The next MC to show up in shrinkism.

Willow ran after her pet dog, Duke, who was chasing after a tennis ball that her father tossed.  Willow couldn’t hep but laugh and enjoy playing in the park with her family.  She was just about to turn 9 in a couple of weeks and her little sister just turned 6.  Nina, was playing with their mom off on the swings.  It was just a typical day at the park for everyone.  Willow chased Duke to a tree, where he tried to hide behind it before Willow popped out from one side sending the dog running back to her dad.

“Throw it again Dad,” Willow called out. 

“Here it comes,” Her dad shouted as he chucked the ball.  The moment the ball left his hands Duke instantly ran after it.  Willow tried to beat Duke, even though she had a head start, the dog was just too fast for her as he snapped up the ball and ran circles around her before heading back to her father. 

“DUKE!  Your too fast,” Willow laughed after the dog who didn’t slow down for a heartbeat.  Willow continued to laugh and play with her dad and dog till it started to get late, and time for lunch.

“Alright Willow, I think you had enough fun for today,” Her mother called out as she was helping Nina out of the swings, “Let’s go make some lunch!”

Willow let out a sad sigh, but the sound of lunch perked her up.  She was hungry.  Willow ran after her family as they walked back home to make some lunch.  “Mommy, can I have PBJ for lunch,” Nina asked.

“Again?” Their mother asked bewildered by the little child’s obsession over the simple sandwich.  “What about you Willa, you want PBJ again?”

Willow shook her head, “No, I want tuna!” 
“That’s my girl,” Her father laughed at her desire to eat a different meal.  Willow smiled back at her dad as they made the not too long walk back to their home.  Once the door was opened to the small home, Duke took off to go drink from his water bowl.  Willow followed her family as they each took off their shoes.  Willow watched her father pick up Nina and set her up against the wall that they were using to measured their growing height.

“Okay my little girl, let’s see how big you’ve grown,” He told Nina who was excited as he etched a line with the blue pencil for her.  “Oh my, would you look at that, you grew an inch,” He told her exciting Nina at her new height.

“YAY!”  Nina jumped up and turned around to look at the new etched mark on the wall that was just slightly taller than her last one.  Next to Nina’s blue lines that showed a steady growth, were Willow’s red lines also marking her height.  Hers were obviously a lot taller than Nina’s for their age difference, but none the less she had her own slashes showing her growth.

“MY TURN,” Willow said excited too, to see her growth as any child would be.

“Step right up,” Her father told her with an equally excited tone. 

“I’ll start making the lunch,” Willow’s mom told everyone as she walked off with Nina toward the kitchen.

“Alright stay still, for one second,” Willow’s dad told her as he took the color pencil and went to mark a line for her.  Willow stood still and waited for her father to finish.  “And there we go…?  Huh.  You didn’t move did you?”

Willow excitement paused for a moment as she heard the question form her father, “No?  Why?”

“Uh, nothing, let me just try again...” Her father muttered as he kept looking at something on the wall.

“What?” Willow asked confused at her father’s behavior.  Willow pulled away from the wall and saw the line that her dad drew on the wall.  The new red line wasn’t higher.  In fact it was actually a little shorter than her last week’s height.  “I didn’t grow?”  Willow asked sounding upset at the fact that she hadn’t gotten taller.

“… Oh, don’t worry about that sweetie… You’ll grow.” Willow’s dad said sounding a little off.  “Hey hon,” Willow’s dad called out for her mom.  “I think we should make an appointment with the doctors tomorrow for Willow.”

Willow felt a weird feeling, “The doctors?  I don’t want to go the doctors,” Willow complained at hearing the news.

“Everything okay,” Willow’s mom called out from the kitchen.

Willow looked at her father who still looked a little troubled, “Yeah, I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Willow frowned as she looked back at the wall before her mom’s words cut into her thoughts, “Lunch is ready.”  Willow turned around and headed toward the kitchen table to eat her lunch.  Than she was going to try and finish the puzzle that she started the other day.  It was going to be so much fun today.

