“Hello, contestants!” Betty said as she beemed down at all the small people standing around Marie’s legs. “I trust you’ve all been very anxious to see what this appointment is all about?”

“Yes, we are,” Marie said. “But…Dale’s not here, he’s been gone for a while!”

“Yes I know,” Betty said, dismissively like she had known it all along. “We’ll just pick him up on our way to the compound. So if you’ll just pick up the smaller people, Marie, we’ll be on our way.”

Andy felt Marie’s right arm bend around him as she easily lifted him up. In her other hand Marie has holding Vera gently in a loose fist. Half-sized Jerry and Sherri were on their own, ready to follow.

“Right this way,” Betty said, leading the group of people out of the house. She turned left and walked along the side of the house knowing exactly where she was going. She stopped in front of a particular clump of bushes and announced to it: “Come out, Dale, it’s eight o’clock!”

“I don’t want to!” Shouted Dale’s voice from the bush. “I’m done.”

“You’re done when the show is over,” Betty said. “That’s the contract you signed.”

“I don’t care!” Dale said. “I don’t want to participate!”

“Well Dale, if you don’t come out then I’m afraid I’m going to have to reach in there after you.” Betty said. She bent down and stuck her hand into the bush. There was a rustelling sound and a few second later Betty’s hand emerged, clutched around the middle third of a screaming, struggelling nine inch Dale.

“That could have been easier,” Betty said, giving Dale a threatening look that served to quell his strugelling. “Well, everyone’s here, let’s head back to the building now.”

The seven people headed towards the compound in the light of the bulb on the exterior wall of the compound. Betty opened the door with her Dale-free hand and led the contestants into the room where they had had so many votes.

It was clear this was their final destination. There were four booths set up in a row, all different sizes ranging from half-sized down to sixteenth-sized. Only four booths and none of them full sized—Marie gasped in understanding. No, it couldn’t be…

“Today we will be deciding whether Marie remains your Queen, or whether somebody new takes the position.” Betty said, placing Dale in front of the appropriate screen and stepping back.

Marie was shocked. She thought she was in for good—there had only been one challenge last season, she had not been expecting a second challenge. Could it be that in just five minutes she would be four inches tall, eliminated?

“Answer wisely,” Betty said. “For if Marie remains Queen, she will pick someone to eliminate. But if a new King or Queen is elected, he or she will choose someone to eliminate, and that person could be the newly diposed Queen.”

Marie shook nervously. She looked at the four small people standing behind the booths, judging her fate. Which of them would vote to keep her? What would happen if there was a tie? In her paniced state she could not think about any of these things clearly.

“Now if you would be so kind, place your votes. If you want Marie to remain the Queen, press ‘Yes’. If you want her to be diposed, press ‘No’. Vote now.” Betty said.

All four of them pressed a button on their screens. There was a tense silence for a moment before Betty said: “Now I will reveal the votes.” The screens on the front of the podiums lit up and the votes were displayed:

JERRY: YES

ANDY: YES

DALE: NO

VERA: YES

Marie felt a wave of warm relife flush through her body. She had made it! Somehow, they all found it in their hearts, or in their interests, to keep her the Queen, except obviously Dale who was clearly on nobody’s side at the moment.

Andy had the easiest time voting yes. Of course he wanted Marie to remain the Queen; he didn’t want the job himself, and couldn’t see anyone else he wanted more. For Vera too the choice was easy; she would have felt much less comfertable with a man in the top spot—with the exception of Paul who had been eliminated—and she knew she didn’t have enough support to have the spot herself. Besides, Marie had been very good to her and Vera felt a degree of affection for her.

Jerry’s choice was a little more difficult. He liked Marie all right, but he knew he was still in it to win. In the few seconds afforded to them Jerry thought about the situation. If Marie was voted down as Queen it would be up to the four of them to select a new one. If no one could vote for themselves like last year, Andy would have voted for Vera because she would have been the only female left, and Vera might have voted for either Andy or himself. Jerry could have voted for Vera and gotten her, but felt he was much more comfertable with Marie anyway.

