Chapter 1 - A Matter of Chance 5’9”

Hello, I’m Steve Jones.  Before I was well...like this I was a senior at my local high school.  However, one day I made a decision that would change my life forever.

It was a warm summer day in Richmond, Virginia, not a cloud in the sky.  I was walking home from a long day of school.  Being a high school senior can be tough sometimes; all the thoughts of college decisions, and striving to find some way to make a quick buck.

Lost in thought, I was walking home to my third story apartment, a real shithole, that place is; my parents had decided to let me live on my own since I would soon be an adult and needed to learn to live independently.  The landlord gave the living space to me for a cheap price so I jumped at the opportunity.  It has two full sized rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a single small closet, and not to mention the walls are littered with holes.  The only real perk is that I have a balcony with a nice view of the park across the street.

I had mindlessly made my way to the front door of my apartment building.  Stopping to hold the door for a statuesque woman with long golden-blonde hair carrying a handful of white paper flyers.  She easily stood at a height of 6’3” but with the 3” heels she was wearing made her that much more imposing.

“Thank you,” she said sweetly.

“If you don’t mind ma’am, may I ask what you are advertising,” I asked with great wonder.  Being a drummer for a small local band, most of the income I had came from very small Battle of the Bands competitions.

“The medicinal laboratory downtown is looking for people to test new developing drugs on.  The job is risky, however, there is a cash reward if you are interested,” she responded.

“I’m definitely interested,” I said seeing dollar signs in my eyes.

“Ok, honey here is a flyer,” the woman said gleefully handing me a flyer.  “It has all of the details about the testing, and you won’t even have to come down to the lab building, we send the drugs to you!”

“Thank you very much,” I said with great enthusiasm.

I couldn’t believe what had just happened.  In the elevator up to my floor, I could only think of how much money I could potentially make.

“There is no way that actually just happened.  Free money literally just ran into me at my doorstep,” I thought.

The elevator doors opened and lost in thought I almost bumped into my neighbor Angela.  Angela was a truly beautiful woman.  She was 27 years old and had acted like a second mother to me ever since I moved in.  She stood at about 5’6” and had slightly-longer than shoulder-length black hair, with a caramel-colored tan to her white skin.

Angela’s seven year-old daughter Celeste was with her.  An average looking little girl with very long dark brown hair.  Celeste was a spoiled brat because of Angela’s sweet personality.  She got whatever she wanted and would not take no for an answer.

“Hey there Angela,” I greeted, “and hi Celeste,” I said ruffling the seven year-old’s hair.  Despite how bratty she was, I couldn’t help but love the little girl.

“Hi Steve, Celeste and I are just on the way to a piano lesson,” Angela responded.

“Oh, the little one is in piano lessons now?  That’s a very good instrument to start with,” I said energetically.

“I figured a musician like you would appreciate that,” Angela joked.

“Come on mommy we’re going to be late,” Celeste butted in.

“Okay, I’ll let you guys go,” I said as I walked passed the two with a farewell wave.

I opened the door to my apartment and walked inside, setting the flyer on the kitchen counter next to my cell phone and took my backpack into my bedroom, putting it behind my drum set.  With the limited space, I used my bedroom as a practice room as well, with the other full-sized room being my living room, where my Xbox and tv were set up.

After a trip to the restroom after a long day of school, I headed out to make the call that would change my life forever.

 

 

Chapter 2 - Registered 5’9”

Standing at the counter, I picked up the flyer.  I read thoroughly the job details that were listed

It read:

As a drug tester you will be testing new prescription medication to test side-effects.  As payment for your work you will earn a $15,000 reward after a month of testing a specific medicine.  Please log on to the website listed on this flyer to register to become a drug tester, or with any questions.

“Sounds simple enough,” I mumbled quietly to myself.

I grabbed my phone, putting it in my pocket I thought to myself, “looks like I won’t be needing this.

I went into my bedroom and grabbed my backpack from behind the drum set.  Setting it down on the bed, I reached in and grabbed my laptop.  Taking it out of the pack, I walked back into the living room, making sure to grab the flyer the tall woman had given me at the front door.

While the laptop started up I read the instructions on the flyer one more time to make sure all my information was correct.  I was very excited, soon I’d be swimming in cash.

“$15,000 to do some simple drug testing, what a steal,” I thought to myself as my anticipation grew ever more.

My laptop finally booted up and I was greeted with my desktop.  I clicked on the icon for Firefox and waited for over two minutes for my homepage, YouTube, to appear.  Another shitty part of living in this apartment was the ridiculously slow internet loading speeds.  No matter how many of the people begged the landlord to upgrade to high speed internet he refused, claiming it would be far too expensive, or some other dumb reason.

When I finally logged onto the website that was listed on the flyer, I was greeted by an ad reading ‘Drug Testers Needed’ in big letters.  I quickly found the tab for ‘register to become a drug tester’ and clicked on it.

“Wow, they must really be desperate for these drug testers,” I thought as the page slowly buffered onto my monitor.

When the tab loaded I was looking at a register of all my personal information.  The page reminded me of the census my parents had gotten when I was younger.  A very strange form of job application, one that I had never before seen.  However, I shook off the strange feelings I was having and I quickly entered my physical traits.

Full Name: Stephen Jones

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 135 lbs

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

I filled in the rest with my phone number, email address, postal address, and apartment number.  Then clicked the button that said ‘enter’.  After a few short seconds I received an email stating my first drug to test will arrive via USPS tomorrow.

The description of the drug said it was planned to be used to reduce swelling in body tissue.  It didn’t seem too harmful from the description, however my assumption would prove wrong.

 

Chapter 3 - The Pills 5’9”

I was so excited that night that I could barely sleep.  I couldn’t handle my excitement.

“Tomorrow is the first step to $15,000,” I repeatedly thought to myself.

I awakened the next morning and went through my usual routine.  I have this set of actions I used to do every morning.  First I would reach up to touch my extremely low apartment ceiling, which was yet another reason why my apartment was a shithole.  The building I live in was built in the mid-1800s and seems as though the only renovations since it’s raising have been the addition of plumbing, shitty internet, and electricity.  Then, I would continue into the bathroom to take a shower, followed by my daily bowl of one of the assorted boxes of cereal I kept in my kitchen cabinet.

The morning just seemed to drag on until I got to school.  Over the course of the day I told several of my friends about the amazing opportunity I had brought myself into.  In first block I had told my friend Alec and his girlfriend Gina.  Alec was a heavy-set guy, standing at about 6’2” with a black bowl-cut.  Since I had met him in sixth grade, he had always been the quiet type, and he didn’t care much about anything in particular.   Gina, however, was quite the opposite, she was relatively short standing at 5’4”, with just longer-than shoulder-length light brown colored skin that resembled the color of cleanly finished mahogany wood.  Gina had a fairly outgoing personality as well, and she acted slightly like a tom-boy in the way of not missing a chance to punch you in the arm after a bad joke.

At lunch I told my entire group.  I used to eat with my bassist Matt, who was also a senior as well as being my best friend, his younger sister Helen, a freshman, and her friend Daphne, also a freshman.

Matt was one of the coolest guys I knew.  Extremely smart, I would have even called him a genius.  He had very long light brown hair that stretched most of his back and stood at around 5’11”.

Helen, Matt’s younger sister, was extremely outgoing.  She had an uncanny ability to make friends with just about anyone, and she truly cared about the people she knew.  Helen stood at a tall height for a girl of 14 years old at 5’8” and had shorter than shoulder-length black hair that she gelled to stand up on top of her head.

Daphne was a friend of Helen’s.  She was the type of girl who was afraid to be truly beautiful even though she was.  She dyed her hair platnum-blonde to the point where it almost appeared to be bleached, and stood, without the usual heels, at 5’6”.  She also had a large asset in her D cup breast size, and liked to use them to pick up her boyfriend of the week.

Finally in band class, my fourth block, I was forced to tell my ex-girlfriend Rebecca.  She had a habit of prying, one of the reasons why I cut the relationship short, but I decided to remain friends with her, she was tolerable anyway, even though she also had a habit of being very clingy.  She was very short, clocking in at 5’0” on the dot.  She had curly hair, originally dirty-blonde but dyed a very vibrant, deep red.  She also sported large C cups.

I only told a relatively small group of my good friends throughout the entire school day.  Walking home that afternoon there was a breeze with fat, cotton like Cumulous clouds dotting the otherwise spotless blue sky.

 Once again I was completely immersed in thought.  “The drug.  The ticket to a free $15,000 is waiting for me in my mailbox,” I kept thinking.

As soon as I entered the front door of my building, I made a b line for my mailbox.  One of the few and far between perks of living in this awful apartment building was that I didn’t have to go far to get my mail.  Opening the box, I saw an ordinary looking orange plastic pill bottle.  I snatched it out and stuffed it into my pocket.  Then I headed for the elevator.

While I awaited the arrival of the elevator I heard the steady *click* *clack* *click* *clack* of high heels.  Angela appeared beside me.  Because she was wearing her 4” heels, she was now an inch taller than me.

“Hello Steve,” she greeted me.

“Hello Angela, you’re getting home awfully late this afternoon.  Did you have a long day at the office,” I inferred, looking slightly up to match her gaze.  I knew Angela was a secretary at the local GEICO office, but I had rarely seen her work this late in the afternoon.

“Yeah, very,” she replied with a chuckle, “do you know what floor the elevator is on?”

“It said it was on the tenth when I pressed the button” I replied.

From there we chatted about the day’s happenings until stepping onto the elevator.  I was waiting to tell her about the drug testing job as soon as we were alone in the elevator.

“Angela, there is something I wanted to tell you,” I said as the elevator doors closed, sealing us in privacy.

“Shoot,” she returned.

“Well, I kind of took this new job opportunity,” I started, “I am in desperate need for money to pay the rent and can’t live month-to-month on the prizes of battle of the bands winnings.  So, I have signed up to become a drug tester.”

“What,” she shot back at me with a hint of concern.

“The perks are if I take a certain drug for a month straight, the medical research lab in downtown Richmond will send me $15,000,” I continued as the elevator doors opened and we both stepped out on our floor, “I am going to be taking a new drug that is in the works to be an anti-swelling medication.  In fact, here it is,” I said as I pulled the orange bottle out of my pocket and handed it to Angela as we stopped in the hallway between the front doors of our respective apartments, “There is a catch though.  I can’t stop taking the drug at all in the 30 day time because the lab needs definitive data for side-effects, so, I will be taking the stated number of doses everyday for that time.”

“HydroDyoxiBenzine, one pill every twelve hours to test side effects,” Angela read the label aloud, “I just want you to take care of yourself Steve.  I am right across the hall if you need anything.”

“Okay Angela, thanks for your concern, I’ll let you know if I need anything,” I said reassuringly, not knowing how much I would truly rely on her soon.

Before bed that night I took my first pill of the HydroDyoxiBenzine.  Starting this trial was a decision that would soon haunt me.

 

 

Chapter 4 - False Explanations 5’8”

When I awakened the next morning I started to go through my normal routine as per usual, something felt off though.  I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.  It felt almost as if I had to reach ever-so-slightly harder to touch my low bedroom ceiling.

            Heading to the shower, it seemed as if my apartment had in some way changed from its original state.  I blamed it on being groggy and got in the shower, hoping the hot water would snap me out of my fog.  I spent fifteen minutes standing under the faucet as it rained hot water on my skin.  I began to feel less of the effects of awakening, and decided to get out of the shower to continue my routine as I typically do.

            I had picked out a pair of gray jeans and plain black t-shirt to wear that day, it was a Friday, and I enjoyed ending my school week as casual as possible to transition into my weekend.  The clothing, which I had worn before in the past, felt as if it had been stretched.  The jeans hung relatively loosely on my body, as with the shirt, which I dismissed as weight-loss, maybe an early side effect of the HydroDyoxiBenzine.

