Short and sharp breaths raced out from his mouth, although he barely noticed them over his own beating heart. It didn’t help that his ears were being pounded by outrageously loud music, and his eyes were simultaneously being blinded by a dizzying array of flashing coloured lights. Even his limbs seemed to be vibrating with the ongoing beat.

In a vague attempt to slow the onslaught, he lay down on his back, wincing slightly as the cold surface pressed against his skin. This definitely wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

Just a short while ago, he had been sitting in a booth, downing the last drink of the night. Not willingly, in truth – he had hoped that he’d able to stay a little longer. However, the rest of his group were not quite as eager, the last few having left a few minutes previously. He had let out a sigh, knowing that it would be perhaps the last time they would be all together.

Maybe it was the drink, but he had felt compelled to merely sat there for some time, lost in his own thoughts. Was this really how this day was going to end? A time of celebration and fun, just… fizzling out. Soon he would have been in a taxi home, left to endure whatever hangover he was likely to have tomorrow. An unfair punishment for what had been a pretty boring night.

No, not like this.

He had stood up, beginning to wobble his way over to the bar, although he wasn’t half as drunk as would have liked to be. Of course, he had never made it. The last thing he remembered was the world spinning and growing around him, before everything went black.

And now, here he was, the size of an ant and distressingly sober, laying on top of the table he’d not too long ago been large enough to sit at. If he hadn’t managed to grab onto it before he collapsed, he would likely be stuck on the floor, at the mercy of foot traffic. Good for his health, sure, but it hardly helped to explain the situation at all.

Still, laying here would hardly help. With a effort-filled grunt, he sprang up to his feet, ready for action.

Well, that was the plan, at least. Instead, he was only able to yank his head upright, but his legs and torso seemed have fused to the surface, trapped by some semi-solid sticky substance. It was likely the remains of some spilled drink, half-evaporated and absorbed. To a regular-sized person, it would be no more than an annoying inconvenience, but to him it was the perfect trap… as if he was some kind of bug, caught splayed out. There was barely time to process this though, as a much, much larger problem appeared.

The expansive room was full of distant shadows, figures dancing and flickering in the ever-pulsing lights. Some of these figures though, had started to grow larger, their previously blurry limbs and clothing becoming distinct frighteningly quickly. As they approached, their voices began to overpower the deafening music, as they practically shouted over each other to be heard. Soon, their forms towered over him, as he could only gaze up in awe.

WHAM!

A huge, cylindrical glass slammed down just a short distance away from him, sending a sudden jolt through the table. Within it, a translucent pink liquid sloshed around, sending a cascade of bubbles and fizz rising upwards, to be released out into the air. This was accompanied by the sound of ice cubes, each the size of a house, clinking against the inside of the glass, as they were caught in a momentarily vortex created by the sudden stop. Of course, the glass itself was caught in the grip of a set of colossal, yet slender, fingers, wrapped tightly around it. Dazed, he peered down the length of the hand, his eyes following up the arm to the owner attached to it.

It was difficult to concentrate on her at all with the overwhelming lights, a new colour flashing against her skin every second. Still, he managed to look up past her loose-fitting, strappy dress, and gaze up at her face. Her sharp, heavily made-up features were framed by massive locks of wavy, almost glistening hair, although it was impossible to work out what colour it was in this environment. What was obvious, though, was the vacant look in her eyes, as the woman looked over at the person opposite to her.

He went to observe the other people at the table himself, but was distracted by a loud, almost shrieking laugh from the woman. It would have made him jump out of his skin, if he wasn’t still stuck fast to the table. Her mouth opened up into a wide grin, as she effortlessly lifted her drink up to her face, and took a long swig of the liquid. A huge volume of it drained down past her lips, stopped only by the chunks of ice slowly blocking its path.

WHAM!

The glass slammed down again, disturbingly closer to him than before. From here, he could practically feel the weight of it, the bone-shattering vibrations being sent through him enough to confirm it was as dangerous as it looked. This time though, the woman’s hand released the glass entirely, casting a shadow over him as it hovered in the air for just a moment. There was nothing he could do as it lowered towards him, fingers lazily splayed out.

He winced instinctively, covering his face, as a heavy thud shook the world around him. It took a few more seconds to realize that he was, in fact, not splattered under the giant’s palm. Cautiously, he opened his eyes, to see the two fleshy pillars on either side of him – it appeared he had been caught between them, narrowly avoiding an untimely demise.

Even so, he hardly felt safe. The woman’s voice, words indistinguishable at that intensity and speed, boomed out over him, shaking him to his core repeatedly. Although the hand had spared him for now, it was as if it was reconsidering, the fingers fidgeting and squirming. In truth, it was just resting there, it’s owner oblivious to the small movements, but to him it felt like so much more. Her fingernails tapped idly against the hard surface of the table, every time letting out a clack as the glittery paint adorning them shimmered and warped in the ever-changing lights. Each was easily double his height in length, more than enough to slice him in half if they so desired.

As terrifying as this all was, it provided him with something he’d lacked previously – time. Up until now, everything had happened so fast that he simply hadn’t had time to react to anything. Now… now there was a chance. Looking back up, he mustered up the strength that he had.

“DOWN HERE!”

He shouted as loud as he could, and looked at the woman’s face for a response, or any kind of reaction at all. It was quickly clear that there was nothing however, as she idly scratched her nose. Drawing in breath again, he yelled out a second time.

“PLEASE! DOWN HERE!”

Again, nothing. He shouted out over and over and over, but the woman seemed entirely oblivious to his plight. Frantically, he glanced over at the fingers flanking him, trying to extend an arm out. If only he could touch them, signal to her in some way. Instead, they were just out of reach, organic monoliths that may as well—

Without warning, the hand as a whole jolted to the side and slightly upwards, once again leaving it hovering over him. He let out a short gasp, but this was stifled as it dropped down onto him.

Unlike last time, he was caught directly under a finger. In theory, the flesh was soft, but it hardly mattered as the tip bore its weight down onto him, more than enough to smush him out of existence. His eyes bulged and his muscles creaked, as they all seemed to tense up in shock, waiting for the inevitable.

…but it never came. Instead, the finger rolled to the side, dragging itself across his body, pressing against him, but restraining from unleashing its full might upon him. Instead, it seemed to be exploring his shape, feeling him. He tried to take in a breath, but only received a mouthful of warm, sweat-infused skin for his troubles.

For a moment, he thought it might still end him in curiosity, as it tested his form, pressing down a little harder than before. He winced, but thankfully the pressure relieved quickly, and instead he was once again exposed to the harsh lights blinding him as the finger slid off of him. He let out a groan as the air was allowed to return to his lungs, trying to roll over onto his side, once again failing.

Still stranded on his back, he scrunched up his eyes one last time, trying to clear the dizziness that the assault had left him with. However, when he opened them again, he found a much larger pair staring directly down at him, wide in shock.