For the next thirty minutes or so I was left unmolested aside from the occasional quake rolling through the floor to make my innards vibrate. Every so often I would see a cap of blond hair over the shoe’s ridge, and I would brace myself for whatever Jessica was about to subject me to. There was barely enough time to recover, though my breath finally steadied and my system’s adrenaline returned to normal. The only thing that occupied my mind was trying to guess what, exactly she had in store for me. It must be some new torment.
My world shook with two powerful impacts, about ten seconds apart, and I figured this was finally it. Moments later, Jessica stepped fully into my view. She flashed a cocky smile down at me trapped in her footwear and asked, “Miss me?”
Jessica looked like a different person. She had curled her hair so it fell in golden ringlets over her shoulders, and dark eyeliner made her hypnotizing eyes stand out even more. A long-sleeve green and white plaid shirt hung loosely over her tremendous frame, opened to show a red, low-cut shirt beneath. Acid-washed denim jeans had been practically painted on her long legs, with the bottoms tucked into the enormous pair of red Converse I had seen in her room. It was some sort of chic grunge aesthetic that worked for her, though I might have thought differently were I not at her feet.
She crouched in front of me, making her jeans wrinkle, and leaned forward so that she loomed over me. “I think it’s time to let you in on why you’re here,” Jessica boomed, reaching a hand into her shoe. Two digits settled around me, and she gingerly plucked me off the insole. My stomach dropped during her meteoric rise back to her full height, but compared to the time in her shoe it was nothing. Carefully she positioned me between her eyes and gave me a brief stare-down. “I have one more deal for you, Mr. Tiny.” This close I could feel the warmth from her breath and the power of each syllable. “If you make it through this party, I’ll give you back all your height. If not, well, you’ll be beyond my help anyway. So, what do you say?”
My gaze darted between the two blue irises focused intently on me, looking for some sort of hint as to what was going on beneath the surface. “Let me guess: I don’t really have a choice, do I?” I retorted. By now I had figured out how things worked with her.
“Of course you have a choice!” Jessica sounded shocked, like she had not put me in the same situation several times before. “If you say no, you’ll still go to the party, but you’ll get to stay bug-sized afterward. Not a bad deal, if you ask me. You could stay with me and be my little bug boy at college!”
“I’ll take the deal,” I blurted. There was absolutely no way I was going to be her pet or whatever she thought until she got bored of me. “Where do you want to pick me up after?”
“Don’t worry,” Jessica answered with a chuckle. “If there’s anything left of you, I’ll find it.” Slowly she lowered me away from her face and used her free hand to hold open her breast pocket. Her fingers opened and I fell into the opening, the shirt curved so it pushed me against her breast. She gave me a wink from high up and gave the pocket a reassuring pat, then the world began swaying with her gait. With the ample cushioning, it was much better up here than the hell of her shoe.
The turbulent shaking as she ran down the stairs changed the placid perception of my perch a little, but once that was over things returned to their normal, calm state. I wondered why she had dropped me in her pocket at all: it was much more her style to grab me in a fist and toss me where it would be least convenient. After a few moments, however, it dawned on me. Nobody was here yet. Apparently she thought it would not be fair to have me out and about when it was just the two of us.
A loud, rhythmic pounding rang out, and I felt Jessica gasp. “They’re here!” she exclaimed, walking to answer the door. “Hope you’re ready down there.” The door opened with a creak, and Jessica greeted her guests. “Hey guys, booze is in the kitchen and food’s on the way!” she announced. The bustling of footfalls, clicks, and shuffling that answered her indicated that there were more guests than I had expected. Of course she had this many friends, or at least this many people wanted to party with her. Most of the faces were a blur through the pocket opening, but I distinctly spotted Naoko and Aubrey near the front.
When the crowd had passed, Jessica leaned on the door to close it and slid two digits into her pocket to retrieve me. After a bit of probing her long fingers managed to snatch me between their tips, and I was lifted out. She looked down at me haughtily, flicked a curl behind her shoulder, and boomed, “See you later. Maybe.” Her voice sent a chill running down my spine, and I realized for the first time that she no longer had any compelling reason to keep me alive.
