Mandy checked the other pieces of the lab while looking for Sean. He wasn’t in the toilet, nor in a small room they used as a kitchen. She stepped outside but he wasn’t near the building either, despite his car being there. Which she checked too, to find no trace of the professor. She tried to recall any shops or food joints nearby he could’ve gone to, but nothing came to mind. The lab was situated on the outskirts of the city, as Sean wanted to keep his research if not secretive then at least somewhat private. The only human presence around was a residential area consisting of a few single houses nearby. It was also where the closest bus stop was so Mandy closed the door and began heading there, figuring wherever Sean was he was not coming back soon. Besides, it’s not like she was skipping work, she was still officially on sick leave.
If only she looked down and did so well, she might have noticed a tiny thing struggling at her right foot, huddled to the leather strap separating her big and second toes. But even in the light of the day Sean was barely visible from down there. And thus the only thing he could do was holding on, as tightly as his shrunken body could muster, hoping to get Mandy’s attention when she’s a bit more stationary and trying not to fall as each of her steps shook his surroundings.
She walked along the sidewalk, wondering what to do with the rest of her day. She always enjoyed coming back from work through this area, whenever Sean wasn’t too busy to drive her home. There was much more greenery here than in the part of the city she lived in and the little houses far and between gave the place an almost rural look. Almost like the town she grew up in, before her family moved into the city. She had a sudden recollection of how she used to enjoy walking barefoot on the grass back home and, as she reached a spot where a small meadow separated her from the residential area, she decided to take a shortcut. She walked into the grass and slid her sandals off, picking them up and walking forward, enjoying the way it tickled on her way.
Which was unfortunate for Sean, who suddenly found himself sliding down and falling off Mandy’s shoe, even if it took but a split second and the grass softened the landing. As he got up he saw her gigantic feet disappear from his view. At first he thought of chasing her, then realized the folly of such an action. He could never catch up with the giantess she was now, he was way too small for that. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t follow in her footsteps to cross the jungle ahead. Even though by the time he made a few inches in Mandy was already far ahead, this turned out to be a good idea. Grass blades were thinner in the places she passed through, many of them pressed to the ground under her weight, making traversing the meadow all the more easier. As he walked, Sean admired the scenery, the towering vegetation and the lush sea of green stretching in every direction. He even found some dew gathered on one blade, a tiny drop being more than enough to quench his thirst. The journey through the grass wasn’t without its share of horrors, though, as Sean encountered a few ants (now the size of tigers) who were unfortunate enough to find themselves in Mandy’s way – or more specifically what was left of them. He passed the carnage quickly and pressed on.
He didn’t know how long it took him to reach the opposite end. An hour, two? Time seemed to flow slower for him now. But by the time he finally got out Mandy was long gone and he had to think of what to do next. Finding shelter seemed the best course of action. After all, staying outside at his size, especially at night, was no more no less a death sentence. He shuddered, suddenly remembering he was no longer on the top of the food chain.
He looked around. There was a bungalow made of grey brick standing on a nearby corner, with short, three-steps marble stairs leading to a porch and the front door. That seemed like a place to start. Climbing up the stairs could take some time, but he could try and find spots where he could grab on to, like he did with Mandy’s sandal. He began to walk towards the house, looking around for any danger, especially for people who might be walking on the sidewalk that ran around it. It took him several minutes, but he made it safely. Climbing the stairs took a lot more time and effort and by the time Sean reached the top he was exhausted. Nevertheless, he knew he’s not safe as long as he’s outside and he turned to walk towards the door. The floor of the porch was made out of light wood, the crevices between each plank narrow enough to allow him to jump over them. When he finally made it to the impossibly tall oak door, walking around the doormat in front of it, he lied down on his stomach and crawled inside, having enough space to fit through.
Sean was now in the entrance hallway, standing on a wooden floor that seemed to stretch forever. In front of him was a thin red carpet with various patterns in black and yellow. To his left stood a ginormous tree that, upon closer inspection, turned out to be an ordinary coat hanger, although nothing hanged at it for the moment. And to his right was a pair of thin, grey flip flops, clearly used, with a weathered floral pattern on their strap. ‘Another giant lady to look out for’ he thought. He suddenly remembered just how tired he was after this whole ordeal and decided this would be a good spot to catch a breath. The flops were thin enough to allow him to pull himself up on one. He passed the indentures left by the owner’s toes and walked under the arch stretching above, taking a seat in the middle of a golden circle with the digits 9.5 inside it. He wondered about the bizarreness of his situation. In a span of less than three hours he took a ride on someone’s shoe and now he was resting in someone else’s. Is this how his life was going to look like from now on? Before he knew it, he was already lying on his back, looking up to the ceiling so far, far above. Unable to fight the sleepiness overwhelming him, Sean closed his eyes and drifted off.