Sara was enjoying relaxing on her vacation in Chicago.   She had never been to the big city since she grew up in a small town in Arizona, miles from Phoenix or Tuscan.   This was new to her.   But she enjoyed the experience.  

She needed some Chicago souvenirs before she left but had not been able to find anything.  Of course she had family members that wanted things so there was all of that but she settled on getting herself what she wanted. 

“A few shirts shall do.” She stated. 

Sara headed back to her hotel for the night so that she could catch some shut eye before her late night flight back to Phoenix in the very early morning.  

BBBBEEEEPPPP!  BBBBBBEEEEPPPP!  BBBEEEEPPPP!

Sara’s alarm clock blared.   Was it really 1 am already?  Indeed it was and Sara rolled out of bed.   Luckily she set out her clothes the previous night and so she proceeded to put on her dark wash Levi Jeans and her newly acquired “Chicago” short sleeved shirt.   Pink with royal blue lettering.   She put on some white puma socks and slipped into her black Nike shoes, the swoosh white but faded to a slightly off white in recent years.  

Check in seemed to go smoothly as planned.   Her American Airlines flight was delayed slightly, so Sara texted her mom about it.   Her mom was not worried.  She texted back saying that she would be there to pick her up.  

Sara boarded her flight without an issue and turned her phone to plane mode.   She did this every time she flew.   Not once did she change her habits.   If she did though, she would have, her mom sent a text. 

It read: Honey, be careful getting into PHX.   Something happened to some nuclear plant.   I will try to pick you up but its bad.   A lot of people are freaking out.” 

Nothing out of the ordinary happened during taxi to the runway.   Sara put in her earbuds to listen to her favorite Hilary Duff Song, “Beat of My Heart”.  

Sara was awoken by the flight attendant shortly before landing.     She looked to make sure that everything she had was cleaned up and in her bag though her groggy eyes.   Sara wiped the sleep from her eyes.  

“Please fasten your seatbelts, our decent into Phoenix will be a little bit choppy.   Also, please be careful exiting the airport, we have gotten reports of something with a nuclear reactor not functioning right.   There will be workers all over the airport to help you out if you have questions.   Thanks and we hope you fly American Airlines again soon!” the captains voice buzzed over the intercom on the plane.   Sara did not much pay attention to it.   She knew it was just the same gibberish.  

The landing was not bad.   The tires touched down lightly.   There were security vehicles all over the tarmac from Sara’s point of view.   Of course to her this did not mean much yet.   Sara felt the plane glide to a stop and everybody seemed to click their seatbelts off at the same time.   She turned her phone off of airplane mode and her moms text came through.  She skimmed it and then sent a text that she had landed.   It did not click in her mind that something could go terribly wrong with her mom picking her up.  

Sara exited the plane, she was about 2/3rds of the way back.   The jetway felt cool.   But she passed this off as the A/C being strong in the building because of the Arizona heat.  She noticed the craziness in the airport and people were at the ticket counter yelling at the agents who were frantically trying to re-book thousands of passengers.  

As Sara walked towards the baggage claim area she began to feel weird.   Her skin felt cool, her stomach was doing turns.   Sara made it to the wall of the corridor to steady herself.   She felt herself get woozy again.   And again she stabled herself.   Then she toppled over with everything and the world began to fade.   Nobody seemed to help her from what she could see as her vision went black.  

Sara woke up.   The world was shaking around her.   Her stomach had stopped hurting.   No pain what so ever.  She opened her eyes.   The ceiling looked the same that is until someone started reading the sign on the wall.  

Sara got up quickly and realized that she was small, very small.   The lady reading the sign looked to be older.   Maybe in her 60’s.   Sara stared in shock still of how tall she was.  Her eyes traced down to her waist and then down her black panty-hosed legs to her clad feet, which looked like twin barge ships.   Her feet encased in some black patent leather high heels which added to her already tall height in Sara’s eyes.   

And like that the right heel took an enormous step back while the left pivoted, and then the lady was gone.   Fortunately, Sara eyed a few people down the way that were heading in the direction of the baggage claim area.  

