Tim was in absolute hell! For the remainder of that morning, the tiny teenager remained securely taped to the bottom of his aunt’s bare foot while she walked and puttered around the house: getting dressed, taking care of the housework, sweeping and cleaning up the kitchen, and even the few minutes Julia slipped her feet into her flip flops to take the trash out to the curb, Tim was along for the nightmarish ride.
Each step the giant woman took was absolute torture, and although he was thankfully plastered in the middle of Julia’s sole, avoiding the worst and no doubt heaviest parts of her stride, it came of little comfort considering the immense pressures Tim was experiencing regardless, not to mention the pungent, inescapable stench of his aunt’s sweaty sole which his face was presently buried in. Between each stride came only a small semblance of reprieve from the intermittent pressure, but Tim used of every opportunity to squirm and wiggle in his desperate, yet futile attempts to escape his sticky prison.
A few times, the tiny teenager was actually able to loosen the tape a bit — a combination of his struggles, and the tape loosing its stickiness thanks to Julia’s excessive perspiration. Unfortunately, the giant woman was always one step ahead: being paranoid that the tape on her foot might fall off, every five minutes or so, Julia would run her hand over the tape on her foot to re-secure Tim in place, even going so far as to replace and add additional strips of tape along her sole when needed.
The punishment continued into the lunch hour: Julia sat at the kitchen table enjoying her meal, placing her foot across her lap, and playfully scrunching her sole, grinning and giggling as she watch her tiny nephew squirming for real life beneath the layers of tape. For a moment, she considered taking pity on him by peeling Tim off her sole and giving him a bite to eat, but considering she was technically already giving him a slight reprieve from all her stomping around, she ultimately decided to leave him in place and use the opportunity to exert her dominance and attempt to make him more docile, figuring the more time Tim spent taped to her foot, the less likely he’d be to resist her orders. If nothing else, the whole experience would certainly make him think twice before mouthing off to her again.
After lunch, Julia lounged on the living room sofa, relaxing with one of her romance novels. She had her right leg draped over the armrest, playfully bouncing her calf on the cushioned surface, jostling and swinging her foot back and forth, delighting in thinking about the plight of the tiny, little teenager taped to her sole.
“Ah,” Julia sighed loudly, breaking the silence, “it feels so nice to relax after a productive morning, wouldn’t you say so Tim?”
Tim’s only response was muffled screams and desperate wiggles.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Julia chortled blithely, “it’s probably better for those of us that AREN’T stuck to the bottom of my foot….but HEY, things could always be worse: I could’ve forgotten to shower today. Boy, imagine how smelly my foot might be then…!
“…Oh, wait, “I DIDN’T shower this morning, did I?!” Julia chuckled, feigning innocence as she shrugged and shifted her gaze towards the ceiling. “Oh well…”
Julia went back to her book and resumed nonchalantly bouncing her calf on the armrest, just barely able to feel Tim’s squirms on her foot, ever the queer, yet pleasing feeling.
“Aw, what’s the matter, Tiny Tim?” Julia cooed apathetically, swaying her foot back and forth. “Do you want off my foot? Well, maybe if you’re good, I’ll take you off there when I fix myself a snack later on, but for now, you just sit tight where you are. I’m just getting to the good part of my book.”
Tim used what little strength he had left in him to continue his desperate struggles to free himself from Aunt Julia’s nasty foot. Although he was thankful for any semblance of a reprieve his aunt graced him with throughout the day, he could certainly do without the constant, playful bouncing and shifting of her foot. Thankfully, with the bulk of Aunt Julia’s housework out of the way, it seemed that perhaps the worst part of his torture might actually be behind him. At the very least, Tim took solace in the fact that, for the moment, he wasn’t being constantly stepped on over and over again.
——————————————————————————————————————
Sandra Peterson stood in her backyard, watching her son, Matt, and his friend, Bryce, from down the street, playing on their family’s Slip ‘N Slide. Her 19-year-old daughter, McKenzie, was up on the back deck sunbathing in the family’s lounge chair in a T-shirt and shorts, listening to music playing through her wireless earbuds.
It was a nice, warm, summer day, and after finishing lunch, the boys wanted to cool off for a bit; so, the family decided to enjoy the weather and spend some time out in the backyard. After setting up the Slip ‘N Slide for the two boys, Sandra went about taking care of a few weeds that had been growing along the deck and backside of the house. She wasn’t much of a gardener, but she did try to keep the back yard looking, at least, somewhat kempt and weed-free.
“Hey Bryce!” Matt called out as he slowly back-stepped from one end of the Slip ‘N Slide. “Watch this!”
“Go for it!” Bryce urged.
With a running start, Matt dashed across the lawn and dove onto the Slip ‘N Slide, careening at full speed down its slippery surface all the way towards the end, where he smacked the bumper cushion and summersaulted over onto the grass beyond.
“Dude!” Bryce laughed, giving his friend two thumbs up. “Awesome wipeout!”
Matt cringed as he sat up, rubbing his butt as he got to his feet again.
“Alright, my turn!” Bryce announced as he headed down to the other end of Slip ‘N Slide.
“Boys, be careful!” Sandra called out from over by the deck. “I’d prefer not to have to take anyone to the hospital today, alright?”
“We’ll be fine, Mom,” Matt replied, “we promise.”
“Uh huh, yeah…no more running starts, OK?”
“Come on, mom,” Matt whined. “We’re just trying to have some fun.”
“You can HAVE your fun,” Sandra replied facetiously. “I just don’t want either of you getting hurt, alright?”
“Fine,” Matt relented. “We’ll be careful.”
“Thank you,” Sandra replied pridefully.
Sandra sighed and shook her head, then headed over to the edge of the deck to uproot a few more rogue weeds.
——————————————————————————————————————
Julia’s reading was suddenly interrupted by a commotion coming from outside. Ever the curious busybody, she closed and dropped her book on the nearby cushion, removed her leg from the armrest, and swung her legs off the couch, completely forgetting herself for a moment as her feet hit the floor. She paused and smiled, quickly reminded of her nephew’s current location was when she felt his frantic squirms on the underside of her foot, albeit unable to hear his muffled screams as she callously stood up from the couch and stepped over to the back door to peer outside.
