“But couldn’t you have found someone else BESIDES Aunt Julia?!” Tim whined as he anxiously brushed his short, brown hair with his hands.
“Who, the hell, ELSE was I gonna find on such short notice, Tim?!” Natalie spat in frustration, turning back towards the table. “With your father gone, she’s the ONLY option. You know, that formula was SUPPOSED to be TOP-SECRET! I can’t risk anyone finding out about it….or YOU, for that matter! It’ll be HARD ENOUGH keeping this from everyone at the lab. If anyone finds out about this, you’re liable to be…taken away and locked in a cage somewhere, treated like some kind of lab rat, put through countless tests and experiments trying to exploit you and your...”
Natalie’s voice trailed off as she motioned to her tiny son on the kitchen table, unable to find the words.
“Look,” Natalie sighed sympathetically, bending down to be at eye-level with the tiny teenager, “I know this can’t be easy for you—“
“You can say that again, mom!” Tim interrupted, motioning to his tiny body. “I’m practically the size of a BUG!”
“I know, honey. I know, but with any luck, maybe I’ll be able figure something out by the end of the week. It’s…just gonna be a bit awkward for a while…”
That’s an understatement! Tim thought to himself, shooting a dubious look directly into his mother’s big, brown eyes.
“…but the longer I stay here discussing this with you,” Natalie continued as stood back up, her 5’9”, semi-muscular frame now towering over her inch-tall son’s, “the longer you’re going to be like that.
“As it is,” she sighed as she walked back over to the counter to take another well-needed sip of coffee. “I’m probably gonna have to work day and night ALL WEEK just to get this formula analyzed, and the sooner I get started, the sooner…hopefully, we can get you back to normal.
“But, for now, at least, it’s best this all stays inside the family,” Natalie continued, shaking her head, though more slowly and sympathetic this time. “Besides, with your aunt Julia not having to teach this summer, she’s the PERFECT person to watch you while I’m at work….AND she knows how to keep her mouth shut, so I don’t wanna hear anymore about it.
“Now, where in the world are my keys?” Natalie lamented, looking off in another direction.
“But what am I even supposed to DO, mom?!” Tim whined as he stood up and headed towards his mother, AND the giant purse she was searching through. “If I can’t watch TV, I’ll be bored out of my mind, even WITH aunt Julia here.”
“I’m sure the two of you can come up with a some constructive things to do while she’s here,” Natalie shrugged without even looking up as she frustratedly rifled through her purse one last time.
“But, MOM—“
“Tim, I said I don’t wanna hear it!” his mother cut him off, her mind still on her missing keys. “Maybe I left them in the—“
DING DONG
Both Tim and Natalie jumped when the doorbell rang.
“That’ll be your aunt,” Natalie sighed, her heart still pounding from the start she’d just received as she motioned back to her tiny son. “Look, stay here while I let her in.”
“But, MOM—“ Tim whined again.
“Tim….ENOUGH!” His mother said gruffly, grasping her purse.
DING DONG, the doorbell rang again.
“COMING, JULIA!” Natalie called out as she snatched her purse from the table and quickly headed out of the kitchen.
Unfortunately, in her haste, Natalie inadvertently struck her tiny son with her purse as she yanked it from the table. The impact sent Tim hurtling towards the edge of the table, screaming for his mother as he soared through the air. He bounced off the mesh backing of one of the table’s chairs, sending him tumbling into the cushioned seat and rendering him unconscious.
Meanwhile, Natalie was headed through the living room to open the front door for her sister.
“Hey, Jules,” she said as she opened the front door, “thanks for coming on such short notice.”
“Of course, Nat,” Julia replied, taking a second to step inside. “You know you can always count on me.”
“I know, and I appreciate it,” Natalie sighed, embracing her sister in a much-needed hug. “God, it’s so good to see you!”
“It’s good to see you, too, Nat,” Julia smiled softly, returning her sister’s embrace, “but it’s not like it’s been THAT long since my last visit.”
“I know,” Natalie sniffed, teary eyed, truly embracing Julia’s muscular frame, “but you have no idea how good it feels to have family I can count on right now.”
“Of course,” Julia replied, patting her sister on the back before removing her head from Natalie’s shoulder to look her into her eyes, “I’m here for you.”
Julia was about 5 years younger than Natalie, and, despite their age difference, the two sisters had been really close throughout their lives. Like her sister, Julia had dark, blond hair, but she usually kept it longer and dyed it a couple shades lighter than Natalie’s, and her eyes were a lovely shade of baby blue, as opposed to Natalie’s and Tim’s brown. Julia was also just slightly shorter than the rest, standing about 5’7”, but she made up for it with a slightly fitter frame, the result of healthy workout regimen.
“I’m so sorry to have to ruin your Sunday afternoon,” Natalie said, shaking her head apologetically as she closed the front door, “but I didn’t know who else to call. I’ve been at my wits end all morning, running around all flustered trying to get myself situated.”
