Becky was in the grocery store on a late evening.   Her black heeled ankle boots clacked on the tiled floor as she walked down the break aisle.   Her black leggings hugged her legs as she walked, and her grey sweater dress flowed nicely over her round buttocks as she walked.   Her black leather purse dangled at her side, not by much but enough so that it too also hugged at her hip on her right side.  

Then out of nowhere a bright light happened.   Becky stopped in her tracks.   Her vision came back.  All she could see was white and a lot of gray splotches all around her and what seemed like forever.  

“Hello!!” Becky shouted.  

She looked up.   That’s when her face changed and she stopped.   She had a look of shock on her face if someone were there looking at her.    Slowly her hand raised and brushed a strand of her dirty blonde shoulder length hair out of her face.  

Off in the distance she could see a giant table full of giant containers of cookies.  She looked side to side.   Shelves, giant shelves lined along both sides of her.    She had shrunk.   She needed to get help.  

Around the same time that Becky had shrunk, unbeknownst to her, her mother and sister pulled into the parking lot of the Hy-Vee she was in.   Her mother Susan, a 54 year old data analysis director at the local hospital, was wearing her black suit with a white blouse underneath,  her straight blonde hair to just past her shoulders slightly swayed in the breeze outside.   Her black ankle boots clacked on whatever they touched.   Standing at 5’6 with her ankle boots on, she was happy where she was in life. 

Her daughter Caroline had just crossed the 9 month pregnancy marker, so she was walking slowly into the store, her mom there to help.   She wished Becky had time to help as well but she understood that she had other commitments tonight, or so she thought.  

Becky was getting tied of walking.  She stopped and rested near the overhang of the bottom shelf.   She felt the ground shaking.   A giant cart wheel rolled past her and then a shadow as well.   A giant black nike shoe slammed into the ground in front of her.   The outsole crushed with the weight and then it was gone.  

This caused Becky to get going again.  She did not have long to go, or so she thought.  

Becky finally made it to the front aisle where the table of cookies was.  That’s when Becky saw some familiar faces off in the distance.  Her mother and sister.   Becky took off running. 

Becky started waving her arms as she ran.   Her mother and sister were talking as they were walking.   To Becky it looked like her mother might have looked down but her heart dropped as all she got was her mothers sole of her boot blocking out the light as she took her next step.   Becky managed to dive towards her mothers heel just as her boot smacked the tiled floor.  Beneath Becky, the floor rumbled.  As soon as her boot was there it was gone again.  This time Becky looked in front of her.   The grey Starter shoe with white details of her sister was in front of her, with her mothers boots behind her.  

“Caroline!!!   Down Here!!!” Becky screamed waving her arms.  

Her sisters face was barely visible beyond her belly as it stuck out a ways from being pregnant.  

Becky stopped waving her arms once her sister picked up a few packs of cookies and started putting them into the basket she had grabbed.   Becky watched as her toes flexed raising the toe of her right shoe up a bit, giving Becky a view of how flat the sole was from use.   She let her foot back down and as she leaned closer to the cookies, it moved closer to where Becky was.  

Becky turned around and ran, but forgetting about her mother, she ran smack into the side of her mothers boot.   The warm leather was like a rock solid wall to Becky.   She landed dazed and on her butt.   She looked up.  

“I think we should get this one for Becky, What do you think?” her mother asked looking over at her second and youngest daughter.  

“Mom, I think she will like anything you pick out.” Caroline stated and then nonchalantly.  

Susan took a step backwards for a moment digging into her purse.  Becky watched as she took out her phone and started dialing a number.  Becky’s phone started ringing.   She quickly took it out of her pocket and picked up connecting her with her mom. 

“Becky, What kind of cookies do you want?” her mother asked.

“Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies.” Becky responded.

“Hey Mom don’t hang up.   Can you do a quick favor for me?”  Becky hurridly stated.

“Be quick with it. I’m at the store with your sister.” Her mother stated. 

“Your going to think this is not true but it is.   I’m shrunk and Im at your feet.   I need you to look down and help me.” Becky said confidently.

“ok, but Im not going to get down to the floor I’ll just look down.” Susan said. 

Becky looked up at her mother as she looked at Caroling and mouthed for her to go check out. 

Then Becky saw her moms face looking down, Becky in turn started to jump up and down and waving her arms.  

Her moms face remained unchanged as her eyes looked back and forth.  

“Honey, I don’t see anything.   Just come home after whatever strange party you are at and we can talk later.  I have to go,” Her mother said as she hung up.    

Becky was shattered by this as she looked at her mom hang up.  Becky started to run.   She dove for the little string of fabric that was hanging off of her moms boot and the held on.   Her mom started to walk.   Her world blurred.   Then stopped and blurred a few seconds later. 

