Holly craned her head to look past the long line of people ahead of her. The counter seemed so far away, but she knew there were only a few people ahead of her. The problem was, some of those people were twice her size. "I can take the next omega over here!" boomed a voice next to Holly's line.
She watched as a woman with legs as long as her whole body strode past her to a countertop above her head. There, a barista loomed over it, speaking pleasantly with the giant who had approached her. Holly sighed. She watched as another omega in front of her crouched down on her knees to speak to the normal-sized barista at her own counter.
Normal-sized. She caught herself there. It seemed like every day, the concept of normal was changing. At first, it was only a handful of women in town who were classified as omega. Then, it was one in 20. Then one in 10. Now it seemed like she was becoming a minority fast. The fact that her favorite coffee shop had just installed a separate omega counter only solidified that growing anxiety.
"I can help whoever's next." came the voice in front of her. Holly snapped out of it, and approached the man at the counter. Then, a pair of legs swooped over her. She froze, staring up at the omega who cut her to the front. She was on her phone, tapping absent-mindedly as she slowly lowered herself to speak to the barista. "Can I get a-"
"Sorry..." the barista tried nervously. "I think this lady was next."
The omega spun around and stared at Holly, her face only inches from her. Holly couldn't help but stare at the mountain of woman in front of her like an impassable obstacle. The woman's confused face turned to embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see... Oh, I don't mean it like that. I wasn't looking and..."
"It's fine." Holly giggled, now sharing the embarrassment as the 8 foot woman melted into an apology puddle in front of her. "You go ahead."
After several more apologies, and a couple orders, Holly found herself outside. She stared out at the long, tall cars in the omega lot as she made her way to her own car only some feet away. At least there were still some perks to being normal. She climbed into the passenger seat of a large SUV, and handed one of her coffees to Grant, in the passenger seat.
"Felt like you were in there forever." Grant said, taking his coffee appreciatively.
"It's hard enough getting noticed anymore. Plus, they get their own line now, but still can be served in the little line." Holly replied, nodding over to another omega sauntering out of the coffee shop.
"I've said it before, they need to add a couple steps to the omega line. Even things out for us." Grant nodded sagely.
"Would you even use it if they did?" Holly asked, mockingly.
"Sure, I'd be a little intimidated. But it's not like I don't talk to omegas at work." Grant replied.
"Some of my best friends are omegas." Holly joked, adding a thicker mock to her tone. Grant laughed.
"You know, you could always..." Grant tried. He knew Holly didn't want to talk about it. But he couldn't help himself. He watched her laugh curl down into a judgmental smirk.
"Shut up and drive." Holly leaned back into her carseat as she felt the SUV back out onto the road.
She looked out the window as the town passed her by. It seemed like there was a construction project on every other corner. Scaffolding everywhere. The whole world was being refitted to fit the growing population. And she didn't mean amount. She remembered being a young child when the virus hit, and the world changing only slightly. The average height of women went up a couple inches. You'd see a woman over 6 feet almost as often as you'd see a man at that height. There would be pictures online, news articles of women around the world over 8 feet tall. They were quickly classified as Omegas. Named after the last strain of the virus that caused their sudden growth before scientists were able to stop the spread once and for all.
But there were only a few hundred of them around the world, even at the highest estimate. Accommodations were made for these special cases, and the women were treated like celebrities, but the fervor died down and people moved on, as they always do. Then they made the announcement. A scientist was able to isolate the compound that caused all that trouble to begin with. Trials were undergone. Women were selected to test the longterm effects of what they called Murf2. Holly never understood the name. She never really cared. She saw no merit to height, whether she was a giant or her own happy, normal, 5'1".
That was all well and good until two years ago, when they released Murf3. With that came a much wider rollout, with women lining up to take it. And suddenly Holly found herself surrounded by legs and hips. She sighed, watching as Grant pulled into their neighborhood. The house on the corner was raising the roof, literally. Natalie Greene must have taken the Murf. She hadn't seen her in a couple weeks. Must have chosen to isolate. Many of them did. Holly couldn't imagine being that self-conscious. She wondered how much she'd have to stare up next time Natalie came over to ask which day recycle bins went out. The woman could never remember anything.
"Something on your mind?" Grant nudged as he pulled into their driveway. Holly snapped back into focus.
"Brunch." she muttered.
"We just got home..." Grant replied, confused.
"I know. I told Sara I would do brunch with her today. I needed a coffee for that."
