flew open.

" Ahhhhhhh! Huff... Huff... Oh god. What'd you do to me? "

" Nothing yet. So, you think my feet are gross? I am your master and you should love every part of me. Hmmmm, I know. I think it's time to use a love charm. I'll just change it a bit. "

Zarelda closed her eyes and started to whisper in a language Shaun didn't understand. He slowly got up from the table top, still dazed from blacking out. An odd, joyous feeling came down upon him. A red light swirled around him and became a glowing ball. The ball floated into Shaun's chest and disappeared. The red light pulsed out through his body.

" What do you think of my feet now? "

Shaun stood there for a moment with a dreamy look on his face.

" I-I love them... I want to rub them and kiss them... What'd you do to me?! "

Zarelda threw her head back and laughed as she put the computer back in her lap. " Don't think about it too much. Now, let's try again, " she put her feet up on the table " , massage my feet. "

Shaun found her feet incredibly beautiful. Deep now he knew it was wrong and gross, but he didn't care. He walked up and put a hand on her long smooth sole. His member began to stir. Both of Shaun's hands made their way to Zarelda's soles, rubbing small circles into it. He continued to do this for awhile, rubbing each foot meticulously. Without him noticing his tongue crept out of his mouth and next thing he knew he was licking her foot.

" If you start that you're going to have to do the entire foot. "

" Yes, I will. "

After he licked as much of Zarelda's heels as he could reach, Zarelda lifted him up to her toes and the process started again. Her toes wiggled in happiness as Shaun licked. By the time he finished with each foot an hour and a half had gone by.

" Alright, slave. It's time for bed. "

" What? Please, let me rub your feet for awhile longer. "

" No, no. I can't spoil you. If you're good tomorrow, we can do this again. "

Zarelda picked him up and set him in the box. The lights were turned out, leaving Shaun in relative darkness. Inside the box he found a bowl of grapes and it no longer smelled of his waste. He curled into a corner, thinking of Zarelda's giant gorgeous feet. " A few days ago I was a normal sized average guy. Now, I'm a tiny foot freak. "
Chapter 10 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Quick, little chapter. Going to give this story some attention for awhile. Hope you enjoy!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 10

Zarelda was awoken by a loud ringing noise. She expected it too fade, but it was persistent. When the ringing stopped, a banging noise took its place.

" What in the hell is that? "

Zarelda rolled off Shaun's bed and wrapped the sheet around herself. She walked out to the living room bleary eyed. Shaun's box was still on the table. It had become force of habit to make sure it was there whenever she walked into the living room. The banging was coming from the front door. Wearily, Zarelda padded to the door and looked through the peephole. Outside the door was a man with a large box. Zarelda slowly opened the door. The mans eyes bugged out when he saw her in nothing but a bed sheet.

" Whoa! Um... Sorry ma'am didn't mean to wake you. I've got a desk and a bed frame for a Shaun Winters. "

Zarelda quickly thought of a lie. " I'm sorry. Shaun already left for work. "

" That's alright. You can sign for them. "

" I really don't think I should. "

" Hmmm, I suppose I could leave these and come back later when he's here. "

" That would be great. " Zarelda smiled.

The man leaned back the metal contraption the box sat on and wheeled it into the apartment. He set it down behind the couch and pulled out the contraption.

" I'm gonna go get the bed frame. I'll be right back. "

The man went out the door, shutting it behind him. Zarelda went and got a glass of water while he was gone. The man returned carrying a larger box with another man helping him. They put it down by the first box. Suddenly, a scratching noise started to come from the coffee table.

" Shaun! " Zarelda yelled in her head.

One of the men walked over to the box. " Awww. What ya got in the box? A puppy? " he asked.

When he looked in the box, the mans eyes widened in shock. Waving up at him was a tiny human being.

" Help! Please! Help me! " Shaun called up.

The man turned to Zarelda and started to say something. He never got past the first word. Zarelda waved her hand, making the man disappear in the blink of an eye.

" What the hell was that?! " the other man yelled in fear.

He tried to run for the door, but he didn't stand a chance either. One wave of the hand later and he disappeared too.

" What a mess. " she sighed.

Zarelda looked down over Shaun's box. " Not a very good way to start the day, slave. Escape attempts will get you in serious trouble. "

" I-I'm sorry, mistress. "

" I'll deal with you in a bit. "

She walked back into her bedroom, making the contraption disappear on the way. Zarelda quickly got dressed, not caring what she put on. She slipped out the front door with no shoes on. Carefully, she tiptoed to the staircase that went to the first floor. Looking out at the parking lot, she quickly found the men's truck. She ducked behind a wall and made the truck disappear as well.

" There. It's like they were never here. "

Zarelda returned to the apartment, lifted Jon out of his box, and sat down on the couch. Shaun wiggled in her closed fist.

" What'd you do to that guy? " he asked.

" He and his friend are in a desert somewhere on the world. "

" What!? You can't do that! They didn't know what they were walking into! Please, put them back here. "

" No. This is your consequence for trying to get them to help you. You have to live with knowing that they will likely die because of you. "

" Zarelda, please. Don't do this. "

" It's mistress to you, slave. As a bonus you have to stay in your box two days without food. "

" What? Two days? I can still... rub your feet though, right? " Shaun asked sickened by his attraction to this woman's feet.

" No, you can't. Have fun. " Zarelda tossed him back into the box without hesitation.

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Shaun's life fell into a monotonous pattern. During his two day solitary confinement his mind was dominated by his hunger and Zarelda's gorgeous feet. As time went on, Shaun continually fantasized about them. It got so bad he jacked off to the image of them in his head.

" God, I'm pitiful. " he thought as he did it.

When the punishment was over, Zarelda gave Shaun a bowl full of rice and let him give her a foot massage. This became the daily routine. During the day Zarelda would go out for a few hours, then come back and have Shaun rub her feet. Despite his best efforts, Shaun couldn't turn down a chance to touch her feet. Zarelda's trips mainly consisted of shopping for clothes and her secret project. Shaun was pretty sure it was ingredients for the powder she used to shrink him.

Whenever she got new clothes Zarelda would model them for him. He would complient her choices and beauty, even though he wasn't actually paying attention. One day Zarelda came home with a hamster cage. She laid a towel inside and filled the water bottle.

" Taking care of you is such a hassle. Now you can practically take care of yourself. You can get water any time and now you can get some exercise. " she said spinning the wheel.

The cage became his new home. Eventually, after many days of this, Shaun gave up all hope of escaping. If he managed to escape, which wasn't likely in the first place, he worried his attraction to Zarelda's feet would force him to come back. Besides, at his size a lot of things could seriously harm or kill him. Reluctantly, Shaun settled into life as Zarelda's slave.

__________________________________________________________

Kyrie stood up and put her hands on her hips.

" Where the hell is it? " she whispered.

She searched the shelf one more time. " Vic! Have you seen my copy of The Picture Of Dorian Gray? Chelsea wants to borrow it. "

" No, I haven't. Wait... Didn't you give it to Shaun before he moved? "

Kyrie thought about it a moment. " Yeah, you're right. I did. Thanks. "

" No prob. "

She wanted to go get it now, but Shaun was off in Minnesota for a funeral. Shaun had been gone for awhile now. Kyrie had tried to text him, but he never answered. She assumed it was because he didn't have service up there. Truth be told, before he left she was worried about him. He seemed distracted and she could've sworn he looked shorter.

" Weeelllll... I do know where he keeps his spare key. "

Kyrie decided she would head over, grab her book, and get out. Shaun wouldn't mind.

" Hey, Vic! I'm gonna go get my book from Shaun's place. I won't be long."

" Okay. I'll probably be gone when you get back. "

Kyrie went into the garage and got the step ladder. Sadly, to get Shaun's spare key she needed it. She opened the garage door and got into her car. As she pulled out of the garage she hit the button for the door and was off. Fifteen minutes later, Kyrie parked in an empty spot in Shaun's complex. She got the step ladder from the trunk and headed for the stairs to Shaun's floor.

An unexpected sight made her stop. Shaun's car was parked in his spot. " Is he already back? No, he would have said something. Must've got a ride from his mom to the airport. "

Hefting the ladder, Kyrie hiked up the stairs. Just to be safe, she knocked on Shaun's door.

" Shaun? "

There was no answer. Kyrie set up the step ladder in front of the door and climbed on. Reaching up, she grabbed the spare key on top of the door sill. She unlocked the door and brought the step ladder inside. Shaun's apartment didn't look any different then the last time she'd seen it. There were a couple boxes which she assumed was the desk and bed frame they ordered together. Shaun's shoes were lined up against the wall by the door like normal, except now there were four or five pairs of women's shoes.

" What the hell? " Kyrie said squatting down.

She picked up a strappy black heel that was pretty big. " Whosever's these are has some big feet for a lady. " she thought.

" But why are these here? Did some girl move in with Shaun without him saying? "

She took another look around the living room, but nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. Shrugging it off, Kyrie went into Shaun's bedroom. A bookcase was set up against the far wall. Searching the shelves, she found her book on the second to bottom shelf. As she stood up, something caught her eye. A hamster cage was on the floor next to Shaun's bed. Kyrie sat down on the bed and peered into the cage.

She was not prepared for what she saw. Lying in the cage was a tiny human being. The person appeared to be sleeping. When she looked closer, the tiny person resembled Shaun.

" Shaun? " she said tapping the cage.

The tiny man stirred. He sat up and jolted in surprise, scrambling back into a corner.

" Shaun? " Kyrie asked quietly.

" Kyrie? Is that you? " a small voice replied.

It was faint, but she recognized it as Shaun's. " Holy shit, what happened to you? "

" I-It's a long story and we gotta get out of here. She could be back any minute. "

" Who? "

" Zarelda. Look, I'll explain everything later. Right now, we have to get out of here. Please, Kyrie. "

Kyrie sat in utter shock for a few moments, trying to process what was happening.

" Kyrie! Come on! We have to leave! "

She shook her head and grabbed Shaun's cage. " Okay, okay. "

" No! No, no, no. You can't take me out of the apartment in this. If Zarelda sees you we're screwed. Find something else. "

" Like what? "

" I don't know! Anything! "

Kyrie looked around Shaun's room, but didn't see anything useful. " I'll be right back. "

She ran out to the living room. Kyrie could just carry him in her pocket, but it was just too weird for her liking. Seeing Shaun's backpack, she snatched it up and returned to the cage. She fumbled with the door, but got it open. Shaun frantically hopped out. Kyrie noticed for the first time that he was completely naked.

" You can worry about that later. " she thought.

She set the backpack in front of him and unzipped the front zipper.

" It was the first thing I found. " she said putting her hand down to give him a boost.

Shaun stepped onto her palm and was lifted to the zipper. He hoisted himself up and fell inside.

" You alright in there? " Kyrie called.

" Fine. Let's go. "

She zipped up the backpack and hung it over her shoulder. Quickly, she closed the cage door. Kyrie grabbed her step ladder on her way out the door. Pulling the spare key from her pocket, she locked the door. She looked at the key, deciding what to do with it.

" Better keep it. "

She jogged to the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. As she reached the bottom, a black haired, tall woman came up to the stairs.

" Excuse me. " she said sliding past her.

Kyrie put Shaun's backpack in the passenger seat and got in. She started up the car and pulled out.
End Notes:
Sweet freedom! I'll try to add a new chapter in the next few days.
Chapter 11 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Not much action in this chapter, but there will be in the next one. Expect it soon.
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 11

Zarelda stepped out of the taxi with a smile on her face. The taxi pulled away as she started walking. She had gone out looking for another ingredient for the powder, but couldn't find it. The rest of the ingredients were going to be harder to procure. It would only be a minor setback. Nothing was going to stop her from exacting her revenge.

As she neared the stairs, a short, red haired girl came down. She was carrying a metal contraption in one hand and black bag on her shoulder.

" Excuse me. " she said as she slid past Zarelda.

" Rude mortals. I'll have to fix that when I take over. They will learn to respect those above them. "

Reaching Shaun's apartment, she unlocked the door with a wave. Once inside, she took off her brown sandals and set her bag down on the table.

" Oh, Shaun! Your mistress is home! " she yelled happily.

The moment she entered the room something immediately felt wrong. She paused in the doorway, trying to figure out what was bothering her. She then noticed a book on the bed. She picked it up slowly.

" This was not here when I left. "

Realization dawned on her. She jumped over the bed and tore the cage off the floor. The cage was empty, no tiny slave in sight.

" Dammit! " she yelled throwing it at the wall.

The cage clattered back to the floor. " That little bastard! How?! "

Zarelda threw the bookcase to the floor. She stood still after that, breathing heavily. " It's obvious he didn't do this himself. He couldn't have moved a book. No, someone else did. But why? Who helped him!? "

She punched a hole in the wall. " I will find him! He and his accomplice will pay for this! ...No... I can't let this distract me. I have to focus on getting the final ingredients. Besides, he and his friend will likely come back here in the hopes of stopping me. They won't know what they'll be walking into. " Zarelda said with an evil grin spreading across her face.

__________________________________________________________

Shaun sat among his own pencils and pack of gum. At his size they were considerably larger than him. He wasn't uncomfortable though. If anything, he was relieved. He had escaped from Zarelda! When he'd lost all hope and completely given up, Kyrie saved him. Shaun wondered what she was doing at his apartment, but he didn't much care. Her reason for being there could wait until after he explained and thanked her. He hunkered down and waited for Kyrie to let him out.

Fifteen minutes later, his backpack jostled as Kyrie picked it up. With each step the pack shook, making Shaun flop around inside. After a few minutes of this, the pack was set down. The zipper was opened, blinding him with the sudden light.

" Shaun? You still in there? "

" Yes! "

" Okay, just making sure I'm not going insane. "

Kyrie stuck her hand in the zipper, Shaun jumped on and was lifted out. Slowly and carefully, she set her hand down on the nightstand next to her bed. Shaun stepped off and looked up at her. Seeing Kyrie so big was very unsettling for him. In all the years he'd known her he always looked down at her, now she towered over him. On the flip side, it was probably strange to see him so small for her.

Shaun examined Kyrie's room while she sat in silence, staring at him with wide eyes. She had always been a messy person. Boxes and piles of clothes sat in front of her closet. A bookcase stood next to the door, full of all kinds of books. There was a desk in the far corner with her laptop and a lamp on it. The wall to his left only had another bookcase with lots of empty space. Other than that a tall lamp was in the corner next to the closet and a large mirror hung on the door.

Kyrie stood up and grabbed a tissue from the bookcase. " First off, could you cover up? This is weird enough without the nakedness. "

" Sorry. I've become desensitized to it. " he said wrapping the tissue around himself.

" Alright, tell me everything. How did this happen to you? "

Shaun sighed and began to recite his story. From buying the bottle to his fun times with Zarelda. Then the shrinking and his imprisonment. The whole twisted tale. Throughout the story, Kyrie's jaw dropped open more and more. When he finished she reached out towards him, but stopped herself.

