Throughout her entire life, Claire had never been in trouble with the authorities. 

Not because she was an exceptionally well-behaved and law-abiding individual, no more so than the rest of society. Rather she was the daughter of a well-respected police captain and her mother a defense attorney with political aspirations. Although her parents were no longer on cordial terms with one another, they would move mountains to keep their eldest daughter out of trouble no matter the cost. She was their golden child after all, and a few deals ‘under the table’ which involved favors and a bit of money up until now kept her record clean. 

Claire tapped her foot anxiously and let out a nervous cough. The office she was asked to wait in was surprisingly dusty. She had assumed that the State Supreme Court would have adequate staff to keep everything spotless. Late on Christmas Eve perhaps they had the day off?

Of all the places she had expected to earn her reprimand, straight from the mouth of the State Attorney General was not one of them. Instead of dragging her in front of the Norwich district attorney for a slap on the wrist and a scolding from the police commissioner, she was directed to report to the state judicial building immediately. Boston was a lengthy journey, so she had to board a last minute flight across the state. 

The State Supreme Court was the highest authority in the state, and well beyond the reach of her parents, the commissioner, and quite frankly, everybody she had ever relied on to get her out of sticky situations. For the first time, Claire was at the complete mercy of someone else. Forced to pay the price for her actions. 

It was an unbearable feeling. One she hoped to never experience again. 

The door to the private office study creaked open. Claire straightened her back and gulped audibly, her foot came to a sudden halt on the ground. She had no mirror, but if she did then she was certain her appearance would be similar to that of a child in the principal’s office. The man who walked in calmly strolled past her and took a seat behind his desk.

Lukas Ehrenreich was a remarkably hale, handsome man despite his age. Although he was past his sixties the Attorney General could easily pass for half that. His cheeks and forehead were smooth, unwrinkled by age and his posture stout and firm. Thick, well groomed hair was styled neatly upon his head with not a single gray hair in sight. It was difficult to believe that he was the same age as Claire’s grandfather. 

He offered his hand towards Claire. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Officer Weaver.”

“And you also.” Claire replied hastily and grasped his hand to shake it. She felt how moist from sweat her palm was, especially when compared to his dry one. Hopefully he did not take offense to it. 

Lukas placed down a hefty file folder on the desk in front of him. Claire shivered involuntarily as he rifled through the folder. She recognized the document he eventually selected from the lot and read through. It was her official statement she had been forced to write. 

He scanned over it briefly. “Before we continue, Officer Weaver. I would like to make one thing very clear.”

“Yes sir?”

“By all means you seem to be a model police officer and outstanding member of law enforcement. I understand that what you have written here was possibly conceived while you were under a tremendous amount of stress.” Lukas explained and set her ‘confession’ aside. “You should be aware that I will take your performance up until this incident into account as I consider an approach befitting of the incident that occurred yesterday morning. So, you can be absolutely honest with me and tell me the truth, even if it conflicts with what you wrote in your statement.” He assured her as Claire felt an incredible weight slide off her shoulder. “Is that alright?”

She nodded several times. “Absolutely!” Lukas nodded and activated a voice recording device to capture her revitalized statement, before he bid her to explain everything that had happened.

And so Claire did. She told Lukas everything, and spared no detail in the process. There was no name, event, or time that she left out. If it meant keeping her job and potentially walking out of the Supreme Court building with a smile on her face and a slap on her wrist then Claire would do it. She told him how Thomas came to her, how he had his theories about something bad happening to his sister. Then he convinced her to try and investigate, which she did and the trail led them to a woman in Norwich named Tae Park. As for the incident itself, she shared her interaction with Park and also the ensuing scuffle outside and her standoff with the bodyguards of a bystander who Thomas had foolishly mistaken for their suspect. 

As she spoke, Claire did her best to pin as much blame as possible on Thomas. Truthfully, it was all his fault. She was just telling the truth. He came to her. He pushed her to investigate and to keep it all away from the department. He was the one who assumed something terrible happened to his sister. 

When she finally finished, Lukas looked up from his notebook which he had been keeping a record of his own notes. “Is that everything?”

Claire nodded. “Yes sir.”

“And you, Claire Weaver, do swear to have just told the truth and nothing but the truth?” Lukas pressed. “Bear in mind Officer Weaver, this recording is permanent and can be used against you in the court of law. If during an official investigation of the events you have described it is discovered that you have lied, then you will face severe consequences.”