"Expecting a lot?"
"How could I not, these days?" Holly asked, climbing out of the tall car as she took a long sip of her coffee. She missed the guard step at the bottom and tumbled out, catching herself.
"Woah, there." Grant laughed.
"Damnit." came Holly's reply. Grant walked around the car to find his wife's white shirt covered in a dripping coffee stain.
"I'm sorry, baby." Grant said, stifling his laugh.
"That's what I get for being shitty." Holly sighed. "Let me go change. If Sara comes, try to entertain her."
"I guess I can show her... the yard." Grant replied, watching Holly storm into the house.
---
Holly stared at herself in the floor-length mirror. Her shirt was off, and she was wearing only her yoga pants and a scowl. She stared down at her small waist, and the perky breasts above them, obscured somewhat by her long tresses of midnight black hair. Only a few years ago, she would have drawn stares in any room. Her figure was tight and curvy, even for her small frame. Her eyes were like green fireworks behind her long, dark hair. Her lips were curved permanently into a cherry-red heart-shaped smirk. She was gorgeous, and still in her 20s. And now all she felt like was a bottom feeder. She heard Grant laugh outside, and she once again got back to business, throwing a simple blue top on as she raced out of the bedroom.
As she rounded the corner of her cozy home, she could hear the voices growing louder. They were having fun, and it made Holly smile even before she reached the door. She threw it open to see Grant standing with a wide grin next to Sara, who was seated comfortably on the grass, her long legs bent in twin arches over the lawn. She stared down at Holly, even in her seated position.
"Heard you had a little accident." Sara smirked.
"Very small." Holly replied. "And taken care of. You ready?"
Holly watched as Sara's arms moved in front of her, as she pulled herself up onto her feet. Holly was still getting used to staring up so high to see her oldest, dearest friend. She tried her best to hide her discomfort.
"Cool to take my car?" Sara joked.
"Very funny." Holly snapped, walking over to the tall car at the curb.
"You kids have fun!" Grant called as he watched Holly struggle to open the huge door in front of her. Sara stepped over, easily opening the door for her smaller friend. Holly pulled an attached, collapsible stepladder out from the side of the door. "Thank you." she muttered as she stepped in.
Sara stepped daintily over to the driver's side, and stepped in. With the car on, she rolled down the window. Grant tried to wave, but only the top of Holly's head was visible through the window. "Don't wait up!" Sara laughed, and sped off.
---
"So there's this new guy at the gym." Sara went on. Holly stared up at her friend, watching her expression become more radiant as the story went on.
"Another one?" Holly asked.
"Don't be like that. Anyway, he says he's six-four... but he's like... right up to my elbow." Holly stared as Sara wiggled her elbow in demonstration. She couldn't help but watch as Sara's whole body shook beneath her baggy blouse. Even beneath the heavy clothes, it was obvious just how much Sara had filled out.
"So I think, you know, it's a gym. Let's take him over to the scale. They have a measurer... thing on there."
"Oh boy." Holly wound her up.
"Just BARELY five-eleven." Sara announced.
"Does it really matter?" Holly replied. "I mean, aren't they all mostly the same from your point of view at this point?"
"That's not my point, Holly. You know I don't care. I never cared." Sara said. "The point is, guys will never change. Even when a girl is three feet above them, they're still gonna lie about their height to try to get laid."
Sara laughed. Holly laughed with her. She closed her eyes and listened to their laughs intermingle. It was like it used to be, a few months ago, before Sara took the Murf. "So I've been putting off telling you something". Sara said, making Holly's eyes snap open.
"You're growing again." Holly joked.
Sara laughed, fakely. Holly knew something was up, then. "I wish. No, we're gonna be one more for brunch."
"Who." Holly said immediately. It was barely a question.
"Maggie." Sara sighed.
"I like Maggie." Holly shot back. She did like Maggie. In small doses.
"Holly, she took the Murf." Sara replied.
Holly's heart sank. She was going to be a minority again for brunch. This time with her friends. "How big is she?"
"I don't know. She only started last week, and we haven't been able to catch up."
"Well, so long as we're going somewhere with good mixed seating." Holly sighed back.
"Of course." Sara nodded apologetically.
"Because I don't want to be staring at your vajes while I eat." Holly snapped.
Sara laughed. Holly tried not to, but Sara's laugh was infectious even before it filled a room.
----
Holly stared up at the massive door in front of her. She felt Sara's huge presence behind her.
