Honey, They Shrunk themselves! - Part 1

By Richard. C.H. Davies

All reference to ‘kids’ in this story means people aged 18 or above. 

In the Yard next door to the Daniels household 

Rob took a fast swing with his baseball bat and sent the pitch sailing over the fence separating the two yards. Rob and David watched as the ball seemed to take an age to reach its target, but it smashed through the Daniels's garage window. 

There was a terrifyingly moment of silence. All the kids exchanged petrified glances.

“Uh-oh,” David and Rob both said in alarm. 

Cameron leapt to his feet. 

“What have you two done this time?”

“He did it,” the twins pointed to each other simultaneously. 

“Great. You busted the nerd's window!”

Michael jogged out of the house, horrified. 

Laura ran over to the fence and yelled at all three boys. 

“Can't you idiots be careful? Look what  you've done. My dad is going to kill me  when he comes home. And I'm going to tell them who did it, too!” 

“They're sorry,” Cameron glared at them “aren't you,” 

“Yeah. He's sorry,” David said looking at Rob. 

“I…  Hey! You're the one who hit the ball!” Rob protested. 

“You threw the ball badly!” David tossed the blame back at Rob. 

*

Ryan Daniels's garage and workshop 

In the garage, the ball was perched precariously on a ledge directly above the machine's innerworkings. It slowly teetered on the edge. Then the ball rolled off and smashed into the intricate, computer chip-laden guts of the machine, nestling itself in front of the power source of one of the two particle beam "cannons." 

The machine sputtered to life. A complicated computer, complete with screen, hooked up to what looks like two laser "cannons.” 

The computer, which analyses anything placed before the particle beams, goes haywire. 

The shrinking device started shooting in random directions, shrinking a couch, a chair, a trunk and also shrinking down Josaphine's classic car; which was in working order. 

*

In the Yard

Meanwhile, back in the yard they were all still arguing and spreading the blame. 

“Who puts a window facing our yard anyway?” Rob shouted. 

“Really? You're running that argument?” Laura crossed her arms. 

“Can we at least have our ball back?” David asked Laura. 

“Pleeeease?” Rob begged. 

“Oh,” Laura huffed. “All right. Michael? Take them upstairs and give them their ball back.” 

“Come on,” Michael gestured them inside.  

*

Daniels's garage 

As they walked into the garage they looked around. They didn't notice that the machine was tracking their movement automatically. The tip of the cannon ominously followed their movement. 

David stepped on something. It crunched underfoot. 

David bent towards the floor with curiosity. 

“Hey, Rob,” he said. “Look at this neat stuff,” he got down on all fours and stared at the floor. 

The garage furniture was on the ground but… it was 1/4 inch tall. 

“Ha, they're like little toys,” David said. 

“Woah, that's a cool toy car,” Rob reached down to pick up the tiny ¼ inch car on the floor. 

“Hey, that looks like…” Michael started. 

Before Rob could pick the car up there was a loud popping sound, a flash of light burst forth from the shrinking machine. 

All three of them shielded their faces, but before they could react further David and Rob are immediately shrunken down. 

Michael fell to the floor and turned towards where they had been standing, looking down at them in amazement. They had been shrunken down to ¼ inch size. 

“It works!” Michael’s eyes lit up and he smiled in delight. 

The machine began to aim its laser cannon on Michael. Michael's elation immediately fizzled out as he realised what was happening. He stared down the barrel of the cannon that was pointing straight at him.  

“It works?” He spun and started for the door, but the machine flashed and popped before he could get there and suddenly the world around Michael all seems huge and immense. He had also been shrunken down to ¼ inch in size.