“There were many people you claimed to have met to uncover more information during your search, while you were in liaison with Thomas Evans. People who we can question to verify the authenticity of your statements. Phone records, text messages… Are you absolutely sure, beyond a fraction of the doubt in your mind that what you have just said is absolutely everything you know and did in relation to the events of yesterday?” The Attorney General interrogated, his face stern. 

I’m sorry Thomas. But I spent way too long focused on you and not myself. 

She spoke with a confident aura of certainty. “That is everything.”

With that, Lukas deactivated the voice recorder that had been on his desk. Claire breathed a long sigh of relief. The pounding in her chest mercifully subsided, and for the first time she felt at ease since yesterday morning. 

Anybody would have done the same in her situation. If it saved her career to sell out Thomas then so be it. Besides, he came from a wealthy family with strong connections just like hers. Surely his father could pull some strings with his old army friends. 

She shook her head. It’s not my concern. Thomas doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. He was a shitty boyfriend with anger issues and a hyperinflated ego. He needs a reality check more than anybody. She thought as Lukas placed the recorder underneath his desk. As for Alice… I’ll keep looking on my own.

He glanced up at her. “Would you like a drink?” Lukas asked, to which she nodded in reply. Carelessly Lukas dropped the notebook he had taken notes in on the desk, where it flopped open to a random page. 

Claire frowned while Lukas made his way to his office door. 

Out of curiosity she peered over the notes the Attorney General had drafted about her situation, but to Claire’s surprise the page Lukas had written on was covered in miscellaneous doodles and nonsensical scribbles. 

Her stomach turned. Was this a joke?

The door swung open as Lukas retrieved a packet of cigarettes from his coat pocket, along with a lighter. “Sir?” Claire asked aloud and turned in her seat to see what he was up to. 

Instantly her face went ghostly white.

Grace Chen, the woman who Thomas had mistakenly attacked yesterday stood in the doorway with a broad smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. At her side was another familiar face; her female bodyguard who had almost smashed Thomas’s head in. The multi-billionaire scooched against the doorframe to allow Lukas to exit the room, where he vanished around the corner. 

In one hand, Grace held a pair of shot glasses and a bottle of liquor in the other.  “Do you take it on the rocks or neat?” She asked the bewildered policewoman.

It’s a fucking set-up! Claire realized.

Instantly Claire shot up to her feet. Her chair tumbled to the ground behind her as she frantically tried to reach for the pistol she kept concealed on her belt. While she fumbled to unholster her weapon, Grace’s bodyguard darted into the room. She knocked the gun aside where it clattered to the floor in some far off corner where it could no longer help Claire. 

Who the hell was this woman?! Claire’s face contorted with rage, she snarled and threw a wild overhand right which soared past the bodyguards’ jaw harmlessly. Before Claire could follow-up, she took a handful of Claire’s loose hair and pulled hard which elicited a cry of pain from the policewoman. She then drove her knee into Claire’s face, which busted open a gash below her left eye. 

It became quickly apparent that whoever the woman was, she was a far superior martial artist than Claire was, who had only received basic hand-to-hand combat training from the police academy. She was trained to forcibly subdue a target, this was something else entirely. With laughable ease Claire was pinned to the ground, her face forced against the floor and her arm restrained behind her back. She could feel an immense pressure on her shoulder joint, and became distinctly aware that the woman she was fighting could easily dislocate her shoulder if she so wished.

Evidently the bodyguard realized that too and held Claire firmly in place, helpless on the dirty floor. Above them, Grace chuckled.

“I’ll be just a moment Xiangling.” She said and stepped back into the hallway where Lukas Ehrenreich had left. 

Claire spat. “Let go of me you-!” She squealed before she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Her arm bent back at an odd angle, and she could feel the muscles begin to rip apart threateningly.

“Shut up.” Xiangling replied coldly, with a very strong Chinese accent. 

To emphasize her point, Xiangling placed her knee in between Claire’s shoulder blades and applied more of her weight painfully to her torso. Defeated, Claire rested her head on the floor miserably as Grace departed.

Aside from herself and Lukas, the hallway in the top floor of the Supreme Court building was entirely empty. It was Christmas Eve and the staff had been given the day off, and for once so had the security department. In their stead was her own team, of course. On high alert after yesterday, but soon that little problem would be taken care of. 

Grace approached Lukas, who lowered his head in a reverent bow. Rather than return the gesture, she instead passed him one of the two shot glasses in her hand, which he accepted obediently.

“Was she telling the truth?” She asked expectantly.