            Walking out into my kitchen to grab my morning bowl of cereal, I made sure to take out a pill from the bottle.  I grabbed a cup and bowl, and filled the cup with water from the tap, placing it on the false marble countertop next to the pill.  As I reached to open the cabinet in which I kept my morning cereal, my shirt felt like it had slid up my torso more than it usually had when reaching.  I had that strange feeling again that I was reaching higher than normal.

“Am I going crazy,” I thought to myself, “this is REALLY strange.”  I had no idea how bad my situation would soon become.

            Picking a box of Frosted Flakes I quickly thought off the slight strain I was feeling.

“Fatigue,” I thought to myself, “Fatigue is probably a side effect,” I poured Frosted Flakes into my bowl and returned the box to its original resting place in the cabinet.

I was trying anything I could to explain the straining to reach places that were once manageable to me.  I extracted the half-gallon carton of 2% milk from the fridge and poured it into the bowl of dry flake cereal.  I stirred the contents of my bowl around with my spoon, watching the remaining flakes on the surface become soaked in milk.

As soon as I had eaten my first spoonful of cereal, I picked up the cup and the pill, which were still on the counter in front of me.  Placing the pill in my mouth, I took a sip of water.  Down it went; the next dose of that terrible drug was in my system.  After finishing breakfast, I grabbed my backpack and headed out for school.

 

Chapter 5 - Realization 5’7”

Throughout the course of the morning I became more and more aware of the gradual feeling of my clothing becoming looser and looser.  When walking from my first block to second block, I decided to stop in the bathroom to check out my situation.  Putting my thumb in my waistband and giving a gentle tug, my pants almost fell off.

“Should’ve worn a belt today,” I thought again and again, “there is no way my pants will be able to stay up at the rate of this weight loss.”

Matt had stayed home that day, leaving me to sit alone with Helen and Daphne at the lunch table.  I was eating a slice of pizza I had picked from the lunch-line telling them about my now loosely fitted clothing.

“I guess my casual Friday clothing is even more casual,” I joked, “these clothes feel like they are the baggiest clothes I’ve ever worn.  The thing is I have worn them before.”

“Well I guess that drug really does work miracles at reducing swelling,” Helen joked.

“The thing I don’t get about all this is,” I paused to take a bite of my pizza, “what swelling did it have to target in my body fat.”

“I guess it’ll work better as a weight loss supplement, you were pretty fat,” said Daphne in a sarcastic tone, seeing as I was fairly skinny for my height.

“Yeah, definitely!  I do eat this greasy over-processed donkey manure that we know as school food,” I jokingly replied.

I had finished my pizza and stopped talking to go dump my tray.  As I was putting my tray onto the designated counter at the side of the lunchroom for the cafeteria workers to clean it, when I saw Helen and Daphne had also stood up and were walking towards me.  As I passed them heading back to the table, I looked up to meet the gaze of Helen.

“No way I just looked up to meet her gaze,” I thought, “Steve, it is okay another side effect must be hallucinations.  You’re not smaller, that is impossible, right?”

I truly didn’t know the answer to that question at the time.  I continued back to the table as my mind raced to come up with a patch for the proverbial dam that had just busted in my head, flooding my brain with thoughts about the ‘impossible.’  I sat down and waited for the two to come back from dumping their trays.

My skin had been flushed of all color.  I was horrified.  What was happening to me?  I could not comprehend what I had just experienced.  I was still drowning in my mind floodwaters when Helen and Daphne sat down again.

“Okay, Steve we may have found out what’s going on with you.  That drug that you are testing is making you shrink,” Helen stated what was now obvious to me.  The confirmation of my thoughts stung like a slap to my face.

“I don’t know what to do from here,” I said, overcome with fear.

“Here’s an idea,” Daphne proposed, “how about since we already know about your situation, one of us, or both of us,” She was flirting again, “can come check on you this weekend.”

“That may work, I have Helen’s cell number, so I can text her if I need one of you to help me.  My neighbor, Angela, has also offered to help me if anything happens,” I said, “it will be better for me to have multiple people to check on me.  So, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“Okay, sounds fun,” Daphne replied.

Just then the bell rang, signaling students needed to return to class.

“Thanks for your help guys, I will text Helen if I need anything,” I said as I got up to return to class.

“Don’t worry, you can rely on big Daphne as well,” Daphne said in a voice as if she were talking to a baby.  

Daphne then wrapped me in a huge hug.  I couldn’t believe that with her 3” heeled boots on she was two inches taller than me, an inch more of difference than Angela had been the day before waiting for the elevator.

When I got to band class, I had a very rude greeting.

“Hey short stuff,” I heard Rebecca tease from behind when I was getting out my drum sticks.

“Who are you calling short stuff, midg-,” I was cut off as soon as I turned around.  Rebecca was only about 2” shorter than me.

“Do you like these heels tiny?”

I looked down and saw she was wearing heels that added about 5” to her height.  She liked to wear those when we were dating.  Something about being short made her try all should could to be closer to a normal height.  I never knew how a girl as small as her could fit her tiny feet into a show that added 5” of height, but she managed, and she loved wearing them.

“Sure I do,” I said sarcastically, “more importantly how did you know I was getting smaller,” I was whispering so the chances of being heard by a bystander were lowered.

“Helen came to me as a contact, said something about you wanted people to come check up on you,” she replied nonchalantly.

“She did what,” I snapped.

“She figured that since we dated, and are still kind of friendly towards each other, that I’d be a good fit to help out,” she gleefully returned.

“Okay, I’m fine with it, as long as it is just to check up on me, you cannot tell anyone about this,” I agreed, irritated.

“Trust me little man, this will be our dirty little secret,” she promised.

 

Chapter 6 - Avoid Confrontation 5’7”

After my confrontations during the school day, I had decided to try my hardest to not be noticed on my walk home.  It was a grey, cloudy sky; an overcast.  The weather forecast had said a cold front was coming through the area this weekend.

For the whole walk I kept my head down trying to hide my face in order to keep from being recognised.  I was yet again lost in my thoughts, however, today my thoughts were not of making money, but ones of disbelief.

“I can’t believe this is happening to me,” I thought in a panic, “there is no way it will keep going this way, it will stop soon.  This is just a short term side effect.”

I was trying to reassure myself.  I could not accept the truth.  I was now around the corner from my building when I had a frantic epiphany.

“What if Angela sees me like this.  It cannot happen yet, I’m not ready for her to find out,” I thought to myself.

Walking through the front door I made the out of character decision to take the stairs up three flights to my floor.  Making a b line for the emergency stairway, looking at the ground, I almost ran into a man I did not recognize who was checking his mail.

“Hey, watch where you’re walking man,” he scolded my mistake.

“I’m very sorry sir, I just have a lot on my mind right now,” I apologized.

I made my way through the door to the stairs before the man could respond to my apology.  I ran up the flights of stairs two steps at a time.  I had taken the stairs before, but now with my diminished height it felt as if I was going twice the distance.  By the time I made it to the third floor I was winded, and had stopped to take a break on the bench set up to the immediate left of the exit door to get into the third floor hallway.

I don’t know exactly how long I sat on that bench.  It must have been around three minutes but it felt like an eternity as I was trying get home in a hurry.  When I finally had gotten myself collected I moved swiftly through the door, which exited at the end of the hall.  I had to walk right passed the elevator and around a corner to get to my apartment.

I broke into at fast walk, almost at the rate of a jog, and headed for my destination.  I was making record time.  As I turned the corner my heart sank at what I saw,  Angela and Celeste were walking down the hallway toward me.  I decided that I couldn’t hide.

“Hey Angela, how are you,” I greeted, trying to act as casual as possible.  A hopeful thought filled my brain, “maybe she won’t notice.”

“Hello Steve, Celeste and I are just headed out to get some groceries,” Angela returned my greeting with a smile as she came to stand right in front of me.

“I want fruit snacks,” Celeste added.

“We will pick some up hun,” Angela lovingly said looking down at her daughter.

As she looked down at Celeste I noticed she was only about an inch shorter than me.  There was no way she wouldn’t notice.

“You look a little different Steve,” oh great she noticed.  “How’s the drug testing going?  Are you feeling okay?”

“Oh shit,” was the only thought that went through my mind.  Suddenly my thoughts went completely blank from terror.

“Angela, I need to talk to you in private.  Can you come to my apartment,” I asked.

“But I want to go shopping,” Celeste protested.

“Cel, this sounds important.  We will go shopping as soon as we hear Steve out, okay,” Angela returned to her daughter.

I had already started down the hall toward my apartment.  As I unlocked the door, the girls finally caught up to me.  I turned the lock and hurriedly opened the door.  I held it open so my neighbors could enter before closing it quickly.

I turned around and found Angela standing right behind me.

“What is it Steve,” she asked worriedly, feeling my forehead for a fever.

“Please sit down on the couch,” I said pointing toward the couch.

As Angela and Celeste made themselves comfortable, I went into my bedroom and threw my backpack down behind the drum set.  I then went to the bathroom in order to empty my throbbing bladder.  School has a way of making your bladder want to explode.  I used this time as a chance to compose my thoughts.

I soon entered back into the main room where the girls had made themselves comfortable.

“Okay, I am experiencing a very strange side effect,” I started, “it seems that I have started shrinking.  I know it seems farfetched but please hear me out.  It started this morning when I put my clothes on.  They felt loose but I thought nothing of it.

“As the day went by I felt as if my clothes were getting even baggier,” I continued, “I also have been having trouble reaching things that I typically can easily reach.  I blamed it on fatigue and weight loss.”

Celeste was acting fidgety so I decided to finish up quickly.  I spoke faster.

“I was very put back when I walked past the two girls I sat with at lunch.  They are usually an inch-or-so shorter than I am, but they were both taller!  I realized at that very moment that I am shrinking.”

Angela practically leaped off of the couch after hearing my story.  She hurried to me and wrapped me in a protecting hug.

“Oh my god, Steve!  That is terrible,” Angela sympathized, looking only about an inch up into my worried eyes.

“Three girls, one of whom is my ex-girlfriend, have agreed to help out by checking on me,” I assured.

“Also, remember I am right across the hall if you need help or a place to stay,” upon saying this she released me from her comforts.

“Thank you Angela, now don’t let me get in your way,” I said, “go take Celeste to get her fruit snacks now.”

“Okay, but just remember that I am here for you.”

After Angela and Celeste had left my day went by fairly uneventfully.  I took a shower, ate dinner, and then took another dose of HydroDyoxiBenzine.  I was hoping that day would be the last of the freak shrinking.  I then went to sleep, looking forward to a lazy weekend.

 

Chapter 7 - Saturday’s Sickness 5’4”

I woke up on Saturday to a knock on my front door.  Looking at the clock on my wall, I noticed it was 10:45 AM.

The person at the door knocked again, “coming,” I groggily yelled.  At least if it was a currier they wouldn’t know my true height.  Standing up out of bed, my pajama pants instantly fell to the floor.

“Oh god, I must’ve shrunk even more,” I frantically thought.

I picked up my pajama pants and underwear from the floor.  Holding them up by the left side of the waistband, I proceeded toward the door.  In a tired fog I opened the front door and was greeted by Angela’s chin.  I was instantly awakened by this sight.

I looked down.  She was wearing her 4” work heels again, making her 5’10”.

“I came over to check on you before heading off to work,” Angela told me.

“I appreciate it, Angela, believe me,” I responded, “you need to know my situation.  It means a lot that you care.”

She wrapped me in a huge hug just as she had the day before.  Now resting her chin on the top of my head.  I couldn’t help but feel as if I was a child being hugged by his mother, protected; nurtured in a warm embrace.

“Just remember, as I keep telling you, I am here for you,” Angela said.

“Thank you very much Angela,” I said, “now have a good day at work.”

“Thank you,” she said turning to head down the hall, “I came over because I wanted to give you my cell phone number.  So you have another source of contact.  I will drop whatever I am doing to come help!”

We exchanged numbers and said our goodbyes.  She turned and left disappearing down the hallway on her way to work.

Now awakened I realized that I was feeling sick to my stomach.  My stomach cramped and gurgled.  Suddenly it wrenched; I sprinted into the bathroom and vomited what seemed like the entire contents of my stomach.