Dale was still highly distraught over the events of today, and he voted against Marie simply because he was frusturated with her as he was frusturated with everyone. He didn’t care who became the next King or Queen because he knew full well it wasn’t going to be him.

“Well Marie, you’ve survived the vote,” Betty said. “You remain the Queen, and now you must use your power to eliminate one of the other contestants.”

Marie’s eyes fell immediately and predictibly on Dale. She hated to dump him when he was feeling as low as he could, but with the way he was acting it would definitely be a lot nicer in the house without him.

“I’m sorry Dale,” Marie said, “Your time is up.”

Dale nodded curtly. He knew that this was coming. He knew if anyone was going to be eliminated, no matter how, it was going to be him. Now all he had to do was await what was coming to him.

“Well Dale, make your way to the shrinking booth to be reduced in size for elmination.” Betty said.

At the other end of the room the great door to the shrinking booth opened. It was like opening a door to a cathedral of some kind it was so high. Dale knew it would be ridiculous to refuse to go in: they would shrink him in there or they would shrink him out here; either way it was no use.

Dale walked into the shrinking booth and the door closed behind him. A moment later there was a flash of light and everyone knew he was shrunk. No one moved for a couple of moments. The look on Betty’s face was a mystery to most, but Sherri understood it as a look of anticipation for when Betty would retrieve Dale.

“Well, congradulations for retaining the throne,” Betty said to Marie, “And good job the rest of you keeping yourself one step ahead of elimination. Don’t get to comfertable, though, for tomorrow we start early—at twelve noon I will be by once again to collect all of you, so be ready!”

Marie, Jerry, Andy and Vera turned to leave. Half the contestants had now been eliminated; they were the survivors. Their odds of winning had been doubled, but who knew what kinds of twisted things Betty had planned for them next?

Dale stood alone in the shrinking booth. He was once again the same size he had been durring the maze competition earlier in the day. The difference was that then he had a chance to get through the competition and move on. Now there was no moving on; he was finished. The competition was over for him.

Suddenly the vast door in front of him opened and he found himself stairing at two female feet in sandals, each far larger than himself. Looking up he found the amazing form of Betty towering over and staring down at him. She was smiling that same infuriating smile she always did when she had her pray cornered, but since it was directed at him and him alone this time, Dale felt his blood run cold.

“Dale,” Betty said in a powerful whisper that filled the entire room. “I’ve been looking forward to this,”

Needless to say, Dale did not like the sound of this, and he said nothing as Betty continued to stare down at him. She seemed to be savoring the moment, the site of tiny Dale standing on the ground cowering before her.

“Come over here,” Betty said. “Come stand between my feet.”

For a moment Dale didn’t move; he was too scared. He thought that if he refused to play Betty’s game that she would grow tired and just put him in his cage or wherever he was supposed to go until the conclusion of the game. But the look she gave him was a dire warning that life would be a lot more difficult for him if he didn’t move.

Slowly, cautiously, Dale walked forward into the space on the floor in between Betty’s massive feet. As he did so he looked up at Betty; she seemed taller than ever when he was right under her, as if he were walking up to a large building.

“Tell me,” Betty boomed down to him, her face just visible around the curve of her breases, “Do you have any idea what goes on back here?”

“N-no,” Dale said. He didn’t have a clue what went on after elimination but had desperately hoped that it would only involve waiting for the end of the competition so that he could go home. However, from the rumors he had heard both after the first season and from this season’s contestants, he had a bad feeling that this wasn’t the case.

“Well, you’re about to get a firsthand experience.” Betty said.

Dale said nothing. The fear was nothing short of petrifying, but he still wouldn’t give into her.

“Now, you will do what I tell you or there will be consequences.” Betty said. “Get onto my right foot.”

She shifted her giant right sandaled foot to emphasise. Dale looked at it. It was the size of a killer whale. He could see the tendons in her ankle which must be helping to support a tremendous weight. Still he did nothing. After a few moments Betty started to slide her right foot out of her sandal as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

“You’re going on my foot or you’re going under it.” Betty said, moving her massive right foot nearer to him. Still, Dale did nothing. Surely Betty wasn’t going to crush him! She could do any number of things to him but it she killed him—the cops would be after her. He would be missed back home.