" Oh, my god... I don't believe this. An immortal, psychotic sorceress? You're kidding right? "

Shaun solemnly shook his head.

" She really... did all that to you? I'm so sorry. "

" You don't have to be. It's not your fault. "

" What she did to you is terrible though. I can't help but feel bad. If all this is true, we have to call the police. We can't let her keep walking around free. "

" No. We can't call the police. What could they do? Zarelda would kill them all. They wouldn't even be able to hurt her. "

" What are we supposed to do? Just let her make more of that powder? "

" No. I'll think of a plan. I just need some time. There has to be a better way. "

" Are you serious? You just want to wait? "

" It's the best thing we can do for now. "

" Alright... if you think it's best. You're the only one who knows anything about her. What do we do until you think of something? "

" You do what you would normally do. Go to school, hang out with Victoria, all that. This doesn't change anything for you. At least 'til I come up with a plan. "

" What am I gonna do with you? "

" In case you haven't noticed, I don't take up a lot of room. And I don't really have the right to be picky. You did save me after all. I'll stay here while you go to school. "

Kyrie thought about it for a moment. " Okay... but you can't let Vic see you. She'd freak out. She gets home way before I do. You'll have to stay in here all day. "

" Okay. "

" I mean it. You have to stay in here. "

" Alright, alright. I get it. I will. "

" Good. "

" Hey, Kyrie! Come out here! I got that movie we've been wanting to see! " Victoria suddenly yelled from outside the door.

" Oh, shit! I didn't think she'd be back so soon! Stay there! " Kyrie whispered.

" Where am I going to go? " Shaun thought sarcastically.

Kyrie opened the door and stuck her head out just as Victoria was about to knock.

" Oh! I thought you had your head phones in. I got that movie we wanted to see. Wanna watch it? "

" Um, yeah sure. I'll be right out. " she said and closed the door.

She walked back to the nightstand. " Will you be alright in here alone for awhile? "

" Yeah. I'll be fine. "

" Okay. The movies only a couple hours. Don't do anything stupid. "

" Alright. " Shaun laughed.

Kyrie went back to the door.

" Hey, Kyrie! " he called.

" Yeah? " she said turning back to him.

" Thanks for saving me! I really appreciate all this! "

" No problem, short stuff " she grinned and left the room.

The giant clock behind him said it was past 5:30. Shaun sat down on the nightstand. He didn't mind waiting, he was just happy to be free of Zarelda. Suddenly, he let out a giant yawn. " Guess I'm more tired than I thought. " he thought laying down. Within a few minutes, sleep overtook him.

__________________________________________________________

" Wake up, little man. "

Shaun's eyes blinked open to Kyrie standing over him. " Nnnnh... How long was I out? "

" About four hours. The movie finished awhile ago. When I came in here you were sound asleep. I decided to let you sleep. It's a bit past 9:30 now. "

Shaun got up onto his knees. " So how was the movie? " he asked rubbing his head.

" Eh. It was alright. Could've been better. "

" That sucks. "

" Yeah. Shaun. No offense, but you look like shit. When was the last time you washed up? "

" Days ago. Before Zarelda trapped me in the bathroom. "

" Jeez. Okay, well we are getting you cleaned up right now. "

She put her hand on the nightstand and Shaun climbed on. She used her other hand to shield him in case Victoria came out of her room. " I gotta admit its weird seeing you this small and holding you. "

" It's even weirder seeing you so big and being held. Just please don't drop me. "

" Come on, Shaun. I would never drop you. "

Kyrie brought him into the bathroom and gently put him on the sinks counter. She turned the sink on low and made sure the water was lukewarm.

" This'll have to do for now. "

She lowered him into the sink and leaned on the counter. Shaun stepped under the stream, letting it run down his back. " Ahhhhh, this feels great! "

" I bet. I'll try to get you some baby shampoo so you can actually get clean. I'm also gonna find something for you to wear. You are definitely not running around this house naked. "

" Your loss. " Shaun laughed.

" Oh, be quiet perv. "

Shaun laughed even harder. He washed off for a few minutes longer. " Alright, I'm done. "

Kyrie lifted him out while averting her eyes.

" What do I use to dry off? "

She tossed a wash cloth at him. Unprepared for it, he was knocked on his behind. Kyrie started to laugh hysterically.

" It's not that funny. " he said angrily.

" Yes, it is. " she said between laughs.

Shaun finished drying off and Kyrie gave him a hand towel.

" What's this for? "

" It's your bed for tonight. "

Kyrie picked up Shaun and the towel then carried both back to her room. She set Shaun down and folded up the towel on the nightstand. She lifted up the flap. " Hop in. "

Shaun laid down under the flap and got comfortable.

" Comfy? " she asked.

" Yeah. It's fine. Could I have some water? Aaaaannnd... Where am I supposed to go to the bathroom? "

" Um... I'll be right back. "

Kyrie disappeared for a few minutes and came back holding two things. She put a small bowl of water and cough medicine cup in front of him. " You can use this for your... business. I'll buy a new one when this is all over. "

" Thanks. "

" No problem. "

Kyrie got under the sheets of her own bed and turned off the lamp her nightstand. " Good night, Shaun. "

" Night, Kyrie. "

Shaun laid awake for awhile. His mind was full of images of Zarelda's feet. Being away from the evil witch didn't make her magic any less strong. Shaun's hand made its way to his crotch and before he knew it, he was jacking off to Zarelda's feet once again. " Ugh, I'm really not gonna miss this. " he thought disgustedly. Twenty minutes later, he was out cold.
Chapter 12 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Short chapter, but I wanted to put one more out. I'm going to be giving my other story attention for awhile. Hope you enjoy.
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 12

Shaun suddenly woke up. At first he assumed Kyrie had done it, but she was just waking up too.

" Good morning. " he said sitting up.

Kyrie looked over at him with her eyes half closed. " Did I wake you up? "

" Must have. "

" Sorry. "

" Nah, it's fine. " Looking over his shoulder, he saw that it was almost 10.

" You want some breakfast? " she asked getting out of bed.

" Yeah, sure. "

" Come on. "

Kyrie set her hand on the nightstand. Shaun got up and stepped onto her palm, rubbing at his eyes. Still half asleep, she shuffled out to the living room. Carefully, she put Shaun on the kitchen table.

" Vic's already at school. Don't need to worry about her popping out. I'm gonna make some cereal. "

Shaun looked out at the living room as she went into the kitchen. The living room was large, even when he wasn't shrunken. The front door went straight into it, the table he was standing on was directly to the right and the kitchen was beyond that. A couch sat next to the doorway to the kitchen on a red patterned carpet. The entire house had tile floors.

A coffee table was in front of the couch. An entertainment center with a giant flat screen was along the opposite wall. Kyrie and Victoria did well for themselves. Rows and rows of DVDs were in a case next to the TV. Lastly, a hallway lead to the bedrooms and the bathroom.

Kyrie brought all the things for a bowl of cereal out to the table. She made herself a bowl of Frosted Cheerios and poured some into a small dish for Shaun. The two were silent while they ate. Kyrie had never been much of a morning person. Funnily enough, she didn't much seem to care about his nakedness. Shaun finished long before her, only eating two and a half pieces.

When she finished and put away the dishes she picked Shaun up without asking. " Okay, I have to get ready. If I leave you out here with the TV will you be alright? "

" Of course. "

She put Shaun on the couch, turned on the TV, and set the remote next to him. " I'll be back in like 15 minutes. "

" Okay. "

Kyrie disappeared down the hallway. Shaun sat cross legged on the couch, watching TV. He got the urge to change the channel and stood up. Using both hands, he pushed down on the channel up button. The TV changed to a local news station. He was happy to see the headline wasn't " Giant Woman Terrorizes Town! ".

A bit later, Kyrie came out fully dressed with damp hair. She was wearing denim short-shorts, a white shirt, and white Vans. He couldn't deny that she looked good.

" Sorry, shorty. I got some things I need to do before I head to school. Time to go to my room. " She took him back to her room and set him on the floor. The bowl of water and cough medicine cup were already on the floor. " Crap. I forgot food. "

" No, it's okay. I don't need much food anymore. Something to do with the shrinking. "

" Alright. If you say so. Vic will be home in a couple hours. She shouldn't come in here, but if she does hide. I can explain a bowl of water, not a cough medicine cup full of piss. Take the cup under my bed. I'll try to be home as quick as possible. You gonna be okay? "

" I'll be fine. This is nothing compared to what that crazy bitch put me through. "

" Alright, Shaun. See ya later. "

" Bye. "

Kyrie grabbed her bag and went to the door. She hesitated in the doorway and turned back to him. A smile spread on her face, then she shut the door behind her. Shaun waited to see if she was going to suddenly come back, but she didn't. Carefully, he carried the cough medicine cup under the bed. He went to the water bowl and drank some handfuls.

Afterwards, he sat on the rim of the bowl. " What's a tiny guy to do for a few hours all by himself? "

No ideas came to him in his boredom. Instead, Zarelda's feet filled his head once again. " No. I'm not doing that anymore. Think about something else. " he thought shaking his head.

His eyes landed on a pair of Kyrie's running shoes under the bed. Without his meaning to, started to walk towards them. " What the hell am I doing? " he wondered to himself.

Arriving at the shoes, Shaun placed a hand on its giant laces. " This is so wrong and gross. No. Resist the urge. Resist. "

Next thing he knew he was climbing into the shoe. He curled into a ball at the heel of the shoe. The smell of Kyrie's feet was all around him. He found he was sporting a minuscule boner. " Oh, god. When will this ever end? " He wanted to leave the shoe, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Shaun got into a comfortable position and within minutes drifted off to sleep.

__________________________________________________________

Shaun woken by a loud, clattering noise and a yelp of surprise. He bolted upright in Kyrie's shoe.

" Dammit! What'd she set a water trap in case I came in here? " a voice said angrily.

Shaun recognized that voice. It was Victoria! He poked his head out of the shoes opening. All he could see was Victorias ankles and feet in brown leather sandals. Shaun's member throbbed at the sight of the giants. From what he gathered, Victoria had come into Kyrie's room and stepped on the water bowl, making it splash all over the place. Victoria slipped out of her sandals and picked them up.

" Just great. Try to return someone's sunglasses and they get water all over your new shoes. "

She huffed in exasperation. The towel Shaun had slept in dropped to the floor. Using her foot, she mopped up the water. She finished and her massive feet walked out of the room. Shaun hopped out of the shoe and came out from under the bed. Victoria had left the door open! He ran to the door as fast as he could.

Once through, he put his back to the door sill and peeked around the corner. Victoria's room was a straight shot down the hallway. Her door was open and revealed her undressing. When she was completely naked, she went to another door, opened it, and pulled out a purple towel. She went into the bathroom, not closing the door behind her.

Shaun didn't know exactly what he was trying to do, but he kept moving forward. He got to the door sill of the bathroom, breathing heavily from the run. At his size, it was a long distance. Peeking around the corner, he saw that Victoria was turning on the bathtub faucet. She was still butt-naked.

Victoria was a tall girl, 6'1 to be exact. She had long, blonde hair and blue eyes. Now that he was seeing her naked, he saw she had a very large bosom and butt. Even if he wasn't inches tall, they'd be big. Everything about the girl was big.

Her and Kyrie made quite the pair. An extremely tall girl and a very short girl. The two had bonded between their love of sports and similar tastes. They had been best friends ever since. After high school, they decided to both pitch in and rent a house together. Victoria turned on the shower and stepped inside. Her large foot disappeared into the tub.

" Darn. Must've just gotten out of basketball practice. "

Shaun looked down the hall to her room. " Perfecto. " he thought running toward it.

Roughly five minutes later, he crossed the threshold of her room panting. He trotted over to the bed and crawled underneath it, rolling onto his back.

" Sure am getting my workout for the day. "

Shaun remained under the bed until he heard the thunderous footsteps of Victoria coming down the hallway. Her feet walked into the room and right in front of him. The heels of her feet turned to him, the bed creaked as she sat on it. Mere feet away from him ( relative to his size ) were the two things he'd been chasing this whole time; Victoria's feet. He ducked out from under the bed to see if the coast was clear.

Victoria was busy combing her hair, looking at a vanity mirror across from her. Shaun fully came out from his hiding place. He moved in front of her feet, admiring them.

" Be careful. You can't get caught. Kyrie would kill me. "

Victorias toes were unpainted. The second toe was longer than her big toe. Her toes were the size of ATVs compared to him. Victorias feet were much larger than Zarelda's. Shaun's member began to stir. Apparently, whatever Zarelda had done to him didn't just apply to her feet. This fact unsettled Shaun greatly. A tremendous urge suddenly overtook him.

" No, don't do it. It's a bad idea. "

Sadly, Zarelda's magic was too strong to resist. He dove in between her big and second toe, rubbing his entire body on her soft skin. Up above him, Victoria yelped in surprise. Her toes clamped together, trapping him.

" Shit! " he thought struggling to free himself.

Victoria looked down at her foot. " What the hell is that? A person? "

She unclenched her toes and Shaun scrambled out from between them. He saw the giant peering at him and bolted for the door. Unfortunately, the giant covered ground a lot faster. In the time it took him to run fifteen steps, she took two huge ones and slammed the door shut. Victoria, wrapped in the purple towel, knelt in front of him. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at him.

" Oh my god! Shaun?! Is that you? "

" This was a terrible idea. " Shaun thought miserably.
Chapter 13 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Sorry for the long wait guys. Writing two stories at once is tougher than I thought. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Sorry it's so short, but I really wanted to put it out as quickly as possible. Expect another one soon. Hope you enjoy!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 13

" Shaun? If that's you please say something. "

" Yeah. It's me, Victoria. " Shaun sighed.

" H-how? How are you so small? What were you doing?! " she said starting to sound hysterical.

" Victoria, calm down. Please. It's a long, crazy story. But I'll tell you everything. "

" Okay... "

Shaun retold his story once again. Throughout the story, Victoria's face became more and more disbelieving. By the time he finished Victoria had switched to sitting Indian style on the floor.

" Okay. To recap. An immortal, psychotic witch you freed from a bottle shrunk you. Then put a curse on you to make you like feet. After a week of being her slave, Kyrie saved you and brought you here. Today you saw my feet and couldn't resist the urge to touch them. Am I right? " she asked sarcastically.

" Yes, you are. I know it sounds totally insane, but it's the truth. How else could this be possible? " Shaun gestured to himself.