“Great, more side effects,” I thought to myself.

After my little episode, I decided to take a shower.  I felt so dirty in that moment, face and chest covered in vomit.  I grabbed some clothes, making sure I also picked a belt, going back into the bathroom, I began running the water.

In the shower, I couldn’t help but think about the consequences of my money hunger.

“I can’t believe I am doing this for $15,000,” I thought to myself, “I need the money though.  It’s risky, but I need this.”

I had to readjust the shower head for my new height.  I had trouble reaching it to make the change.

I finished up and dried off.  Putting on the pants I had picked, some flood pants that were big on me before I had started shrinking, I made sure to tighten the belt as much as possible, I had picked them because they were the most comfortable pants that had belt loops.  Everything sagged terribly, like an aged skin.

I went out to the kitchen and drank a whole glass of water from the tap to compensate for the fluids I had lost earlier in the day.  I then got ready to take my next dose with my morning cereal.

Pulling out a bowl, I filled it with milk beforehand.  I then reached as high as I could to try to reach the cabinet containing the cereal.  I had to stand on my tip-toes in order to reach.

“Could use a step ladder,” I made a mental note.

I pulled out a box of cornflakes.  Pouring them in the bowl, I made sure to not fill it as much as normal because I felt terrible still.  I grabbed a spoon and stirred the flakes in the milk.  I decided to the box on the counter, as it was hard to reach the cabinet now.  I took a bite and swallowed the next dose; instantly I felt as if I had made a mistake.

Wanting to know exactly how tall I was at this point, I decided to check after I finished my cereal.  I finished the cornflakes and put the bowl in the sink to wash.  I went back to my bedroom to grab a pencil from my backpack.  Picking up the pack, I noticed it felt notably heavier.

I grabbed a pencil and walked over to the wall in between the bathroom and closet doors in my bedroom.  I stood as straight as I could, back against the wall.  Putting the pencil to the wall above my head I made a small mark on the wall where the top of my head lined up.

After making the mark, I put the pencil back in my backpack and went out to get the tape measure I kept in a kitchen drawer next to the fridge.  After a little bit of digging I found the measuring tape and took it to measure my new height.

“5’4”,” I read aloud in shock.

“This medicine has made me lose 5” in two days,” I angrily thought, “how could someone make something like this.  Didn’t they test it on rats or something before employing me to test it?”

My fit of rage was interrupted by more gurgling in my stomach.  I sprinted into the bathroom and had another episode.

I decided to lie down in bed for the day.  I felt terrible.  

Then I remembered, “I should text Angela and ask if she can pick up a step ladder and some new clothes.”

I texted Angela:

Hey Angela, it’s Steve.  Can you possibly pick up a step ladder and some new clothes for me?  I will pay you back.  Thanks!

Angela was quick to respond:

You don’t have to pay me back, I’m happy to help.  I’m going to need to know how tall you are for pants and shirts.

I sent her:

Sadly I’m currently 5’4”.  I can’t wait for new clothes, thank you so much!

After our text conversation I decided to take a nap.  I was very tired already because of my stomach illness.

 

Chapter 8 - New Clothes 5’3”

I woke up from my nap after some time.  I looked up at the clock and saw that it was about 1:00 PM.

I still felt pretty bad, however my stomach wasn’t cramping as it was that morning.  I laid back down on the bed to think to myself as I came to my senses.

“I hope this new nausea side effect is just a short term deal,” I thought, “that would make this already bad situation much worse for me.  I can’t be running to the bathroom every 15 minutes as I get shorter.”

After I had laid down for a few minutes, I felt I needed to do something to keep myself occupied.  I got out of bed, grabbing a blanket and my cell phone and walked out to my living room.  It felt as if the clothes I was wearing had gotten more baggy.

“Dammit, I must’ve shrunk some more while I was napping,” I angrily thought to myself.

I put the blanket on the couch and switched out my phone for the tv remote on the small table at the end of the couch.  I turned on the tv and started watching some daytime talk shows, all of the shows that aired in the mid-afternoon were terrible anyway.  I was watching an episode of the Steve Harvey Show when I heard my phone vibrate.  Picking up the phone I checked what I had received.

It was a text from Angela:

Hey Steve, I am sorry but I don’t think I will be able to make it Kohls after work today to get you new clothes.  You said you had some friends that could help you out, maybe try one of them.

I responded:

That’s okay Angela.  I am just glad you offered to help in the first place.  I will text my friend Helen to see if she can help.

“Great,” I thought, “now there is a possibility that Rebecca will see me like this.”

I decided to take the risk.  I really needed clothes that would fit me.

I texted Helen:

Hey Helen, it is Steve, I was wondering if you could possibly bring me over some new clothes today.  I have gotten even shorter and none of my clothes fit.  Last I checked, this morning, I was 5’4”, but I think I may be a little shorter.

I waited a few minutes before Helen responded to my text.  She confirmed that she could pick me up some clothes and she would bring them over with Daphne later in the afternoon.

It was 3:30 when I heard a knock at the door.  Flicking off the tv, I threw the blanket off to the side and walked across the room to answer the door.  I made sure to stand where I’d be hard to see from the hallway when I opened the door, as I didn’t want any more of my neighbors to know.

The two girls entered without saying anything.  Helen held two bags full of clothes, while Daphne had a small pair of shoes in her hand.  I closed the door.

“Wow you really did get smaller,” exclaimed Helen.  I was glad she had waited for me to close the door.

“Nice to see you to,” I responded sarcastically.

“He is so cute now,” cooed Daphne as she wrapped me in another hug.

Miraculously Daphne was not wearing heels today making her only 3” taller than me.  Daphne’s embrace was very strong.  I felt protected in her arms.

“Is there anywhere in particular that you want this stuff,” asked Helen, gesturing with the bags for emphasis.

“Just put them in my bedroom,” I said, “really girls, this means a lot.  I really appreciate the fact that you are willing to help!”

“It’s no problem cutie,” Daphne responded as she released me from her arms.  “Big Daphne is always willing to help.

When she said that I felt uneasy.  She was calling herself big now that I was shorter than her.  I would soon have to get used to relying on “big” people.

The girls took the clothes back to the bedroom.  After placing them on the bed, they returned to the living room.

“We can’t stay for long Steve,” Helen said, “we are meeting Matt at the house and we are going to hang out.  Before we go do you need us for anything else?”

I thought on that question for a while, then I remembered the box of cornflakes on the counter.

“Yes actually,” I began, “I got out a box of cornflakes this morning for breakfast, but I had trouble reaching the cabinet to put it back.  I was going to ask for a step ladder, I guess I forgot.  Anyway, before you head out could you put that away for me,” I requested.

“Sure can,” said Helen.

I watched as Helen made her way around the counter into the kitchen.  I was left standing alone next to Daphne.  I felt uneasy again, I couldn’t figure out why this time.  Daphne and I watched on as Helen put away the cornflakes, a task that used to be easy for me.

The girls said their goodbyes and left after I couldn’t find anything else to help with.  I decided to go check out my new clothes.  I walked into my bedroom and sat on the bed.

I began digging through the bags.  The first thing I pulled up was a plain red t-shirt, looking at the label all I could focus on was the big ‘S’ on the tag.  It all set in at that moment, a size small, I had been able to comfortably wear a large before.

I looked at the other shirts, mostly size small, or even worse, extra small.  “At least they took further shrinking into consideration,” I thought.

I tried on a pair of gray jeans they had picked out.  They felt snug, but they were far better than the flood pants I had put on this morning.

After going through the clothes I decided to try on the shoes, a standard pair of grey and white Converse.  First I looked at the label, ‘size 5’, I used to wear a size 10.  The shoes were slightly snug as well, but not terrible.

“I’m really glad they thought about my dress style,” I happily thought to myself.

I put on a black pair of Washington Redskins sweatpants and a gray t-shirt and laid around for the rest of the day.

Around dinner-time my stomach had begun to settle down, so I made myself an omelet.  I took my first bite and swallowed another dose of HydroDyoxiBenzine with a swig of tap water.  I was regretting my decision to continue with the drug text, but I needed the money.

I had been expecting Angela to drop back in to check on me, but she did not.  I went to bed that night without another visit to the apartment.  I was very tired after the day’s events and fell asleep quickly.

 

Chapter 9 - Nightmares

That night I had a very bizarre dream.  I found myself in what felt like a bed, but it was excessively firm, kind of like plastic.  I got up and decided to explore.

I was engulfed in a sea of darkness, wherever I found myself appeared to not have any real source of light.  I felt around for a light switch along the wall.  Finding nothing, I decided to venture out into the unknown.

I immediately found myself in a hallway of sorts.  The floor felt cold and hard under my bare feet.  That is when I realized I was not still in the clothes I had fallen asleep in.  I seemed to be wearing long jeans and a very oversized t-shirt, just judging by the fabric and texture.

I continued through the hallway into a large passage.  I bumped my right shoulder into something solid.

“Ouch,” I exclaimed in pain, “what the hell was that.”

I was feeling my way along the edge of the barrier when the earth started to shake and rumble.  Then, from outside, I heard something.  The booming of a little girl’s laughter.

“Oh shit,” I thought as I immediately had an idea of where I was.  Just then, the ground began violently shaking and the room I found myself in was flooded with light.

I looked straight on, past a plastic kitchen island-countertop I could barely see over, into the huge blue eyes of Celeste.

“Are you ready to play dolly with barbie Stevy,” she excitedly boomed.

“Um...sure,” I responded apprehensively, “where is she?”

“She’s right beside you silly,” she responded, pointing to the left of me.

I looked to my left and was greeted with the plastic mid-torso of what seemed like a gigantic barbie doll.  Tracing up the body with my eyes, I saw a perfect pair of plastic breasts, which for barbie’s size probably were equivalent to a size DD cup size.  I peered past to the plastic face, an extremely happy one, with a toothy smile and glowing, joyful blue eyes.

I came to the realization that I must be wearing Ken’s clothing.  It was huge on me.

“What happened to Ken, Cel,” I asked.

“Don’t you remember Stevy?  I threw him away to give you all his stuff,” she said with a giggle.

“Uh...Celeste...I don’t think I’m exactly...what’s the word...big enough to play with barbie right now,” I said, hoping to get out of a bad situation.

“But barbie likes shorter boys.  Don’t you barbie,” Celeste said in a playful tone, obviously wanting me to play. “Yes I do,” Celeste said, moving barbie with one hand as if she had spoken and reaching for me with the other.

Suddenly, her chubby fingers wrapped around me.  I had to play,  I had no choice in the matter, a spoiled little girl, now much larger than me wanted something from me, and I would have to give it.  I was trapped.

“Woah, Cel, what are you doing,” I shrieked as the eight year-old easily slid the oversized Ken clothes off of my body.

“These clothes are too big silly,” she happily responded.

I was squirming trying to break free from the clutches of Celeste when I heard a voice from the next room.

“Cel, you need to clean your plate,” Angela yelled to her daughter from the kitchen.

“But mommy, me and Stevy are playing barbie,” Celeste whined back in protest.

“Your dishes are more important hun,” Angela said back.

I found myself forcefully tossed to the floor of the dollhouse as Celeste angrily got up to go clean her dishes.  Barbie had landed next to me and was teetering on the verge of falling over.

“Oh fuck,” I panickedly thought to myself.

I tried to roll away, but found myself trapped as barbie plummeted down on top of me.  I was pinned under the massive weight of her perfect, tall plastic frame.  I couldn’t move.

Barbie was suffocating me under her huge weight advantage.  I was struggling for air.  I began to thrash my body in a feigned attempt to escape my plastic prison.

Suddenly, I was plunged out of my nightmare.  I was lying in my bed, just as I had been when I went to sleep.

“Thank god,” I mumbled audibly to myself.

I looked up to the clock.  It read 12:30 AM.  I decided to roll over and go back to sleep.