“Have it your way then,” Betty said. Unbevabily, Betty lowered the front of her foot onto Dale.

Dale’s legs buckled and he fell onto his back. The pad just below her toes covered his legs and torso, crushing him, and he found his head wedged in the gap between her second and third toe. There was a smell of sweat on her feet and Dale could hear the blood corsing through her toes. He thought his body was going to break under the pressure.

“How about we give you a little squeese?” Betty said, and Dale heard him even though his ears were covered by the toes. Betty’s toes curled, pressing Dale’s head into itself and pressing his shoulders into his body. He thought that his skull was going to crack in half and his spinal chord would buckle and break in two. Through his pain he saw that grinning face miles above.

“STOP!!” Shouted Dale. The pressure let up somewhat. “Okay! I’ll do it! I’ll do whatever you say!” Dale pleaded, wanting nothing else but for the pain to stop.

The pressure was relieved entirely as Betty lifted her foot off Dale. Dale lay there in pain, trying to regain his breath. He also realised that he had been sweating all over.

“That’s good.” Betty said. “Now, get onto my foot like I told you to do the first time.”

Still hurting, Dale got up onto his feet. Betty’s right foot had slipped back into her sandal. Slowly he walked over and climbed onto her foot. He could feel its massive bones beneith his feet.

“You might want to hold on.” Betty said. “We’re going for a walk.”

Dale tried to reach around Betty’s ankle. His arms weren’t long enough; it was like a too-large tree-trunk. His hold was tenuous and he hoped that he wouldn’t fall off. Betty began walking, a horrible motion of Dale being slammed into Betty’s leg bone, thrown upward, and then backward. It was the upward and backward part that scared him the most, because it seemed like he could fly off at any moment.

As Betty made her way down the hallway at astonishing pace, Dale tried to keep track of where she was going but it was no use. The scenery was bluring by so fast that he could not make heads or tails of where they were at any moment. The motion of Betty’s leg threw him off so much that he couldn’t tell when she was rounding corners, climbing stairs, or anything else.

There was a momentary respite as Betty stood still, then a few more steps before Betty came to a stop. Dale’s head was throbbing, his vision was swimming, and he thought he would pass out at any moment. He felt a warm surface come from behind him and pry him off his hanging point on Betty’s ankle. As he fell backwards, Betty’s hand seemed like the most comfertable and welcome place he could be.

“That better?” Betty asked. Dale’s vision was starting to clear up and he could see Betty’s huge face looking down on him; evidently he had been raised up to Betty’s eye level.

“Yes,” Muttered Dale weakly. He didn’t know what else he could say. Any resistance he might have had was shot.

“It’s funny.” Betty said. “You were one of the toughest guys coming in, but you turned out to be one of the worst preformers. I think the two go hand in hand. In the outside world you are a big, strong jock that no one dares mess with. But I’ve taken your superior size away and with it the mask you have been hiding behind. Behind your size you have no stength; you fold like a deck of cards.”

Dale said nothing. Each of Betty’s words—which were spoken by powerful vocal chords that vibrated him as she talked—seem to weeken him further. He felt every one of those four little inches now.

“Out there, you had your way with women,” Betty said, “But in here, I, a mere woman with no extrodonary physical strength, can cause you so much hurt by doing so little. Why, I haven’t even done anything to you yet and you’re all ready to pass out.”

Dale still said nothing. There was part of his mind that was asking him to scream out for mercy at the woman who had the power over him. There was another part of his mind that was telling him to do the most shameful thing of all—cry. He fought back both temptations with every bit of strength he had.

“I’m going to lay it on you, how powerless you are.” Betty said. “See this?” She pointed to her lips with her free hand. “This is a mouth that has given many kisses, no different from the mouth of any other women you’ve ever kissed. However, at your size, it could be the kiss of death. These lips could part ever so slightly to admit your body, and then close tight and you would never be able to part them. Your body is a ragdoll to my tounge. If I wanted, my teeth could grind you into a million pieces in just seconds. Or I could swallow you, and you would disentegrate in an acid bath inside my stomach, so small it would not even count as a snack.”

