“It is now time for the second competition.” Betty said. “As promised, none of you will be smaller than one-quarter height tonight. However, I must warn you, whatever size you have now will have no relevence on what size you become. Follow me.”

The eight contestants followed Betty to the compound, wondering what she ment by that last sentence. Their current size would not be relevent? Could that mean that they would all be shrunk durring the course of the competition?

As the group entered the compound, however, they found a long low table with eight different ballot boxes on the table. There were strips of tape seperating the boxes into three groups: two on the left, three in the middle, and three on the right. They understood that this was going to be somre form of vote, and some of the more branier contestants had suspicions as to what the boxes represented.

“This will be a unanimous voting process that could potentally benefit anyone, no matter how unpopular.” Betty said, handing out a short stack of eight cards to each contestant. Each card had the name of one of the contestants on it. Each person had a complete set.

“At the end of the vote, there will be two full-sized people, three half-sized people, and three quarter-sized people as represented by the boxes on the table.” Betty explained, “Each of you will have the chance to create your dream lineup of sizes, putting one card of your choosing into each bin. After all the cards have been placed I will select one randomly from each bin.”

The contestants looked at each other. This seemed fair and confidential, but highly risky as well.

“I’ll give you all a moment to think about your choices, but no talking or swapping please.” Betty said. “And I’ll be watching as you put the names in the bins, so don’t try to stick two into one bin or anything.”

For a few minutes it was silent save for the shuffelling of cards. Betty waited until the contestants appeared to be finished, then announced that time was up.

“Okay,” Betty said. “Hailey, you first.”

Hailey walked up to the bin and inserted her cards. She obviously wanted to stay big, and she wanted Dale to remain as small as possible so he could suffer. She put Jerry in as the other big one because of their relationship, and though she liked him being small as a full-sized man he could truly treet her right. Carla and Paul were the most assertive personalities, so she also put them in the small boxes. Everyone else went into the medium boxes.

“Next up is Andy,” Betty said.

Andy walked up and made his choices. Wanting anything but to be enlarged, he picked his ladies Carla and Marie for the full-sized bins. The other girls he put in the half-sized bins because he wanted the girls to be as large as can be. For a while he couldn’t figure out if he wanted to be half-sized or quarter-sized. On a whim he decided to go for quarter-sized so that way there would always be ladies bigger than him. He decided to give Jerry a boost and put him in half-sized, and placed the remainding Paul and Dale into quarter-sized.

“Dale, your turn,” Betty said.

Even though Dale could barely reach the table he managed to slip his cards in. He put himself and his newfound love Marie in the full-sized bins. He instantly put Jerry and Paul in the quarter-sized bins. He would also put Vera there—no, half-sized, so she could be taller than Paul and humiliate him. Hailey he would make as small as possible. That left Andy and Carla for half-size.

“Vera, you’re up.” Betty said.

Vera walked up, confident in her choices. She and Paul both went into the full-sized bins. She wished there was a third full-sized bin so she could give Jerry the chance. As it was she put him in half-sized. And what to do next? Well, the Andy-Carla-Marie alliance was aiming to put her and Paul down, no matter how friendly Andy and Marie were to her face, they were still under Carla’s yoke, so all three would go in the quarter-sized bin. That left Dave and Hailey in half-sized.

“Okay, now Marie.” Betty said.

Marie put herself and Carla in the full-sized bins. She briefly considered staying small because it was so much fun, but she was starting to see herself as a protector and she could do this best from full size. Marie put Paul in the quarter-sized bin but not without some reluctance. She didn’t have the heart to make Vera quarter-sized, so she put her in the half-sized bin, as she did Dale. Marie decided to put Jerry in half-sized and leave Hailey and Andy in quarter-sized. Andy loved being shrunk, and it would be cute to see him smaller!

“Paul, you’re next.” Betty said.

Paul confidently cast his votes. He and Vera were both put in the full-sized bin. Dale and Carla went into the quarter-sized bin without a thought. So who was the most threatening of the remaining? Paul decided it was Jerry, so he put him into quarter-sized and Andy, Marie, and Hailey into half-sized.

“Now Jerry.” Betty said.

