To properly enter the world in which this story is set, the reader should know some notion about the context. Tinies and giants are two variations of human being, which it would be wrong to call races, since they are genetically identical in everything, except for one gene. This recessive gene, if present in the subject's DNA, causes a drastic decrease in the amount of cells already observable during the early stages of embryonic development. Put simply, a part of the human population, about half, is small, reaching an average of three inches in height. It is not known why humans developed in this way, it is assumed that the tinies have had the evolutionary advantage of being less visible to predators and consuming less food while maintaining an intellect equal to that of giants. Over the course of human history, however, this gene has been anything but beneficial, indeed, it has led to a miserable life for most of the tinies, which since the most ancient civilizations were used as slaves or pets. Only from late antiquity onwards, thanks to the spread of a Christian morality, did philosophers begin to reflect on the rights of the tinies. However, it would be an illusion to argue that this may have led to an improvement in their social situation, the latter, in fact, only occurred in the contemporary age, and only for a minority of tinies able to demonstrate their contribution to society. Even today, a simple piece of paper is what divides tinies with rights and citizenship from others, considered legally almost like animals, and therefore devoid of real rights. Many tinies, for this reason, live in the woods, voluntarily exiled from the oppressive civilization of the giants. Others prefer to live hidden, but not so separate, hiding in uninhabited houses, dark alleys, cracks in the walls. Every giant knows that when they find a colony of tinies in their apartment, the best thing to do is to call a tinies catcher, who will donate a small fee and catch and take the tinies to the nearest "adoption center". Obviously, these people are very feared among the tiny people, like huge and inescapable monsters who take and steal people's freedom. From their point of view, it is a world of injustice, from the point of view of the giants, they are being civilized and helped. These "adoption centers" are nothing more than pet shops, specializing exclusively in tiny people.

One tiny among them was named Ryan. Who would have looked into his cage would have seen a boy of about sixteen, with wavy brown hair that fell on his forehead, two large eyes with an intense and expressive green color. After all, he didn't have much to say to the passing giants, he could only respond as they watched him, with the deepest gaze he was capable of. He liked to believe that with that look he was arguing with them, almost questioning their superiority over him, putting himself on the same level as them. Needless to say, the giants didn't actually understand anything from his gaze, other than that he wouldn't make a good pet, and, after all, he was fine with that. It was only one day, after a few weeks of captivity, that a girl entered the shop. He didn't notice her at first, as she could have been anyone. Ryan became aware of her only after he turned around and found her outside her cage, watching him with huge blue eyes. He was paralyzed for a few seconds, as if he suddenly didn't know how to react. Often the giants gave him a fleeting glance, but she was watching him intently, as if she were trying to talk to him through her eyes. How do you respond to such an intense and persistent gaze? Ryan stood still, looking down, like a doll left on the floor. The girl blinked as this tiny boy acted in such a weird way. The other tinies greeted trying to be bought, while others backed away in fear. His attitude made it impossible to understand what he wanted. The girl decided to take the initiative and tap the glass cage with her index finger. Ryan jumped, and as if he had been magically ignited by the click of his finger, he looked up. The two stared at each other, in their emerald green and ocean blue eyes. The girl, who was beginning to get impatient, tapped on the glass a few more times. What could this girl want from Ryan? All the giant customers, if ignored, usually went off to see some other cage. He took a few steps closer. She, putting her mouth close to the holes in the glass to breathe and said: "Hello little one. My name is Amber."
Little one? It wasn't an insult, but it wasn't a compliment either. He felt it as if she had just placed a floor above him, as if she wanted to remind him that she was a "big one", and he was a "little one". Ryan, however, knew that it was not a good idea to openly argue with a giant. He had heard, in the cages next to him, giants buying rude tiny, to take them home and do who knows what. Was killing a tiny legal? In theory not, but who would have found out? Who would have bothered to bury the body or find the murderer? Ryan thought the best idea was to be friendly. The sooner she answered, the sooner she would walk away.
"I'm Ryan." he answered in a tone that involuntarily sounded far from friendly.
"You know, Ryan, you look the same age as me. Maybe I could buy you."
Ryan's gaze became defiant. "You would never want to buy me. I'm bad tiny, I'm naughty, plus I'm younger than I look."
"Really? And why are you telling me these things? Don't you want to be bought?"
"I'm happy with what I have." Ryan answered with a shrug.
He was pretty sure he wasn't going to be bought, so he had no fears. Sure, he was a little annoyed to talk to this girl, who was disturbing him, but, on the other hand, he hadn't had a real conversation in months.
"You don't look happy to me."
"But I am, I assure you."
"I'm sure you'd be happy with me too. I'm a nice girl, and let's face it, I'm pretty good looking. Would you like to live with me? Would you like to be my tiny?"
«You're not exactly humble, aren't you?» Ryan thought.
