When I stepped out of that vial, I expected many things. To be killed, used or even left to fend for myself; truly, anything but this. 

When my settlement had been discovered by the giants, I figured that was it--our time had come. Encounters with their kind almost always involve a gruesome end. At least, that's what everyone says. In my short seventeen years on this Earth, I'd never actually seen one until that day. I never imagined I would, nor any of my community for that matter.

My settlement was medium sized for Lilliputians. We began as just three primarily nomadic clans. A chance encounter between our leaders led to the establishment of a permanent residence. We were just under twenty people, but such small numbers allowed us to take better care of each other. Eventually, we even took on some wanderers, seeking refuge. Our population had reached seventy-four at our peak, which a proud achievement for any Lilli society nowadays.

Our prosperity was the result of smart decision making on the part of my late father, one of the three original founders. It was his idea to build our new home in a Brob restaurant. Every Lilli knows to stay as far away as possible, but my dad knew his stuff. Being in a restaurant meant food would be both clean and abundant. We wouldn't even need to steal, considering how much ends up on the kitchen floor. If anything, we were providing a service by cleaning up the mess.

As soon as they closed, there would be a few minutes before anyone would come in to clean. That was our chance. We'd send our small groups to gather food scraps and bring them home. We made our homes in the space behind one of their refrigerators. It provided a constant heat source in the winter and kept us well hidden. Aside from some insects occasionally, we lived a relatively peaceful life. Never would we have expected to be discovered. 

Not like that, anyway.

I remember it so vividly. I doubt I'll ever know the reason, but one day someone dropped some change near us. It hadn't even landed under the fridge, but they didn't know that. I don't know why they decided to check behind the fridge of all places, but they were meticulous. An earthquake rocked our home as the fridge was pushed aside. Next thing we knew, there was a young man looking down on us, likely one of the waiters locking up for the night. He didn't hesitate to stomp on us like insects. 

The settlement was thrown into chaos. Panicked screams went unheard as the massacre began. Each footfall was like a bomb going off, and with each explosion I heard less screaming. I closed my eyes and cowered, too afraid to even move.

The only reason I'm alive now is because that monster decided to spare a few of us. After giving it some thought, he realized how much we go for on the black market. When I opened my eyes, I was met with a bloodbath. 

Bodies everywhere… Most reduced to vile mush. My family and friends--here one moment and gone the next. At the sight of such gore my mind went numb. When I looked up, I found him gathering us up into a tiny container. I remember him reaching for me. I was taken... 

The rest is a miserable blur.  

I have no clue what became of the survivors. The capsule I was contained in housed only five of us. Six, if you count the one who died during transport. It was an older woman who had fatally bashed her head when she was dropped in. I spent a lot of time staring at her lifeless form. Oddly enough, it brought me some peace of mind. Though I never saw my family’s bodies, I'm sure they all perished. Or at least I hope they did. Capture is a fate worse than death...

“I'm going to die. My life has been meaningless. I hate this... Why is this happening to me? I hate this!” I sobbed.

Our captor didn't delay before selling us to a pet shop. The owner took us and dumped us into a tank for storage. Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks. It's difficult to keep track of time when you're imprisoned, even less when you spent so long in the dark… The only thing that kept me sane was the echoing sound of heavy beathing caused by the ever-thickening air in the tank.  

“Neglect… Torture… Death…?”

The lack of food and water took a toll on both the body and spirit. With such low energy, I found myself moving less and less. It didn't take long before I could smell my own- No, all the bodies in the tank. I resorted to tearing up my clothes to use them for entertainment or even just hygiene. 

I had to make do. 

Things got quiet with the passage of time. Tears dried up, throats started to hurt and facial muscles cramped. It took three days before I realized I'd all but lost my voice. All my wailing had taken its toll.  

“Nobody's going to hear you. If they did, they certainly wouldn't care. You're not going to be saved. Just pray for a swift end… The sooner the better…”

Every once in a while, a few of us were removed and sold off to whoever had the money to afford us. Even the four who had been captured with me were already gone. I'd begun to associate the blinding light of the tank's lid being removed with death itself. The light at the end of the tunnel, or whatever. 

The only question was, "Whose turn is it this time?"

When I first laid eyes upon her, I was almost happy. Through squinted eyes, I looked upon the face of a young woman, likely a few years older than myself. So, this would be the one to end me? I almost couldn't wait. Younger people tended to be far more impatient. Maybe I could disobey her and get squished? It would be quick. Just one, light press of her finger would be enough.

