Devon opened the door and immediately Caitlyn grabbed her and threw her towards her bed. Devon reached into her pocket and felt Josh and Rachel before sitting up. Caitlyn rolled her desk chair over so she could speak with Devon face to face.
“You must be pretty confused right now. There's no point hiding the bitch in your pocket, she can come out. Josh too, they should both see this.”
Slowly, Josh and Rachel climbed onto Devon's hand. She kept them both close to her chest as she nervously asked, “See what?”
Caitlyn stood up and began to pace, but slowly and letting her arms swing. “I thought about what you said and I even started brewing a growth potion, but I realized you have no idea what this is like. To have little people totally under your control. I realized your opinion on this doesn't mean anything to me, so I began mixing a new potion. I've known this for a while, that I've had the ability to change the size of things and people as I see fit. Ever since I was a little girl. My mom must have cast her own spell on me before she died. See, I've been alone for a long time, surviving on my own. Everyone at my high school thought I led this perfect life, but it was all smoke and mirrors. It was easy enough to convince some actors from the local theater to act as my parents when conferences rolled around, all I had to do was dangle this sweet body and innocent face in front of them and they were like putty in my hands. I could take an apple from the cafeteria and grow it to the size of a room when I got home, I stayed well fed without having to work very hard for it. But as I developed my powers, I realized it was only through an emotional connection that I could use it. When I met Eric and the others at the party, I had already been keeping my eye on them for a while. I knew they'd make perfect little toys, and I really felt like I knew them even before I ever spoke to them... Josh was easy, I heard you tell me about all the messed up things he did to you, how he tried to keep you all to himself. Yes, Josh, I see you now, and yes, she told me even though you tried to get her not to. It's just too easy to build trust, I just have that kind of face I suppose. Objects were sometimes tricky, I really only grew food for a while because I knew I would starve if I couldn't, I guess that was enough of a connection to make it work.”
Devon was staring wide-eyed, her heart rate was shooting up so much it started to push on Josh and Rachel.
“So that's where this new potion comes in. See, it takes me a while to know enough about someone for me to be able to change their size. That's why this... is a love potion. Now I can see all the love those years of growing up alone hid from me. I love everybody, Devon. Last night I dreamt that everyone in this building loved me too. I came home from class and everyone was there, all the faces I'd memorized. They threw me a welcoming party in the lobby, and as I hugged each one of them, they shrank before my eyes. They were all so eager to let me hug them too, a few started worshipping me. And can you blame them? When I woke up I had a good feeling, so I went door to door and...”
Caitlyn pulled out her shoebox where her first victims had spent so much time. Devon could hear a faint hum from the box, and she knew what was inside. Still, knowing that couldn't prepare her for when Caitlyn opened the box and revealed 43 girls, as well as Eric and Jared, each an inch tall and begging to be let out. Devon suddenly felt that if she didn't kill Caitlyn right here and right now, this could spread and shrink all of humanity.
She knew what she had to do, but the shock paralyzed her. She knew her friend could be controlling sometimes, but this was beyond anything she'd ever hinted at. Caitlyn had wrapped her arm around Devon and watched as her friend gradually became doll size. As she sat there alongside Josh and Rachel, she felt a strange respect for Caitlyn. A tingling reverence, she was the most powerful creature in the world, and it would only be a matter of time before she took her throne.
Caitlyn got off the bed and went back to her shoebox. “I'm going to need a lot more room for you all. I love you all, and I know in time, you'll come to love me too.” She left her room and began the long task of collecting everyone in her dorm. She idly daydreamed about what her future would hold, and couldn't help but smile the widest smile she'd made in years.