Before he could answer, she was no longer in front of him. She didn't have time to breathe a sigh of relief before realizing she was talking to the cashier pointing at him. Only time would tell Ryan what happened next.

It all happened quickly, as if it were a hallucination. Ryan almost failed to realize that he had been bought, and the future prospects of him, previously totally unknown, began to materialize in a vague image. He had been sold in a small steel cage, which the strange girl had placed in the basket of her bicycle in a rather precarious position. As his little prison shook at every turn, Ryan tried to sort out the sequence of events. He couldn't have summed up the conversation, he only remembered her name: Amber. She remained silent for most of the journey, busy pedaling as she was. In addition to the bars of the cage, a small town could initially be seen, which transformed into a wood as the titanic bicycle continued along the road. It had been a long time, but Ryan could still remember the scenery outside the shop. After taking a curve in the mountain road they were traveling along, the two found themselves in front of a large two-story high brick house, whose garden connected with a driveway to the main road. The plants were well taken care of, there were even a few flower pots here and there.
"Here we are. This is my humble abode. I suppose you will be better off here than where you were before. At least I hope." Amber said after stopping the bike. Ryan said nothing. As Amber approached the bicycle to a wall of the house to support it, he realized how titanic it was as a building. If he could have walked on the wall, it still would have taken him about ten minutes to reach the roof. Amber grabbed the cage by a plastic handle attached to it. Wonder was suddenly replaced by fear. What was going to happen? Would Amber hurt him? Who else lived in that house? Amber took out a set of keys and opened the door. Ryan didn't have much time to survey the other rooms before finding himself propped up on the desk in what was presumably Amber's room. Initially, neither of them said anything, then she sat down at the desk.
"So, this is my room, stupid face. Do you like it?" She asked.
"I guess it's ok." Ryan said feigning indifference.
Actually, the room was quite messy, there were a few socks and shoes scattered on the floor, while the desk he was on was full of crumpled sheets of paper.
"I'm glad you like it. Don't worry, I'll get a bigger cage for you soon too, so you can have a little more room to move around. For now, let's get you out of there." She said opening the door of the cage Ryan was in, and trying to lift it with her thumb and forefinger.
As soon as he saw the fingers approaching he flinched, but there wasn't much he could do. Was it going to be like this from now on? Would Amber impose her will on him and would it not have been enough for her to physically overwhelm him with the slightest gesture? Just the thought of it made him shiver.
She placed it on the surface of the wooden desk. His legs were still shaking slightly from being lifted, yet it hadn't been so bad, she had lifted him gently, not too tightly.
"Do you live alone in this house?" Ryan asked suddenly.
"Of course not. I live with my mom, she's at work now."
"What type is she? Is she mean to people like me?" he asked.
"You ask me as if I'm not." Amber said with a smile that showed all of her very white teeth.
Ryan's blood froze to think how those teeth could tear through his flesh like nothing happened.
"Well, you haven't been mean to me so far. You haven't done me anything wrong." he said.
"Yes, you're lucky I'm a good Christian girl, otherwise you'd be in trouble." She answered laughing. "Anyway, my mom isn't mean, she won't hurt you, but she's quite protective of me. You know, she's had to take care of me alone for the last few years."
For a moment Ryan was about to ask what happened to Amber's father, but he didn't want to ask for now.
"What about you, where are your parents little one?"
"I'd rather not talk about it." he said.
"Why?"
"I'd just rather not talk about it." Ryan reiterated.
"Come on!" She teased him, pressing her finger into his chest, pinning him to the table.
"No! Leave me alone!" He said biting Amber's finger.
"Shit! You hurt me, dumbass!"
Amber pulled back her finger, and Ryan stood up. He suddenly felt guilty for hurting Amber.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"Jeez, I won't ask you again then. Did you really have to bite my fucking finger?"
She was frowning as she observed a faint red mark on her finger. Ryan had bitten with all the strength he had, and he had done practically nothing to her. The only thing he could hope was that she didn't take it badly.
"This time you're forgiven. Bite me one more time and I'll flush you down the toilet like a dead goldfish." Amber admonished him.
There was a moment of silence.
"I haven't seen my parents for a long time. I don't know where they are now, I don't even know if they are alive." Ryan said.
"This is terrible. Maybe I shouldn't have insisted."
"Don't worry. Just don't ask me more, I don't like talking about it." Ryan said.
Amber nodded silently.
From the window facing Amber's desk you could see the sun setting over the coniferous fronds, and slowly hiding behind the snow-capped mountains, as the two continued to chat. As the stars appeared in the sky, some faint light was also present downstream.
"Haven't you ever seen the sea? Seriously?" Amber asked.
"Never in my life. It would be nice to see him one day." Ryan answered.
"Yes, maybe one day."
The door slammed downstairs. "Ambey, I'm home!"