The Attorney General nodded several times and replied once she granted him permission to speak. “Yes ma’am. I swear she explained everything.” Lukas assured her, eyes still averted from her knife-like gaze.

And with the audio recording we can look back and tie up any more loose ends at our leisure. Lianfei will have her hands full with legal nonsense though. Grace said to herself and filled both shot glasses with baiju. Most importantly will be that bartender, Keira. We will need to arrange something special for her. 

From her purse, Grace produced a small gift box wrapped in glistening vermillion colored paper. “My mother was right about you, Lukas. You are rather useful.” He said nothing but watched with bated breath as she tugged the ribbon which secured the lid of the present. “Which is why we would like to keep you around for a few more decades.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” He replied stoically, but she could hear the barely contained childlike glee in his voice. By now he had probably ascertained what she had brought him for Christmas.

Grace gently removed something from the box. A fruit, it’s vibrant color reminiscent of an evening dusk in the last moment before sunset. Short, almost imperceptible hairlike follicles covered the skin. 

Lukas couldn't help it. He looked up at the divine object in Grace’s hand with an unmitigated look of desire and need written across his face. Sweat formed above his brow, and Grace swore she could almost hear his heart thump within his chest. A knowing smile came across her face as she held it before him. 

“A peach. Plucked from my beloved grandmother’s garden.” Grace said softly, although Lukas surely did not need an introduction to such a thing. She could practically sense his desire to take it from her, to devour it whole and claim the heavens.

But to dare attempt such a thing would earn a slow, agonizing death under her foot seconds later. 

He watched enviously as Grace raised the peach to her mouth and took a bite, a small one to avoid even a drop of the juice falling to the ground below. The flesh was wonderfully sweet and pure. Immediately Grace felt an indescribable surge of power course through her veins. 

It felt incredible. So she took another bite. Then another. And another, until finally naught but the pit remained. Lukas looked ready to cry, until she leaned forward and allowed a single drop of juice which had collected on her fingers to drip into his drink along with the baiju, a type of liquor native to her ancestral homeland. 

“Drink.” She commanded. Eagerly, Lukas raised the glass to his lips and knocked it back instantly. He moaned in pleasure as he felt the single drop he had consumed spread like wildfire in his stomach, spurred on by the spirits. 

Grace returned the pit of the peach to the box and closed it carefully. “When Governor Rodriguez’s term is over you will have the privilege of replacing him. Then you and the others in the government here may lick our boots to determine who is worthy to replace President Bauchmann.”

“…truly?” Lukas gasped. She chuckled and drank her own shot as well.

If that is what Aunt Min desires, to have an insignificant leech like you run this glorified honeypot of a nation for her, then of course. You can be like a rooster, the proud king of a pile of shit.

With the wave of her hand Grace dismissed him, and turned her attention to more interesting things than politics. 

She opened the door to Lukas’s office, where Claire was still locked in a submission hold by Xiangling. How much of their conversation she had heard was irrelevant, soon she would be where she should be. 

Claire looked up at her and scowled. “You’ll never fucking get away with this!” A split second later her defiant face lit up in agony. Irked by her disrespectful attitude, Xiangling twisted her arm at the socket and was rewarded with a loud ‘pop’ noise as Claire’s shoulder dislocated.

Grace suppressed a laugh while Claire squealed in pain like a slaughtered pig. “Oh go easy on her, I want a chance to play later.” She mused smugly and placed her heel on top of Claire’s skull. 

Claire could feel the woman drum her toes atop her temple. Humiliated and in pain, she resigned to simply stop struggling lest Xiangling feel the need to snap something else. 

“Why don’t you do the honors?” Grace offered, in Mandarin. From her coat pocket she held out a syringe filled with golden liquid. 

Xiangling’s mouth opened in surprise, but she happily accepted it. It was a great privilege and even great honor to be offered such a thing. Careful so Claire would not be able to escape from underneath her while she seized the needle, Xiangling positioned the tip near Claire’s neck.

The policewoman’s eyes went wide with terror. “W-What is that?!” She shrieked and began to thrash back and forth. From the corner of her eyes she could see the smirk on Grace’s face grow wider as she began to struggle. 

“You’ll soon find out.” Grace assured her.

Before she could scream once more, Claire’s neck was alight with searing hot pain that burned like an iron pressed against her flesh. Although she opened her mouth to scream, it was overcome by a sudden wave of intense nausea. Instead of screaming Claire gasped for air. Everything went blurry, then pitch black. 

Distantly she could hear the voices of her two tormentors, but they sounded muffled. Distorted as though spoken underwater.

