Chapter 6

Chad tossed restlessly in his bed. The memory of his time with Anna replayed over and over in his mind with more warped and twisted endings. He fought against the idea of being crushed between his stepdaughter’s teeth or having his limbs ripped away one at a time. He shot up with a muted scream as the image of his body getting obliterated by Anna’s pearly whites and staining them red with his blood. He panted and rubbed his eyes as he tried to calm himself down.

In one night his whole perspective had changed. He was already aware of some of the dangers that surrounded him at this size, but last night had made things perfectly clear for him. He may have been the head of the household only a short while ago, but now he was little more than an insect among Gods. Anna had made that abundantly clear to him, and the more he thought about it the more he realized that even Pam and Victoria posed just as big a threat. Even if they held the best intentions at heart, all it would take would be one wrong move for them to snuff out his life.

Light flooded his vision and obscured everything for a second. His fears got the better of him and he tensed up in preparation for another round with Anna. Out of instinct, he found himself scooting back towards the edge of his bed in a vain attempt to avoid whatever ghastly fate whoever was out there had in store for him. His body shook with fearful anticipation while he waited for the hand of whoever was lurking outside his safe-zone.

“Chad, honey, are you alright?” Pam’s voice called out to him.

The concern in her voice eased his mind and he slowly started to relax. He took a deep breath and composed himself as best he could. A moment later, he inched his way forward and out of his bed. He offered a weak and forced smile, “Y-yeah, sorry just...had a hard time sleeping is all.”

Despite knowing that she meant well, the frown on her face still sent a tinge of fear trickling down his spine along with a pang of guilt from lying to his wife. He wanted, more than anything, to tell her the truth about what had happened, but he knew that doing so ran the risk of a slow and painful death. Anna may have let him survive the night, but he highly doubted that she would have mercy if he ratted her out.

He climbed out of his makeshift bed and did his best to stretch out the exhaustion from last night’s events. He winced when he felt a sharp pain around his ribs. He had nearly forgotten the bruising that he had received from Anna’s painfully tight grip. Pam reached out to him, as she had done since this whole endeavor started, and he flinched without thinking. He stepped back instinctively and out of reflex he tried to brace himself for a bone crushing ride. The painful sensation never came, though, and he cracked an eye open to see Pam’s hand sitting there waiting. His eyes followed her arm up to her face to see a worried expression resting there.

“Chad, what’s the matter?” she asked.

He forced himself to relax and walked over to her palm and climbed aboard. He reminded himself again and again that this was his wife and that she wasn’t going to hurt him; the makeshift mantra helped to ease his continually growing fears. He waited until she started to slowly bring her hand and him closer to her chest before responding, “I had some pretty bad dreams last night, hon. All those reports on the news and what happened with Victoria yesterday really got me thinking about just how vulnerable I am like this.”

Pam brought him closer to her chest and gently brought her other hand behind him. She cupped it behind his body and tried her best to give him a light hug. She hated how hard it was to comfort him like this. He was still tense and she could feel it, so she used the tips of her fingers to rub his back. It took a few seconds, but she could feel him starting to relax and leaning into her touch. It wasn’t much, but at least there was still one way they could be close.

“Don’t worry, hon,” Pam said softly, “You’re safe with us, I promise to make sure nothing bad will happen to you.”

He wanted so badly to believe her, but after everything that had happened last night he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He put on his best face and tried his hardest to flash a sincere smile, “I know, don’t worry, Pam, I’ll be fine. I trust you and Victoria to take care of me.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, but it was close enough that he felt guilty. Still, it seemed to be enough to placate Pam. She gave him the warm smile that had melted his heart so many times in the past. He was still afraid, but he knew that neither Pam or Victoria would intentionally hurt him. It was his size and how easy it was to get lost that truly had him terrified. He reminded himself that he was still a husband and father first and a victim second. It was going to be difficult to push his fears aside, but for the sake of his family he would try.

Pam carried him to the bathroom and filled the sink with water for him to take a bath. While he may not have needed one, he would graciously accept it and use it as a chance to forget about the concerns and the previous night’s events. Pam was always mindful of the water temperature for him and once she was done she lowered her hand close enough for him to submerge himself. He let out a sigh as the water soothed his nerves and did wonders to release some of the stress that had been building up within him.