Without saying anything, Amber squeezed Ryan's hand. He was totally wrapped up in her fingers, he felt trapped.
"Hey, mom." Amber said. "Last week you said I could get a tiny, right?"
Amber was squeezing him in her fist behind her back, and her hand was sweaty. Suddenly she held out her hand to her mother and showed her new tiny.
"This is Ryan. Isn't he cute?"
"Uh, hey Ryan, I'm Sharon." She said, a little surprised.
She was a woman in her forties. Her hair was solid black, the opposite of Amber's honey blonde hair, but her blue eyes were the same as hers.
"Uh...Hi." Ryan said, a little intimidated.
"Did my daughter scare you?" she said laughing. "I know she can be a little rude sometimes, but she's a good girl."
"No, ma'am, your daughter was very kind." he said, trying to make a good impression.
"Glad to hear that. Amber, I'm going to reheat leftover lasagna from yesterday for dinner, it will be ready in half an hour. Don't make me wait like always."
"Yes, maybe." Amber said uninterested.
Ryan watched as she walked into the kitchen. Both she and Amber didn't seem to be that bad. It could have been much worse for him.
Amber walked upstairs, this time holding him more gently. While they waited for dinner, Amber lay down on the bed and laid Ryan on her stomach.

As the light June wind blew over the roof of Amber's house, and the moon lit up the woods, he reflected on whether this would be his life now, and wondered how these people would deal with him. Only time would tell.

The early morning light blinded Ryan. He hadn't been able to sleep all night, he was having a hard time getting used to the new environment. After dinner the night before, Sharon had taken out an old hamster cage, which had become Ryan's new room. It was dusty and appeared to be made of cheap plastic, but a few old newspapers on the floor, a coffee cup filled with water, and Amber's T-shirt as a bed had made the place much cozier. His "room" was on the desk, next to the bed, from which Ryan could see in its entirety the face of the giant sleeping girl. Evidently she was used to waking up much later than he was. Indeed, if you weren't in a shop, there wasn't much reason to wake up at dawn in the summer. Ryan heard the door slam, it was Sharon, probably on her way to work.
He stood for a few minutes staring at Amber. She wasn't a beautiful girl, but she was pretty. She had a few small pimples, but overall she had a pretty face. Finally, she too mumbled something and then opened her eyes.
"Were you watching me sleep, weirdo?" She stammered.
"No, I was just…"
"I'm kidding, dumbass." She said, and a yawn followed.
Amber sat up on the bed. She was wearing blue pajamas, while Ryan had slept in his underwear, the same ones that the shop where he was up to twenty-four hours earlier had provided him.
"Well, in any case, good morning." he said.
She yawned again and stretched her arms. Her honey-colored hair was messy and tousled, while Ryan's short, wavy hair seemed to be in perfect order. She noticed this and reacted with a silent grimace, then asked:
"Has Sharon gone to work yet?"
"I think so."
"That means we'll have to cook our own breakfast. Have you ever cooked?" She asked.
"Never." He said.
This, indeed, was a lie. Ryan had cooked many times, but he had never cooked with a stove, nor had he ever handled a microwave oven, which would have been as big as a house to him. The times he'd cooked, he'd done it using small hearths, cooking insect meat with herbs to enhance the flavor. There were still many vivid memories he had of climbing bushes to pick berries or anything else you could eat. Many Tinies lived in urban or suburban areas, where it's easier to eat leftovers that giants left in the trash, but he'd always lived a simpler, more out-of-danger lifestyle.
"Uh...Okay." She said, standing up and putting on some slippers.
She opened Ryan's cage and lifted him up between her thumb and forefinger. Her fingers were warm, while his body was cold to her touch. She placed him on her left palm, and watched him for a few seconds. With her right hand she squeezed his arm between two of her huge fingers, causing him, involuntarily, a slight pain.
"I bet if you weren’t that tiny you'd be able to lift me up and carry me down the stairs." she said, noting his trained physique.
Evidently the life of a tiny required much more effort than the life of any giant. Despite this, only the finger of a giantess like her would have been stronger than his arms and legs combined. In a way it was unfair. His body had become so by being constantly used and exercised through great effort, while she had a similar strength of nature, without the slightest effort.
"If I were a giant I'd be taller than you, but I'm not." he said.
"It's for the best. I bet a human would be pretty uncomfortable in a cage like yours." she joked.
The way she referred to him annoyed him. The giants used to refer to themselves as humans, implying that the tinies were something else, possibly inferior. Not to spread discord, Ryan ignored it.