Julia’s attention was immediately drawn to two neighbor boys playing in the backyard next door.
“Hm,” she pondered aloud as she watched the two kids playing neighbors through the back door, “looks like there’s a couple of neighbor kids out playing on their Slip ‘N Slide. Not a bad way to enjoy a hot, summer day.
“Too bad you’re stuck down there for the moment, Tiny Tim,” she said callously, chortling as she lifted her foot off the floor to admire the tiny teenager stuck to her sole. “Otherwise, you might be able to enjoy the nice weather, too.”
Julia nonchalantly ran her hand over the tape to make sure it was still secured in place; all the while, Tim desperately wiggled and squirmed as he was firmly pressed into his aunt’s foot flesh, screaming frantic, muffled cries as Julia casually lowered her the floor again.
Then, Julia’s eyes fell upon the edge of the back deck, where a large green recycling bin was sitting on the ground...
“Oh, nuts!” Julia exclaimed, unintentionally stomping her foot in frustration when she set it back down on the carpet. “I forgot to take the recycling out to the curb!”
Julia hurriedly stepped over to the den to get her flip-flops, practically forgetting all about her tiny nephew for the moment.
Meanwhile, Tim had been screaming hysterically ever since the unexpected stomp a few moments earlier, and was pleading for Aunt Julia to let him go before she headed outside again. It had been absolute torture when she’d put on her shoes and took out the trash the first time, and he certainly didn’t want to go through it again. Obviously, for the moment, he had no choice in the matter; Aunt Julia wasn’t really listening to his muffled screams, which were completely silenced when the giant woman slipped her foot into her flip-flop.
Julia took a moment to adjust her sandals, then scurried back across the room and out the back door.
——————————————————————————————————————
Sandra had just finished pulling a couple of weeds from the corner of the house, when her attention was grabbed by an unfamiliar woman stepping out the back door of the neighboring house and hurriedly stomping down the back steps of the deck, turning and coming right towards her.
“Hi,” Sandra called out, lifting her hand.
“Oh…hi there,” the woman replied hesitantly, slightly caught off guard.
“Haven’t seen you around before,” Sandra commented, taking off her gardening gloves and reaching out her hand as she walked over to greet the friendly stranger. “I’m Sandra.”
“Pleased to meet you,” the woman responded in kind, stepping across the lawn, meeting Sandra halfway. “I’m Julia; Natalie’s sister.”
“Oh, nice to meet you. Are…you in town for a visit, or…?”
“Oh…no,” Julia replied. “I live just across town. I’m actually staying here for a few days to take care of my nephew while Natalie’s at work and his father’s out of town.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that…about Tim, I mean.”
“Oh, you know Tim?!” Julia commented.
“Yeah, of course. I…didn’t realize he was sick,” Sandra said concernedly. “Nothing serious, I hope.”
“Oh, he’s fine….he’s just come down with a…’little’ something,” Julia replied coyly, nonchalantly grinding her foot back and forth in her flip-flop.
“Oh, well that’s good,” Sandra replied, noticing Julia fiddling with her sandal. “Uh…somethin’ wrong with your shoe?”
“Oh…I just need to adjust it, that’s all.” Julia replied quickly as she scrunched and flexed her toes. “Sometimes, you just have to...wiggle your foot into them…and make it…comfortable…
“Ah,” Julia sighed contently, stomping her flip-flop into the ground. “That’s better.”
“Uh, OK…” Sandra commented, shaking her head in confusion before getting back to her introductions. “Anyway, that’s my son, Matt, there in the red swim trunks, and the one in the black trunks is his friend, Bryce, from down the street…”
“Hey, Kenzie!” Matt suddenly called out, interrupting the two woman’s conversation, “You sure you don’t wanna turn?”
“Yeah, Kenz,” Bryce chimed in mockingly, “I wanna see you wipe out!”
“Noooo, thank you,” McKenzie replied from the deck, not even lowering her sunglasses. “I’m good RIGHT where I am, thank you very much.”
“…and that little ray of sunshine is my daughter, McKenzie,” Sandra chimed in, motioning to the deck with her head. “She’s home from her first year away at college.”
“Oh, how fun,” Julia replied with a half smile. “I’m guessing one of the popular girls on campus, huh?”
“Well, I’m sure that what she thinks,” Sandra chuckled.
“You know, I CAN hear you, mom!” McKenzie barked, rolling her eyes under her sunglasses.
“…Like I said,” Sandra repeated sarcastically, “A little ray of sunshine.”
“Apparently,” Julia chortled.
Tim moaned in agony, his muffled screams of pain reverberating throughout his aunt’s giant flesh. The last few minutes of torture from Julia’s stomping were, by far, the worst than anything he’d already endured that morning thus far; if that weren’t bad enough, Tim’s hopes of his latest torment being over quickly were dashed when he heard Aunt Julia starting up a conversation with the next door neighbor, Mrs. Peterson. He tried shouting and squirming in a desperate attempt to somehow remind Aunt Julia that he was still down there and coax into finishing her current task and getting back inside the house as soon as possible, but the most recent smashing and grinding of her foot into her flip-flop was more than enough of an indication that not only did she know perfectly well he was still under her foot, but that she was not to be rushed.
To make matters even worse, as if Tim wasn’t hot enough already underneath the blanket of tape on Aunt Julia’s foot, the hot, summer day, coupled with the musty environment between her sole and the insole of her flip-flop, created an unbearable, steamy atmosphere that was quickly sapping what meager strength the tiny teenager had left.
Yet, despite the hellish combination of factors contributing to his turmoil, there was a slight glimmer of hope: the humid environment Tim was enduring meant Julia’s foot was perspiring profusely, and before long, the added moisture started loosening the tape around him.
Tim mustered what little strength he had left to resume his futile efforts to wiggle free from his adhesive prison…
Then, just when he was about to give up, he felt his leg break free…then an arm...
Tim was finally able to turn and unbury his head from Julia’s foot flesh. He gasped for what little air he could: it was the first breath of non-stale air he’d taken in hours, despite it being nowhere near fresh and reeking of Julia’s sweaty sole.
