Posts made by littlest-lily

Chapter 3
Aiden

I’m not usually one to panic about things. In fact I tend to pride myself on being able to stay calm in stressful situations. But the way this day is going, that’s starting to be put to the test.

I’ve worked with Dr. Little before, just once, a few days ago. He gave me the rundown of the machinery I’d be operating and let me assist in a couple of trial runs. It was amazing, getting to see the shrinking technology in person. At this point I’ve watched a chair, an apple, and even a rat become miniaturized, and quickly I was realizing that this wouldn’t just be me getting simple credits for a college class. I was getting to witness history in the making.

I’d found it pretty insane that I would not only get to be his assistant for some of the human trials, this one apparently being the fourth, but that it would literally just be me and him running the show today. Could something this monumental really be happening on my own university campus? Well, technically across the street from campus, but still. I’m just a grad student. A Geology major at that, I’m not even a physicist or biologist or engineer. I’m not sure how I qualified for this. But I was just excited to be a part of it.

And then… and then everything got weird.

Dr. Little hadn’t come across as a particularly easy-going person on the first day, but he was nice enough and seemed to enjoy my excitement as he showed me how everything worked. But ever since Evie stepped into this room he’s been a little more tense. More concentrated. That makes sense to a certain extent - this is a huge deal. Pun very much intended. But the more time is passing the more my superior is starting to come off as… sketchy.

Up until now, I’ve been distracted from it. Watching a person shrinking down in front of me was nothing short of mind-blowing. I tend to keep it to myself, but I’ve always been fascinated by this kind of thing, and now I got to watch this young woman - this cute classmate of mine, no less - dwindling down like an ice cube melting in a time-lapse.

The only thing dampening my enthusiasm was how scared Evie looked when I approached her. Her long chestnut hair was completely disheveled, her tiny limbs trembling, her shining brown doe-like eyes giving me an almost pleading look as tears ran down her face. Like I was telling her, it would make sense that she’d be so freaked out, no matter how much preparation she went through. I’m sure it really didn’t help that she was still affected by all the anesthetics that were necessary for the shrinking process.

But… I’m starting to realize that there may be more to her fear. Her little voice was hard to make out, but I know what I heard. The suspicions swirling inside of me are becoming impossible to ignore. I scan the counter to my left, finding the micrometer that Dr. Little requested, and as I cross the lab again to hand it to him, I muster the determination to pose the rather horrifying question.

“I have to ask,” I begin hesitantly, gesturing towards the frightened shrunken girl that my boss is currently holding aloft. “Was she not… informed of what was going to happen?”

Dr. Little, who’s been clearing off the counter with his free hand, pauses, giving me a hard look. “Of course she was. What gave you that idea?”

I shift uncomfortably but push forward. “Did you not hear what she said earlier?”

“I think you’re the one who might have misheard.” He’s not looking at me anymore, setting things up for the next phase of testing. “Her voice doesn’t exactly carry very well. I can assure you she’s well aware of what the experiment entails.”

Evie lets out a tiny whimper. Her voice is weak but she manages to push out a scream as she throws her head back, and to me what she says is as clear as day.

“He’s lying–!”

She’s cut off as Dr. Little shifts his thumb just then, pushing it up against her face and covering her mouth. She looks so small in his fingers, so fragile, and I wince at how casually he just did that. My temper flares.

“Hey,” I snap, dropping any pretense of being deferential, “Come on, don’t you think you’re being a little rough?”

Noticing my shift in tone, Dr. Little turns towards me with a haughty air. My heart rate speeds up as my eyes are still fixed on my classmate that he’s handling so carelessly. From the way he jerks her around I worry her neck might snap from the whiplash alone.

“I’m starting to think I made a mistake with you,” he snarls. “You know, the only reason I’m even needing an assistant is because I can’t operate the machinery on my own. I’m not paying you to share your opinions on how I conduct my work. She’s fine.”

“I… Sir, listen, clearly there’s been a mistake here,” I growl back, feigning diplomacy to try to give him an out, “Some kind of miscommunication. I’m sure it was an accident, but we shouldn’t keep going until it’s cleared up.”

“I can assure you, there’s no mistake. The girl’s still recovering from the drugs and isn’t thinking straight. That’s all.” His eyes narrow and there’s a heaviness to his tone, almost like he’s trying to give me an out this time. “And here I thought we were kindred spirits. I thought you might have appreciated this… particular study.”

