Chapter 7

            Friday evening had come quickly and Moira had just left for her date. Before leaving the house, she’d fed both Shannon and Ashes and had secured Shannon in her cage. Shannon opened her book and began to read, grateful to have something to do while her owner was away.

            Moira arrived at the restaurant just as her new friend, Ben was getting out of his car. He saw her and waved. She parked her car and got out to join him. They hugged and he opened the door for her like a gentleman.

            “I could have picked you up at your place,” Ben told her, “we could have rode here together.”

            “I know,” Moira answered, “but with this being our first date and all, I felt it was more appropriate that we just meet here.”

            “I take it you don’t want your husband to know?” Ben quipped.

            “I’m not married,” Moira replied, her voice indicating that he’d struck a nerve, “I’m a widow.”

            “Oh shit, I’m sorry,” Ben said with embarrassment, “I didn’t know!”

            “It’s fine,” Moira replied, “I know you didn’t. I suppose I should have mentioned it when we first met.”

            There was an awkward silence as the two were seated and handed menus. Moira looked over it briefly and then gazed over at Ben. When the waitress came, she took their drink orders and left them to finish deciding what they wanted for dinner. She returned shortly and placed a strawberry daiquiri in front of Moira and a Kahlua in front of Ben. By this time, both had decided what they wanted and placed their orders. Each took a small sip from their drinks and gazed into each other’s eyes.

            “Moira,” Ben asked, “do you mind if I asked how your husband passed away?”

            “I don’t really want to get into it right now,” she answered, “I just want to have a nice time with a really attractive man.”

            “Alright,” Ben nodded, “I apologize for bringing it up.”

            “Ben,” she said, “I promise I’ll tell you. Just not tonight, OK?”

            He smiled and she knew it was fine with him. They talked about their lives and what interests they shared. It seemed they shared a love for the cinema and enjoyed a lot of the same genres. Very soon, their meals arrived. While they ate, they told each other jokes and laughed. Ben even tried to feed Moira some of his food. It made her feel pampered and she enjoyed his company.  She was having such a good time that she almost forgot to grab the check before Ben could get a look at it. He protested but she held firm.

            “No, this is my treat,” she told him, “I’m treating you to dinner, remember?”

            “At least, let me get the tip,” Ben offered.

            She shook her head no, “No way! I’m getting the whole thing! You showed me a wonderful time. I consider it a worthwhile investment of my money!”

            She smiled as she paid the bill and walked Ben back to his car. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.

            “I’d like to see you again,” Moira informed him.

            “I’d love that,” he answered, “but next time, it’s on me.”

            “Deal,” Moira responded, “you have my phone number. Call me when you want to set it up.”

            “OK,” Ben replied, “I’ll talk with you tomorrow then.”

            “Wait,” Moira said, “tomorrow?”

            “Is that too soon?” Ben asked.

            “No, I…” Moira stuttered, “I just wasn’t expecting you to want to call me that soon.”

            “Well, if you don’t want me to…” Ben answered.

            “No! No, I want you to! Really!” she exclaimed.

            As he got into his car, he said, “Tomorrow then. Have a good night, Moira. Thank you for a great time.”

            He smiled at her and she told him, “You’re welcome. Good night.”

            She watched as he drove off and then proceeded to walk to her own car. She got in and just sat for a moment. She slowly went over the date in her mind and savored every moment. She snapped herself out of her revelry and started the car. On the ride home, she wondered what Shannon was doing.

            Shannon had done her best to stay up but, in the midst of reading the third chapter of her book, had drifted asleep. She was awakened by Moira’s gentle tapping on her cage. She bolted up and gazed up at her owner.

            “Mistress,” Shannon said, still a little groggy, “how did your date go?”

            “It was wonderful,” Moira answered as she removed her dress, “Ben’s a great guy. He’s going to call tomorrow so we can set up another date!”

            “That’s great,” Shannon replied, “I’m very happy for you, Mistress. I hope he likes you as much as you seem to like him.”

            “I think he does,” the giantess responded, “but we can talk about it tomorrow. You look as exhausted as I feel. I suggest we both get some rest.”

            Shannon closed up her book and dragged it to the rear corner of her cage and got into bed. Moira smiled down at her as she turned off the lights and got into her own bed. Her mind was active with thoughts about Ben. She’d found him so handsome and understanding, plus so kind and very arousing, both physically and intellectually.

            “Good night, Little One,” Moira whispered.

            Her only answer was the almost musical sound of the tiny woman snoring.