Tim took a few moments to catch his breath, then resumed his escape efforts. In no time at all, the tiny teenager was able to loosen enough of the tape to unstick his entire body. He was far from free, however, quickly grasping and pulling at the flesh above him to slowly slide his body along the underside of Julia‘s foot, loosening more and more tape as he went…
Then came another rush of air. It was still hot and humid, but far cooler than what he had been experiencing. With newfound hope, Tim kept moving. He wasn’t about give up; he could literally taste his freedom…
“So….do you have any kids?” Sandra inquired curiously.
“Me?! No…” Julia replied, shaking her head. “Never really had the desire. Besides, my nephew is MORE than enough for me to handle.”
“Yeah, I hear ya,” Sandra nodded with a slight chortle, “most teenagers are. Of course, taking care of a SICK one’s no picnic either.”
“Tell me about it,” Julia embellished. “But, all things considered, this week’s actually gone a lot better than I expected. I’ve actually enjoyed looking after Tim the past few days.”
“Really?!” Sandra exclaimed, slightly dubious. “Even with him being SICK?!”
“Yeah,” Julia confirmed. “it’s given my sister and I the opportunity to work on his behavior.”
“Behavior?” Sandra shrugged with confusion, shooting Julie a perplexed look. “What…has he been acting out lately?”
“Well, let’s just say he hasn’t exactly been himself since his mom got back from her business trip,” Julia replied coyly.
“Oh…well, I’m sure Tom and Natalie being gone so frequently can’t be easy for him, or on ANY kid, for that matter.” Sandra commented, referring to what she knew about her neighbors. “I certainly hope you haven’t been TOO hard on him, especially with him not feeling well.”
“Oh, he’ll be fine,” Julia dismissed her gently, gesturing with her hand. “Don’t worry. When all is said and done, Tim will be MUCH better behaved. Mark my words.”
“If you say so,” Sandra relented, taking a fleeting glance at her daughter up on the deck. “I guess, when it comes to teenagers, every once in a while, I suppose you just have to put your foot down, huh?”
Julia grinned widely, beaming from ear to ear.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” she replied, lifting her foot to check on her tiny prisoner…
“Almost there,” Tim kept repeating to himself as he mustered the strength to keep sliding towards freedom. “You can make it. Almost….YAAAAAH!”
Tim yelped in surprise as he was unexpectedly hoisted into the air, his orientation abruptly shifting from horizontal to vertical. He frantically grasped at Julia’s flesh, holding on for dear life to prevent himself from falling back under his aunt’s sole, and probably would have had it not been for the residual adhesive from the tape he had loosened moments prior.
Ultimately, it didn’t matter. Julia nimbly slipped her finger in-between her foot and the insole of her flip-flop, running it back and forth over the tape to make sure it was still securely in place….and that Tim was still there.
The poor teenager yelped muffled cries in pain as his aunt’s giant finger unceremoniously shoved his face deep into her sweaty sole again, sliding his tiny body along her skin as she ran it over the tape. It was sheer happenstance that Julia didn’t notice that Tim wasn’t in the same place he’d been for the last few hours, mistaking a few wrinkled folds in the tape for her tiny nephew; plus, her need for subterfuge ultimately prevented her from removing her flip-flop and discovering her nephew’s escape attempt, let alone being able to properly re-secure the tape in place.
Just quickly as it had before, Tim’s whole environment shifted back to horizontal as Julia finished fiddling with the tape and lowered her foot back to the ground, planting it on the grass with a light, playful stomp…
That little stomp, however, was enough to dislodge Tim AND a decent portion of the tape Julia had just re-adhered; in one fell swoop, the tiny teenager dropped from his aunt’s sole and slid down the inside of the tape.
“Oof!” Tim uttered as he plopped down onto the insole of Julia’s flip-flop, just inside the arch of the giant woman’s foot. At least, for the moment, he was finally free of his aunt’s sole…almost.
While the tiny teenager lay gasping for air, taking a few moments to recover and gather his wits, he listened as the two, giant women prattled on above: Aunt Julia constantly making clever quips about his ‘little’ condition, and Mrs. Peterson just listening on and responding in kind, having no idea just how coy his aunt was being.
“Yeah, because why should Mrs. Peterson suspect in a MILLION YEARS that the tiny neighbor boy was literally stuck in the shoe of the woman standing next to her,” Tim thought helplessly. “Like she could even FATHOM the possibility...”
Tim sighed dejectedly, burying his head in her hands. If only Mrs. Peterson knew what kind of situation he was actually in…
Tim immediately snapped awake; he couldn’t believe he didn’t think of it before: Mrs. Peterson! If he could get Mrs. Peterson’s attention, she could rescue him from his horrible situation. Screw what his mother said about keeping his shrinking a secret! SHE wasn’t the one who’d been suffering under Aunt Julia’s feet all week. Given the choice between the humiliation of being discovered and having to explain his shrunken state to the neighbors, or spending one more minute taped to Aunt Julia’s nasty feet, Tim chose to take his chances with the former.
He gathered his wits and quickly pulled himself to the edge of the flip-flop’s insole, carefully yet hurriedly dropping down to the ground. Once he got to his feet, he quickly brushed himself off…
It was only then that Tim realized he was completely naked. Aunt Julia hadn’t bothered to give him any clothes after his others ripped off when she had her way with him that morning, nor did she even take the time to get him cleaned up before taping him to her foot. In fact, he’d probably still be covered in Aunt Julia’s cum if he hadn’t been doused with her foot sweat for the past several hours.
Embarrassment aside, Tim sighed and swallowed his pride, scurrying alongside Aunt Julia’s flip-flop towards her heel, a task which proved to be a challenge as it was quite difficult to run barefoot through a sea of grass and dirt. Thankfully, it only took him about 15-20 seconds to get behind the two, giant women.
Tim looked skyward at the towering giantesses as they continued chatting away overhead, unintentionally making himself dizzy as he worked his way behind Aunt Julia and around to the right side of Mrs. Peterson’s sandal-clad foot, preparing to jut down along her shoe as soon as he was lined up…
Tim was spooked, stopping dead in his tracks when Mrs. Peterson suddenly shifted her weight, her sandals haphazardly pivoting back and forth in the grass. He watched the giant woman intently as she nonchalantly swayed slightly from side to side.