Willow waited patiently in the doctor’s office as her dad and the doctor had been talking to each other for a while.  Willow was bored as she sat in the chair kicking her feet waiting for her dad to come back and take her home.  Although she hated the doctor’s office because of the shots and other horrible things they always did to her when she showed up, she hated the waiting the most.  She rather go outside and play with Duke, Nina, or even just to do something else than wait.  Willow never liked to sit around bored, and this was no exception.  As Willow looked around the small room she spotted a few things, some posters and jokes on the wall for children.  Some of them made Willow laugh to herself and others were just boring diagrams. 

Willow couldn’t help but bring her attention back to the door where she could see the two shadowy figures talking.  One was her dad and the other was her pediatrician.  Willow watched as the one that belong to her father started to look more frantic… upset?  Willow hadn’t ever seen her father like that.  However he seemed to be disturbed by whatever was going on.

“Dad?”  Willow lightly called out.

Her father didn’t hear her as he kept talking to the pediatrician.  Willow could only make out muffled words like “Small” or “change” or “ism”.  Willow wasn’t sure what that meant or anything like that.  However her dad’s shape seemed more distressed from what was being explained to him.  Finally after a while, Willow’s father finally opened the door and walked back into the room with her pediatrician. 

Willow saw the look on her father’s face.  It was one she had never seen before.  His expression was worse than the other day before lunch.  He quickly said, “Uh, sorry Willa.  Didn’t mean to make you wait.”

“Can we go home now,” Willow asked slightly impatient and also a little worried.  Both adult seemed nervous or grim.  She couldn’t tell why but the tension in the air was making her nervous and scared. 

“In a minute,” Willow’s dad said.  “The doctor… she has something she needs to tell you.”

Willow turned to the older woman who gave her a forced smile, “Are you feeling okay Willow?”

“...yeah?”

“Good… good, do... do you know what Shrinkism is?”

Willow frowned at the words.  She hadn’t heard of that before.  Or if she did, she couldn’t recall what it meant or was.  Willow shook her head, “No.  What’s that?”

“Well,” The pediatrician said as she got down to Willow’s level.  “It’s when someone can’t grow any taller.  Instead, they diminish,” She told Willow using the correct term for what happens.

“Diminish,” Willow repeated frowning at the new word she learned. 

“It means to get smaller,” the doctor explained.

“Smaller,” Willow repeated not sure if she understood.  “How small?”

“Well, have you meet anyone ‘tiny’ before?” The doctor asked.

“You mean like Jeff?  From school?”  Willow asked recalling seeing one of her classmates slightly smaller than usual, right before he left school.  She never did hear about him after that, no one knew or just stop talking about him.  So Willow did too.

The doctor looked to Willow’s dad who nodded, “Yeah like Jeff, you remember how tall he was?”  Willow shook her head.  Willow’s dad let out very hurt sigh, “Baby… your going to be this tall,” He told her holding his fingers up to about an inch or so in size before dropping his hand.

Willow looked between her father and the doctor who were looking back at her.  “But… I’m going to turn 9 soon.”  Willow couldn’t understand what they were saying to her.  She was going to be that tall.  She looked down at her own hand and mimic the size her father showed her.

The doctor tried to explain more to Willow about what to expect or how fast or slow her shrinking might be.  Willow didn’t listen she was too busy trying to imagine what it would be like that small.  How large the world would be, how tiny she would be.

“Willow, I don’t want you to lose hope,” The pediatrician told her.

“Huh,” Willow asked not sure what she meant.

“There are numerous labs, companies, and people trying to find a cure.  It’s just a matter of time, that’s all,” The pediatrician told her.

“Really?”  Willow asked feeling better.  There was hope for her after all!

“We should get going,” Willow’s father said as he still had that sullen look.

