Covered in head to toe with cosmetic foundation, Richard continued climbing.

He could hear the demodexes behind him, their nightmarish growls and hisses not far behind him, their many legs scurrying through the goop. It was a hellish struggle of trying to outpace them, while attempting to keep his eyes clear of make up, keep the rest of his family with him, and making out where they were even going to go. There was no way to see ahead, the entire area was too dim and his eyes stung with chemicals.

All he knew was that they were somewhere on his wife's cheek and they had lost their connection to their captor. If he didn't fulfill his end of the bargain, there was nothing they could do. Even screaming into the radio was out of the question.

Richard's hands dug through the thick goop, trying to find anything to pull his body along. Occasionally he would find a few strands of vellus hairs; hairs so small and nearly translucent that finding them was more luck than anything else. As he groped through the sludge, his hands suddenly began pulling globs of red. He stared, dumbfounded, at the oily substance drip from his fingers.

“Lipstick!” Jenny yelled from somewhere. “We've been heading towards her mouth!”

“Blech!” Henry cried. “It's in MY mouth!”

“LOOK OUT!” Jenny screamed.

Richard turned and saw the monsters crawling towards them. He couldn't tell how many there were, if more had joined the chase or not. They were covered in the colorful goop that glistened and sparkled in whatever little light there was. Had this been a scene in a movie it would have been comical. Now it looked like something out of a madman's nightmare, and soon these beasts would be on top of them. There was nowhere to run.

Then, the flesh began to move. And hard.

Richard did not so much hear anything as he felt it. A great pulse hit his body, rattling everything inside of him. It was if he was sitting at the epicenter of an explosion but he could not hear it. The demodexes stopped. Another pulse ripped through him, then another, then more. Rapid fire and his body was shaking as if he was having a convulsion. And the flesh writhed, pulsed, flapped, and squirmed. Warm air blasted against him and then cold air bit into him as it ran the other way. If it hadn't been for the goop he was covered in he might have been blown clear off the flesh to who knew where.

Whatever was happening, it was too much for the demodexes. They turned and began to hurry back from whence they came, disappearing into the darkness. Richard only felt relief for a mere moment before becoming aware that he was slipping, sliding down the red sea of oily fluid. He tried to yell out to his family but the oil threatened to force itself into his mouth and drown him. The flesh continued thrashing, shaking his body further down. His face was nearly coated, there was no way to see, but he didn't have to. He knew where he was sliding and no matter how hard he struggled there was no stopping.

He felt the flesh beneath him curve and suddenly found himself slipping upside down. The sensation was more felt than seen; he could feel the blood begin to rush to his head. There wasn't much time! He had to...

Despite everything he still saw the massive cavern. What little dim light there was shone brightly against the white teeth, ironically causing him to squint his eyes. He heard nothing, but he felt it. Rushing air tore against him and the slick surface of the red oil would not hold him.

The next moment he was flying. The light was gone. Darkness. All he could do was feel his body thrown about in the wind like a discarded shopping bag. Then he landed in the warm sea. It was as merciless as the wind and as violent as the slick red flesh, thrashing violently to and fro. He could feel a massive lumpy surface brush his feet as the sea raged. Despite the darkness, despite his delirious state, Richard knew exactly what was happening. He had nearly suffered this fate on Friday, and now it threatened him again and now he was a fraction of the size he had been. But there had to be a way out, he had come this far. It could not end like this. Only mere hours from completing this unholy challenge only to end up being eaten alive.

The water surged and he was taken with it. Then came the plunge. Game, set and match. He landed on warm, slimy mush. Sound returned to him; muffled, distant, but audible once more. Gurgles. Groans. Splish splashes. Drips.

He was doomed.

Henry had actually been right by his father as they slid down the red oil, though neither had been aware of it. Being heavier than his old man, Henry rolled faster and by the time Richard was being pulled inside the massive cavern, Henry was already half way in. But rather than being dropped into the sea, the wind kept its clutches on him and dropped him down a different plunge. He was covered in a thick liquid and pulses continued to rattle his bones. He tried to breath but the air moved too rapidly.

James, desperate to escape whatever was making his body vibrate, clawed his way onto the philtrum. Safely in the groove, he managed to wrench himself from the goop and stand up. Wiping off his eyes, he turned and saw one of his family crawling towards him. Bending, he reached forward to help. The next moment he was falling, having been shoved by a violent gust of wind. He landed on a very soft patch of flesh. Not just landed, but bounced. His body immediately began to slide again upon recontact with the flesh. Desperate, he flailed for something to grab but found nothing. Frantically scanning his eyes, he caught sight of something brilliant in the dim light. A flicker of gold up above. He could just see the shape of it at the edge of the darkness, and he recognized it. He ought to because he had purchased the necklace for Mother's Day two years ago. A new pulse hit him, though it was weaker but more rhythmic. The flesh began to move again, causing him to sink faster. And the heat. The humidity. It was unbearable.