The tiny teenager suddenly realized the flaw in his plan, and was now mulling things over in his mind:
He was anxious to get Mrs. Peterson’s attention, but his proximity to her shoe meant that one unexpected shift and the giant woman could easily crush him beneath her heel without ever even realizing it.
And that wasn’t the only problem: but had no idea how she’d react when and if she saw him.
What if she thinks I’m a bug?! Tim pondered anxiously. She could stomp me flat before even realizing it was me.
Tim contemplated moving in around front of the giant woman before he tried contacting her. It might be the better option, but once again, there was another problem: with Aunt Julia literally standing right next to her, she could easily snatch him up before Mrs. Peterson even noticed…and even if he DID get Mrs. Peterson’s attention, Aunt Julia could still steal him away and disappear inside the house before anyone could ask any questions. In either case, there was no telling what kind of punishment might await him afterwards.
Tim needed to get Mrs. Peterson away from Aunt Julia before attempting to contact her, but how was he going to do that without Aunt Julia noticing?
Time was running out, and his window for action was quickly closing; he couldn’t risk being stuck outside in such a small and vulnerable state.
“Alright,” Tim said to himself, “here goes nothin’!”
With those words, the tiny teenager took off down the right side of Mrs. Pederson’s sandal…
Running down about the mid-center of the lawn was a garden hose that connected the Slip ‘N Slide to an outside spigot located up on the Peterson’s back deck. The hose was somewhat old and had become riddled with numerous holes and weak points from being dragged across the deck each time it was used over the past several years. Parts of its outer lining had long since been scraped off, now weakening it to the point of leakage. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson had patched and applied water-tight tape around several of these holes and weak points when they did leak, but it only served to delay an inevitable failure.
That day, one of the sections of hose that had been previously wrapped in tape had developed a concealed leak not long after the two boys connected it to the Slip ‘N Slide and turned on the faucet; since that moment, there was a steady trickle of water soaking the portion of the lawn surrounding the weakened section. Soon, the trickle became a stream, and the surrounding area had become completely waterlogged, creating an inconspicuous puddle of water, mud, and grass about midway down the lawn.
Bryce was about to take his latest turn down the Slip ‘N Slide when he suddenly noticed the sprinklers on the side of the mat getting weaker, their spray soon barely reaching the center.
“Dude, what’s going on with your Slip ‘N Slide?” Bryce inquired, pointing out the issue. “The sprinklers are going down.”
“Oh, great,” Matt muttered in frustration. “Mo-om?!”
“…so I’m usually home on Fridays…” Sandra said, finishing up a conversation she’d been having with Julia about work.
“Hey, MOM?!” Matt called out again.
“What is it, hon?” Sandra replied, slightly irked by the interruption.
“The sprinklers on the Slip ‘N Slide aren’t working again.”
“Must be that stupid hose again,” Sandra sighed frustratedly, turning to Julia for a moment. “Would you excuse me for just one second?”
“Sure, no problem,” Julia replied.
“Hang on,” Sandra called out as she started across the lawn, “I’ll be right there…”
Tim had just started to climb up one of the side straps on Mrs. Peterson’s sandal when the giant woman suddenly began shouting towards the other side of the lawn. Startled, the tiny teenager’s foot slipped, and he reactively grabbed the strap to keep from falling.
“…HANG ON, I’LL BE RIGHT THERE…” the giant woman called out.
“Oh no!” Tim exclaimed. “MRS. PETERSON, WAI—AAAAY!”
The giant woman’s foot suddenly lurched forward; Tim clung desperately to the sandal strap, hanging on for dear life as Mrs. Peterson stomped her way through the grass and across the lawn.
“MRS. PETERSON, HELP!” Tim shrieked. “STOP! WAIT! WHOA!”
Each monstrous step the giant woman took boomed and shook the ground upon impact, violently jostling Tim and threatening to throw him clean off the sandal the next time her giant foot kicked forward. All the tiny teenager could only hold on and pray he wouldn’t get tossed into Mrs. Peterson’s walking path, least he be crushed beneath her sandal.
Then, just as giant woman approached the hose, she abruptly halted mid-step; the sudden stop sent Tim hurtling forward, causing him to lose his grip. He was thrown screaming from the giant sandal into the grass, skipping once across a huge puddle, and smacking into the side of the hose as he splashed down a second time.
In an instant, Tim disappeared into a watery grave of grass and mud…
Sandra stopped dead in her tracks just before reaching the hose, immediately noticing the leaky tape and soaked area surrounding it.
“Aw, Crap!” she cursed quietly, trying not to let her kids her swear as she surveyed the damage. “Stupid hose!”
Sandra huffed in frustration as she bent over and reached down to grab the hose…
Tim broke the surface of the watery muck, coughing and sputtering as he gasped for air. He flailed his arms wildly, blindly reaching out for anything to grab onto and keep him afloat. Quickly finding the huge hose next to him, Tim grabbed on and tried pulling himself up, but the water spurting from beneath a taped section next to him had lubricated the outer lining, making it slippery and difficult to grasp.
Somehow, Tim managed to plant his arm and partially pull himself up onto the side of the hose, taking a moment to wipe the grime off his face with his free hand.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Peterson didn’t notice Tim’s tiny figure surfacing literally adjacent to her right hand as she reached down and grabbed the taped section of hose. As her plump fingers wrapped around the tape, the flow of water shifted…
Tim let out a gurgled yelp as he was suddenly hit in the face with a powerful spray of water, loosening his grip and leaving him partially stunned. Before he could recover, the hose lurched into the air. Tim lost his grip completely and splashed back down into the puddle, slipping below the surface of the muddy water…
Sandra wrapped her hand around the piece of tape on the hose, trying to redirect the water and keep from getting sprayed as she lifted it off the ground. Holding the hose out away from her body, she pressed and ran her fingers over the tape, re-securing it around the leak until the water stopped flowing…
Tim breached the surface of the quagmire once again, struggling to stay afloat. The thick mud clung tightly to his tiny body, and he was finding it somewhat difficult just to wipe off his face.