Willow looked out the car window.  Her father hadn’t said anything to her all the way home.  It wasn’t till they got home that her dad finally said something, “Willow… Willa, uh...”

“Yeah dad,” Willow asked looking at her father. 

“… sorry it’s nothing.  Let’s go inside and get some lunch.”

“Okay,” Willow responded as she got out of the car and followed her dad inside.  Willow saw that her mom was already preparing lunch for Nina.  “MOM were back!  Is there some for us?”

“There sure is,” Willow’s mom said as she started to grab extra plates for them.

Willow sat down and waited for her food as her dad sat down next to her mother.  Willow was eating when her mom asked, “So how was the doctor’s?  Everything okay.”

Willow watched her father not respond.  Instead she felt like she should, “She said I have...shrinkism?”  Willow scrunched up her face at the new word she learned today.

Willow’s mother froze as she looked to her father, “Shrinkism?!”  He just nodded grimly.

“But she said they’re working on a cure!”  Willow happily told her mother, “So it should be fine, right?”

“Oh, yeah dear,” Willow’s mother said nodding.  “Your right, they’ll have a cure in no time.  That’s the spirit.”  Willow smiled at her mom’s words as she went back to eating.  However her mom and father didn’t seem to have much of an appetite right now.  Instead they were busy looking at her.  Willow felt like they were acting different from how they normal did.  But she also wanted to complete that puzzle.  Finishing her food, Willow went off to her room and started to try and complete the half finished puzzle.

That night Willow rolled around and quickly waking up and having to use the bathroom.  As she walked to the bathroom she heard her parents were still up.  They were talking.

“We can’t afford it,” Her father replied through the door.

“So what? We just don’t buy them?  You heard how hard it is to talk with a shrinky-”

“Our daughter,” her father said in a stern voice.  “She’s still our daughter!”

“Not for long,” Willow’s mother cried out obviously upset.

Willow couldn’t hear much more after that but she found the need to use the bathroom with more of a need.  Her parent’s words were confusing as she wasn’t sure what they meant but the tone of both her parents were what scared her.  Her father sounded upset, which he never was, and her mom was crying?  They were the most cheerful and loving parents that could exist.  However this was a side that Willow had never seen and it worried her.  Willow headed off to the bathroom before doing what she woke up to do.  When she was done, Willow flushed the toilet and head back to bed.  She didn’t hear her parents when passing, but the lights were still on.  Willow wanted to knock on the door to see if they were okay… but she also was afraid of what they would say.  Would they be like themselves or would they be different like before?  Willow didn’t want to chance it and walked past the door and to her room.  She quickly got into bed.  Willow closed her eyes and started to slip off to dream land.  The last thing she thought before drifting off was how loose her pajamas felt.

Willow held one of the last few pieces of the puzzle left in her hand, or rather hands.  She was about 6 inches right now, and the puzzle piece was pretty big.  Puzzles usually became easier the closer to finishing you are, but for Willow it was the opposite.  It seemed the progression of her Shrinkism was on pare with the completion of the puzzle.  Her shrink was soon coming up to the finale as she only had a little bit more to go.  Things had been very different since she first found out she had Shrinkism.  Her parents were always so different around her. 

Willow sighed as she set the piece in the right slot and went for the last couple more pieces of the puzzle. 

Willow didn’t mean to be jealous of her little sister, but it seemed that her parents were more involved with her than ever before.  Willow kind of felt left out most times.  At dinner, everyone talk about their day, but Willow couldn’t, in fact the other night everyone skipped over her. 

Willow held the next large piece as she recalled that feeling.  It hurt deeply, feeling left out of her family like she wasn’t part of it.  However, Willow knew that they didn’t do it on purpose.  It was hard for them to hear her at the dinner table.  Sometimes she would have to repeat what she said to her mom or dad many times over before they could hear her.  Sadly there wasn’t a way to fix this.  As her parent didn’t have enough funds to purchase equipment for everyone to use, or to set up a remodel of their home.  So Willow was forced to have either her parents or sister to help her out throughout the house.  To pick her up and bring her to the kitchen, living room, and sadly the bathroom too.  Willow hated that the most, having to ask someone to take her to the bathroom and help her… it was very embarrassing even though they were family. 