Jessica knelt down on one knee and lowered me to the tile, pressing me as flat as she could without risking harm. She positioned her fingers on either side of me so they formed a V, and slightly drew her hand back. With a great caterwaul she threw her hand forward, ejecting me from between her fingers and sending me sliding across the floor. A finger clipped my feet before I could get clear, causing me to spin wildly during the slide. I screamed involuntarily, the only option with my trajectory so thoroughly out of control.
Friction ground me to a stop, but not before I had been thoroughly disoriented. I had no idea where I was or how far I had gone, or where the crowd of imminent threats to my life was. Lying on the ground and thinking about it, however, was not going to get me answers. Warily I got to my feet, still dizzy, and stumbled into a rubber wall. Annoyed, I staggered back and looked for a way around. The obstacle was only a little taller than me so it would not be too difficult to climb, but the bright red fabric made me think twice. My eyes continued upward, and amid a tangle of thick white rope I spotted a sign sticking out that read “VANS.”
Quickly my gaze snapped as far up as it could go, and I gasped. I was at the base of a colossal leg propping up a gigantic young woman who, as of now, had no idea I was there. The light reflected off her smooth-shaven, slightly tanned skin from her ankle to the dark blue shorts that came halfway down her thighs. She leaned forward on the kitchen’s center island, focused on making herself a drink, and I looked for somewhere to scurry off to before she noticed me.
Unfortunately, we were not alone. The ground shuddered and I heard a loud crack, and I snapped my head to see a shiny black pump coming around the corner. Its twin came just a moment later, creating another crash and sending me staggering again. They brought with them a pair of shapely legs, but before I could check who they belonged to the first shoe picked back up and began gliding through the air on a course straight for me. I watched helplessly as the flat, brown sole soared over my head, knowing that I would not be able to escape from beneath it. The tall, narrow tower of her heel struck the ground with the force of an explosion, making my ears ring. She swung the rest of her foot down, slamming it against the tile just beyond me. My body was assaulted by the sound and force of her step, but at least I had not been crushed.
Leather creaked as it compressed and folded, and the titanic shoe stepped from on top of me just as quickly as it had come. Its arrival left me dazed, and I looked around blankly in shock. She had come out of nowhere and just missed smashing me by a matter of inches, all without knowing it. I did not know how many more lurked behind the great mesa near me or just out of sight, and I had to be lucky every time.
Ice churning in liquid snapped me back to reality, and I looked up to see the unknown titaness in Vans stirring her drink. Staying on the floor was the worst choice I could make here, but if she walked away I would be out of options. I gathered whatever resolve came with being scared out of your wits and dashed forward, then leapt onto the rubber rim. My hands gripped the top and feet kicked at the wall, pushing me upward. Quickly I clambered onto the shoe and ran up the gentle slope toward the laces. The pillar of her leg shifted slightly, and I dove for the nearest lace.
My arms wrapped around the broad white ribbon, and I locked my hands on my elbows just when the shoe slanted upward, swinging me toward the heel. I came to a rest just when her heel lifted, swinging me forward again toward the wrinkling canvas. While she stepped forward I dangled off the side of her shoe, desperately clinging to the lace as my feet swung back toward her heel. Her heel setting down made me jolt, followed by a much more intense bounce when her toes slammed down. Through it all my arms remained linked, and I gripped them tighter to make sure they stayed secure.
The experience of being a tassel was unpleasant, and the skin on my arms was rubbed raw by the near-constant grinding by the rope. Several times I tried to slip my body into the next lace up, but the non-stop churning of her foot made that impossible. I was left with no option but to flop helpless against her shoe with each step, my grip getting more tenuous with every stride. Sooner or later my hold would break, and I would be in a worse situation than when I started.