The first person to walk by was what looked like a store employee of one of the behind security stores.   Her kaki pants hugger her legs and her shirt that said the Hudson News hugged her top side.   She was wearing a pair of puma cat shoes white in color with red accents.  

Sara mad a dash for her.   As her foot landed near Sara, her shoe lace landed on the floor, it had some frayed edges but Sara did not care.   The women’s left foot began to lift off of the ground.  Sara knew she maybe had a mili-second to reach the shoelace.   She dove.   Sara caught the shoelace as it was being tugged on by the shoe.   That second went by fast as she went swinging though the air. 

The sights and sounds were a whiz for Sara.  Then it all stopped as the women took her step for a hot second and it started spinning again.   Sara hung on for quite some time before her arms started to hurt.   On one of the quick seconds that the world was still she realized that the baggage claim was around her.   Sara let go of the shoelace.   But she did not go flying off.   Some of the frays at the end of the lace held to her left arm as she tried to let go slightly early.   The lace also did not flop on the ground like the pattern Sara had predicted it to either.   It flopped onto the top of the shoe.   Sara felt the lace release her arm and then she looked at her predicament.  

She was belly down on the laces of the women’s shoe.   The smell of old cheese and vinegar invaded her nostrils.   Sara mad the face of disgust as she stood up and ran towards the edge of the shoe.   Her progress was halted as the women pitched her toe upward causing sara to tumble backwards towards her angle and then towards the middle of the laces again.   Sara got up again as she let her toe down and ran for the edge of the shoe.   This time she was successful of hopping off the outside of the shoe.   The women stood there for another minute as her coffee was being made.   Then she left.  

Sara looked around at her new surroundings.   She was on the very edge of the baggage claim area, almost by where people from outside the airport could pick people up.   She looked and then spotted her mom waiting in a chair that was close by to where she was.   Her scrubs were unmistakable.   Sara took off running.  

“Mom!!!!!” She yelled but then realized that she was too far away still. 

Before Sara could stop, a giant boot slapped the ground in front of her.   Sara smacked right into the side of the boot and bounced off.   The owner of the boot kept walking like nothing ever happened, because to them Sara did not exist.  They did not feel Sara bounce off the side of their shoe.  

Sara got up and ran back to the safety of the wall by the coffee shop.   She took out her phone and called her mom.  

“Hey honey, how are you?  Where are you at?” she asked in a cheerful voice. 

“Mom, I shrunk!   You have to help me!   I am over by the coffee shop.”  Sara frantically said.  

“Oh no!!  You were affected by the Nuclear Reactor Meltdown weren’t you??” she said hurriedly.

“Yes Mom, so can you come pick me up?” Sara asked in a pleading tone. 

“Sure, where are you at?” her mom asked.

“Over here by the coffee place.” Sara said again. 

Sara watched as her mom got up from the chair.  Her baby blue scrubs pants hugged her legs and the scrubs shirt highlighted her cleavage area very nicely in proportion to her butt.   However, Sara was nervous about one thing.   Her mom sometimes was clumsy and sometimes forgetful, even though she was a good nurse, it took multiple notes for her to remember everything.   It did not happen often but it did happen.  

Sara watched as her mother got closer.  Her size 9.5 shoes looked even larger than the ones that she rode earlier.   The white leather of her Reebok princess shoes shined in a little bit of sunlight as her mother got closer.  

Her mothers massive shoes stopped on either side of her. 

“Look down mom.” Sara said.  

Her mothers face looked down and she squinted to see Sara.   Sara jumped up and down, waving her arms.   Her mothers face turned to a look of confusion.  

“Honey, I don’t see anything.   Are you sure your at this coffee shot and not another one?” Her mother asked in confusion. 

“Yes, I am.   You are wearing your work scrubs and your shoes are massive.” Sara said in response.  

“What color are my shoes?” her mother asked inquisitively.

“White” Sara responded with frustration.  

“Am I wiggling my toes honey?” Her mother asked again. 

“Yes.” Sara said watching the smooth leather move with her mothers foot.  

Her mother bent down and her giant hand appeared before her.   Sara hung up and stepped onto her hand. 

“Wow your small.” Her mother stated.  