            The next morning, the two women were awakened by the telephone ringing. Moira looked over at the alarm clock and it read ten thirty one in the morning. She hadn’t planned on sleeping in, but it had felt nice. She reached over and lifted the handset to her ear.

            “Hello?” she asked.

            “Good morning,” said the voice on the other end, “I hope I’m not calling too early.”

            “No, Ben,” she replied, “it’s fine. What’s up?”

            “Oh, I just wanted to thank you again for such a great time last night,” Ben answered, “I was wondering when I could see you again.”

            “Really?” Moira asked, “Well, how about tomorrow?”

            “Great, how about I take you to a movie?” he responded, “There’s the new Kevin Bacon film playing at Prime Cinemas.”

            “Sounds great,” Moira said, “pick me up at six.”

            “OK, oh, and Moira,” Ben replied, “this time, I’m paying!”

            “OK,” she smiled, “I’ll let you this time. See you then. Bye.”

            She hung the phone up and reached over and turned the television on. She tuned it to the local news station and laid across her bed to watch it. Shannon sat on hers and watched with her owner. It was a typical news day for the most part, a break-in here, a stolen car there. That is until a picture flashed onto the screen. It was of a man who had allegedly raped a young woman. Shannon’s jaw dropped as she pointed at the screen.

            “Oh my fucking god!” she exclaimed.

            “What? What’s the matter, Shannon?” Moira asked, “Do you know that guy?”

            “Mistress,” the little woman explained, “that’s my asshole ex-boyfriend!”

            Moira couldn’t believe her eyes, “That’s your ex? Little one, I have to say, your taste in men is questionable at best.”

            “Please don’t remind me, Mistress,” Shannon replied.

            “Do you know where the police will be able to find him?” Moira asked.

            “Well, if he knows they’re looking for him,” Shannon responded, “which I’m sure he does, he’ll be hiding out at the pawn shop at Lincoln Street and Dresden Avenue. There’s a small room in the back only known to a few people.”

            Moira picked up the phone and dialed the police. When they answered, she was handed over to the detective handling the case. Moira told him who she was and gave him the whereabouts of his suspect with all the other information she could get from her little woman. She hung the phone up and grinned at her pet. She unlatched the cage and carefully lifted Shannon out. Sitting Shannon in the open palm of her hand, she began to stroke the tiny girl’s back gently with a finger.

            “Good girl,” Moira praised her, “Because of you, he’s going to pay for his crimes.”

            “Mistress, it was the right thing to do,” her tiny voice answered, “I want to do the right thing.”

            Moira hugged the tiny woman to her chest.

            “Little One,” Moira addressed her, “about that favor you asked for. Do you feel like going out today?”

            “Yes, Mistress,” Shannon answered, “that is, if that’s what you want. I’m not in a position to ask you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

            Moira set the girl down on her huge bed and proceeded to dress herself. She slipped on a simple dress with a minimal floral pattern and put on her most comfortable pair of black pumps. Then she collected up her keys and her girl and carried them out the front door. She locked the door behind her and slid into the front seat of her car. She sat Shannon in her lap and started the car. Shannon grabbed hold of Moira’s dress to steady herself as the car began the short trip to the cemetery. Moira saw Shannon looking up at her with questioning eyes.

            “I didn’t feel like making you walk,” Moira said, “I felt you’d earned it.”

            They arrived at the cemetery and Moira carried the tiny woman to John and Jenna’s gravesites. She gently lowered Shannon and set her between the two graves. Shannon knelt down on her knees and touched the soil with her tiny hands. She bowed her head in silence for a moment before speaking.

            “Hi,” Shannon started, “it’s me, Shannon McCluran. You may not remember me, but I’m the one that killed you. Well, I am now the property of your wife, Mr. Cantrell, and of your mother, Jenna.”

            Moira listened in silence, not wanting to interrupt little Shannon. The miniature woman seemed to be searching for the right words and Moira decided to let her find them on her own.

            “Anyway,” Shannon continued, “I asked Mistress to bring me here. I wanted to apologize for everything I’ve done. I never wanted to kill anyone. I’m not going to make excuses because I was responsible for my actions, even if I didn’t know what they were at the time. I am so sorry, to both of you, for taking your lives from you and shattering your family. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t wish I’d done things differently. Not brought that stupid gun or not trying to rob a store to begin with. I did some very stupid things and you ended up paying for them. I can never atone for my actions, I know that. All I can do is offer my sincerest apologies to you both and hope that you’ll find it in your hearts to forgive me someday.”