Dale stared at Betty in a horrified silence. Seeing the look on her face and feeling every bit of the size difference, Dale truly felt that any one of these things could occur.

Dale found the hand he was on was moving backwards, and a second later he was placed sitting down on a shelving unit that Betty was facing. Dale noticed for the first time that he must be in Betty’s apartment, but his horror and fear made him unable to take in any details.

“And now,” Betty said, and with a start Dale realised that Betty was taking off her shirt. She whipped it off rapidly and took off her bra as well, giving Dale a breathtaking view of Betty’s chest with the nipples on her ample breasts erect and pointing towards him.

“These,” Betty said, cupping one breast in each hand and bouncing them a little. “Givers of milk, protection, warmpth. The eye candy of men the world over. These soft little things could crush you, if I brought them over there and let their full weight sit on you. These gental mounds of flesh could suffocate you with ease.”

“And finally,” Betty said, and a horrified Dale realised that Betty was taking off her pants and panties, leaving her entirely naked before him.

“This.” Betty said, pointing down to her vagina. The sex organ was red, huge, and wet. It was topped by a bush that Dale could probably get tangled in. The grace of the female form exploded many times. Horrified as he was he could not keep his eyes off it.

“The man’s dream.” Betty said. “You spend nine months wanting to get out, and the rest of your life getting back in. The gentle, firm, and perfect tube in which you love to insert your ever-ready dick, for not only does it give you the most perfect sensations along your penis that you could never replicate with your cupped hands, but it gives you the ultimite feeling of accomplishment, of domination, of conquest. A woman layed is a woman conquered.”

Dale let out a terrified wimper. He could see drops of cum already forming on her vulva and she was moving her hips in such a suggestive and frightening way that he felt that they would jump out and swallow him at any time.

“The muscles down there are the strongest in any human, male or female,” Betty said. “Powerful at normal size, they are incredible to you, bigger than the motors that move tanks or ships, enough power to easily crush you just by expanding or contracting agaisnt each other.”

Betty was smiling at Dale like she had never smiled before.

“And now,” Betty said. “I am going to do the ultimate thing in stripping you of any layer of yourself that you still hold in tact. That place on my body, the sacred place that every man wants to conquer, is going to conquer you.”

For a moment Betty did not move, she only stared at Dale. Then her hand made to grab him. Dale whimpered, almost ready to scream outright as the hand closed around him before he could scoot backwards at all. She held him low, so that her vagina was inches away, and he could smell it’s emense scent.

Betty brough her free hand down and extended her index finger, forcing it under the neck of dale’s shirt. It pressed against him heavily for a moment before it painfully ripped completely in half down the back. Betty flicked it off carelessly as Dale felt each arm of the shirt rip off just around the armpit.

She put her finger into the side of his pants by his hip and pulled outward. The pants would not give easily and this time Dale really did scream with the pain. Finally, the pants tore off of him painfully, releasing him from a stranglehold that made him feel like his body would be crushed into a fleshy lump.

He was now completely naked and looking into Betty’s vagina and could hold in the terror no longer. He screamed and screamed and tried fruitlessly to get away as Betty’s strong fingers held him down. Betty walked over to her bed and sat down on it, stretching her leg. Without even the ceremony of first rubbing him full of her secretions, as she had done to Paul, Betty shoved him headfirst into her vagina.

The pressure was intense on all angles; Dale was being pressed on all sides. He was completely covered in strong-smelling liquid. He was inside Betty’s vagina, flanked by muscles of unimaginable power. She squeezed her hips a little bit causing the walls to close in tighter and Dale felt once again like he was going to be crushed.

Her hands still holding his feet, Betty began to move him up and down. He wanted to shout with terror but there was no air, only fluid. He enhaled it by accident, caughing and gagging, his mind frantic for air. There was an intense rubbing sensation as she moved him faster and faster inside her. Dale’s head was hammering from the lack of air and he felt squeesed to death; he thought he was finally going to pass out when Betty came. After one final squeese, the strongest of them all, the walls relaxed.

Gravity taking effect as Betty leaned forward, Dale gentally slid out of Betty’s vagina, landing softly on the bedspread before him. His eyes stinging, he could just make out Betty’s towering waste, torso, and head above him, the building-sized legs that flanked him, and the giant, pulsating monster that had just eaten him alive and spit him out again as if it didn’t enjoy the taste.

