“So, Scott…” Judy said slowly, pacing around the kitchen as she unpacked the PMRD from its case.  “I thought about it while I was in the shower.  We haven’t done a 2-inch time-out in a long while, and I just… I just LOVE having you that size.  Big enough that I can wrestle you a little while you’re down there, but small enough that you’re probably not going to win too easily.  So, that’s what we’re going with.” 

                Judy ignored Maggie for the time being, who by now was seated docilely in the corner, brooding heavily.  Or, at least, she appeared to be.  Scott couldn’t tell if she was just putting on an act, or harboring an even deeper grudge after he’d refused to stick his nose into her boot like a curious dog.  He tried not to look directly at her.

                Slowly, Judy geared up the PMRD, and aimed it at forehead level with her oldest son.  Evidently, Scott and Kyle hadn’t done enough to disable the machine’s primary function.  Or at least, it appeared that way for the time being.

                Scott did absolutely nothing to resist.  By now, this kind of thing was almost as inevitable as the sun rising in the mornings.  He remained seated at the kitchen table, staring at the floor, gritting his teeth and blinking repeatedly in preparation for the bright green light flash.

                “Hold still, Scott.  And just before you try to ask, in seven days I’ll regrow you.  Maybe in that time you’ll be able to think about how you treat members of this family.  Especially the ones that love you so much,” Judy said slowly and methodically, lining up the reticle.

                Scott fought the urge to snort loudly at such a statement.  He doubted by this point his sister loved him so much as loved the feeling of him squirming between her toes.  That wasn’t what mattered now.  What mattered was whether or not Maggie would keep her word, regardless of whether or not a new cell phone was at stake.

                The telltale beeping of the small device in Judy’s firm grip.  The familiar green flash.  It was all the same song and dance routine to Scott.  As he felt the entirely too well-known sensation of cold rushing through his body as he shrank into the folds of his clothing, Scott tried to think impossibly positive.  This was the final summer before college.  Freedom from this oppressive environment was only a month away.  Only a month.

                If he could go that long without cracking.

                Scott did nothing as he felt the giant, billowing folds of his t-shirt which now covered him like a parachute being lifted by his mother’s probing fingers.  He was practically despondent as the giant, meaty thumb and forefinger pinched smoothly around his waist and plucked him up from the pile.  A motion she had repeated so many times before.   It was practically a habit for the mother and son pair by now.

                “And there’s my little boy,” Judy said sternly as she deposited her son into the palm of her hand.  “So here’s the deal: you might remember I have a series of meetings at town hall this week.  ALL this week.  Whole day kind of affairs.  You know.  But the thing is, Scott, you’re going to accompany me to each and every one of them.  Six plus hours a day, plus a forty minute lunch break in between.  Straight through in that big ‘ol building that’s too broken down in the piping for them to put in air conditioning,” said Judy with delight, drawing her son closer to her mouth, and purposefully sighing for emphasis on words so that her warm, sticky breath could wash over her tiny naked son’s uncaringly limp body.

                Scott tried to just mentally lock himself in.  He really, really, really needed Maggie now.

                So far, though, the girl remained silent in her chair.

                “But there’s a bright side, honey,” Judy said emphatically, nodding her head to her son, who only stared blankly up at his mature mother’s gigantically beaming face: watching the creases in her plump lips moving in and out as she spoke, the wrinkles around her eyes from laughter forming, and the brief flashes of light reflected off her spit-slicked white teeth.

                “Oh?” said Scott dejectedly.

                Judy clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and waggled a finger from her other hand in front of Scott.  “No need to be such a Debbie Downer, even if you’re about to start a new time-out.  It won’t be all bad.  See, I haven’t even decided what I’m wearing each day.  And you’re going to help me.”

                “Okay,” said Scott, deadpan.

                Judy frowned, obviously disappointed.  “You’re not making this too fun for me, Scott.   I’d like a little more enthusiasm.  Here, we’ll head up there right now!  See, you’ve kind of got a stake in this, because I’m sure you’d like to have some say in what kind of… time-out cell… you’re going to see almost ceaselessly for the next week.  Surely by now, you’ve got some kind of preference among Mommy’s shoes?”

                Scott shook his head.  He truly didn’t.  It was all the same by this point.  Soul-crushing, mind-numbing, body-bruising pain and humiliation worse than he suspected a sane person could stand.  All of them promised this and sometimes more if his mother was in a hurry wherever she was going.

                “NONE?  I find that hard to believe.  All the different heels?  Like the crocodile skin, or the red patent, or… or maybe you’d like a boot?  I’ve got those, tall, knee-high leather ones.  How about it, honey?  You wanna go in Mommy’s boot for the week?”

                Scott sulked.  Obviously, Maggie had been too insulted to follow through on her word.  He said nothing, and simply stared at his lap.  Sighing, Judy turned to head for the stairs.

                “Well, regardless of whether you decide to help me choose once we’re up there, I’ve already had my shower and I’d like to get my slippers on soon, so I guess that’s where you’re sleeping tonight.  And don’t worry, I won’t let it happen again what happened last time.  THIS time, we’ll just find some masking tape and put you nice and firmly on my sole, and...”

                “Mom!” Maggie called out at last, breathing deeply.