Claire realized that the pain in the center of her back had disappeared. Now she no longer felt the oppressive pressure from Xiangling on top of her, or Grace’s foot placed squarely on her head. Instinct drove Claire to move, and get away from this horrible nightmare in the darkness. 

Suddenly there was a new pressure, but this time all around her like a vise. She let out a distressed grunt but kept going, and crawled on all fours across what she assumed was the room. It was pointless and she most likely looked ridiculous, but she no longer cared about her dignity. Then she felt the sudden rush of air around her pull her body up off the ground a few feet before she crashed back into the Earth, thankfully not on her dislocated shoulder. 

It became far easier to breathe than it had been moments ago, and air swirled around her entire body. Claire felt a cool wind kiss her sweaty cheeks, but then felt a strange sensation when it did the same to her completely naked body. Weakly she ran her hand across her torso and confirmed that she was indeed entirely naked from head to toe.

Furthermore, the voices from before as they became sharper were not much louder. Almost deafening. Her head still pounded from whatever drug had been shot into her system, and Claire clamped her hands over her ears in a futile effort to quiet them. 

Unable to take it anymore she forced herself to open her eyes and face the two devils torturing her and see what they had done. Two sets of eyes stared down at her from above. Far, far above.

Dread filled Claire’s heart. “W-What?!” She squealed and began to scamper away from the two women who were now both the size of skyscrapers looming above her. 

Pain no longer mattered. Only survival.

Despite her injury Claire swung her useless right arm to the ground and pushed with all her might in order to stand up. Adrenaline kept the pain from driving her into shock and she began to run feverishly away from the two godlike figures who watched with amusement. 

The soft fabric of her police uniform was difficult to get a good grip with while she sprinted, and several times in her ‘escape’ Claire slipped and had to repeat the same process as before to stand up. Each time pain streaked through her body as her arm was used like a crutch to return to her feet. 

As her mad dash for freedom continued, Claire felt the earth beneath her begin to tremble. She screamed and tried to get away but was powerless as an overwhelming force pressed into her back, until her nude body was squished between the ground and Grace’s shoe. 

Grace smiled in satisfaction, and shifted her colossal appendage across the ground in order to roll Claire’s body over a few times beneath her sole. Her screams of pain only intensified when her dislocated arm was subjected to the abuse as well. 

“In a situation like this, adrenaline floods the victim’s mind. They don’t quite feel everything. So give them a bit of time to recover and understand their situation.” Grace instructed Xiangling, who was entranced by the display. 

After a few moments the frantic squeals and cries beneath her foot subsided, so Grace removed her shoe to reveal Claire, now caked from head to toe in dirt and grime from the floor and Grace’s shoe. 

It’s fitting that an animal like you is so filthy. But I don’t want to play with you all covered in shit. Grace thought. 

She inhaled and gathered up a ball of saliva in the back of her throat. Claire heard the familiar sound but could not react, too dazed from her ordeal and confusion by everything going on to think about it too much.

Grace leaned over slightly and spat a tightly congealed ball of spit directly onto Claire, which struck her like a cannonball. Claire’s vision blurred from the impact, as if she had just been slammed by a linebacker. Saliva found itself into every orifice, from her nose and mouth to Claire’s eyes and ears. Grace leaned over and picked her off the floor, then used her thumb to rub her spit into Claire’s body to clean it.

There was some annoying resistance when she tried to clean Claire’s dislocated arm, so Grace decided to lend her a quick hand. She squeezed her fingers around the socket and pulled slightly to force it back into place. Once more Claire screamed in pain, tears now flowed freely. 

Grace rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, I fix your arm and you start bawling? You should be thanking me.” With Claire now cleaned and their affairs settled at the Supreme Court, it was time to go home.

Xiangling watched as Grace removed her boot and set it to one side while she pulled her nylons down her well toned, muscular right leg. Unceremoniously her master dropped the newly created speck into the mesh fabric. She then wiggled her toes and returned her foot to the garment. 

The police officer’s tiny naked body was firmly trapped like a fish in a net, pressed face first against Grace’s five gigantic toes which wrapped around her like constrictors. Claire inhaled the pungent odor of Grace’s foot sweat built up from hours of insulation from the cold weather outside. Then she was introduced to Grace’s boot, where she was able to further marinate and cook in the moisture like a piece of meat.

It was going to be a long Christmas Eve for Claire.