" I'm really hoping this is all an elaborate prank Kyrie and you came up with. "

" I wish. "

" Soooo, what do we do now? "

" Do you think you could just put me back in Kyrie's room? And do me a huge favor. Could you not tell Kyrie about this? Just act like you never saw me. "

" What?! You want me to just forget about this? You're four inches tall! And you can't control yourself. No, I think I should watch you until Kyrie gets home. We'll all talk and decide what we should do. Climb on. " Victoria set her hand down in front of him. Shaun stepped on and she put him on the counter of her vanity. " I'm gonna go get dressed. Even though you probably already saw me naked you little pervert. "

" Sorry. " he blushed.

Victoria opened her dresser and pulled out a bundle of clothes. She left the room.

" I'm an idiot. Kyrie's going to kill me for this. " he thought somberly.

Victoria returned wearing a blue t-shirt and gray sweatpants. " Let's go out to the living room. " She picked him up in cupped hands. " Number one priority is to get you something to wear. This is just weird. "

Subconsciously, Shaun covered up his crotch. She set him down gently on the coffee table and sat on the couch. She flicked the TV on. " You like this show? "

" Yeah, it's alright. "

The two watched TV in silence for awhile. After an hour or so of this, he couldn't stand the silent awkwardness.

" Is this all we're gonna do until Kyrie gets home? She doesn't get home for a few hours. "

" What? Do you have something better in mind? There isn't much else to talk about. I'm just trying not to look at your junk. "

" This is so awkward. I don't want sit like this for hours. And I think I might have an idea. "

" What is it? "

" You know what I was trying to do when you caught me. Zarelda's spell is strong. All I can think about is feet. If you just let me massage your feet it'll get my mind off it. I know it's weird, but please. You get a free massage out of it. "

" Are you serious? You want to give me a massage? "

" Yes, I do. "

" God, this is weird. But alright, go for it. Be warned, people say they don't smell so great. "

" It's fine. "

Victoria brought her giant feet up onto the table in front of him. Both of them towered over him. A slight odor was coming off them, but it wasn't too bad. Shaun approached her monstrous right foot. He put a hand on the ball of her foot and started to rub small circles into it. Victoria let out a sigh.

" That actually feels pretty good. "

Shaun was completely engrossed in her foot and didn't even hear her. He reached his tiny arms up as far as possible, continuing to rub for ten minutes. After that, he switched to her other foot for another ten minutes. When he'd finished with both, she lowered her feet to the edge of the table so her toes and upper sole were level with him.

" Now do the top. "

" Looks like you're enjoying this as much as I am. "

" I've never gotten a foot rub before. I gotta admit, it's kinda nice. "

He rubbed the sole right underneath her toes, making them scrunch in pleasure. The unsettling realization that her big toe was as big as his chest occurred to him. He worked in-between her toes, trying to control his grosser urges. Meanwhile, Victoria leaned her head back in relaxation.

Before long, Shaun's member was near bursting. He went to the edge of the coffee table and exploded over it. Looking up, he saw Victoria watching him with a smirk.

" I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Kyrie about any of this. "

" No promises, little guy. " she said, then broke out laughing.

__________________________________________________________

" Dammit! " Zarelda yelled slamming her fist down on the counter.

She was standing in Shaun's kitchen, barely controlling her anger. Shaun's money was running dangerously low. She only needed a few more ingredients for the powder. Unfortunately, they were going to cost the most to get. All of them weren't exactly legal in the first place and they also had to be ordered from overseas. The amount of money she had now wouldn't begin to cover the payment.

No, she needed a lot more.

" Where the hell am I going to get more? " she wondered.

She leaned against the counter. She found herself missing Shaun. The man was annoying, but he was an easy way to get information about this new world. He would've had an idea she could use. If she ever saw him again, he and his accomplice would regret crossing her dearly. Zarelda turned to leave the kitchen, when a colorful piece of paper caught her eye. Someone had left this paper taped to the front door earlier that day. It read:

" Club 51. Looking for a fun night that you'll never forget? Come to the hottest club in town! "

There was a phone number and an address also on the paper. An idea suddenly came to Zarelda. A devilish grin spread across her face.

" I think I should check out this Club 51. "

The paper floated down to the counter as she headed for Shaun's room.
End Notes:
Zarelda's going clubbin'!
Chapter 14 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Things get pretty crazy in this chapter. There is some violence. Just wanted to let you all know.
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 14

After the massage, Shaun played around on Victoria's toes for awhile. When Zarelda's spell subsided, he climbed off her toes and sat on the table. The two of them watched TV until they heard Kyrie pulling into the driveway. A few moments later, the locks rattled and the front door opened.

" Hey, Vic. " Kyrie said closing the door behind her.

" Hey. "

Kyrie put her bag on one of the kitchen tables chairs, then started to walk to the couch. " So, what'd you- " she froze mid-sentence when here eyes fell on Shaun.

Shaun gave an awkward wave.

" Vic... I can explain. "

" Don't worry. Your four inch tall friend already did. What the hell, Kyrie?! Why didn't you tell me about this yesterday? "

" I-I don't know... It was all so crazy and sudden. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. I didn't wanna freak you out. "

" You should've just let me freak out! That would have been better than finding Shaun on my own. "

" I'm sorry. I should have just told you. "

" It's alright. I guess I wouldn't have done it much differently if I were in your shoes. Is there seriously an immortal witch living in Shaun's apartment? "

" I didn't see her when I got him out of there, but I believe him. "

" Hey, you two! Stop talking like I'm not here! " Shaun called up.

Kyrie turned to him with an angry expression. " You shouldn't be yelling at anybody! I told you to stay in my room and not let Victoria see you. What happened? "

" Well... Victoria went into your room to return something and stepped on the water bowl. She cleaned it up and left, but my curiosity got the better of me. I walked out from under the bed, when she came back in for the bowl. "

" Is that really what happened? " she asked Victoria.

" Yeah, I was returning your sunglasses. He tried to run away from me, if that helps. I caught him and grilled him for the truth. "

" Alright, I can't blame you for being curious. Especially at your size. "

" Thank you. " he called.

" Okay, enough chit chat. We need to talk about what we're going to do about all this. " Victoria interrupted.

" Shaun said he was trying to think of something. Did you? "

" No, not really. There's nothing we can do on our own. Zarelda's too dangerous. I don't want you guys getting hurt because of me. "

" What are we gonna do then? Leave you like this? " Victoria asked.

" No... I don't know... Give me a couple more days. I'll think of something. "

" Alright, but if you can't I am going to call the police. Regardless of what you say. " Kyrie said.

" That's fair. "

" Next up on the agenda is to find you something to wear. And I think I have an idea. " Victoria said with a grin.

" I second that. " Kyrie laughed.

" I'm gonna go start working on it now. But neither of you can come in my room, I want it to be a surprise. "

" Okay, we'll stay out here for a bit. Is that alright? "

" Yeah. " Shaun called.

Victoria grabbed Kyrie by the arm. " C'mere for a second. I gotta tell you something. " She led Kyrie into the hallway.

" I don't like this. " Shaun thought looking toward the hallway.

Kyrie came back out with a strange look on her face. Victoria's head poked out from behind the corner, a large grin was on her face. She winked and disappeared down the hallway.

" Crap. " he thought.

Kyrie came around the table and sat down on the couch to the right of where Jon stood.

" Sooo, what'd Victoria tell you? "

" Nothing. Just something about a bake sale all the baseball girls are helping out with. "

" Oh, alright. " Shaun highly doubted that's what she had actually told her.

Kyrie turned on the TV. An action movie Shaun had seen before was playing.

" Tell me again why you you left my room? "

" I was curious. Sitting in your room for so long was boring. "

" That's it? You weren't just trying to see Vic naked were you? "

" What?! No! I'm not a pervert. "

" You were just curious? "

" Yeah. "

" I was hoping you'd just tell me the truth. Victoria told me about the foot thing. "

" Crap. " he mumbled.

" Why didn't you tell me about that yesterday? "

" It's so weird. I didn't wanna tell you about it so soon. I even thought it might only be for Zarelda's feet. "

" What? Did she put a foot fetish spell on you? "

" Pretty much. Today, I found out that the spell wasn't just for Zarelda's feet. "

" You left my room for Victoria's feet. "

" I couldn't help myself. The spell is too strong to fight. "

" And you gave Vic a massage. "

" I asked her first. She agreed. I don't like this anymore than you. I'll try to control myself as much as possible. Once I figure out what to do about Zarelda, we'll get her to reverse it. "

" Don't feel so bad. I understand. You can't help it. Just whenever that spell starts acting up, talk to Victoria. She liked that massage. I couldn't handle having you give me one. Seeing you so small is strange enough. "

" Yeah, I get it. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. "

" It's fine, Shaun. "

The two fell silent and watched the movie. Despite knowing he couldn't control himself, he found he was slightly hurt by what Kyrie said. A part of him even wanted to give her a massage.

" God, I think it's getting worse. " Shaun thought sickeningly.

__________________________________________________________

Zarelda took another sip from her glass as the music pulsed around her. The music of this new world was quite annoying and far too loud, but she wasn't here for the music. She was sitting at the clubs bar, looking for a target. The club was fairly dark with blue lights flashing on the dance floor. Other blue lights were spread throughout the club.

Mortals sat around the bar around her, at tables, or were dancing. If you could call what they were doing dancing. It all seemed like wild movements to her. Zarelda adjusted her position in the uncomfortable chair she sat in. She was currently wearing a short purple dress, closed toed black heels, and a ring on her right middle finger. Her long, black hair hung loosely around her shoulders. She continued searching for her victim.

A couple minutes later, a man caught her eye. The man was dancing amongst the crowd. He was on the short side with brown hair that was cut very short. He wore a black button up shirt and black pants. The clothing appeared expensive by this new worlds standards. The man was trying to dance with women, but wasn't having much luck. He also seemed very drunk.

" Perfect. " Zarelda thought getting up.

She moved through the crowd and got close to the man, taking care to be in his sight. She started to copy the way the other women were dancing. Within moments, the man moved closer to her.

" Hey! I'm Paul! What's your name? " he shouted over the music.

Zarelda flashed him her best smile. " Yasmin. "

" Nice to meet you, Yasmin. This your first time at Club 51? "

" Yes. How'd you know? "

" I come here a lot. I didn't remember seeing you here before. "

" Oh, alright. "

" You wanna dance? I promise I'm not that bad. " he laughed.

" Sure. "

The pair danced for awhile, not saying anything. Paul leaned in by her ear.

" You likin' the club? "

" Yes, very much. But I have a better idea. How would you like to go somewhere more private? "

Paul's eyes widened in surprise. " Yeah, okay. "

Zarelda led him out of the club and onto the street. She then led them into an alleyway. They went deeper into the alley so no one would see what was about to happen. Zarelda turned back to Paul with her hands behind her back.

" What're we doing back here? " Paul asked.

Zarelda held up her hand with a dagger she just conjured in her grip. " I would appreciate it very much if you gave me all the money you have with you. And any credit cards with the PIN numbers. "

" What the hell? C-calm down! I'll give you every- " Paul turned and tried to run.

Zarelda waved her hand, sending Paul flying into the alley wall. She walked to the stunned Paul, who was sprawled out on the ground. She pointed the dagger at his throat.

" I would suggest not fighting. It will only end badly for you. "

" Drop the weapon and put your hands up! " a male voice yelled.

Looking up, Zarelda saw a man in a black outfit standing at the end of the alley. Something metal gleamed on his chest and he was pointing something at her.

" I said drop it! " he yelled.

" I don't know who you are, but if you value your life I suggest you leave. " Zarelda said calmly.

Two loud bangs went off suddenly. The object the man was holding in his hands flashed with each bang. She felt an intense burning feeling in her chest in two spots. Zarelda fell to her knees, the dagger clattered to the ground. She looked at her chest to see two holes in dress with blood escaping from both.

The man slowly moved towards Zarelda, still pointing the object at her. As he got closer, the burning feeling started to fade. The muscles in her chest spasmed and she felt two objects moving inside her. What appeared to be two metal pellets fell to the ground covered in Zarelda's blood. The holes they left mended back to unblemished skin.

" Holy shit... " the man said in awe.

Zarelda raised her palm and shot electricity at the man. He shook violently and slumped to the ground. Zarelda rose back to her feet. Even with her immortality, she could still feel pain. Whatever the man had done was unlike anything she'd felt before. Walking over to the man, she realized he was dead.

She hadn't intended to do that. Her anger had increased the strength of her magic. Zarelda picked up the strange object. It was metal and seemed to have a handle. A piece of metal jutted out from the handle with odd carvings. The object was definitely not a dagger or a sword.

" Jesus... You killed him... Without even touching him... " Paul said leaning against the wall.

Zarelda grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. " Do you know who this man is? "

" He's a freakin' cop... How the fuck did you do that!? " Paul yelled in fear.

" You're coming with me. I have some questions that need answering. " she growled.

The air around them distorted and they disappeared, leaving the scene of the crime...

__________________________________________________________

Shaun rolled over again in his makeshift towel bed. Try as he might, he could not get to sleep. Images of Zarelda and Victoria's feet were running wild in his mind. The rest of the night had been filled with an awkward silence. Shaun didn't really know what to say to Kyrie.

Truth be told, he was still hurt by her words. They stayed out in the living room for awhile, just watching TV. A couple hours later, Kyrie decided to call it a night. She picked him up and went to Victoria's room. Victoria said her surprise would have to wait until tomorrow.

All three said goodnight to each other. Kyrie left Shaun on her nightstand while she changed into a tank top and pajama pants. She came back, said goodnight, turned off the light, and crawled into her bed. That must've been a couple hours ago. Shaun had only slept a little bit before Zarelda's spell woke him up. He wasn't going to be able to get any sleep like this.

An idea suddenly came to him. He didn't like it, but he needed sleep and no one would know. He got out of his bed and went to the edge of the nightstand. Kyrie's bed was only a few inches away by normal size standards. For Shaun it was a few feet away.

" Alright, I'm doing this. Can't hesitate. "

He took a few steps back and crouched down. He ran to the edge of the nightstand and jumped as far as he could. Shaun easily cleared the gap, landing on the bed and bouncing on the mattress.

" Hunh. That was actually kinda fun. " he said standing up.

Kyrie was sleeping in the center of the bed. Shaun's eyes went to the foot of the bed. He ran towards it, each step bounced on the mattress. The run to the foot of the bed took a few minutes. Once there, he saw Kyrie's feet under the covers.

" I'm nothing if not a glutton for punishment. " he thought crawling under the sheet.

He crawled until he saw the formerly small feet of his best friend. Kyrie was laying on her side, so her feet were laying on top of each other. Shaun kneeled in front of her feet and put a hand on the big toe of her bottom foot.

" Sorry, Kyrie. I can't help it. "

He rubbed his tiny hands on her light blue painted toes. He worked his way down her soft sole, moving slowly. Kyrie's foot twitched slightly at his touch. When he finished with the bottom foot, he stood up to rub the top one. Shaun finished with that one and couldn't hold in his pleasure anymore. He moved away from her feet and exploded onto the bed spread.