 

Chapter 10 - A Rude Awakening 4’8”

I woke up to a sound in the living room.  I heard the soft *thump* *thump* *thump* of footsteps moving around, almost as if someone was pacing in my living room.  When I had heard this I jumped out of bed like I a bullet fired from a gun.

As I moved across the room, I noticed, yet again, that my clothing felt loose.  This feeling had become normal to me after the past couple of days.

I opened the door separating my bedroom from the main room, and was greeted with the site of Rebecca nonchalantly sitting down on the couch.  She was wearing a red spaghetti-strap sleeveless shirt and very short shorts that left little to the imagination.  She looked up as I entered and stood up facing me with a huge smirk on her face.  I decided to stand my ground.

“Rebecca, what are you doing in my apartment,” I questioned my ex-girlfriend.

“Well, that’s not how you should greet company,” Rebecca playfully responded, “after you have dated a guy for three months you know that he always keeps his front door unlocked,” she continued as she began to seductively saunter toward me, “why don’t you seem happy to see me?”

“Rebecca, you can’t just break into my apartment,” I snapped back, “did Helen tell you to come check on me?”

“No, smallfry I just wanted to see how my little buddy was doing,” she returned, still trying to seduce me.

As she approached nearer I realized that she was now taller than me.  In fact, I was looking straight at her smirking mouth.  Feeling threatened, I began backing up into the kitchen.

She continued her approach.  She was like a predatory animal that had found its next prey.

“Oh, is big Steve intimidated by a little girl like me,” Rebecca teased.

I bumped my back into the kitchen counter, which was now as high as the bottom of my shoulderblades.  She had me cornered.  I was overcome with her intimidation.

She closed me in and went for the kill.  Rebecca pushed her body up against mine, her strength was much larger now in comparison to mine.  When I had dated her, I had been the stronger dominant person in the relationship, now the little girl had the advantage and she was relishing every moment of it.

“So little guy, do you know how tall you are,” she asked.

“I don’t know right now,” I truthfully responded.

“Well, do you have any way of knowing,” she continued like a police interrogator.

“Rebecca, you’ve seen me,” I said trying not to answer her questioning, “that is what you came for.  Will you please leave.”

“As soon as I know how big you are little man,” she responded.

She then did something that I would have never expected.  Using her superior size and strength, Rebecca picked me up off the ground with her arms wrapped around my waiste.  I began to flail in an attempt to escape from her arms.

“I told you Steve, as soon as I know how tall you are I will leave,” Rebecca persisted.

“Okay,” I had cracked under her pressure, “there is a tape measure in my bedroom.  I measured my height as 5’4” yesterday morning, but obviously I’m shorter now.”

Without saying anything Rebecca set me back down on the floor of the kitchen.  She grabbed my right arm and led me into the bedroom.  My ex-girlfriend scanned the wall for the mark, she took a moment to locate it, but when she had she pinned my back against the wall and reached down to pick up the tape measure from where I had dropped it the day before.  Rebecca pinned me against the wall with her left hand, preventing my escape.  She then measured me.  I watched straight in front of me as the corners of her mouth turned up into a satisfied smile.

“You are 4’8”,” Rebecca said happily.

“Amazing,” I sarcastically replied, “can you please leave now?”

“Now is that any way to treat a friend,” Rebecca retorted snarkily.

“When I said I would still be your friend when we broke up I didn’t expect you to do shit like this,” I snapped impatiently.

“Wow, that was very rude,” she said.  Then she said the words that still haunt me, “it seems you need to be taught some manners.”

She lifted me off the ground again using her size and strength to her advantage.  She carried me over to the bed and sat down.  Rebecca then did something I would have never thought would ever happen to me, my once smaller ‘friend’ bent me over her knees and pulled my pants down.

“You loved doing this to me when we went out little guy.  I never liked it much, but you did it.  Now the tables have turned,” Rebecca said grudgingly.

“No!  Please,” I screamed as the first open-palmed strike landed on my exposed backside.

I thrashed about, squirming with every painful blow.  Rebecca spanked me with upwards of 30 stinging slaps.  She stopped when she was finished.

“Oh, you have no idea how satisfying that was little dude,” she said happily as if she had just won a round of her favorite board game.

She let go of my body.  I had gone limp from the pain, it was all I could pay any attention to.  Rebecca must’ve gotten irritated when I didn’t immediately roll off of her lap because she gave me one of the strongest shoves I had ever felt.  I plummeted to my bedroom floor and began to sob.

“I’ll see you later Steve,” Rebecca said gleefully.

She then got up and left the room.  I heard the apartment door close as she went out into the hallway.

 

Chapter 11 - Washing Away Guilt 4’8”

After Rebecca had left I laid on the floor sobbing for what felt like hours.  I couldn’t believe what she had done to me.  I had considered her a friend but after that day she had become a threat to me.

I felt filthy.  Rebecca was now stronger than me and I feared what she may be able to do to me.

I had brought the sobbing to a minimum, and decided to take a shower to wash away the massive filth I was feeling.  I stood up, pants and underwear around my ankles and looked up at the clock.  It was about 11:15 AM.

“Amazing,” I sarcastically thought to myself, “the morning isn’t even over and I can already tell today is going to be horrible.”

I pulled my pants up from my feet and proceeded to the closet to grab a set of clothes that Helen and Daphne had brought me the day before.  I dug through the plastic bags for a short while and pulled out a pair of metallic-silver basketball shorts with orange stripes and a dark-grey Call of Duty Black Ops III t-shirt.  Proceeding into the bathroom I passed the new mark on the wall and felt ashamed of the circumstances by which it was made.

I began running the water and prepared for my shower.  When I stepped into the shower, I needed to, yet again, adjust the shower head, however, I could not reach.  Seeing no other alternative, I put the pair of Redskins sweatpants back on and went back into my bedroom to text Angela to ask for help.

I asked:

Hey Angela, I’m trying to take a shower and need to adjust the shower head, but I can’t reach it.  Can you come help me out?

Once again, Angela was quick to answer:

Sure Steve, I will be right over.

Seconds later Angela knocked at the front door.  When I let her in I noticed I was now eye-level with her breasts.  I had another uneasy feeling.  I shook it off knowing Angela would never take advantage of me.

“Oh my god,” Angela exclaimed as soon as she saw me.  Luckily, I had already closed the door behind her, “you shrank a lot last night Steve.”

“I assure you, I will be fine,” I lied trying to hide what had happened already this morning.

We entered the bathroom and I briefed Angela on the situation at hand.

“So, I decided to take a shower and I need to adjust the shower head for obvious reasons,” I said, gesturing at my obvious body shrinkage, “can you lower it for me please.”

“I have no issue with that,” she responded, “however, I am going to need you to get in so I can judge how much to lower it.  I promise I will not look!”

“Um...okay,” I gave in apprehensively.  I was uncomfortable after how Rebecca had abused me.

I slowly pulled off my sweatpants, as it was painful to slide them down.  I turned my back to Angela, hoping she wouldn’t notice any bruising.  Unfortunately, she had noticed and she was instantly more concerned for my well-being.

“Steve, oh my god, what happened to your butt,” she yelled out concerned.

Now I had to tell her.  I saw no way to shake off the subject.

“Well,” I paused, “I had a very...rude awakening this morning to say the least.  My ex-girlfriend, Rebecca, a girl who I still loosely considered a friend was waiting for me in my living room when I woke up.  She had let herself in, and took advantage of being larger than me,” I began to sob, “she took me to the bedroom to measure my height.  I told her to leave because she was making me feel unsafe, she picked me up, and sat on the bed.  Then she bent me over her lap and spanked me.”

“That’s awful,” Angela exclaimed.

My naked body was pulled into a tight hug.  My head rested right in her soft breasts.  I felt her maternal comforts making me feel warmer inside.  It felt good to have someone care.

She released me and helped me fix the shower head.  She told me to come over anytime to talk if I needed to and left me to shower alone.

I stood in the steamy water and could only think of Rebecca.  I began to see her more and more as a small girl willing to take advantage of the rare opportunity of finding someone smaller than her.

I then thought of Angela.  The two were polar-opposites.  Rebecca was an opportunist while Angela seeked to help based on her maternal instincts.  I felt comfortable around Angela, while I would never feel comfortable around Rebecca again.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when the water began to cool down.

“Crap,” I thought to myself, “how long have I been showering?”

I quickly got out of the shower and dried off.  I hastily put on my clothes, not wanting to see the carnage on my backside in the bathroom mirror.

Walking out of the bathroom, I was questioning whether I should take my morning dose of HydroDyoxiBenzine.  I decided to go ahead with the testing.  Entering the main room I turned right into the kitchen.  I knew there would be no way I would ever be able to reach the cereal cabinet in the state I found myself.

I got the pill from the orange bottle and filled a glass of water from the tap.  I took the pill on an empty stomach, then retrieved my throne from behind my drum set to reach the cabinet.

“Why did I ask for a step ladder when I have a stool in the house,” I mentally asked myself.

I got out a box of Lucky Charms and poured some into a bowl.  I poured less than normal, I was starved, but I didn’t know if I could eat a full bowl at my diminished size.  I easily put the box back.

“Feels just like it used to,” I happily thought.

I then got down from the drum throne and took it back to my bedroom to put it away.  When I returned to the kitchen, I noticed I had forgotten to mix milk into the cereal.  I proceeded to the refrigerator to retrieve the milk carton.  The fridge took considerably more effort to open.

I found it difficult to pour the milk.  I held the jug at about my eye level and could not see into the bowl.  The counter was at the level of my mid-chest.

I went through my normal routine and decided to watch tv.  I was hoping to forget what had happened that morning.

 

Chapter 12 - Taking Out Frustration 4’6”

I sat on the couch for about 15 minutes flipping through the tv channels.  I found a re-run of Most Amazing Police Chases on Spike.  After watching the show for about 10 minutes I began to get bored.

I decided to play my drums in the bedroom.  Picking up my phone from the end table at the armrest of the couch, I headed into my bedroom, making sure to close my door.  Living in that crapshoot made it hard to be a drummer, my neighbors next door, a set of twins named Kendall and Kristen, who had plead for independence from their parents, and found themselves in the same living situation as I was, hated when I played the drums.  I always had to close my bedroom door in order to knock-out as much excess resonance as possible.

Kendall and Kristen were 19-year-old identical twins.  They had both been held back in third grade and were seniors at my school and were fairly close friends with Rebecca.   I had always suspected that each had a little crush on me, but never made a move for a relationship, since they couldn’t stand my drumming.

The twins were drop-dead gorgeous with slightly-curly, slightly longer-than shoulder-length, light brown hair.  Kristen’s hair had golden blonde highlights as well, a perfect accent.  Both girls stood about 5’1”, Kendall was maybe half-an-inch taller than Kristen.  The twins had the perfect smiles as well with the slightest amount of overbite which made them each just that much cuter.

As I searched around for my noise cancelling filters to put in my ears, I had a disturbing thought, “I hope Rebecca did not go next door and tell the twins.  My drumming would be a perfect opportunity for them to come over and see me.”

I found my ear-filters and put them in my ears then made my way behind my drum set.  I took a seat on my throne and picked up my sticks from the floor tom.  At that moment I realized something, I could not reach the pedals for either my hi-hats or bass drum.

I stood up from my throne and turned the knob underneath the seat to lower it.  After lowering the throne about 8”, I sat back down and moved the hi-hats slightly closer to myself.  I then went through my warmup routine.

Once I was warmed up and ready to play, I decided to play one of my favorite songs from memory, Hash Pipe by Weezer.  I tended to be very heavy-handed behind the drums.  I must’ve been playing very loud, as on the third repetition playing through the song, I missed the sound of the knocking on my front door.

Suddenly, the door to my bedroom opened.  Kristen and Kendall stormed in.  I set down my sticks immediately and took out my sound filters.

“I’m sorry girls,” I apologized, “I didn’t mean to disturb you.  I just have been frustrated and felt like playing.”

The girls were looking at me very strangely, almost smirking.  It seemed like they knew too much.  I was on edge.

“Rebecca better not have told them,” I thought panicked.