“It’s no trouble, Nat, REALLY,” Julia replied, comforting her obviously troubled sister. “I was almost done with my workout anyway when you called. Now, just tell me what’s going on. I mean, you were so cryptic on the phone...”
“I’m know, Jules, and I’m sorry,” Natalie replied hastily, “but I really couldn’t say too much over the phone. I HAVE to keep all of this quiet!”
“OK, I get it,” Julia shrugged, putting up her hands. “You can trust me, but, please, just tell me what’s happened. What’s wrong with Tim?”
“OK,” Natalie began, taking a deep breath and trying to center herself. “Look, this is all gonna be a little hard to explain, but Tim is…well, Tim’s…small.”
“‘Small’?!” Julia uttered in confusion. “What do ya mean? I don’t understand.”
“Tim got into something he shouldn’t have and…” Natalie began, though quickly realizing from the confused look on Julia’s face that explaining it would be a bit difficult.
“Look, you’d better come inside and just see for yourself,” Natalie reiterated, beckoning her sister to follow her into the living room. “You probably wouldn’t believe me, anyway.”
“Nat, you’re my sister,” Julia said reassuringly, kicking off her flats at the edge of the den before stepping into the living room, “of COURSE I’ll believe you. Just….tell me.”
“OK, look, I’ll just be straight with you,” Natalie said firmly, trying to figuratively rip off the bandage as she grasped Julia’s hands, “Tim drank something that I brought back with me from my recent trip out of town and ended up…”
“…’ended up’…what?!” Julia urged, her eyes peeled.
“…ended up…small,” Natalie admitted, gesturing with her fingers. “Like…shrunken down.”
“Wh—WHAT?!” Julia recoiled with confusion.
“Look, I told you ‘you wouldn’t believe me’!” Natalie replied dejectedly, shaking her head and stepping away.
“Sis, no, I BELIEVE you,” Julia reassured her, gently grasping Natalie’s shoulder and turning her back around, “it’s just…well…pretty unbelievable. I mean, I’m just….having trouble wrapping my head around all this.”
“Believe me, you’re not the only one,” Natalie sighed, putting her hand to her temple. “the whole SITUATION’S pretty unbelievable, but…that actually might be a GOOD thing. It’ll make it easier to keep all of this on the down low.”
“Sure…yeah, I guess…” Julia reluctantly agreed, still not quite sure her sister wasn’t putting her on.
“But…speaking of ‘down low’,” Julia continued smugly in a half grin, shrugging, “out of curiosity, exactly how…‘small’ IS Tim?”
“Small enough,” Natalie sighed dejectedly. “It’s probably worse than your thinking.”
“How MUCH worse?” Julia inquired slowly.
“Like I said: go see for yourself.” Natalie replied, pointing towards the kitchen as she headed in the opposite direction. “He’s in the kitchen; on the table.”
“On the…on the TABLE?!” Julie exclaimed, pausing mid-step, and giving her sister a double-take, unsure she’d heard Natalie correctly.
“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Natalie replied, nodding sarcastically.
“SERIOUSLY?!”
“Oh, yeah…‘SERIOUSLY’!” Natalie reemphasized, repeating her tone and nodding while trying to get out of the room. “Look, go on in and make yourself comfortable. I’ve gotta check my bedroom for my keys.”
Julia’s eyes widened in bewilderment as she watched her sister disappear down the hallway, unsure exactly what to make of their conversation….or Natalie’s odd behavior.
What exactly did Natalie mean when she said Tim was “on the table”? Julia wondered as she turned and headed into the kitchen, shaking her head with both disbelief and confusion. Exactly how “small” was Tim anyway?
Julia’s size 7 1/2 feet loudly smacked the kitchen floor as she headed towards the kitchen table, her bare soles sticking to the linoleum with each step, a result of her having worked out that morning, and barely having any time to get in and out of the shower in her own haste to get over to her sister’s place.
Tim slowly opened his eyes, roused by the combination of loud, booming slaps, and what sounded like tape being peeled off the floor.
“Wha—?” Tim murmured as he pushed his head up, his tiny body hurting all over, “What’s going on?….Mom?!”
The ground vibrated through the soft surface below him as he tried to push himself up and get to his feet, still unsure where he was. The last thing he remembered he was on the kitchen table, but where was he now.
Tim tried to get his bearings, but eyes spotted a giant figure approaching….a figure he quickly realized wasn’t his mother.
“TIM?” the giant woman called in a booming voice. “TIM, IN YOU HERE?”
“Oh, no!” Tim exclaimed softly. “Aunt Julia!”
“Tim?” Julia called, pausing momentarily as she approached the kitchen table, her eyes intensely scanning its surface. “Are you IN here?”
Unfortunately, there was no sign of her supposedly small nephew.
“Hmph, ‘on the table…’” She huffed sarcastically, shaking her head again, “…what, is he INVISIBLE too?”
“AUNT JULIA!” Tim shouted up as he scrambled to his feet, struggling to walk across cushioned seat of the chair he realized he’d fallen onto. “AUNT JULIA, DOWN HERE!”