However not everything was bad.  Willow enjoyed the fact that the TV was now the size of an entire house!  Not to mention the size of her dessert servings?  Monstrous.  As much as Willow hated to be a bother to her family, she did enjoy them carrying her around, like they were her personal servant catering to her.  Willow would be excited to not have to go to school, but that meant she wouldn’t be able to see her friends unless she invited them over.  Although it didn’t seem like the perks of being tiny were outweighing the negatives of it all.  But Willow would try and stay positive, if not for herself, than for her parents and family.  If she could stay happy and smiling than they would too.

As if to prove her point, Nina came walking into Willow’s room, “Willa, dinner.  Mommy made soup.”

“OVER HERE,” Willow called out from her desk with the almost finished puzzle.  Nina didn’t hear as she headed over to Willow’s bed.  She peeked on top and than below the bed as she looked around the room.  “NINA!!  NINA OVER HERE,” Willow tried again.  This time Nina caught sight of Willow waving her hands and jumping up and down.

“Willa,” Nina called out seeing her.  “What are you doing,” She asked as she walked toward Willow.

Willow watched her little sister now approach and become her massively large, BIG sister.  Willow was large enough to fit in the palm of both her hands put together.  “Just finishing my puzzle,” Willow told her as she looked over the 10 or so pieces left.

“Oh I can help,” Nina said sounding excited as she quickly started to pick up a piece.

Willow protested, “It’s okay Nina I can do it,” Willow told her but she was already slapping the puzzle pieces in.  It took her not even 5 seconds to finish Willow’s puzzle.  She couldn’t help but feel hurt.  She wanted to finish it… like a sense of accomplishment or completion, but her sister just took that from her.

“TIME FOR DINNER,” Nina stated cheerfully as she plucked up Willow who wasn’t ready and carried off like some kind of toy that Nina found.  Willow looked up at Nina who didn’t even look down at her as she strolled off toward the dinner table.  Completing one of her choirs: bring Willow to the table.

It was official, Willow was now at her new height.  The doctor told her that she would get a little taller, like a fraction of an inch or so as she got older.  However to everyone else, she wouldn’t grow taller.  She was going to be that size till they found a cure.  It had been a few weeks and school had started, and Willow hadn’t seen any of her friends come over yet.  Willow wasn’t going to school, it would be too dangerous and she thought she heard her father say pointless.  She wanted to go and see her friends, but there was no way she could go.  She tried to get Nina to take her, but she either didn’t hear Willow ask her the night before during dinner or just didn’t want to. 

So Willow was forced to stay home as she waited for Nina to come back.  Willow’s mom was making a snack for both Nina and Willow.  She was busy making something in the kitchen and had Willow standing on the counter nearby, but out of the way.  Willow felt so bored and lonely, she was busy trying to find something to do on the counter top but there wasn’t much around for her to play with.  Being tiny was not as much fun as it used to be when she was a little larger.

Willow found a piece of salt or sugar on the counter top and gave it a good kick to the soccer ball like size chunk of material.  It wasn’t as light as she thought it was going to be so it took some force but she happily saw the white crystal object move.  Giggling she went to kick the object around a little pretend she was playing soccer.  Of course it wasn’t really as fun as actually playing soccer, but it was better than sitting there doing nothing.  Willow must have passed so much time because next thing she knew she heard the door open and Nina come running into the kitchen.

“MOM!  MOM!  Look what I did today!”  Nina called out showing a piece of paper with something on it. 

“OH MY,” Willow’s mom smiled and gasped at the picture she drew.  “That’s my girl!  Look at that art… so lovely,” She started to pin the paper up on the fridge.  “Now, whose hungry,” she asked.

