10 Reunion

It was Monday morning Jennifer realized as she lay on her belly sipping water through the bendable straw from the plastic container that the Tinies had set within reach. In just a few minutes her co-workers would no doubt be wondering where she was as it was almost 9 AM. She wondered just how long they would wait before one of them might call to find out if anything was wrong. If she was sick, stuck in traffic or held up by train delays, maybe not coming in at all.

The eight surviving Tinies were fairly quiet as they watched the morning news, Darlene Rodriguez again on screen and announcing an Amber Alert for a little girl named Gina that had gone missing on her way to school earlier that morning. Traffic was going to be a mess on the East Side as the UN General Assembly got into session, but the weather promised to be nice; no rain in the forecast and in the low 80’s. Life went on with or without Jennifer Monroe it seemed.

It was just after 9:30 when Jennifer heard the faint scrabbling noises coming from somewhere behind her. She turned towards the stove, the source of the sounds, praying silently that it was not another rat. She could barely see the subtle shift of shadows moving in the dim and finally let out a long, slow breath that she had not even realized she had been holding. Linda crawled from beneath the stove, eight others eventually following behind her.

Only eight…

They all looked haggard and withdrawn as they trudged across the carpeting towards the pillows. Jennifer saw that they were filthy, probably from climbing through the walls and through the dust and grime under her stove. Linda gave her a casual glance as she passed, then raised an eyebrow as she realized that Jennifer was not gagged. She said nothing though, walking on with the rest of her group following behind. Jennifer saw Frank holding his ribs as he went by, and Jason was limping, favoring his left leg, but the rest seemed unhurt; at least physically. She did not see Johnny, Bill, Stacy or Robert and others whose names she did not know. Linda’s sword was coated with dried blood she noticed as the clan leader stopped before the pillows and Claire.

“It’s done,” Linda said sounding tired, defeated almost, leaning on her sword. Jennifer watched as the others plopped down on the pillow lost in thought except for Frank who stood looking about, probably for his girlfriend, Dani. Claire looked about as well, watching those that had returned, scrutinizing each before her gaze fell on Linda once again.

“And was it worth it?” Claire finally asked after a long, tense silence, her body language mimicking Linda’s as she leaned on her cane. Linda was silent for a long time before she finally looked Claire in the eye.

“Not in the end. No. The bastard had to pay though, and he did. And his whore. But we lost so many. Too much.”

“Where’s Dani?” Frank asked abruptly, his voice wavering and fear in his dark eyes.

“And Matt?” another of the clan asked looking over the pillow for his miniscule friend.

“We lost here too,” Claire said, sadness in her voice. “There was a rat.”

“Oh my God!” one of the returnees gasped looking about frantically as though expecting to see the vermin still lurking in the apartment. Her hands went to her mouth as she saw the fresh bloodstains on the floor where Dani had died and the rat had been slain. Others started to talk wildly, some jumping to their feet again until Linda shouted for quiet.

“What happened?” the tiny redhead asked. Claire frowned and shrugged.

“It came from under the stove I figure. Just like we did. Attracted by the blood maybe, or the trash.” She waved a hand towards the accumulated garbage of uneaten food packed in plastic bags near the cabinet under the sink. She shrugged again, then raised her cane to point at the spots where Dani and the rat had died, large splotches of dried blood. “It swallowed Matt whole in one bite, then ripped Dani’s throat out as we were trying to fight it.”

“No!” Frank wailed his voice choked as another screamed Matt’s name. Claire waited a moment before continuing, letting Linda hear the anguish in her friends; remorse and crying, not only for Matthew and Dani but for those lost on their murderous mission of vengeance.

“We all had a hand in killing the thing,” Claire said as she directed her cane to point at Jennifer. “Her too. In fact, if not for her we’d probably all be dead now. She woke us up. Grabbed the thing finally and held it so we could kill it.”

Linda looked at Jennifer; huge Jennifer naked, bound and shackled to the desk. She afforded the captive giantess a tight smile before returning her attention to Claire. The two women stared tensely at one another for a long moment and Jennifer realized that their friendship would never be the same. A rift had been driven between them. Claire obviously felt that the deaths were Linda’s fault because of her desire to get revenge for Anne’s death. Jennifer thought that Linda might agree, but was too stubborn to admit that she had made the wrong decision. It was Claire that finally broke the silence.

“So, your turn. What happened?”

Linda sighed as she turned and finally sat on the pillow, setting her bloody sword aside. It took her a moment to compose her thoughts, then she leaned forward, arms crossed and resting on her knees, sweaty reddish-brown hair hanging down.