With Christmas Day tomorrow, and with foresight as to how much she would probably eat and drink between now and New Years, Grace thought it was a good idea to get some exercise in. She had occupied the top floors of the most luxurious hotel in Norwich, so it was a long journey up the stairs and in heels no less. However whatever difficulty she faced to reach the top floor paled in comparison to the torment the ordeal inflicted upon Claire, who felt ready to pop like a grape at any moment beneath the impossible weight of Grace’s entire body.

Movement was restricted to wiggling her fingers and toes, and there was practically no air in the stuffy confines of the boot. With the insulation and Grace’s body heat, Claire felt like she was trapped in a fleshy oven that reeked of sweat and leather. Time seemed to pass at a distressingly slow speed, and each step was a nightmare on its own. 

Finally she felt the owner of the boot come to a stop. With a rush of air the enormous weight was lifted off Claire’s body, which left her a panting soggy mess in a pool of her own sweat at the toe section. 

She was granted no time to recover, for moments later the boot was flipped onto one side which rolled her out onto the penthouse floor like a pebble stuck in a shoe. Claire sucked in as much clean air as she possibly could, grateful to breathe clearly for the first time in what felt like hours of anguish.

The floor shook with every step the giantesses took. With a resounding thud Grace removed her other shoe and kicked it to one side. She took a seat on the couch and began to remove her nylons as well to expose her smooth, shapely legs which towered above Claire like twin pillars in a coliseum. Claire attempted to stand, but was quickly returned to her back by the sheer force of Grace’s mountainous feet as they came to a rest on the floor in front of her. 

Grace leaned over to examine her new toy for the first time. Her eyes were filled with animalistic fear, and desperately Claire began to crawl away on her hands and knees. “Don’t move.” She commanded sternly, and instantly the speck froze in place. Claire gulped as she hovered her foot a few inches above her tiny, shivering body.

The message it sent was clear. Try to run away, and be crushed.

Good pet. Grace thought as she lowered her foot, the terror still scrawled across the speck’s face. Rather than place Claire’s entire body underneath her sole, she instead left Claire’s face exposed between her big and second toe with the rest of her torso and legs firmly trapped beneath the ball of her foot.

Grace glanced over at Xiangling, who had watched with great interest since they returned to the hotel. She was a fantastic recent addition to her personal security, Grace thought. Despite her age, Xiangling possessed excellent judgment in intense situations, a strong sense of loyalty, and proved a formidable weapons expert and hand-to-hand combatant.

Of course, her other features made her Grace’s favorite bodyguard for other reasons as well. 

“After such a long day you must be exhausted.” Grace mused, in Mandarin. “How many shifts have you worked in a row?” She asked.

“Um… four, ma’am.” Xiangling replied. “Since yesterday’s incident.”

“Oh you poor thing! Your feet must be killing you. Why not kick off your boots and join me?” Grace suggested and wrapped her toes around Claire’s torso tightly.

Xiangling shifted her weight back and forth. “I would not want to impose.” She claimed, although the uncertainty in her voice implied otherwise. 

“Nonsense. You’ve done a magnificent job to keep me safe, and I would like to express my gratitude.” 

“Well… alright.” Xiangling replied and strolled towards the couch. To Claire’s horror, her assailant from earlier that day took a seat next to Grace and began to unstrap her work boots, which she noticed were considerably more worn than Grace’s high-end heels. 

With a pair of slams which deafened Claire, Xiangling freed her feet from the stuffy confines of her shoes and began to remove her socks. As soon as the thin fabric was pulled away, an intense odor overcame Claire’s olfactory senses. The smell did not seem to bother Grace in the slightest, although to Claire it was worse than tear gas. Moisture welled up in her eyes and her nose wrinkled as the pungent stench emanated from the sweaty flesh towards her nose. Whereas Grace’s feet were well-cared for, from pedicures and her luxurious lifestyle which left them smooth and flawless, Xiangling did not share the same privilege. 

Her soles were less plump and shapely compared to Grace, with patches of somewhat rough calloused skin especially around the heel. Although her unpainted nails were in good condition they were trimmed short. The owner of the colossal pair of feet rubbed them together, slightly embarrassed by the state of them compared to her master’s, and conscious of the smell.

Grace removed her foot from Claire to give Xiangling room. “Don’t worry about hurting her. She’s a veteran police officer, I’m sure she can take it.” She laughed and drove her toes into Claire’s midsection.

She was catapulted a few inches across the hotel floor until Claire rolled to a stop directly in front of Xiangling. Claire looked up just in time to see Xiangling’s foot carefully descend upon her like a meteor above the Earth and screamed before the wall of flesh smushed her flat into the cold, unforgiving ground. 