He replayed some of the events once again in his head, and he found himself wondering just why Anna had chosen to spare him. He was sure that the reason he had been kept alive was because he was more useful to her alive rather than dead. She had made that much abundantly clear, but she had brought him back to his room with quite a few hours to spare. What was perhaps more surprising was the look that was on her face. It wasn’t anything like the concerned one Pam had, but there was something beyond contempt in her eyes. She made it clear that she held his life in her hands and how little he actually meant to her, but despite everything that she had done she spared him. He wasn’t sure if it had been an act of mercy or part of some twisted game.

He looked around the pool sized sink and thought about just how much everything had changed. He had been living his life like he simply had a minor disorder, but the fact of the matter was that everything was now a danger. Friends, family, hell a wrong step could spell death and disaster for him! What was perhaps worst of all was the fact that his experience last night had him on edge around Pam. He shouldn’t have been afraid of his wife, all she had ever done was lift him up after all. Now she was a literal titan who could destroy his entire world on whim, whether it be intentional or accidental.

Pam sat herself down on the toilet next to the sink to wait for Chad. Something was wrong with him, and she had serious doubts that it was just a nightmare. She wondered if going to work with Victoria had been too much for him, but from what Victoria had said it had been as close to a good day as possible. She wanted to know what was going on in his head, but prying was likely to make him withdraw further into himself. As much as she hated it, all she could do was be there for him and try to ensure that he was safe and secure.

Chad could feel the water starting to cool and knew that it was time to get out and face the day. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing Anna after last night; he would have to try to keep up the appearance of normalcy in spite of his looming fears. He swam to the edge of his personal pool and called out, “Pam, hon, I’m ready when you are!”

Pam heard the faint sound of Chad’s voice crying out for her. She rose from her sitting position and walked over to the sink. She gave him a small smile that she hoped he believed, and he returned it all the same as she dipped her hand into the water to retrieve him. What she didn't know was that Chad's smile was just as much an act as her own; both of them were worried, albeit for different reasons, but neither was willing to share for the time being. She lifted him out of the dunk and helped to dry him off before draining the water. She hoped that some food might help him, maybe that was all he needed. She could only hope that it would be enough to get him to relax.

She grabbed a hand towel and gently dabbed him dry. She was as careful and gentle with him as she could be, but she could feel him tense at her touch. Once she was finished she set the towel down and asked, “Are you hungry, hon?”

He looked up at her and nodded, “Y-yeah, actually that sounds nice.”

Pam gave him a warm smile that helped to put him at ease, “Let’s go then, I’ll start cooking after we get you settled.”

Chad had been brought to the table beside Pam’s plate. He sat there waiting for Pam to finish bringing out breakfast. He tried to keep his eyes focused on the plate or kept them shut while he waited. Anna had decided to join everyone for breakfast this morning, and he simply couldn’t bring himself to look at her. Undercurrents of confusion mingled with the outright fear he had just from being near her, and it was amplified whenever he felt her eyes land and linger on his miniscule frame. The tension was alleviated, if only for a few moments, when Victoria entered the room.

He heard her coming and forced himself to smile and look up at her. She gave him a wave and he instinctively flinched as she spoke, “Morning, dad.”

It was a subtle tick, but one that both girls noticed from Chad. They had wildly different reactions to his action. Victoria frowned and a look of confused concern came across her eyes, whereas Anna didn’t even bother to hide the pleased smirk and satisfied look in her eyes. Anna’s smirk grew into a full blown grin as Chad stuttered out, “M-morning, sweetheart.”

“Are you alright, dad?” Victoria asked.

“Y-yeah, just a little more tired than usual is all,” he answered.

Victoria studied him for a moment, and even though he knew it was just concern he still felt himself starting to sweat. He tried to relax and was relieved when his daughter decided to drop the matter, “Alright, if you say so. I’m going to see if Bram is up yet, maybe take him a plate.”

“S-sounds good, sweetheart,” Chad replied and mentally cursed himself for the fear that ebbed its way into his voice.

Just like that, he once again found himself alone with Anna. He knew that it wasn’t enough time for her to do anything to him, but he couldn’t deny that he was still anxious around her. A low, familiar, and malicious chuckle brought his attention over to Anna, “Rough night, bug boy?” she asked, already knowing the answer, “Were you up thinking about my feet, or were you wondering what the inside of my stomach looks liked?”

He couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran down his spine at the reminder of last night’s events. He tried to put on a brave front as he spoke, “Stop it, Anna, I’m in no mood for this today.”

Her grin never wavered as she leaned in, “Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it, little man?”