He’s gotten agitated. I want to reach for Evie, to try and take her away from this man who’s one step away from actually injuring her, but any struggle that might follow could result in disaster. Even now his grip on her looks too tight. I pause, feeling tense and helpless, and put my open hands up in an attempt to pacify him.

“Okay… okay, just… Take it easy," I say, as calmly as I can.

Dr. Little gives me one last, long glare before returning his attention to his work space. I can tell he’s keeping an eye on me, though. My mind’s racing. How do I stop this?

And… did he just say kindred spirits? I suddenly feel exposed, wondering if he’s somehow gotten access to my internet search history. I’m starting to think that maybe there really was a reason I was selected to be his assistant. I’ve always been interested in things like fairies and shrink rays as far back as I can remember, and I’d fantasized about having my own tiny friend more times than I can count. As I got older, my interests matured right along with me. But regardless of what my personal… tastes may be, this is different. This is real life. This is a real girl who’s in real trouble right now. If he truly thought I’d be okay with him shrinking someone and running tests on them without consent, then he has me read completely wrong.

I try to mentally run through my options. My phone’s in a different room, with most of the rest of my stuff in a locker. There’s a landline here for emergencies, but it’s on the other side of the counter and very visible. Is there some kind of panic button or something in this room that can call security? Probably not. What about the tablet I’ve been working on, can I use it to contact someone? Might be worth a shot. But even if I call for help, if this guy literally has a hostage in the palm of his hand, how the hell can anyone do anything without risking her getting hurt?

And then suddenly he makes a mistake. He needs both hands to adjust the micrometer and puts Evie down on the counter for a second, dumping her unceremoniously into a heap. I can see her little body shaking as she valiantly tries to get up again, and it gives me the courage I need to surge forward, to take action, to throw my hands around the threat–

“What are you doing?” Dr. Little yells angrily as I grab him around the chest from behind, pinning his arms against his torso. I wrench him sideways, just trying to pull him away from the counter, away from Evie, and I’m attempting to twist myself around and put my body between him and her.

I don’t answer him, not having had time to really come up with a plan, and just try to hold my own as my boss is fighting back now. I’m only slightly taller than he is and it doesn’t really offer an advantage, nor do I actually know how to fight. But the struggle doesn’t last more than a few seconds… and then a lot more happens in a very short period of time.

He wrenches an arm free and grabs at me - there’s the sound of ripping fabric as buttons pop off my lab coat and he gets a good grip on my clothes, breaking my hold as he throws me off him. I stagger back, and he loses balance from his own shove, tripping and falling and his back rams into a counter. The counter that happens to be housing the power generator for the shrinking machine.

The power generator he had told me to stay far away from.

There’s a loud crash of metal and plastic, a flash of a spark, and just like that, without so much as a yell, Dr. Little’s body convulses, goes stiff, and crumples to the floor. I feel like I watch it in slow motion, my breath getting caught in my chest. The slow motion continues as the power generator, as big as a suitcase and knocked askew, teeters on the edge of the counter before crashing to the ground as well. Then, on the edge of the fallen scientist’s lab coat, a flame begins to bloom.

The sight of smoke snaps me to my senses and I dart for the nearest fire extinguisher. But while my instincts were correct, I’ve never used one of these before. It takes me a second to find the pin, giving the fire an opportunity to flare up and envelop the generator, and as I squeeze the handle, I realize too late that I’ve aimed for the flames and not for the source. The extinguisher empties and I’ve failed to take care of the problem.

I hesitate for a second longer, wondering if I should continue to fight the fire. But the flames are moving fast and have already jumped to two other pieces of machinery, causing them to spark and pop. The blaze is growing as smoke quickly fills the room.

I have to get out of here. And, I realize, I have to get Evie out of here too.

Hurrying over to the counter, I make eye contact with the tiny, terrified girl who’s just watched all of this unfold in massive proportions. She’s frozen in place, paralyzed by the cocktail of fear and anesthetics. Without saying anything I gather her into my hands, trying to be as careful as I can in my haste, and instinctively I hold her up to my chest, cupping her body against me with one hand so that I can keep the other one free. As I look back up towards the exit, Dr. Little’s briefcase somehow catches my attention, right next to us on the counter. I grab it. And bolt towards the door.

The blaze has spread so quickly in the room and I hear yells and alarm bells as I run through the building and smoke fills the air. People are rushing out, some of them panicking - a chemical lab is a terrible place for a fire to break out. I’m starting to cough before I reach the front door, breaching it and joining the group of people that has gathered just outside. I take a deep breath of clear air. My head is spinning as I remember my little passenger, and even as I try to put space between me and the burning building, I take a moment to look down, to tilt my hand back just a bit so that I can check on Evie.