Once he could open his eyes, Tim realized he was shrouded in a huge shadow. He turned his gaze upwards, and once his vision cleared, he saw a gigantic figure towering before him, partially blocking the sun…
“Mrs. Peterson!” he coughed, still trying to catch his breath. The giant woman was looking intently down at the hose as she tried to fix it.
“MRS. PETERSON!” Tim shouted, waving his arms, almost dipping beneath the surface again in the process. “Uhn, MRS. PETERSON, DOWN HERE!”
The tiny teenager tried moving forward through the puddle to get into her line of sight, but the mud was so thick and viscous he could barely move, straining just to pull his arms out of the bog with each stroke.
“MRS. PETERSON!” He shouted again desperately. “IT’S ME, TIM! I’M DOWN HERE! HELP! MRS. PETERSOOOOOON…!”
With the water leak finally under control, Sandra pulled the hose closer to her body to double-check and ensure the tape was secure for the moment, taking a slight step forward in the process…
Mrs. Peterson’s giant foot suddenly stepped forward, splashing into the outer edge of the puddle and kicking up a huge wave of water and muck that completely washed over the tiny teenager. Tim plunged back down beneath the grimy dips, struggling to resurface once again, but all the mud and debris piled on top of him was weighing him down, making it difficult to move upwards…
“Ugh!” Sandra uttered in disgust as she felt the toe of her sandal splash into the puddle below her. ”Nuts!”
She instinctively backed away and shook her foot a few times to shake off the excess water. In the process, she yanked the hose along with her, pulling its ends out of place and off kilter from one another, ultimately causing the rest of the hose to start bunching up.
“Hey, boys,” Sandra called out, pointing towards the end of the Slip ‘N Slide, “do me a favor: grab the ends of the mat there and help me scootch it down this way a bit. I think it’ll work better if we keep the hose straight.”
“Ok, mom,” Matt replied, grabbing the far end of the Slip ‘N Slide…
Tim managed to resurface again just in time to see Mrs. Peterson’s giant form walking away.
“NO!” he shouted up, desperately trying to swim after her, and nearly plunging beneath the surface again. “MRS. PETERSON, WAIT! PLEASE! COME BACK!”
Tim couldn’t understand why he was finding it so hard to move through the puddle. It was just water and mud mixed with blades of grass, but for some reason, everything seemed way more viscous than he thought it should.
With his only sign of rescue quickly walking away, Tim grit his teeth and mustered what strength he had left, trudging as fast as he could towards the edge of the mud puddle…
“There, that should be good, boys,” Sandra commented after she and the two boys had carefully scooted the Slip ‘N Slide down the lawn towards Tim’s house until the length of the hose and the connectors on either end were aligned. “Go ahead and set it down there. Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Julia had been watching the whole ordeal, waiting patiently for Sandra to finish fiddling with the garden hose and head back. She was still unaware that Tim was no longer beneath her foot, and that what she kept feeling when she ran her finger across her sole was nothing more that a small grouping of wrinkles and imperfections in the tape. Even if Julia had been paying closer attention when Sandra walked over to the hose a few minutes prior, her line of sight was partially blocked, and she couldn’t have noticed her tiny nephew hanging off Sandra’s sandal.
“Having some problems with your garden hose?” Julia inquired, stating the obvious.
“Yeah, it’s gotten pretty beat up over the past couple of years,” Sandra replied as she walked back across the lawn. “My husband and I have tried patching it up several times, but it just seems to get more holes. I think, at this point, we just need to throw it out and get a new one.”
“Speaking of which,” Sandra continued, gesturing to Julia’s large, green, recycling bin, “you’d better get those recycles out to the curb. The trash guys usually come around this time.”
“Crap, I almost forgot!” Julia replied, shuffling over to the house to grab the recycling bin. “Thanks for reminding me.”
“No problem,” Sandra said. “Here, I’ll walk with you. Never hurts to have a little company.”
“Sure,” Julia chortled.
Julia tilted the recycling bin onto it wheels and the two women started heading between their respective houses towards the front yard.
“MO-OM!” Matt called out before anyone got to far.
“What is it, hun?” Sandra called, turning her body back towards the yard.
“The Slip ‘N Slide sprinklers still aren’t working right!”
“Great,” Sandra commented sarcastically, turning towards her daughter still up on the deck. “McKenzie, would you go help your brother, please?”
“Wha’dya say, mom?” McKenzie replied, taking off one of her earbuds.
“I said, go help your brother with the Slip ‘N Slide,” Sandra repeated. “Please.”
“Mom, I’m trying to get a tan, here,” McKenzie whined, tilting down her sunglasses, “and I don’t wanna get wet!”
“McKenzie,” Sandra said forcefully, pointing her finger, “I said: GO help your brother. NOW, young lady! MOVE IT!”
“Fine,” McKenzie sighed frustratedly, getting up from the lounge chair.
“…And check the hose for more leaks while you’re walking over,” Sandra added.
“Sure, mom, Whatever,” McKenzie replied sourly, rolling her eyes as she began setting her things down in the chair.
“These kids,” Sandra sighed, shaking her head as she turned back to Julia. “They used to be so well-behaved. NOW look at them!”
“Eh, I guess they all go through a rebellious phase, don’t they,” Julia commented with a shrug. “The trick is to keep ‘em under your foot.”
“…You mean: ‘Under your thumb’?” Sandra corrected, shooting Julia a confused look.
“U-Uh…right,” Julia stammered. “That’s what I meant to say.”
As the two woman disappeared in front of the house, McKenzie set her phone, earbuds, and sunglasses down on the lounge chair to keep them from getting wet, then stomped across the deck and down the wooden steps, entering the grass barefoot. She hurriedly cut over to the hose, then turned and made her way across the lawn towards the Slip ‘N Slide, checking the hose along the way for any sign of leaks…
Slowly, but surely, Tim was struggled and trudged his way through the mud puddle, trying to get to the edge in the direction where the hose had been moved. He figured it was his best chance at being discovered and rescued, and was about 2/3 of the way towards the edge of the puddle when it puddle suddenly started quivering. Tim immediately spotted the giant figure of the neighbor girl, McKenzie, stomping in his direction through the grass.