I passed by several pairs of shoes and ankles on my trip, but not once did I hear anyone take notice of me. Even the young woman I clung to for dear life had no idea I was riding on her foot. If I was lucky, she could take me somewhere relatively safe so I could hop off and ride out the rest of the party in safe, uncrushed solitude.
When her legs took us between the coffee table and couch, I allowed my spirits to rise. This was perfect! As soon as she stopped I could let go and scamper underneath the couch, where it would be impossible for me to be accidentally stepped on. Then all I had to do was endure the hours of boredom, loud pounding, and small earthquakes until the party died down, and this nightmare would be over.
The giantess slowed and turned her feet sideways, so they pointed toward the table, and I readied myself to dismount. Her shins moved slightly forward when she sat. All I had to do was wait for that last little bit of movement to subside and I had it made. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. She rocked her legs again before I could let go, and I found myself rocketed upward as she drew her feet onto the couch. Carefully she tucked her heels under her butt, then leaned against the arm to get comfortable. At least it looked like she would be here for a while.
For a while it was just her on the couch, occasionally sipping her drink or checking her phone. I took the opportunity to study what I could see of her and see if I could determine who had unknowingly given me a ride. Light skin, blue eyes, long brown hair… that could be dozens of students in the senior class alone. There was a handful of students I had seen from such a low angle before, and she was not any of them. For the moment, I resolved to simply rejoice in finding safe haven and catch my breath, fearing that it would end at any second.
She began idly fiddling with the bow of her shoelaces with her fingers, flopping the loops back and forth, and looked down at her feet. I still could not get a good look at her face, but from her immediate recoil and grimace I figured she had seen me. Her hand withdrew and slapped against her calf, then she brushed it along her leg toward me. The instant before impact I let go, letting myself be pushed off her shoe rather than getting my arms broken or worse. Tremendous fingers slammed into me, lifting me off the canvas and sending me flying away from her. My body bounced off one of the cushions and kept going until finally I ran into the opposite arm and rebounded, coming to a rest in the middle of the seat.
The seated titaness eyed me suspiciously, wondering whether she should move in for the kill or if I was just a bit of grime. As long as her gaze was locked on me I remained perfectly still, not wanting to draw further attention. When she went back to her phone I could dive between the cushions or make a run for the edge. Either way, I would not be at further risk of her wrath.
“What’re you doing over here by yourself?” a voice called out, drawing my attention. The top of two toned calves came into view beneath a hot pink skirt flowing like a tent, cinched at the top by a broad, black leather belt. A billowing, cream-colored silk blouse was tucked into the skirt, and though most of her face was blocked by her shoulder I could see straight, medium-length black hair cut into a bob and dark, burning eyes. Thin yet sinewy arms held a red Solo cup with both hands, her narrow fingers curled around the plastic.
“Waiting for you, Naoko,” the giantess on the couch slyly replied, giving the cushion beside her a quick pat. “Go ahead and have a seat.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” To my horror Naoko turned around in front of me and ran a hand along the back of her thighs, gathering up her skirt against her legs. She had missed an opportunity to smash me before, now she was going to finish the job and didn’t even know it. Her knees bent, sending her butt on a plummeting course directly on top of me. My eyes darted around, but there was no way I’d be able to clear the landing zone before it hit. I looked up at the round bottom descending, its shape accentuated by the skirt pulled tight against it to the point that I could differentiate the cheeks. Instinctively I raised my hands to protect myself, though they would be like toothpicks trying to brace against a hurricane.
The gigantic ass crashed down on me, squeezing my body between it and the couch cushion. To my surprise I was not instantly obliterated, though I felt my bones creaking under the weight. My breaths were short and haggard, and could do little more than squirm under the pressure. Each time I made the slightest bit of movement, Naoko responded by driving her butt into the cushion, trying to grind out whatever impurity was causing her discomfort. I cried out in pain when she did, feeling my body conform more to the curvature of her rear, and soon there would be no more left to give.
Abruptly the weight smushing me vanished, and I immediately took the deepest breath I could. A shiny patent leather pump joined me on the couch beneath her, turned on its side. Naoko sat back down, bracing her shoe against her butt to keep herself from being annoyed by me. She had unknowingly saved me – ironic, because she was also unknowingly killing me.