“Hey Steve, you look different,” said Kendall, brushing off my apology.

“Yeah, have you lost weight,” Kristen chimed in inquisitively.

“Yes I have,” I lied trying to play off my shrinking, “I’m glad you noticed.”

“No, I don’t think that’s it Kristen,” Kendall retorted.

“Why do you say that,” Kristen asked.

“Well, it looks like he’s...shorter.”

Upon hearing this my heart sank into my stomach.  Immediately I knew Rebecca had told them.  The twins were acting.  I desperately tried to blow it off.

“That’s ridiculous,” I said.  I tried to keep my best poker face.

“Stand up then.  Unless you’re scared of a couple of little girls,” Kendall said, putting emphasis on little.

“Yeah, why don’t you just walk us out,” Kristen challenged flirtatiously.

I was growing more frustrated.  My two next door neighbors, who obviously had crushes on me, were challenging me.  I must’ve been getting red in the face.

“Oh is the cutie blushing,” Kendall said.

Kristen then started walking towards my drum set.  Kendall followed her twin sister.  The two beautiful twins were closing in on me.  They were going to force me to stand up.  

I stood and emerged from my drum set.  I was now standing right next to Kendall.  I came up to the top of her shoulder.  She then ruffled my hair.

“Oh my god,” Kendall cooed, “you’re adorable.”

“I’m really glad Rebecca came over today,” Kristen exclaimed exposing what, in that moment, was my biggest fear.

“Okay girls, you’ve seen me,” I tried the tactic I had tried to use to get rid of Rebecca earlier, “can I show you out now.”

“Sure,” Kristen responded, “lead the way.”

I was glad that the twins were nicer than Rebecca.  I moved to lead the girls out, but Kendall blocked my path.  Realizing they must’ve faked the gesture of kindness, I stepped backward.

“You’re going to have to try harder than that little guy,” Kendall said smirking down at me.

“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” Kristen chimed in with a smile.

“What do you want,” I asked beginning to feel extremely uneasy after the incident this morning.

“Rebecca told us how light you were,” Kendall told me, “we want to lift you first.”

“Yeah,” Kristen exclaimed, “and you’re so damn cute too!”

“Okay, I’ll let you pick me up.  But you have to promise to leave afterwards,” I reasoned.

“Oh, we will,” Kendall assured me.

Kendall bent down and easily picked me up by the waiste.  She lifted me until I was eye-to-eye with her brightly smiling face.  I was hurtled into the air as she threw me onto the bed.

“Don’t worry,” Kendall said, “I’m not implying anything here.  I just wanted to see how easy that was without hurting you.”

I was glad she was honest with me.  I sat up on the bed as Kendall walked over to the doorway and Kristen came to my bedside.  Kristen offered her hand to me and I accepted.

Kristen gave me more than I expected.  She practically jerked my arm out of the socket as she pulled me off my bed, effortlessly hoisting my body into a fireman’s carry.

“Oh my god!  He is so light” Kristen exclaimed gleefully to her sister.

Kristen then did something I should’ve expected after that morning and carried me out the bedroom door, Kendall leading the way.  I had begun to panic, I started flailing.  Kendall opened the door to the hall and led the way out, leaving it open as I was carried to the door immediately to the left of mine.

I was then set down.  I wrenched my neck up to look Kristen in the eyes.  Kendall came to her side and both bursted out with laughter.

“Did you really think we were going to take you away like that,” Kristen asked in between laughs.

“Wow, someone has some major trust issues,” Kendal joked.

“Now run along little man or we might just do that,” Kristen said, still laughing.

The girls turned me around and one slapped me on the ass.  The twins were in a fit of laughter as I sprinted down the hall and into my apartment, slamming the door behind me.  

“This can’t keep happening to me today,” I thought.

I decided to sit on the couch to calm myself.  I began to cry.  I thought to myself about what I would need to do.

“I need protection in my own home,” I thought to myself, “I can’t be an independent man anymore.  I’ll just be taken advantage of.  I need the money, so I can’t stop taking the HDB,” I continued my thought monologue.  Then I had an idea, “I’ll go across the hall and ask if I can stay the night with Angela and Celeste.  That’s a solid plan.”

I decided to wait a while before I asked so I could cool down.  I sat back again and turned the tv back on.

 

Chapter 13 - The Belt 4’4”

 

I used television as my coping mechanism that day.  I mindlessly reclined on the couch flipping through channels until I settled on watching reruns of Flip or Flop on HGTV.  Suddenly, I remembered my plan to spend the night with Angela.

I turned off the tv and stood up.  When I stood up my basketball shorts and boxers immediately fell to the ground.

“Shit,” I thought to myself, “am I shrinking even faster because I took the HDB on an empty stomach?”

Understandably stressed, I pulled up my shorts, a feeling that had become too familiar to me by this point, and proceeded into my bedroom.  I rummaged around in my room looking for my belt.

“I know I left my belt in here somewhere,” I thought to myself, growing flustered.

I noticed the flood pants I had put on the morning before lying on the floor at the foot of my bed.  I picked them up, now the thick fabric felt heavy to my smaller muscles.  I tossed the pants to the side with some effort and found my belt underneath.

After retrieving the belt, I dug around in the clothes Daphne and Helen had bought for me and pulled out a pair of dark-blue Southpole jeans.  I pulled off the basketball shorts and tossed them aside, replacing them with the jeans.

I had the jeans around my waiste, the clothes that had fit me before were now several inches too large.  I sat on the edge of my bed and carefully threaded the belt through each of the belt loops.  I then stood up, and tightened the belt all the way to the last notch.  The pants still felt slightly loose, but at the time I could cope, I had been through worse in the course of the same day.

I moved out into the living room.  I made sure to pick up my cell phone my way to the front door.

I opened the front door and scanned the hall carefully.  I didn’t want to take any risks after the incidents that had already taken place earlier in the day.  I proceeded quickly across the hall to Angela’s front door and knocked.

My heart was racing.  I didn’t want anyone else to find out after the abuse I had suffered.  I heard the sounds of a tv blaring children’s shows on the other side of the door.

I could hear shuffling from inside the apartment.  I knocked again.

“Angela, it’s Steve, can you please let me in,” I begged keeping my voice as low as possible.

“Celeste, honey get the door,” I heard Angela from the other side of the door.

“But mommy, I’m trying to watch My Little Pony,” Celeste whined in protest to her mother’s command.

“I think this is more important than tv Cel,” Angela retorted.

I heard a brief amount of shuffling, then the door opened, what I saw shocked me.  I was now exactly the same height as my 8-year-old neighbor.

 

 

Chapter 14 - Protection 4’4”

I stared Celeste straight in the eyes, mortified.  At that moment, I knew I was dwindling into absolute insignificance.

“Steve, are you going to come in,” Celeste said aggravated.

“That is Mr. Jones to you,” I retorted as I walked through the threshold into the much safer apartment.

Angela’s apartment was a mirror image to mine.  A shithole with two main rooms, a kitchen, a single bedroom, and a bathroom.  However, Angela’s apartment was messier than mine, since she had a child.

“No, you’re getting younger,” Celeste chimed back, closing the door.

“Height doesn’t have anything to do with age Cel,” I corrected the 8-year-old.

“You’re just mad because I’m older now,” Celeste gleefully returned.

As Celeste was walking past me to go sit on the couch and watch more My Little Pony, she decided to stop and measure up.  I felt like a child, and I couldn’t help it, how else was I supposed to feel, my 8 year-old neighbor was measuring up to me in height.  

I was shocked as I decided to check out the measurements as well.  Celeste’s legs were longer than mine.  Her hips were about level with my tailbone, stretching about 1 ½” further than my own.  I decided I had had enough of measuring up to an 8 year-old and walked into the backroom to speak to Angela.

I walked into the bedroom that Angela and Celeste shared.  I looked to the right and saw Angela dusting a dollhouse that looked eerily similar to the one from my nightmare the night before.  

She looked up and walked across the room to me.  I was now level with the underside of her breasts.  She was wearing a light-blue women’s athletic t-shirt and black yoga pants.

“Sorry about the burden at the door,” Angela apologized, “it is cleaning day and Cel can’t be bothered to stop watching My Little Pony.”

“I can hear you,” Celeste yelled in protest from the living room.

“Anyway, can you close the door,” she asked me.

“Sure,” I agreed.

I walked over to the door and swung the door shut, separating Angela and I from the sounds of the blaring children’s tv show.  When I turned around, Angela was sitting on the bed that was clearly hers as it was not completely decked out in pink.  She patted the mattress next to her, beckoning for me to sit by her.

I proceeded over to the bed and had to jump slightly to sit on the surface.  My feet hung in the air as I sat.  I felt like a small child next to his mother, and Angela seemed so much larger.

“I wanted to ask something from you,” I started.

“Anything you need, I am here for you,” Angela responded.

“I wanted to know if I can spend the night over here,” I began my monologue, “the twins came over earlier, the same way Rebecca, my ex-girlfriend, did this morning.  I was playing my drums and they came into the room without me hearing.  They wouldn’t leave until,” I began to sob as I recounted the event, “until they...could lift me.  I let them and Kendall threw me onto the bed then Kristen put me into a fireman’s carry and took me out of the apartment.  They took me up to their apartment door and set me down, laughing like it was some sick joke.  I ran back to my apartment and sat on the couch watching tv for a few hours, now I am coming here for help.”

“Oh my god,” Angela had the same response she had that morning, “of course you can stay here.  I am willing to protect you.  I just have one suggestion.

“I think this drug is not the best thing for you.  You are obviously shrinking away, becoming smaller and weaker.  It is having obvious negative effects on you and you’re only getting paid $15,000 for your suffering,” she made her proposition.

“That $15,000 is plenty compensation for what I’m going through,” I snapped back, instantly my sobs were halted.

I couldn’t believe I snapped like that.  I was instantly regretting it when I saw the pained look on her face.

“Oh my god,” I said, “I am so sorry Angela!  I didn’t mean to snap like that.”

“It’s fine,” she accepted my apology, “just please consider what I told you though.”

“I will think it over,” I said standing up from the bed.

“I’m going to get your sleeping area set up,” Angela said.

Angela set up an air mattress she had lying around in her closet with a couple of blankets for me to sleep on.  I asked her to lay it out in the bedroom, in between the closet and bathroom doors, in case I needed anything that night.

I went out and watched hours of tv with Celeste.  I couldn’t stand My Little Pony, there was a whole group of Bronies at my school that drove me crazy, but I watched it anyway.

Around 8:00 Angela had prepared spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  When Celeste and I stood up to get served I was relieved that we were the same height, a luxury I wouldn’t know much longer.

After dinner I decided to take my pill.  I snuck across the hall much as I had done earlier to get to angela’s apartment.  

I was shocked as the countertop was at the same height as my shoulder.  I had to reach to get to the orange pill bottle.  Getting it down from the counter, I reached in and took another HydroDyoxiBenzine pill from the container.  I popped it in my mouth and swallowed it dry.

That night I took the HDB to Angela’s apartment with me.  As I entered I found Angela standing directly inside waiting for me like a concerned mother.

“I know you want to continue the drug testing for the reward,” she said, “and although I don’t support it.  I will keep those for you and give you your doses.  I will put them in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom,” she told me.

“Thank you so much for the help Angela,” I thanked her.

“Oh, you would do the same for me,” she said playfully.

That statement was very true.  Angela and I cared for each other like family, although we were not actually related.

That night I rolled uncomfortably due to the bruising from the beating I had taken from Rebecca.  It took a while for me to finally fall asleep.  I didn’t know how chaotic the next day would be.

 

Chapter 15 - The Remote 3’9”

I was roughly shaken awake Monday morning by Celeste.  She was “homeschooled” meaning Angela let her stay home and do what she wanted while she was at work.  I never understood why Angela refused to stand up to her own 8 year-old daughter.

“Hey Steve,” Celeste happily greeted, “will you play dollies with me?”

“Ugh, what time is it,” I asked groggily.