“I am!”  Nina called out taking a seat.

“So am I,” Willow called out too.  Her mother brought a plate of snacks over to Nina and didn’t bother to pick up Willow.  “Uh, mom?  MOM!  HEY MOM!”  Willow shouted at the top of her lungs praying that her mother or sister would hear her.

Willow’s mom didn’t notice her as she went about sitting with Nina and asking how her day went, and being a caring mother.  Willow watched her sister and mom act like she wasn’t even there.  Willow wasn’t sure which hurt more her feeling or her hungry stomach.  The way she was ignored was horrible, so bad that she kicked the crumb of salt or sugar right off the edge of the counter top.  She looked over the edge and watched the soccer ball grain of seasoning vanish from sight as it disappeared falling toward the floor. 

Willow sat at the dinner table as her mom and dad praised Nina for her beautiful art and they talked about their day.  Willow was completed ignored like usual.  Her parents were fawning over Nina like she was an only child.  But that wasn’t true, Willow was their child too, she was the older sister.  So why didn’t they ask her what she wanted for her birthday Friday?  Why didn’t they ask her what she did?  Why didn’t they interact with her more?  It was agony for Willow to sit there almost alone in her own little world.  Sitting at the table with what looked to be a crumb of a crumb in her hands.  Was this what she had to look forward to till she was cured? 

“So what did you do today dear,” Willow’s dad asked her mother.

“Oh you know the usual, watched her,” Willow saw her mother tilt her head toward Willow.  That gesture told her everything she needed.  “And did some choirs around the house.  Took Duke for a walk...” She went on her basic day.  “Oh shoot that’s right, I need to get something for Friday,” Willow’s mom said.  Willow felt something slightly light up.  It was for her birthday right?  “Nina do you think you can watch the house with Duke and Willow while I go pick it up tomorrow?”

Nina nodded, “Yeah!  Cause I'm the big sister now!”

“That’s right,’ Willow’s dad said nodding.

Willow gaped at how her parents didn’t correct her, but instead praised her sister for being the big sister.  “But…” Willow huffed as she couldn't protest this.  She could only look down at her food and recall all the times she was the BIG sister.  Helping Nina learn how to run or swing on the swings.  How to properly tie her shoes.  Now she was the little sister, even though she was older.  Willow looked up at Nina who was finishing her food.  “We’re still sisters, it shouldn't’ matter who the big sister is,” Willow told her self trying to not feel any resentment in having her title taking from her.

Nina was busy doing homework on the couch while Willow’s mom was going shopping for whatever it was she needed for Friday.  Willow was on the coffee table watching her larger young sister scribbling down her answer to the simple first grader homework.  Duke was laying down on the floor like most days that he wasn’t running outside.  Nina dropped her pencil and let out a sigh.  Willow looked up from Nina’s homework.  Nina’s head was turned toward the television remote that was just slightly out of reach.

“I don’t want to do homework any more,” Nina huffed as she reached for the control.

“Uh, NINA, NO TV TILL YOUR DONE!”  Willow tried to tell her as she headed over closer to the homework and Nina herself, to get her attention.  “NINA!”

“Huh,” Nina held the remote in her hand as she looked down at Willow.  The annoyance in her voice and on her face was new to Willow.  Nina than said, “What?”

“NO TV TILL HOMEWORK IS-”

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Nina told her blandly. 

Willow frowned at her attitude.  “Wh-  I’M YOUR BIG-”

“Noooo, you’re tiny,” Nina argued, her louder words cutting Willow off.

Willow wanted to argue and fight with Nina, but the attitude on her was showing.  Willow figured, fine, I’ll bring out the big guns.  “I’LL TELL MOM AND DAD THAT-”

Nina dropped the TV remote on the table. 

