James was your average 22 year old male. He liked to party, but unlike a lot of students, he was also studious. And this showed, as he was already in his last year of college, with rather impressive grades. James wasn’t there on a sports scholarship, or even an academic scholarship. He was just there on a quest for knowledge, hoping to be able to provide himself a better life. Now as for appearance, James was somewhat attractive. He wasn’t beautiful, like a model, but he was fairly slim, and not unappealing to look at. Perhaps that’s how he managed to score what he considered his perfect girlfriend.

Rebecca, or Becca for short, was a red haired beauty. She’s just shy of a year older than James, but she was also in her last year of college. Unlike James, she took a year off before college, mostly to find herself. And when she did, she came to college, where she met James on campus. She was beautiful, tall, even slightly taller than James, standing at 5’11”, compared to James being 5’9”. She had a slightly chubby belly, but only slightly, as she spends a lot of her time at the gym, or doing yoga at home. She has hazel eyes, and she’s one of the sweetest people you’d ever meet. The only time you would ever see her get mean, is around bugs. She hates bugs with a passion, due to an incident she had as a young child. But that was the only harsh bone in her body.

Together, James and Becca lived in an apartment, on campus. They both took day courses, so that when the day was over, they could spend time together, doing whatever felt right. Despite dating, however, James and Becca were never sexually active, as James wanted to wait until marriage. Becca agreed, although she often had fantasies of being with James. She hoped that once they were finished with college, that he’d propose. Little did she know though, was that James was planning to propose a little sooner.

---

James didn’t have his last class today, meaning that he’d have some free time, before Becca came home. This was perfect, because he needed to go ring shopping. While he didn’t have a lot of money, he knew Becca cared more about the thought than the amount spent. So he decided that instead of going to an expensive jewelry store, he’d go to an antique shop, hoping to find a ring that was both beautiful, and filled with history. While James was an English major himself, Becca was a History major, and she loved anything with a good story. Her favorite period was probably the American revolution, so James was hoping he could find a ring connected to it in some way.

As he entered the antique shop, James felt chills run down his spine. He didn’t know why, but something about this place made him feel nervous. However, James calmed himself, assuring himself it wasn’t anything to worry about. Making his way to the counter, he saw a woman standing behind it. She was rather old, and she too had an eerie vibe, but that didn’t stop her from saying, “Hello.. Welcome.. Is there something I can help you with?” At this, James tried to recollect his thoughts, and tried to remember he was doing this for Becca. “Uhh.. yeah. Would you happen to have any special rings, preferably ones that date back to the American Revolution?”

James couldn’t help but feel nervous, as he watched the woman’s rather, wrinkly hand, reach down beneath the counter, and pulled out a box. She placed the box on the counter, and brushing the dust off the top, she opened it, revealing several, interesting, rings. “Why, yes, sonny, this one here has a lot of history behind it.” She told him, pulling out a ring that had a dazzling blue gem on it. “It’s been said that this ring has passed through many important women’s hands, from Martha Washington, to Mary Todd Lincoln, and so on. Truly, if you wish to make your girl feel special, this is the ring for you.”

He took the ring from her, observing it closely, before finally deciding, despite the ominous feelings he felt, that he was going to purchase this ring. He knew Becca would love to wear a ring that was once owned by at least two first ladies. “Alright, how much is it?” He asked, hoping he wouldn’t have to haggle too much. “For you… Let’s call it fifty dollars. You seem like a nice, young man. You better make this lady of yours happy.” She said, as she watched James pull out the money. “Just be warned though, all purchases are final, we do not give refunds…” Why he would ever need a refund, James didn’t know, as he paid, and began to walk away. “Thank you, ma’am.” And with that, he left the antique shop, although he could’ve swore he heard some sort of cackling behind him…

---

It was about 30 minutes before Becca would get out of class, when James finally got back home to their apartment. He looked around at the cozy little place they had. It wasn’t much, but for now, it was theirs to enjoy. Sitting on the pull out couch, James decided to inspect the ring some more. It was very intriguing, even for someone who wasn’t as fascinated by history. “Hmm, I wonder why she sold it so cheap… It seems like it could be very valuable. But, oh well, I have it now, and I’m sure Becca will really like it.” James mumbled to himself, before noticing a smudge on the ring, he managed to miss before. “Oh come on, please, don’t do this to me…” He said, and he began rubbing the ring. However, it simply wouldn’t come off… So he rubbed harder, and all of a sudden, the ring began to glow, shooting a beam of light at James…

James was shocked, and he couldn’t see much as the light blinded his vision. Finally, after a few moments had passed, the light was gone, but what James saw was rather terrifying. He still held the ring, but he was in a completely new place, like it transported him to a different dimension. He knew something was off about the ring from the beginning, and now, he saw that it had magical powers. Of course, he wasn’t a firm believer in magic, but when the evidence was right there in front of him, he had no choice, but to believe what he was seeing. And so, without another thought, he began rubbing the ring, hoping it would bring him back home. But of course, nothing happened now, and the smudge had disappeared. Sighing, he pocketed the ring, and decided he needed to explore this new world. “I never should’ve bought this stupid ring, now I need to find my way out of here.”

Looking around at his environment, James noticed that there were many large structures, that didn’t quite seem to have a purpose. Or at least, they didn’t until he noticed something. The floor was hard, and wooden, just like their floor. And the trees that sprouted from the ground looked an awful lot like the legs to their couch and coffee table. And the ceiling was a ceiling, not a sky as, one would’ve expected. With one more glance around the perimeter, James gasped, as he realized the terrifying truth. He hadn’t been transported to a new dimension, but instead, he had shrunken… And not a moment later, almost as if on cue, James could hear earthquakes coming from outside, which obviously meant footsteps…

Becca opened the door to their apartment, and exclaimed to the seemingly empty room, “I’m home! Class let out a little early.” As much as Becca enjoyed her history classes, she was glad to be home, although she didn’t see James, nor could she hear his voice from the other room. Looking around, she decided that he probably wasn’t home yet, perhaps off at the library, studying or something. “Oh well, I guess he isn’t here, I guess that just means it’s more time for me to relax. And man, do I need it… I’m not looking forward to heading to the gym later tonight. I hope James is at least back for dinner, so I can eat something first.” She began talking to herself, as she often did when she was alone. Kicking off her flats, Becca began to make her way towards the couch.

James was in awe, his girlfriend was gigantic. She looked like a skyscraper, compared to him. She was still beautiful, but he could notice many more details. He could also hear her talking about him, but unfortunately, she gave up on the thought that he was here. He was hoping that, if nothing else, she’d at least try to look for something suspicious. But he did know that he was definitely guilty of spending a little too much time at the library. It seemed good at the time, as it helped him keep up his grades, but now… it seemed like it could be the final nail in the coffin. Well, unless James managed to get her attention, but he’d have to be careful about it.

It wasn’t until the earth began to quake again, that Nathan truly realizing what was about to happen. He could only stare forwards, as he saw Becca’s monolithic, size twelve, feet, come his way. Her toes were painted in a beautiful aqua blue color, as she knew that was his favorite color, even if he didn’t care for feet. Before he could gather his bearings though, he fell on his back as her footsteps got closer and closer. And then, finally, the sky darkened, as he could only see her massive sole above him. This was it, this was how he was going to die. Not killed while trying to brave, nor was it due to a disease, and it wasn’t even due to old age, as he was still quite young. No, his life would be snuffed out by his girlfriend’s foot.