Chapter 12. Breaking news

“Quick, we need to get moving if we want to catch her” Marla said

“Why in the hell would we want to catch her?” Stu replied. “I’m fucking drenched and smelling like pee” he protested

“You should get out of the way quicker next time. That shot you got on the tidal wave was amazing, though” Marla said

“Fuck you”

“Look, the pee is gone and she is gone too. There is nothing else we can do here. And there is no one else to shoot her around her, either. Don’t you understand? No one else is getting this. This is as much of an exclusive as anyone has ever had!” Marla said excitedly

Stu was still feeling pretty pissed off, the expression having never been so accurate, but he could not deny that Marla was right. They had been sent out to the west side to report on some stupid local parade and they had found themselves in front of the biggest exclusive ever. Literally. Marla could not understand how it was possible that no one else was reporting on the giant woman or that no one else seemed to be aware of her, but the truth was that when she called the station and told them what she was seeing she had needed several pieces of footage to convince them that it was real.

And then, suddenly, the giant woman had been confronted by the cops and Marla had reported live as Stu got amazing shots of the woman being hit by countless bullets with apparently no effect and, finally, a sequence that was as amazing as gross as the woman had literally peed on the police force and washed them away. Marla had quickly hid behind their van, which was parked in an alley. Stu had tried to hold until the last minute and had suffered the consequences. Seeing the fate of some of the cops that had passed screaming in front of Marla, being dragged down the street by the strong current, she believed that Stu had been lucky enough. He still smelled like hell when he climbed the van.

“What do you want to do?” Stu asked

“She went down that street. If we drive through here, we should be able to overtake her at some point” she said

“She is fucking fast” Stu commented

Marla agreed, but she added: “Yes, but she is constantly stopping”

They could feel the shakes as they got closer to where the woman must have been walking. Suddenly, they could see her legs and feet through a side street as they kept on driving down.

“What do you want to do?” Stu asked

“Maybe we can shoot her from behind” Marla suggested

Stu didn’t object. He had already got very good shots of the giant’s amazing rack and his intuition told him that her behind would be equally stunning. Besides, from a professional point of view, the images of the woman getting away from them, as if they were chasing her, would tell better than anything how brave their reporting had been.

“Ok, I will make a left here and let her pass, then”

He waited until she was a couple of blocks away. Then, he advanced very slowly with the van. And suddenly, they dropped without knowing why.

Kelly felt curious about the noise at her back. She had been walking along empty blocks for a while, so she had no clue on what it could have been. Turning, she quickly found its source in a van. She needed a second to realize that the van had crashed. It was not evident at first because the thing it had crashed with was one of her footprints. She chuckled as she realized that the van had fallen into the depression in the asphalt caused by her foot and its front had crashed with one of the sidewalls. She could not prevent laughing.

Kelly’s mind quickly processed the rest of the information available: the bright red signs on the sides and the dish on its top clearly identified the van as that of a news crew. And the fact that it was behind her when the street had been deserted before could only mean that they had tried to follow her.

Turning into its direction, she said in a mocking tone:

“Trying to get some sneaky shots of me, were you?”

The doors of the van opened and she saw a man with a camera getting out on the left and a woman getting out on the right. Kelly knew that she was not going to let them go away. She was about to start walking towards them when she realized that there was no need to rush. Neither of them seemed to be able to climb outside of the depression her sole had created.

She had not realized how deep her footprints had been until now. She could not prevent laughing. The two helpless people inside it were obviously not happy about the situation. Then, suddenly, Kelly figured all out.

With a very determined look in her face, she slowly advanced towards the van. The man and the woman realized that they would not be getting out of her footprint just a couple of steps before she reached there and, obviously afraid, got back inside the van.

“This will make things easier” Kelly thought as she crouched and grabbed the van with one hand.

“I told you it was a fucking bad idea!” Stu complained as he got into the van, the shadow of the woman already over them.