"Ok, full transparency: Maggie picked the place." Sara squeeked.
Holly sighed. She looked at the door handle just above her head. "It feels discriminatory."
"Imagine being us. The rest of the world too small for you to fit. Wouldn't you appreciate a place that treated you like YOU were the normal one?" Sara said, pulling the huge door open easily as she nodded for Holly to enter. Holly couldn't help but feel bested in that exchange as she walked into a beautiful outdoor patio lined with exotic plants, with a bubbling fountain at the center.
"My god. This is your normal?" Holly gasped. Sara chuckled. They walked up to the large podium where an omega hostess stood waiting for them.
"Just you two? I have a few mixed tables available." the hostess chirped. Holly craned her neck to hear what she was saying. The hostess was speaking mostly to Sara, who was half a head taller than the hostess, herself.
"We're actually meeting someone here-" Sara began, before a loud call made them all spin around to the mixed section. Holly watched as a gigantic woman stood up and waved to the both of them. All the more unnerving was that Maggie's head was attached to the giant woman, now bouncing with excitement. Even from a distance Holly could tell, Maggie was already full omega.
Holly walked toward the table, watching Maggie get bigger with every step. She was wearing a skintight jumpsuit that seemed like she'd been poured into. Holly laughed to herself as every wave from Maggie made the suit look like it would burst.
"Maggie!" Sara cried, bringing her into a big hug. "You're huge!"
"Still not as big as you." Maggie beamed staring up at Sara's colossal form. She pulled away, staring down at Holly. "And Holly! How have you been?"
Holly couldn't help but feel shy between two pairs of legs the same size as herself. Before she could even think, she found herself wrapped in another huge Maggie hug. She felt the wind escape her lungs as Maggie's long arms squeezed her.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Maggie gasped, releasing the wheezing Holly. "I'm still getting used to all this. You understand."
"Have you started any care classes?" Sara asked, hiding her judgment as she crouched down to inspect the winded Holly.
"I start my first on Monday. I thought I had some time, but i kind of had a pretty big spurt this morning." Maggie said, sheepishly.
"Oh really?" Holly choked, trying to join the conversation as best she could.
"Would you believe I was only 7'9" when I put on my stretchies today?" Maggie asked, showing off just how tight her jumpsuit had become. "Over the last 4 hours I've jumped up to 8'4"."
"Fuck, that's a lot." Sara said, sitting down at a raised chair at the mixed table. Holly sat down at a chair her own size, marveling at the table's unique design. The surrounding area swooped up, allowing Holly's chair to rise to the same place at the table as her larger brunch mate's chairs. The world was catching up quick, with style being factored in with function.
"Still not as big as you. You're an icon." Maggie complimented.
"Stop." Sara blushed. "It's not like I had any control."
"That's the scary part, huh?" Holly asked. The two huge women stared at her. "The lack of control?" Holly added, more self-conscious.
"i don't really find it scary." Maggie admitted. "It's more exhilarating than anything else. Every day you wake up a new woman."
"And that's not scary? To be someone different from what you always knew? Every day?" Holly asked, watching as tall glasses of water were handed to them by an omega waiter.
"I'll be back with your water in a sec." the waiter said, leaving Holly temporarily waterless.
"Well, I know it only lasts a couple weeks. They've built safeguards into this thing. And I'm technically on my last day. It's funny, this morning I was all ready to come to terms with being a short omega."
"8'4" is average." Sara said. She thought of the handful of 7-footers she'd seen here and there. Women who'd taken the Murf but responded less positively. It had become a running joke to call them short, even though they were well above all the men, and quite capable of comfortably using the omega amenities.
"So what made you want to do it?" Holly asked, knowing it was futile to try to talk about anything else, but wanting to steer away from the numbers talk.
"Oh, it was long overdue." Maggie sighed. "I was one of the last women in my office to not have taken it. My workplace is very trendy. I've been surrounded by hips for over a year."
Holly thought about her own experience at the coffee shop. She tried to shoo those thoughts away before they stuck.
"Finally, I got approved by my insurance for the procedure. I wanted to make sure I could go through my company. I don't want to be broke over this. I've heard a few stories about women who spend all their money on the Murf, and don't factor in how much their food bill is going to increase."
"The government offers a stipend based on your end to end growth. Did you fill out your form?" Sara shot back. Holly was impressed with how professional Sara was about all this. But Sara was professional about everything. Constantly researching, being meticulous, even when she was in high school. Even when she was still 5'4".