Her miniscule fingers are clutching at the fabric of my half-torn lab coat, her eyes momentarily squinting against the sudden influx of light before they widen again. She looks like she’s wheezing and when she tries to say something she’s instead overtaken by a fit of coughs.

“Are you–” I start to say before someone bumps into me, a large crowd continuing to form. My voice would have been drowned out anyway as the sound of sirens fills the street from an approaching fire truck.

I can’t think straight. I can’t process what just happened. There’s too much chaos. I make a desperate decision in my panic. I live just off campus, a few minutes’ walk from here, and mechanically my legs start taking me in that direction. In just a couple of blocks things are quieter, and soon I’m hurrying into my apartment building and running up half a flight of stairs. Thankfully my keys are in my pocket, unlike my wallet and phone which are probably already burnt to a crisp in the lab’s locker.

Letting out a shaky exhale, my throat still itching from the smoke, I shut the door to my place and lean against it for a second. I hear the siren of a police car zooming by outside, and I just stand there, breathing hard.

But the trials aren’t over. I pull my hand away from my chest and my stomach sinks at the sight of Evie’s body lying limp in my palm. She’s unconscious.

“No no no no no no,” I mutter, dropping Dr. Little’s briefcase to the floor and hurrying over to the closest surface, the kitchen counter. I gently set the shrunken girl down on it as I try to take in the state of her. She’s still breathing, her little chest rising and sinking, but clearly the smoke must have affected her more than it did me as her breath comes out hoarse. And her face is too tiny for me to be completely sure… but I swear her lips have started to turn blue.

I hover over her for a moment, tenderly pushing against her shoulder and repeating her name, trying to get her to wake up. I want to call for an ambulance, but I don’t have a phone. I curse myself then for having headed back to my apartment instead of staying with the emergency vehicles. Despite her size, surely they’d be better equipped to help her than I am. Do I go back? Is there time? Would carrying her around just make things worse?

I almost decide to run out into the hall and start yelling for help in the hopes of finding a phone when I suddenly remember something. I leave my classmate on the counter, darting into my bedroom and beelining for the closet. In the back corner I find what I’m looking for. My dad has a lung condition and he keeps a ventilator kit here for whenever he comes to visit. It’s bulky and rather annoying to hold onto, but it may be the stroke of dumb luck that I need.

Fully aware that the clock is ticking, I hurry back to the kitchen, untangling the tubes coming out of the machine. Unlike the fire extinguisher, I’ve used this thing before - never in an emergency situation like this, but I know how to get oxygen flowing. I place the device next to Evie and set the transparent cup of the face mask over her entire body. A few button presses later the machine whirrs to life and I crouch down next to the counter, observing the tiny girl with bated breath.

Her chest continues to rise and fall weakly. As oxygen is pumped onto her, slowly – agonizingly slowly – her breathing starts to smooth out again and her skin gradually regains a healthier color. She’s still out cold but, from what I can tell, she’s stabilizing. I slouch against the counter with relief.

Minutes pass. Once I’m convinced that she’s alright, I have to step away for a second. Give myself a moment to breathe. I stumble over to the sink, running a hand over my forehead. Feeling the rubbery surface of latex against my face, I frown as I remember I’m still wearing gloves. I rip them off and toss them down forcefully before I lean over the sink, arms taught and letting my head hang loose. Desperately trying not to vomit as the magnitude of everything settles onto me. I take a tremulous breath in and let it out with a tense whisper.

“Fuck.”

@miss-lillipants You ask the right questions! haha

And thank you so much!! I hope I don’t disappoint~ (Especially when things take a bit of a turn…)

@Olo He’s definitely the kind of guy who is one very specific type of smart

Chapter 2
Evie

The click of the doorknob echoes menacingly. Each sound is magnified to an astounding degree, bouncing off the metal walls of the now tower-like chamber. I make a terrified, weak whining noise as the glass door swings open, and I’m trying again to scooch backwards, bending my legs up but making very little progress. Aiden is a veritable monster now, all thoughts of his handsomeness completely vanished as I take in the hulking form of this colossus approaching me like some gargantuan predator.

He crouches before me again, the movement causing me to feel like everything’s closing in, and although it’s helpful to not have to take in the entire looming form of his body, having his face come so close to my perch is entirely unnerving. His head alone looks as big as a house.