Jerry cast his vote for himself in full-sized. He debated between Vera and Hailey for the second spot. His mind went back to Hailey’s threat earlier, and he chuckled inwardly.What she won’t know can’t hurt her he said, and voted Vera full-sized and Hailey half-sized. Jerry also put Dale in the half-sized bin because he still felt a bit sorry for the earlier vote. Out of the remainder he thought Marie was most deserving of half-sized and put Carla, Andy, and Paul in quarter-sized.

“Finally, Carla.” Betty said.

Carla instantly pegged herself and Marie for full-sized. It was the easiest choice she had to make all week. Paul should go to quarter-sized, and Dale should remain there for good measure. She debated about shrinking Andy, but decided he would be best half-sized. She decided Vera should be quarter-sized for good measure, which left Jerry and Hailey in half-sized.

“Okay.” Betty said, slowly shaking each of the eight boxes and leaving the contestants on their toes. “Now I will draw a name from one box at a time. If you are selected for a size you already are, stand against the wall. If you are selected to change sizes, proceed into the machine.”

The contestants looked at each other, anxious expressions on their faces. Betty bent down and picked up the first of the half-sized boxes. She took the lid off and mixed the cards with her hand, finally picking one.

“The first person selected to be half sized,” Betty said, “Is Vera.”

Vera was releaved. Okay, so she didn’t get to grow but she didn’t have to worry about shrinking tonight. She stood against the back wall. Betty reached for the second box of half-size repeating the shuffelling process.

“The second person to be half sized,” Betty said, “Is Hailey.”

Hailey slumped, but smiled regardless. So she was going to be shrunk, but it wasn’t anything she didn’t have to deal with before. It was only half-sized. She counted herself lucky as she walked into the shrinking machine. The door closed and there was a flash as she was shrunk.

Betty made to grab the third half-sized box, but instead grabbed the first of the quarter-sized boxes. Everyone’s interest was rapped as they watched Betty choose someone for an unpleasent fate.

“The first person to be selected quarter-sized,” She said, “Is Dale.”

“Dammit!” Dale swore out loud and made his way back to the wall. He just couldn’t get ahead, no matter what he did. He was so angry he wanted to kick something, and dejectedly he knew at his size it wouldn’t even hurt anything.

“Now let’s give someone some good news.” Said Betty, moving over to grab the second of the two full-sized boxes. The five remaining unselected people all eyed hopefully as Betty drew the card.

“The first person to be selected full-sized,” She said. “Is Carla.”

“Yes,” Said Carla softly, making a triumphant jesture with her fist. She couldn’t believe her luck—she was large and in charge still. It took a great deal of will not to skip over to the wall instead of walk.

Now there were four of them left. Chances were fifty-fifty that any one of them would be quarter-sized, but all possibilities were still opened. Betty passed over the remaining half-sized box and went straight for the second quarter-sized box. She stirred it and picked out a name, ready to tell the bad news.

“The second person to be quarter-sized,” Betty said, “Is Paul.”

Paul wanted to swear worse than Dale had, but he retained his cool. He looked around at the giantess Betty, smiling and eyeing him onward to the shrinking machine. He tried not to imagine her as twice the eight she was now. He simply couldn’t imagine it. He didn’t even want to think about what Carla would look like.

But he had no choice. Paul walked forward into the shrinking machine and the light went off. Now there were three of them left; Andy, Jerry, and Marie, and three options for them.

Betty moved to pick up the final box of half-sized. She shook it long and hard, and slowly reached in to pick out the name.

“The final person to be half-sized,” Betty said, “Is Andy!”

A smile beamed across Andy’s face. He could not believe that both he and Carla had gotten through the competition with their sizes in tact. He thought for sure one of them would be altered. Now it was only a matter of what Carla would decide. He moved to stand by the wall next to Carla, but not too close to her.

Jerry and Marie looked at each other. It was down to the two of them. One full-sized and one quarter-sized. Marie knew she would either be enlarging or shrinking. Jerry faced the prospect of being full-sized for the first time since the innitial shrink.

Betty moved to the very first full-sized box. Slowly, she took out names of those who had been selected already. Then she proceeded to shuffle the cards. With painstaking slowness, Betty picked the winner.

“The second person to be full-sized,” She said, “Is Marie!”

Marie shreaked and jumped up and down, hardly believing her luck. She would be full-sized and with her friend Carla to boot! Jerry coridally stuck out his miniscule hand and Marie shook it vigrously, shaking Jerry’s body. Letting go, Marie made her way into the shrinking machine and waved at everyone as the door closed on her as the light flashed. After a few seconds, they distincly heard full-sized Marie squeel on the other side.