“10:30,” Celeste cheerfully answered, “will you play dolls with me?”

“Persistent aren’t we,” I asked with a smirk.

“Stevy,” Celeste started, “what does persistent mean?”

“It means you talk too much,” I jokingly replied.  Then I realized something, “wait did you say it was 10:30?  Crap, why didn’t your mom get me up for school?”

I hopped up from my air mattress, throwing the blankets to the side.  When I got to my feet the true gravity of my situation set in.  Standing next to Celeste, I only stood just under the height of her shoulder.  A mere five days before she stood barely to the height of my mid-chest, now she looked like an Olympic volleyball player.

My pants felt very loose again and hung down under my feet.  Even with my belt still tightened all the way, I had to hold up my pants.  My t-shirt hung down to my knees.

“Looky Steve, I’m older than you now,” Celeste cheered.

“How many times do I have to tell you Celeste?  Height doesn’t have anything to do with age,” I responded irritated.

“Does this make me your babysitter,” Celeste asked happily, completely disregarding my argument.

“No, I am still nine years older than you Cel,” I retorted.

“Now do you want to play Barbie with me little Stevy,” Celeste asked as she ruffled my hair around.

Just then my stomach growled.  I was starving, but didn’t know if I would be able to find something to have for breakfast in Angela’s apartment.  I used the new opportunity to come up with a solution.

“I’ll tell you what,” I started, “if you make me some breakfast, I will play dolls with you.”

“Ok,” Celeste said smiling ear-to-ear.

Celeste ran out of the bedroom straight to the kitchen.  I followed her out the door and sat on the couch.  Turning on the tv, I started flipping through channels.

Suddenly, Celeste appeared in front of me holding out a bowl of Fruit Loops.  I noticed that she forgot to get me a spoon.  I reached out and grabbed the bowl from her awaiting hands.

“Hey Cel, can you please get me a spoon,” I asked.

“Get it yourself little boy,” Celeste responded.

“That was very rude Celeste!  Do you want me to play Barbie with you or not,” I returned manipulatively.

Celeste stomped away and into the kitchen.  I heard a drawer slide open and the sound of silverware clattering together.  Celeste closed the door, walked over to me, and dropped the spoon into the bowl with a pout, and plopped down next to me on the couch. I set the remote on the couch in between Celeste and I.  I scooped up a spoonful of Fruit Loops and shovelled them into my mouth.

“There is literally nothing on tv,” I exaggerated.

“I can find something,” Celeste said happily.

I didn’t respond, I simply watched as she picked up the remote and pressed in a channel.  All of a sudden, My Little Pony appeared on the tv screen.

“Didn’t we watch enough yesterday,” I protested.

“I want to watch My Little Pony,” she said back with a pout.

“Well we can’t always get what we want can we,” I returned as I tried to snatch the remote out of her hand.

Celeste pulled away from my attempts fairly easily.  She then stood up holding the remote high in the air in her right hand.

“If you want to change to channel, you’re gonna have to come get it,” Celeste said with a grin, she was going to turn this into a game.

“Ok, I can play that,” I returned with a competitive tone.

I jumped up and reached for the remote.  Celeste simply countered my efforts by raising her arm higher.  I grabbed her arm and tried to pull it lower for myself to reach, but Celeste easily used her new size advantage to overpower me.  Her arm would not budge, I couldn’t believe it, my neighbor’s 8 year-old daughter was now larger and stronger than me.

I gave up after a short wrestling match and flopped on the couch.  I was in shock.  I quickly finished my bowl of Fruit Loops and took it to the kitchen to clean it in the sink.  I was horrified to see that the counter was now at my eye-level.

“Hey Cel, can you clean this bowl for me,” I asked, “I can’t really reach the counter.”

With a huff of protest, Celeste jumped up and came over to wash my bowl.

“You’re lucky I’m nice Stevy,” Celeste said grinning down at me.

I proceeded into the bathroom to take my next dose.  I knew my shrinking had reached a really bad point, but I needed the $15,000.  I looked up desperately at the medicine cabinet perched on the wall above the bathroom sink.  The counter in the bathroom was now about an inch taller than me.  I decided to climb.

I put my hands on the top of the counter and hoisted my body up.  As I got to my feet, Celeste appeared in the doorway.

“I thought you were going to play dolls with me,” she said obviously trying to guilt me.

“I am,” I replied, “I just need to take my next dose.”

“Ok, I will go get ready,” she cheered as she ran over to her dollhouse.

I set my priority back to the task that I faced.  When I opened up the medicine cabinet, I was greeted by a variety of pill bottles.  Antidepressants, anti-inflammatories and other typical household prescriptions.  

I saw the orange pill bottle and retrieved it.  I reached in and fished out a pill.  Before I took the pill, I checked the label, it was the HydroDyoxiBenzine.

“Sweet, got it on the first try,” I thought to myself.

I then climbed down from the counter to play with Celeste.  I suffered through a couple of hours playing with Celeste’s dolls, until we heard a loud knock on the door.

 

Chapter 16 - Babysitter 3’7”

While playing dolls with Celeste I tried to fake as much enthusiasm as I could.  I was doing this for her.  I was not a little kid but I felt like one.  I had been pushed around by Celeste and being the size of a 5 year-old certainly didn’t aid my case.

I played with Celeste for what felt like hours on end.  Suddenly, we were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Yay, Gina’s here,” Celeste cheered.

“Gina,” I asked as Celeste tossed her Barbie down to the floor of the dollhouse and stood up to get the door.

I tried to wrap my mind around it.  I was not sure if it was Gina from school.  Then I remembered faintly that she had told me she took work leave from fourth block at school everyday, as she had all of her mandatory credits completed, to babysit a little girl.  Had she said the girl’s name, was it Celeste?

I got to my feet as Celeste bolted excitedly out of the bedroom toward the front door.  I followed her and had reached the doorway between the bedroom and living room when Celeste energetically opened the door.

“Hi Gina,” Celeste greeted with childlike excitement.  I couldn’t see who was at the door from my position, as they were hidden by the door.

“Wow Cel, you’re excited today aren’t you,” I recognized that voice, “what’s up?”

“I have a friend over,” Celeste cheered.

“You do,” Gina asked, “your mother told me not to ever let you have anyone over.”

As she said this Gina’s 5’4” frame entered my view and closed the door to the hallway.  She was wearing a pair of grey jeans, ripped at the knee and a yellow shoulder-sleeve t-shirt that left the bottom end of her abdomen exposed, including her belly button.She looked up from closing the door and we locked eyes.

“Oh my god,” Gina exclaimed, “you’re so cute!  You look just like a littler version of this cute guy from school.”

She walked toward me.  I stood frozen as she quickly crossed the room and stopped right in front of me.  I was traumatized, I only stood as high as her bellybutton.  She then bent down and easily lifted me up, holding me like a small toddler putting a hand under each of my armpits.

“Your resemblance to my friend Steve is truly shocking,” Gina excitedly proclaimed.

“Um, Gina,” I paused, “that’s because I am Steve.”

“Oh my god,” Gina shouted right in my face.  Her voice sounded much louder to me now that I was smaller, “how did this happen?  People don’t just shrink.”

“Well,” I started, “remember how I said I was getting paid $15,000 to test a new drug to reduce swelling?”

“I do,” She responded.

“Well, let’s just say it shrinks a little bit more than just swelling,” I joked nervously.

“You’re so cute though,” Gina returned with a huge smile, “you’re still that same cute man in the size of an even cuter one!”

“Uh, thank you,” was all I could muster, “can you please put me down.”

“Oh right, sorry,” Gina apologized, beginning to blush, “you’re just so light!”

Gina set me down and asked if Celeste and I wanted snacks.  I declined, and she made apple slices with peanut butter dip for Celeste and herself.  As the girls sat down to eat, I decided I was ready to go back to my own apartment, I had had enough of being treated like a child.  I grabbed my phone and proceeded toward the front door.

When I approached the door, I realized the doorknob was at the my eye-level.  With some difficulty, I opened the door and snuck back across the hall.  I entered my apartment quickly.

 

Chapter 17 - A Tough Decision - 3’6”

 

I quickly entered my apartment and closed the door behind me.  After locking the door I walked across the room to sit on my couch.  When I got onto the couch I was shocked to realize that my feet did not reach the floor.

I turned on the tv, once again, I flipped mindlessly through channels, until I settled on watching a really crappy midday newscast on NBC.  Just then I had the thought that I would need new clothes very soon.

I retrieved my cell phone from the pocket of my jeans and proceeded to text Angela.

 

Hey Angela, it’s Steve again.  Do you think you could pick up some new clothes for me on your way home from work?

 

As always, she responded quickly.

 

Sure I can, do you have any idea how tall you are?

 

I responded

 

I don’t know exactly, but the doorknob to your front door is level with my eyes, if that helps at all.

 

Angela did not respond after that, she must’ve not known what to say.  I couldn’t blame her, after all she did agree to help me out in any situation, like a second mother.

The time ticked away as I mindlessly watched the same news stories talked about time and time-again.  I was snapped out of my trance by a knock on the front door.

“Coming,” I called.

I got up from the couch and proceeded to the front door.  I opened the door, looking up expectantly, expecting to see Angela on the other side with new clothes, however, I was greeted by Gina’s bright face grinning down at me.

“Oh, hi Gina, do you need something for Celeste,” I inquired.

“No,” she responded bluntly.  Her smile disappeared and she was all business, “I just wanted to have a serious talk with you.  Can I come in?”

“Uh, sure,” I answered apprehensively.  I did not know if I should be letting anyone into my apartment after the events of the day before, I had a trust for Gina though.

She walked past as I closed the door behind her.  If anything were to happen I was trapped.  We proceeded across the room to sit on the couch.

With the daytime news playing softly in the background Gina and I conversed.

“I have to admit Steve,” Gina started, “you are really cute now!  I always thought you were before but now you’re like a toddler.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” I responded, embarrassed.

“But, I just wanted you to know that I care about you,” She said with great empathy toward me, “and I am willing to stick by you, both as a friend, and as a protector for you.”

“Thank you Gina,” I returned, “I am actually surprised by how much the people who have found out about my situation are willing to help me out,” I said pushing the thought of Rebecca and the twins out of my mind.

“I really need to get back to watching Celeste,” Gina said, “but before I go back, is there anything you need?”

I thought for a brief period.  I did want to know how tall I had become, but after the day before, I was afraid to ask.  I decided that I could trust Gina.

“There is one thing,” I remarked.

“What’s that,” Gina asked, amused.

“I have a measuring wall in my bedroom,” I explained, “and I haven’t checked my height today.  I have been...getting...people to measure my height...for me over the past few days.”

“Okay, I can definitely do that for you before I head out,” Gina proclaimed.

We proceeded from the couch into the bedroom.  I retrieved the tape measure and handed it up to Gina’s awaiting hand.  I then found where the previous marks had been and noticed that I had to crane my neck up to spot them.  I placed my back against the wall and stared at Gina’s navel as I awaited the measurement.

“Let’s see, you’re 3’6” on the dot,” Gina said as she made a new mark on the wall with the pencil.

“Great, toddler sized,” I said sarcastically trying to not show that my heart had sunk into my stomach.

Gina said her goodbyes and left to go watch Celeste.  I closed the door behind her, noticing that now the knob was level with the top of my head.

I decided to sit back and watch more tv until Angela would return with my new clothes.

 

 

Chapter 18 - Conversation at the Doorstep - 3’4”

I sat back and flipped through channels yet again.  Mostly terrible daytime news shows and afternoon talk shows were playing.  I ended up settling on watching reruns of old Saturday Night Live episodes on VH1.

I had become absorbed in the tv show and lost track of time.  Suddenly I heard my phone buzz on the end table.  From where I was sitting I had to scoot across the couch cushion and reach with my whole arm to reach my cell phone.

*buzz* *buzz* *buzz*  After the fourth buzz I wrapped my fingers around my phone with effort and checked the caller ID.  It was from Angela, I hastily answered.

“Hello,” I greeted.