My breath is coming in shallow as every instinct is hating how exposed I am and wanting me to flee. I’m having to remind myself that I’m staring at another person, not some unthinking beast. I need to communicate with him.

Aiden doesn’t look like he’s used to whatever experiment he’s helped run, completely fascinated by the sight of a shrunken girl. He just watches me for a moment, holding himself still as he observes my miniaturized body, his eyes darting over the length of my tiny frame. I try to form words, to call out to him, but even if there weren’t drugs impairing me I think I’d be frozen right now as I observe him in turn. Finally, Aiden seems to catch himself, his expression changing with a blink.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to stare,” he says quietly, though the vibrations of his speech are practically palpable. There’s something weirdly intimate about the rumbling of his voice being so close as I’m now hearing him actually talk, without the use of a speaker. “This is nuts… Although I’m sure it’s even more intense for you, especially since you can’t really move right now.”

A small whimper sounds at the back of my throat and I feel a tickle on my cheek as the tears that had been welling up finally overflow. Aiden’s brow furrows and he bites the edge of his lip. He thankfully is attempting to stay quiet as he continues to try and reassure me.

“Yeah, this is probably really scary, huh? Even if you know it’s coming… I’ll be careful, okay? We’ll take things nice and slow and then we’ll have you back to your normal self before you know it. Just think about all the lab credit you’re getting out of this.”

I’m momentarily distracted. He… he thinks I knew this was going to happen? I’m starting to put some things together. He might have known what this experiment was all about, but meanwhile I had no idea. Is this some horrible misunderstanding? Or have I been deceived? The older man’s voice rings out just then, catching my attention as if the universe is trying to answer my question.

“Aiden? Today, please.”

The closer giant’s expression shifts again as he frowns with annoyance. With a slow breath he regains himself, brow smoothing out as he turns his head to the side to respond, “I’m just… giving her a second.” When he turns back towards me, it’s with a smile and a lighter tone. “Giving myself a second too. This is incredible.”

The other person doesn’t respond. What was his name again? Some things are still fuzzy, but I know it’s with this older man that I was originally in contact with. Is he also just following orders, under the impression that this is an experiment I’ve consented to? Or could it be that he…?

There’s a strange sound, like an elastic stretching, coming from near Aiden, and as I focus on him I put together what he had reached for before entering the chamber - he’s putting on gloves. I realize immediately what this must mean. He’s about to touch me. I almost fall over as I shove against the metal floor, trying to push myself more upright. Even if I appear to be facing a gentle giant, the sheer scale of him is dangerous in and of itself. But I’m reminded yet again by the sluggishness of my body that there’s nothing I can do to stop any of this.

A massive blue hand comes into view, making me flinch as it rises up over the edge of the cliff. It’s over twice as long as I am, a monster in its own right. Aiden lays his hand flat in front of me, leaning it onto the surface of the bench. I stare at the latex covering his palm, trembling at the sudden proximity of this moving mountain of a man.

“I’ll be carrying you over to the scale. Are you able to climb on?”

I’m not sure how he thinks I might be able to get onto his hand if I can barely hold myself upright. Instinctively, I want to get away, but this time when I push back with my arms I really do fall over. For a second I make it to my hands and knees, legs twisted out awkwardly on either side, but then my elbow buckles and I slip forwards, my face crashing right into the side of Aiden’s hand. There’s a pain in my neck as it bends uncomfortably from the way I’ve landed.

The giant winces sympathetically and I watch in horror as his other hand appears, coming in from above. It hovers for a moment, unsure, until his thumb and forefinger open like a mammoth claw machine. “I’m just going to help you on, okay?”

The blue fingers move down to encircle my frame, and my entire body tenses up as they pinch around my torso. I’m half expecting the vice of his fingertips to crush me, bracing myself for the snap of a rib. But to his credit he’s staying true to his word and being very careful. I’m dragged forward onto his palm, as big as a rubbery queen-sized mattress, until he sets me down again onto my side. As I struggle to move I only manage to wriggle feebly. Like a worm.

I’m pressed into the floor by the g-force as Aiden then lifts me up. I can’t see over the edge of his hand from my sprawled position, but I can only imagine the height as the blue platform brings me into the sky. I shut my eyes, trying to block out the dizzying visuals zooming by. Though there’s so much I can’t ignore… The echoing sounds of machines whirring and footsteps booming. The smell of the latex pressed against my face. The feeling of my heart racing. The nauseating movements as I’m propelled through the air, swaying with the giant’s gait, followed by the vertigo reminiscent of being on a descending airplane that’s coming in for a landing.