                Scott exhaled with hesitant hope.  Was she about to come through after all?

                “Yes, honey?” Judy answered lovingly.  “Do you feel okay after what your big brother did?”

                “Well…” Maggie drawled, taking a few steps forward and sniffling sadly for effect.  “I want him to remember what he did.  And what a jerk he is.”

                “I’m intending to teach him that lesson, sweetie,” Judy said.

                “I want to do it,” Maggie said solemnly, continuing to walk forward.  “Can I have him?”

                Judy studied her daughter’s face and looked down at Scott, who was trying not to look eager.  He knew if he gave any sign that Maggie was the preferred option, he’d find himself pinned under his mother’s toes for the week faster than he could sound a cry of protest.  That was just how it worked.  The worst case scenario was always Judy’s best case scenario.

                “I suppose it would be… fitting enough,” Judy said thoughtfully, shrugging.  “All right, honey.  He’s your charge for the week.  Same rules, though.  I want him to learn.”

                “Oh, yeah… he’s gonna learn, all right,” Maggie said hungrily, eyeing her brother with so much malice and aggression the tiny lad felt chilled to his very bones, even though he knew she was just acting.  The way his sister was staring at him made him feel like, were the pair left alone for an extended period in the same room, he would not emerged unsmeared across the bottom of her boot.  The fire in her eyes was that palpable.

                “Now, now… play nice with him.  I want him to learn his lesson, but I don’t want him to come back to me with a bunch of broken ribs.”

                “Oh my God, Mom, that’s not gonna happen… I just need to get some stuff off my chest, is all.  We’re gonna have a little… chat.  Later on,” Maggie whispers darkly, her hand extending toward her mother’s outstretched palm.  “Come to sissy, like a good little boy.  Come to sissy, you annoying little runt.”

                Trying to maintain the carefully crafted illusion, Scott remained motionless as he felt his sister’s powerful fingers wrap themselves around his body and pluck him from the fleeting sanctity of his mother’s warm palm.  He breathed slowly, trying his best to remain calm, as she made a dramatic show out of pulling her foot out of her boot and holding the gray thing upright.

                All in all, he had to hand it to Maggie.  She had pulled off the act beautifully.  He almost felt guilty for knowing he was going to pull out of the deal once Maggie had upheld her promise.

                Almost.  The brat didn’t deserve a damn thing, let alone a new phone, especially after she had chucked it at his head.

                He stared down into the abyss, preparing to feel Maggie’s firm fingers softening their iron grip around his sides, allowing him to tumble down into the boot.  It would hurt a bit, but this was by far the best deal he could’ve made, given the hatefully unfair circumstances that he had long ago learned to let be rather than combat.

                At least it would only be for a few uncomfortable moments as his teenage warden stomped up the stairs to make a show of it for Judy before releasing him onto the floor, where he would probably just hide for the next week in a situation infinitely preferable to spending the same week with his lips pressed forcibly against the fleshy crevice between two of his mother’s juicy toes.

                “Oh, by the way, Mom,” Maggie said, pausing for a moment, still gripping her brother in a tight fist.  “My phone stopped working.”

                “Again?  Maggie…” Judy groaned, running a finger along her forehead in frustration.

                “Sorry.  It was my bad.”

                “But, Maggie, you’re leaving for soccer camp tomorrow morning!  I need you to be able to contact me so I know when to come get you!  And… and what if there’s an emergency?  This is why I got you the phone in the first place!”

                Camp?  Scott felt the slightest uncomfortable tingle in his stomach.  Something here wasn’t right.

                “I know, and I’m real sorry, Mom, honestly.  I promise I’ll be careful from now on.”

                “Right.  Well, I suppose I’ll just have to go get you another one right now before the store closes.”

                “I don’t have enough birthday money right now to afford it, Mom,” Maggie said sadly, her voice cracking.  “Just… this day… it just sucks…”

                Judy bit her lip, a look of deep sympathy crossing her face.  She sighed.

                “Don’t worry about the price tag, honey.  Just get all packed for tomorrow.  We’re leaving the house at 7 am sharp to get you there on time.”

                Scott thought he was going to piss himself.  He began squirming violently in his sister’s hand, which only clenched even tighter around his body, pinning him down hard against her palm, as it lowered into the black hole of the boot.  He tried to scream and cry out for a final word with his mother, but he felt his sister’s huge, smooth thumb press hard against his mouth, silencing him.

                Scott rolled down along the fur-matted base of the Ugg, desperately trying to climb back up to the top.  He had to get back to his mom and let her know what had just happened here.  He had to.

                “Hey, where you think you’re going, you cute little guy?” Maggie cooed as her face suddenly blocked out the trace amounts of light that had managed to leak into the boot.  “By my watch, you’ve still got a solid… oh, I don’t know… 7 days before you can come out?  We’re headed up to my room now; see you in a minute.”

                Unable to muster a response, Scott watched hopelessly as his little sister’s bare foot cascaded down into the boot, her sky-blue toenails glistening faintly just as the final bloom of precious light was extinguished in the furry prison.  The whole thing was plunged into absolute darkness just as Scott felt his sibling’s toes crash into him like an unstoppable row of linebackers pile-driving him painfully into the tip of the boot.