All the fight had left Dale. All thoughts had left his mind—he was a completely broken man. He could do nothing but stare up through his secretion-soaked eyes at Betty feeling completely and utterly subservent.

And then he did the most shameful thing of all. For the first time since he was eight years old, he cried. Not just a few tears, but downright bawling. He did not think about how his dad would have hit him if he had seen. He did not think about how he was embarrassing himself to his friends and girls, whether they be there or not. He did not think at all. He was completely broken.

“There, there,” Betty said, cupping her arm around Dale and lifting him up. She placed him on her breast and let his gentle weight sink into it. It was the most comfertable and inviting surface he had ever been on—it felt like he was touching comfort itself. Shamelessly and without any thought, he squirmed upon it as if there were nothing in the world he had more affection for, tears ending as an almost stupid smile grew on Dale’s face as he regressed all the way past adolescence, past childhood, to the earliest stage of infancy where the only thing known was the mother’s warmpth.

“That’s okay, let it die,” Betty said. Dale could no longer hear her as he was falling into a state that was more a trance than actual sleep. “Let it die and be reborn. Betty will not let anything happen to you.”

Satisfied with herself, Betty reclined to a laying position on her bed, feeling the soft weight of Dale upon her breast. This is what it is all about, Betty thought. Dale would probably never think or feel the same way again, and he would certianly never forget about her. If only every stuck-up, chauvinistic jock in the world could be put through the same thing, Betty thought, the world would be a much better place. They would get what they deserve.

Betty let Dale lay on her breast for a considerable amount of time before carefully moving him to another surface. The deeply-sleeping Dale did not stirr as she did this.

The four remaining contestants stayed together in the living room for a little while following the most recent Queen vote. All of them were happy to have survived for this long, and all of them wondered what was happenning to Dale in the seceret halls of the compound. Or, for that matter, what was happening to Paul, Hailey, or Carla.

It felt different to be in a group of four people, Marie thought. It seemed much more personal to her. In a larger group it was possible to have subsections, but in a small group such as this people were forced to interact with everyone else. There was no way around it. The dynamics of the game had changed.

Andy was overjoyed with the situation. He was sitting in Marie’s huge lap, his sides gentally being stroked by her, not having to worry about Carla getting angry or even Dale. Neither Jerry nor Vera had any interest what Marie or Andy did with themselves, and Andy was greatful for it. Now that there were no more competitions or uncertianties for the rest of the day Andy was certain Marie would take him back to bed with her. If only he could get even smaller, it would be perfect.

Tiny Vera was sitting on Marie’s leg to the right of Andy, who dispite being much larger than her still took up a very small area of Marie’s lap. She felt some sense of relife for still being in the game, though she was still nervous about her tiny size. With the threat or Dale’s erratic behavior removed she felt a little more confident, yet she still felt small enough to worry that she could easily be forgotten, slipped through the cracks, or something like that.

There was a knock on the door, a more gental wrapping that would suggest Sherri rather than Betty. Because he was unincumbered by lap-sitters, Jerry jumped up to answer the door. Sure enough, he opened it to reveal a half-sized Sherri standing at the doorway. Jerry’s face broke into a smile as he looked at his secret lover, resisting the urge to kiss her right there. Sherri returned the smile, feeling much the same way.

“Hi, Sherri!” Said Marie from the couch, Andy and Vera feeling her body shift as Marie turned to wave at Sherri.

“Hello,” Sherri said as she and Jerry walked back into the living room to sit down. “Good to see you still around!”

“I’m glad to be hanging on,” Marie said. “When Betty said that there would be a vote for the Queen, I thought I was a goner for sure!”

“The Queen was voted out last season,” Sherri said, “But not this time. This room is full of your admirers!”

Andy beamed up at Marie from her lap. Jerry and Vera smiled more weakly.

“I don’t know how much longer it’s going to help me,” Said Marie. “I mean, we’re all equal in the end. We’re all going to end up competing at four inches, aren’t we?”

“You’ll see,” Said Sherri, a teasing smile upon her face.