“You still with me, Evie?”

I think Aiden’s trying to be gentle with his voice, but he startles me nonetheless. My eyes fly open again and I can see that the surrounding scenery is no longer whooshing by. I manage to lift my head a tad, just enough to take in the structure that I’m about to be set on. A wide stage, a counter of some kind. There’s a variety of oversized instruments - I clock a beaker, a microscope, tongs, and… the afore-mentioned digital scale. This is where the hand platform comes to a halt.

I try once again to see how much mobility I can muster and manage to get up onto one elbow. Progress. Before I can try anything else, Aiden gives me the head’s up of, “Setting you down now… Easy does it…” just as his gloved hand begins tilting. I slowly slide along the surface of his palm, stretching out one foot to try and stand it against the slick black floor below me. My leg can’t quite hold my weight and I crumble to the ground in a clumsy dismount, back onto my hands and knees.

I try to push air out of my lungs in an attempt to produce sound, frustrated by the fact that my limbs are recovering faster than my mouth. The faint squeak that comes out is just enough to catch the giant’s attention - he was about to straighten back up but instead he leans down a little more, his eyes alight with interest.

I try to speak again and it comes out in a hiss. “Stop… this…”

Aiden is noticing again how panicked I’m looking, and he frowns as he strains to hear me, leaning in even closer. “Sorry, what was that?”

I fight against how scared I am of his gigantic face moving too close for comfort. “Didn’t… agree…” My voice finally comes out stronger this time but it’s at the expense of my throat going numb and I’m suddenly caught in a coughing fit.

The giant’s frown deepens and he’s opening his mouth to respond when the sound of approaching footsteps interrupts.

“Have you taken her weight?” The older scientist passes by behind Aiden, a massive blur of color and movement. He stops at another counter, his question hanging in the air.

I could scream in frustration as the giant face in front of me quickly moves away again. “Working on it right now,” he responds, looking a little nervous about how stern his superior has started acting with him. He looks back in my direction, but it’s not for an attempt to talk - instead he’s focusing on the buttons at the bottom of the scale I’m sitting on. “Make sure to hold still for me, Evie? Umm… wow. Less than 6 grams. Can that be right?"

“Sounds appropriate,” the other man responds absently.

I can’t process that number right now. It’s too insane. Aiden sure seems to get a kick out of it, though, as he shoots me a little grin. “No wonder you felt like nothing in my hand.”

I jump at a sudden loud sound, almost losing my balance. Looking around wildly, I realize it was the snapping of a glove as the other giant is donning his own pair. I feel goosebumps on the back of my neck. I’ve had a bad feeling about this mystery man from the moment I came to, and now it seems like it’ll be his turn to interact with me. Sure enough, his figure looms larger as he begins to approach.

Aiden has turned his attention to a nearby tablet now to record his notes, and I finally get a good look at the older man. His hair is darker, shorter. His eyes are dark too. Humorless. Hungry.

That’s when I remember his name. We’d exchanged several emails and the signature that was always at the bottom flashes in my mind’s eye. Dr. Charles Little. The irony is almost laughable. Almost.

I hardly have any time to take in this new titan as he’s already reaching for me, acting much less hesitant than Aiden did. I shy away, a yell getting caught in my burning throat. These new monstrous blue fingers crash right into me and knock me over - I feel my back hit the floor and I’m suddenly pinned under the heavy weight of his hand.

More terrified tears are forming as I struggle to take in a breath. I’m now entirely convinced that I’m not going to survive this nightmare. Dr. Little’s being so much less careful than the previous giant. He’s not even looking at me right now as he picks something up from a nearby shelf… a caliper. Which at this point just looks like a massive torture instrument.

The measuring tool hurtles towards me, and the scientist shifts his fingers, keeping his index pressing down on my upper chest while using his thumb to straighten out my legs. With his other hand he adjusts the jaws on the caliper, lowering it into position around me. I struggle desperately in my panic, though I can hardly budge.

“Please…” This time I manage to actually shout as I feel hard metal against the top of my head. “I didn’t… consent…” The pressure increases against my chest and now I can’t get anything more than a garbled cry out.

Aiden’s still standing nearby, and his eyes flick up from the tablet he’s holding. There’s momentary silence before he decides to say, “Did you catch that, sir?"