“It took us awhile to climb up to the sixth floor, but when we finally got there and into the bastard’s apartment he was asleep. Passed out drunk by the look of all the empty beer cans on the floor, the lights on, TV playing way too loud. It was easy enough to get right up on him once we got up onto the bed. We all got into position; Johnny with a nail at his right ear, Robert likewise on the left. I was at his throat ready to drive it into his carotid artery while the others waited to back us up. On my signal we all struck together.

“He screamed as we all stabbed him, sitting up wildly clutching at his throat, blood spurting through his fingers and his ear drums pierced. I went flying in the process, ripping my sword free and widening the wound. Luckily I just managed to stay on the bed. He saw us all scrambling to get away, sliding down the ropes and bedspread. Gail jumped and broke her legs and back hitting the floor wrong. The Giant got some composure finally and lashed out. He backhanded Robert just as he was about to jump and sent him flying across the room where he smashed against the far wall. Then he slammed his fist down on Johnny, crushing him flat while he was trying to help Gail get away. He turned on me then, but his loss of blood made him weak and he collapsed while he was reaching for me. He tried to get up again but couldn’t. He finally rolled off of the bed and onto the floor still frantically holding his throat.

“We slowly got our courage back as he got weaker and everyone took a bite out of him; stabbing and slicing with our weapons. He was a long time dying.

“That was when his bitch came home. She staggered into the apartment as drunk as he’d been and screamed when she saw us, and what we’d done. The shock of the sight of us around her dead lover’s body sobered her up real quick, I guess. She waded into us as we tried to get back under the stove; stepping on us, smashing her feet down.

“She crushed Stacy… Bill… Tommy…” Linda paused, sobbing and shaking her head. “It was horrible,” she said when she was finally able to continue. “The rest of us were able to get back under the stove and escape. She was on her stomach trying to grab us, but it was too tight for her arm to fit.” Linda looked to Frank and frowned. “She managed to hit Frank with her fingers and break a couple ribs but we made it out and back into the walls. Took us forever to get back down here.”

There was silence between the two women again, as Linda seemed to sag and hang her head with exhaustion while Claire just stared coldly. Jennifer heard Frank crying in the background and saw someone hugging him, trying to ease the pain of his loss. Others were huddled in pairs or groups, sobbing, trying to cope.

“So,” Claire began, thumping her cane to the floor once more. “Now I suppose you’re going to go avenge the ones that died tonight, right?” Linda looked up and weakly shook her head.

“No. It’s over,” she said, then added, “At least as far as I’m concerned. I’m done.”

“What?” Claire asked suddenly with concern and a look of surprise on her face. Jennifer saw a few of the other Tinies look up as well, suddenly interested.

“I’ve had enough. Leading…” Linda said, her voice laced with emotion and exhaustion. “I fucked up. Let my emotions get the better of me and got too many of us killed. Time for me to retire. Let someone else lead the clan. What’s left of it.”

Immediately there were voices of protest, Tinies rising to their feet and beseeching Linda to stay on as their leader. Linda listened for awhile, never taking her eyes off of Claire. Finally though she waved their protests away.

“I’m done,” she said sadly, but firmly, her voice full of conviction. “Hell I never wanted the job in the first place, but someone had to do it. This debacle that I caused just proves that we need a new leader. Someone with a clearer head than mine.”

Jennifer saw the tiny Linda look at her for a long moment, smiling slightly as the clan voiced their opinions, all of them against her stepping down. Finally she waved them to silence again and addressed them.

“We’ll vote later on a new leader. Right now, I’m tired and need to sleep, and so does the rest of us that went out. Anne’s avenged, and that counts for something. I’m sorry that we lost others… Friends… But we all went willingly, expecting the worst.

“And that’s what we got.”

Linda said no more, simply lying back on the huge pillow and closing her eyes. Within moments, she was fast asleep…

***

“I’m going off the rails of a crazy train!”

Jennifer stared at her Galaxy III as the screen lit up, Ozzy Osborne’s ‘Crazy Train’ blaring as her cell phone vibrated along the carpet. The Tinies were up and on their feet with the noise, all staring as the cell phone seemed to dance a jig as it bounced across the floor. Linda ran forward at last and slapped her foot down on the edge of the phone to hold it still. Jennifer saw the tiny woman read the number, then repeat it outloud as it finally stopped ringing.

“It’s Lori,” Jennifer said when the Tiny turned towards her. “One of my co-workers.” Linda did not look happy, but she had voiced before that she knew someone would eventually call to find out what was wrong with the captive giantess. The Tiny glanced at the clock above the bed and saw that it was not even ten-thirty yet.