“Oh, no,” he uttered to himself. “McKenzie!”
“ACK!” Tim yelped as the giant girl’s massive bare foot stomped down right beside the puddle, missing it by only about 6 inches or so; the impact, however, shook the ground violently, dipping Tim into the mud again.
“Ugh, McKENZIE!” he shouted up as he resurfaced again, “WATCH OUT!”
The giant teenager neither heard nor noticed Tim’s tiny figure in the mud, however, and continued on through the grass towards the Slip ‘N Slide.
Tim felt more dejected than ever. He’d secretly had a crush on McKenzie ever since the 6th grade; she was the quintessential girl next door. Of course, Tim never said anything. How could he? The girl was a sophomore in high school at the time, and the closest he felt he’d ever get was spotting her on the back deck of the house next door when she came out to sunbathe, or occasionally seeing her and her friends hanging out on the deck while they all lounged in the sun and worked on their tans. Other than a fleeting glance, McKenzie probably barely even gave him a second thought, despite literally living right next door.
Tim shook off his delirium, took a moment to catch his breath, then continued moving towards the edge of the mud puddle…
“Alright, what’s wrong?” McKenzie asked the two boys in frustration as she approached the Slip ‘N Slide.
“It’s the sprinklers,” Matt replied. “They’re not working right.”
“Well, here’s the problem,” McKenzie sighed in frustration, spotting a kink in the hose near the connection to the Slip ‘N Slide. “There’s a kink in the hose, you goof! Geez, you guys are so helpless!”
“We are NOT!” Matt exclaimed, defending himself and his friend. “It’s it OUR fault we have a crappy hose!”
“It doesn’t take a genius to just LOOK with your eyes, dummy!” McKenzie snapped, gesturing to her eyes with two fingers as she bent down to straighten out the hose. With a few quick movements, and a lift of the mat, McKenzie had successfully straightened out the hose; immediately, the sprinklers returned to full force.
“There, problem solved,” McKenzie balked, dropping the hose and carefully backing away to avoid getting sprayed.
“Gee, thanks, sis,” Matt said half-heartedly.
“Yeah, thanks,” Bryce chimed in, also half-heartedly.
“Yeah, whatever,” McKenzie scoffed, waving the boys off as she turned to head back to the deck.
“You SURE you don’t wanna take a turn while you’re here?” Bryce taunted.
“No, I don’t wanna ‘take a turn’!” McKenzie mocked them sharply, making air quotes with her fingers as she turned to face them again. “I wanna get back to my chair….and I don’t wanna get wet.”
“But what if the sprinklers mess up again?” Matt asked before his sister walked too far away.
“I don’t know!” McKenzie replied harshly, now walking backwards towards the deck as she continued her rant. “Figure it out for yourselves! Why do I have to do everything for you dweebs?!”
“Hey, BACK OFF, Kenzie!” Bryce shouted defensively. “What’s your beef?! He was just asking!”
“Nobody asked for your input, Bryce!” McKenzie exclaimed. “I’ve got better things to do than to babysit you two!”
“Oh ya?!” Bryce queried, “Like what: working on your ‘tan’?!”
“SHUT UP, you little WORM!” McKenzie barked indignantly, still walking backwards, unaware of the mud puddle in her path…
“Almost there,” Tim asserted, trying to keep himself motivated as he was nearly at the edge of the mud puddle. “Almost Th—“
Tim snapped his head to the right, startled by the huge commotion over by the Slip ‘N Slide….
His eyes suddenly went wide, and his jaw dropped open: McKenzie’s colossal figure was walking backwards in his direction, her gigantic bare feet heading right for the mud puddle!
“McKENZIE, WAIT!” Tim screamed, scrambling to get out of the way as the giant girl’s right foot lifted overhead, shrouding the entire puddle in its ominous shadow. “McKENZIE, NO! STOP! AAAAAAA—!”
“…And another thing, Bryce,” McKenzie continued barking, “the next time you come over, you—“
*SQUELCH*
McKenzie gasped in shock; her eyes went wide and shot to the ground, and her face contorted in disgust. She’d just stepped in a huge mud puddle in the middle of the yard!
“EW!” McKenzie exclaimed as she slowly lifted her right foot out of the puddle, her sole caked in mud. “GROSS!”
“Nice one!” Bryce laughed teasingly, giving McKenzie a consolation thumbs up.
“SHUT UP, you little weasel!” McKenzie barked as she carefully tilted and examined her the bottom of her foot, the mud covering her sole and encroaching into the crevices between her toes. “Look what you made me do! UGH! Stupid, fucking, mud puddle!”
“Hey, don’t get mad at us!” Bryce replied defensively. “YOU’RE the one who STEPPED in it!”
“I said: SHUT UP, Bryce!” McKenzie shouted again as she started wiping off her foot across the grass. “DAMN IT!”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Sandra called out as she and Julia returned from the front yard. “What’s going on back here?! What’s all the yelling about?!”
“MOM, that STUPID HOSE left a huge mud puddle in the middle of the yard!” McKenzie complained.
“Yeah, and Kenzie stepped RIGHT in it!” Matt chimed in with a loud chuckle.
“It’s NOT FUNNY, Matt!” McKenzie shouted back, wiping her foot off more frantically.
“Oh, I’m sorry, hun!” Sandra apologized, “I forgot to warn you about that!”
“Gee, THANKS, mom!” McKenzie replied sarcastically as she inspected her foot and the mud she’d just wiped in the grass. “YUCK, and I think there was a BUG in it, too! I could feel it squirming on my foot…!”
“EW, I was RIGHT!” McKenzie exclaimed, pointing down to the grass where a tiny figure was writhing. “…And it’s STILL MOVING, too. Ugh, I hate mud….AND bugs!”
“Geez, McKenzie, relax!” Matt scoffed. “It’s just a but!”
“Yeah, you act like you’ve never seen a BUG before!” Bryce chimed.