"Yes,” Dr. Little responds with an irritated but almost bored tone, “Interesting. She shouldn’t be able to speak at all quite yet. Take note of that, I’ll need to revisit the neuroblocker concentration.”

"Shouldn’t we be trying to listen to–”

“Take note of the height too. Almost exactly three inches, I’m seeing 7.617 centimeters. At least the accuracy was quite good this time… Still need to make sure everything’s in proportion - can you go get the micrometer, Aiden? I think we left it by the heat lamps.”

The younger giant seems to hesitate but ultimately obeys, vanishing from my view. As soon as he’s gone, Dr. Little begins leaning in, doubling over so he can bring his face closer and closer to me. My stomach jumps up to my throat at the sight of his head lowering enough that I can feel the breeze of his breath as he whispers.

"Keep your mouth shut. Alright? Be a good girl and maybe I’ll take it easy on you tonight.”

And just like that, it’s like my world has flipped upside down once again. I stop breathing and my blood runs cold. At this point it’s beyond clear that this isn’t some kind of misunderstanding. I stare wide-eyed at the titan who might actually be a nightmarish monster. Our eyes meet and he’s completely immune to the pleading desperation in my gaze. A whisper of a smile crosses his face and he slides his latex-covered finger down the length of my body salaciously.

Then he straightens back up to standing, getting back to business. I can tell my arm and leg muscles are regaining strength by how violently they’re shaking with fear. I squirm as Dr. Little readjusts his grip on me, enveloping me into his grasp… and lifting me into the air.

@Olo Thank you so much, what a warm welcome! ️ It should become a little more clear in future chapters but yes, her clothes did shrink down with her.

Hello! This is my first time posting on these boards since I’ve discovered the site ️ I figured I’d add it here in case someone might enjoy it. Thanks for reading!

Part 1: Trial by Fire

Chapter 1
Evie

I feel like I’m sitting at the bottom of the ocean. My head is swimming. There’s a buzzing in my ears and a warmth filling up my body. My eyelids are heavy. Everything is so heavy. I just want to sleep… Maybe if I just…

No. No no no. Something’s wrong. I can’t let myself fall asleep. Come on. I have to force my eyelids open. Come on…

With monumental effort I manage to lift up my chin by just an inch or two. All I can muster is the barest of squints. I see light and shadows dancing in my vision until something solid comes into view. There’s someone in front of me… I make out a face. It’s familiar.

There had been a white room, a waiting room I think. A doctor’s office? And he was there. He was standing just behind the counter.

“Hi there! Are you Evie?” He had such a friendly smile. I remember it setting me at ease.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Cool, I’m Aiden. It’s nice to meet you.”

I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him. A shock of dark hair, broad shoulders and strong posture, and yet fine, almost delicate facial features. I wasn’t even sure what his eye color was - light brown? Green? I finally decided on hazel.

His attractiveness started to set off all sorts of alarm bells in my mind. But he seemed so nice too, so warm and relaxed, and he looked about my age. That helped me calm back down.

“Hold on a sec,” he’d said, “Are you in Professor Hickory’s class? Biochem?”

“Oh. Yeah! I thought you looked familiar. You doing this for lab credit then?”

“Yup. The extra cash doesn’t hurt either.”

“I hear ya. So are you participating in the experiment, or…?”

“Kind of - I’m here as a technician. Well, first I’m here to get you checked in. Could you fill this out?”

How long has it been since I was in that white room? It feels like so long ago. But I don’t think it was. I remember completing some forms, chatting with the handsome boy behind the counter. What happened after that?

There’s an aching in my shoulders, I’m being held upright by straps that are digging into my skin. I have to keep my eyelids open. I try looking at something else, shift my gaze to the left. There’s a desk not too far from where I am. I focus on a red mug on its surface. I see flashes of broken red ceramic on a kitchen floor, hear the grating sounds of a woman yelling. I quickly push that memory away. It’s not helpful right now.

Wait… There’s someone else there, next to the desk. He’s standing further away, he’s harder to make out in my dizzied state. But then he glances up at me, his dark eyes meeting mine. Suddenly it’s like a bucket of ice fills my stomach. I feel inexplicable terror grip my throat at the odd, calm expression on his face.

I’m not sure why, though. He had been friendly too. Not quite as warm as Aiden, and a little distracted. Older, maybe in his late thirties or early forties. What was his name again? I think he’d introduced himself as I stepped into the lab, but I can’t fully remember…

“Evie, I take it?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Step right through here, please. Aiden will help you set up.”

