Chapter 3 - Living Large: The Cost Of Being Small

Alison looks down at her release papers as the cab weaves in and out of busy Manhattan traffic.

“Rough day, huh?” The woman behind the wheel of the car says, smiling at Alison through the rearview mirror.

“Huh? Oh, yeah you can say that.” Alison says, trying to force a smile as she looks up from her papers for just a moment with puffy, bloodshot eyes.

“Nothing too serious I hope.”  The woman responds in a concerned tone, glaring at Alison for a few more seconds through the rearview.

“Subtraction syndrome.” Alison says firmly as the car lurches, turning down a side street.

“Oh you poor baby!” The woman says as she looks away, tossing her signal on as she pulls to the curb.

Alison’s eyes narrow, and for a moment she wants to jump up and pummel the woman, her frustration bubbling over as the cabbie’s mock sympathy washes over her.

“Okie dokie, that’ll be thirty two seventy five.”  The woman says as she stops the meter.

Alison unzips her bag and takes out a small wallet, producing two twenty dollar bills which she hands to the woman.  

“Change?” the cabbie inquires expectantly.

“Just keep it”  Alison says, failing to hide how annoyed she is as she opens the door and steps onto the sidewalk, slamming it shut.

As the car pulls away, Alison looks up at the third floor, spotting movement in the window just besides her own. She could clearly see Cindy peering down on her from between her white blinds.  ‘Great.’ Alison thinks to herself as she takes her keys out of her bag, and walks up to the front door of the building.  She twists her key into the lock and opens the door, heading to the elevator and pushing the up arrow. After a few seconds the doors slide open and she steps inside, pushing the button labeled three.

Alison exits the elevator and walks towards her apartment, stopping suddenly as she sees the now intimidating form of Cindy leaning against the wall outside of her own apartment.  

Cindy is dressed much as she was in the morning, except her feet are adorned with striped pink and white socks, one of which is leaning against the blue wall of the hallway.  Alison looks up at Cindy, who now appeared massive from her new perspective, Alison’s tiny head only coming to the top of her large breasts.

“Trouble in the shower little one? Or is that a fashion statement?” Cindy mocks, her lips turned up in a sinister little smile.

“Blow it out your ass.” Alison says angrily as she walks up to her front door, nervously fumbling with her keys, desperately trying to find the right one.

“Oh hey, relax! I’m sure my first day of highschool would have been tough too, If I would have gone dressed like that!” Cindy mocks as she giggles to herself, sliding her foot to the floor and opening her own door.

“Don’t let me keep you from your home-work though.  If my music is too loud, you just march your little ass on over here and let me know, ok?” Cindy says with another slight chuckle as she closes her door.

Alison finds the right key and shoves it into the lock, twisting the knob and opening the heavy metal door.  She walks in and drops her bag roughly to the ground before leaning back and opening her mouth, letting loose a long frustrated scream, which bounces around the emptiness of her apartment before it sharply dissipates. Alison then looks down at the pink flip flop, laying on its side against the cool wood of the living room floor.  Hospital not such a great idea, idiot.  Alison thinks to herself as she undoes the bathrobe, dropping it carelessly to the floor and walking into the kitchen.

The naked girl opens the fridge and grabs a bottle of ice cold water and unscrews the cap.  Without hesitation she hungrily lifts the bottle to her lips, taking long gulps of the clear fluid before she pulls the empty bottle away from her face.  Alison crushes the water bottle and tosses it over her shoulder, walking towards the bathroom as the plastic bottle hits the clean floor of the kitchen.  

Alison wanders into the bathroom and pulls back the shower curtain, turning on the water and watching as it cascades against the bottom of the tub.  The girl sighs as she steps inside, lifting the soap in one hand, and a pink loofah in the other, which she lathers up thoroughly. She then proceeds to wash her body as she sobs silently, her tears instantly washing down the drain as the heavy stream of steaming water buffets her face.  She rubs the loofah between her ass cheeks countless times, desperately trying to wash away the shame and frustration left there by the good Doctor.

After a few minutes Alison turns the water off, stepping from the tub just in time to great a sharp pain ripping through her skull.  Not again! she thinks to herself, grabbing a yellow towel from the linen closet and wiping it across her long black hair, before wrapping it around her scrawny body.

Alison walks out of the bathroom and towards the front door, grabbing her small hand bag and sitting down on the couch with it.  She pulls her phone out and sets it on the coffee table, looking at it for a long moment.  

“If I go home, it will just degenerate into what it was like when I was growing up...”  Alison says out loud, trying to convince herself that she would be making the wrong move by calling her mother.