The two went downstairs, and once they got to the kitchen, Amber set Ryan down on the counter. Amber poked around in the fridge for a while, then pulled out a carton of milk and started making breakfast for her. She ate, while a hungry Ryan looked at her pleadingly. The night before her Sharon she had fed him a tiny piece of lasagna, the size of the tip of a pencil, but that was enough to fill him. Now though, he felt like he hadn't eaten in days, yet, for some reason, he felt awkward about begging Amber openly. She pretended to ignore him, but only when she was done did she leave a couple of breakfast cereals in front of him. He walked over to breakfast, but a wall of flesh blocked his way. She amber had held his hand in front of her, and as he looked up at her, she saw her grin unapologetically.
"What's the magic word?" she asked.
"Please." He said, tickled by the idea of eating something.
"No. You have to say the complete sentence."
"Please, Amber, can I eat?" He complied.
"I don't know. Can you?"
"Come on, please."
"Agree." She said clearing the way for him and watching him greedily bite into a couple of corn flakes.
"You know, I was thinking we should go for a walk in the woods today, okay?" she asked.
"Okay, fine."
Ryan didn't have time to finish eating when she was already going to the bedroom to get dressed. He remained standing on the counter in his underwear. Sharon told him the night before that the next day she would buy him some new clothes, but right now she hadn't had time to do it yet, and his old clothes were starting to smell. For these reasons, Ryan was surprised when Amber returned carrying a tiny people t-shirt and jeans. They were quite large on him, but he preferred not to ask where she had gotten them. She was dressed in a midriff-baring white T-shirt and khakis.
"Are you ready for an adventure in the woods with your friend Amber?" She said placing her black sneaker on a chair and bringing her face closer to Ryan.

Ryan sat on Amber's shoulder, occasionally grabbing her blonde hair for balance. Ryan remembered the woods, he remembered the days when he moved among the mammoth trunks of the woods, but this time the exposed roots of the trees seemed distant to him. It's strange. The giants saw the world like this every day of their lives. It all seemed so far away.
"You know, I've loved going around these woods since I was little. I've always thought it relaxing." Amber said suddenly.
"Forests aren't so safe if you're my size."
"I like when you're mysterious, my little guy. You're cute." Amber said. Though she said it jokingly, she was intrigued by Ryan. It intrigued her to know more about him, though he was reluctant to talk.
"I'm not mysterious." He said, also annoyed by the way she kept calling him.
"As you say."
As they went deeper into the woods and the path became darker and darker Ryan clutched Amber's hair tighter.
"Where are we going exactly?"
"We're taking a route that I usually do. Just for a walk, you know?"
This, too, seemed bizarre to Ryan. He had never walked just for a walk, he often didn't have the energy to carry out an action as an end in itself like this, yet he appreciated it as a thing. As she walked up a steep road, he was in danger of losing his balance, so she picked him up, holding him by his hips between her forefinger and thumb.
"Here, if I keep you like this you'll be safer and you won't pull my hair." She said.
He blushed. Somehow he felt embarrassed to have been lifted so easily. He still hadn't gotten used to the power dynamics of dealing with a giantess like Amber. His every move would have been meaningless in front of such an imposing creature, yet she didn't seem to have any intention of hurting him. Equally, he didn't mind the touch of Amber's skin, it was warm, and she, most of the time, seemed to be very careful.
"Thanks Amber." he said.
"Aw, you're so cute when you than-" She did not have time to finish the sentence which was interrupted by a voice coming from the ground.
"Shit!"
Amber bent down to look. There were two tinies, a man and a woman, both in their thirties.
"You almost crushed me, bitch" said the man.
Amber looked at both of them with a curious look, as if she didn't understand the reason for such anger. She was still holding Ryan.
"John! John, stop!" The woman said turning to her presumably her partner, then she turning to Amber, she said: "We’re sorry, I don't know what's gotten into my husband, please forgive us."
That scene sent a shiver down Ryan's spine. Had there been any other giant in Amber's place, Ryan would have felt pity for the pair, knowing their fate would likely have been to be instantly crushed for their disrespect. Yet even though he had only known her one day, he even partially trusted her. She didn't strike him as the type to mercilessly kill a couple of tinies. Even the tiny man, realizing what he had just said, started shaking.
"What did you call me?"
"I... I apologize, miss."
She immediately lifted one foot and stamped it on the ground. Ryan closed his eyes, fearing the worst for the man, but as he opened them, he found that he hadn't been crushed. Amber had stomped only inches away from him, paralyzing him and the tiny woman with fear.
"Call me that again, you fucking disgusting insect. It costs me nothing to reduce you to a bloodstain under my shoe." Amber said.
Though he was glad she hadn't killed the man, Ryan was scared by the show of strength Amber was putting on.
"Bow down, you lousy fucking bug."
The man froze for a second, then bowed. The woman did the same, though Amber hadn't addressed her.
"Remember that you are insects." Amber said, before continuing up the road over the couple of tinies.
She could distinctly feel Ryan's trembling between her fingers.
"What happens?" She Asked.