Though it hurt like hell, I had to get out from beneath Naoko before she readjusted and smushed me beneath her ass again. Once I struggled to my feet, I was practically doubled over from clutching my ribs, and could only move at a shuffle. Necessity and adrenaline drove me onward, but all I wanted to do was collapse. As I staggered past, I noticed that the flat, brown sole of Naoko’s shoe looked incredibly familiar, and realized she had nearly stepped on me earlier, too. A voice whispered in my mind that, clearly, it was fate to die by her, but I pushed it out.
The cap created by Naoko’s heel held long enough for me to get out of her shadow and back into the dim light of the party. She and the mysterious, Vans-wearing giantess were still talking, but seemed focused enough on each other that they would not notice me limping between them.
“Yeah, I think I sat on something weird,” Naoko said. “It felt like something was, I don’t know, squirming under my butt.”
“Squirming?” the giantess on the other end of the couch repeated. “I brushed a weird looking bug off my shoe earlier, might’ve been that.”
“Could’ve been,” Naoko agreed. “You know Jessica collects exotic bugs or something like that, right?”
“Really?”
“Yeah!” Naoko answered eagerly. “I had no idea either until she stopped me and Aubrey from killing this one weird bug at a game once. It was so annoying, just constantly squeaking or something, but she took it for herself.”
“You two talking shit about me?” a new voice bellowed.
“Aubrey!” shouted the titaness who had been here longer excitedly, then slapped the cushion I was on. I staggered toward it from the sudden blow, but no one seemed to notice. “Have a seat!”
“Yeah, join us!” Naoko chimed in. “We were just talking about that super weird bug or something we saw once, we’d never poop talk you.”
A third colossus came into view, her brown hair done in tight curls and skin tanned to a medium brown. The frills of her hot pink shirt waved with each movement, and she looked like she had been poured into her dark blue jeans. Her green eyes scanned the open seat for filth and found only one piece of debris – me. Aubrey’s sudden appearance had taken me by surprise, and I was still shambling forward when she glanced down.
The monolithic young woman leaned over, throwing her shadow onto me, and placed her hand sideways at the back of the cushion. With no remorse she dragged it swiftly back toward herself, catching me with the edge of her palm. I was knocked forward and shoved along by the irresistible force of her hand, catching a nasty rug burn in the process. When I was at the edge Aubrey flicked her wrist for one last swipe, launching me off the couch.
Aubrey’s raw power propelled me up and away, far from the base of the couch where I had hoped to land. I sailed over the glass coffee table in front of the couch, easily clearing its top and all of the decorations on it and continued onward. It was impossible to guess where I was going to land, but at this rate splattered against the wall was the most likely candidate.
The timely intervention of another unknown giantess saved me from such a grisly fate, and I collided head-on with the soft, warm surface of a thigh. For a moment I was stuck to it, but as the ripples from my impact dispersed I began sliding downward. Desperately I scratched at the skin for any handhold to stop my fall, but it was too smooth and I found nothing to grab on to. Just when I slid off her thigh, however, she staggered toward me, and I resumed the slide down her calf. My descent continued until I blew past her ankle and wedged against the heel of her trainer, buried up to my shoulders between the shoe and her foot.
By now the party had been going for quite some time, and this giantess was clearly inebriated. For every two short steps forward she took she wobbled to the side for one, trying to keep herself on a relatively straight path. While her unsteady feet fought to maintain stability, I had plenty of time to dig myself out of my predicament, kicking up against the shoe’s interior until my arms were free. Once there I simply waited, waist-deep in her shoe, for the perfect opportunity to climb out.