"Oh, I'm working on it. I'm still growing, after all." Maggie stretched out at that, letting her round breasts creak against the fabric of her stretchies. "Getting used to a lot of stuff." she whispered, blushing, as she tried to squish her flesh back into place.
"There's definitely an adjustment period." Sara replied. "You should retire those stretchies when you get home. They're technically not supposed to be worn after you break 8 feet."
"I didn't want to miss brunch! How have you been? Holly, what's new with you?"
"Oh, not much." Holly sighed. "Grant and I are still just plugging along on the house. Still a lot to do with the old fixer-upper. And we don't get any government help with our stuff." she joked.
"So when are you gonna do it, then?" Maggie asked. "What's the point in waiting? Losing money?"
"Well, I don't know if..." Holly trailed off, staring down at the long legs of Maggie's chair.
"Holly doesn't want to do it." Sara finished for her.
"And that's perfectly alright." Maggie replied immediately. "That's your right, and your decision."
A silence fell over the table. The omega waitress set the small glass of water in front of Holly. Even for a regular sized person, the glass seemed small.
"But I can't tell you how nice it's been. Everything's for me, now. Everything." Maggie beamed. "It's so nice to walk into a store and not have to duck around a bunch of people to get to a little counter in the corner you can barely see over some lady's big ass as she tries to swipe her card."
"Now you ARE the big ass." Sara laughed.
"Damn straight." Maggie said, slapping her thigh. Holly watched as the skin rippled under the stretch fabric. "And I'll tell you, all the money I'm getting to reinvent myself. Work is finally listening to me again, my dating life is getting CRAZY. Oh, I'm sorry, Sara. I forgot..."
"It's totally fine." Sara huffed. "It happens to a lot of people."
Holly blushed for Sara. She thought back to 3 months ago, when her fiance Dylan broke it off with her. Sara had only just started to laugh again.
"They should make a Murf that shrinks women, so Dylan can date someone his own size." Holly tried.
Sara chuckled, appreciatively. It wasn't A-grade material. But Holly hoped the hokiness would work in her favor.
"Well that's why I swore off dating when I got approved. I want to be the full me before I start finding my soulmate." Maggie said.
"Lucky you." Sara rasped.
"Good to see that after everything, you're still the same you, Maggie." Holly smiled. Maggie smiled back, oblivious.
The waiter sidled up, through the thickening tension, pad at the ready.
"I think we're just about ready to order." Sara sighed.
-----
"Sixteen omelettes." Holly stated, staring out the front of Sara's car as it whizzed down the highway. "How can she afford that? Did you see those prices?"
"I paid those prices." Sara replied. "She didn't. She still gets a full meal refund every day she can show proof of growth."
"Christ, the bureaucracy of this thing. It really makes the whole miraculous aspect feel... not so much." Holly laughed.
"The government knows it will get more in the long-run by supporting this thing. Plus, it doesn't hurt that we have an omega in the White House."
"I voted for Ralston." Holly said.
"President Partridge has done a good job for everybody. You're just being a dick."
"I'm being a dick? What was all that shit with Maggie asking me when I was going to take the Murf?" Holly asked.
"I know." Sara rolled her eyes.
"You don't just ask someone that. It's a personal decision."
"Well, Holly... as your close personal friend... when are you?" Sara tried.
"Oh, fuck off." Holly sighed.
"No, really. I'm sick of the pity party here. There's only so long you can play coy. You live in a metropolitan area. You are upwardly mobile in your career. You know it's just a matter of time before you choose or the world chooses for you. And you would hate one of those little communities. I've seen the pictures."
"I know. I saw them too." Holly relented. "I just don't like the uncertainty. My whole adult life has been lived at five-foot-one. I don't know what life is at nine feet."
"It's very rare to get to nine feet." Sara replied.
"You're nine feet." Holly shot back.
"And I'm rare." Sara smiled, leaning back into her seat. It took some getting used to, but Sara couldn't help but love being considered tall even among omegas.
"But what if I stop being me?" Holly asked quietly.
The car skidded to a stop. Holly looked out at her house some feet away. She reached for the car door. The locks clicked shut dramatically.
"You don't think I'm me anymore?" Sara asked, a tinge of anger in her voice. Holly felt a strange fear as her best friend loomed over her.
"I didn't say..." Holly tried.
"You know who did say that?" Sara asked.