“Shut UP, you little worms!” McKenzie shot back.
“Alright, knock it off, you three!” Sandra called out commandingly. “Boy’s, stop taunting her, and McKenzie, enough with the name calling, alright?! Honestly, why do you have to make such a BIG DEAL outta everything…?!”
Tim writhed in the grass, trying to shake off the pain and recover from his recent ordeal: After McKenzie stepped on him, the tiny teenager ended up getting stuck to her giant, mud-covered foot when she lifted it out of the puddle. Somehow, he’d remained conscious the entire time, and immediately struggled to free himself, but the real pain began when the giant girl frantically brushed her foot off in the grass, smashing him into the ground over and over again in her attempts to clean off her foot. At this point, Tim honestly couldn’t say which was worse: being taped to Aunt Julia’s foot, or his recent steamrolling from McKenzie’s.
To make matters worse, the giant girl had been shouting back and forth with her brother, his friend, and her mother, her loud, booming voice pounding constantly in Tim’s head. He strained to cover his ears while struggling to get to his feet. Pushing through the pain, Tim stood up and stumbled over to McKenzie’s giant foot, hoping he could get her attention…
“…All I was trying to do is enjoy the weather in soak up some sun.” McKenzie continued complaining. “Is that too much to ask?!”
“Geez, Kenzie, calm down.” Matt said. “It’s just little mud.”
“Yeah, McKenzie,” Bryce chimed in. “Lighten up!”
“NOBODY asked you, worm!” McKenzie shot back, balling her fists.
“McKenzie, that’s enough!” Sandra called out.
“NO, mom!” McKenzie shouted belligerently, waving her arms around and pointing. “I’ve HAD it! If you think for ONE SECOND that I’m gonna put up with THESE TWO all summer, you—EEK!”
McKenzie shrieked as something unexpectedly touched the side of her foot. She instinctively kicked out her foot, booting whatever had just touched her across the lawn.
Everyone’s eyes went wide, their attention immediately falling upon the teenaged girl freaking out.
“Honey, what’s wrong?!” Sandra asked concernedly.
“S-Something just touched my foot!” McKenzie cried distressfully, visibly shaken. “I-I think it was that BUG!”
“Honey, calm down,” Sandra said, gesturing at her daughter. “It’s just a bug. Don’t get so worked up.”
“Mom, you…you don’t understand,” McKenzie stammered nervously, holding her hands to her chest as she peered intently at the spot across the lawn where the offending bug had landed. “I…I don’t…”
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Sandra inquired, slightly off-put by her daughter’s reaction. “What is it?”
“…Mom, it wasn’t…” McKenzie tried explaining, slowly creeping closer to where the bug had been thrown, “…mom, I…I don’t think it was a bug…”
“Honey, what do ya mean?” Sandra asked, slowly heading towards her daughter.
“Mom…I know it sounds crazy….but, I SWEAR…for a second there…it-it looked just like a little person!” McKenzie finally managed to articulate.
“WHAT?!” Julia exclaimed anxiously, immediately snapping to attention. If she hadn’t been paying attention before, she certainly was now.
“Honey….what’re you talking about?!” Sandra asked, shaking her head with confusion as she wrapped her arm around her daughter. “You’re not making any sense.”
“Mom,” McKenzie insisted, “I’m telling you: that bug looked just like a little person!”
“What…you mean, like a doll?” Sandra inquired, trying to make sense of what her daughter was saying.
“No, mom. NOT like a doll…”
“Dude, I think your sister’s losing it,” Bryce commented to Matt.
“Yeah, Kenzie, I’ve think you’ve been in the sun too long,” Matt chimed in, making circles with his index finger around his right temple. “Your brain’s cooked.”
“SHUT UP, MATT!” McKenzie cried hysterically.
“Alright, that’s enough out of all of you!” Sandra shouted in a commanding voice. “I think we’re done for the day. Boys, go turn off the Slip ‘N Slide and get dried off.”
“But, mom,” Matt whined, “we still wanna slide some more…”
With Sandra and her kids preoccupied, Julia nonchalantly lifted her leg and slipped her fingers inside her flip-flop, frantically checking the tape on her foot. The moment she’d heard McKenzie mentioned the strange bug, she got a bad feeling.
“It couldn’t be…,” Julia said anxiously to herself as she ran her hand over her sole. “It just COULDN’T be…”
Unfortunately, she couldn’t feel Tim beneath the tape. Julia became extremely nervous, completely removing her flip-flop and staring directly at her overturned foot…
A wave of panic suddenly swept over her, her face turning white as a ghost as all the blood drained away…
…Tim was gone!
“Mom, come on,” Matt whined, “Can’t we play for just a little while longer?!”
“Absolutely NOT!” Sandra replied sternly. “That hose has already left a huge puddle in the grass, and I don’t want my backyard turning into a swamp. I don’t even know why I agreed to let you two use it in the first place. Let’s just turn off the Slip ‘N Slide for now, and I’ll have your father pick up a new hose on his way home from work. Maybe you guys can use it later if it’s still light out; plus, you’ve got all day tomorrow, too. Now, come on.”
“Alright,” Matt grumped, motioning to his friend. “Come on, Bryce. Let’s go inside and play Xbox.”
“Sounds good,” Bryce replied as he and Matt both hopped over the Slip ‘N Slide and headed back towards the deck.
Julia’s stomach lurched, and her eyes went wide. The two boys were stomping right towards the spot in the lawn where McKenzie had been pointing earlier…
“Boys, FREEZE!” Julia suddenly shouted, extending her arms and hands out in front of her. “Don’t….move!”
The boys stopped dead in their tracks; everyone’s eyes immediately shot to Julia.
“Why?!” Sandra asked, seeing the look of sheer panic on the woman’s face. “What’s wrong?!”
“Everyone just stay still.” Julia directed, turning towards Sandra and her daughter. “Nobody move. McKenzie….wh-where exactly did you say that bug went?”
“Uh…over there,” McKenzie stammered, pointing a few feet in front of where the boys were standing. “I think it landed there, in the grass.”
“OK, good,” Julia said intently, directing her attention back towards the two boys. “Boys, just…stay there and don’t move, and whatever you do, don’t go near where she’s pointing.”