The tiny boy shouted and waved his arms, hoping the giant woman would see him as he desperately clambered across the cushion to the back of the seat, but its soft surface was making his task extremely difficult.
“AUNT JULIA!”
Unable to hear her tiny nephew’s shouts, Julia rolled her eyes and stepped up to the table, reaching for the back of one of the chairs.
“AUNT JULIA, WAIT—!” Tim shouted hysterically as he saw his giant aunt reaching for the back of the chair…the very one he was in.
The chair suddenly lurched forward, throwing Tim off his feet. The tiny boy tumbled backwards, grasping desperately for the seat cushion to brace himself as the chair whipped around violently.
When everything had finally stopped moving, Tim was on his back, oriented with his feet pointing towards the rear of the chair, and his head facing upwards. He opened his eyes…just in time to see his aunt’s huge butt bearing down on him…
The tiny boy’s brown eyes bulged out of his head as he suddenly found himself shrouded in the ass’s dark, ominous shadow…
He he tried to move, but it was too late…
“AUNT JUL—EEE!” Tim shouted out as he was suddenly thrust into the air. The giant ass had collided with the front half of the seat cushion, causing the back half to bulge upwards, throwing the tiny boy up and completely off the cushion. Tim was sent screaming out of the back of the chair, landing a few moments later into the hard, linoleum floor of the kitchen.
Julia sighed as she adjusted her seat, scooting all the way back in the chair. It felt so good to finally be off her feet after all the rushing around she’d done to get over to her sister’s place, especially considering having worked out earlier that morning. She strained as she lifted her right leg and placed it across her lap, hoping to give her feet some well-deserved rest.
“Ah,” Julia sighed contently as she began massaging her aching sole, “Mm, that’s better.”
Meanwhile, Tim was recovering from his fall, pushing himself up off the floor. He was surprisingly intact, though his body still hurt all over. Once he managed to get to his feet and brush off his makeshift clothes, he was finally able to gauge his surroundings:
Towering before him was the chair he’d just been thrown out off, and sitting in it now was his aunt Julia, whose giant figure was leaning against the chair back. He could see the rear calf of one of her legs in front of the chair, her other one supposedly in up in the seat where Tim couldn’t see.
“AUNT JULIA!” Tim shouted frustratedly, cupping his hands around his mouth. “AUNT JULIA!”
Unable to get his giant aunt’s attention, Tim sighed in frustration and jogged underneath the chair, panting as he sprinted under the seat and out between two of the side legs. He turned around and carefully took several steps backwards until his aunt Julia’s giant figure came into view:
The giant woman was sitting with one foot on the floor, and the other in her lap, rubbing and massaging it intensely.
“AHH,” the giant woman sighed and moaned, “MM, THAT FEELS GOOD!”
“AUNT JULIA!” Tim shouted up again, waving his arms in frustration. “HEY, AUNT JULIA!”
The giant woman paid him no heed; she was completely engrossed with her foot rub. Tim suddenly saw the huge toes of Julia’s left foot, which was still on the floor, start to wiggle, making sickening sucking sounds as they continuously peeled and re-adhered themselves to the linoleum floor—a sound that truly grossed him out and made him cringe.
“Ugh, Aunt Julia!” Tim exclaimed, grimacing with disgust as a pungent, unwelcome odor suddenly invaded his nostrils. “When’s the last time you washed your FEET?!”
Julia was still massaging her foot when she heard Natalie stomping back into the living room.
“You find your keys yet,” Julie inquired, leaning forward and turning her head until she could just barely see her sister in the other room.
“No,” Natalie huffed in frustration as she fidgeted about the living room, “and I can’t…for the life of me, remember what I did with them.”
“Are you sure they’re not in here somewhere?”
“I already checked the kitchen,” Natalie replied, stepping into Julia’s view just outside the kitchen doorway, “and I just checked the bedroom AND in here. Damn it!”
“Hm,” Julia uttered, “you think Tim might’ve done something with them?”
“I doubt it. Besides, I already asked him; he said he didn’t know…of course, with everything that’s happened in this morning, he’s probably too preoccupied to remember anyways.”
While the two giant women jawed back and forth above, Tim had been down on the floor, constantly calling for help, and was only growing more and more frustrated at being ignored, AND from having to cover his ears from Julia’s raised voice calling out to his mother in the other room.
“MO-OM!” Tim shouted, turning his attention to try and contact his mother. “MOM! MOM, HELP!”
He started jumping up and down and waving his arms frantically, hoping his mother would be able to spot him over by Julia’s chair.
“So,” Julia chortled as she finished massaging her right foot and shifted in her seat, lowering her foot back to the floor, “where is my…‘little’ nephew anyway? I thought you said he was in here.”
Tim was startled by his giant aunt’s sudden shifting in her seat, her chair emitting loud creaks and groans. The tiny boy looked skyward just in time to see Julia’s massive right foot coming towards the floor…
Tim’s brown eyes suddenly went wide; his jaw dropped open, trembling nervously…
Before he could scream, Julia’s giant foot landed right on top of him.