Willow was glad that Nina listened.  Feeling slightly more powerful than she had in a while, she nodded and pointed to the homework,“Okay, NOW THERE ARE ONLY 3 MORE-”

“Your not telling mom and dad,” Nina snobbishly told Willow with some anger in there.  Nina stood up and put her hands on her hips as she was now much taller and well above Willow.

“I won’t have to if you finish-”

“DUKE!”  Nina called out  “COME HERE BOY!” 

Willow felt something run up her legs, spine, and to the back of her neck.  “Wh-what are you doing Nina,” Willow called out obviously her words lost to the sounds of Duke’s large paws carrying the dog from the kitchen and into the family room.

“There you are, good boy, come here,” Nina called out clapping her hands together and getting the large dog’s attention and to come to her.  Willow watched the gargantuan dog trot over to Nina who started to pet and rub his head.

Willow couldn’t find her voice as she watched the dog she grew up with dwarf her in size now.  His attention was all on her sister and started to sniff around Nina as she cupped his head and gave him some head pats and giggled at his licking tongue.  “D-d-duke,” Willow spoke his name.  Duke wasn’t distracted at all by her voice.

Nina went on praising Duke, “Good boy, hehe, you’re a good boy.  Look!  I got something for you,” Nina told Duke.  “Sit..SIT!”  She commanded and Duke sat down and looked up at Nina.  Willow didn’t have time to run as Nina turned and gave her a look.  It was one that Willow had never seen her cute little sister use before.  Nina bent over and picked up Willow into her hand and held her by her arms.

“Ahhh,” Willow called out find her body yanked off the table and through the air.  She was being hung by her arms as Nina held her thousands of feet off the ground.  “NINA!  NI- NI- NINA!”  Willow screamed as she found her self trying to hold onto her fingers. 

“Looook, Duke.  I got a treat for you...”

Willow let out a scream as she heard those words, “NO! NOOO NO NO! DUKE!?  DUKE DON’T LISTEN!”  Willow screamed as soon as she found the large dogs face coming closer.  Her sister started to lower Willow toward Duke.  Duke sniffed upward at Willow.  The suction and gust of Duke sniffing blasted and pulled the air around Willow as he snorted and suddenly let out a loud enormous happy bark.

“You like it,” Nina asked pulling a petrified Willow away from the wagging dog.  Duke’s eyes were locked onto Willow as if she were nothing more than a snack for him.

“NO!  NINA I’M SORRY! DON’T! I WON’T SAY ANYTHING TO MOM AND DAD!”  Willow screamed for her sister to stop this.  She got the threat she understood now.  She wont tattle ever!

“Okay Duke I’m going to toss it to you, ready?”  Nina asked the dog who let out another bark.  “1...” Nina said as she swung her outstretch arm with Willow still kicking and screaming from her fingers.  The motion sent Willow’s torso and legs forward electing another scream from her.  “2….”  Again Willow was rocked backward and than forward as she swung with the slightest movements from Nina.

Willow was crying hysterically as she heard the thumping of Duke’s tail wagging and hitting the table nearby.  She knew by that movement that he was excited.  Willow did this so many times with Duke that she knew exactly what he was going to do.  The moment Nina let go and tossed her in the air, Duke would jump up and snatch the treat right out of the sky… only it will be Willow and not a doggy treat like all the other times they practiced. 

“Threeeeeee,” Nina sang as she did it. 

Willow felt the giant fingers pinching her hands let go and her body was flung through the air.  Willow couldn’t cry any more as her gut clenched together as her feet flipped over her head as she started to spin.  She was doing a back flip through the air as the ground became the sky and the ceiling was the floor and than back again.  She was going so fast that everything was a blur.  That was until a sudden large mass of an object that wasn’t the floor came out of no where.  Willow watched the large dog mouth open wide as it approached her.  The large canine teeth lined the inside of Duke’s mouth as his tongue lolled out and his throat gaping open in response to whatever it was catching.  Willow wanted to close her eyes, but wasn’t fast enough as she was flung toward Duke who was already jumping in response to Nina releasing her.  Just as Willow was about to collided with Duke’s tongue and mouth, he timed his jumped too soon.  Maybe it was how Nina flung Willow or he was used to Willow’s toss, but Willow was just under tossed to the dog.  Willow collided with Duke’s soft fur just near the collar.  Willow tried to grab the fur only to find that she was going too fast and the dog was still moving in the air.  Willow bounced and continued to fall downward.  She was falling and rolling off her dog’s fur and than landed on the ground.  Still with some momentum, Willow was still rolling on the ground till she landed under the couch.