“Hey Steve, it’s Angela,” she responded, “I’m standing outside your apartment door.  I knocked three separate times.”

“Sorry I didn’t hear you,” I apologized, “I’m getting up to let you in now.”

I dropped the call and, with sufficient effort, placed my feet on the floor and stood up.  I approached the door.  Standing next to the door I realized something terrifying; the door knob was now a solid two inches higher than the top of my head.  

I reached my short arms upwards and latched onto the knob.  Turning the knob took effort.  I couldn’t help but feel helpless.  If I continued to test the HydroDyoxiBenzine, soon I would not be able to open my own front door.

I opened the door and was greeted by the crotch of my 5’6” neighbor’s work skirt.  I looked down, she was still in her 4” heels from the office.

“I went to Kohl’s and picked you up some clothes,” Angela greeted as she handed me a gray plastic shopping bag with the word Kohl’s plastered across the front.

I was surprised by the weight of the clothes in the bag.  My arms wobbled, I set the bag on the floor next to me.

“Thank you so much Angela,” I said enthusiastically, “I can’t stress enough how much your help means to me!”

“Like I said I’m always happy to help,” Angela returned cheerfully.

She then bent down and lifted me up by my underarms.  I felt myself being hoisted easily from the ground.  Angela rested me her hip and began to rock me up and down.

“You’re like a second child to me,” she said.

“Thanks Angela,” I said appreciatively, “but if you’re going to lift me can you at least do it inside behind closed doors?”

I was truly embarrassed, any one of our neighbors could come through at any moment and see Angela manhandling me like a toddler.

“Oh sorry,” Angela apologized.

She quickly lifted me to her face and planted a fat kiss on my right cheek.  I began to feel my weight shift toward the floor yet again as Angela gently released me from her motherly embrace.

“I also wanted to ask something before I go show Gina out,” Angela said, “why is your door locked?”

“I am trying to protect myself,” I responded bluntly.

“I wouldn’t advise that,” Angela started, “because if you continue to shrink you could get trapped in your own apartment.”

“I guess that’s true,” I sadly accepted her advice, “I was planning on staying in my own apartment tonight though.”

“You can stay just keep the door unlocked just in case something happens,” Angela returned with great concern for my well-being.

“I will,” I said eyes pointed to the floor.

I felt like a small child being scolded by his mother.  I naturally felt that I had to submit to Angela’s authority.

“How was Celeste today,” Angela asked out of the blue.

“She was good except for one incident,” I said honestly.

“Oh god, she didn’t hurt you did she,” She returned with a face of shock.
“No,” I paused, “none of that.  She felt that since she is bigger than me now she could act as a babysitter or older sister.  Cel woke me up at 10:30 asking me to play dolls, and I told her I wouldn’t play with her until she made me some breakfast.  While she did that I went and sat on the couch to watch some tv.  She came over with a bowl of cereal and took the remote to watch My Little Pony again.  I asked her for something else and she said ‘if I could reach the remote I could change it’ and she stood up and held it out of my reach.  But, she’s an 8 year-old she doesn’t know better, she saw it as playing.”

“I’ll make sure to talk to her about it,” Angela told me.

“Also can you bring over one of my pills around 9ish,” I asked.

“I sure can,” Angela responded, “but I want you to know full well that I don’t approve of you continuing this drug test.”

“I need the money,” I once again tried to justify my decision.

“Okay,” she responded reluctantly, “I have to go I will see you later tonight.”

“See you,” I said as she turned around and walked across the hall to her door.

I closed the door behind her.  Following Angela’s advice I made sure my front door was unlocked.  I then picked up the bag of clothes and proceeded to my bedroom.

 

Chapter 19 - Children’s Clothes - 3’4”

I quickly proceeded into my bedroom with the bag of new clothes.  I couldn’t wait to change into something that would actually fit or something close to it.  I tossed the Kohl’s bag down next to the bed and began to rummage through its contents.

I pulled out what looked like jeans.  As I fished them out I noticed I was holding up a pair of children’s overalls.  I tossed them to the side and grabbed the first article of clothing my fingers touched.

I pulled the piece of clothing from the bag and realized it was a button-collar baby blue polo shirt, something a mother would dress her toddler in.

“She got me toddler’s clothing,” I realized in my head, “I can only fit into small children’s clothes.  Angela must see me as the child I’m becoming.”

My heart sank as I tossed the shirt aside with the overalls.  I then grabbed the weighty bag by the handles and dumped the contents out onto the floor.

I was horrified by what fell out of the bag onto my bedroom floor.  Along with the assortment of clothes a mother would dress her small child in to go to church was a plastic package.

Reading the label stung like a slap to the face, ‘Pampers Cruisers’ was plastered across the front in white letters accompanied with a picture of a smiling baby.  Angela had bought me a package of diapers.  

My knees gave out beneath me and I dropped down on the floor, as I began to sob.  I was nothing more than a baby to my neighbor, the woman I saw as a second mother.  Tears flowed from my eyes like a river.  I couldn’t handle the sheer shock of the past few days that, once again, came flowing back to me in that moment.

I don’t know how long I had been lying on my bedroom floor, but I realized I had become very hungry.  I pushed myself up into a seated position on the floor and wiped the tears from my face.  I looked up at the clock which read 6:15; realizing I had rolled around on the floor crying for the better part of two hours I decided I needed to do something to try to make myself feel a little better.

I stood up and looked at the pile of clothes on my bedroom floor.  The diapers stared me in the face.  I reached down and picked up the package of baby’s undergarments and tossed them angrily to the wall which I had been using for measurements.  The weight was heavier than I expected and the momentum from tossing the diapers nearly sent me sailing across the room with them.

I looked at the clothes I had on.  The jeans looked like an uglier version of bell-bottoms and the shirt hung down to my knees.

“Great,” I thought angrily to myself, “now to choose my clothes from the children’s section.”

I picked up the blue polo I tossed to the side with the overalls and found a pair of khaki colored shorts.  I still needed underwear, so I began rummaging through the pile until I found a pack of superhero boxers.

“I guess being the size of a child isn’t too bad,” I thought to myself.  I was a big fan of Marvel comic superheroes.

I opened up the package and extracted a pair spotted with pictures of the Avengers.  I then hurried into the bathroom to try on my new outfit.

 

 

Chapter 20 - Overalls Overall 3’4”

 

I was very excited to once again put on clothes that would fit, or at least something close.  I closed the bathroom door behind me, reaching slightly above my head to do so, and began to quickly take off the clothes I was wearing.  The clothes that had fit me mere days ago were now a mess of seemingly oversized fabric garments on the cheap tile floor.

            I slipped the Avengers boxers quickly up my bare legs and covered my ‘lower extremities.’  I noticed they were slightly loose.

“Oh great,” I irritatedly thought to myself, “isn’t this familiar.  I probably won’t fit in these tomorrow but they are at least a better fit.”

            I then reached down and picked up the blue polo.  As I picked it up I noticed the fabric was very light.  Angela had obviously been thinking of my mobility when she picked out these clothes.

            I lifted the shirt up and slipped my arms into the about shoulder-length sleeves before sliding it on to cover my exposed upper torso.  Once the polo was fully on, I straightened the blue cotton fabric out as much as possible, then after buttoning up the collar I took an assessment on how it fit on my body.  It was a slightly tight fit, like a second skin almost, the tightness was slightly uncomfortable as it pinched around my shoulders and underarms, but it was a refreshing thought nonetheless to know it may last longer than the boxers in the long term.

            Then came the overalls.  I dreaded putting on the light-blue, jean denim garment that would seal my new-found persona as a man-child, I began to recount in my mind the events of the past few days.

I had lost most of my independence, what I had moved out to seek to experience.  Rebecca had and the twins, three girls that used to be much smaller than me, flaunted their new found power and size advantage over me.  I had been beaten, pushed around, and the most terrible part the humiliation of it all.  Angela had taken me in to her care, she was going to care and nurture me as her own child, but her actual biological child had become my pseudo bossy older-sister, forcing me to play with her and exerting her new size advantage, holding the remote high out of my reach when I wanted to change the channel on the tv.

I snapped myself out of my thought.  I then lifted the slightly-weighty denim fabric and quickly exchanged my mostly bare legs for their coverage.

            As I slipped the denim straps across my back and over my shoulders, I had a realization.  The overalls hung down my body wadding up around my ankles.

“Great, now I don’t even have the dignity of a four year old,” I thought.

            Just then my stomach began to grumble.  I pulled myself out of the fog of my thoughts and opened the door to sulk out into the kitchen to go get myself some food.  

 

Chapter 21 - Purely Coincidental 3’3”

I sulked out of the bathroom and proceeded into my kitchen.  When I walked around the counter I realized the counter was well higher than the top of my head.  I was not as shocked as I had been in the same situations over the past couple of days.

I decided to reach out to Helen to ask for help with cooking dinner.  I reached for the pocket of my overalls and upon realizing my phone wasn’t in it I began looking around to see if I misplaced it.  I went out into the entrance of the main room, away from the counter that obstructed my view.  Just then, I heard my phone vibrate.

“Well,” I thought, “how convenient.”

I looked in the direction the sound had come from and saw my cell phone on the end table next to the couch.  I must have had set it down in a haste when I got up to let Angela in.

I proceeded across the living room and up to the end table.  It seemed this was the only item in my apartment that was still shorter than I was, albeit, not by much, maybe 3”.  I picked up my phone and checked the text message I had just received.

It was from a number I did not recognize.  I read it apprehensively.

Hey Steve, it’s Daphne!  Helen gave me your cell number after we brought the clothes over.  I’m around the corner from your apartment.  Do you need anything?

An opportunity presented itself and I was quick to take her up on her offer.

Hey Daphne, actually I do need something.  I can’t reach the countertop and I am very hungry, I was about to text Helen to see if she could send someone over, but if you’re in the neighborhood, could you maybe come over and help out?

She quickly responded.

I’ll be right over!

I was very eager to get some food in my growling stomach.  I went over and leaned against the counter.

“I guess there’s perks to being smaller than the counter,” I muttered to myself with a snicker.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

“Wow,” I thought, “that was fast.”

I walked over and answered the door.  On the other side revealed Daphne standing there, with the corners of her rose-red colored lipstick slathered mouth bent up in a smile.  Her smile was almost a smirk, as if she was planning something.

She was wearing those damned boots with the 3” heel, making my eyes level with her crotch, covered by a pair of extremely short, light-blue jean-shorts that left almost nothing to the imagination.  She was also wearing a bright purple spaghetti-strap sleeveless shirt that squeezed her upper torso like a second skin.  I could tell she did not have on a bra over her D-cup breasts.

“Wow,” I exclaimed, “when you said you were right around the corner you weren’t kidding!  Come in!”

Daphne came in and I closed the door behind her.  I would soon find out what a mistake I had just made.

 

Chapter 22 - A Helping Hand 3’3”

Daphne came in and I closed the door behind her.  I was shocked when I turned around and ran right into the scantily clad crotch of Daphne.

“Getting frisky down there little guy,” she teased, her smirk becoming even more obvious.

“I’m very sorry,” I apologized, “I really did not mean to.”

Daphne then did something I would have never expected.  She put her seemingly now-massive hands on each of my shoulders and pushed me effortlessly back-first into the closed front door.  With my body easily overpowered against the door, her left hand covering the width of my chest, Daphne reached up with her right hand and locked the door above me, even going as far as to swing shut and secure the latch lock at the top of the door frame.

“Daphne,” I screamed up to her from my extremely vulnerable position, “what the fuck are you doing!”

That must’ve had an impact as Daphne knew I rarely cursed and she looked down at me with a scowl.  Her scowl quickly returned to a smirk and I was shocked as she let me go from her large left hand.  I collapsed to the ground grasping my chest, it had felt as if she had cracked my ribs from the pressure she had placed on me.

“You of all people, by now, should know that nothing comes free,” Daphne said as she made an obvious, blatant reference to my diminished height tipping it off by gesturing at me with both hands.

“W-what,” I stammered as I managed to get up to one knee.