Jenny had begun to reach for James when he blew away. Horrified, she stood up to try and see where her brother went. She stood for only a moment before she too was taken by the wind but in the opposite direction. Another cavern high above eagerly swallowed her, sucking her deep within as her body miraculously avoided hairs the thickness of skyscrapers. She almost ended up joining Henry, but the air slackened and she fell into a small slimy chamber within the nasal passages. There was no light here, and she was too busy screaming to even begin to try and realize what was happening to her. But all she knew was all she needed to: she was going to die. And she knew there was no way out this time. She screamed and screamed, her raw voice being lost in the sound of heavy wind. Her feet touch a large pool of thick mucus as she sank into the sinus, and she screamed harder.

Sammy had actually been separated from her family quite sooner. No one, not even the monsters that had been chasing them, had even noticed. She squirmed where she was, her body also rattled by the booms. Disoriented, she cried out for anyone but got no answer. As far as she knew she was still being chased by the monsters and was waiting, with immense fear and dread, for their hellish appendages to grab her. So when she felt something big scoop her out of the goop, she closed her eyes and waited for the teeth. That also never happened. What DID happen was her body suddenly felt that it was experiencing 4G speed in a jet. Instantly she began to lose consciousness and the last thing she experienced before darkness swallowed her was her body being dragged against a rough surface.

Then there was nothing.

…......

Evelyn placed her phone down on the counter and sighed heavily. No answer again. She'd left another voice mail. It was strange. She had not heard from Richard, nor the kids, all weekend. The reception was terrible up near the mountains, sure, so she had not been expecting a great deal of contact with them, but to receive nothing was unusual. Worse than that, it was concerning and she began to become worried. They were due home within the hour and the last time she had heard from any of them was Thursday night before they all went to sleep. Nothing since then.

She went towards the couch, absently scratching a small itch on her cheek. Some of her make up came of and she wiped it on her jeans. Her heart was beginning to pick up as her worry began to grow.

It had been such a nice weekend too. For the first time in a long while she'd had the run of the house. Friday she had not done a damn thing except lounge on the couch and watched TV. She hadn't even bothered getting dressed aside from some panties and a bathrobe. One of her shows had introduced a rather handsome looking man, who had been given some scenes romping about on the beach in all his muscular glory. She hadn't been able to help herself and the thought of “relieving” herself out in the living room, the fact that she was free to do so, was exciting in and of itself. So she had done so...more than once. It wasn't until Saturday that she'd decided to do anything productive, cleaning here and there in the morning and afternoon before heading out to Girls Night with her friends. She had partied like she was still in her twenties and could remember only pieces of the night. One thing she did know is that she had sent some very interesting videos to Richard (which had also gotten no response, surprisingly and, in all honesty, disappointingly). Finally, today had been quiet with her trying to prepare herself and the house for the return of her family. She had waited and waited for a phone call. But night was approaching and still nothing.

Her stomach groaned and a small belch escaped her. It had a tendency to get upset when she was worried. She sat down, crossed her legs, and waited.

It was all she could do.

…

A loud bang woke him up.

Richard sat upright with a jolt just as a shower of metal fragments pelted him. He looked up and was blinded by bright fluorescent lights hanging above him. He tore his eyes away and rubbed at them frantically. His hands were slimy and smelled strange. When his face was more or less clean he opened his eyes again and looked around, waiting for his vision to adjust. He was sitting in what looked like some kind of workshop, an auto garage. The grooves of the car lifts lined the floor and spare tires were stacked against the far corner. A large pegboard, which housed only a few ancient tools, hung behind him. Everything was caked with dust and cobwebs. This place had been abandoned years ago.

The smell of smoke made him look up. Above him was a big thing that...well, it looked like it had been a machine of some kind. It was unlike anything he had seen before. Sparks and smoke were emitting from it. Whatever it was, it had exploded, making it even more indistinguishable.

His sore body couldn't hold his neck up and so he lowered it. That's when he noticed them. They were next to him. All of them. Coated in slime, mucus, lipstick, and whatever else. All of them limp. His heart began to race as he slowly crawled towards them.

“Don't worry,” A static laced voice crackled. “They're alive.” Richard looked around but saw no one. “Well, congratulations! You made it! You survived. You didn't get her attention but you're the first group to make it out alive. I'll be honest, you guys had me on the edge of my seat towards the end there. Really came down to the wire!”

“...why?” Richard croaked. “Why...did you...do this?”

“Why?” The Voice repeated. “You wanna know why? Because I can, that's why. You think there's more to this, pal? Some deeper meaning? No. It was all for me. My amusement. Nothing more.”

“Who are you?”

“You know I'm not going to tell you that. Why would I? You don't need to know and it doesn't do me any good to tell you! And who cares, anyway. Why don't you focus on the important thing? Look around, Richard! You're back to normal size! You can't say that I'm not a man of my word.”

Richard said nothing, too exhausted to argue.