            At this point, Shannon stopped and began to cry, the emotions finally overwhelming her. Moira squatted down and put a finger gently on Shannon’s shoulder. Shannon’s tiny hand came up and rested on the huge digit.

            “That was wonderful,” Moira told her, “thank you for apologizing to them.”

            Shannon said nothing and kept sobbing. She turned around and wrapped her tiny arms around Moira’s wrist tightly. Moira began petting Shannon’s back again and tried to calm the tiny girl down.

            “It’s OK. You did just fine,” Moira said in a soothing tone, “if it makes you feel any better, I’m sure Jenna’s already forgiven you.”

            She scooped Shannon up and took her back to the car. By now, the toy-sized woman had calmed down a bit and sat quietly in Moira’s lap. Moira drove them home, driving with one hand and stroking Shannon’s fine red hair with the other. When they got home, Moira carried Shannon inside and laid down on the bed, placing her pet girl between her breasts. The tiny woman ran her fingers over the fabric of Moira’s blouse. It was smooth and soft, even for a woman of her scale. Moira watched her for a moment and couldn’t help smiling at the girl.

            “Mistress?” Shannon asked, “I’m kind of tired. May I go back to my cage and take a nap?”

            Moira shook her huge head, “No, Little One. I want you here with me right now. Now, lay down on my chest.”

            Shannon laid down between the gigantic breasts as she was told, “Is this OK?”

            “That’s perfect,” Moira informed her, “Now, you may sleep.”

            Shannon closed her eyes and felt Moira’s giant hand petting her back like she was petting a kitten. Soon, the miniature nude was asleep. Moira watched as the tiny girl slept and began to think about how her feelings towards Shannon had changed over the time she’d owned her. At first, all she wanted was to punish Shannon, to make the little woman suffer, but now, in light of the new insights Shannon had provided, she wasn’t sure how she felt. She wasn’t so angry at Shannon anymore. Moira came to the realization that the tiny woman was quickly becoming one of her most prized possessions. As she petted her little one, she began to drift off as well. There was something hypnotic about stroking a tiny person.

            Moira was awakened by Shannon’s little form squirming underneath her hand. She lifted her hand off the shrunken girl and Shannon sat up.

            “My apologies for waking you, Mistress,” Shannon said.

            “It’s alright,” Moira answered, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep anyway.”

            Moira wrapped her fingers around Shannon and lifted her up. She sat up and then decided it was time to put Shannon away for now. She placed the tiny prisoner in her cage and latched it. She then picked up the phone and dialed Ben’s number.

            “Hi Ben,” Moira said, giving Shannon a thumbs up, “I’ve been thinking. How about we go see the movie tonight? I really want to see you.”

            Ben agreed and Moira said her goodbyes and hung up. Shannon watched as her mistress got herself ready for another date. It wasn’t long before Ben arrived and picked up Moira. She’d waited outside so Ben would not have need to enter the house. While Shannon continued reading her book, Moira was holding Ben’s hand in the theater and laughing at the screen. Sorry to see the night end, Moira inquired about when they would go out again.

            “Well,” Ben told her, “unfortunately, I have to go to New York City on business. I have to overlook a full audit of one of our subsidiary companies and I’ll be gone for almost a month.”

            “Do you have to go?” Moira asked, disappointed.

            “I’m afraid so,” he told her, sounding equally disappointed, “but I’ll call you every day.”

            Moira got in the car and Ben drove her home. When they got to Moira’s house, Ben opened the car door for her, helped her out and walked her to her door.

            “I’m going to miss you,” Ben told her.

            “I’m going to miss you too, Ben,” she replied.

            She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close to her. Then, without a word, she gazed up into his eyes and kissed him passionately. At first, Ben was surprised, but Moira’s soft lips on his soon made him melt in her arms. He returned her kiss and held her firmly in his arms.

            “Goodnight, Ben,” whispered Moira once she’d finally broken off the kiss.

            “Goodnight, Moira,” Ben answered as he watched her walk inside.

A month later…

             Ben looked down at the cage in disbelief at the tiny nude woman that occupied it. She made no effort to cover herself as she returned his gaze. Moira, standing next to Ben after making the introductions and explaining everything to him, smiled as her new boyfriend and her Little One met. Ben waved slowly at the tiny woman with a gentle smile.

            In her cage, Shannon waved back nervously and said, “Um, hi?”