“You want dinner,” Daphne schemingly returned, “you need to give me something in return.”

“But you agreed to work with Helen to help me,” I said flabbergasted at what Daphne just inferred.

I was on my feet now and very terrified by what was transpiring.  Fight or flight had already kicked in and I was like a caged animal.  Daphne had me trapped as I was far too short now to reach the top latch to escape and find refuge.

“Well,” Daphne started with a bossy sounding tone, “if I remember correctly, I said that I would come check on you.  I never said anything in specific about helping.”

She took a step toward me and I bolted.  I ducked between her legs, an advantage to my small stature, and she nearly caught me right there as she reached down.  I wanted to prolong whatever she had planned for as long as possible.

I sprinted as fast as I could into my bedroom.  I turned around to see Daphne standing in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips, shaking her head at me as if we were playing some sort of game.

“Very cute,” she said in a tone as if I was a small child, “little Stevy-Weevy thinks he can run away from big Daphne.  I will play along, but these heels are going to kill me if I don’t take them off.  Run along little man.”

It seemed as if she was letting me off.  This was all a game to her.  She walked over to the couch and out of my line of view.

I took my opportunity and slammed the bedroom door shut.  I couldn’t do anything more to hinder Daphne from easily catching me as another perk of my terrible apartment was a lock on the bedroom door knob that did not work.  I was cornered in every sense of the word.

I looked frantically for a place to hide.  I scrambled into my bathroom and hid in the cabinet that was built into the counter.  I hoped and plead she would not find me.  Just then, I heard the door slowly squeak open.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Daphne said gleefully as if this were the world’s most sinister game of hide-and-seek.

I could hear her walk across the room and start rummaging through the pile of clothes still lying on my bedroom floor.  I heard a soft thump as a tossed garment hit the wall next to me.

“Oh darn,” she said playfully, “that was an obvious spot!  You’re going to make this hard for me aren’t you little Stevy?”

“Why can’t she just help me out,” I thought to myself, terrified by the whole sequence of events that was unfolding.

I heard the sounds of Daphne stomping across the bedroom.  She must’ve been trying to get me to react as I heard one of my crash cymbals slam to the floor as it’s stand was tossed over.

“Oopsy,” Daphne teased, “I accidently knocked over one of your precious little toys.  Maybe you should come out here and help me fix it my big, strong man!  I mean let’s face it Steve, you’re a hunk!”

She was trying all she could to lure me into her trap.  She was the predator and I got the lucky role as the prey.

“What other obvious spots are there,” I heard Daphne mutter to herself.

I heard her walk across the room to check under the bed.  At that inopportune moment my lungs started to burn, I realized I had been holding my breath through the whole ordeal and tried to exhale as quietly as possible.

Unfortunately for me, Daphne must’ve heard it as she immediately rushed into the bathroom.  I heard her tear open the shower curtain, ripping the room apart.  Just then, the my dark cabinet lit up.  I covered my eyes from the blinding outside light.  

“Gotcha,” Daphne cheered triumphantly.

“Please Daph,” I pleaded, “you don’t have to do this.”

“Aww you’re so cute,” she cooed, “you think you can convince me otherwise.”

I felt one of her hands wrap around my legs as she pulled me out of my cabinet.  Then everything went black.

 

Chapter 23 - Amnesia 2’11”

The next I knew I awoke lying in my bed.  The back of my head was pounding.  I reached back to rub my aching cranium and noticed a huge welt.  My head was throbbing.

 The room was dark, making it hard for my eyes to adjust.  Dazed, I sat up and rubbed my eyes.  When I looked out the window to the park across the street I noticed that it was dark outside.  

“What the hell happened,” I mumbled to myself as I looked across the room to the clock.

The clock read 12:35 AM.  I had lost memory of a huge chunk of the day.  Just then, I heard something, almost like a soft snore coming from the middle of my bedroom floor.  I looked down and saw Daphne lying there asleep.

“Daphne,” I whispered down at her, “Daphne.”

I got down onto the floor and nearly tripped over the ends of my overalls.  I had shrunken even more, a now very familiar feeling.  I reached down to shake the sleeping teenaged girl.

“Daph,” I coaxed, “Daphne wake up!”

Daphne stirred on the floor then shot up.  I was alarmed by her sudden movement and fell backwards against the side of my bed, hitting my back.  The fall jarred my ribs making them feel as if they were going to explode.  I yelped out in pain and sat up gripping my aching side.

“Good to see you awake little man,” Daphne said, rubbing her eyes.

“What happened,” I questioned her, “and more importantly why are you here.”

“Do you not remember Stevy,” Daphne questioned with a seductive tone, “you asked me to come stay with you so nobody would come in and take advantage of you.”

She had smiled in my face and lied to me and I hadn’t even known.  There was no way I could’ve known.  

Daphne slowly stood to her feet.  She then extended me a helping hand.  I wrapped the entirety of my hand around her middle and index fingers and she easily pulled me to my feet.

I was shocked standing next to her.   Daphne’s crotch was now above my eye-level and I was looking straight on at her upper thighs.

“My eyes are up here little guy,” Daphne said down to me with a smirk crossing her rose-red lips.

“I’m sorry Daph,” I apologized as I looked up to her.

“Let me get you a little closer to eye-level Stevy,” Daphne said as she reached down and placed her hands under each of my arms.

I felt both of my feet leave the ground as Daphne easily hoisted me into the air with her strong arms.  I was surprised when she laid me horizontally across her well-developed chest as if I was a baby.  She cradled my body with her left hand reaching the length of my body from my head to where her enormous hand was residing on my ass for support.

“I know you’re up on these beautiful tits of mine,” Daphne said seductively, “but you need to show your superior some respect,” she finished with a wink.

“What is that supposed to mean,” I shouted back at her.

Upon hearing me argue her, Daphne reached her free hand up to my face, silencing me by putting her gigantic index finger across my mouth.  I noticed her nails were painted a gorgeous deep, vibrant shade of red.  Then I connected the dots.

Why did Daphne get so made up just to come over and watch me.  That’s when it hit me, she wasn’t there to watch me at all.

It seemed while I was plunging deep into my terrifying thoughts, Daphne had been giving me a soliloquy that I had completely disregarded, I tuned back into what she was saying to me, “...Your neighbor Angela is a really nice woman Steve.  You should really appreciate what she does, she didn’t have to bring that dose over earlier for me to give you, but she did,” Daphne began pacing around the bedroom with me still cradled in her arms.  She continued, “she said she doesn’t want you taking that drug, but you insist on it.  I like you this size anyway Stevy-weevey, you’re like a little baby!  So cute!  Anyway, I’ll end my tangent, it’s time to give you that lesson on respect.”

My eyes widened, I couldn’t believe what Daphne had just said to me.  I began to squirm in a futile attempt to escape from her now far superior strength.  Daphne began to proceed toward the bathroom door with me still in her grips.

“Awww,” Daphne cooed, “wittle Stevy wants to get away from big Daph!  How adorable!”

Daphne toted me into the bathroom and tossed me onto the cold tile floor.  I watched from my back as she then turned around and closed the bathroom door, locking both of us in.

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Daphne taunted, “stand up.”

“Daphne,” I pleaded, “you don’t have to do this!”

“I SAID STAND UP,” Daphne barked.

I had never heard Daphne yell like that before.  Fearing for my life, I scrambled to get to my feet and tripped over the legs of my overalls, falling flat onto my stomach in front of the teen titan.

“What part of get up don’t you understand,” Daphne screamed.

My entire body surged with pain when her foot collided hard with my already aching ribcage.  The force of her kick sent me careening into the hard porcelain toilet.  I slumped over and began spitting out blood.

“What are you waiting for,” Daphne teased

I dragged my tiny limp sack of skin across the tile floor until I was lying with my back against the counter.  After taking a short break to spit up a little more blood, I managed to pull myself to my feet using the counter.  I looked up at my towering captor, a satisfied grin plastered across her young face.

“I assume you know why I’m really here now,” Daphne said down to me with a smirk.

“To...torture...me,” I managed to breathlessly weeze.

“No silly,” Daphne said down to me gleefully, “I’m here because I’ve had a crush on you since I met you.  That’s why when Helen said she’d check on you this weekend, I jumped in to help out!”

“This is all just a game to you isn’t it,” I asked.

“Of course not,” Daphne shot back, “now I want to see you out of those cute clothes very soon or you’re going to meet my good friend Mr. Foot again!”

I decided that one huge kick to the ribs was enough as I spit out another small amount of blood that had built up during our exchange.  I began to slide my overalls off my shoulders and down my legs, exposing them.  I tossed them to the side, then my polo followed suit.  I stood as if presenting myself to Daphne in my now slightly oversized Avengers underwear.

 

Chapter 24 - Exploited 2’11

There I stood, in my boxers, with this sociopathic tween keeping me hostage.  I could feel my blood running cold, my brain in full panic mode.

“Steve,” Daphne said down to me in an amused tone, “you look ridiculous.”

“I am well aware,” I responded my voice shaking.

“Well,” Daphne asked with a chuckle.

“Well what,” I snapped back as I looked up at my gigantic captor.

“That underwear isn’t going to remove itself is it,” Daphne asked gleefully.

I stood there dumbfounded.  She sauntered seductively toward me.  My eyes followed hers, until her breasts, obstructed only by her sleeveless shirt, overcame my view of her face.  She stopped about a step in front of me, and I took two small steps backward bumping my back against my bathroom counter, causing my ribs to ache.

“Still waiting,” Daphne said tapping her wrist as if adjusting an imaginary watch.

“Oh,” I replied with a waiver in my voice, “o-okay.”

I looked down from her gaze, there was no way I could look at her while she forced me to do this.  I reluctantly began to pull down my underwear.

The waistline of the Hero-clad Boxers were at my mid-thighs.  I saw Daphne take a step back and heard a cackle from above.  I began to turn toward my left shoulder trying to conceal what little privacy I had while I still could.

“No, no,” Daphne scolded down at me, “there will be none of that little guy!  Big Daphne wants the full experience.”

I slowly looked up to meet her gaze.  The corners of her rose-red lips curved up in a sinister smile, she was the hunter and I was the prey, and she was moving in for the kill.

“Please, Daph,” I pleaded, “don’t make me do this!”

She responded by making a turning motion with her index finger.  I turned to face her.  I felt extremely inferior.  I could feel my cheeks blush with embarrassment, but for my own good I had to submit to the towering teen.  I began slowly lowering my boxers past the tops of my kneecaps.

“I’ve been patient with you Steve,” Daphne said annoyed, “I’m not going to wait anymore.”

She bent down in front of me, giving me a good view of her breasts under her bright-purple spaghetti strap top, and reached out with her right hand grabbing the waist of my underwear.  She roughly pulled them down to my ankles, and used her left hand to roughly push me back, slamming my aching ribs into the counter causing a small amount more blood to rush into my mouth, but this time I swallowed to make myself appear to have some form of strength left.  However, I kicked and writhed from the pain in my ribs, but my flailing only made it easier for Daphne to rip the underwear the rest of the way off of me.

When she had done this, she released me, allowing me to slump against the counter, taking shallow breaths, and she turned her back, and proceeded over to the side of the shower pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it to the ground.  She then turned to face me exposing her huge cleavage, and menacing upper body stature to me.  

“Steve,” she said, “I want you to put my clothes on while I get the water running.”

“What,” I exclaimed, shocked.  

I was floored that she would make a request like that.  It shouldn’t have surprised me after the what she had already put me through.

“Put my clothes on,” she said coldly.

“Y-yes ma’am,” I responded intimidated, slumping my head down and regaining my balance, fighting through the pain in my torso to do so.

I slowly proceeded over as Daphne slipped off her booty shorts and panties in my full clear view.  I picked up her shirt, and just then, my vision became obscured by a barricade of light blue denim.

She was holding something over my head.  I put my hands to my head struggling to get free.  She released her grip, and I found myself staggering backwards, falling onto the hard tile floor, as Daphne erupted with laughter.