For once, I did not have to wait long. She stumbled forward several more times, eventually catching herself on the kitchen’s central island for stability. While she regained her composure I abandoned ship, hopping over the edge of her shoe so that I dangled from her ankle. Then I let myself drop onto the rubber and foam composite by the heel, thankful for a soft landing for once, and from there hopped off onto the tile. The drunk giantess walked away from me, leaning heavily on the island for support, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Like many things in my situation, my relief died quickly. A series of loudening slaps of rubber against tile drew my attention, and I looked to see the brown diamond pattern of a pair of Converse unsteadily striding toward me. The dingy, bright red hi-tops supported a pair of acid washed denim pillars. That, combined with the exceptionally long stride despite some coordination issues, meant that this had to be Jessica.
The entire party seemed to fade away while she came toward me. There was no noise aside from the steady beat of her shoes smacking against the tile, and the only tremors I felt were from her footsteps. Colors coming from her were more vibrant, and everything else seemed dim in comparison. It was such a distracting effect that I didn’t even notice she was only one stride away from me until it was too late, and she was already stepping forward with her last step.
Fortunately, that was just where she had decided to stop. Jessica’s left shoe planted itself right in front of me, close enough that I could feel the air pushed out by it, and its impact on the ground was like the most powerful earthquake any person had ever felt. The crash was more intense than anything I had ever heard before, seeming to ring in my ears for seconds afterward. As I experienced the totality of Jessica’s presence as a giantess as never before, I wondered if this was part of the hypnotic effect she had on me.
I was face to face with the black stripe running along her rubber sole, and I craned my neck back to view as much of her as I could. Bright red canvas did not even start until after twice my height in faded white rubber, and from there it was some ways to go still until the crinkled, peeling circle with the All-Star logo. A column of acid washed denim formed perfectly to her calf and thigh, as though there were anything left to imagine, and she had rolled up the sleeves of her loose shirt to her elbow. Her blond curls subtly bounced while she mixed another drink, a movement that would be imperceptible to anyone much larger than my size.
“Hey, Jessica!” I shouted up to her, but there was no sign of acknowledgment. “Down here, by your shoe! It’s Mr. Tiny!” I hated that she had me even referring to myself as that now, but it was the only way she would acknowledge me. Still nothing. “Jessica, please, down here!” I pleaded. “Just pick me up, I give up, you win! You can keep me as your pet or whatever, just get me out of here!” She took a long pull off her drink and lowered the cup back to her waist. “Jessica?”
The shoe in front of me lifted, and I watched in horror as it pivoted toward me. Brown rubber diamonds quickly blocked out everything else, the worn sole dominating the entirety of my vision. My heart sank, and I knew this would be the end: my luck had run out. There would be no cushion to give me a few extra millimeters of allowance, no thigh to save me, no shoe to climb onto. Jessica had said that she would never crush me on purpose, and those words ended up ringing exactly true.
The enormous Converse swung down toward me, and while I would like to say I met death bravely, I cowered as far away from it as I could, hoping from a miracle. None came. An instant later the rubber sole slammed into me, forcing me to the ground, and the force of that alone threatened to demolish my body. Millions of pounds of former cheerleader compressed me against the tile, and though the agony was profound I did not have time to scream. A split second before my body burst into a messy red splotch split between Jessica’s shoe and the tile, I heard a crash like the end of the world had come and felt a quake strong enough to tear the earth apart, then nothingness. She had squished me like the bug she always said I was, entirely on accident.
When Jessica woke up the next morning, the only thing out of order to her was her pounding hangover. She barely even remembered the party the night before, and there was bound to be a mess waiting for her. That could wait until after noon, though: the Roomba would clean up any dirt her guests had left behind and make the floor look good as new again.
Before going on a walk later that day Jessica pulled her old, comfortable Converse on, hoping for a nice stroll. She’d heard the rain coming down all day and it had finally let up, leaving a clean smell in the air and damp sidewalks with the occasional puddle. It was a great way to clear her head and piece together some things that had happened the night before. Unbeknownst to her, a red smear, the only remains of her history teacher, were washed off during her walk, leaving her soles clean, if a little worn. She did not even think about him until they announced him as a missing person on the news two nights later, and that was the last of it. Jessica never worried about him again, though she never forgot her first “Mr. Tiny.”