“They’ll call again,” she said dejectedly. “Sooner probably than later. And I’m quite sure that the whore upstairs has the cops there by now. They’ll be going door to door looking for us as soon as they believe her story and that won’t take long. We left enough of our dead behind. Time to go, people. Don’t forget to grab the ropes that we can, and anything else we might be able to use. Leave one on the bed for me.”

Jennifer watched silently as, one by one the Tinies started to make their way down off of the pillows. They all looked weary as they trudged past Jennifer’s bound form, spreading out about the apartment one final time. Some looked up to her and a few nodded as they passed, actually smiling wanly. Jennifer watched as they gathered the ropes that they had hooked to the furniture, more nails and screws and pins from the pile they had gathered; all that they could manage to carry. One by one then they all headed for the stove and disappeared underneath, back into the darkness. Finally though only Linda and Claire remained in sight, the rest behind Jennifer and crawling under the stove to the hole in they wall behind.

Both of the small women stopped near her head, looking up at Jennifer’s billboard sized face looming over them. Linda stood with her sword resting over her right shoulder as Claire; leaning on her cane looked her way. Jennifer could feel the tension in the air, between all three of them. A tension that lingered until Claire finally broke the silence.

“And what do we do with her?” the older woman asked. “Leave her for the police to find? Do we set her free? Either way as soon as she’s loose she’ll tell the police everything. Including where we’re holed up in the basement.” Jennifer shook her head from side to side causing Claire to stumble back a few steps with the sudden motion. Jennifer looked pleadingly at the two women noting that Linda had stood her ground, her gaze intent on the gigantic woman’s face.

“Please,” Jennifer whispered trying to keep a pleading tone out of her voice and not succeeding. “I won’t say anything. I swear I won’t. Don’t leave me here for the cops to find. Please… Let me go. Or at least leave the keys where I can get to them.” There were tears in her eyes as she looked at the two women; Claire frowning and Linda lost in thought.

Without a word Linda set her sword aside and headed back towards the bottom corner of the bed. Jennifer and Claire watched as she easily climbed the knotted rope of twine that still hung from the top sheet, left at her request. Once atop Linda removed the rope and paperclip grappling hook and let it drop to the floor before running along the edge of the mattress and then veering off out of sight. A moment later Jennifer saw her approach the edge again, dropping the keys to her handcuffs and padlock onto the floor. Linda then stepped off of the top of the bed to land lightly on the pillows far below. The tiny woman hurried over and coiled up the rope, looping it over her shoulder. She then trotted back to the pillows and scooped up the keyring before strolling back to stop beside Claire once again.

“I’ll leave these behind you, by your hands where you can reach them,” Linda said as she bent to pick up her letter opener sword again. She seemed almost sad as she looked around the studio apartment. There were still bits of string dangling from the desk and dresser, the sink and refrigerator. Half-empty containers of water still littered the floor, the shock collar and vibrator lying by the dresser, nubs of melted candles. “Sorry about the mess,” Linda said with a shrug and a tiny smile. “Sorry about… everything.

“We’ll be gone by the time you get free, but I trust you. You helped us out when we needed it… Helped my friends with the rat even after all we did to you.” The tiny woman sighed, staring at the floor for a moment. “I –…”

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!!

Everyone gasped as a heavy handed knocking rattled the apartment door, followed by a man’s booming voice.

“Police! Open up!”

The three women looked to the door, staring hard, then turned to face each other again when the knocking resumed. All were silent as the cop called out again, but after awhile the knocking sounded from the apartment next door. The three women sighed in unison with relief.

Claire hobbled forward and reached up to touch Jennifer’s cheek, the larger woman lowering her head so that she could. Claire smiled finally, nodding, realizing that Jennifer could have cried out right then and given them away, but didn’t. “Thank you.” Jennifer smiled and nodded as Claire patted her cheek, then turned to Linda. “I’ll start towards the stove and wait for you.” Linda nodded.

Jennifer watched as Claire shuffled along and away, finally moving behind her and out of her line of sight. When she turned back to Linda she found the little red head gazing at her intently again, seemingly lost in thought for a long, quiet moment. Finally she shrugged and stepped closer.

“I wish…” Linda started and Jennifer could hear something odd in her voice. The tiny woman’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes watery. “I wish things could be different,” she continued, draping the keyring over her shoulder to stroke Jennifer’s cheek as Claire had done, reaching up. “Thanks… Thank you for… for everything.”

Jennifer was biting her lip as the Tiny gazed into her eyes for a long moment. Then Linda lowered her hand and walked away. She heard the sound of the keys hitting the floor behind her, listening for any other noise. There was a faint shuffling sound as Jennifer assumed that the tiny Linda was crawling underneath the stove once again.

Then silence.

Jennifer heaved a rasping sigh, then began to grope with her fingers for the keys and freedom…