Xiangling moaned in pleasure as she felt a human body wedged beneath her foot for the first time. Of course she was familiar with specks, but had never actually touched one like this and was shocked by how good it felt. The knowledge that this was not simply a speck, but actually a normal person reduced to the stature of one only added to the intense pleasure she could derive from it. 

Grace wrapped her arm around Xiangling’s shoulders and admired the bodyguard enjoying herself, as slowly she acquired more confidence in handling the tiny woman. Claire was rubbed, squeezed, and bludgeoned by the two gigantic feet which continued to assault her until she was covered in bruises and felt sore all over. 

“Does that feel good?” Grace whispered, to which Xiangling nodded several times. She smiled and added her own feet to the mix, and began to playfully tug and pull at Claire’s flailing limbs. 

Claire felt the new pair approach and began to scrunch around her as well. Grace’s soles were thicker, and meatier than what she had grown accustomed to from Xiangling. It was frankly easy to tell which foot was which simply by the feel of them, between Xiangling’s rough ones and Grace’s soft ones. 

Both godlike women giggled as they enjoyed her struggles as if to punctuate the humiliation of Claire’s ordeal. 

As she continued to trample Claire, Grace also turned her attention to Xiangling herself. Her fingers crept across the shorter woman’s chest until she could feel a perky little nub of flesh beneath her shirt.

Xiangling let out a gasp of surprise. “Mmm, is that okay?” Grace asked as she began to rub and tweak Xiangling’s nipple. 

After a moment of hesitation, she bit her lip and nodded in response. Grace smiled and continued to stimulate her, until Xiangling found it difficult to focus on Claire due to the attention on her bosom. The speck flopped to the floor, bruised and covered in a thin film of foot sweat from the ordeal. Before she could flee, Grace expertly pinned Claire to the floor once again as she began to focus more on Xiangling.

Grace’s other hand went for Xiangling’s pelvis and slipped underneath her waistline. She could feel the wetness between her legs and confirmed her hypothesis Xiangling was already aroused.

Tenderly, Xiangling placed her lips on Grace’s neck and applied a bit of suction. “Just think. Right now that little speck is helpless beneath our feet.” Grace moaned in Xiangling’s ear.

The reprieve ended for Claire. Grace guided Xiangling’s foot back on top of her, and the two women began to absentmindedly squeeze her once more. Grace tentatively slipped a finger inside her lover, which elicited another gasp. She used the opportunity to envelop her in a kiss on the mouth. Grace pressed her tongue against Xiangling’s lips, begging entry which she was happily granted.

Down below, Claire realized what the two women were doing. It occurred to her just how meaningless and pathetic her existence was now to them. Her entire status was to be a little extra spice in the bedroom, no different than a cheap sex toy. Grace plucked her from the ground with her toes, and dragged her up onto the couch as the two giants repositioned themselves.

Clothes were sent flying across the hotel room haphazardly, some as far as the kitchen. Grace eagerly admired her bodyguard’s firm, rigid muscles and thick curves built by years in the gym or training. She placed Claire between Xiangling’s perky breasts before she descended. A muffled scream escaped the gap between the two women’s gargantuan bosoms, which sent delicious chills down Xiangling’s spine. 

The moans of her two tormentors grew louder, as Claire found herself lost in a world of cruel pleasure.

A full two hours later Grace stepped out of the shower and changed into a new set of clothes before she returned to the bedroom. After the couch proved too cramped for their tastes, the couple transitioned to the bed. The room was dimly lit, and Xiangling was passed out underneath the satin sheets. Clutched firmly in her hand and barely able to move, Claire took in slow deep breaths to recover from the nightmare she had just endured.

Grace strolled towards the bed and carefully pried Claire from her lover’s fist. It would be a pity if she was crushed in Xiangling’s sleep or fell to the floor and died on impact.

She left the bedroom and stepped into the kitchen for a glass of water, with Claire in tow of course. “You must be thirsty.” Grace noted with a chuckle and took a small sip. 

Claire eyed her enviously. Her lips were cracked dry from dehydration; she had lost a lot of body fluid due to sweat over the course of the day. Grace drank her fill, then tossed whatever was left into the sink.

Claire’s lip quivered. “Why are you doing this?” She eventually asked. Claire had stopped thinking about how she had been shrunk. It had been whatever she was injected with, obviously, but she assumed even if she was given an honest answer the chemistry involved would be above her comprehension.

