It feels weird to be normal-sized, in my own bed again.

The shrinking and unshrinking process always knocks me out cold, and I awaken later. I’ve never actually seen how quickly it happens. I’ve been put in my purple pajamas, ones my mother picked out for me.  I remember wanting green ones, but Mom wouldn’t let me have them. I sit up, slowly, eyeing myself in the mirror on the dresser. My hair is long and straight. Beautiful like my mom’s. My eyes, however, are green. My favorite color. My eyes… well. I look tired. My right eye isn’t open as much as my left. Noticeably so.

But even with that, I can’t deny that I’ve got my beautiful mother’s looks. Just younger. My father must’ve supplied my straight hair though, as I didn’t get Mom’s curls.

Swinging my feet off of the edge of the bed, I stand up. It hurts, but I do it anyway… it’s not every day that I’m allowed to walk around as a normal girl does. But I can’t forget that Anna’s coming over. A real normal girl. I just hope that she has something fun in mind for both of us, and not just for herself. I open the door to my room and am greeted by the grinning face of my little sister.  “Look, it’s my foot-sniffer!” she laughs.  My kid sister Wendy has dark, jet black hair, and bright blue eyes. She’s a normal unlike me, making her the favorite child... and she's eight years younger than me. I love my little sister, but I’ve figured out my Mom’s plan… if I survive long enough for her to grow into it… Wendy will become my future owner.  I’ve been in Wendy’s socks and shoes quite a bit, most of the time because I lost to her at one of her silly games. 

But at least she gives me a sporting chance and makes a game out of it, which, considering what my life is like is at times actually kind of fun.

“Hi Wendy,” I say, to my surprise smiling without even forcing it.

 “Your eye’s doing that weird thing again,” she remarks.  I keep smiling, bending down to her touch it, like she always wants to.  Why am I so glad to see her?  Am I becoming so desperate that the only joy left in life is bantering with my own little sister, who thinks it’s “funny” that I can’t stop her from putting me in her shoes when I lose to her at something? She pulls my eyelid open the way it should be, but it just falls back down, halfway closed again.  “That is so weird!” she adds, giggling.  God, I’m so sore.  I’m bruised and battered all over.  And here I am, smiling at my kid sister who is laughing about it.  It’s so stupid, and I’m so tired it’s almost becoming funny. I make my way around her and head down the stairs, hoping to get an hour or so of actual life. But I already hear Anna’s voice from downstairs. It’s not high-pitched, not low-pitched, just distinctly Anna, the girl from down the road. I stop for a moment in hesitation, reluctant to face her, but bite the bullet and continue down the stairs. As she comes into view I see that she’s standing just inside the front door with a backpack dangling from her elbow.

“Yeah, I was hoping to get in a few hours before the sun goes down,” Anna continues her conversation with my mom. She’s dressed to ride horses. I continue walking from the stairs, approaching the two cautiously, forming a loose triangle with them. They glance at me, but they keep talking to each other.

“Is she spending the night over there, or do you want to stay here tonight?” Mom asks. This will be Anna’s choice, not mine. My gut churns in nervousness as Mom takes the necklace off of her neck and hands it over to Anna, basically handing off my ownership to my older blonde friend.

“My house,” Anna replies, finally looking me directly in the eyes to address me. Her eyes are so big, so blue. Oddly large in fact, large enough that her brothers, all normals of course, call her owl-eyes. I wouldn’t dare.

“…hey Anna,” I say, nervously. I’m scared as hell of this girl, several inches shorter than me. But she is company other than the bottom of my mom’s foot. She eyes me, looking me up and down. Analyzing me.

“You’ve gotta stop letting your mom just walk all over you, Alisa,” She grins. She bites her lip, giving Mom and quick glance. Of course Mom just laughs.

“…are we riding?” I say cautiously, just wanting to know, to remove all the nervousness. I can’t ride, myself: Without Anna, I’m terrified of horses. But sometimes Anna will let me ride with her on her horse, and I hope that’s what she’s planning today. I’m nervous as she grins at me, practically reading my mind. She knows exactly what I’m thinking: Am I going with her at this size, or does she plan to simply stuff me in her boot so she can flick me around her sweaty toes while she rides?

“Well I had planned on us going out riding together. You know, both of us normal-sized and all.  But you’re not exactly dressed for it,” Anna squints, and I see that unmistakable, sadistic smirk forming. I look down, stupidly, realizing I’m still in my purple pajamas. Why didn’t I change clothes before I came down?  But it’s too late… already I’ve given her an excuse. She stares at me with a huge smug grin on her face, and very deliberately uses her left boot to help her pull off her right boot, removing her foot from it. I can’t help but stare for a moment down into the tunnel, which gets darker near the bottom. Her footprint is imprinted in the darkening insole as it stretches down out of sight.

“Sorry Anna, I-I’ll go change,” I stammer, turning to go back up the stairs.

“No!” she says,  like she was talking to a disobedient pet.   I immediately feel a strange, but familiar sensation all over my body. Turning back, I see Anna holding the purple jewel up.  It’s starting to glow, the sign that it’s been activated. “You know I’ve gotta get Princess’ exercise in before it gets dark,” Anna says in a mock whiney voice, intentionally sounding like a bratty, impatient little kid.

“It’ll only take a second…” I say, feeling panic rushing over me. 

“Noooooo!” she continues, still with her mock whiney voice.  “I wanna go nooow!” she adds, stomping her bare foot on the ground in mock impatience.  But her eyes are fixed on me, wide and confident.

“Anna, I’m sorry, I just can't do anything with her lately,” Mom says.  “Maybe you'll have better luck. She's been grounded, so don't feel like you have to go easy on her.”

“Oh, I won’t,” Anna adds, cocking her head to the side and making the smuggest grin she can muster, as she lifts the jewel and gives it a full twist.