That is until Susan managed to catch up to Caroline, and with a sudden jolt Becky was thrown off of the string and onto the hard cold tile floor.   She rolled.   Becky looked around when she stopped rolling and looked to her right.   She was next to her sister Caroline’s shoe.   She stood up. 

“Caroline!!!  Down here!!  Hey Sis look down!!” Becky screamed as she was unloading the basket onto the checkout conveyer.  

Caroline did not notice her tiny sister trying to get her attention.  In fact her sister was not the first thought on her mind as she was thinking about cookies.   She looked over at her mom.

“Mom, thanks for coming with me tonight.”  She said.

“ Your welcome sweety,” Susan replied.

Becky, during that exchange was yelling and screaming and waving her arms to get either of their attention.   It was not working. 

Becky took out her phone from her pocket. 

“This is annoying.” She said. 

She had to hike up her dress every time to access her pocket.  

Becky speed dialed Caroline’s phone number.   It kept ringing, until Becky went to voicemail. 

“Your phone is ringing.” Susan said as her daughter mindlessly watched the 15 year old cashier continue to wait for a manager to check someone out for alcohol.  

Caroline looked surprised at her mother but then said “I’m not gonna worry about it.   I have been hit with spam calls lately.  If its important, they will leave a voicemail.”

Becky was outraged at this statement.   How could her sister ignore her like that.  She dialed her mothers phone again.   Susan looked at her phone and then picked up. 

“Hey, Whats up?” She asked. 

“Mom, please listen,  Im on the floor next to Caroline’s shoe.   Please look down, I’m shrunk!” Becky stated.

Susan looked down again, but did not move an inch. 

“What is it that you want me to see sweety?” Susan asked again.

“Me!!! I am less than an inch tall. I somehow shrunk.” Becky stated again. 

“Becky, I’ll just see you at home. Ok?  I don’t know what you are doing but this is not funny.” Susan stated an hung up again. 

Before Becky could move again. Susan slammed her foot down on the floor causing it to shake violently.  Becky tumbled to the ground.   She was spread like an eagle.   She tried everything she could think of.  

Becky stood up again.  She ran to her sisters shoe and started to punch it.   This did not cause anything but her to bruise her hands.   Then her sisters shoe lifted up.  

Becky looked at the dime rolling towards her and Caroline’s shoe.   Her mothers hand was reaching for it when it bounced into her sisters shoe.  Becky ran for it.  

“Mom!!!” she yelled. 

Susan reached it and then caught an object running in the direction of her hand, 

“eww!!  A bug!” She said in a shrieking tone.  

Caroline looked down as well.  Becky stopped and waved her arms.   Susan bent down and looked closer but that’s all she got when the line moved again.   She stood up again and walked forward.  Caroline did the same thing as Becky’ world shook once more.  

“ What is it mom?” Caroline asked.

“A weird looking bug, you know, it kind of looked like your sister.” Susan said wrinkling her eyebrow while saying that. 

“It is impossible to shrink Mom.  Plus, I think Becky would have tried to call if she did happen to magically shrink.” Caroline said. 

“You will see her at home.” Caroline then stated. 

Becky ran and tried to grab onto Caroline’s shoe as she started to gather the bags to put them into the basket.   She missed the right one.   But Caroline pivoted around and soon her left shoe was now in front of Becky.  Becky got up and ran for her sisters shoe.   As she ran she hit a slightly wet spot from earlier that day and she slipped.   Her feet came out in front of her and she fell on her back.  At the same moment Caroline flexed her toes.  Her shoe lifted up and then came down.   This time too quick for Becky to get out of the way.  

Becky felt pain.   Her legs shattered at the kneecaps.   Adrenaline took over as she started to pounding on her sisters shoe.   The smell of rubber came to her nostrils.   Becky was losing energy.  She had enough energy to reach out and touch her sisters sole one last time as she saw her sister start to walk away, her moms heels clacking along with her sister.  

Becky reached down weakly feeling her bloodied dress smashed against her legs.   A cart rolled into view and over her.  She could feel the vibrations of the customer.   Weakly Becky looked backwards as best she could.   A heavy set women pushed the cart forward even more until her shoe was right next to Becky.   A black high heel stood next to Becky.   The customer spun around and picked up her bags.   As she did, Becky hoped she would just be stepped on.   But the customer never ended up stepping on her, thus dragging out her misery.   Then the cashier walked around to fix a bag.  Her boots a had a ½ inch block heel and the leather was smooth.  Becky could see her toes moving against the leather.   The cashier had no idea Becky was there so when she stepped a little wide, she ended Becky’s life.  

Back at home Caroline and her mom Susan never heard rom Becky that night, nor did they think to call her.   They figured it was a party she was at.   That is until the next morning when they saw the news.  

A chemical reactor had mad an invisible wave or radiation and some people shrunk and no one knew how many or who.  The news gave the hotline and that was it, but said that this could take awhile to sort out, so waiting would be of the norm for the next few years.