Unknown to Shaun, at the head of the bed Kyrie was awake and had felt everything her shrunken friend was doing. At first she was grossed out, but after awhile she couldn't deny the massage felt really good. She wanted to stop Shaun, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Ten minutes later, the tiny man's hands left her feet.

" Shit. I didn't think this through. How am I gonna get back on the nightstand? " Shaun thought. No brilliant ideas came to him. " Guess I'll have to find a safe place to sleep on here. "

He decided the safest place would be the side of the bed Kyrie didn't roll off of in the morning. He went to the corner of the bed, careful not to get too close to the edge. He repositioned himself so his head was pointing to the foot of the bed and was under the covers.

" Hopefully I'll think of something to do about Zarelda tomorrow. I hope she hasn't done anything too bad. " Shaun thought.

He drifted off into a fitful sleep.
Chapter 15 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
I originally wanted this chapter to be longer, but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting. Sorry if it feels rushed. On the upside this means another chapter before I switch back to my other story. There will be more info in the next chapter. For now, I hope you enjoy.
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 15

Zarelda twirled the gun in her hand again. Paul had proven to be quite informative. The man she had killed last night was a police officer, or cop for short. They were the new worlds peace keepers. Much like the city guards from her own time.

The weapon he had used to harm her was a gun. The gun was filled with things called bullets. Paul told her what he knew about the strange weapon, she looked up further information on Shaun's laptop. She understood the basics of how to use it now. Using the gun seemed like a lot of fun, but it only had so much ammunition.

Zarelda decided she would use it sparingly. Paul had warned that the rest of the police for would be looking for her. Zarelda was hardly worried about a bunch of mortals with weapons she now knew couldn't kill her. She got Paul's wallet and PIN number from him with a little motivation. When she was done with Paul, she sent him off somewhere on the planet. This time it seemed he'd ended up in a forest of some kind.

With the money she got from Paul, she could buy one more ingredient. The last two would require even more money. Going to the club got her a decent amount of money, but not enough. Also, returning to the club was too dangerous now. Most likely, someone had found the body and called the police.

No, she needed a new plan for money. Zarelda set the gun down on the table and rose from the couch. She began to pace in front of the couch. A new idea came to her. Multiple people lived in this apartment complex. Why not get some money from them? They would be her subjects soon, anyways. Zarelda grinned and disappeared from the room.

__________________________________________________________

Shaun pressed down on the " Channel Up " button of the TV remote with both hands. The channel changed to a children's educational show.

" Ugh, what I wouldn't give for Netflix right now. " he sighed.

The girls were both at school, Victoria had left early in the morning and Kyrie a couple hours ago. Since there was no one to hide from in the house anymore, they let him stay out in the living room and watch TV. Unfortunately, nothing good was on. Shaun adjusted his new clothing awkwardly.

That morning, Victoria had come out of her room and told Kyrie and him to close their eyes. They opened their eyes to see Victoria holding a, for lack of a better word, dress. Which is exactly what Shaun called it. Victoria immediately denied it was a dress. She said it was easier than making two leg holes and he should be grateful she took the time to make it.

Shaun apologized and accepted the... garment graciously. The garment was maroon colored and stitched together roughly. It went down to just above his knees and was very loose. There were two arm holes without sleeves. To make it slightly more comfortable Victoria gave him a piece of string to tie around his waist. He didn't exactly like it, but it was better than nothing.

Shaun pushed down on the remote again, the channel changed to the local news. A Hispanic woman was talking with the banner at the bottom of the screen scrolling: " Breaking News! Police officer found dead in back alley. Police are baffled. "

" The coroners initial report says that burn marks on the body indicate electrocution. Bullet casings in the alley show the officer did fire his weapon. Minor blood samples were collected at the scene and have been sent for testing. We will be following this story throughout the day with new information as we get it... " the woman said.

" No, couldn't be. " Shaun thought. " What if Zarelda did it... No, I'm just being paranoid. I wouldn't put it past her. I need to think of something we can do about her and quickly. Before she finishes that powder. " he thought.

Obviously, she hadn't finished it yet. Shaun sat down on the couch cushion Indian-style and started to think of a plan. He continued thinking for fifteen minutes, when Victoria came in the front door.

" Hey, little man. What're you up to? " she said putting her stuff on the kitchen table.

Today, Victoria was wearing a pink t-shirt and black running shorts. Black and white running shoes were on her feet. Her long hair was done up in a knot behind her head. As she walked to the couch, she undid her hair and let it fall around her shoulders. She flopped down on the couch next to Shaun, making him fall over, and put one shoe clad foot on the edge of the coffee table.

" Nothing. Just trying to think of what we should do with Zarelda. "

" Anything good come to mind? "

" Not a single thing. And I think she killed a police officer. "

" What?! "

" They found a police officer dead in an alley. The coroner thinks he was electrocuted. Whatever happened he fired a couple shots and drew blood. It might just be me being paranoid. I don't know what she could've been doing in an alley to get a cops attention, but it can't be good. "

" Holy shit. She can use electricity? "

" She did it to me once. Except she healed me afterwards. That cop wasn't as lucky. "

" Jesus, I can't believe it. That plan you come up with better be good. Dealing with her before was hard enough, but now she can use electricity? How are we supposed to fight that? "

" I don't know... I'm trying, but it's hard. "

" Sorry. You don't need any more stress. Being that small is hard enough. "

" It's alright. I can't blame you for worrying. "

" Tell you what. Let's both relax and get our minds off that. "

" Sounds good. "

Victoria brought her left foot up onto her knee and untied her shoe. " You up for another foot massage? "

" You want another one? "

" That one yesterday felt really good. I won't make you give me one if you don't want to though. "

" No, no, that's not it. I'm just surprised you want another one. I didn't think the one yesterday was very good. I'm fine with giving you another. "

" Don't sell yourself short. It was amazing. Sorry, I wasn't trying to make such a bad pun. " she said tugging off her shoe.

Slowly, she pulled off her sock which revealed her reddened sole. She repeated the process with her other foot. Victoria cupped her hand and picked Shaun up in a sweeping motion. He fell back in her palm roughly. She gently set him on the table. Her toes appeared just over the edge of the table.

" Start with the toes today, please. " Victoria said leaning back and closing her eyes.

Shaun noticed tiny pieces of sock lint were stuck to her toes. He decided to pick them off before he started rubbing. Victoria's feet were warm to the touch as he plucked off pieces of lint and dropped them off the table. When he finished going thoroughly between her toes, he began rubbing her big toe. Over the next half hour he rubbed every inch of her foot, top to bottom.

This time he managed to control himself when he finished.

" Ahhhhhh, another great massage. Thanks, Shaun. " Victoria sighed taking her feet off the table.

" No prob. " Shaun said happily.

" I have one more idea. Wait here. "

She got up and went down the hallway. A couple minutes later, she came back holding something in her hand. She sat down and put the object on the table next to him. It was a bottle of clear nail polish.

" Think you could give my toes a good paint job? "

" I can try. Could you open up the bottle? I doubt I'd be able. "

" Sure. "

Victoria twisted the cap free from the bottle. Shaun wrapped his arm around the cap and used his other hand to balance it. Victoria's toes clenched the edge of the table.

" If you mess up let me know. " she said.

He didn't mention it, but the smell of the nail polish was stinging his nose. Not so bad he couldn't work through it though. Carefully, he began to coat the nail of her big toe in polish. When he finished that one, without error, he could see his reflection in the nail that was bigger than his head. Proud of his work, he moved on to the other toes. On the fourth toe, Victoria suddenly spoke up.

" Any mistakes so far? "

" Nope. Doin' good so far. "

" Cool. So, Shaun I've been meaning to ask. You said you released Zarelda from a bottle right? Where'd you even find such an old bottle? "

" I got it at a garage sale... Wait! That's it! "

" What? What's it? "she said picking her head up.

" The garage sale! I got the bottle at a garage sale! Zarelda told me after she got put in the bottle it was passed around between members of some order for years. The order was making sure she never escaped. One of the people in that house has to be a member of that order! They'll know what to do about her. It's their job! "

" Hold on. If it was this persons job to keep the bottle safe, why'd they put it out for a garage sale? "

" I don't know. It must've been a mistake. The least we can do is go talk to them about it. If they don't know anything we'll just leave and think of something else. "

" Alright, it's better then nothing. When should we go? "

" Why not right now? "

" Okay. We should tell Kyrie first. She'll want to know about this. She should be between classes right now. " Victoria said glancing at a clock on the wall.

She got up, went over to her bag, and pulled out her phone. She tapped the screen a few times and put it to her ear. There silence for a few moments and then she put it to her ear. The two talked for a bit, Shaun could only hear Victoria's side of the conversation. She relayed what he had told her and answered some of Kyrie's questions.

" Alright, talk to ya later, " she hung up the phone " , Kyrie agrees that we should go as soon as possible. She didn't like us going alone, but I convinced her. When we get to the house she wants me to text her the address just to be safe. "

" Alright, you ready to go now? "

" Hold up, little man. You gotta finish painting my nails first. "

__________________________________________________________

" There! That's the house, Victoria. " Shaun said pointing.

He was standing on the dash of Victoria's car, he had guided her to the house based on his memory. Finding it was easy though because the house was on his route home from work. Victoria pulled the car over to the curb.

" I'll text Kyrie the address. " she said digging her phone out of her bag. She squinted at the houses number above the garage door. " Okay, what should I do with you? "

" I guess just put me in your bag. Leave the zipper open a bit though. " Shaun said climbing onto her outstretched hand.

Victoria opened her bag and gently dropped him in. He landed among keys, beauty products, and other assorted items. Victoria left the zipper open about an inch. She got of her car and walked to the front door of the house, trying not to move her bag around too much. As she walked, the Nike sandals on her feet slapped her soles. Victoria rapped her knuckles on the door three times. There was a long pause and then the door opened slowly.

A middle-aged, Hispanic man appeared from behind the door. The top of his head was completely bald, there was some hair on the sides. His facial hair was shaved into a bushy goatee. He was wearing a blue, short sleeved button-up shirt and tan pants. A silver watch was on his wrist and glasses were perched on his nose.

" Hello, sir. I was hoping to talk to someone about an item I bought from the garage sale you had awhile ago. " she said realizing he was waiting for her to say something.

" Um, yes. What item would that be? " the man asked suddenly sounding nervous.

" I bought this old bottle and it had something... interesting inside. "

" Oh, really? Would you like to come inside before you continue? I'm letting all the cool air out. I could offer you a drink as well. "

Victoria hesitated, instinct told her not to go in. However, the man seemed to know something. " Sure, that'd be great. " she said smiling.

The man opened the door wider and stepped to the side. Victoria brushed past him and walked down a narrow hallway. The living room of the house was large with light brown painted walls. She stood awkwardly behind the couch as the man came in behind her.

" I'm sorry. My name's David. You are? " he said extending his hand.

Victoria noticed he put emphasis on the I of his name. A thick, Hispanic accent was mixed into his words. " Victoria. " she said shaking his hand.

" So, Victoria, what was this interesting thing you found in this bottle? "

" Uh, it's kinda hard to explain. You might think I'm crazy. "

" Was it, perhaps, a tiny woman. No more than a few inches tall. " Victoria's jaw dropped open at his sudden bluntness. She didn't know how to respond.

" Tell me, girl. Did you release her from the bottle? Has she done anything? Where is she now? "

" You're the member of the order. " Victoria said still slightly shocked.

David reached behind his back, his hand reappeared with a knife. " Who are you?! How do you know of the order?! " he said brandishing the knife.

" Whoa! Whoa! Hold on! I can explain! " She reached into her bag and wrapped her hand around Shaun. She pulled him out, holding him up for David to see. " You're talking about Zarelda, right? She did this to my friend. I came here hoping you could help us. "

David's hand fell to his side. " Dear Lord, it's worse than I thought. She's already stolen someone's size. " He set the knife down on an end table.

" You do know, Zarelda? Can you help me? " Shaun yelled dangling from Victoria's fist.

" Yes. I do know, Zarelda. As for helping you, I'm not sure I can. "
Chapter 16 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Mainly a plot chapter this time. Also, did a flashback for the first time. I'm going to be switching back to my other story for awhile, so it'll be a bit before there's another chapter for this one. I'll try not to make the wait too long. Hope you enjoy!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 16

" What do you mean you're not sure you can help me? " Shaun asked.

" If you're the one who freed Zarelda, then you know how dangerous she is. And because she stole your size, she's the one you have to get it back from. That could prove to be very difficult. "

" That's why we came here looking for you. You're part of the order she talked about, right? Isn't it your job to make sure she stays imprisoned? You gotta have some way of stopping her. "

" This is the first time she's ever escaped. Yes, we have protocols for if it ever happened. But it may be too late. You must tell me everything that has happened. "

Shaun retold his story again. Being careful not to leave out any details. Even the more embarrassing ones. David put a hand over his eyes as he listened.

" Okay, the one good thing that I got out of this is that she doesn't have any more of the powder. Without that there is still a chance we can stop her. Both of you come with me. "

David led them down another hallway. He opened a door at the end of the hall and flipped a switch. A single lightbulb lit up to reveal a wooden staircase that went down into a basement. David descended first with Victoria, still holding Shaun, trailing behind him. The basement was full of cardboard boxes and old furniture.

David walked over to a desk that was up against the far wall. He turned on a lamp for extra light, then opened one of the desks drawers and pulled out a small wooden box. He undid the latch of the box; inside the box were four vials of a white powder.

" Is that what I think it is? " Victoria asked.

" This is the powder used to imprison Zarelda ages ago. It is basically the same as the one she used on you-- "

" Oh, I'm Shaun. "

" Shaun. Except there is one difference. This powder binds the magic of whoever it is used on. On a person without magic, it will only have the size changing effect. "

" Okay, that's what we're going to use on her. How are we going to get her to take it? " Victoria walked to the desk and put Shaun down.

" That's the dangerous part. Trying to get her to drink something would be too suspicious. She's likely keeping an eye out for any order members or traps. No, we will have to give it to her instantly. A syringe should do. "

" Will that work? What about her immortality? "

" Zarelda's skin is still puncturable. And since the powder isn't deadly, it will work. Zarelda's immortality will only make the powder work faster. "

" How are we going to get close enough to inject her? "

" In all the time I had Zarelda's bottle in my possession, I never opened it. She does not know my face. I will go to your apartment in disguise. When I have the chance, I'll inject her. "

" Are you sure? She could kill you. " Shaun said.

" Yes, it was my job to guard Zarelda. Stopping her is my responsibility. "

" Hold on, hold on. I have a couple questions. " Victoria interrupted.

" What is it? " David asked confused.