“Why?” Sandra asked with confusion.
“Please,” Julia insisted, carefully stepping across the lawn, “everyone, just do as I say, and keep clear. I’ll see if I can find it.”
“What for?” Sandra asked, even more perplexed. “It’s just a bug. I’m sure it’s fine.”
“I know,” Julia replied, “I just wanna get a look at it.”
“Hey, I wanna see, too,” Bryce said, stepping closer.
“NO!” Julia snapped, “Just stay back! Just…walk around and don’t come any closer.”
“Why?” Matt asked, shrugging. “It’s just a bug. What’s the big deal?”
“It could be dangerous,” Julia insisted. “I don’t want anyone getting bit.”
“I…doubt there’s anything that dangerous in my backyard, Julia,” Sandra commented.
“I know,” Julia replied hastily, carefully watching her steps as she approached the general area where McKenzie had indicated the bug flew. “I….just wanna be sure.”
Julia bit her lip nervously, and intensely inspected the lawn below her, searching for any signs of movement…
Tim cringed, moaning weakly as he crept back to consciousness. As he started moving, pain suddenly shot through his entire body; he felt like he’d just hit by a truck. He tried to recall exactly what had happened to him, but everything was still fuzzy.
Tim grit his teeth and opened his eyes, slowly rolling onto his stomach and pushing his torso up...
A huge shadow suddenly crept over him. He shot his gaze skyward, and immediately spotted a huge bare foot coming down from above, and five, plump toes splayed out, reaching for him…
As the boys reluctantly obeyed the neighbor woman’s orders and walked around the far end of the lawn on their way back to the deck, Julia eyes were peeled on the section of grass just in front of her.
For a moment, she didn’t see anything, and grew increasingly nervous, worrying that she may have just lost her tiny nephew…
Then, she spotted something moving within a section of grass about a foot in front of her. The tiny figure was covered in mud from head to toe, and appeared to be just coming back to his senses. Julia gasped and gritted her teeth, then nonchalantly removed her foot from her flip-flop and reached down to grab him.
With a squeaky yelp, the tiny teenager disappeared between his aunt’s toes as she scrunched her foot around him and pulled her leg back, attempting to slip her foot back into her flip-flop, all the while trying to keep her nephew’s squirms to a minimum.
Meanwhile, Sandra’s attention was currently focused on the two boys as they scurried around the lawn and jumped onto the far side of the deck.
“Go ahead and turn off and disconnect the hose, Matt,” she directed. “Don’t worry about wrapping it up. I’ll have your father throw it away later.”
“OK, mom,” her son replied.
Sandra watched as the two boys executed her instructions before disappearing inside the house; then, she and McKenzie turned their attention back to Julia, still standing in the middle of the lawn. Sandra was about to speak up, when she noticed Julia fiddling with her sandal again, apparently trying to slip it back onto her foot.
“Uh…i-is everything okay?” Sandra asked.
“Uh, yeah,” Julia replied as she adjusted her shoe. “Everything’s…everything’s good.”
“Uh…did you find it?” Sandra inquired.
“Find what?” Julia replied quickly, suddenly remembering her deception as she turned back . “Oh, the bug. Uh…nope, didn’t see it. No biggie, though.”
“Well, OK…” Sandra replied suspiciously, “…but you made such a big deal over trying to find it…”
“Yeah, but it’s fine.” Julia chortled nervously, scrunching and jiggling her foot to slide her nephew under her arch to keep him concealed and quiet. “I was just curious, that’s all. Anyway, I should get back inside and check on Tim.
Julia slowly took her first step back towards her sister’s house, trying not to squash Tim under the ball of her foot.
“Are…Are you sure you’re OK?” Sandra stammered, noticing the woman walking funny.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Julia replied quickly as she limped across the lawn.
“Is it your shoe again?”
“Yeah,” Julia chortled. “You know, I think I’m just gonna go buy a new pair.”
“Uh…OK,” Sandra replied. “Do you want any help?”
“No, no, I’ve got it,” Julia replied hurriedly, “Anyway, nice to meet you, and thank you so much for the polite conversation, Sandra.”
“Y-Yeah…uh, you too.”
Sandra and her daughter both watched with bewilderment as Julia hobbled across the backyard, hopped one-footed up onto her own deck, and quickly disappeared inside the house next door.
“See, mom?” McKenzie shook her head as she removed her mother’s arm from her shoulder and walked back towards the house. “I told ya she was weird.”
“McKenzie, that’s enough,” Sandra scolded her lightly. “Now, go rinse off your feet and head on back inside.”
“Where do ya think I’m going?!” McKenzie replied in a snarky tone as she stomped up the deck stairs, heading over to the faucet to rinse the mud off her foot.
“Well, I just don’t want you tracking mud all through the house!” Sandra warned sternly. “I JUST got the kitchen cleaned up!”
“I WON’T, Mom!” McKenzie whined, as she turned of the faucet. “Geez! I already wiped most of it off in the grass!”
“Alright, I’m just making sure,” Sandra called back as she headed onto the deck herself, moving towards the back door. “I’m only trying to help.”
“Gee, thanks, mom,” McKenzie replied sarcastically as she turned off the faucet and stepped over to the lounge chair to grab her things. “If you really wanna help, you can tell those boys to just leave me alone the rest of the day.”
“Honey, I really wish you’d be a lot nicer to your brother and his friends,” Sandra scowled. “Besides, your brother misses you now that you’re away at college half the year.”
“And that’s JUST how I like it,” McKenzie retorted as she gathered up her things and headed towards the back door. “Maybe I’d be a lot nicer to him if he weren’t so immature.”
Sandra sighed heavily as her daughter pulled open the screen door and disappeared inside the house, letting the door slam shut behind her.
“I swear,” Sandra lamented as headed towards the door, “that girl’s gonna drive me CRAZY this summer!”
Sandra opened the screen door….then paused, turning her gaze to the house next door. She mused for a brief moment, trying to make sense of the curious and odd behavior of the woman she’d just met. Then, Sandra shook her head, shrugged, and disappeared inside the house.