“Really? ‘Cause I did not hear you back when you thought you would get an award for your ‘brave reporting’” Marla replied

Then, the van groaned and they were pulled up as if they had been in the space shuttle during the launching sequence. They both needed a few seconds to recover. When they did, the windshield was fully filled with two huge and obviously happy hazel eyes.

They felt some movement and more of the woman’s face became visible as she moved the van away from it. Stu could not prevent thinking how hot she was, once more. She had to be in her mid-twenties and she had the body and the face of a centerfold. Her thick lips were curled in a smile.

“What would you say if I offered you the biggest exclusive ever?” she said, her voice making the windows rattle even if it still kept all of its feminine tone. She then seemed to realize about something and added: “Honk once if you are interested”

Stu was still puzzled when Marla reached out and pushed the horn.

“What the hell did you do?” Stu asked

“Making us famous” Marla said

“You didn’t ask me”

“Look, Stu, it’s not as if we are in a position to bargain”

Kelly felt proud of herself as she chose the most suitable roof around and set the van on top of it. She had made her point by defeating the cops’ attempt to stop her, but in order to get what she wanted, she needed to get the attention of the city. And no matter how big she was, TV was still the best way to do that. Kelly needed to make the people understand how things should be from now on and hoped that this would be enough to avoid any more foolish attempts to stop her.

Marla waited for Stu to get ready as she nervously looked over her shoulder to see the giant woman patiently standing where Stu had told her he would be able to get the best shot of her. Marla realized that Stu had made sure that he would get both her face and chest and let out a sigh.

“This is going to be live, isn’t it?” the woman’s thundering voice came from behind

Marla turned and said:

“Yes, absolutely. My guess is that they will play this in every single TV station and network all over the country, if my producer did things right”

Of course, Marla was hoping that her producer had done things right. If he had, she would become famous. She would be the only reporter ever to have interviewed a giant woman. She could already imagine herself getting award after award and becoming the most well known face in some national news network. She was lost in her thoughts when she felt the woman clear her throat. She turned and asked:

“Ready?”

The giant woman nodded, her face showing confidence. Marla was still surprised that the giantess could hear her, considering the size difference and the distance she had had to put to give Stu a good shot, but once she was that size, Marla was ready to accept anything else about her.

“Ok, we go live in 3, 2, 1…” Marla said

Then, she turned, making sure that the massive bust of the giant woman could be seen over her shoulder and started reporting.

“Hello Hollner. This is Marla Andrews, reporting live from Hollner’s west side, where the most amazing events are happening as I speak. You can all see behind me Kelly Hanson, the giant woman that has been roaming around this part of the city during the morning. I’m currently standing on the roof of a 15-story building, so you can imagine how big Miss Hanson is. Needless to say, Miss Hanson’s presence has caused a great deal of concern to the people of Hollner and its authorities. In order to clarify the situation, Miss Hanson has agreed on this exclusive interview with KSH8, where she will tell us a little more about herself and about her intentions. Miss Hanson will first address the city through KSH8’s cameras; she has then agreed to an exclusive interview without any restrictions.

Marla then stepped to the side and let Stu center his shot in the giantess. She cleared her throat again and smiled.

 “People of Hollner. My name is Kelly Hanson, I’m 25-years old and I’m from Henford, a small town in the south. I’ve lived in the West Coast most of the last 5 years and the truth is that, while I’ve heard great things about your city, I don’t know it too much. I expect this will change soon”

Marla could not prevent thinking that the giantess seemed incredibly comfortable addressing the camera. Her stance, her tone, her cadence… were very good. As was the choice of words. She did not stumble or stutter. She had been deceived by her looks, first, and mentally classified her as hot and dumb, but it was clear that she had misjudged her. She did not know that someone back at the newsroom had already been able to get a hold of the director of Henford’s High School and was telling her producer that Kelly had got better than average ratings both in High School and in the SAT.