" You said your job was to guard Zarelda. Why did they have one guy in the middle of suburban Arizona guard such a dangerous person? And for that matter how did Zarelda's bottle end up in the garage sale? "

" As to your first question, there are those who wish to free Zarelda and use her for their own purposes. Some believe these people may have spies in the order itself. It was decided long ago that Zarelda would be transported to a new hiding place every three years. The elders of the order decide who to give Zarelda's bottle to. Only them and a few of the most trusted members can know where she is being held. I was chosen to be her jailer because the elders trust me and my place of living is totally inconspicuous. To anyone outside of the order, I'm a simple family man. "

" Alright, that does make sense. What about the garage sale? "

David sighed " That wasn't my fault. That was my wife. She wanted to get rid of some of the old things in the house. I kept Zarelda's bottle hidden down here, I'm still not even sure how she found it. When I came home that day and found the bottle missing, I assumed the worst. Then she told me she sold it to a young man. I know now who she sold it to and it's too late to stop you from freeing her. She got much farther than I thought she would, but there's a chance we can stop her. I'm going to get you some water, so you can take the powder. "

He rose from the desk chair and went up the stairs to the house. Victoria scooped Shaun up in her hand.

" Do you think we can trust this guy? " she asked walking to the stairs.

" What choice do we have? He's our best option. "

They entered the living room just as David came out of the kitchen with a shot glass of water and one of the vials, missing some of the powder, in his hands.

" Bring him over here. " he said gesturing to the kitchen table.

David put the glass down, Victoria put Shaun down next to it.

" Take a few handfuls. " David suggested.

Shaun got on his knees in front of the giant glass and cupped his hands together. He drank four handfuls, noticing it had a strange taste to it.

" Alright, that should do. I'll get a syringe later. We'll carry out the plan tomorrow. Let's trade phone numbers. I'll call tomorrow night when I'm ready for you to pick me up. You just have to take me to Shaun's apartment, I'll handle the rest. "

The two traded numbers.

" Aren't you going to call the order for backup or something? " Victoria asked picking Shaun up again.

" No. I'd rather fix this without them knowing about it. The order is not forgiving. Especially for something like this. Now, you two must go. My wife will be home with the kids soon. "

" Thank you for all your help. I truly appreciate it. " Shaun said.

" You're welcome. I will see you both tomorrow. Goodbye. " David said ushering them towards the door.

Victoria dropped Shaun back in her bag as David opened the front door.

" Bye. " she said hurrying out the door.

She jogged over to her car, quickly slipping in. Once inside, she opened her bag and grabbed Shaun. She put him in the cup holder.

" We finally have a plan! You might be back to your old self pretty soon. " she said excitedly.

" I don't wanna get my hopes too high, but things are starting to look up. "

" You know what? I'm kinda gonna miss having you this small. Those foot rubs are amazing. "

The pair laughed as Victoria started up the car.

__________________________________________________________

Victoria and Shaun returned to the house after talking to David. They both relaxed in the living room until Kyrie came home. When she finally did, they told her everything they had learned from David.

" So, this is all happening tomorrow night? " Kyrie asked sitting on the couch with her legs tucked under her.

" Yep. David's going to get Zarelda to let him in and inject her when she's not looking. " Victoria said sprawled out on the couch with her feet in Kyrie's lap.

" That sounds really dangerous. And Zarelda seems too smart to fall for it. "

" Anything we try is dangerous, Ky. We said the same thing to David. He said it's his responsibility to stop Zarelda and he doesn't want to call the order for backup. "

" I just feel bad he's putting himself in danger for us. "

" Yeah, me too. But he sounds like he knows what he's doing. I think he can do it. " Shaun said sitting on the coffee table.

They all sat in silence for a few moments, letting the days events sink in.

" Well, " Victoria said standing up ", I think I'm gonna turn in for the night. Big day tomorrow. Night you two. "

" Night. " Shaun and Kyrie replied as she disappeared down the hall.

" You wanna call it a night too? " Shaun asked.

" Sure. " Kyrie picked him up carefully and padded into her room.

__________________________________________________________

Shaun leaped from the nightstand and bounced onto Kyrie's bed. Zarelda's spell had kept him from falling asleep yet again. If he didn't give in to it, he wouldn't get any sleep.

" I'm really sorry, Kyrie. I'll make it as quick as possible. " he thought.

He ran all the way to the foot of the bed. When he got there, Kyrie's feet were already poking out from under the sheets.Kyrie was sleeping on her stomach tonight, so her feet were laying sole up. Shaun approached the two giant feet slowly, trying not to disturb Kyrie's sleep. Once in front of her left foot, he kneeled before her toes.

He put a hand on her big toe. Suddenly, the bed jolted with sudden movement. Shaun fell on his back and the lamp on Kyrie's nightstand turned on. The sheet was pulled away as Kyrie turned onto her side and looked down at Shaun.

" Kyrie! I-I'm sorry... Zarelda's spell is too strong. I couldn't help myself. " he said pitifully.

Kyrie gave a small laugh. " Shaun. It's okay. "

" What? Really? I thought you said- "

" I was awake last night. I felt what you did. To be completely honest... it didn't feel half bad. "

" Seriously? You liked it? "

" Yeah. It was nice. I acted like I went to sleep, but I was really just waiting for you to try again. "

" Why? "

" Because I thought it'd be funny. I was right. And I didn't wanna say anything if you weren't going to do it again. "

" I'm glad you got a good laugh out of it. " Shaun said standing up indignantly.

" Don't be mad. To make it up to you, go ahead and give me a foot rub. I don't mind anymore. "

" Don't have to tell me twice. " he said rubbing his hands together.

Kyrie rolled onto her back, causing her feet to stand straight up. Where Victoria's feet towered over him, Kyrie's feet were only a couple inches taller. Shaun remembered a time back in high school when he had given Kyrie a foot rub...

**********************************************************************************

It was a Saturday afternoon during they're junior year. They had finished jogging around the local park twenty minutes ago. They were sitting on a stone bench under the shade of a tree to cool off.

" Ugh, my feet are killing me. I think I need a new pair of shoes. " Kyrie said bringing her foot up onto her knee.

" Those ones are starting to fall apart a little. " Shaun said and took another sip of water.

She started to untie her shoe.

" Think you could do me a favor? " Kyrie said in a suddenly sweet voice.

" What? " Shaun asked suspiciously.

She plopped her bare foot onto his lap. " Give me a massage? "

" What? No! That's gross! " he shoved her foot off his lap.

" Come on. Your big, strong hands would feel so much better than mine. "

" You know, it's funny. You only ever compliment me like that when you want something. "

" Pleeeeeeeease, Shaun. "

" Alright, alright. I'll do it. "

" Yay! " Kyrie said putting her foot back in his lap.

Shaun took her tiny foot in both of his hands. Kyrie's foot was so small it fit almost perfectly in his hand. Her foot was still warm from the run.

" Ah, this is weird. "

" Quit stalling and start rubbing. "


Shaun kneaded his thumbs into her sole for awhile.

" Alright, I'm done. "

" Not so fast. You have a whole other foot to do. " Kyrie said putting her other foot in his lap.

" Ugh. " Shaun sighed.

He spent another fifteen minutes rubbing that foot.

" Okay, I can't take it anymore. This massage is over. " Shaun said standing up.

" That wasn't so bad, was it? " Kyrie asked.

" I need to go wash my hands. "

Kyrie laughed as Shaun walked to the nearest bathroom...

**********************************************************************************

Things had changed drastically since then. Now, Shaun was only inches tall and liked the thought of rubbing Kyrie's giant feet.

" I really hope everything goes well tomorrow night. " he thought.

Shaun started rubbing small circles into Kyrie's sole with his hands. He rubbed everything he could reach and moved onto the next foot. He remained in control of himself when he finished this time.

" That felt great, Shaun. This might need to become a nightly thing. "

" I'd be fine with that. It'll keep Zarelda's spell calm and be my way of paying you back for all your help. "

" Okay, it's a deal. Come here. We both need to get some sleep. "

Kyrie picked him up and put him back on the nightstand. Shaun laid down on his towel bed.

" Night, Shaun. "

" Night, Kyrie. "

The two both drifted off to dreamless sleeps.
Chapter 17 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
I'm happy to be writing again! Things were really crazy for awhile and I didn't have much time to write. In my absence, I have decided to focus solely on this story. My other projects will be put on hold until this is finished. This chapter is kinda short, but a lot of things happen. Anyways, hope you enjoy and please leave a constructive review!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 17

Victoria, Kyrie, and Shaun pulled up in front of David's house at 8:13 PM. They had decided to take Victoria's car as it was the bigger of the two.

" Alright, I'll tell David we're here. " Victoria said taking out her phone.

She texted David and after a few minutes he came out of the house with a jacket folded under his arm. He climbed into the backseat, setting the jacket next to him.

" Hey, David. Did you get everything you needed? " Shaun called from the cup holder.

" Hello. I was able to get the syringe, but not a disguise. I figured I could pose as the landlord. "

" The landlord never came when I was with her. Let's hope he hasn't since I got out of there. "

David noticed Kyrie for the first time. " I'm sorry. I don't think we've met before. "

" David, this is Kyrie. She saved Shaun from Zarelda. " Victoria said.

" Nice to meet you. " Kyrie said.

" Likewise. Shall we get going? "

" Sure. " Victoria pulled away from the curb.

The ride to Shaun's apartment complex was only a few blocks down the street. There was a tense silence on the way. As they drove into the parking lot, David spoke up.

" I had no idea you lived so close. To think the person I was trying so hard to find was right down the road. "

" I've always hated irony. " Victoria sighed.

They parked in a covered spot a good distance away from the staircase to Shaun's apartment.

" Alright. You have to take that staircase there to the second floor. Shaun's apartment is 8D. " Kyrie directed David.

" Okay. Before I go, I need to give you something. " David unwrapped the box with the powder from the jacket. An envelope and a folded piece of paper were on top of the box. " I want you to have this in case something happens. I couldn't leave this in my house. The paper has the number of an order member. If this plan fails, call him and tell him everything. The order will come and take care of Zarelda. The envelope is for you to give to the order when they arrive. It is my last wishes. "

Victoria exchanged a sad look with Kyrie.

Kyrie took the box and papers from David. " Of course. We'll give them to the order. If it comes to that. "

" I would much rather prefer coming back to this car with Zarelda in hand and tearing up that envelope. But we must be prepared for anything. "

They all remained silent.

" I suppose I should get moving. Wait here for half an hour. If I don't come back by then... Call that number. "

" Thank you again, David. " Shaun said.

David nodded and got out of the car.

__________________________________________________________

Zarelda closed the laptop and set it on the coffee. She had just finished ordering the last ingredient. Searching through the other apartments she'd found just enough to buy both of them. She already picked up the first one. When they had it in stock, she would teleport to their building and retrieve it.

Soon all of her planning would finally pay off. She put her feet up on the table and leaned back on the couch. A sudden knocking on the door made her jolt up. Slowly, she went to the door and looked through the peephole. Standing outside was a balding, tan-skinned man with trimmed facial hair and a displeased expression. Zarelda sighed and unlocked the door.

" May I help you? " she asked in a sweet voice.

" Yes. I'm the landlord of this apartment complex. I need to speak with Mr. Shaun. " the man said angrily.

He was wearing glasses, a brown jacket, tan pants, and she could see a silver wristband glinting on his wrist.

" I'm sorry. Shaun isn't here right now. He won't be back until morning. "

" You are his girlfriend then? "

" Yes, I am. "

" Well, I have been receiving complaints from the other tenants. "

" What complaints? "

" Noise complaints. A couple said they heard shouting and loud crashes. "

" I apologize. We were moving some things around and Shaun dropped something on his foot. "

" These noises were on several different occasions. Would you mind if I come in and have a look around? "

" No, not at all. " Zarelda said through gritted teeth, still smiling.

She opened the door wider and the man brushed past her.

" There's barely any furniture in here. "

" Getting furniture has been taking longer than we planned. "

The man looked at the ingredients for the powder strewn out on the kitchen counter.

" I'm sorry. Did I interrupt your cooking? "

" No, no. I went shopping a short time ago. Let me put these away. "

Zarelda started picking up the assorted ingredients. The next few seconds seemed to slow down time. As she turned her back, her senses flared up in warning. She whipped her head around to see the man's hand, with something grasped in it, flying at her neck. Using her mind, she stopped his hand in midair.

The needle clutched in his hand was centimeters from her skin.

" Who. Are. You? A member of the order? " The man grunted, still trying to stab her with the needle. Zarelda pried open his fingers and took the needle. " And what is this? Could it be the size stealing powder? Why would you have this without a person to transfer it to... Wait... Could this be little Shaun's doing? "

She threw the man into the far wall, pinning him up with her mind. His arms and legs were spread out wide.

" I'll deal with you in a moment. " she said grinning evilly.

Zarelda carefully stepped out of the apartment. No one appeared to be in the immediate area. She went to the staircase and looked out at the parking lot. A woman was walking her dog along the gray stone path. Two girls were sitting in a car talking to each other. There wasn't a single person watching her or suddenly running towards her.

Zarelda went back into the apartment. The man was still struggling against psychokinetic bonds. She materialized a dagger in her hand and put it to his throat.

" You are a member of the order, aren't you? "

The man didn't say anything. Zarelda tore open the sleeve of his jacket and the shirt sleeve underneath. Tattooed on his bicep was a black circle with a large swirling pattern inside it.

" The mark of the order. I had no doubt. Tell me. How many more of you are out there? "

The man remained stubbornly silent.

" Did a shrunken boy named Shaun tell you about me? "

The man spit in her face. " I will tell you nothing. No matter what you do. " he finally said.

Zarelda wiped her face with the back of her hand and smiled. " Very well. It's always more fun forcing it out anyways. " She dragged the dagger across the cheek, leaving a long cut...

__________________________________________________________

" Holy shit! Is that Zarelda? " Victoria exclaimed.

" What? Where? " Shaun asked standing up in the cup holder.

Kyrie looked to the top of the staircase where Victoria was looking. Standing on the balcony of the second floor was a tall, black haired woman. She looked to be very attractive with voluptuous breasts and a figure to die for.

" Shit! Stop looking at her! She'll know something's up! " Kyrie and Victoria looked at each other. " From what you've told us, that's definitely Zarelda. "

" Doesn't look like she was exactly torturing you either. " Victoria said.

" Wait, she's out there all alone... Where's David? "

" Something must've happened. " Shaun said.

" Maybe he got away though and that's why she's out there. Trying to find him. " Victoria offered pathetically.

" If he escaped why wouldn't he come to the car? I think we have to assume the worst. "

" Dammit! " Shaun cursed pounding his fist on the rim of the cup holder.

" Let's wait for a bit longer and then go back home. "

They waited for another fifteen minutes before leaving. David did not return. The tense air from the ride to the apartment complex was gone, replaced by a solemn silence. None of them wanted to say what they were all thinking. When they got back to the house, they sat in the living room not knowing what to say or do.