But I can’t stay here, she thinks to herself as she picks up the phone, flipping through her contacts until she comes to one that stands out. She pushes the send button and puts the phone to her ear, listening to ring, after ring.  

“C’mon Vicky!” She moans as she stands up, pacing back and forth in the dim light of early evening. Alison’s head drops frustratingly, her eyes closing as Victoria’s voice mail blares

through the phone’s speaker.

“Vick, It’s me, Alison.  I just got back from the hospital and I need your help.”  She says into the phone, her throat tensing up as she walks to the fridge and pulls it open, looking inside at the barren shelves.  

“I - oh, oh.” Alison mutters as she lifts her free hand to her head, which pulsates in waves of sheer agony.

“I have no clothes, or food in the house, and my neighbor is being a total bitch to me.” She stammers into the phone, instantly feeling like a silly little child, who has nowhere else to turn.

“Please call me back”  Alison says with a sigh as she pulls the phone away from her ear, ending the call and looking into the bare fridge, a single slice of aging ham the only sustenance available.  

Alison grabs the near empty package, lifting the deli meat to her lips and hungrily shoving it into her mouth, gyrating her jaw.  She tosses the empty wrapper onto the counter and walks into the living room, sitting on the couch and reaching for her laptop on the coffee table.

She powers the device up and starts browsing the internet, checking her checking account and frowning.  She had been living check to check, and while she had just gotten paid, her balance was in the double digits.  She slumps against the couch cushion, the last bit of evening sunshine streaming through her blinds.  Alison yawns, exhausted as her stomach begins to cramp, her eyes blearily burning in exhaustion.  

Before Alison knows it, she is unconscious.

Alison’s eyes snap open as the thin walls of her apartment rattle rhythmically. She can hear her picture frames rattle against her beige walls as a muffled guitar riff blasts through the thin sheetrock.  She can hear the screams of death metal vibrate within her pitch black apartment, and she sits up.  She swings her legs off of the couch, her tiny feet only catching air, which causes her equilibrium to fall off kilter. A wave of dizziness swirls around her head as shadows loom large all around her. She climbs off of the couch, noticing to her dismay that she actually has to slide down, her tiny back resting against the couch.  She runs to the light and reaches up, up, and up, struggling to turn the large switch between her tiny fingers.

What Alison’s sees when the soft yellow glow fills her living room sends her into a mad panic, her tiny high pitched voice whimpering as she hyperventilates.  Everything had grown tremendous, the low lying coffee table, was now up to her chest. The couch looming taller than her, and her small thirty two inch television now looked like a big screen.  

“Oh my fucking god!” She screeches, her high pitched voice drowned out by the thumping of her neighbors music.

Alison grabs the yellow towel and wraps it around her tiny body, tears streaming down her little face as the towel bunches up at her little feet.  She picks up her phone, dropping it once as she fails to wrap her tiny hand around it.  The device feels heavy in her tiny palm as she checks a text message which reads ‘LoL date?’  The tiny girl fumbles with the screen and begins typing in a response, her tiny fingers tapping on the screen as the letters click audibly. ‘Please, I have nowhere else to turn’ she responds, sliding down against the couch and wailing hysterically as she places the phone in her lap.  After a minute the phone vibrates violently against her leg, causing her to look down at the screen.  ‘K, give me an hour?’ Victoria responds.

Alison takes a deep, quivering breath, relief washing over her as she taps once again on the phone.  ‘Ty sorry to interrupt but this sucks’ she replies, leaving a frowning smiley at the end of her message.  After a few moments the phone vibrates again.  ‘Address?’ Victoria’s message inquires.  ‘2 4 2 E. 22nd 3 A ’ Alison replies, hitting the end button and climbing to her feet, leaning her tiny bare ass against the couch as she looks down on her phone.  Another vibration buzzes against Alison’s tiny hand.  ‘Really? K, give me an hour babe.’  Victoria’s message reads.

Alison climbs onto her couch, and tries her best to tune out the racket.  She knew well that Cindy was doing this to her on purpose, and she was far too frightened to go over there and knock on her door.  After what seems like forever there is a knock on her own door.  Alison jumps down off of the couch and lumbers towards the huge metal portal, the door knob staring her straight in the face.  She reaches her tiny hand upwards, and unlocks the knob, turning it and grunting as she pulls the heavy door open.

She opens it and immediately staggers backwards as the huge lumbering form of Victoria appears in the doorway.  Her belted waist predominant in Alison’s tiny perspective.  Her flat stomach rising into a stylish white button down shirt, her dirty blonde hair cascading down around her neck.  Victoria stares down, her face cool as she simply blinks her eyes a few times.

