You will die…

That’s what I thought when I laid on the ice and snow of that horrible winter evening.

Above me, I saw a grey uncaring sky, and at my back, I felt the coldness of the snow and the warmth of my own blood as it began to melt a bit of the snow around me. I remembered how my breath became visible while I laid on my back until also that vanished and my eyes began to get tired. All I wanted to do was sleep. That one final sleep, that everyone does once his or her time comes. My dad often told me that death was nothing to be afraid of but that it was rather a new start, into a new existence; one that we should embrace and not fear. I can tell you that I wasn’t embracing anything but that I cried like a baby. I was scared as hell until I heard that soft warm voice.

“Don’t die on me little one,” the voice said.

It was the voice of my saviour. The person who rescued me not only from the icy death, but who also took care of my wounds and nursed me back to health. I wish I could tell you how wonderful the person looked like but I can’t. I can’t, because I can't fit into words what I saw. That wonderful angelic like face with those cute little freckles and her short dark red hair. And her perfume! Her perfume smelt amazing! It was the smell of a flower garden in full bloom. She had delicate fingers and a very soft skin which, thanks to her perfume, always smelled great.  I have no idea how to better describe her.

Mara.

That was her name. Mara - the only giantess I know which didn’t seem to see me as a toy or pet or whatever other names you giants have for us. When she took care of me was she always careful about how she handled me and she never ever abused me or used me in a way I didn’t want. She saw me as a being - a person - and when I look back at the time, can I still smell the perfume she used.

_ _ _

“Ben,” a female voice says.

I could hear her already calling my name even before she lifted my box and opened it a few moments later. Alex was her name. She was tall, blonde, and most of the time, very friendly; but always hiding her face for some reason. She was the one I was handed to when my body was recovered. I don’t know why Mara left me but I know that she had to. That she was forced to do it.

It didn’t take me long to prepare myself, and when I stepped out, my box was closed behind me and put back onto the shelf high up above me. The room was full of boxes and cages like mine, each of them with someone like me inside. This is how we all live here, except for that Jonathan. Alex likes him more than anyone else.

Alex loomed over me like a tower and if I was to describe her shape, I would say that it was close to one as well, which I of course, I didn’t mean in any disrespect, not like an old stone tower.  I mean that in the way that she was like a modern skyscraper.  Shapely, clean and very curvy; she was a woman with curves in all the right places. I bet that the giants loved her a lot but this woman seemed more interested in those of my kind. They often try to hide it but I know that she loves one of us more then she should.

Especially that moron Jonathan. Oh I could vomit when I see him jerking around whenever she takes him. The way he acts around her. Just like a good little boy. The others behave kind of like him when she is around but there are also those few like me. I know from a good friend that they do some not very legal stuff here. I know that we shouldn’t be here and I know that if someone outside were to find out about this place, that there would be a lot of trouble waiting for those who work here. But I also know that those who try to escape simply vanished. Alex calls it a ‘lesson’.

I see her turning around to me again and as she looks down on me. I can already see that little puppy of hers sitting on her shoulder. Gosh I hate him.

“Are you ready Benjamin?” Asks she me, and I sense the pushed friendliness in her voice. Well what else can I say then: “Oh yes of course, Alex.”

Ugh I hate that faked grin that I have to show her every time she or her co-worker Tammy asks me that. Then everything happens - always the same routine. Alex puts me on the counter before a wooden door, which, when it opens, will allow me to see the customer I am supposed to entertain. Well most of them want to talk to someone. I don’t know why they come here for that but they do, and I don’t question that. All I have to do is to listen and talk with them and get them their drinks or snacks when they order some.

It probably isn’t that bad a life but from time to time I get customers that behave…a bit weird and I don’t like that. For example some of them do seem to like it when we pull or push their snacks to them. Some are so nice and give us a hand but others, seem to love it when they can make it harder for us like blocking the way with some stuff on the counter or holding onto the plate or glass while we try to bring it to them. They find it hilarious. I find it really annoying and more than once has a glass then slipped and the entire drink drenched my clothes. The only good thing is that Alex and Tammy watches out for these kinds of customers.