Willow sobbed.  Both from the fear of almost being eaten, and also for still being alive. 

“Awwww, you missed,” Nina whined.  “Willa where did you go?  Duke!  FIND!” 

Willow’s heart sped up at the command.  Forcing her body to get up, Willow ran toward the back of the couch that was up against the wall in the living room.  No sooner did she get a few steps deeper did a large black nose ram into the couch underside trying to sniff for Willow.  Duke barked and tried to fit his maw under the couch but he was too big.

“I’ll help,” Nina called out happily as her foot steps could be heard running to the side of the couch.

“STOP IT!”  Willow screamed and begged as she heard Nina trying to move the couch so Duke could find her.  Willow could see her feet had approached the end of the couch as she tried to move the only safe spot for Willow.

“Grrrr, mmmmm,rrrrrr,” Nina groaned.  Willow closed her eyes waiting to hear the couch being dragged or pushed out of the way.  However it never came.  It seemed the couch was too heavy for her to move her self. 

Willow let out a slight sigh, the only good thing that had happen today was that her sister was too small to move the furniture.  Willow slumped down to the floor with her back to the wall as she tried to process everything.  Her sister tried to fed her to Duke… she tried to fed her to Duke!  Her dog!  How could either one of them do that to her.  Willow rocked back and forth as everything seemed to crumble around her.  Nina, the girl that Willow would have done anything for as a big sister, didn’t even think twice about chucking her to Duke.  The dog that Willow taught so many tricks and fed and gave treats to.  The same one she was playing catch with not even a few weeks ago!

Willow let out another sob as Duke came sniffing around again and finally giving up, walked off.  Nina’s rump landing on the floor could be heard before the sound of the television being turned on filled the room.  Nina got what she wanted, she was watching TV.

Willow waited till her mom got home.  It was a little sooner than the same time her dad would get home.  She was still under the couch hiding from Nina and Duke.

“Where’s Willow,” Their mother asked Nina.

Before Willow could respond or even come out from under the couch Nina said, “She’s hiding.  She won’t come out from under the couch.”

“Why is she under there?”

Willow used this opportunity to come running out and get her mom’s attention.  She looked down at her as Willow waved her arms.  Nina wasn’t anywhere near Willow so she felt some relief and comfort as her mom went to pick her up off the ground. 

“MOM!  MOM NINA TRIED TO KILL ME!!!”  Willow screamed for her to hear her.

“What?  Nina… did you try to hurt Willow?”

Nina shook her head, “Duke did.”

“Duke?”  Willow’s mom replied confused.

“SHE TRIED TO FEED ME TO HIM!!”  Willow yelled.

“Why would Duke try to hurt Willow,” Their mother asked as she walked over to the slumbering dog.  Willow wasn’t sure what she was trying to do but to her horror and shock she woke up Duke.  “Duke.”

Duke started to stir as he got up.  Willow let out a screech as she was soon being held out for the hungry looking dog.  Duke instantly started to wag his tail as he went for Willow in her mothers palm.  Willow jumped back as the tongue lolled out and if her mom didn’t yank Willow back fast enough… she would have been nothing but a snack.

“Duke?!”  Willow’s mother said sounding upset.  “Oh this is not good...” 