“I’m going to go get them.” Said Betty. “You five kept your sizes tonight, but don’t get to comfertable!” With that, Betty dissappered down the side hallway leaving the remainding contestants to celebrate, or sulk about, keeping their sizes.

Back around the other side, Hailey had stepped out a few minutes prior to once again greet the world as half-sized. It didn’t bother her much since she had been this size before. She wondered who else was going to be coming out of the machine.

A few minutes later there was a flash and the door opened to reveal a quarter-sized person: Paul. He looked around at the giant room. He looked at Hailey, who was twice his height but still only half-sized. He was trying to absorb it all. In only a couple of minutes Betty would be walking through that door and he had to brace himself for it.

But before that could happen the room lit up again. Paul knew in a second someone else would be joining him. He tried to figure out what size this person would be, but his mind was too scrambled to think about it.

A shreak filled the air. Paul looked up to see full-sized Marie towering over him.

The girl was like a great collosal statue to him. Her legs were thicker than his whole body, her waste twice as high as his head, and her torso far above him. He could scarcely believe that she was the tiny thing that rode on his back as he exersized just the morning before last. Now she was frighteningly large; over fifty times his weight. Paul had never felt so vaunerable.

“Oh wow.” Marie said, looking down at Paul. To her Paul was now too short to even resemble a child; he was more like a doll of some kind. “You’re so cute!” She said, and without asking she bent down and picked Paul up. Paul could not move as her enormous hands wrapped around him and lifted him to several times his height in the air.

“Awwww,” Said Marie, bouncing Paul slightly and oblivious to the looks of fright on his face. It took all Paul’s navy training to remain calm. Get a grip¸ he told himself, you are only being played with by a twenty-foot tall woman, nothing to worry about…

At that moment Betty entered the room. Betty’s eyes went from Hailey, standing against the wall, to Marie, who was holding Paul. Paul determindely looked away from Betty, but Marie smiled at her.

“Well, it’s time to come back and get re-aquainted!” Betty said. She walked off down the hallway, Marie carrying Paul behind her and Hailey trailing at some distance. When they re-entered the room Marie instantly let out another shreek and ran over to hug Carla. Paul was releaved that she at least put him down before he did that.

“I knew we could do it,” Said Marie, hugging Carla tightly.

“So did I,” Carla said. Andy stood right next to where the two giantess were sharing an embrace. He had not seen Marie larger than him before and now that she was he found himself in awe of her features too. She would not have been a bad pick either, but he belonged to Carla now and there was no going back.

Meanwhile Jerry went up to Hailey, who was still a giantess to him but not much of one. Still, Hailey bent down and scooped Jerry up. “You didn’t vote for me to be shrunk, did you?” Hailey asked warningly.

“Honey, would I ever?” Jerry said, smiling. Hailey did not push it, but gave Jerry a small kiss on the cheek before putting him down.

Paul hung near the back watching the giants and bigger giants by the wall. He could not bring himself to face them, not yet. Carla was too preoccupied with celebrating with Marie to notice him, but he was sure when she did there would be a ready smirk on her face. Carla had just been growing and growing in proportion to him and there was little he could do now.

Even more than Carla, though, Paul thought of Vera. He had watched over her when he had been bigger, but now he was smaller than her. What would he say to her? What could he have to offer her anymore? He wasn’t worth much as a little man; he was weaker and slower than her. He could not even bring himself to talk to her.

“Well, that wraps it up for today.” Betty said. “Your next competition will be tomorrow, and it will be held outside at three o’clock. I will only say this about it: after the competition, one of you will be one eigth height!”

The contestants looked at each other. They knew that the seriously tiny sizes were coming all along, and now they were upon them. One-eigth size was well under a foot and they all knew it.

“Well, off with you!” Betty said. “See you tomorrow.”

The contestants all walked back to the house. Carla and Marie walked arm and arm in the front, almost giddy in having achieved full-sized status. Andy walked behind with the full-sized girls Vera and Hailey, and realised the irony: he was now the tallest guy on the show.

When they entered the house they found Sherri was there, half-sized, watching TV. “Hi!” She said as the contestants filed in. Carla forwent her conquered spot on the chair and instead sat with Marie and Sherri on the couch. Andy joined them, sitting on Sherri’s other side.