Grace washed the glass clean before she answered. “You came knocking on my cousin’s door asking the wrong questions.” She replied. “Then you called my friend, who is also her boyfriend an ‘it’.”

“Boyfriend?! You mean the speck?!” Claire asked in disbelief. 

That made no sense, Claire thought. People didn’t date specks. Especially women as rich and beautiful as this woman or her cousin. With their resources they could have any real man they desired, why waste their time on specks?

So that was the same speck! The one at Tae Park’s apartment was the same one from Ginny’s. It’s the reason the bartender, Mikayla, was in trouble… and what led to her disappearance. Claire realized. Mikayla refused service, which made its girlfriend upset. So they shrank her as well!

She frowned. Everything made sense now except one crucial detail. “How does Alice Evans fit into all this? Where is she?”

“You won’t like the answer.” Grace responded with a cruel smirk. “Alice is the one who started all of this. She set off a bit of a chain reaction, she and her friend.”

What the hell is she talking about?! What friend?

“Alice saw a bartender refuse service to Eren, or ‘it’ as you have described him. She and her friend decided to try flushing him down a toilet, and wanted to take a video of it.” Grace revealed with her arms crossed. “My cousin, Ji-soo, overheard them from the next stall in the bathroom and stopped them in the act. Later when she sobered up she decided to get payback on all the people involved.”

Claire looked at her dumbly. “Your cousin wasn’t dating the speck? Then why even get involved?! Did she really murder a girl over a fucking speck?!”

“That sociopathic cunt simply got what she deserved. She tried to commit murder an film it.”

“It’s just a speck!”

“So he is about three inches tall, that’s it. Please. Tell me how that single difference somehow makes Eren or any speck for that matter the same as a cockroach or an ant? How is one human life any less important than yours?” Grace asked curiously. 

“Specks are not human. Biologically they are completely different from us, they have changed radically since The Diminution.” Claire justified. “Their lifespans are shorter than a guinea pig, it’s almost impossible to teach them how to do basic things like read. In cities they commit an extreme rate of crime compared to humans… they’re parasites. God made them that way.”

“If there is a God, he had no role in The Diminution that created specks.” Grace noted. “Believe me. I know.”

How else would you explain half the world’s population shrinking almost overnight? Scientists still have no idea what the Diminution was. 

“Everything else you just spouted is misinformation and propaganda, easily disproved with a bit of research. But frankly I don’t care to argue with you.” Grace murmured and effortlessly knocked Claire over with her index finger. “After all, you’re just a speck. So your opinion doesn’t matter, right?” 

Claire struggled to return to her feet. “What did you do to Alice? Where is she?” She demanded. 

“Hmm, wouldn’t you like to know? It doesn’t matter. You should probably focus on yourself right now.” Grace suggested. “I haven’t decided if I’ll keep you around or not.”

Fewer than twenty individuals worked for Eureka. With such a small number of employees, Maddie was able to organize one-on-one sessions with everybody to check on their progress. As time progressed Eren became more comfortable with his boss. He no longer dressed in business professional or casual when they spoke, and conversation would occasionally turn to their personal lives. It felt refreshing to speak with someone other than Tae or Grace, so Eren always looked forward to their chats.

Hence why he was a tad disappointed when she seemed to have missed their Christmas Eve meeting. Ten minutes had passed since the video call had started, and she had not joined.

Might be busy with family or something. Eren ruminated. He decided to wait out the duration of the call to see if she eventually showed up. 

After another fifteen minutes passed the screen suddenly changed. He perked up from his work desktop to the main screen, where Maddie appeared.

Eren frowned. Dark shadows outlined Maddie eyes, and her normally energetic and cheerful expression was gone. 

Still she offered him a weak smile. “Hey Eren, so sorry I’m late. A few things came up and I didn’t even notice the time.” She apologized and rubbed the matter from her eyes. “Merry Christmas by the way.”

“Merry Christmas… Are you alright?” 

“Not really if I’m being honest.” Maddie admitted and slumped back in her chair. 

Eren noticed that her home office was a mess, which was very unlike her. “What happened?” 

“It’s nothing that would affect you, but… we lost a couple key people in the past week. That email I sent out wasn’t received too well. People want Christmas bonuses for all their hard work, but we just don’t have the money to put it frankly.” Maddie said, almost ashamed. “Earlier this year before you joined I laid down a roadmap of when I estimated pay raises as we received more external investments but with quarter four coming up and not as much interest as I hoped…”

“I spent most of today writing good recommendations for everybody who had to leave Eureka. They deserve it, it’s not their fault I can’t pay them a reasonable wage.” Maddie informed him.