He said nothing. He had printed in his head the fear of the two tinies, the coldness with which Amber had imposed herself on them. They, at that moment, were totally submissive to her anger. What if he was in their place? Sure, he wouldn't have the cheek to try to insult a giant, but it would have been terrifying nonetheless. They were... Powerless.
Ryan swallowed, then said:
"You were really scary. You just threatened them, you would never kill them, would you?"
She said nothing.
"Would you?" He repeated.
"Of course not! Why do you think such bad things about me?"
"Well, you think I'm an insect?" He asked in response.
"God... No! You're not an insect, you're a person. I was slightly annoyed, why are you picking on me now? What was I supposed to do, apologize after being called a bitch?"
"They were absolutely terrified."
Ryan was puzzled how such a sweet-faced girl could have threatened to kill two people. In addition to this, he doubted the sincerity of Amber's words: when someone is angry he often says true things that normally keep hidden.

The two did not speak for the rest of the walk. As soon as we got home, Amber put Ryan in the cage, and went to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror. She didn't want to give Ryan this impression of her, she didn't want him to see her lose control like this. Anxiety began to grip her. Hundreds of little voices were ringing in her head telling her how bad she was for being so angry. She turned on the water in the shower, waiting for it to warm up. Meanwhile, Ryan mulled over what had happened. It was evident that Amber had shown her true self in that moment. She considered the tinies insects to be abused. Sure, she'd been nice to him at first, but he'd heard of giants like that, and it never ended well. A person can't hide who they are for too long, and it wasn't that far from threatening to kill to actually doing it, especially if it involved killing a tiny.
It was not safe for him to stay there: he had to leave. It wouldn't have been difficult. Amber had absently placed him in the cage, without even closing it, and had immediately gone to the bathroom. The sound of the water from the shower reassured him, confirming that he had enough time to get away. Ryan moved the cup of coffee under the door of the cage, and was able to easily hold on to the bars. After pulling himself up, he got down on Amber's desk. from there it would not have been difficult to find a way down, it would have been enough to jump on the pillows of the bed. He plucked up courage and then launched himself. Although he landed on the soft, he still hurt himself a little, but that didn't stop him. He scrambled to his feet, and as each step sank into the pillow, he worked his way to a cell phone charger cord: that would be his way down safely to the floor. Meanwhile, Amber, while the water in the shower was running, stood, fully dressed, in front of the mirror. She couldn't bear to think that Ryan might have gotten a bad idea about her, so before she went to the shower, she decided to go and talk to him. Before walking away to the door of the room, Ryan wondered if he was doing the right thing. If he was careful to leave, if it was a good idea to go back to living free, but in a wild and dangerous world. Shaking his head, he shook these ideas off. He couldn't risk his life by living at the mercy of someone who might hurt him. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone's footsteps approaching.

Immediately Ryan hid under the bed.
"Hey, I was thinking about what I did earlier, and I guess I didn't give you a very good impression. Ryan?" Amber said, realizing he wasn't in the cage.
She remained motionless for a few seconds. She was sure she had put it there.
"Ryan? Where are you?" She said worried.
He remained hidden, not moving, only being able to see her legs. Hearing her concerned voice made him feel guilty for a second, like he was abandoning a fragile and helpless creature, but then he reminded himself that she wasn't at all. She was a giant, a dangerous creature, and he was only thinking about his own safety. Surely she would have been fine without him, and he too, with a little luck, would have managed to survive as he always had. Meanwhile she searched the floor and under the furniture. Ryan almost got seen when Amber looked under the bed, but he managed to hide behind a bed leg.
He'd just wait for the right moment, when she'd get tired of looking, and he'd sneak off to the stairs. They weren't that high, so reaching downstairs wouldn't have been a problem. From there, one way or another, he'd be able to find a way out. Actually, Amber didn't spend much time looking.
After about ten minutes she just sat on the floor, leaning her back against the closet, and she started looking at the ceiling without saying anything. It didn't take long before she started crying. Ryan was gripped by a gripping sense of guilt, but at the same time he realized that she was distracted, and it was his chance to leave. The freedom was almost tangible, yet he didn't move, and stood looking at her. She was crying for him. Maybe she was crying because she cared about him, or maybe she was just crying because she lost a toy. Either way, she was feeling genuine sadness about something he had done. Ryan couldn't help but think she was cute even when she cried. He tried to shake these thoughts out of her head, he tried to remember that he was in danger with her, he tried to think back to what she had done a few hours earlier. It was paradoxical how such a massive being, a colossal being that would have been capable of killing with ease, now looked like nothing more than a crying girl.
Ryan decided to do something stupid. He decided to throw away any chance of escape to do what felt right.
"Amber." He said getting out from under the bed.
She turned slowly, still sobbing. Her expression didn't change, it remained a sad grimace.