“Poor Dale,” Marie said to general surprise. “I wonder what it feels like for him to be eliminated? He was so scared before.”

“I’m sure he’s going to be fine,” Sherri said. “After the general shock, of course.”

“I feel bad about sending him away.” Marie said blankly.

“Don’t.” Jerry said firmly. “He was not acting well and was dangerous to the group. You did the right thing.”

“I guess I did,” Marie said, but her voice sounded hestitant.

“Think about it this way,” Jerry said. “You know he would have eliminated you in a second if he got the chance, and he probably wouldn’t think twice about it.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Marie said, and she started to feel just a bit better about the decision she made.

“At any rate, he’ll be reunited with the other three before long.” Sherri said.

“What does happen back there?” Andy asked, his curiosity spilling out of him before he could stop himself.

Sherri’s mouth broke into an amused grin. “You almost seem as though you can’t wait to find out.”

“No, I want to stay in the game!” Andy said, clutching for Marie’s arm for reassurance as he did. Both Sherri and Jerry gave a little smirk at this.

“Okay, fine, I’ll admit it since everyone knows.” Andy said. “I love shrinking! I love it!” He through his arms wide, his face smiling in liberation, and Sherri laughed out loud.

“Hey, if you love shrinking so much, would you care to trade with me?” Vera asked, the tiny woman saying her first words since they had come back from the voting. She felt all the giant eyes turn towards her. “I mean, if that’s allowed,” Vera said, shifting uncomfortably under all the stares.

“Certianly it’s allowed!” Sherri said, because Andy looked as though he was going to kiss Vera. “Betty has given me the power to swap sizes between contestants if I see fit. Here you go!”

A moment later there was a flash of light and now an eighteen-inch Vera sat on Marie’s left leg and a four-inch Andy had just fallen into the gap between Marie’s legs. Andy cried out with jubilation upon seeing his size.

“Oh, thank you Vera!” He said, turning towards her and throwing out his arms.

“No, thank you!” Vera said, deciding to indulge the tiny Andy in a hug as she was certianly greatful for the switch. Even though she was still much smaller than full size she felt that she would not just simple dissappeer.

Andy pressed against Vera tight, feelingt he warmth of her body through her shirt. Vera was now as tall to him as Marie had been a moment ago and he felt a rush of gratitude. Finally, he let go and stared up at Marie, now once again the amazing towering giantess that he had been inside of last night.

“Marie,” Andy said, his voice almost trembling with reverence as he turned to her. Before Andy could truly embarras himself, Marie picked him up easily with her hand and placed him against her chest in the best and kindest hug she could.

“Thank you so much, Sherri,” Vera said, as she climbed off of Marie’s lap and back down to the floor. “This feels a tad bit less unnatural than sixteenth-size.”

“You’re welcome.” Sherri said.

“So, in a mood to tell us what’s in store for tomorrow?” Vera asked hopefully.

“Nope, sorry,” Sherri said. “Each day is a surprise, I’m sure you know that by now!”

“I’m just eager to know, sorry,” Vera said. “I know that we’re getting near the end.”

“We are,” Sherri said. “I’m sure at this time in two days we’ll know who our winner is.”

“Really?” Marie said, her words vibrating Andy who was still on her shirted chest. “That soon, huh? This competition has sure gone by fast.”

“Huh, speak for yourself!” Jerry said, though grinning, “It feels like we’ve been here forever.”

“I know what you mean, both of you,” Sherri said. “Durring the first season, I felt like any time spent here was too long. But only at first, by the end it seemed over much too quickly.”

“I guess I’m somewhere in the middle with that.” Vera said. “So many things both good and bad have happened, but I do admit that I’ll he happy when it’s time to go home.”

“That’s the most common feeling,” Sherri said. “Four contestants from the first season refused point blank to ever come back.”

“I don’t know if I would,” Vera said. “Well, we’ll see after it all ends.”

“It might not be any of us,” Marie said. “Remember, Sherri was eliminated, then un-eliminated, and she ended up winning!”

“It’s possible, sure,” Sherri said. “That is, if there’s un-elimination tomorrow.”