She got closer, and I looked into her eyes. Her expression was odd. It was not curiosity, excitement, nor apathy. Perhaps the exhaustion had gotten to me, but I could have sworn I saw pity. 

Laughable. 

Imagine a Brob feeling pity toward us? That would imply that they think we are of any value. Still, the thought stuck in my mind even as we were sold and taken away.

Back to the present, I stretch my weary body without a care in the world. 

Looking around, it appears that we're in a bedroom. The first thing I notice is the fresh air. I take several deep breathes, letting it fill my lungs for the first time in forever. I look to the others around me, curiously. Everyone seems scared, unable to tear their eyes away from our new owner.

I follow their gaze to the colossus in the distance. Due to her sitting position, I can only see her upper body. She looks tall for a girl, though I can't confirm that until she stands up again. Then again, every member of her kind looks tall to us. What's the difference between being ten kilometers tall versus just nine? Either way, she's ridiculously big. I doubt we're bigger than half a millimeter to her, if even that. Probably smaller...

I take note of her features. She's very pretty, even for a Brob. Normally, I would never compliment their kind, but she's just that pretty. Her straigt, brown hair flows down about her chest. Large hazel eyes focus on us with unknown intent. She's got a nice smile too; however, I worry what she might be smiling about. Lower down, my gaze is drawn to her body. 

Now that her coat is off, her figure is a lot easier to make out. She must be popular with the boys, with breasts like that. She's well endowed, even for a person of her size.

She seems so far away, but we feel no less afraid. Size is often deceiving. Even though she's that big, her movements are fast. In an instant she could reach out and slam her hand down, ending us all. We wouldn't even have a chance to run. But she doesn't do that, instead watching us carefully. She's up to something, I just know it. I brace myself, just in case.

All of a sudden, she’s comes closer. She leans in, thinking nothing of it, and it terrifies us to our core. Even I tremble as her face looms above us. We back away frantically as her chest approaches, threatening to bulldoze us as it drags on the tabletop. Thankfully, she seems to realize this and backs away before there are any casualties. The soft blush that follows is almost cute. Finally, the living mountain of woman decides to speak.

We see her lips parting and immediately cover our ears. Few giants realize it, and even fewer care, but their voices are incredibly loud to us. Just an indoor voice is enough to cause hearing loss, and a yell is almost always deafening. To our surprise, she speaks softly. It's still incredibly loud, of course, but not so much that it hurts. I've never seen such consideration from a Brob before. Not to mention, her tone is gentle. She's addressing us as if she cares that we hear her. 

We listen on, spellbound by the giant girl. Her name is Jeannine. She immediately makes her intentions clear. I honestly cannot believe what I am hearing. It's unheard of, not to mention far too good to be true. I must have died. That, or I'm hallucinating. There's simply no other explanation. 

I look to the others for their reactions. They seem hesitant, not unlike me. Sweet words are just that. Who knows what she's thinking? I've seen firsthand what kind of unspeakable cruelty her kind are capable off. It will take more than that to convince me that this isn't some elaborate trick. Anything makes more sense than... Than this!

I cower once more when her fingers zoom towards us. They deposit a piece of chocolate and water for us. My stomach aches. Despite the situation, I'm the first to run up to the food. After what I've been through, I can't think clearly when food is involved, let alone gifted to me. Falling onto my hands and knees I scarf down the chocolate like a rabid animal. Shortly after, I run over to the tiny lake of water and bring my cupped hands down to it. I watch the grime and filth dissolving into the water. I'm so damn thirsty that I drink it up anyway without a second thought.

The others are slow to join me, but eventually all of us fill up on this little gift. Even after finishing, we've hardly made a visible difference in either offering. It's funny to think that this is just one single piece of a single chunk of a chocolate bar. I can't imagine how much she would eat on her own. I bet I could have fed everyone in my settlement with this piece alone. It's almost silly just how much there is.

Finally, she resumes her introduction, this time with some rules. We listen carefully, suddenly unsettled by her more serious tone. She counts on her hands all the way up to ten. With the last rule she gets in close, and I swear it's like she's trying to make eye contact. It's personal, almost as if we're...her friends? My heart skips a beat. On instinct, I reach my hand out, as if to touch her cheek. For some reason, against my better judgment, my gut tells me that I can trust her that...

...her words are genuine.

The lives we deserve? I never even considered having a life after my settlement was crushed. Can I really start over? Here, under her protection?

Just as I lower my guard, the giantess giggles, unleashing a gust of her breath upon us. From so close, it becomes as powerful as a hurricane. I lose my footing, helplessly launching through the air, as our entire group is blasted across her desk.