She was calling his bluff. She knew full well that there was nothing he could do to stop her from doing whatever she pleased, they both did. He swallowed the bundle of nerves in his throat and tried to reply, “I-I’ll-”

He literally jumped back when Anna made a sudden move with her hand. His eyes slammed shut and he braced himself for that crushing feeling that came from Anna’s grip, but it never came. He cracked an eye open when he heard a light clatter and another chuckle from his stepdaughter, “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she said, “Don’t forget your place, tiny.”

He watched her face shift from cold, satisfied, sadism to innocence as Pam entered the room, “Hope you two are hungry,” she said cheerily as she sat down a bowl of eggs and a plate of bacon before looking from Anna to Chad, “What were you two talking about?”

Anna spoke up before Chad could answer, “We were just talking about how nice it would be for us to spend some quality time together. I’ve been thinking about it, and I realized that I haven’t given Chad a fair enough chance. I figured that I might watch him while you and Victoria go to work, and Chad here was just saying how much he’d like that, weren’t you, dad?”

Pam’s face shifted between a look of confusion and excitement at the prospect of her husband and daughter getting along and spending time together. She looked down at Chad to see if this was true or not, she needed to hear it from his mouth to be sure. He looked up at her and despite the smile on his face she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss even as he answered, “T-that’s right, there’s nothing I’d like more than to spend some time getting to know my stepdaughter.”

“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you two are finally starting to get along,” Pam said as she started assembling a small portion on her plate for Chad, “But I wish that you two had said something sooner. I called Rose last night to see if she would be willing to come by and keep an eye on you two while Victoria and I head to work.”

Chad breathed a sigh of relief as subtle as he could. He’d been saved from a day of torment with Anna, but how long would his luck last? He could take solace in this one saving grace at least, and he didn’t hide his excitement as he remarked, “It’ll be nice to see mom for a change, I’m sure she’s been a nervous wreck. You’re always glad to see her too, right Anna?”

Chad caught the brief glare she shot him before it faded back into that faux innocence, “Of course I am, I love Rose.”

“I’m sure the three of you will have a great time,” Pam said as she took a seat and finished fixing her own plate, “Anna, I appreciate that you’re wanting to spend some time with Chad, but please try to look after him. I know Rose is sharp for her age, but the last thing we need is for her to misplace him and for him to get hurt.”

Anna smiled in response as she began to hatch a plan on a new way to have some vicarious fun with Chad, “Don’t worry, mom, I won’t let anything happen to him. You’re in good hands, right Chad?”

There was something about the look in Anna’s eyes and the tone of her voice that had him slightly on edge, but he knew that he had to play along with Anna if he was to survive, “Yup, that’s right.”

“Now, where is Bram?” Pam asked no one in particular.

Bram narrowed his eyes as he surveyed his surroundings. He hadn’t been feeling well yesterday and had spent the majority of his day in his room so as not to worry his family. He hadn’t considered the possibility of him catching his father’s disease, and now he was sorely regretting not alerting someone to his sickly state. He felt amazing now that he was awake, but that was only if he ignored his newfound height. He had managed to shrink in the middle of the night, and he had spent the past few hours fighting his way out of the maze of his down comforter.

After nearly exhausting himself he was bathing in the sunlight that sliced through his blinds. His bed was an incredibly massive and seemingly impossible obstacle, but against all odds he had managed to overcome it. He now stood at the edge of his bed and was contemplating just how to get down. A quick cursory glance over the ledge was enough to make his head spin with surprise vertigo. Amazing how what was once barely a step was now certain death. He considered his headboard as a means of escape; there were inlays and designs that could serve as a way down, but there was always the risk of losing his balance and taking a nasty spill. There had to be some way of dismounting that didn't involve being injured or worse.

The answer to his silent prayers came as the door to his room opened and a titaness strode through the doorway. He couldn’t stop himself from staring as the figure of his sister Victoria moved across the insurmountable space that was his room with ease. She was still in her pajamas, but as embarrassing as it was he couldn’t stop himself from appreciating how well her outfit accentuated her curves. A pair of tight maroon pajama bottoms and a blue spaghetti strap top clung to her body in a way that reminded him all too well how naked he was. Some part of him was glad that he was easy to miss, especially when it became glaringly apparent that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

Victoria had started to get worried about her brother as the time ticked by. While it was fairly common for him to hole up in his room for hours on end while he played a game, it was quite strange for him to not make any appearance. She decided to take it upon herself to check on him and see if he was alright and possibly hungry. “Bram, you alright in here?” she called out as she entered her little brother’s room.