Well, here she comes; my first customer of the night. Ugh please I hope it’s a good one and not one of those…that smell! As the door opens before me, the aroma around me is reinforced. The smell of a flower garden is all around me and I quickly look to the customer who sits close to the opening at the bar. I can’t see her face since she wears a dark blue mask. Her hair isn’t short and dark red like Mara’s, but long, curly and black. But her perfume is the same and it brings back wonderful memories as I walk towards the tall woman.

“Hello and good evening madam. I…” I say before I get shut up when she blows a gust of smoke from her cigarette into my face.

 I cough as she takes another drag of it, and this time, thankfully blows it above her. I hate it when people smoke in here. I can’t stand it! That doesn’t mean she’ll be nasty though. I just wish she didn’t smoke around me.

“Some of my friends said that this is the perfect location to hang out and getting entertained. Well, entertain me,” she says in a calm, but somewhat grumpy voice.

As I start to get up and the piercing smoke fades from my lung, it still burns in my eyes. Damn, why must it be one of those customers again? I hate smokers.

“Your friends have surely told you that we prefer…”

Oh Ben…what you say next won’t give you some good points on the list. Not…one…bit.

“…well mannered customers, who are able to behave in this establishment and follow the rules that are set up for them. And not blunt, behemoths, with stinking cigarettes like you!”

Oh boy…I can sense the anger rising under that mask. The way she is holding her still smoking staff tells me that she won’t give me any good feedback which means, Alex won’t be happy.

 “You…are either pretty brave, or pretty stupid for someone of your size,” tells me the tall raven black haired woman and pushes the cigarette into the nearest ashtray.

She then turns a bit into my direction and I get a better look at her body or better said, at her chest since the rest is hidden by the counter. She then places her chin on her hand and puts her elbow on the counter.

“I would take the first one,” I can hear myself saying when my brain tells me, that it was nice being with the rest of my body.

But instead of a swat of her hand or any other rather violent action can I just hear the bulging giggle which soon becomes a loud burst of laughter from her. I don’t know what’s so funny. I guess I will never understand those giants.

As surprising as it is, does she, eh Temari as she introduced herself to me, then start to talk with me like I were a normal guy. She tells me that she works in a company as a chief, blah blah, something. I don’t really care because as soon as the nose piercing smell finally vanishes, comes the wonderful smell of her perfume back and takes me back to the time when I was in the care of Mara.

I don’t even notice that she changed the subject and asked me a question. Only when her violet painted fingernail starts to poke me slightly do I snap out and nearly fall on my back.

 “Do I bore you?” she asks.

 “No,” comes my quick reply and I shake my head a bit to push the thoughts away again, “Please continue.”

“Well, I asked you how you got that scar in your face.”

Oh…oh. I know that it was there but Mara told me that it would vanish soon and it did…well most of it. A few barely visible marks had I left behind and most of the customers didn’t notice them or were so kind to pretend that they didn’t see them. Not like the one on my back which is mostly visible but what do you expect after a confrontation with a hungry rat. They have damn sharp claws and teeth and I had only an improvised sword.

“I-I don’t really like to talk about it and its boring anyway.”

I see the frown as her lips aren’t hidden under the mask. We are supposed to do what they want but this is personal and I refuse to talk about it. It’s the one thing I don’t ever want to talk about.

“Well, I guess I have to go,” is all I hear from her when she gets up and fills out a sheet of paper which she will hand to Alex or Tammy.

I know those pieces of paper. It’s my feedback card. And I know that it isn’t very good not, one, bit. I walk back towards the wooden door not really sure how furious Tammy or Alex will be. But I know one of them will be. As I walk back into our world, I see Alex’s stomach in front of me; she’s wearing a crop top again. I look up towards her face. Although I can’t see what’s underneath her black veil, I can feel the anger leaking out from her as she is closes the door behind me. Of course she has watched me. She watches us all if she can, and since I wasn’t very far away this time, she has probably heard what I answered too.

“Go into your box Ben,” is all she says when she puts the box down and opens it for me to enter.

No yelling, no furious scolding…but damn I think I overdid it this time. As the box closes behind me I feel it being lifted up and placed roughly onto the shelf. I sit down on my little pillow and as my mind wanders inside that cage, can I still smell the slight aroma of that wonderful perfume. Oh Mara…I wish you could get me out of this place. I will always thank you for saving me. No matter what punishment I get my mind will think about you and with that, I will be at ease.

*

Thats all I have so far and yeah I have no real idea for how he really looks like ^^" But I think of something :)