“Wow Al, you...” Victoria begins as her jean clad legs stride into the room, her shiny red heels clacking against the floor as she enters the apartment.

“Yeah, tell me about it!” The tiny girl squeals upwards, backing away and closing the door, as her towering co-worker looks around the room.

“I thought this building seemed familiar, my friend lives here... actually that must be her.” Victoria explains as she listens to the death metal rattling through the walls.

“You know Cindy?” Alison asks, a little taken back as she climbs on the couch.

“Yeah I went to highschool with her.”  Victoria says, nonchalantly as kicks her heels off, wiggling her stockinged toes against the hardwood for a second.

“Let me go tell her to knock that shit off.” Victoria says, a bit angrily as she walks towards the door.

“No wait!” Alison protests, holding her little arm out dramatically from the couch, as if she could physically stop her co-worker from a distance.

“What?” Victoria inquires, turning her head and looking down over her shoulder at the little girl.

“She’s doing it to annoy me, if you go over there, it’s just going to look like I bitched to you.” The tiny girl says, lowering her arm onto her lap, and biting her bottom lip.

“Well that’s too fucking bad! You are going through enough!” Victoria says angrily as she thumps towards the door, twisting the knob and pulling it open.

“Please Vicky no!” Alison pleads, but the large woman simply walks out of the apartment.

A few minutes later the music stops, leaving Alison’s tiny ears to ring in the harsh silence left behind.  The tiny girl sighs in relief, her dull, ever present headache pounding in her skull as usual.  Thoughts of an angry Cindy stomping over and pummeling her little body swoosh through Alison’s head as she waits for Victoria to return.  A few minutes later the door opens and Victoria lumbers through, a smile on her face.

“There.” She says triumphantly as she closes the door, walking over to the coffee table, and sitting cross legged in front of it.

Victoria looks at Alison for a long moment, her eyes rolling over the tiny girl’s body as her tiny feet barely leave the edge of the couch cushion.  She looks into her sad, tiny eyes and opens her arms.

“I am so sorry Alison, c’mere.”  She says gently.

Alison climbs off of the couch, looking the seated Victoria in the face as she approaches her, tears in her bloodshot eyes.  She wraps her little arms around Victoria’s neck in a desperate embrace, her tiny heart pounding underneath the long, flowing towel.  Alison lets out all of her frustration, fear, and anxiety in long sobs as Victoria’s huge hand rubs up and down her tiny back.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do!” she says between sobs, as she buries her face in Victoria’s shoulder.

“Shhh, shhh, shhh!” Victoria coos as she rocks the tiny girl back and forth, stroking Alison’s long black hair.  “I’m going to take you home with me.”  She says in the tiny girl’s ear.

“You are?”  Alison asks, confused as she pulls back, looking the giant girl in the face.

“Of course, what am I supposed to do? Rebecca is already looking to replace you.”

“Oh god, Vicky I have no money, and my rent is due on monday, and-” Alison stammers.

“Shh, shh, shh” Vicky cuts the tiny girl off by pushing her little head back against her broad shoulder.

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore...” Victoria says, petting the small girls long hair once again.

“What did they say at the hospital” Victoria inquires, eyeing the yellow ID bracelet on the table.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Alison says sternly.

“Ok, ok, that’s fine.” Victoria assures the tiny girl.

“They really fuck you in the emergency room” Victoria adds, causing Alison to break down into a blubbering mess once more, leaning on Victoria’s broad shoulder, which quickly becomes saturated in the tiny girl’s tears.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Victoria apologizes, rocking the tiny girl back and forth once again, before standing up.  

“Lets gather up some things, shall we?” Victoria says as she shuts the girl’s laptop, putting it aside, before walking into Alison’s bedroom.

Alison wraps the towel around herself and drags it across the floor as she follows Victoria.  The two grab Alison’s keys, her bag, her phone, and a few other miscellaneous objects, gathering them outside on the living room coffee table.  Once the two are staring down at the meager amount of items Alison will be bringing along on her exodus, both of them frown.

“Well, it’s not like you will fit in any of your stuff.” Victoria says, placing a hand on the tiny girls back.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Alison says, her tone deflated as she glares up at Victoria for a brief moment, before lowering her head to the objects once again.

“We should get you something to wear for now, it’s only a few blocks, but it’s kinda chilly.”  Victoria says as she walks over to the coat rack.

The towering girl grabs a heavy black hoodie and she hands it down to Alison. The tiny girl steps out of the towel, throwing the heavy hoodie over her head, frowning as it comes down to her ankles.  

“Oh my god! so cute...” Victoria swoons, bending down and picking the tiny girl up, putting the hood over her head, and rolling up the sleeves so that Alison’s tiny hands can poke through.

