The room was empty when I woke up. The first thing I noticed was how much of a mess my bed was, Maddie clearly not having the courtesy to make it after the night. Then I realized it was more distant than before and a quick glance around my surroundings revealed I shrank even more through the night. Much more, in fact – I was roughly half my previous size. Not even a foot tall now. I was calm about it, as my shrink spurts no longer impressed me. Besides, I knew it would come to this eventually.

I turned my head towards the door as I heard it open and watched Justine enter the room. She was utterly gigantic now, so much so that I had to lift my head up high just to see her face. Today she was wearing dark blue leggings and a baggy white tee. ‘Hey,’ she quietly said, noticing me. ‘Just checking up on you. You slept in today.’

‘Did I?’ I asked when she was close, kneeling right in front of me to hear me better. For my part, I stood up and looked her in the face. ‘What time is it?’

‘Two in the afternoon,’ she said and then smiled. ‘I heard you had a rough night.’

‘You could say that.’ I rubbed my eyes and stretched, my body still cranky after sleeping in a sitting position. ‘I guess the shrinking is tiring me out.’

‘Speaking of.’ She revealed the measuring tape and I stood up straight, as was the routine. ‘Six inches,’ Justine sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I was really hoping it would stop by now. If you get any smaller I’ll have a hard time keeping track of you.’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ I said, trying to reassure her. I couldn’t quite tell whether I succeeded. Looking up, I could see she was concerned, but not as much as usual. Maybe she too was getting used to it. ‘I’ll manage. We’ll manage.’

She smiled slightly at me. ‘I guess you’ll want to start your day off. What’s first, the breakfast or the bath?’

‘I don’t… Wait, why are you asking?’

 ‘To know where to carry you.’

I rolled my eyes on her. ‘Justine, whichever I pick, I can walk there on my own.’

‘No offense, but I think you’re getting a bit… too small for that.’

‘What are you worried about? That you might step on me?’

‘That too. And that it’s so far away for you now. It’d be easier if you let me take you there.’

‘My legs are fine,’ I said a bit more sternly, still looking in her distant, giant eyes. ‘Besides, we agreed I can still walk around the place if we all watch our step.’

‘We did,’ she nodded, resigned. ‘Although now I’m not so sure whether it was a good idea.’

Suddenly, an idea popped into my mind. ‘Well, how about you walk me there?’ I asked and followed, seeing a look of surprise on her face, ‘I feel like having something to eat. We could take a walk to the kitchen.’

‘Andrew, my single step would be like… ten of yours.’

‘We could still make it work. If you’re not in a hurry.’

She gave me an amused smile. ‘Okay, let’s have a walk.’ She slowly stood up, rising above me like she did the day before, her impressively long body stretching far, far above me. She turned and took her first step and I followed, dashing ahead to keep up with her. We strolled towards the kitchen, her taking slow, careful steps and me jogging to match the pace of her enormous, bare feet. As we walked, she let me know in the passing she prepared a breakfast for me, a few bits of toast and cheese waiting for me on a plate near the kitchen’s entrance. I thanked her for doing so and then I thanked her again, louder. Already my voice had trouble travelling from the floor to the giantesses’ ears.

We parted our ways near the kitchen. I watched her disappear into her room, her massive legs carrying her away, then I entered. I located the food and ate my fill sitting on the edge of the plate. The porcelain was cold and so were the tiles under my feet when I finally stood up. The closer I was to the ground the colder the apartment felt to me. I thought of asking Justine to make some warmer clothes for me. Then I went into the bathroom and washed myself in the lukewarm water resting in the bowl. Having completed my morning routine I headed to Justine’s room. This time I found her sitting on the floor, her back to the couch, her legs straight. She nodded to me and I approached her, taking a seat on the floor by her right thigh.

‘Where’s Maddie, by the way?’ I asked, having realized I haven’t seen her today.

‘Shopping. She said we needed some food to fill the fridge with.’

‘How nice of her.’

She gave me an amused look. ‘What really happened last night, if you don’t mind me asking?’

‘She invited herself into my bed, then kicked me out of it. Not on purpose, she was shifting in her sleep.’

‘Oh my. That explains why I found you on the floor. You must be sore after something like this.’

‘A bit. Why?’

‘Well, I could… I could rub your back. I-it could help.’

I smiled as I watched her try and fail to hide the blushing. ‘Sure, why not?’

‘I, um, I need to bring you closer,’ she said and reached out for me, grabbing me in her giant, smooth hand. She picked me up and put me on her thigh, laying me on my stomach. ‘I… also need to do this,’ she added and I felt her pinch the edges of my tunic and slide it down, enough to reveal my naked back. Even if I wanted to protest, how could I have stopped her? Soon enough I felt two big lumps of flesh, her thumbs, pressing against me as she massaged my back. I felt the aching dissipate as she worked, resting my chin against her thigh as I enjoyed the sensation. ‘How am I doing?’ her voice reached me from afar a moment later.

‘Great,’ I murmured. ‘I didn’t know you were a masseuse as well.’

‘I know a thing or two.’ There was a hint of pride in her voice. ‘Are your legs sore too?’

And again I thought ‘why not?’ and said yes. Truth is, they were not, but I was curious as to what she could do. I felt her pinch each of my legs between her soft fingertips, pressing them ever so gently as she continued further down, eventually reaching my feet. Never have I ever gotten a foot massage, especially not from such a giantess, and I realized I’ve been missing out. Whatever tension or aching there was in my limbs, it steadily vanished under Justine’s touch. I couldn’t help but wonder whether she was enjoying this as much as I did.