“I am going to take you to work.   I can ask around to see if anyone knows what to do.    But I don’t have anywhere to store you.” Her mother said with disappointment.  

Sara looked over at her purse.  Unfortunately, she saw it overstuffed with a water bottle and her mothers endless feminine products.  

“Did you get a pedicure recently mom?” Sara asked.

“Yes, why?” her mother asked. 

“I could always ride in your shoe. I’m small and I would not take up much room.” Sara said.  

“Ok honey, are you sure?  I mean what if I start to sweat?  My pedicure was not much other than a once over of lotion.  Plus I have been wearing my shoes over an hour.” Her mother said.

“Mom, I don’t care.  You need to get to work right now right?  So why don’t you put me in your shoe and just get to work.   I can deal with it.” Sara said again.  

“Ok,” her mother said.

Sara looked down at the floor as her mother moved her foot out of her right shoe.   Her baby blue socks matched her scrubs perfectly.   Her mothers hand lowered to the opening of her shoe.   Sara could feel the heat coming out of it.   She gently slid off of her mothers hand and onto the insole of the shoe of her mother.  

The insole was squishy, and the heat felt hot.   Her mother looked down, not knowing what to do. 

“You ready?” her mother asked. 

“Yea hold on let me get to the toe of the shoe.” Sara said.  

She trekked for what seemed like a minute but was closer to 30 seconds.  

“I’m ready, remember take me out once you get to work.” Sara said in a reminding voice.  

She wrinkled her nose as she said this.   Sara could smell the faint lilac smell from her mothers pedicure.  

Sara felt the shoe start to move.  Darkness surrounded her as she stumbled backwards against the wall of the shoe.   She just started laying down in a spread out position when she felt her mothers socked foot move over her.   She could not move.    Sara felt her mother struggling to get her shoe on and she heard the muffled laces being untied.   Everything was loose for a second and then she was tightly pulled against her mothers foot as her heel slipped inside the shoe.   Sara heard the laces rubbing together as they were tied.  

Sara then felt herself being forcefully being pined to the insole of the shoe and then the weightlessness of walking and then being forced into her mothers foot.   And then her foot landed on the floor.   It was a soft landing for Sara as her mother had only bought these shoes recently.   Sara felt her body start to fell like bones would crack, but she didn’t feel hurt.   The process repeated.   She felt pushed back into the insole. Then Sara felt weightlessness, and then she felt herself pinned to her moms foot.   A second later, her moms foot would crash down onto her on the soft insole.  At least they were soft for now.   It only took a few steps for her mother to take before her shoes felt like a 120 degree day in Phoenix.   Her moms pedicure smell did not seem to be existent in her shoe any more.   Instead her mother’s foot began to sweat.  Her sock started to become moist and Sara’s clothes began to feel wet as if she were wearing them in a sauna and she quickly regrated wearing them.  

Sara’s mother walked out of the air port and to the parking garage close to the airport.   She got into her car and started driving to work.  She pumped the A/C all the way up, so she could help her daughter survive in her shoe as long as possible before she got to work.   The unfortunate thing was traffic.  

Sara had nothing to do but just lay there with her mothers foot constantly mashing her into the insole.    Sara felt lots a pressure and then movement to a much more gentle push and then a split second later she would feel her mothers heavy foot stomp down on her.   Sara could only guess that her mother was in traffic.   Sara also heard broken parts of the radio as being in her mothers shoe muffled a substantial amount of noise.  

“T…..ll …………………  A……r……………..now………..H…..y ….goo…………” Was all she heard.   This droned on for what seemed like another half an hour to an hour.   Sara however did in fact begin to feel slightly cooler though.   However she did not know this was her moms doing as she had blasted the A/C on her feet.   Her mom however felt no difference in the temperature at her feet. 

“Finally!  At work.” Saras mother said. 

She cut the engine of the car and walked inside for her shift. 

“Hey Maria I need you to do 12’s today is that ok?” her boss Misty said.  

“Sure, hey I have a question.   What do we do about people who got shrunk in the nuclear meltdown? “ Maria asked her boss Misty. 