“Hey, what are you doing? I can walk?” Alison protests as she pushes her little hands into Victoria’s chest, peeling her upper body away a few inches.

“And get a piece of glass lodged into your foot? I do not think so missy!” Victoria says, causing Alison to blush a deep shade of red.

Victoria grabs a plastic shopping bag, and tosses everything on the coffee table inside.

Alison clings to her shoulder like a lost puppy as she shuts all of the lights, and opens the door, carrying her, and what is left of her old life out of her former home.  The tiny girl watches in terror as Cindy’s door approaches, Victoria’s large hand knocking on it.  Moments later, Cindy’s smiling face appears, a white tank top tossed hastily over her thin frame.

“Hey, oh! Look at her!”  The giant rocker girl coos, caressing her ice cold hand over Alison’s cheek.  Alison shrinks back, turning her head and hanging it over Victoria’s shoulder.

“Oh, she doesn't like you!” Victoria says playfully as she rummages through the plastic bag with her free hand, taking out Alison’s keys, and handing them to Victoria.

“She better learn to, because she is going to be seeing me quite a bit.” Cindy says, her voice growing a bit cold.

What? Alison thinks to herself, her adrenaline pumping through her veins as she closes her eyes, her skin erupting in goosebumps.

“Oh hush, you are scaring the crap out of her, she’s shaking.” Victoria says as her huge hand rubs up and down the tiny girl’s back.

“I’ll call the super on monday.” Victoria says, leaning in and kissing Cindy on the cheek.  

“Alright, I’ll see you sunday night for Game of Thrones.” Cindy replies before stepping back into her doorway.

“Yep, later!” Victoria says as Cindy gently shuts the door, locking it behind her.

“Alright little Alison, time for us to go home.” Victoria says, her tone demeaning and condescending all at once.

“Do you have to call me little?” The tiny girl timidly whispers as she watches her apartment grow further and further away.  

“What else would I call you, silly?” Victoria shoots back, her red heels thumping against the carpet of the hallway, causing the tiny girl’s perspective to jump up and down.

“Uh, Alison?” The tiny girl shoots back, raising an eyebrow as a desperate sense of embarrassment washes over her little body.

“Or I can just turn around, and you can stay with Cindy...”  Victoria says, irritation creeping into her voice as she hits the elevator button.

“What? No! No!” The tiny girl protests, her head pounding with the now familiar pain of an imminent bout of shrinking.  “OW!” The tiny girl cries out, putting her hand over her head.

“What’s the matter?” Victoria asks as the two step into the elevator, the tiny girl watching her home disappear as the shiny metal doors slide shut.

Alison begins to sob, but finds her tear ducts quite dry.  Exhaustion rocks her little body and she hangs limply on Victoria’s shoulder.  The world did not feel real anymore, and Victoria’s huge body was like a tidal wave on an ocean, carrying her body effortlessly through this strange new existence, and world where she seemed something other than a human being, something less.

“Its happening again...” Alison manages to stammer out in a quivering half whisper.

“What is?” Victoria says as she hits the lobby button, causing the elevator to lurch downward.

“I...I...am getting smaller.” The tiny girl stammers, peeling her body away from the giant shoulder, and looking Victoria in the eyes.

“Tell me, promise me, you won’t let her touch me.” Alison says, her desperate eyes pleading with Victoria’s cool, calm demeanor.

“Aww, how can I let anything happen to a face like that?” Victoria coos, stepping out of the doors as they slide open, and walking to the entrance of the building.

“Tell me you won’t let her near me! Vicky please!” The tiny girl demands as the cool midnight air wafts against her little body, causing her long black hair to sway as it howls in her ears.

“You are really scared of her, huh?” Victoria asks as she presses the tiny girl against her shoulder, walking down the street as traffic whizzes by, horns blaring here and there.

“Yes!” The tiny girl half shouts, her arms and legs shaking against victoria’s warmth.

“Don’t worry little one, no one is going to hurt you.” Victoria assures as her heels pound into the sidewalk, again and again.

Alison stays silent as Victoria walks a few blocks, watching her apartment building disappear into the canopy of Manhattan’s concrete jungle. A great pang of loss floods the girl’s senses, depression knocking at the door of her mind as her old life slips between her tiny fingers. Her job, her apartment, her height, her wardrobe, her dignity and sense of self worth, all gone in the matter of a day.

“Thank you Vicky...”  Alison whispers as her arms cling around the giant girl’s neck.  “Thank you...” she repeats as her tiny body surrenders to exhaustion, her silky black hair blowing in the cool air as she is carried, unconscious, to her new home.

Clinging desperately to the last person in the world who gave a damn.