To that, Kelly added the fact that at her size and after what she had accomplished, she was at the peak of her self-confidence. So, while Marla was wondering and Stu was filming, she went on:

“Chance has wanted that I was in your city when this amazing thing happened to me” she said as she moved her hands along her body. “When I woke up this morning, I was just like you, but a sequence of events made me grow until I became as tall as you can see. I guess that soon enough, many people will start digging for old news about something similar that happened in my home town 6 years ago. Let me save you some time: this is not the first time I grow. I’m one of the three giant girls of Henford, although most of you will probably remember the other two better. Back then I became a hundred feet tall and stayed like that for a few days, until I agreed on being reduced. As you can see, I’ve got quite bigger this time”

Marla did not miss the pause the woman had left for added dramatic effect. She wondered if she had memorized the speech or if she was making it up as she went.

“And this time I’m here to stay” her words then dropped like a bomb. The giant woman stopped again and Marla felt a mix of concern and anxiety for what she had to say next. Her expression clearly revealed that she wasn’t done. She was just letting her statement sink.

“Being this big is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I’m not letting it go away. I realize that this represents a big change for everyone, including myself, so I wanted to set some ground rules. First: there is really nothing you can do about it. I’m too big and I’m too strong. All attempts to stop me so far have been very unsuccessful” she said before stopping in one of the already characteristic pauses.

Marla muttered to herself: “This is like a speech of conquest”

The giant woman went on:

“Second: You cannot expect that I act as if I were not much bigger than you. We are not equals. If I command you to do something, I expect that you will promptly obey. If you command me something, you can only expect to piss me off”

Another pause.

“Third: I’m curious and I’m playful, so you can expect me to use my size in any way I please. I’m not cruel, though, so I’m not interested in hurting you just for the sake of it. I will do my best to prevent that from happening”

One more pause.

“Fourth: I’m a very moody woman. It doesn’t take much to get me pissed off. And you do not want me pissed off. Do not try me”

This time, the pause came together with another clearing of her throat.

“Fifth: I realize that my presence is disruptive. You’ll have to adapt to it. I won’t adapt to you. As I said, we are not equals”

She wet her lips this time.    

“Sixth: I have needs. I’ll make requests to the city. I expect you to fulfill them”

She made a final pause.

“And, seventh: this doesn’t need to be bad for you. I’m a decent enough person. I’m willing to help. With my size and my strength, I can do things that are beyond your wildest imaginations. Ask nicely, and I may give you a hand” she finished

Marla imagined that when someone was Kelly Hanson’s size, confidence was a given, but the truth was that her speech had shown some skill with words. It did not match with her stripper looks. She turned, trying to find the signal that she could go on with the interview. The giantess surprised her with a very warm smile. Having covered dozens of political fundraisers and campaign acts, Marla felt something weird on it.

“The world has changed. I want to make this work. I hope you do, too” she finished as she moved her hands to her hips.

Marla turned and stood with a mike in her hand when the woman suddenly looked at her and said:

“I’m ready to take questions, now”

Kelly was happy with her speech. It had come out smoothly. And she had told them what she wanted them to hear: that she was in charge now and that it was in everyone’s best interest if they cooperated.

It was time for questions. She wondered if it was a good idea. She had already said what she wanted to say, so why expose herself to questions? It was not as if she needed to. Her confidence was at such a peak right now, that she was not really concerned about the prospect, though. And it could help her project the image of reasonable giant that she wanted.

“Thanks for agreeing to this, Kelly” the little woman said. She was not bad looking, Kelly thought, the combination of her long dark hair and deep green eyes making her look wild. “Can I call you Kelly?” the reporter then asked, seemingly nervous.

Kelly smiled:

“Absolutely” Kelly said. “I’m not big on formality” she added, wondering if anyone would have caught the joke.

“You mentioned that… that you did grow this morning?” the journalist asked

“Yes. When I woke up I was as small as you. Then, something happened that made me grow through the roof of the hotel I was staying at. I’d rather not talk about the details; a couple of the things that happened were a little painful” Kelly said.

“But those details may be important…” the tiny reporter said

“I decide what is important now” Kelly cut her with a cold tone.