Eren remembered the email. Maddie sent it out last week along with personalized Christmas cards for everybody. The part about no Christmas bonus had not been particularly important to him, but he realized that for many of Eureka’s employees that was not the case. Tae took care of all his living expenses, the same did not apply to many of his coworkers who had families to feed, student loans to pay off, or rent to pay.

Ironic considering a speck is the probably the only one in this company who doesn’t have to worry about all of that. He thought.

Maddie yawned. “Other than recommendations, I’ve assumed all the work from people who quit. Otherwise our schedule will be thrown off, investors will freak out, and the situation will snowball.” 

“You’ve taken on all of that work by yourself?! No wonder you look so out of it.” Eren exclaimed. “Jeez Maddie, when was the last time you slept?” 

“I took a cat nap earlier today… but caffeine has been my best friend and worst enemy since about a week ago when that email went out.” Maddie murmured. “Reminds me of my college days during finals.” 

She took a deep breath. “Honestly Eren… I don’t know if Eureka will last after New Years. Every time I think we are taking a step forward something happens and we end up taking two backwards.” A pained laugh escaped her lips. “It feels so weird to say that out loud; I think you're the first person I’ve said that to.”

It felt terrible to see Maddie like this. She was normally such an affable, friendly person who could make the best of the worst imaginable situation. 

He couldn’t imagine the pressure she felt, coupled with how mentally exhausting this entire ordeal must be. Yet still she was taking on all the extra responsibility rather than relegate the task to another employee.

“…I appreciate you letting me vent. Your girlfriend is a very lucky woman, Eren.” Maddie lauded. 

Eren rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You know I managed to finish my work ahead of schedule this week, so I have a fair bit of free time.” He noted. “Why don’t I lend you a hand tonight?”

“What?”

“You assumed the responsibilities of everybody who quit. If we work together then we can double the amount of work we get done before New Years.” He suggested.

“…I can’t ask you to do that, Eren. It’s Christmas and you should be with your girlfriend and family.” Maddie stammered, shocked by his offer. “Really, I can do this on my own.” 

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Tae is running an errand and won’t be home until very late tonight anyways, I’m not missing anything.” Eren insisted.

She appeared reluctant, but after a few moments nodded her head. “Alright, but you can go to bed whenever you want. I’ll send you the stuff I was working on.” Maddie eventually responded and turned on her other desktop. She pursed her lips. “Thank you, Eren. You don’t know how much this means to me.” 

It wasn’t supposed to go like this.

Thomas had to be careful on his way up the stairs. Otherwise Bosco would notice and begin barking, which would alert the entire neighborhood to his return. Thankfully he had years of experience and still remembered which stairs creaked and which ones were sturdy enough to carry his weight without a sound.

From Robert’s whistle-like snores his parents were asleep. Alice’s room was still empty, even as the clock struck midnight and Christmas officially began. Unfortunately come morning he would be gone.

I just wanted my family to be safe. Instead I may have ruined Claire’s career, and have nothing to show for it. Thomas thought remorsefully. Now, I’m about to ruin my own.

Thomas had to disappear for a while. Before the police came to ask questions about the morning before yesterday, and the military issued him a dishonorable discharge. Such things would take time. Time in which he could not help his sister.

It didn’t matter though. Alice was more important than any of that. At least if he was AWOL Thomas knew he could continue his search.

He entered his room and carefully shut the door behind him. Out of caution Thomas refrained from turning the light on, which might alert his parents to his return. The thought of the conversation that would bring was too much to bear right now. In the corner of the room he picked up his bag and filled it with a few personal belongings. 

Finally, Thomas placed a letter on the bed. It explained everything his parents needed to know about why they would not hear from him for a few weeks. Maybe longer. For as much time as he needed to find Alice and punish whoever hurt her, trillionaire or not.

*creak*

Thomas stopped cold. He knew that sound. It was the sound of weight on one of the old stairs that creaked when you stepped on it. For years he thought his parents were simply psychic when they could tell he or Alice came home past curfew. All they had ever needed was that subtle sound just past the hallway.

The hairs on the back of his neck raised.

Like him, Alice knew that sound well. She always avoided those steps when she wished to remain undetected. And Bosco in his old age could barely make it up the stairs anymore. Thomas was absolutely positive his parents were asleep.

So who is that coming up the stairs to my bedroom door?