"You had me worried." She said wiping away her tears. "Why were you down there?"
"I was scared about what you did to those two people." He said walking towards her.
"Yes... I knew I scared you. Now you hate me, don't you?" She asked.
"No, I don't hate you. I was just... scared. You went too far with them, and I thought you would have done that with me too at the first opportunity."
"I don't want you to be afraid of me. I'm not a bad person, and I don't want to hurt you. You're right: I overdid it, I lost control."
"Sorry if I tried to leave." Ryan said.
Amber, without saying anything, took him in her hand and leaned him against her chest, squeezing her arms. It was a kind of hug, although to Ryan it felt more like a choke.
"Okay, okay, I get it. Now you can let me go." He said.
"Oh sorry." She said.
She spread her legs and set Ryan down in front of her.
Amber was relieved that Ryan had changed his mind and decided to forgive her. Though she had recently bought him, he was so handsome that losing him would break her heart. She really felt sorry for those two tinies, but there was something about a tiny's disrespect for her that always made her lose control of her. She knew that tinies were people like her, her parents had always taught her that, and yet, she couldn't help but feel superior sometimes. Seeing Ryan, with his actor face, his wavy brown hair and his emerald green eyes, almost made her lose control. She wanted to kiss him, and at the same time hit him for trying to leave her, but she tried to control herself. Meanwhile he stood looking at her in front of her bare feet.
"Listen, why don't you give me a foot massage to make up? After all, I was walking all the time, you were just being held." She asked.
Ryan was surprised by the request, and, although he was reluctant, he wanted there to be no problems between him and Amber, so he agreed.
"Um...Okay." He said.
Her feet were sweaty and stank, but he carried on.
"Good boy." She said.
Ryan, looking up from her, saw her move a strand of blond hair and smile. There was something he didn't like at all about that smile. As he massaged both feet, she watched him. She loved his innocent expression, and the thought that he was hers and hers property sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine. After about fifteen minutes, Amber's lips spoke these words:
"Now lick them."
"What?"
"Lick my feet." She repeated smiling.
Ryan looked at her for a second, then, without saying anything, he complied. He began to lick the sweat off the soles of Amber's feet. The taste of both sweet and salty at the same time disgusted him, yet he continued. Her warm soles moved slightly each time he swiped his tongue. Ryan felt humiliated, he felt submissive to Amber, yet he'd rather obey than risk disappointing or angering her. In a way, he'd been manipulated by guilt, though she probably didn't do it intentionally. Amber closed her eyes at how satisfied she felt. She felt a little sorry for Ryan, maybe he didn't like that, yet the pleasure she felt was enough to silence any doubts.

While a light wind blew through the leaves and shrubs of the wood, at the edge of the path, hidden under the leaves, two tinies walked.
"You really were an idiot, you know that? To provoke a giantess, to call her that!" Said a woman in her thirties, turning to her partner.
She had long curly brown hair, and dark green eyes. Her name was Moreen. John said nothing. He had blond hair, which fell almost to his shoulders. He also had a thin beard, and a cut on his right ear. If Moreen had been a giant she wouldn't have stood out among everyone else, she would have looked like a normal person. Conversely, John, you would have surprised people with your lived-in aspect of you, rare among those living in a quiet, well-to-do society. The two walked, clambering over the roots and brushing the twigs of the shrubs out of their way. Hearing that John didn't answer, Moreen kept talking, knowing she was being heard anyway.
"You made me worry. If she stepped on you? I would lose you, never see you again. Don't ever do that to me again."
"That's exactly why I got angry. Sh e was about to step on me. The giants think they own the world, they think everything is theirs and there are no consequences." John answered.
"I know. Do you seriously think you have to explain these things to me? But most of us try to keep our heads down, inconspicuous, and live on."
John said nothing.
"It's not the first time you've behaved like this, that you've tempted fate like this. It didn't always go well for you, remember?"
"I don't like keeping my head down, you know. I would never put you in danger, I knew even if she killed me she'd leave you alone. For that matter, I didn't even want to die myself, but I couldn't tolerate the idea that she would leave without knowing what she was risking doing. Giants don't care what happens to people like us. They should."
"She would have noticed you, sure, but what good would that have been. Even without killing you, she managed to bully you into submission. There's no point in lying to yourself. You're a tiny, and you can't do anything against a giantess like her." Moreen said.
While they were saying this, the two tinies passed through a crack in a hollow trunk. John was careful not to step on the ants, who continued their work, ignoring the pair of tinies.
“Don't be angry with me if I try to keep my head up, Moreen. Maybe I was scared today, but I guarantee you that next time they won't be able to win me morally.”
Moreen stopped. As soon as John noticed he approached her. He didn't have time to open his mouth before she slapped him.