“Good question.   We can’t really do anything except make them comfortable if they do come into the ER.  There is no cure yet.   We will have to see what happens.  Until then we have been instructed to just make them feel comfortable to help them live their lives until they come up with a cure.  Why?”

“Well my daughter shrunk.   I have her.   Hold on.” Maria said as she took off her shoe.  

“Oh My!!!” Misty said.  

Sara was relived that she felt fresh air, but now she was laying on her mothers hand in front of her mother and another person.

“Who are you?” Sara asked inquisitively.  

“Misty, your moms boss.   Can I get you anything?  Water?  There is no cure to what you have right now.   I am truly sorry.   I know your mom is working but I’ll let you stay in the break room.  How does that sound?” Misty said, looking at both Sara and her mother.  

“Yes that’s fine.” Sara yelled. 

Her mother took her to the breakroom and set her on the table in the middle of the room.  

“I have to get to work, I will pick you up after my shift ends.” Sara’s mother said.  

“Ok, Ill stay here.” Sara stated as her mother had already turned around and was halfway out the door. 

Sara wandered around the table for a few minutes, there were some nick nacks around but not many.   She saw a bag of someone’s stuff in the corner of the room.   There was a shoe rack on the side of the room and that’s what interested her.  

She had not been a huge fan of feet before but ever since she had the experience in a shoe, her mothers no less, she wanted more.  

The door opened and in came a nurse on her break.   The heavyset brunette haired nurse came down and sat at the far end of the table.   The chair squeaked as it struggled at first to hold her.   She looked at her phone.  

Sara ventured over to her and then had the courage to say hi. 

The nurse jumped almost out of the chair. 

“Oh my god, you scared me.   Why are you not in the ER?” The nurse asked.

“I was affected by the meldown.” Sara shouted. 

“Hold on.  I cant hear you that well.   Do you have your phone on you?” the nurse asked?

Sara nodded.  

“Call me, here is my number.” As she flipped her phone around and showed Sara. 

Sara dialed her number and her phone buzzed.  

“Hey.” The nurse said. 

“Yes, I was shrunk in the nuclear reactor meltdown.  I got here because my mom picked me up from the airport. She did not have time to take me home after she picked me up.   So now I am here spending the day with her at work.” Sara spoke into her phone.  

“Whos your mom?  I’m Karen.” The nurse asked.  

“Maria.” Sara said.

“Your mom is amazing.   I like her a lot. Im just on break.   I have been here for 10 hours already.  My feet hurt.   Do you mind if I put them up on the table for a few minutes?” She asked Sara?

“ Sure.” Sara said.

Karan bent down and untied her shoes and soon Sara saw Karen’s enormous lime green sock covered feet crossed in front of her.  

Sara felt an urge to go and touch them.  

“Karen?  I have a question.” Sara said.  

“Yes?” She asked

“Can I touch your feet?  I have never told anybody but I do have a little bit of a foot fetish.”

Karen looked at her with a questioningly look on her face, but then said “sure>”

Sara approached her left foot and put her hand on her foot and it felt tough though the sock.   She started rubbing  Karen’s foot smelled amazing to Sara, however Karen sitting in the chair thought her feet smelled so back from being in shoes all shift so far.  

Karen lowered the toes of her foot so that Sara could rub near the toes.   She loved the rubbing. The feeling was interrupted by Karen’s phone vibrating signaling the end of her brake.  She slowly lifted her toes and saw Sara let go.   I have to get back to work.   I only have 2 more hours left.  

Sara watched as Karen put her feet down and begin to bend down to tie her shoes.  

“Wait!” Sara yelled into her phone.   Karen froze mid crouch.  

“Can I be in your shoe for the rest of your shift?” Sara asked.

“Umm, sure, I’m sure it smells bad though, I mean my feet don’t smell good.  I have had these shoes for 4 years now.” Karen said in an unconvinced tone.  

“Please?  Can you also let my mom know too as well?” Sara asked again.

“Alright, but you can’ say I did not warn you.” Karen said as she was on the fence about the idea.  

Sara watched as Karen bent down and lifted her right shoe up.   It was white but the sole looked like it was pretty smooth.  And there were creases all over the shoe from where her foot bent over the years.  