When was this? I think this just happened recently. It was after the white waiting room… Yes, I think it was only minutes ago. I was led into a small chamber of sorts that was bolted to the floor in a corner of the room. Three metal walls like a narrow closet around me, a bench for me to sit on. Aiden helped buckle me into supportive straps attached to the wall as I tried not to blush from his close proximity. Then he closed the door on me, the fourth wall of the chamber, made entirely of glass. There was an odd, medicinal odor in the air. I can still smell it now…

My head slumps forward, too heavy to hold up. I try again, my neck straining at the effort of raising my chin. I can’t lift it high enough to see Aiden’s face anymore. I stare at his torso, at the white lab coat that’s covering it. I catch a glimpse of black fabric peeking through from underneath, where he’d missed doing up one of the buttons. Back in the waiting room the coat hadn’t been buttoned up at all…

“I like your shirt,” I had said as I gave him back his clipboard.

“Oh hey, thanks! Do you play?”

“I used to. I’m more into board games, but I like card games too.”

This scene in my head is interrupted as the fabric in front of me shifts. I’m seeing Aiden’s face again, he’s crouching down in front of the glass so that he can meet my wobbly gaze. I’m suddenly realizing his mouth is moving and I’m hearing his voice, and it’s not in my head this time from the fragments of memory, it’s here in the present, coming out of some kind of speaker in here as the glass is sealing him off from me.

“Evie? Can you hear me?” There’s a gentle look on his face, a wrinkle of concern in his brow.

I try to move my mouth. I have to let him know something’s wrong. But my body can only do so much at once. I manage to whisper something incomprehensible, but as a result I can’t keep my head up and slump forward again. I catch movement in my periphery as the figure in front of me stands back up.

“Sir, she’s still not responding.”

“That’s alright. She may be a little dizzy for the next few minutes, perfectly normal. That’s why we have her on those supports.”

No, these aren’t supports. They’re restraints. I try again and I find more success now, pushing my head up and letting out a quiet, desperate groan. I still can’t form words, though, and everything goes blurry for a second from the effort.

“But… are you sure we shouldn’t–”

The older man’s voice is a little sharper this time. “She’s fine. I have all her vitals pulled up here, everything’s in order. Pay attention to your own screen, Aiden, it should be almost ready.”

The fuzzy figure before me pauses for an extra beat before it shifts to the side, to my dismay. Every muscle in my neck and shoulders is trembling at this point, and I manage to lean back this time instead of forwards, my upper back resting against the metal wall of the chamber. I stare out through the glass, taking in the rest of the room, the mundane furniture littered with foreign machinery.

I can’t see him in front of me but I do hear Aiden’s voice. “We’re fully calibrated. Ready when you are.”

“Good. Solution’s nearly loaded. Remember to monitor that gauge until the sensor lights up. Then just keep an eye on her for me… Alright, let’s begin.”

Panic rises in me - I have no idea what they’re talking about, but somehow I know intrinsically, without a doubt, that something terrible is about to happen. My focus is on my arms and legs now as I try to push against the bindings, but it’s like my muscles are made of molasses. I might as well be trying to lift an eighteen wheeler.

I’m more and more alert as whatever drug was impairing my brain function has been slowly dissipating. Despite barely being able to move, I am all too aware of what happens next.

The odor in the room turns nauseatingly sweet and the air feels thick and warm. I’m hit with a wave of vertigo and I see it happening around me… I’m falling. I’m sitting firmly on the metal bench and yet I’m slowly falling anyway, the ceiling pulling up and my back sliding against the metal wall. My eyes widen in awe as the scene just beyond the glass wall begins transforming. It’s as if the glass has become a movie screen and I watch everything shift on it… slowly growing. Impossibly, my entire environment is increasing in size.

Surely I’m seeing things, a hallucination from whatever crazy drugs they’ve put me on. I can’t make sense of it. But even as I stare and try to tell myself that this isn’t real, the most convincing piece of evidence comes into view - Aiden’s stepping back in front of the glass. Only now he’s twice as tall as I am and getting bigger by the second. Something about seeing him makes me realize that it’s not my surroundings that are growing. I’m getting smaller.

His eyes are wide too, his look of awe mirroring mine. But while I’m looking at him with terror, he’s looking at me with a growing exhilaration.

“Whoa," he says, leaning in. He’s smiling widely. "Look at her go!”