"There will be no next time! I don't want to live waiting for the next time my husband will risk his life. If it is horrible for you to live in a world where giants rule, for me it is ten times worse to live in a world where you are no longer alive because of your stubbornness."
John grimaced after being slapped, then started walking again. Moreen followed.
A few steps after exiting the hollow log, the two stepped onto a rock. From there, in the distance, they could see a cluster of stick houses, small enough to be inhabited by tinies.
The two stood looking at the small village.
"Grandpa will be very angry if he tells him what you did." Moreen said.
"Do not do it." John said.
Moreen looked into his eyes.
"You have to promise me you won't do anything like that again. No more trying to stand up, or whatever the hell you call your stupid stuff. Enough."
He said nothing.

The next morning the first rays of the sun passed through Amber's bedroom window, yet she was already awake and not even in the bedroom. She had gone for a run along the paved road that passed in front of her house, being careful to stay on the side of the road. Her blond hair, tied back in a ponytail, swayed in the wind, and beads of sweat ran down her forehead. Amber liked running, it made her feel happy. After almost an hour she reached the driveway, slowed her pace and approached the door. In the throes of exhaustion, she barely managed to open it, before going into the living room and throwing herself on the sofa. It was a scream that made her stand immediately. Ryan had been in her shorts pocket the whole time, and, forgetting about it, she had almost crushed him sitting on top of him. She immediately pulled him out of her pocket.
"I'm sorry! I forgot you were there!" She said embarrassed.
"I hate this. Leave me at home next time." Ryan answered, who was covered entirely in her sweat.
"Damn it, boy, you stink. Well, not that I'm in any better shape. We should both wash up." She said ignoring his complaints. "You'll see, I'll give you a nice bath."
Amber undid her ponytail and carried Ryan upstairs to the bathroom. She propped him up beside the sink, and, grabbing a stool, she sat across from him.
"Okay, now undress." She said.
"What?"
"Undress. You don't want to take a bath in your clothes." She repeated, smiling.
Ryan had never stripped in front of anyone that he could remember, much less in front of someone like Amber. His face flushed as her giant eyes examined his every move with morbid curiosity.
"Can you turn around?" He asked. "Please?"
"No, I want to see you naked." Amber said smiling serenely, as if she were saying the most normal thing in the world.
"What? Why do you want to see me naked?"
"I'm your owner, you shouldn't be ashamed to let me see you naked. The sooner you swallow the bitter pill, the sooner you get used to it." She said.
"But I don't want to get used to being seen naked!"
"Do it. I command you." She said in an inquiring tone. Suddenly her cute smile had become an expression of authority.
Ryan swallowed and decided it was best to obey. He began by taking off his shirt, then his pants, and finally his underwear. He felt extremely uncomfortable being seen by Amber, and it didn't seem right that she should violate any of his privacy. She touched his abdomen. He shivered at the way Amber looked at him and touched him, he seemed to be examining something to eat, a piece of meat, but at the same time her touch was warm, and soft.
“You know I love your body, don't you? You're so…Fit, and handsome too.” She whispered. He only replied:
"I'm cold, can you turn on the water?"
"Oh, right." She said turning on the faucet. As the sink filled, she poured soap into it, then created a thick layer of foam. As soon as the water was warm enough, Ryan dived. She began rubbing very lightly on his head, rubbing his hair and stroking his back. He remained stiff, he found it hard to relax, as it was an experience he had never experienced. Although she was a little weird and sometimes made him do things he didn't like so much, she was sweet to him. Slowly the smell of soap filled his nostrils. As soon as the sink was full, Amber turned off the water.
"You stay here and wash yourself. In the meantime, I'll take a shower."
She stood up and went to undress behind the shower curtains. The relationship between them was evident: she could see him naked and force him to undress him, but he had no right to see her. She showered quickly and returned to Ryan, this time clean and in her bathrobe. He watched her appear with the same fear he felt every time she approached him. It was like seeing a mountain coming towards you.
"I think you better get out of there now." she said holding him up.
After setting him down she dried him with a hot towel.
"Thank you, Amber." He said with a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
"Oh, that's fine, little one. I have to take care of you after all, don't I?"
"I suppose so." he murmured as every part of his body was scrubbed by the towel. It was hard not to stiffen at such a moment, especially considering that he still didn't fully trust Amber. She was kind to him but there was still something out of place, something that prevented him from letting go and letting his guard down.
"Anyway, I still wanted to apologize for what I did yesterday. It wasn't fair to those little people, and I know you still think I'm a bad person."
Ryan said nothing.
"You know, I'd like to apologize to those people, if I only knew where they are. I would never hurt anyone, you know." He looked into her blue eyes, and saw a slight reddish gleam, as if they were moistening.
"Amber." He sighed.