Karen lowered it again so that opening was even with the table.  Sara walked up the edge of the table and stared down into the Nike Musique III shoes.  She jumped in and landed hard on the insole.  That’s when Sara realized that Karen was not kidding when she mentioned that her shoes were 4 years old.   The insoles were rock hard.  Sara looked at the dark tunnel of the shoe.   She could instantly smell the sweat of Karen’s foot all around her.  She started to walk, that is until Karen tipped her shoe and Sara slid down the insole and hit the end of the shoe.   All light was shut out.   Sara quickly flipped to her back and laid like she did for her mom.  

Karen’s foot slid over her fast.   Her heel popped into place and Sara already felt compressed into Karen’s foot.   She heard the shoe laces being tied and she was again pulled tighter against the giant foot if it were possible.   She felt Karen stand up and Sara instantly knew she was way heavier than her mom.   Karen took her first step.  Sara thought she would get a gap between the giant foot but there was none.   There was a slight feeling of weightlessness but it was gone In a second and then whaaack.   Karen’s foot slammed into the floor and it felt like Sara had just been punched 100 times in the gut.   The process started again.   Again, no gap between her and the foot.   Again Karen stepped heavily.  

“Did I make a mistake?” Sara thought.

Karean walked out the breakroom and sat down at the nurses station.   She knew her other co-workers had her patients covered as she sat down and started in on paperwork.   What Karen did not do was add taking Sara out of her shoe onto the end of her list on her phone as she left the break room.  It was a habit she had gotten into ever since she got hired.   Yes she was a kind hearted person but since the list worked for her, she would always remember what she would have to do when she got off work.   Otherwise she tended to forget about things.   Right now, Sara was on the side burner of her mind.  

The ER was quiet though so Karen was able to get going on paperwork.   Sara’s mom was assigned to Karen’s patients in the ER and constantly was asking questions about them.   However, Maria’s distant voice did not travel enough to reach Sara.   The heater was blowing right outside of Karen’s shoe, so her mothers voice was easily drowned out.  

There was no reprieve from being pressed against Karen’s foot.   Her shoe was tight, even thought Karen was still, Sara still was pressed tightly between the insole and Karen’s foot more than she liked.  Karen would every so often twitch her foot and this twitch would press her sock tightly against Sara’s face harder than just tight.  

It had already been 20 minutes and Karen’s shoe had risen in temperature at least 10 fold.  Her foot began to sweat profusely causing Sara to swallow a few gulp Fuls of sweat.  Karen was so inactive that Sara had almost been lulled into a sleep when all of a sudden her sweaty prison moved.   She was banged into the insole and she had the air pressed out of her.   Karen’s sock acted as a vice grip holding Sara’s forehead in place right where it was.  Sara felt Karen’s heel lift up and then she felt the swinging motion of Karen’s foot.  The heel hit and then Sara was pounded to the ground.   Karen’s shoe did not offer a lot of padding anymore against the tiled floor of the nurses station.   Sara tried to move but Karen was standing on her with all of her weight.   She had to wait to until Karen moved.  

Karen had gotten up to make a copy of some files for the file room.   She stood their waiting for the copy and was thinking about what needed to get done after she got off work.  

“Grocery Store, Kohls, Pick up my new glasses, Cook lunch for tomorrow, Netflix a bit, I feel like I am missing something.”   Karen thought as the copier finished up.  

She took the files to the file room to be filed and then headed back to her chair, and continued with the paperwork.  

The clock read 9am.   Karen stood up from the place she was working at and piled the remaining paperwork in a nice pile. 

“Ahh that’s what I was missing.  I need new shoes!” she stated out loud.  

Maria happened to be walking by at the time and looked down at Karen’s shoes.  

“Yes, they do look like they have seen a better day.   By the way have you seen anything a stray in the break room recently?” Maria said and asked Karen.

“Nope.  I have not seen anything out of place.  Why?” Karen asked.

“Oh nothing.  I put something important to me on the table, and now I can’t seem to find it. “ Maria said in a depressed voice. 

“What is it?  Ill help you look for it.” Karen asked caringly. 