She caught the message and changed subject:

“Do you know how tall you are?” she asked

The truth was that Kelly did not.

“My guess is that I’m about the height of a 25-story building, whatever that means” she replied, shrugging.

The woman then touched her ear and a second later she said:

“They tell me from the studio that this means that you are about 250 feet tall”

Kelly smiled. 250 tall! That was more than twice as tall as she had been back in Henford.

“Well, that sounds about right” she said excited.

“How does it feel to be that tall?” the little brunette asked.

“Well, it’s the most amazing thing ever. It’s a feeling of absolute power. Suddenly, nothing seems out of your reach. It’s exhilarating”

Ron had thought that he could not feel more depressed until he saw the images of his recent lover addressing the cameras with a full city as a background. He could not prevent focusing on her perfect tits for a second, remembering that just a few days ago he had sunk his head between them. Now he doubted it would be bigger than one of her nipples.

Kelly’s speech had probably sent shivers down most people’s spines. Ron’s feelings were closer to depression, though.

“She lied to me” he muttered

Of course, how could he have been so foolish as to think that Kelly Hanson, the goddess of High School, could have felt anything for him? The sense of betrayal went further, though. She had lied to him beyond the sex. She had assured him that she had never wanted to become a giant and that she had never missed what had happened in Henford.

Anyone that had seen her speech, that had listened to her words and seen her attitude as she said them, would laugh at how stupid he had been.

Despite the strong feelings it caused in him, he stayed glued to the TV set, listening to the interview. He had heard her boast about her size and describe some of the things she had done to cars and buildings.

One of the most surrealistic moments was when Kelly admitted, after having been asked by the reporter, that the situation was arousing. And when inquired on what she intended to do about that, she just winked and replied that she would need to be creative.

“Have you killed anyone?” the reported suddenly changed her pace

After a while of pretty stupid chatter about her size and what she had done since she had grown, the journalist took Kelly by surprise. A hint of a smile told her that she had done it on purpose.

“As far as I know, no” Kelly said. Then, she added: “At least, not on purpose”

The journalist smelled blood:

“You mean that you could have killed someone?”

Kelly was about to end that line of questioning when she thought that there was no point on being defensive. After all her efforts in affirming her new status, why should she? The truth was that she had not considered the possibility so far, but now that she was faced with it, she realized that it did not sound as terrifying as it should have. Looking at the camera with determination, she said:

“As I said, I did not kill anyone on purpose. But I cannot rule the possibility of having killed somebody out. You guys are too small. I’ve crushed cars, I’ve broken some things… I don’t think I’ve stepped on anyone, but the truth is I don’t know”

She was surprised at how plainly she had been able to admit the possibility.

“Marla, insist on this. You are making her angry” the producer told her through her earpiece.

“Yeah, make the giant woman angry. That’s the best idea in the world” Marla thought. Still, she could feel that she had caught her. Forgetting about her fear, Marla pushed. She could feel the smell of the prizes she would get for this.

“Would you feel sorry, if you had?” she asked

The giant woman frowned.

“I cannot be sorry for something I don’t know I’ve done” she replied

“Would you accept responsibility?” she asked

“Of course not!” the woman replied in a rude tone. Then, she added: “I do not respond to you! I’m above you, for God’s sake”.

“You mean that you are in charge?” Marla asked, carefully setting the trap.

As it turned out, no trap was needed. The woman, whose tension had been evident for a moment, relaxed. Marla wondered why it meant. Then, the giantess smiled and said:

“I am. Of course I am”. Her tone was calm. “I mean, I have no interest at all in micro-managing the city. I’ll leave that to the politicians. But I expect you to do anything I say. Of course I do” she said.

Then, smiling, the woman added: “You can consider me your new Queen… or Goddess”

Marla felt a chill.

The giant woman then smiled widely and asked:

“Don’t you think I look like a Goddess?”

Marla did not know what to say. She did not need to figure it out. After having proclaimed herself ruler of Hollner, Kelly just looked at the camera and said:

“I believe we are done. I need to take a closer look at my city”