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Story Notes:

Just a brief drabble partially inspired by a love of nature. Has since grown into something more.

There's been unending speculation as to the shape of the planet. 

Conventional science suggests that anything that size would have to be spherical, if only to avoid collapsing on its own mass. Weirdly enough, though, the New World we inhabit is most definitely not a sphere.

I've spent my whole life researching just what is up with the planet, but after our old home, a sphere called Earth, was lost in an incident no one will admit to having records of, the New World just kind of . . . appeared. The space program was retired due to the highly irregular gravity of the New World, and cartographers gave up shortly beyond the Great Plain, as mountains border us on the East, and we have discovered sheer drops to the North and South. After an incident in which the entire planet quaked about a century ago, our governments agreed unanimously that we never, never head West.

During my interview with The Librarian, a brain in a jar old enough to have been on Earth, it mentioned something interesting- before shutting off and ordering me out for reasons of "redacted data", it mentioned that this was "the closest we ever came to waking her", and a good deal of babbling about forced hibernation. 

Hence my theory: we now live on the Earth Mother, Gaia.

Highly unscientific as it may be, it makes a certain degree of sense- the unfathomably deep ocean in the center of the Great Plain seems too much like a bellybutton to be coincidence, the gravitational anomalies would all fall in line if we assumed a humanoid shape in an irregular body position (the right leg raised slightly, the arms bent so far back it would have to be uncomfortable), and explanations would finally arise as to why the Eastern Mountains are far higher than any peaks we can comprehend.

Thus, my current situation- riding in a snowmobile, so far to the east that all my maps are useless, taking advantage of gravity being odd to essentially drive straight up. My entire life must have been dedicated to this one moment. Assuming I'm right, I'm heading into the ear of a woman millions of times my size. Hopefully she can even hear me.

------2500 Years Prior------

"Can't you do anything to help me?" Valerie Wright sobbed, trying desperately to keep from destroying anything- and failing miserably. She had even gone so far as to use the cloth they promised would grow with her to bind her arms behind her back.

Valerie had always believed in the sanctity of life, preferring to gently release insects and spiders into her garden rather than callously kill them. So, naturally, when the first growth tremor had caused her to unintentionally murder all of the neighbors she loved so dearly, it had nearly broken her heart. Not too long afterwards, she had tried to pick up her mother to explain what had happened- and another growth tremor had caused her hand to clench.

Valerie had been fine with her life. She had never done anything to warrant becoming a monster. In fact, once it became clear that she would not stop growing, she begged to be killed before anyone else got hurt. However, by that point not even nuclear weapons could harm her.

By some cruel twist of fate, she had been granted the power to hear and understand anyone close to her head, meaning that she couldn't sleep. Could you, with the horrified screams of people you had never meant any harm blaring in your ear at all times of day?

The General sighed. "We can't get you back to normal, ma'am. Not before you're big enough to smash our little planet to dust." Just before Valerie could fall totally into despair, however, he added, "But we won't need it for long."

"What do you mean?" Valerie asked, mumbling as quietly as she could to prevent another hurricane from forming. 

"We've discovered a way to put you into a forced sleep. As long as you're asleep, you won't grow bigger." The General sighed again, resigned to finishing his point. "However, by the point where it could take effect, you'd be larger than the planet."

"You haven't explained how we won't need the Earth," Valerie mumbled cautiously. 

"You won't because you generate your own air and food. We won't because, if you cooperate, we can live on you." The General said with finality.

"On me?" Valerie asked.

"Yes." The General was nothing if not blunt. "If you position a relatively safe part of your body- say, your stomach- closest to the Earth before you drift off, we'll impact there, and have the best chance of survival."

Valerie nodded. "I can do that. Just make sure I never wake up."

"I'll see to it best I can," the General replied.

------Present------

"Mother Gaia!" I shout into the absurdly massive ear. "I have something to ask of you!"

Valerie stirred, waking for the first time in over two thousand years.

No sooner had the beautiful orbs opened did they fill with tears. "Please," she whispered, "if you can, get me back to sleep. I shouldn't be awake. I shouldn't be alive."

Chapter End Notes:

I have broken Rule #4: do not write when tired.

I have also broken a more personal rule: do not write about someone suicidal. 

That said, I intend this to end here, but if one of you has an idea to continue this, feel free to do so.

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