After a few minutes of this, Victoria stood up. " I'm going to bed. We'll call that number in the morning. " she said shuffling down the hallway.

" We should get to sleep too. " Kyrie said picking up Shaun.

Kyrie put Shaun on her nightstand and crawled into bed, not even changing clothes.

" Kyrie... This my fault. I'm the reason David's... " Shaun said slowly.

She sat back up and gave him an incredulous look. " This isn't your fault, Shaun. This is all Zarelda's doing. You can't blame yourself. "

" If I hadn't let her out of that bottle none of this would've happened. I was an idiot. The second she came out of that bottle I should have called the authorities or something. But I didn't. I was so distracted by her good looks and her seducing, the thought never crossed my mind. "

" No, Shaun. It's because you're a good person. You wanted to help her and protect her so much you could never believe she was evil. She used your kindness to her advantage. You did what anyone else would do. No one can blame you for that. "

" But... I... "

" No. Stop. You did the right thing. How could you have known Zarelda was evil? And David decided to do this by himself. He said it was his duty. We are going to make sure Zarelda pays for what she's done. Alright? "

" ...Alright. " Shaun said hanging his head.

" Try to get some sleep now. "

" Kyrie? "

" Yeah? "

" There's something I've been meaning to tell you. "

" What is it? "

" I don't know exactly how to say it, so I'll just come right out with it. I like you, Kyrie. More than a friend. Ever since junior year. "

Kyrie looked surprised for a moment and then grinned slightly. " Really? What made you say this now? "

" I've been wanting to say something for awhile. With all that's been going on, I realized I should tell you how I feel before something happens. "

" Something happens? "

" I'm worried about all that's going on with Zarelda. If anything happened to you because of my mistake, I couldn't live with myself. "

" Shaun, I'm not going to let anything happen to either of us. And honestly? I knew you liked me. I've liked you too since junior year. I was waiting for you to say something first. "

" Really? Now I wish I said something sooner. "

" Well I'm happy you finally said it. "

" Normally, this is where I would offer to take you out on a date. But I don't think any restaurant would accept my current attire. " Shaun said gesturing to himself.

" I could always buy you a little doll suit. " Kyrie snickered.

" Thanks, but no thanks. Tell you what? When I'm normal sized again, I'll take you on the greatest date you've ever been on. Deal? " Shaun held out his hand.

Kyrie offered her pinky and the two shook on it.

" I can do one thing for you right now. Could you give me a lift onto the bed? "

" Zarelda's spell seriously gives you a one track mind. "

" I'm sorry I can't resist the MAGICAL CURSE placed on me by an EVIL WITCH. I did manage to fight it back all day and it only benefits you. "

" Yeah, yeah. " she said picking him up " You can spend the night down here. I'll probably fall asleep while you're massaging. "

Kyrie put Shaun by her feet and rolled back onto her stomach. He approached her slightly tan feet on his knees. Her small toes were painted a light blue. Kyrie's toes were small comparative to her foot, though they were nearly as long as his leg. Her sole had multiple wrinkles going all the way up to her heel.

Shaun climbed up onto her upturned sole and began rubbing his entire body into it. His member immediately became erect. The smell of her feet spurred him on. Before long, he couldn't stand it anymore. Shaun tugged off his garment and threw it aside.

He went back down to her toes and stuck his minuscule member between the second and third toe, then started thrusting back and forth. Luckily, it seemed Kyrie had already fallen asleep. Her soft toes and the fast motion made short work of him. He exploded between her toes and fell onto her foot.

" Ahhhhhh... I could get used to this curse. " he sighed.

Shaun got up, retrieved his garment, and curled into a ball atop Kyrie's sole. " This is way better than a towel. "
Chapter 18 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Sorry for the short chapter guys. This one was had necessary information, but was hard to end without drawing it out too long. I decided to keep it short. Not a lot of action in this chapter, but things should pick up in the next chapter. Constructive criticism is appreciated and enjoy! We're reaching the end!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 18

In the morning, they all ate a small breakfast. The girls had cereal and chopped some pieces off a banana for Shaun. Afterwards, they moved to the couch and Victoria entered the number David had given them into her phone.

" Let's hope this goes well. " she said and pressed call.

She turned the speaker on and put it on the table. Someone answered on the fourth ring.

" Who is this? " a male voice asked sharply.

" Hello, my name is Victoria Abbott. "

" How did you get this number? "

" A man named David... Holy shit he never even told us his last name. "

" What about David? What's happened? "

" We think he's dead... Zarelda got free. She's on the loose and human sized again. He tried to stop her... We haven't seen him since. "

" WHAT!? Zarelda is free!? How did this happen?! "

Victoria told the man what David had told them and then told him Shaun's story.

" Dear God... This can't be. I-I have to tell the rest of the order. Is this the number I should contact you with? "

" Yes. "

" Stay close to this phone. I will be in touch soon. "

With that, the man hung up the phone.

" Well, that was fast. I expected it to take a lot longer. " Kyrie said.

" Yeah. What should we do until he calls back? " Shaun asked standing on the coffee table.

" I guess we should just wait around here. " Victoria suggested.

Luckily, it was Saturday so the girls didn't have to go to school. Victoria flicked on the TV.

" Anyone want a foot rub? "

" Sure. " Victoria said propping her feet up in front of him.

" Kyrie? I could do both of you at once. " he said earnestly.

" I suppose. " she said scooting next to Victoria and putting her feet up too.

" Ahhhhhh. Seen the light have you, little foot? " Victoria laughed.

" It doesn't feel terrible. "

Shaun approached both girls feet. Victoria's feet dwarfed Kyrie's by quite a bit. He put his left hand on Victoria's foot and his right on Kyrie's.

" We should probably wash your garment sometime today. Don't want it to start smelling bad. " Victoria said.

" Yeah, sure. "

He was too busy rubbing circles into each girls foot to really hear what she said.

" So, Vic. Something interesting happened last night. " Kyrie grinned.

" Oh, really? Do tell. "

" A certain someone finally told me he liked me. "

" No freaking way! You're kidding! " She pushed for foot forward, nearly making Shaun fall over. " You're just a little lady charmer, aren't you? "

" Heh. Yeah, I guess I am. " Shaun blushed and scratched his head.

" Took you long enough. I've been waiting for you two to get together for like four years. It was really aggravating to watch. You picked a strange time to speak up. "

" All that's been going on helped me get my priorities straightened out. And we're not officially together yet. I'm going to take Kyrie on a date when I'm back to normal. "

" Oh, please! You might as well call each other boyfriend and girlfriend now. You two are perfect for each other. "

Kyrie and Shaun both blushed and looked away from each other simultaneously.

" Geez, I think it's gonna be harder watching you guys going out. " Victoria sighed.

__________________________________________________________

Zarelda closed the door to the bathroom. The man, whose name she found out was David, was very resilient to her questioning. He had been well trained. All that she had gotten out of him was that he didn't know Shaun and was acting on the order's command. However, he could always be lying.

For now, she was safe to continue with her plans. She would just have to be on guard and watch her back in the next few days. Once the powder was completed, she would have nothing to fear from anybody. Not even the fools of the order. So far flames, knives, and electricity had produced little results.

An idea was forming in her head for a new method. She went to the couch and retrieved the gun from under one of the couch cushions.

" This should work excellently. " she sneered.

Zarelda entered the bathroom again. David was bound by chains all over his body and was lying in the bath tub. His mouth was magically sealed, so he didn't scream out for help. David's face was covered in dried blood and healed cuts. His shirt was torn open to reveal burn marks and even more cuts.

Zarelda smiled at him and put the gun to his leg. " Well, David. You have put up quite a fight. And as much as I enjoy when they put up a fight, I need answers. I will give you one last chance to talk before I escalate things. "

David glared at her and shook his head.

" What a shame. You have forced me to use this weapon. " She jabbed the gun into his leg. " I understand there are places you can shoot that aren't lethal, but hurt very much. Even if the wound is lethal, I could always let it become infected and let you reach the brink of death. Then when you're begging me to let you die, I'll heal you and do it all over again. Unfortunately, this is too loud to use here. How about we go out to the desert? No one will bother us out there and afterwards I can leave you there for a day or so. Maybe you'll feel like talking then? "

David's glare intensified.

" Come. Let's have some fun. " Zarelda grabbed David's arm and the two vanished.

__________________________________________________________

A couple hours later, the man called back.

" I have spoken with the order. I have been given the task of recapturing Zarelda. You are in the U.S., correct? "

" Yes, Arizona. " Victoria answered.

" I'm going to need your address. We need to verify this before we start a full on operation. "

She gave him the information he needed to find the house.

" Okay. I will be there in a few days. In the meantime, I advise you to stay away from Zarelda. She is a very dangerous woman. "

" Hold on! What's your name? So I know. "

" Joseph. Joseph Newgate. "

Joseph hung up the phone.

" I really hope he gets here in time. Zarelda has had a lot of time to herself. She could've already finished the powder by now. " Shaun said.

" If it was finished, I think we'd be seeing a fifty foot tall witch stomping through the neighborhood. " Kyrie said with a strained laugh.

" Yeah, I guess you're right. I can't believe this all might be over in a few days. I might be normal sized again! "

" Or Zarelda's gonna finish the powder and the order won't be able to stop her. She'll enslave the entire world. " Victoria said slowly.

Shaun and Kyrie looked at her in shock.

" Sorry, my mom always said I could be a real downer sometimes. "
Chapter 19 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Only two more chapters left. Next chapter things come to a boil!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 19

Two days later...

Shaun and Victoria sat in the living room watching TV. They had been waiting two days now for Joseph to arrive. Kyrie had gone to school, even though she wanted to stay. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Victoria looked at Shaun.

" Think that's him? "

" Could be. " Shaun said.

Victoria went to the door and looked through the peephole. " There's two guys out there. I can't really make them out. Here goes nothing. "

She opened the door. Two men were standing in the entryway. The man who had knocked was tall, taller even than her by a few inches. He had short blonde hair that was combed neatly. His eyes were bright blue. The man was wearing a beige suit and a dark blue tie. Brown dress shoes were on his feet. He grinned as she opened the door.

" Ms. Victoria Abbott, I presume? " he asked.

" Yes. You must be Joseph. I recognize your voice. "

" Yes. This is my associate, Mr. Kuwale. "

Standing behind Jospeh was a bald African American man. He was on the short side and his muscles were visible through his own black suit. His face gave away no emotion with a patch of facial hair under his lower lip. Black leather gloves were on his hands.

" Miss. " Kuwale said curtly.

" Would you like to come in? We have a lot to talk about. "

" Yes, please. Kuwale would you be so kind as to wait out here? I would like to speak to Ms. Abbott alone. "

" Are you sure that is wise, Newgate? "

" I can handle myself. Besides, if anything goes wrong I'm sure you'll burst in to save me like always. "

" So be it. " Kuwale sighed and turned around.

Joseph stepped into the house and Victoria closed the door.

" Do you want something to drink? "

" No, thank you. Let's get down to business. Is Shaun here? "

" Yeah, hold on. "

She went over to the coffee table and picked up Shaun. Joseph grimaced as she sat down at the kitchen table with the shrunken boy.

" It's worse than I hoped... Pardon my manners. It's nice to meet you, Shaun. "

" Nice to meet you too. " Shaun said from her hand.

" Tell me, Shaun. How tall were you before all of this started? "

" 6'5 "

" Hmmm... Alright. I still can't believe this has happened again. "

" AGAIN?! You mean this has happened before? " Victoria exclaimed.

" I should not have said that... But yes. Zarelda has previously escaped twice. Many, many years apart. We recaptured her both times. The last time was some 15 years ago. Although, she never recovered her size before now. This must be the first opportunity that presented itself for her to use the powder. To think she's had it this long. She's a determined witch, I'll give her that much. "

Joseph reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen.

" I'm going to need the address of Shaun's apartment. Before we do anything we need to confirm that Zarelda is still in the apartment and human sized. Once that is confirmed we can begin the operation. "

Victoria scribbled down Shaun's address. Joseph folded the paper and put it back in his coat.

" I'll call you when we know. " he said walking towards the door.

" Wait! You and Kuwale can't go in there alone! She'll kill you just like she did David. " Victoria cried standing up.

Joseph turned back with a large smile on his face. " You seem to be mistaken. "

He raised his hand and electricity crackled on his fingers. " Magic isn't a dead art. This is why I wasn't worried about coming in here alone. I'm not afraid of Zarelda. Goodbye. "

Joseph opened up the door and left.

" Holy shit. We might actually have a chance at stopping Zarelda. " Victoria said raising Shaun to her face.

" I really hope so. " Shaun said staring at the door.

__________________________________________________________

Zarelda poured the contents of the bag into the pot. She finally had everything she needed for the powder! Making it would take a few hours, but the wait was worth it. Vengeance was going to be hers. She already knew who her first victim was going to be, Raul of apartment 24B. Seducing him would be all too easy. She had it all planned out.

A flicker of energy made Zarelda freeze. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced for many years. Someone with powers like hers was nearby and they were reaching out to find her. Whoever this person was they were the strongest sorcerer she'd come across since that old man she got the immortality spell from. They were still no match for her.

Focusing her powers, Zarelda teleported out to the balcony of the second floor. The moment she appeared the presence vanished without a trace. This person had either teleported away or was talented at cloaking. No one in the parking lot stood out to her. Her suspicions were now confirmed, the order was closing in.

If they came for her before the powder was ready she would be forced to fight. Zarelda smiled with a laugh to herself. Let the order come! She had been itching for a good fight since she regained her powers. If they defeated her, she would kill as many as she could before she fell. Until then, she would have to watch carefully for their return.

__________________________________________________________

" Zarelda is definitely in that apartment. Despite my best efforts to remain unknown, she sensed my probing. Now she'll be on alert. Which just means we'll have to be especially careful. I've already called our agents. One of them will watch the apartment until late tonight. More stealth that way. Once he confirms she's still there, we will move on the apartment. If any civilians see us we will wipe their memories. That is our plan. "

Joseph had just returned to Victoria and Kyrie's house. Victoria had asked what their plan for capturing Zarelda was.

" Do all of your agents have magic? "

" For this mission they do. We aren't taking any chances. Shaun, you need drink some of this. I'm sure David already explained how the powder works. "

Joseph said pulling out a vile of the powder. Victoria got a glass of water and a spoon from the kitchen. Joseph added the powder to water and stirred it in. Knowing the routine, Shaun drank a few handfuls. Pulling out a syringe, Joseph took some of the water.

" This for Zarelda. " he said putting a cap on the needle and sliding it back into his coat.

" Okay. I'm going to meet up with our agents. You'll know the operation was successful when you're normal sized again. We'll come back and check on you. "

" Wait a minute! I want to be there and help you guys any way I can! " Shaun yelled from the kitchen table.