“Your RV is outside.” The Voice continued. “There's a hose outside that you can use to clean yourselves off. You packed toiletries, so use 'em. Your phones are also in there. You've got an hour to get outta there. And don't even think about calling the cops. I can shrink you right back down in an instant. Don't doubt that for a moment.”

“How did we even...get here?”

“There you go worrying about the wrong things again.” The Voice said. “Look, I don't have time, nor the patience, to explain all the details to you and you don't want me to get annoyed. Get up and get lost! That's all.”

There was an audible pop and then silence. The Voice was gone.

…

Fifty seven minutes later, Richard walked through the back gate and slowly made his way up towards the porch. He was halfway up the steps when the door opened.

“There you are!” Evelyn voice rang. She perhaps meant to sound scolding, but the relief was too heavy. “Not a single call the entire weekend, Richard? Do you...” She stopped. “What's wrong?”

Richard didn't say anything. In the time since the Voice had abandoned him to now, he had prepared a speech, a series of lies to cover up his silence. The threats still rang in his head. But all of that faded when he saw her. Low heels, dark blue jeans which showcased her hips wonderfully, a black long sleeve shirt with a low cut neck which displayed her bosom. A beautiful body. He had forgotten what it looked like at this scale, to be able to see it all in its glory at the proper size. He'd gotten to know it far better than he'd ever imagined. His eyes dropped to her crotch and he felt phantom humidity of inside her under wear. Then he panned up to the belly, and he recalled the expanse field of flesh and the gaping chasm of the navel. He remembered walking between the breasts, feeling the beating muscle deep within as its work resonated within the skin. The warm sea inside the mouth, the sticky mucus in the nose, the goop of foundation across the face, the hailstorm of dandruff in the hair (even now, in the moonlight, he could see some flakes on the shoulders of her shirt). He remembered it all...vividly. Every part of her body carried many images.

“Richard!”

His daze broke and he met her eyes and he managed to see her again. His wife. He saw the emotion in them, the worry.

“Hmm?” He replied lamely.

“What's wrong?” She repeated.

“It's...a long story.” It wasn't a good response, but it'd buy him some time.

“Where are the kids?”

“I dropped Sammy and Jenny off. Henry already took off with James.” Richard explained, carefully.

Evelyn frowned. “They left...?” She asked, visible hurt shone in her eyes. “I thought they were going to spend the night here and leave tomorrow afternoon? Did something happen? You were all late getting back...”

“Traffic was hell, let me tell you,” Richard said, trying his best to sound tired but casual. All things considered, he thought it came out quite well.

“Oh...” Evelyn replied, unsure. She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her phone. “But are they okay? I just didn't...” She stopped, thumbing through screens on her phone. “Oh, Jenny just messaged me. So did Henry.” She looked up at Richard, relief again washing over her. “But why didn't you message?”

“Well, you know how bad the reception is.”

“Yes, but you could have texted before you got up there...”

“I was with them, honey,” Richard replied gently. He took her in her arms and, by sheer habit, one of his hands went to her ass, which he gently squeezed. “I had my hands full.”

She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Well, I guess you didn't get those...things...I sent you?”

“Things?” He asked with a confused voice, knowing full well what she was talking about.

“I may have gotten a little tipsy Saturday.” She whispered playfully. “And I thought of you and...well, I was all alone and I missed you. You can work out the rest.”

“Sounds good, whatever it was,”

She laughed softly, looking deep in his eyes. “I missed you. It was nice having the house to myself, but I really did miss you.”

I was here the whole time, Richard thought, and you didn't even know it.

She closed her eyes and leaned forward, kissing him. As her warm lips pressed against his, he wondered if the demodex were still were still crawling around on her face. Had any of them gotten stuck in her lipstick? He tried to force these thoughts away as he kissed his wife, offering a small slap on her rear. She chuckled.

“Why don't you come in?” She said soothingly. “And tell me this 'long story' of yours.”

“I'm pretty tired, Evelyn,” Richard said. He didn't even have to act on that. He really was. “I gotta get up early to take the RV back and all. Maybe tomorrow?”

“It's a date,” She said with a smile. She released him and watched him go into the house. Of course, she would try to coax more out of them before the night was over. It all still smelled funny to her. But, everyone seemed fine in the end, so her worries were relieved. For now, she was just happy that he was okay.

She began to follow him inside when she caught her reflection in the window. She approached and examined herself. There were a few simple ways to get him to talk and she knew it was a good time to use them. After all, she HAD missed him and wanted him now. A few tugs at the hem of her shirt to offer a better view, a few adjustments to her hair (she would then brush off her shoulders to remove the flake build up), and then she spun to look at her rear, which had always been her best feature. Saturday night one of her drunk friends had affectionately called her “Ms. Pixar”. But she was proud of her appearance. It hadn't been easy to keep, especially after several pregnancies. Still, her body had aged like very fine wine, and she looked at it lovingly, admiring its curvature.

She then turned, ready to go in and share her beautiful body with her husband.