‘Done,’ she said a few moments later, and I slid the tunic back on my arms. ‘Feeling better now?’

‘Much better, thanks,’ I said and sat down, looking up to her face. ‘If I knew you’re so talented I’d have asked you for a back rub ages ago.’

She smiled and her hand reached me once more, her long finger ruffling my hair. ‘My pleasure to help out a little guy such as you.’ She then took on an embarrassed look. ‘Sorry. I shouldn’t have called you that.’

‘You said nothing wrong, I am little,’ I said and sighed. ‘Smaller every day.’

‘You still seem to be taking it well. I actually admire how calm you are, given the situation.’

I shrugged. ‘Getting used to it. I probably said it before.’

‘Every day there’s less of you and every day it surprises me to see it. And worries me. Are you sure you didn’t eat anything weird? Anything that could cause… this?’

‘Cross my heart, I did not. Or at least I can’t remember anything like that.’

‘Maybe it’s the coffee?’ she asked, smiling playfully.

I laughed at the suggestion. ‘Don’t be silly.’

And then we heard the key turning in the front door.

We still sat in the same spot by the time Maddie was done stuffing the fridge with produce. She entered the room, carrying a plastic box in her hand and smiled as she spotted me on Justine’s thigh.

‘Ah, there you are. Look what I’ve got for you!’ She crouched and brought the box closer, a ken doll visible through the transparent layer. It was twice as tall as I was.

‘And just what am I supposed to do with this?’ I asked, dumbfounded.

‘Wear it,’ she said and took the doll out of the box. It was wearing a red suit with a dark green shirt to boot. ‘Now, the suit might be a tad too big for you,’ she remarked, looking me up and down, ‘But you could do something with the shirt.’

‘I don’t like it.’ I crossed my arms and pouted to mess with her.

‘Well, the colour suits you. Perfect for an ungrateful little toad like you.’

‘I could make the pants smaller,’ Justine chimed in. ‘For as long as it takes.’

‘Here.’ Maddie undressed the doll and set it aside, handing me the shirt. ‘Try it on.’

‘I am not doing that while you’re looking, Maddison.’

‘It’s okay, we won’t peek,’ Justine said, as she closed her eyes and put a hand over Maddie’s eyes, much to the latter’s chagrin.

I took the shirt and quickly put it on, laying my former clothing on Justine’s thigh. As I thought, the shirt was way too big and long for me. And it felt itchy, the material obviously never intended for a human being to wear. ‘Done,’ I grumbled.

There was a moment of silence before the girls spoke. First went Justine. ‘You look… good?’

‘I look ridiculous.’

‘Ridiculously good!’ Maddie exclaimed, happy with herself. ‘It looks like a bathrobe on you, except with more style.’

‘Whatever,’ I said and sat down, crossing my legs. ‘That still doesn’t make us even for last night.’

‘What do you mean, last night?’ Maddie asked, taking a seat herself, on the floor.

I told her what happened. As I expected, she felt no guilt about her actions. ‘Well, you should’ve woken me up! I’d bring you back to bed.’

‘And kick me out of it again?’

‘Maybe.’ Her grin flashed above me.

‘Speaking of, how are you going to sleep today?’ Justine asked, looking down at me. ‘We could lift you up to your bed, but will you be able to get down in the morning?’

‘That’s another thing I thought of,’ Maddie interjected with a smile. ‘I bought some matches, really big ones. Stormproof, the box says. So thick that Andrew could use them as a ladder. In fact, I’ll go make one for him, before I forget.’ She stood up and left the room and us, surprised.

‘Sometimes,’ Justine said after a moment, ‘I don’t get her.’

I could do nothing but nod in agreement.

‘Well? How do you like it?’

Mandy’s voice reached me as I was overlooking her creation. It was evening already and we were all getting ready to go to sleep. I stood on the floor, between the girls’ feet, judging the stability of the rope ladder Maddie made out of matches and string. It went all the way from the floor to the bed, secured at the top by a book keeping it from sliding down.

‘Why don’t you try it?’ Justine spoke in an encouraging tone. And so I approached the ladder and carefully grabbed one of its rungs. It felt stable enough. I began to climb up and before I knew it I was standing on my bed and catching my breath. I’ve never been a good climber. I turned to see the girls kneeling, looking at me with an amused smile each. ‘See? You made it’ Justine said and I could tell she was somewhat proud of me.

‘That was a great idea, even for me,’ Maddie added.

‘Way to ruin the mood.’

‘You’re welcome.’

‘Let’s call it a night. Andrew needs his rest,’ Justine said and patted Maddie on the arm. We told each other goodnight and the girls left, turning the light off but leaving the door ajar. Good thinking on their part; after all, I could no longer unlock it if I had to. I sat down and looked over my ridiculously large shirt as my eyes adapted to the darkness. As I was about to lie down I noticed something worrisome. The shirt seemed to get even larger, longer, even sliding off me. I sighed heavily, knowing the sensation all too well. When it stopped, I tried to estimate my current size. The difference was evident and even though it was hard to say for sure in the dark, I knew I lost at least one third of my previous height, leaving me mere four inches tall. I lied down on my back, wondering whether the girls could still find me in the morning.