"I'm your tiny. You bought me, and I know you're unlikely to let go, and I also don't want to leave. You have no idea how much time I've spent alone, cold, rain, homeless, and I'm kind of grateful you're offering me a warm place to live. I know you're not mean, you just need to give me time to trust you."
"Oh, I didn't know that. In fact, I didn't ask at all you about your past." She said.
"Well, to be honest, neither do I of your..." He replied.
"Would you like to... Would you like to tell me about yourself?" She asked shyly.

After the bath, Ryan's clothes were dirty, so Amber set them aside to wash later. After she left the room she returned with her clean underwear, baggy jeans and an old shirt, all tiny-sized. Those clothes weren't his, and he wondered where they came from, but he preferred to save the question for now.
She too dressed, and soon after, she took him out of the bathroom, into the corridor between her room and the stairs. She leaned Ryan on her shoulders, and, after a few attempts, with a long pole, managed to pull the ladder that led to the attic. The two went up, and she sat on an old armchair, he sat on her thighs.
The attic was a dusty place filled with cardboard boxes and old furniture. A beam of light entered from a single window in the ceiling, which made individual dust particles floating in the air visible.
"Where we were?" Amber asked.
"What?"
"You had to tell me about yourself. About what you went through before you found yourself in the shop."
"Oh yeah, well. It's no big deal. I've never been anyone's tiny before, I was kind of a drifter. You giants would have called me a stray. I was born east of here, in a place where the prairies were warm and bare. One thing I hate about this place is the cold. It's freezing here."
He paused, unsure what to say, but looking up he saw Amber fascinated by his speech, like a little girl listening to a story, so he decided to move on.
“I know very little about my parents. I vaguely remember them, but they and I separated when I was very young.”
"Why did you separate?" She asked.
"It was a day when it was raining a lot, I was looking for shelter, and the sound of the rain drowned out any voice, well... I don't feel like talking about it, really. But I was raised by a man named Jonah, he taught me how to survive, move around unnoticed, get food, and, well, everything in between. I traveled a long way to get here, passing through woods and mountains. It was a long time, it took years, and perhaps I should have stayed where I used to be."
"It must be hard for something that small to survive in the woods. Pretty much anything can kill you." She said.
"It's true. This world isn't made for tinies like me, it's too big and dangerous. It probably wouldn't have taken more than a few days' drive to cover what I've been walking for months." He said sighing.
"And why did you decide to come here? You said it's much colder." "I don't want to talk about why. It's stupid."
"You said you were going to tell me all about your past! Why are you trying to keep things from me?"
"It's silly, but there was a widespread idea in the tinies community where I lived that going further and further northwest there would be fewer giants."
"And why would you want to go where there were no giants? Giants could give you a home, keep you warm and make you live better." She snapped Amber, as if she was personally offended.
"Yes, they could, but often they don't. You are an exception, the giants almost always mistreat the tinies, they treat us like toys or pets, and when we try to live on our own in isolation we are almost always considered a nuisance, parasites, like a rat population to keep from growing too large. We just wanted to live on our own."
"That's not true, we're not that bad. I know a lot of very good girls who treat their tinies very well and are loved by them. Your prejudices are cruel." She replied.
"It's not prejudice, I saw it for myself. Anyway, this was my story, you heard it, now I hope you're satisfied." He said in a slightly annoyed tone.
"What? But you didn't tell almost anything! Didn't you have adventures on the border between life and death, go through mysterious woods, fight with animals or something like that?" She said, hoping to get Ryan talking a little more.
"Well... Yes. I risked my life a few times. I fought a squirrel once."
"And what happened?"
"I scared him with fire. I managed to sear his fur, and he took off." Ryan said indifferently.
"But why did you do that? Squirrels are good and cute!"
"They're good and nice to you, you're big enough to hold them in your hand. With me they can be aggressive even without reason."
"How funny. I wish I'd seen you fight a squirrel. Maybe in the second round he would have won."
"You are so cruel."
"Oh yes, I am" She said, bursting out laughing.
"Just kidding, of course. I would never wish you any harm, my little one. If you were disfigured by a squirrel you wouldn't have been so cute and at the store they should have thrown you in the trash. A not cute tiny is useless." She said with a chuckle.
"Stop it! Do you enjoy seeing me scared?" He said ironically. It was a good time, that he was having with her, and, before thinking again that she was the same girl who had threatened and humiliated a couple of tinies, for a few seconds, he felt at ease about her.
She stroked his head with a finger, which surprised Ryan.
"You've had a rough life so far I understand, but as long as you're here with me you needn't worry, I'll take care of you and make sure you're protected, warm, full, and safe. What do you think , are all giants so bad?"
"You... You seem fine." He said stiff again. "Anyway, these aren't my clothes you gave me, but only you and your mother live here. Do you know what I mean?"
"I... Well…" Stammered Amber. Her blonde hair seemed to shimmer when the light from the window hit it.