Willow felt a sense of relief as her mother finally seemed concerned about her, “It wasn’t just Duke, Nina-”  Willow was placed on the counter top as her mother started to put some groceries away.  “MOM?!  MOM!! IT WAS ALSO NINA!”  Willow said trying to get her to hear her.  She pointed to Nina who didn’t seem all that worried she was being ratted out.  In fact she looked like she didn’t even care.

“Mom, what’s for dinner,” Nina asked.

“Meatloaf with mac and cheese,” she responded as she was still putting things away.

Willow tried again to get her mother attention as she headed closer to her, “MOM!”  Willow wasn’t sure if she heard or just happen to turn toward but her mom looked at her.

“What is it?”  She asked not really seeming too worried about it.

“NINA WAS GOING TO FEED ME TO DUKE!!”  Willow shouted for the hundredth time to her large mother who just nodded.

“And we’ll talk to your father about this,” She responded as if it wasn’t anything too big of a deal.

Willow was stunned as her mom went back to making dinner.  Willow looked behind her into the family room and saw Nina busy watching TV.  The only one that seemed to be paying attention to her was Duke.  And not in the good way, it was more like a dog waiting for some scraps to fall on the floor kind of way.

Willow sat on the counter top feeling a mix of emotions she couldn’t describe.  Probably the most powerful one was neglected.  Forgotten.  Ignored. 

Soon her father came home and everyone greeted him, except for Willow.  It didn’t take too long after her father was home that they had dinner.  That was when Willow was brought over to the table and after they all ate, well Willow didn’t feel like eating, her mother brought up the problem of Willow and Duke.

“He did?”  Her father asked confused at what she told him.  Willow’s mom nodded.  “That’s not good...”

Willow looked over at Nina who didn’t seem to be a part of the conversation at all.

“I thought she would be fine since they grew up together,” Willow’s mom said sounding worried.

Willow’s father nodded, “I did too.”

“So what do we do?”

“I’ll… I’ll take care of it,” He told her.  Willow’s father didn’t even look at her as it seemed whatever he was going to do he made up his mind about it. 

Willow wasn’t sure what her father was doing.  He was walking with her in the park, Willow in his hands. 

“Dad?  What’s going on.”  Willow was woken up a little early, on her birthday.  She thought her dad might have had a surprise for her when he came into her room.  Not sure what the surprise or what it could be she followed into his hands when he held them out.  It wasn’t too long of a walk but when she noticed they were at the park her mind was drawling a blank as to why they would be here.

“Sorry, we thought you would be safe in the house.  But it doesn’t seem like that way anymore.”

“S-safe?  Dad…?”

“We can’t get ride of Duke.  He’s family,” her father went on.

Willow got the same feeling she had the other day when Nina gave her that horrifying face.  Something wasn’t right.  “D-d-dad?  What are you saying??”

Willow’s father stop walking and sighed, “This is for the best.”

“What is?!  WHAT’S GOING ON!”  Willow demanded with tears forming.

“Here’s some food, and clothes,” Her dad said pulling out a small little bundle for Willow to hold onto.

“But… Dad?  Nina was-”

“We know.  She told us about it.  This is why it’s best if you didn’t live with us anymore.  For everyone,” Willow’s dad said as he started to set Willow down.  Willow didn’t have a choice as her father tilted his hand and she slowly slide out of his palm.  She tried to grab his finger or part of his hand but her grip failed.  She landed on the wooden barrier that kept all the wood chips on the inside of the playground.

“DAD!  DAD?!  WHAT-”  Willow called out to her father who started to stand up and out of her reach.

He didn’t even say a proper goodbye as he just started to walk off.

“DON’T!!!  COME BACK!!! DAAAAADDDD!!!!!”  Willow screamed as she tried to follow after him.  However he was way too far away and the distance was growing, as Willow tried to climb down the wooden barrier she was on.  By the time she got off and was back on the side walk, her dad was gone.  Willow stood there crying as her father, no her whole family had abandoned her.  She was left alone.

And on her 9th birthday too...