" Out of the question. We can't fight Zarelda and watch over you. "

" I'm the reason all of this happened! I won't get in the way. I'll follow your orders, I swear. "

" Hey! Me and Kyrie are coming too, little man. " Victoria interjected.

" You guys are just going to show up at the apartment complex anyways, huh? "

" Probably. " Victoria laughed.

" Fine. You can come along. But all of you will stay in the van until I say otherwise. Understand? "

They both nodded.

" Alright, I will return tonight. "

" Oh, wait! I almost forgot! "

Victoria got up and retrieved David's box and letter from the couch.

" David gave these to us before he left. It's his last wishes and his store of the powder. " she said handing them to him.

He looked at the items with sad eyes.

" David was a good man. One of the most loyal members the order has ever known. I will see to it his wishes are carried out... Goodbye. "

Joseph left the house yet again. Kuwale turned as he closed the door.

" Joseph, this operation isn't going to be easy. The elders let you lead this because they see your potential. If you fail, you may be thrown from the order or worse. "

" I have no intention of failing. I will stop Zarelda. Even if it costs me my life. "
Chapter 20 by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
The end is nigh!
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 20

" Zarelda is still in the apartment, sir. I will call if there are any developments. "

Jared hung up the phone. He and Lilian had been sitting in the apartment complex's parking lot for hours now on Joseph's orders. They were to report on Zarelda's activity every twenty minutes. So far, Zarelda had not left the apartment once. Joseph had chosen Lilian and him for this assignment because they both specialized in sensory magic. They could remain cloaked and track Zarelda's position simultaneously.

It was currently 9:43 PM, the operation was set to begin at 10:30 PM. Suddenly, he heard Lilian suck in a raspy breath.

" Need a dri-- " Jared stopped as he looked over at her. Blood was spurting from a wound in her neck. " Lilian! What happened?! "

He started to reach over to stop the bleeding, but froze when something punctured his own throat. He moved to put a hand to his neck and was stopped by someone grabbing his wrist. Jared turned his head to see Zarelda grinning at him wickedly through the cars open window. He tried to speak and coughed on his blood.

" Fools. You think you're so clever cloaking your magic, but two presences sitting in a car for hours is still quite suspicious. Then I had to wait for you to report to your master. "

Zarelda pulled the dagger from Jared's throat. The light faded from his eyes. The woman was already dead. Zarelda put a hand on Jared's shoulder and teleported his body away to the ocean. She did the same to Lilian's body. " Now I can get to work without looking over my shoulder for a little while. "

She teleported back into the apartment. Grabbing a bag off the floor, she started to change out of her clothes. She put on a red two piece bikini that didn't leave anything to the imagination. Zarelda went into the kitchen and picked up a large vial she had conjured earlier. Using a spoon, she filled it with the freshly made powder. She also pulled a bottle of wine she had bought the previous day out and two wine glasses.

Leaving them on the counter, she got a black hooded jacket from the closet and slipped into a pair of Shaun's large flip flops. Zarelda put the vial into the jacket's pocket. She picked up the bottle and glasses in each hand. Zarelda walked out of the apartment and realized she had no idea where apartment 24B was.

" Dammit, I should've found it sooner. Started seducing that idiot days ago. " she growled stalking down the hallway.

After wandering around for awhile, she found a map of the complex. A few minutes later she arrived at the door to Raul's apartment and knocked. There was no answer for a couple moments, then the door opened.

" Oh, hey! If it isn't the bus girl. I realized after I left you at the bus stop I never asked you your name. I honestly never thought I'd see you again. " Raul said happily.

" Hey, Raul. It's Zarelda by the way. " she said extending her hand.

Raul accepted her hand shake. His eyes widened when he saw what she was wearing.

" So, uh, you planning on going swimming? It's kinda late don't you think? "

" Yes, I am. I was actually wondering if you would like to come along. " she said raising the bottle and glasses.

" Seriously? We hardly even know each other. Isn't this kind of sudden? "

" Well, the first thing you should know about me is that I move through life quickly. I don't like to waste time. "

" Hmph. Alright then. I can respect that. Just give me a few minutes to get my swim trunks and I'll be right out. " Raul laughed.

" Okay. " Zarelda said grinning.

Five minutes later, he came out in shorts with a towel around his neck and no shirt on.

" You ready? "

" Yes. "

The two walked over to the pool without talking. Raul opened the gate surrounding the pool with a key he pulled from his pocket. He put his towel and the key on one of the chairs around the pool. Getting a running start, he jumped into the water.

" Ay! Be prepared it's a little cold. " he said breaking the surface.

" Haha, alright "

Zarelda kicked off her flip flops and put the jacket on the nearest chair. She turned her back to Raul and pulled the cork out of the bottle with her mind.

" You do want some of this right? " she asked sweetly.

" Yeah, sure. "

Stealthily, Zarelda slipped the vial out of the jacket's pocket and poured all of it into the bottle. She filled up the two glasses with the wine and drank from hers.

" Here you go. " Zarelda said handing him his glass.

" Garcias. " he said and took a drink.

A large, wicked smile broke out on Zarelda's face. This was the beginning of Zarelda's revenge. The moment Raul drank the wine, she had won. There would be no stopping her now! She slid down into the cool water.

" Let's speed the process up. " Zarelda thought.

The dose she had given Raul was much larger than the minuscule amount she'd given Shaun. This amount combined with the alcohol was already going to make short work of him, but getting his heart beating would only quicken the effect.

" So, Zarelda? Where'd that name come from? It's pretty unique. "

" I'm not sure. My mother told me it is a very, very old name. Let's not waste time talking about names though. I like you, Raul. A lot. "

She took his face in both of her hands and kissed him. Raul was stunned for a moment, but returned the kiss. They kissed for minutes in the water, wrapping their arms around each other. After some time, Zarelda felt Raul start to dwindle in her grasp. She finally pulled away.

" I was not expecting that. " he said breathing heavily.

" I figured you could use a small break. Drink your wine. " she said taking another drink.

Raul drained the rest of his glass. " Can I have some more? "

" Of course. "

She refilled his glass and he took another sip. There was now a noticeable size change of Raul. He had obviously lost some inches. So far, he failed to notice the difference.

" Did you just recently move to Arizona? You're awfully pale for a local. "

" No, I've lived here my whole life. I moved to these apartments because the price wasn't bad and they were nice. " Zarelda lied.

" This place is pretty nice, huh? I moved here to be closer to mi madre. I worry about her living alone. "

" That's sweet. Well, you ready to go again? "

In truth, she just wanted him to stop talking.

" Yeah. "

They started to kiss passionately again. Raul continued to steadily shrink in Zarelda's arms. Suddenly, he stopped and peered up at her.

" Are you standing on your toes? "

" No, why? "

" You seem a lot taller than before and... my feet aren't touching the bottom anymore! What the hell is happening?! "

" What are you talking about, Raul? " Zarelda grinned.

" I'm... I'm shrinking! This isn't possible! I have to go home and call an ambulance or something! "

Raul moved to get out of the pool, but Zarelda grabbed his shoulder.

" You're just going to leave me here? " she said with mock sadness.

" Are you stupid? I'm shrinking! I need a doctor. "

" I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this. "

She put both hands on his shoulders and forced him under the water. If she killed him the powder would lose its effect, but getting his heart pumping would make it work faster. Raul thrashed under the water, but his diminished size made it so he couldn't put up much of a fight. Zarelda's muscles tensed as she started to grow larger.

She let Raul up and immediately covered his mouth. He was now the size of a small child.

" Don't even think about yelling. I will kill you. "

Raul coughed under her hand while breathing heavily. Zarelda continued this treatment until Raul shrank down to inches tall. When she was done growing, she tossed him into the pool.

" Have fun, my little friend. I was going to kill you, but leaving you here to fend for yourself seems more fun. "

Zarelda stepped out of the pool. Her new height was near 12 feet tall. She wanted to become much bigger, but it was a start. Now, she needed to get a normal sized person to give her the rest of the powder. Her large feet stomped to the gate, making a lot of noise. She no longer cared if anyone saw her, she barely even feared the order now. She hopped over the gate and walked towards the parking lot. Giant footprints were left in the grass...

_________________________________________________________

Joseph hung up the phone with a concerned look on his face.

" Something isn't right. They aren't answering. I think we should go to the complex now and see what's happened. "

Joseph had called his scouts to tell them he had decided to move up the time of the operation and they didn't answer.

" I'll let the troops know. " Kuwale said and left the house.

Joseph turned back to Kyrie, Victoria, and Shaun who were all quietly sitting at the kitchen table.

" Alright, you three. I'm laying down the ground rules right now. We're going to be taking two vans to the apartment complex. You all will be riding with me and Kuwale. You stay in the van until I say otherwise. If any of you leave the van without my saying so, there will be consequences. If this all goes south and we must separate, try to stick with one of the order members. We will regroup here. Do you all understand? " Joseph said seriously.

" Yes. " All three said in unison.

" Okay. Let's go. "

Kyrie picked up Shaun and they all left the house. Two black vans were parked outside by the curb. Kuwale was standing by the front one talking to the men inside. Joseph lead them to the back one and slid open the side door. They piled inside. The van didn't move for a few minutes, but eventually rumbled to life.

Joseph pulled on a metal chest plate. He was already wearing black clothing and combat boots.

" What the hell is that? " Victoria asked.

" The order is very traditional. This is the armor we've worn for generations. They have many minor protective spells placed on them. "

" You order guys are a strange bunch, aren't you? "

" I suppose you could say that. "

" Are you confident you can capture Zarelda? " Shaun asked from Kyrie's hand.

" Zarelda is a strong sorceress. Against eight magic users even she should be no match. If she has already made the powder however... "

The group lapsed into silence for the remainder of the ride. When the van stopped completely, Joseph got out of the van.

" Wait here. " he said and closed the door.

" Zarelda is not in the apartment or the immediate area, sir. There is someone without magic in the apartment. " one of the agents said.

They had all put their masks on already and were dressed similarly in their black uniform, making it hard to tell who had spoken. Joseph looked around the parking lot and found what he was searching for.

" There's Jared's car. You go check it out, " he pointed to one of the agents " ,Kuwale, take someone with you and see who's in the apartment. Be careful. "

Kuwale nodded and pulled on his own mask. He tapped the nearest agent and left. Joseph put on his own mask while he waited. The agent who searched Jared's car returned after a few minutes.

" There's no sign of Jared or Lilian. There was some blood on each of the front seats. "

" Dammit! We're already down two magic users and we haven't even found Zarelda yet. "

Without Jared and Lilian, there were only six magic users left including himself. Kuwale did not have magic, but was an experienced combatant. Very few men could stand toe to toe with him. He was also one of the order's top assassins. Suddenly, Kuwale and the agent appeared in front of the van holding up a bloody man. It was David!

" David! Are you okay? "

" He's unconscious. One of you start seeing to his wounds. " Kuwale said moving him towards the empty van.

They opened the side door and laid him down inside the van. One of the agents leaned over him and started using healing magic.

" None of his wounds seem fatal. His left arm looks broken and he might have an infection. Other than that, I think he'll be fine with the right care. " Kuwale told the agent.

The agent raised his hands over David's arm and they began to glow. " I only know basic healing spells, sir. "

" Do what you can. We'll take him to a healer after the opera- "

Joseph stopped talking when he heard a rhythmic booming sound. And it was getting closer.

" Kuwale, do you hear that? "

Kuwale paused and listened for a moment. " All of you spread out. Something's coming towards us. "

The agents formed a half circle facing the direction the booming was coming from. A terrifying sight appeared before them. Zarelda stepped out from between two apartment buildings with an evil smile on her face. She was huge! A couple feet over ten feet tall.

" Ah! I was wondering when you all would come. You're just in time to see my new height. " she said happily.

" Zarelda! We will give you one chance to surrender! If you don't, we'll take you by force. " Joseph yelled trying not to let his doubt trickle into his voice.

" Hahahahaha! That's adorable! You think you and your small friends can fight me? Ha! You couldn't defeat me if I was normal sized! What chance do you have now? " Zarelda moved forward slowly.

The agents moved behind her until she was surrounded. She stood in the center of the circle with her arms crossed over her chest and her large foot smacking the ground. All she was wearing was a red two piece bikini and a playful grin. If he didn't know of her great evil, Joseph might find her attractive.

" Well, I don't think I'm going to be surrendering. I guess we should get to the fun part. "

Zarelda's hand flew up and shot lightning at Joseph. Joseph threw his hand up, raising a telekinetic shield. The lightning hit the shield, seemingly open air, and crackled furiously.

" Attack! " he commanded shooting lightning back at Zarelda with his other hand.

All of the agents shot their own spells at her. Most threw lightning at her as well, one fired a bolt of pure energy. Zarelda put up her own shield around herself. The spells hit the shield harmlessly. Zarelda returned fire. The fight continued like this for some time. Both sides firing and blocking enemy fire.

Suddenly, Zarelda rushed forward and kicked one of the agents full on. He flew back and hit his head on the metal roofing over a row of parking spots. His body fell to the ground in a heap. Kuwale ran over to Joseph while Zarelda's back was turned.

" We can't keep going like this. Civilians are starting to notice! You have to use the syringe! "

Joseph looked around and noticed that there were civilians coming out of their apartments. They watched in horror and amazement at the magical battle that was happening before their eyes. Some were on their phones, likely calling the police or worse.

" We can't get close to her without her... wait a minute. That's it! Keep her pinned down! "

Zarelda glanced at Joseph when he yelled this. This moment of distraction allowed one of the agents to hit Zarelda's flank with lightning, burning her skin. She hissed and stumbled from the pain. The rest of the agents took the opportunity to hit her with everything they had. Flames, lightning, and energy bolts blasted her from all sides.

Joseph teleported back to the vans to see Shaun, Kyrie, and Victoria behind one watching the battle.

" Didn't I tell you to stay in the van!? "

" Sorry! It was hard not to come out with all this shit going on! What's the matter? " Victoria said.

" Shaun, you said you wanted to help us right? "

" Yeah! What do you need? "

" Zarelda's more than we can handle now. We'll never be able to get close to her. I need you to take this and inject her with it. " Joseph said holding up the syringe from earlier.

" Are you crazy?! She's a fucking giant! He's five inches tall! She'll crush him without even knowing it! There's no way he's doing that! " Kyrie cried.

" Kyrie! I need to do this! If I can help them stop Zarelda, I have to do it. Please, Kyrie. " Shaun yelled from her hand.

Tears began to form in Kyrie's eyes. " A-Alright. I understand. I won't stop you. "

Shaun rubbed his cheek on her finger. " Kyrie, don't worry. I promise I'll come back over here just fine. "

" You better, little man. " she laughed.

" Be careful, Shaun. " Victoria said poking his stomach.