No, no, this isn’t anything to smile about. I stare at him desperately, screaming at him with my eyes. Distractingly, I hear the more distant voice - I can’t see him now but the other man at his desk laughs lightly.

“Fascinating, isn’t it? Enjoy the show.”

This is a nightmare. How can I make them understand I’m not okay? I make another attempt to yank against my constraints and I’m surprised this time that my arms slip right out. I quickly realize this wasn’t because I’ve suddenly regained my strength, but it was bound to happen at any moment as I’m shrinking right out of the bindings. I slump forward and manage to catch myself, my hands hitting against the metal bench hard. It’s taking everything in me to hold myself up.

I notice my legs are starting to straighten out with the bench continuing to grow beneath me. My breathing is coming out shorter as panic builds. I look at Aiden again, who’s easily towering over me now, his frame dominating my own as I can’t be much bigger than his forearm at this point. Tears well up in my eyes from the fear and I push my vocal chords to grate out whatever I can.

“Stop,” I whimper, pathetically.

There’s no way that he heard that, even if the communication system is two-way - I could barely hear myself. But he can certainly tell from my expression that I’m not sharing in his enthusiasm. Aiden crouches down, leaning one knee on the floor, so that his head can still be level with mine. Except he still isn’t low enough - despite him kneeling on the ground I’m forced to look up at him. And he’s still growing, growing…

“Aww poor thing, she looks so freaked out," he says, like he’s observing a squirrel in a cage. He puts a hand up, gently tapping the glass with his fingertips as he addresses me, “Hey, it’s okay. Everything’s looking good, Evie, just hang in there. Should be done in just a minute.”

His reassurances are nothing short of infuriating. Why are they doing this? It wasn’t supposed to go this way. I can remember it now, this was just supposed to be some stupid extra credit for school. Something about testing oxygen levels in the air in response to different methods of respiration. It specifically stated in the brief that none of this should result in me passing out, that I would be attached to supports merely as an extra precaution. This should have been quick and simple as I hold my breath or purposely hyperventilate for the experiment. That’s all this was supposed to be.

Instead, I’m now surely no taller than the gargantuan hand that’s leaning up against the glass door. I glance down, catching sight of the floor of the chamber despite the edge of the bench stretching further away, and I’m dizzy at the realization of how high up I am. Reflexively I try to scoot backwards, away from the sheer drop of the cliff. I manage to shift a hair. Very slowly some of the strength in my muscles is returning. It does me no good, though.

Bringing my sights back to the giant beyond the glass, I can feel my heart trying to break out of my ribcage. He’s still growing. How small are they planning to make me? Is this going to go on indefinitely? Am I about to–

“Aaaand…” Aiden’s voice makes me jump, the speaker booming from somewhere above me. “There. All done.”

I yelp at the sudden sound of whooshing coming from every direction and my hair whips into my face. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying not to fall over from the sudden wind storm, leaning forward to brace myself on my hands.

And then everything goes very, very still. I don’t sense any more strange smells, in fact the air seems bizarrely sterile now. As is quickly becoming routine, I forcefully tense the muscles in my neck so that I can look upwards. Please, let this be some insane form of virtual reality. A hallucination. A dream. Something. There’s no way the world could have actually gotten this big. There’s no way I’m only a couple of inches tall to the man that’s smiling from beyond the glass. It’s not possible.

The speaker crackles to life with the far-off voice of the other, older person. “Vitals are normal, solution levels are stable. I’m unlocking the hatch.” A large, metallic thunk breaks the air. Every new sound makes me almost leap out of my skin, although in reality I’m doing little more than twitching.

“I think the halothane’s wearing off,” says Aiden, his too-large hazel eyes looking straight at my face. I stare at his mouth as he talks. Each subtle movement of his is unreal.

“That’s fine. The neuroblockers should also fully wear off in the next ten to fifteen minutes. It’ll be easier to get the measurements done within that time, go ahead and put her on the scale now while I finish the records.”

Every bit of me is trembling. The whole shrinking process took several minutes but at the same time, it all happened so quickly and my change in perspective is completely overwhelming. There’s no time to compose myself, though. My chest tightens as I watch the nearby giant rise up ever higher, impossibly so, reaching his full standing height within a second. He reaches outside of my line of sight for something, but I don’t even process what that is as I fixate on his hand that then extends in my direction.

“I’m coming in, Evie,” he says gently. As if a soothing tone is enough to compensate for the intensity of his presence.

He opens the door.