“I was watching the whole thing from here,” Sherri said. “Great going, Marie!”

“Yeah, what luck!” Marie said. “People here must like me or something!”

“Or you could have just voted for yourself,” Joked Carla.

“Shut up!” Said Marie, smacking Carla playfully.

“So do you think eliminations will start tomorrow?” Hailey said, who along with Jerry joined the group.

“I don’t think so, it’s still early,” Said Carla.

“This time last season the first elimination happened tomorrow night.” Hailey reminded them.

“Yeah, but that was because Sherri and Tom tried to sneek into the compound and use the machine to enlarge themselves!” Said Carla, looking down at Sherri.

Sherri giggled guiltily. “I got Tom eliminated doing that!” She said. “Though I think Betty rewarded me at the end for it.”

“I’ve been thinking about that.” Hailey said. “Does Betty play favorites?”

“I don’t know,” Sherri said. “She’s my boss and I don’t want to speek ill of her. I don’t think she does though. In fact, most of the choices are random anyway, not even made by her.”

“I don’t know,” Carla said. “A few of the decisions last season seemed pretty suspicious to me.”

“Well, you better hope she keeps liking you then!” little Jerry suggested from Hailey’s lap. Everyone got a good laugh at that.

Elsewhere in the room, Vera was looking for Paul. He had shied away from her earlier and she could not find the eighteen-inch man. Vera was worried about Paul, that he was taking this shrinking thing all too hard.

She found him, sitting in a shadowed corner in the kitchen. He was facing with his back to everyone, looking away.

“Paul?” Vera said, cautiously. Paul turned around. “Are you okay?” She asked.

Paul looked up at Vera, humiliation in his eyes. “I’m…fine.” Paul said.

“You took the last shrink very hard.” Vera said, sitting down next to him.

“Why are you still talking to me?” Paul demanded. “What am I to you now? I’m nothing at this size.”

“Paul, listen to me.” Vera said. “Not everything I value has to do with muscles or power or strength. I like you because of the kind of guy you are.”

Paul was at a loss of what to say for a moment. “I guess I’m acting like less of a guy now,” He said.

“You’re not less of a guy.” Vera said, reaching out and drawling him to her. “It would take a lot more than a little shrinking for me to stop liking you.”

Paul clutched his giantess lover tightly, now truly appreciating the muscles that lay under her ladylike figure. “Thanks,” Paul said. “I’m sorry, I’ve been acting like an idiot.”

“I forgive you.” Vera said, standing up and helping Paul to his feet. “Now let’s rejoin the others.”

In the other room they decided to watch a movie before bed. Hailey and Jerry shared the space under the big blanket with Marie, Carla, and Sherri, the immense body heat of the two giantesses keeping them all warm. Vera and Paul sat seperately under another blanket, Paul allowing himself to be rubbed gently by Vera, whose lap he was in. Rather than be embarrassed he started to think that this truly was the life for a man to have a woman so big and capable of so much for you.

Dale, however, was still separate from the group. He would have approached Marie if she were alone, but as it was she was giggling and laughing with Carla, Sherri, and worst of all Hailey. He didn’t really want to face four giantesses at once, his only same-sized companion Jerry, so he slunk off into his room for an early bed call.

At the end of the movie everyone stayed in the living room and chatted for a while, but soon yawns began to spread around the people. Sherri announced that she was going home, and that she would see everyone in the competition the next day. Hailey then decided that it was time for her and Jerry to go to bed. Vera and Paul were quick to follow, though they did not yet sleep in the same bedroom.

It was now only Andy, Carla, and Marie in the living room. Andy was raging with excitement watching the two yawning giantesses, eagerly awaiting what would happen. He just hoped he wouldn’t be dissapointed.

“I’m going to go check on Dale, then I’m going to sleep.” Marie said. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Both Carla and Andy said. As she walked off Andy realised it was just the two of them in the room. The suspense was killing him. Finally, after several minutes of silence, Carla spoke to him.

“I have decided that I will take you tonight.” Carla said. Andy’s face broke into a wide, unabashed grin.

“It is on one condition though.” Carla said sternly, “You are mine, you do what I say and no questions asked.”

“Oh yes, yes absolutely!” Said Andy, now shaking with excitement.

“Follow me.” Said Carla.