“I’ll text you if I need extra help finding the special something I left in the breakroom, until then, go home and get some rest.” Maria said.  With that she walked off, leaving Karen to gather her things and clock off for the day.  

The fact that Maria had used thing did not bring Karen any closer to remembering that she had met Sara 2 hours earlier.   The list on her phone was missing the fact that she needed to take Sara out of her shoe when she got done with work.   In fact, Sara had became the thought of Maria’s daughter, and she was off at a college.  Sara had slipped Karen’s mind, and the physical fact that Karen’s feet were tired, did not bode well as even if Sara did manage to move a lot, Karen most likely would not have felt her.  

Karen walked out the door into the hot sun as she headed towards her car.   She could feel her feet sink deep into her shoe as she walked.  The feeling also allowed her to feel her wet sock.  This did not satisfy her at all.   She just knew she had been wearing shoes for far too long. 

Sara was having a hard time keeping her breathing timed with Karen as she took her steps.   Every time Sara tried to break, a huge drop of sweat would be forced into her mouth, not by choice.  Then the opportunity would be short.   The shoe’s temperature was almost unbearable.  It was like working in a factory without any ventilation during hot summer days.   Sara though, did not much mind it.   She enjoyed the parts where there was little movement but Karen was walking a little bit fast for her right now.  

Karen sat down in her hot car and started it immediately.  The blowers started blowing hot air but Karen soon knew they would be blowing cooler air once the car got warmed up.   She never once thought to blow any air down to her feet.   Why would she?  There is nothing in her shoe, right?

Sara felt the vibration of Karen’s car beneath her coming though the shoe.   Another waiting period.   But to Sara’s surprise she was quite active on the pedal between the brake and the gas.   Sara at least did not mind that since it was not Karen’s full weight slamming down on top of her.   Sara however did notice something, she seemed unhurt by this.   She felt like she could run a marathon after this experience.  Sara was deep into thought when she felt the car turn off.   She prepared herself for more steps.   They came with a fury as she felt like Karen was stepping down harder now.   Sara listened or at least tried to for any clues as to where Karen was at.   She heard a muffled creeeeaaaakkk ssssslllllllaaaaaammmm!   Rocketship feeling, then Freefall, slam!   This process repeated about 5 more times.  

Sara felt all of Karen’s weight as it seemed like she was just standing, which she was outside the shoe.  

Karen stood at her counter going though the mail.   She was still in her nursing scrubs and was thinking about taking a shower before heading to do errands.   She slowly slipped off her shoes and left to go take a shower.   Unfortunately, Sara was left behind in the shoe as Karen’s socked foot pulled out. 

Sara stood up to see if she could catch Karen’s eye before she disappeared but she moved at a quicker pace than Sara could stand up and run.   Sara got to the mouth of the shoe and took a few quick breaths of cool fresh air.   Karen was already not in sight.   Sara took out her phone and dialed Karen’s phone.  

“Hello??” Karen picked up wondering who it could be. 

“Karen, its Sara, you have had me in your shoe for the past 3 hours.   Can you come take me to work again?” Sara explained.

“Ohhhh Shit!!! That’s what I was forgetting.   Alright Ill take you back.” Karen said in an apologizing voice.  

Sara felt foot steps faster than seeing Karen. 

“Here step on my hand.” She said as she lowered her hand.  

Sara stepped on Karen’s hand quickly and Karen again slipped on her shoes.    Off they went back to the hospital.   The whole way there Karen was apologizing to Sara and Sara kept saying it was ok.  

They got back to the hospital and Karen quickly found Maria, saying sorry and it was a poor lapse in judgement.  Sara however, took the blame on herself and told her mom to keep Karen on staff.  

Before Karen left, Sara called Karen’s phone and she picked up.

“You know I really enjoyed being in your shoe.   I would like to do that again sometime.” She said.  

“Awww thanks.” Karen said putting her left hand over her chest

“Ill go shoe shopping with you if you want.” Sara said again.  

“Really?   We will have to make it a girls date then.” Karen said winking and hanging up.  

With that Karen left to go back home and Maria, Sara’s mother went back to work, this time leaving Sara in her purse.   Sara stayed there thinking about her experience and about how she was going to enjoy hanging out with Karen again.