All the constants stood back, looking at the full boxes. A pregnant feeling sat in the air. The change was definitely coming, and all eight of them knew they were subject to it. Particularly the full-sized ones, since they could be shrunk.

“First I will pick the person that is to be shrunk.” Betty said. She leaned over and picked up the box of shrinking cards with agonizing slowness. Four eyes watched anxiously as the box was shaken over and over again to mix the cards completely. Finally, Betty opened the lid and reached in with her head turned firmly in another direction. She pulled out a card and held it away from the eyesight of the contestants. She looked at the card and smiled. There was a pause, then she read it.

“The shrinking vote,” Betty said, “Goes to Carla.”

Carla felt her heart start to race. She was surprised: she didn’t suspect that anyone would see her as enough of a threat! She was fairly confindent that she would come through full-sized, but that illusion was shattered in this moment. Oh well, there was still the block vote, and if only she cast one for herself that was a one-in-eight shot at least. Carla would never learn it, but it was in fact Vera’s vote that selected her.

Carla walked, trembling, over to the far wall, where she tried to give a small smile to the rest of the contestants. Betty, meanwhile, was reaching over to the box of people to be enlarged. Once again she shook it over and over again, four little pairs of eyes watching in the hope that it would be them enlarged.

Betty stopped shaking the box, and reached her hand in to grab a card. She moved her hand around for a very long time, almost causing Dale to yell to get on with it. Finally, Betty picked a card. She held it up where no one could see it, and stared at it for a long time. Finally, she read.

“The vote for enlargement.” Betty said, “Goes to Hailey.”

Hailey let out a huge sigh of relife. She was going to be re-enlarged! She didn’t think her chances of good, and indeed it was her own vote for herself that did it. Smiling widely and even trembling a little, Hailey made her way to stand next to Carla, the girl who in a few minutes would only come up to her waste instead of the other way around.

“Now it seems fairly set.” Betty said. “But there is still a chance that you, Carla will be able to remain full-sized, or that you, Hailey, will stay small.”

Almost unberably slow, Betty reached over and picked up the block box and shook it as well. All eyes were on it—even the six that had not been selected were subject to it, because if either of the girl’s names were chosen another card would be drawn, picking one of them.

Finally, Betty finished shuffelling. Pealing off the lid, Betty stuck her hand inside and blindly picked up a card. For a while her face made no expression. But then it slowly broke into a smile.

“The blocking vote,” Betty said. “Goes to Vera. The results stand.”

Hailey clapped her hands together in victory. She had beet the odds! It was Vera’s card that had again been selected, and Carla resigned herself to her fate. She was a little angry: surely there must have been many more votes cast for Paul! But she understood the laws of probability and would take it and deal.

“Carla, you will make your way into the shrinking booth to be reduced to half-size.” Said Betty. Smiling just a little in resolve, Carla walked forward into the booth. The door closed around her and she found herself in a plain, blank room. For the first time she literally started shaking, knowing she was now going to be altered and there was no turning back.

Abruptly, the flash of light came. After the dots cleared, Carla found herself in a much bigger room. With a cold feeling that settled in her gut, she knew what had happened. She was tiny, and the world was huge. She thought she would be ready for it, but now that it came she was scarred.

The door on the other side opened and Carla stepped out into a massive room which she knew couldn’t have been any bigger than the first room. But seeing the ceilings so high and the walls so far away—not to mention the grains on the walls were so much larger—Carla was trembling again.

Carla was so preoccupied that she didn’t expect the next flash of light, and when it came from behind her it caused her to jump in alarm. Hailey had been enlarged; that was the only thing it could mean. In just a few seconds, Carla would see the first giant in her life.

The door opened, and out strode Hailey. The woman was simply monstrous, large, volumous legs going up to a waste and a torso above eye level, and a face so large she had only seen it on statues before. Hailey herself was all smiles—the room that had one been monstrous was little more than a glorified closet, and the ceiling was right where it should be, a few feet above her head.

Hailey noticed Carla, the first smaller person she had ever laid eyes on, other than that brief brush with Sherri on the first day. Her face lit up into an excited smile right away. Carla was so cute! Those little arms and legs, those tiny eyes! It was hard to believe this was the big, strong girl she had seen just minutes before.

“Well, hi!” Said Hailey in a very high voice. Carla’s eyes darted to Hailey’s, then quickly darted away. She was too scared to say anything, and just stood trying to look anywhere but at Hailey.

There was a sound of footsteps, and Betty appeared in the doorway. Carla looked because she could not help it. Betty was as large and magnificent as Hailey.

“I hope you’re comfortable in your new sizes!” Said Betty.

“Yes, very!” Said Hailey. Carla said nothing.

“Follow me back into the main room.” Betty said. “There I’ll give instructions as to tomorrow’s events.” Hailey and Carla followed Betty back down the narrow hallway, Hailey following closely but Carla keeping further back from the giantesses.

They emerged into the main room to find the rest of the contestants waiting for them. Hailey strode in triumphantly, looking at all the former giants that were now her size, and all the small people she now towered over. Carla came in more meekly, looking up at all the tall ones and moving very hesitantly.

Marie ran over and threw her arms around Carla, the girl now just a little bit shorter than her, and gave her a bone crunching hug. Marie could detect Carla’s uneasiness and her heart really went out to the girl.

“We’re friends,” Said Marie. “No matter what happens.” Carla hugged Marie hard, and even trembled a little bit.