Shaun hopped onto Joseph's outstretched hand. He picked up the syringe, putting it on his hip. It was pretty heavy, but he could hold it for awhile. Joseph put his free hand on Kuwale's shoulder. They teleported back over to the battle. Shaun fell over as a wave of queasiness washed over him.

" Uuugggggghhhh. " he groaned slowly getting up.

" Sorry, I should've warned you about that. "

Zarelda had recovered from her momentary distraction. Her skin was still kneading back together from the onslaught. One of the agents was smashed into the roof of a car with its alarm blaring loudly. They were down to four magic users.

" Hold her down! Make sure she can't move from that spot! " Joseph yelled pointing to her feet.

Two of the agents moved close together. One threw up a shield, while the other raised both of his hands. Zarelda tried to advance on them, but her foot wouldn't rise off the ground.

" Go now! " Joseph said dropping Shaun onto the ground while Zarelda wasn't paying attention.

Shaun hoisted the syringe up on his shoulder and started running to Zarelda's gargantuan foot. Zarelda's curse was flaring stronger than ever before. He hadn't touched Kyrie or Victoria's feet in over a day. He didn't think it would matter much. How was he supposed to know that his target in helping with the operation was going to be Zarelda's foot? Shaun just hoped the curse wouldn't ruin everything. He did manage to fight it off this long.

High over his head the battle raged on. Zarelda was trying angrily to kill the agent trapping her to no avail. The remaining agents were shooting at her non-stop. At his size, the run to Zarelda's foot took about four minutes. He had built up a decent sweat from it, but luckily he was closing in on her foot.

Her giant toes were wiggling frantically trying to escape. Shaun arrived at her foot and took a moment to catch his breath, leaning on the syringe for support. Once he did, he pulled the cap off the syringe and lifted it up over his head. Shaun hesitated a moment and then brought the syringe down on Zarelda's foot...
End Notes:
To be concluded...
The Rise by The Shrunken Scholar
Author's Notes:
Well, this is the end guys. When I started this story I wasn't very confident in it, but you guys liked it so I kept writing. As time went on this story grew on me. I loved writing it. I never expected to write a sequel either. Yes, I am confirming that there will be a sequel right now. I hope to make the sequel better by improving on everything I did badly in this story. Anyways, please enjoy the final chapter of Trouble In A Bottle.
Trouble In A Bottle: Chapter 21 - Finale

Shaun brought down the syringe with all of his strength. Suddenly, the syringe hit a hard surface. The jolt made Shaun lose his grip. His momentum carried him forward, making him smack into Zarelda's foot. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the syringe was floating in midair.

" Oh, no... "

The syringe began to rise higher into the air. An invisible force wrapped around Shaun's waist lifting him into the air. As he was being raised, the agents spells hit an invisible wall surrounding Zarelda. Shaun and the syringe were lifted in front of Zarelda's face. A large smile spread across her face when she saw him.

" Shaun! It's so nice to see you again. I knew you would come back to me! "

" Put me down, you giant bitch! "

" Didn't we already talk about this? I'm mistress to you. "

" Shaun! " Joseph yelled firing energy bolts in rapid succession at Zarelda.

" Shaun! " Kyrie cried running out from behind the van.

" Kyrie! Don't! " Victoria yelled running after her.

As she ran, Victoria saw Kuwale draw a knife from his belt behind Joseph. She thought he was going to throw it at Zarelda or something, but instead he moved closer behind Joseph.

" Joseph! Behind you! " she yelled realizing what was about to happen.

She was too late.

" Now! " Kuwale shouted.

He stabbed Joseph's lower back, sliding it under the chest plate. Joseph cried out in pain and fell to his knees. He turned halfway around and threw up his hand. Kuwale went flying back, rolling across the pavement and finally laying unconscious. One of the two agents who were standing together turned to the other and shot lightning at him.

The agent convulsed and crumbled to the ground. The traitorous agent turned to the last remaining agent and electrocuted him too. He was so stunned at his comrades sudden betrayal, he didn't have the time to react. Zarelda had whirled around when she heard Kyrie cry out for Shaun. Her smile became malicious as she raised a poised hand.

An energy bolt flew from her fingertips and hit Kyrie square in the chest. Time slowed down as Shaun watched the girl he loved fall.

" Noooo! No! Kyrie! Kyrie! "

Shaun thrashed against his invisible bonds. Victoria ran to her friend. There was a large, smoking blackened spot in the center of Kyrie's chest. She wasn't breathing and her eyes stared up at the night sky, unblinking.

" K-Ky-Kyrie... Kyrie... Please... No... No! Come on! Wake up! Please! "

Tears flowed from her eyes as she scooped her friend up in her arms and hugged her tightly. Joseph suddenly appeared next to her.

" Victoria. We have to go. We have to go right now. "

" Joseph, please! You have to heal her! You can do it, right? "

" Victoria... Kyrie's... gone. There's nothing I can do for her. We... have to go. Let go of her. I'll come back for her, I swear. " he panted out.

" No! I'm not leaving her here like this. You're taking both of us or neither. " Victoria cried angrily.

Joseph nodded and put a hand on her shoulder.

" Hold on to her... tight. "

All three teleported away. Shaun was crying freely now, still trying to escape Zarelda's grasp.

" You fucking bitch! I'll kill you! I don't care how long it takes! I will kill you! " he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Zarelda ignored him, instead looking down at the traitorous agent.

" What is the meaning of this? Why did your betray your allies? "

The agent dropped down to his knees.

" I am part of a group who secretly broke away from the order. Our new mission was to make sure that if you ever escaped, the order wouldn't be able to capture you again. My mission is complete. Our leader will come to you soon to talk. Until then, I am yours to command. "

" I'm sorry to tell you that I don't trust order members. Even supposed traitors. But you can still be of use to me. " Zarelda grinned.

She launched the syringe into the agents arm. Using her mind, she pushed down the plunger. The effect was almost immediate. The agent dwindled in size as Shaun grew.

" My lady! No! I only want to serve you! " the agent begged shrinking down to inches in height.

Zarelda dropped Shaun roughly to the ground. He got up and beat his fists on her foot.

" Bitch! You evil whore! "

She kicked her foot out, knocking him onto his back. He didn't even try to get up this time. He just laid there breathing heavily with tears rolling down his cheeks.

" Be silent, slave! If you keep talking to me like that I'll be forced to punish you. Now, what is the matter? Did you care for her? "

" You bitch. You already know the answer. That's the only reason you killed her! "

Zarelda stomped her gigantic foot down on Shaun's chest.

" Enough! Do not speak again, you little bastard. "

Unknown to Zarelda and Shaun, Joseph had reappeared by the vans. He stumbled over to the one with David inside. Joseph was in a great deal of pain. He was almost certain that the knife Kuwale stabbed him with had been poisoned. Every time he used magic now, pain lanced through his body.

With a lot of effort, he tugged the side door open. He pulled David up onto his feet, draping his arm over his shoulders. Joseph looked to where he had left Kuwale unconscious. The traitor was gone. He saw Shaun pinned under Zarelda's foot.

" I wish I could help him, but there's not much I can do in this condition. I can't risk dying before I send word to the order about the traitors. Don't die, Shaun. I will save you. "

Grimacing, Joseph teleported off again with David.

Shaun stopped struggling against Zarelda's huge ped.

" Just kill me. I'd rather die than live the rest of my life as your slave. "

" Oh, Shaun. Have I ever done anything you told me to do? Why would I start now? " They both paused as they heard police sirens in the distance. Zarelda took her foot off Shaun. " Come. It's time we get moving. "

" I'm not going anywhere with you! "

" Hmmm... I think it's time I give you a welcome back present. "

She raised her hands and began to chant in the same strange language she'd used to curse Shaun before.

" What the hell are you doing? "

Shaun tried to run, but found he was frozen in place. A white light appeared and swirled around him.

" What is this?! What are you doing to me?! "

The light intensified, making him squint.

" WHAT ARE Y- "

Shaun was cut off as the light exploded around him. There was an instant of excruciating pain and then he blacked out. He fell to the ground, unconscious. His body was completely unharmed. Smiling, Zarelda picked him up in her arms.

" Come, my pet. There's much we have to do. "

Zarelda carried him out of the parking lot, leaving behind the littered bodies of the order's agents in the ensuing chaos...

________________________________________________________

Five weeks later...

Shaun adjusted his position on Zarelda's shoulder. A lot had changed in the last few weeks. He himself was a completely different person. Something had broken inside of Shaun. He no longer had the will to fight Zarelda.

For the longest time he wanted nothing more than to stop her, but now he realized there was no beating her. Zarelda was unstoppable. Zarelda was now near fifty feet tall and marching across the U.S. Her new mission was to take control of the country by sheer force. She wasn't alone in this task, however.

A couple weeks ago, when Zarelda was only thirty or so feet tall, a helicopter had appeared and came very close. Zarelda initially thought it was another attack from the military and tried to take it down. A man's voice called out from the helicopter, telling her they came in peace and had a proposition. Zarelda stopped attacking, but remained on guard.

The helicopter came closer and hovered in front of her face. Shaun saw a man leaning out of the chopper with a megaphone. He looked to be on the older side, at least over forty. His hair and beard were a dark grayish color. His skin was a light tan. He wore a black trench coat that was billowing in the wind and black gloves.

The man introduced himself as Edgar Ravik, a former elder of the order who had created the traitor group. He explained that he had wanted to free Zarelda since shortly after he joined the order, but he knew waiting for the right time would prove to be more successful. So, after many years he became an elder and bided his time creating his own personal army behind the order's back. An army of hundreds of normal soldiers and dozens of sorcerers fully equipped for battle. All for the day Zarelda freed herself.

Ravik's deal was simple. If Zarelda made an alliance with him and promised him a seat of power after they conquered the country, he and his army would fight for her. Also, he would give her all the size changing powder she wanted. Zarelda thought about the deal for a few minutes. Shaun knew she was going to accept though.

Marching across the country was proving difficult for the sorceress. Fighting off the military wasn't easy at her current size and she had run out of powder days before. She could use all the help she could get, but she wouldn't let Ravik know that. Zarelda merely said yes. Ravik said she had made a wise decision and flew off to mobilize his army.

An unholy alliance was born.

Ravik's army started taking out military bases all throughout the U.S. with Zarelda's help when available. Besides, how were average human beings supposed to fight against magic? The military fought with everything they had all along the way, but they couldn't keep the immortal bitch down for very long. Ravik would occasionally come with barrels full of water with the powder mixed in. Shaun did not know whose size he was stealing from.

Soon enough Zarelda was her current size of just under fifty feet. The military was now on the defensive, trying to keep the ground they had. Shaun did not know where the U.S.'s allies stood on the matter. He hadn't heard anything about them coming to help. Presently, Zarelda was walking through the countryside. Her target was the nation's capital Washington D.C.

Shaun sat on her right shoulder with a length of her hair tied around his waist for safety. Zarelda had thrown away both of their clothes a long time ago. She said a goddess and her pet did not need them. It took some time, but he got used to being nude 24/7. He guessed a lot of guys didn't mind seeing a naked giantess stroll past them. Especially one with Zarelda's looks.

Shaun looked out at all the trees spread out around them. Under different circumstances, he might actually enjoy this. Zarelda stopped walking as they both heard the roar of jets approaching. Not too long after they heard the jets, they saw a squadron zooming towards them.

" Here we go again, my pet. " she said with a grin.

Once they were in range, the jets launched missiles. Zarelda deflected most with her telekinesis, but a few hit her midsection. Shaun held on tight as the explosions rocked her body. Already her burnt muscles and skin were starting to regenerate. The jets opened fire with their main guns as they flew by.

One of the bullets tore through Shaun's chest, knocking him off Zarelda's shoulder. He dangled from the length of hair as blood poured from his wound. Another bullet cut through the hair and Shaun started to free fall. Time seemed to slow down as he fell. He thought of Kyrie and how, ultimately, he had caused her death. He thought of his mother who he hadn't seen in weeks, he didn't even know if she was alive now as the country was being thrown into anarchy.

Finally, Shaun's body slammed to the ground. Multiple bones were broken and shattered all at once. His arms and legs contorted in normally impossible ways. His dead eyes looked up at the sky... and his bones began to set back into place, mending back together. The large bullet wound in his chest and puncture wounds from his protruding bones started to heal.

A few moments after his body healed, he sucked in a raspy breath. He still wasn't used to dying. It had only happened once before now. A soldier had shot him down when he recognized him as the one Zarelda carried with her. Shaun freaked out when he came back to life after that. It was then that Zarelda revealed her latest gift to Shaun.

She had given him immortality.

She told him that it would be awhile before he could instantly regenerate like her. The fact that he was immortal still hadn't entirely sunk in yet. He still feared death every time he came close to it. Shaun sat up in the mixture of dirt and his own blood. He looked up and saw Zarelda yank one of the jets to the ground. An explosion boomed not too far off.

The jets continued their futile attempt to kill Zarelda. There was no way they could win. For an instant, Shaun considered turning and running away from the giantess. It was a pointless idea though. First of all, Zarelda could catch up to him in a few steps at her size. Secondly, he didn't know where he would run. He had no clue where Victoria and Joseph could be at this point and walking all the way back to Arizona would take weeks.
Shaun stood up and waited for Zarelda to dispatch the jets. She would pick him up when she was done...

________________________________________________________


Three weeks later...

Zarelda leaned back on her makeshift support. Her throne was still in the process of being made. Until it was finished, they had made her a metal back support with arm rests to use. Scaffolding was set up on either side of her so she could hear whoever she needed to talk to and they could give her whatever she wanted. The country was almost entirely under her control now.

The military was still putting up a minor resistance, but they couldn't keep it up for long. Ravik's army, now renamed Zarelda's Army, would destroy the last of them soon enough. None of the other countries had even tried to intervene yet. When she arrived in Washington D.C. the President was already gone. Edgar said he had likely left for the safety of a bunker somewhere and it was of no importance.

The country was theirs to rule. Edgar proclaimed himself Prime Minister of the new U.S. after the military was wiped out of Washington. Zarelda remembered she needed to come up with a new name for the country when she had the time. Her new base of operations was in front of the White House, while Edgar and his men worked inside the building. Zarelda looked to her right as Edgar climbed to the top of the scaffolding.

" Good afternoon, my Emperess. " Edgar said and bowed.

" Hello, Prime Minister. "

" The country is now ours. The military is falling apart. No one can stop us. What is first on your agenda? "

" First, we need to eliminate any opposition left. Then our army must be strengthened. After that, we move on to the rest of the world. One country at a time. " Zarelda said with an evil smile growing on her face as she spoke.

She looked down at her foot. A single figure stood atop her foot, licking and rubbing its body on her toes. It was Shaun, her eternal foot slave. Zarelda started to laugh loudly. Victory was hers. This was the first step in making the world pay for what it had done to her.
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