Robert can do nothing but stand there, dumbfounded, the little woman wrapped around him in an embrace. “Lit...little friend?” Robert asks, quiveringly.
“mmhmm.” April nuzzles herself into his chest a bit more, before taking a step back. “We’re going to be friends, and you’re going to be little, little Robbie!” April giggles. Robert looks down on the girl, who suddenly seemed way too excited about the fact that he was going to become much smaller. April clears her throat, the smile dropping from her face.
“Oh, um, I’m sorry...” The girl says sheepishly, biting her lip again and looking down at the floor.
“You don’t have to worry, I’m going to take good care of you, It’s going to be fine.” April reassures, placing her hand on his chest for moment before pulling it away. Robert takes a few deep breathes, and simply sits down back at the table, looking into the distance.
“You must be hungry.” April insists, and without waiting for a response, she opens her fridge and takes out a bag of deli meats and a loaf of bread, taking them over to the counter.
“What..what happens when people get really small?” Robert stammers, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as he tries to comprehend being mere inches in height.
April hesitates to answer as she turns her back, grabbing a plate and placing two pieces of bread on top. “Well, I care for them of course, until...” She stops, placing ham on one of the slices of bread, followed by a slice of cheese. “Until they are too small for me to easily handle, then they go to a special place, not far from here.” April continues as she places one slice of bread over the other, smiling as she presses her hand down lightly on the sandwich.
“A special place?” Robert asks, turning towards the girl.
“Yes, Somewhere where they can be happier, where they can be amongst other Syndrome sufferers.” April smiles calmly as she walks the plate over to the table, setting it down in front of Robert.
“But don’t worry about that now sweetie, eat, you need to keep your strength up.” The small girl insists as Robert looks down at the plate, slowly grabbing the sandwich and taking a bite as April hovers above him, smiling.
“I know it’s scary.” The small girl coos, stepping behind Robert and rubbing his shoulders. Robert jumps a little bit when he feels her hands on his back, but closes his eyes and sighs as he feels the knots being worked from his tense shoulders. Robert continues to eat as April massages him, her tiny hands working him over, and he actually finds himself calming down a bit. Eventually She stops, walks around the table, and scribbles something on the page of the open marble notebook. “Five-five.” She smiles a little bit.
“Is there anyone else here?” Robert asks as he pushes the empty plate away from him a little bit, taking a sip of water.
“Yeah, actually, there is, would you like to meet her?” April asks as she closes the notebook, stands up, and carries it over to the counter, sliding it between two full cookie jars.
“Um, sure.” Robert nods.
“Come, she’s upstairs.” April replies, motioning for Robert to follow her. Robert stands up and they both walk slowly up the stairs, to the second floor, where four bedrooms line a hallway, it’s beige carpet freshly vacuumed.
“Just, don’t make any sudden moves, she is a bit skittish, in fact, hold on, let me go warn her that you’re going to come in, so you don’t scare her.” April says, placing a hand on Robert’s chest outside of one of the bedroom doors. She quickly opens the door, and slips inside, closing it behind her, leaving robert to stand outside, waiting. Robert can hear April speaking softly, but he can’t quite make out what is being said, and a few moments later, the door is opened wide, April waving him inside with a smile. Robert looks around the room, which sports the same carpeting as the hallway. The room has a single window with blue curtains, which are fluttering in the warm breeze, the scent of the ocean wafting in. In the center of the room sits a large table, with three dollhouses, all custom made, with real wood and painted in vibrant colors, each standing two stories tall. Off to the side Robert notices a small stroller, with a small beige and black blanket crumpled up in it’s seat.
“Sammy...Samantha.” April coos, quietly as they both approach the table, looking down on the middle house. After a moment, movement catches Robert’s eye. A tiny, action figured sized woman, no older than twenty two, or twenty three, strolls through the front door of the middle house. The woman’s hair is dirty blonde, and her body is wrapped in what looks like a pink dress, made for a small doll, her tiny bare feet timidly stepping onto the wood of the table.
Robert steps closer and bends down, causing the girl to grab her chest and take a few steps backwards. “Oh..oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten you!” Robert says, panicking a little bit as the girl covers her ears. Robert turns towards April, who has her index finger pressed against her lips. “You have to speak very low, her ears are itty bitty.” April whispers, extending her index finger and gently bringing it down towards the tiny girl, gently petting her head. “It’s ok lil Sam-Sam, April is here.” April coos, turning towards Robert.
“This is why I can’t keep them around when they become so small, one wrong move could really be disastrous for them, Sammy here will be leaving us soon, Isn’t that right Sammy, are you excited? hmm?” April coos, smiling down on the woman.
“But I don’t want to leave.” Samantha says, her voice barely reaching both of their ears.
“Aww, you’re so sweet little Sammy, I’ll miss you so very much!” April whispers, tossling the woman’s hair a bit, causing her to stumble lightly. “Will you miss me?” April asks in the same whispered tone.
The tiny woman shakes her head up and down, rather quickly, running towards the tip of April’s finger and hugging onto it tightly. April looks up at Robert and smiles. “She’s so sweet.” April grins before moving her hand away from the girl.
“Samantha, this is Robert, he had his first episode today.” April explains, placing a hand on Robert’s shoulder. The tiny girl gracefully lifts her dress a bit and gives a formal bow, tipping her head forward and then back. “Hello Robert, I am so so sorry to hear that.” The girl says, her tiny, high pitched voice, sincere.
“T..thank you.” Robert says, still in shock, he had seen pictures of small people before, but people so far gone where very rarely, if ever seen in public. Like everyone else, Robert paid Syndrome victims no mind, he’d gone through life thinking it could never happen to him, and while he felt most were ill-treated, he did not care enough to think about what it was like to be that small.
“Can I ask, what it is like?” Robert whispers down to the tiny girl.
“Well, everything is...big, it’s kind of scary, but April is wonderful.” The tiny girl stammers, looking up at April for a brief moment before returning her gaze to the other giant looming above her.
“She’s like my giant guardian angel.” The tiny girl continues.
April bites her lips and giggles a bit, petting the girl once more. “Aww, Sammy...” April coo’s quitely. “Go get some rest, hmm?” She suggests to the tiny girl, moving her finger and pressing it gently into the girl’s back, pushing her gently towards the house. “Yes Mam.” The small girl replies, shuffling towards the door and opening it. Robert can see movement on the second floor.
“Let’s get out of her hair, shall we?” April suggests, walking towards the door and opening it slowly.
“Um sure.” Robert says dumbly, following April towards the hallway.
Samantha runs towards the plastic window, almost tripping over the fake bed in the mock bedroom, and starts pounding desperately on the plastic, tears streaming down her face.
“Run away!! Run!” The tiny girl shouts desperately, her voice cracking as the giant form of April flicks the light switch, casting the room in the dim light of evening. Robert leaves the room first, but April hesitates, looking towards the small window and grinning.
“Goodnight my sweet little princess...” April says playfully, gently closing the door behind her.