Hailey stood between Vera and Andy, looking at both of them with a giggly smile on her face. She was very delighted to be back to her normal size.

“Now,” Betty said. “You will return to the house for the night. Tomorrow at three o’clock I will be arriving to start the first competition. So everybody be ready for a little exercise tomorrow!”

The eight of them left, walking the short path back to the house. The eight of them spread out: some returning to their rooms and some staying in the kitchen or living room.

Hailey was still all smiles. She really didn’t think she would be the one enlarged, she thought for sure it would be Marie since everyone seemed to like her. But she was not complaining. All the little people were so cute…and then her eyes fell on Dale.

Dale was standing by himself along one wall. He was not surprised that he had not been selected to be enlarged, and he was disappointed Paul had not been shrunk. But now that Hailey had been enlarged he was down a bedmate—or so he thought.

“Honey,” Hailey said. Dale turned around to see the woman towering over him. He had seen Carla and Vera big before, but to see someone he had known so intimately expanded to such proportions was astounding. Where the power had clearly been on his side now he didn’t stand a chance in the power of this much larger woman.

“Hailey,” Dale said, trying to put his hands out, but he was too late. Hailey leaned over and scooped up Dale, effortlessly picking up his light body and holding it close to hers.

“Oh, honey, you’re so cute!” Said Hailey, pressing Dale against her chest. Somehow the feeling of Hailey’s large warm breast through her shirt was soothing to Dale and started calming any protest he had.

“You’re so small, I’m almost afraid to touch you in…you know where.” Hailey said.

“Maybe you shouldn’t.” Said Dale, embarrassed at the possibility of being dominated so easily by a woman.

“Why would you say that?” Hailey asked. “Wouldn’t you just love to explore someone so much bigger. I promise that I’ll be gentle.”

Hailey pressed Dale against her even harder, and Dale found himself in a cuccon of support and warmth, and he relented.

“Good.” Hailey said. “Why wait until later? Let’s go off now.” And with that Hailey carried him away into their shared bedroom. Dale would have liked to walk away under his own power, but it was nice to get away from everyone. It was still embarrassing to be under the power of such a large woman, but he felt the experience might be fun.

At the same time Marie and Carla were sitting in a chair. Carla was still a little shaken about the whole shrinking experience and Marie was comforting her, stroking her back.

“I didn’t know it would be this scary,” Carla said. “I mean, everyone is so much bigger! Even the furniture is far too big to use normally. It’s just something we take for granted, I guess.”

“Yeah, it was a little scary.” Marie said. “But after I got used to it, it became very fun!”

“I think I still got a ways to go,” Said Carla, looking around her.

“You might.” Marie said. “But I’m sure you’ll get there. No matter what, though, I’m looking out for you.”

“Thanks.” Said Carla, giving her friend a hug.

Paul was messing around in the kitchen. Things couldn’t be going better. He had remained full-sized though he knew many people likely wanted him shrunk. Carla, the other full-sized person with the most leadership potential, had been shrunk. Vera had retained her size, and Dale had been further humiliated by his girlfriend being enlarged. He watched the diminutive man being carried off like a child by his mistress with a little smirk.

Vera was near him, and he spoke to her. “You alright?” He asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Vera said.

“You know what tomorrow is, right?” Paul asked.

“The first competition.” Said Vera.

“You know what that means.” Paul said. “There may only be two full-sized people left after it. Are you ready to shrink, if that’s what happens?”

“I think so.” Vera said. “I thought about it and I’m not very afraid. I’ve seen the others deal with it, I think I could too.”

“That’s good.” Paul said. “You know I’ll help you any way I can, right?”

“Thanks.” Vera said. She turned towards Paul and gave him a hug. Paul gave her a peck on the cheek before he pulled away.

“If this were a normal situation I’d ask you out.” Said Paul. “But as it is, do you want to take a little walk outside?”

Vera smiled, extending her hand. “What a gentleman.” She said. The two of them walked hand in hand out into the starry night.

Alone in his room, little Jerry sat thinking. Well, the last vote didn’t go so bad. He didn’t think anyone would vote for him but himself so he wasn’t surprised when he was chosen. But he knew how the stakes were—if he was to have a chance at winning he would have to start thinking strategy now.

He knew from the first game that strategic alliances helped the players advance, but admittedly they only went so far. He had better form an alliance sooner than later if he wanted a chance. He bet he could get an opening with either Paul and Vera or Carla and Marie, but he wasn’t sure about either one. At any rate, if the competition was anything like last year the teams would be pretty artificial. He should wait until after the competition to make any such move. But what move would he make? He would just have to play it by ear.

Andy sat alone in his room, worrying about how things had gone. He realized he cared less about winning and more about the experience he could have shrunk. He had been ‘lucky’ so far, but he would have gladly traded places with Carla in the last competition. Well, it wasn’t his vote that shrunk her, but he was starting to feel he should have voted for himself.

Andy was a team player—that’s the way he was. In the competition he would do the best he could. But somewhere inside of him he almost wanted to loose so he would be shrunk. He had a fantasy of Betty leading him off to the shrinking booth and closing him inside. He would shrink, then go into another room where he would stand, staring at the column-like legs of the female contestants.

Eventually the contestants filtered out and went to bed. Paul and Vera told each other goodnight with a kiss on the cheek and they separated and went to their rooms. Marie and Carla both returned to their bedrooms, Carla climbing up on a bed that had been so much smaller just last night. The others were already in their rooms and they slowly went off to sleep.