“And you’re not going to tell us I’m sure.” Vera said, crossing her arms.

“Of course not,” Sherri said, good-naturedly.

“I bet there is,” Jerry said.

“I agree,” Marie said. “What’s the point of keeping everyone else around if there isn’t an un-elimination later?”

Sherri said nothing, but just smiled.

“Well, if you don’t mind, I think I’d like to head back to my room,” Vera said. “Evening excersizes before an early sack, you know. I want to be well-rested in case I have to do something athletic tomorrow.”

“We don’t mind at all, Vera,” Said Marie kindly.

“Thanks again for the switch Andy, and Sherri!” Vera said. Andy was too busy being on Marie’s chest to take any notice, but Sherri responded, “No problem!”

“Goodnight everybody,” Vera said, and headed off for her room. Marie, Sherri, and Jerry all waved goodnight to her as she departed for the bedrooms. Marie then looked down to check on Andy who had seemed to slide out of touch with reality for the moment. Jerry used that moment to poke Sherri and give her a jesture that clearly asked if she wanted to get out of there. Sherri made the smallest nod of an affirmative.

“Well, I think I need to be heading back,” Sherri said, stretching. As quietly as she could, she slipped the word “outside” into Jerry’s ear.”

“Okay, goodnight Sherri,” Said Marie as Sherri got up to leave. If she thought it was strange that Jerry did not say goodnight she didn’t say anything. Scarcely a minute had passed before Jerry announced that he felt like a solitary walk around the grounds for a few minutes before bed.

“I’d hate to leave you two all alone,” Jerry said, an ironic but not unfriendly smile upon his face.

“Ah, don’t worry about it.” Marie said. “Andy will watch out for me.”

Andy’s head turned up at the mention of his name, but Marie petted him gently and he lolled in the sensation.

“Goodnight, Jerry,” Marie said. Jerry said his goodnight and slipped a little to eagerly out the front door.

Marie waited until Jerry was long gone before saying to Andy, “Gee, they don’t hide it well do they?”

“What did you say?” Andy said, looking up into Marie’s immense soft eyes.

“Nothing, dear,” Marie said, cupping her hand around Andy, pulling him off of her chest and slipping him under her shirt.

Vera was in a very good mood. She had unexpetedly increased her standing through the best of means: a win-win situation. No one was hurt or confused, and both she and Andy had ended up better off according to their own ways of looking at the whole shrinking thing.

As she did crunches Vera almost laughed to herself. For someone who thought she had no chance she now felt pretty good about her chances. Of course, she wasn’t as well-liked as either Marie or Jerry and probably had less of a chance of winning if the eliminated contestants had a say, but she still had a chance.

As she worked out she thought about Paul. Poor Paul, he was knee-high to her, somewhere in the bowls of Betty’s compound. She wondered if Betty had Paul locked up in a cage somewhere with Carla, Hailey, and Dale. They weren’t exactly the best company for him, since he had been rivals with Carla and expecially Dale.

If you were here I’d scoop you up in my arms and not let them get you, Vera said, thinking of the baby-sized Paul. But that was sillyness—he was far tougher than Dale, and the girls he didn’t have to worry about. She wanted Paul with him, she wanted Paul to be full-sized and for her to be full-sized. She wanted them to play a sweaty game of one-on-one in the hot desert sun, then go for a swim together, tight-fitting bakinni for her and little shorts for him. Or, if it was allowed, nude. Then they would shower together, kiss, make love, the water making their skin tender…

The other women in the competition might be more outwardly affectionate, but Vera sure knew she had her romantic side. She wasn’t all jock—there was definitely a softened side to her, something only her closest friends and most imtimate lovers got to see. Vera was not as tough as she looked.

But Vera looked very tough now as she finished her push-ups. Wiping the sweat from her, she opened her bag and prepared to get ready for bed. Two days and it will be over, Vera thought, two days and Paul and I can go on a real date, a normal six feet all each, give or take a few inches.

Vera felt that she wouldn’t even be dissapointed with not winning. This was a very interesting and even life-changing experience, and if she got Paul out of it the game would have been all worth it.

Even though she didn’t have to win to be happy, she felt that her chances were better than ever.