Holly shook her head.
"Dylan." Sara declared.
Holly felt smaller than ever. "I'm sorry, Sara. I didn't mean-"
"Don't start acting like you get to be shitty just because you're so small. We're all still us. If you can't see that, then maybe you should just stay low to the ground."
Holly nodded, ashamed.
"Now get the fuck out of my car." Sara demanded, clicking the locks back up. Holly opened the door, shoving her full weight against it as she awkwardly lowered the ladder herself. This time, Sara didn't move a finger to help.
------
Holly sat on the couch, resting her head against Grant's chest. Tears dried on her cheeks as they watched television together. Grant had listened quietly as she recounted the day, ending in the angry goodbye from her best friend. Holly wondered if this was the last she'd see of Sara. If the last words she'd say to her would be words taken as an insult. Maybe Sara would start to hang out with other omegas more, finally give up on Holly and her little life. She'd always acted like nothing had changed between them over the 6 months since she'd taken the Murf. Now it had all blown up in her face.
"I just..." Holly tried.
"It's ok, baby." Grant replied.
"I just want more time to think about it. Is that so wrong?"
"You take all the time you need."
"I like myself, though. I like us. Don't you like us?" Holly pleaded.
"I love us." Grant assured.
"But..." Holly felt a worm rise up in her thoughts. She didn't want to say it. But it couldn't help but be said. "But, you'd still love me if... if I took the Murf?"
"Baby, I'll love you no matter what you do." Grant said, kissing her sweetly. "Well, don't kill anybody.... Ok, you can kill one guy, and I'll still love you."
Holly laughed, kissing him wetly again. "Promise?"
He nodded.
"But you're only 6'2"."
"Six-two is tall for a man." Grant replied.
"So you'd be ok with me being 2 feet taller than you?" She nestled closer into his chest as she asked. She wanted to make it clear that these sorts of cuddles would be impossible were she to make this decision.
Grant took his thumb under Holly's chin. He brought her face to his and kissed her deeply. She closed her eyes, filling with passion. She felt his hands around her, moving her onto his lap. When she opened her eyes, she was staring down at him. He looked up at her with a wolfish grin. "Get as big as you want, baby."
Holly kissed him again, letting herself rise above him as their kiss became more intense. She felt his member swell beneath her yoga pants, as her hands found his zipper. She unsheathed him, running her small fingers along his shaft as she felt him moan inside their kiss. His hands caressed her ass as they writhed together on the couch.
He picked her up, still kissing her, and carried her out of the room. Her thin legs wrapped around his torso as her fingers dug into his hair. Grant let his pants drop to the floor as he kicked them away, stepping into the bedroom. Grant threw her on the bed, watching as she peeled the yoga pants off her firm ass. Grant ran his hand down her neck, down her breasts, and tugged the hem of her shirt off her. Holly laughed as she sat naked on the bed, ripping Grant's own shirt off as she did.
He took her back in his hand and carefully dipped her down, kissing her from her belly button, up to her lips.
"Wait." she stopped him, taking his face in her hands. She took her thigh against him and spun him around. She now sat on top of him, straddling his hips. Her long, onyx hair cascaded down around her naked, pale form. Her glittering smile shone through as Grant smiled up at her, feeling her hips begin to sway against his. Her hands found him again, guiding him into her wet sex as she continued to sway. Grant felt his passion rising as she swayed deeper into him. She grabbed his shoulders and lifted him up, not stopping. She moaned as his face rose closer to her's.
From her perch, she stared down at him even as he stood up. This was what she wanted: to look down at him as she felt an orgasm rise in her. "Are you close?" she rasped through her shimmering teeth.
"Yes, fuck, yes." he wheezed back as he felt his penis swell even further against her writhing pussy.
She gasped, heavily, her whole body crumpling under the weight of her climax. Grant came with her, as they clutched one another in sweaty embrace. Holly stared down at him, now only an inch from his face. Even at 5'1", she seemed 100 feet tall to Grant at that moment. He kissed her in celebration and she laughed through her own kiss.
She dismounted, sliding next to him on the bed. Grant cuddled up next to her, as he pulled the sheets over both of them. She felt his heavy chest breathing against her. His whole body was wrapped around her. She felt small. She felt loved. She felt happy.
As she felt Grant fall asleep behind her, a contented smile formed on her face. She shut off the light, and her teeth glowed in the dark. She sighed and whsipered, "Okay."