Robin was a highly intelligent student, and had mastered an advanced understanding of English by the age of ten. Some of the big words she had used were a little vague to him in their meaning, but he could see that she would not be easily deterred from her plans.
“But Mrs Long, I’ve seen how strict and good you’ve been in my school. I’ve seen how much caring interest you take in each boy; and I’ve seen the safe environment you’ve created for them. It doesn’t seem like you to be planning to do something like this to me,” he said.
If he only knew how this appraisal of her deeply touched her heart. For someone so young he had been incredibly sensitive and observant about her character and actions as a teacher in a school where he was merely a student. The sweetness of his innocence and the fact that it would avail him naught was really affecting her. She was both proud of him and excited about eating him.
“You’ve understood me very well, but those giant girls are students of my new size. I shall naturally continue to look after them for many years to come, until I retire from teaching. However, you are not in the same position (as they are) to benefit from my role as an educational care giver. I can assure you that my professional and personal qualities as a teacher will not in any way discourage me from enjoying the outcome I have prepared for you. I have taken sufficient precautions to ensure that you can do nothing to circumvent that outcome. I am fully aware of the effect that this will have on you, and I’m very pleased that you have been reacting in the way that I expected. I’ve enjoyed this discussion, and I respect you for voicing your fears and apprehensions. I’m only suggesting you should realise that none of the concerns that you might raise can have any effect on the happy anticipation I have of eating you.”
“It sounds like you’ve anticipated my feelings about it with plenty of insight as well,” he said, ‘It’s not as if you callously haven’t even thought how I’ll be coping with this.”
“Thank you. I think that’s true. I know that from your perspective, you have everything to lose by this development; which for me will have all the relaxing atmosphere of a calm holiday lunch, with the school grounds all to ourselves. From my perspective, I have no reason to spare you. The reality is, that while you’ll be counting down the last days until it happens (nervously coming to terms with an approaching fate you’d rather avoid), I shall be enjoying my holidays with my daughter, and secretly eagerly looking forward to bringing that fate about for you. If you’ve understood that, there’s no point in trying to talk me into another course of action, is there?”
“No,” he answered, “Of course you’re right. There isn’t.”
“I think you have a very good grasp on reality,” said Mrs Long, “I have to do some tidying up in the classroom. I’ll come back over and say goodbye to you, before I go home.”
Robin thought for a long time, as he watched Mrs Long moving about the classroom, making adjustments necessary for her to take over the retired teacher’s duties. Then he saw her approach the desk again and place some makeshift comforts on it for him, to serve as a tiny bed and other needs. He knew that there was something he very much needed to tell her.
“Mrs Long, I’ve been in love with you for some time. Would it be improper for me to ask you if we could spend the next two weeks on daytime dates?” he asked.
“I’d be glad to accommodate you, Robin. You’re a delightful little fellow.”
So they dated in the school grounds and rooms for the next two weeks, although Mrs Long was careful to make sure that Kirsty didn’t see him. She would arrange an occasional baby sitter for the girl soon enough. First she had to pay off her new house, which was in giant walking distance from the school and Kirsty’s school as well. Half way through the second week, he asked her, “Is there any chance you’d marry me instead of eating me?”
“The idea does have its appeals,” she said, “Although I can’t marry you for years until you’re old enough. I can’t really eat anyone else either. I’m afraid that job falls on you.”
His last hope had failed him. For the next two days she noticed a real state of melancholy in him. His love had not faded or diminished, but she could see the complete absence of hope in his demeanour now. She felt an extra comfort inside, as the last week of the holidays drew closer, knowing that he had reached this complete and total focus on the inviolate future he was facing.
She kissed him farewell at the end of the Friday.
On the Monday, she took Kirsty to Mrs Yeo’s house and then returned to the classroom, where she had trapped Robin.
“I couldn’t bring you any of the cake Mrs Yeo just shared with me, but I can certainly put you in touch with the parts of me which consumed it,” she said, and took him to the staff kitchen.
When the oven had done its few minutes of work she carried him out into the garden, sat on the seat looking out at the flowers, and tantalised her tongue with his small body. She felt him shaking with a mixture of fear and infatuation as she held him in fingers and thumb. She eased him gently into her mouth and found that her tongue could still perceive his dichotomy of reactions as they were manifesting physically in the movements of his tiny body. This pleased her immensely.
She drew him into her throat and considered his thoughts at that point.
“He’s at the top of my neck now. As soon as I start gulping, I can imagine every last wishful thought vanishing from his mind at once,” she thought, and did the gulp.
He reached her stomach after a few more, and she pictured him trapped within her form, still conscious and aware, yet no more able to climb free than he’d been able to discourage her from putting him there.
She looked out at the garden. It was beautiful. She’d been widowed for nearly two years and found fresh start in the giant world. She had her whole life ahead of her to enjoy, and every aspect of it seemed even more precious to her, when she acknowledged that it would not be available to Robin. She enjoyed a peaceful walk around the school grounds, reflecting on every moment of the last few months, and smiled.
“I wonder how you’re doing down in there, little Robin,” she said to herself, rubbing her tummy, and walked out of the school to pick up Kirsty from Mrs Yeo’s house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mrs Long had eaten Robin only weeks before Jenny met Willy.
Saturday had arrived, and Jenny had come to meet Willy in the gardens of her giant school. She waited patiently, wondering if her size had scared the tiny boy off. Then she saw him walking out of the garden. He was wearing a T-shirt and shorts this time, instead of a school uniform. She liked the look of his tiny little pink arms and legs on show.
She lifted him gently and said, “I wore a dress with a pocket in it, so I can smuggle you up to the boarding house.”
Jenny put him gently into her pocket and walked up to her dormitory. They sat on her bed and looked out the window at the school grounds, as they talked about the separate lives they had led up until that point. They couldn’t talk about similar interests, as most dating couples do. The boy was not yet of a dating age, yet he had unequivocally fixed his affection on Jenny. They would not have seen the same television shows, nor read the same books or anything.
Jenny was fascinated by stories of his life on earth, and he felt honoured that such a big girl was interested in him. Finally Jenny was ready to throw caution to the wind.
“I hope this isn’t too much for you,” she said, “There’s an awful lot of me.”
Jenny slowly and gently kissed Willy. Would he be intimidated or overwhelmed by her lips?
She felt his arms embracing her lower lip, and enjoyed the attention. He liked it!
“Thank you so much,” he said at last, “I’ve never had a kiss before.”
After several weeks of dates went by, Willy had something on his mind, which he could no longer contain.
He met Jenny for another date, and opened his backpack in the middle of the date. He took out a huge metal ring with a large toy gem welded to it.
“I made this in metal work at school,” he said, “When I’m old enough, would you marry me?”
“Oh yes,” she said, “I will.”
After another date, she gave him an invitation.
“I’m becoming good friends with one of my teachers. She even lets me call her by her first name Christine. I have to tell somebody that I’m engaged, even though we won’t be married for years. Would you like to come on a picnic with us, so that I can at least introduce my fiancé to someone?”
He accepted, looking forward to meeting one of her friends, and pleased that teachers on this world didn’t maintain such a professional distance from their students.
Jenny collected him on the Sunday at the usual place, and walked to a lovely garden in another part of the school. To his surprise, Mrs Long was waiting there at the picnic table and now giant sized.