The voice of thunder boomed out across his room and his hands shot to his ears. If this was what his father had to deal with then he wondered how he hadn’t gone deaf yet. He flailed his arms and bounced around in an attempt to get his sister to notice him, “Victoria, I’m down here!”

She continued to walk towards his bed, but from the look on her face she hadn’t heard him. It became obvious when she suddenly turned around and simply let her weight fall backwards onto his bed. Bram let out an explicative as his body was caught in a tidal wave of momentum and sent careening through the air. He briefly wondered if this was what it felt like to be a bullet as he soared through the air. His trajectory took a sudden downward turn and he found himself rocketing towards his sister. He braced himself for impact and tucked himself into a ball as he crashed into the dip in her clavicle.

Victoria sat down and sighed as she wondered where Bram had gone off to and what she was going to tell Pam and their dad. She felt something thump against her collarbone and her hand shot to clamp down on the afflicted area, “What the hell?” she asked aloud.

Bram didn’t have a second to savor his victory before he felt an incredible amount of pressure on his entire form before everything went dark. Beyond the sudden pain, there was a strangely familiar feeling of warmth that radiated from whatever was surrounding him. Once again, his world shifted in a matter of seconds as he found himself being dragged along the flesh of his sister. Everything had happened so fast, and he was more than a bit disoriented by the whole ordeal. He was falling again before he knew what had happened, and he cried out as he fell towards Victoria’s pant leg.

Victoria looked around as she heard a high pitched squeak from close by, but as she looked around she saw nothing. She looked at her hand, expecting to see the remnants of a bug, but instead found only the clean skin of her fingers and palm. That was odd. She was sure that she had felt something on her, and more sure that whatever it was she had managed to hit. Still, there was no denying that there was nothing there.

Bram’s world finally settled as his body came to rest among the threads of Victoria’s pants. He shook off the daze and tried to push himself up to try and figure out a plan. He was in a decent enough position to get himself noticed, provided that he had the time to act. He wasn’t sure if his luck would permit that, however, and he was proven right when Victoria started to stand without warning. His only warning came in the form of a sigh just before everything shifted once again. He needed to think of something fast or else he was going to be taking the fast way down.

Without a second thought, he latched on to the stray threads of Victoria’s pajama pants. He hoped against hope that the fabric would be enough to support his weight and that he would be strong enough to hold on. As Victoria stood and stretched he struggled as his strength was put to the test. He let out a shaky breath and was startled as his sister started to walk out of his room. It was easily one of the most terrifying experiences of his life as he was thrown back and forth with each of Victoria’s confident strides. After the second step, he heard a terrible noise as one of the strands of fabric began to separate from the pants.

“Oh, give me a break!” he cried out as he returned to freefall.

He tried as hard and fast as he could to find something, anything to latch onto, but it looked like his luck had run out. As the ground below approached at a rapid rate, he prepared himself for the end. He closed his eyes and felt a bit of force strike his back followed by another bout of wind rushing by his face. He opened his eyes just in time to see a mountain of his own clothes coming into view. He collided with some of his old discarded shirts and safely rolled down the soft material and to the floor. Never in his life had he been happy to have forgotten to toss his clothes in the hamper. Pam would have probably had some choice words for him, but for once he could honestly say he didn’t care. It was definitely the first and probably only time that his life had been saved thanks to his own negligence.

He managed to get himself turned around in time to watch as Victoria finished her egress and closed the door to his room. He was now alone, but at least he wasn’t stranded on his bed anymore. This did, however, put him in an entirely new predicament. While he was freed from the proverbial cage of his bed, he was left with the seemingly insurmountable task of crossing his own room. He couldn’t be sure but looking out he guessed it would be miles before he managed to reach his door. He was certain that he would be able to fit underneath the door but reaching it would be another story. It would either take a feat of incredible strength and fortitude, or a miracle of some kind for him to reach the exit. He sighed and nodded to himself as he started to climb down and began his journey.

Victoria walked back into the dining room and answered Pam's question, "He's not here."

Chad furrowed his brow and was about to ask what she meant, but Anna beat him to it, "What do you mean he's not here? Where else would he be?"

There was a hint of genuine concern in Anna's voice that caused Chad to look over to her. He knew that she and Bram were close, but after last night it had slipped his mind. He hadn't expected her to show any sort of emotion regarding Bram. Victoria shook her head and shrugged, "I mean what I say, he's not here. I don't know if he went to a friend's house and forgot to tell us or what, but he's not in his room."

"That's not like him," Chad said, "He's usually pretty quick to let us know if he's going out. Have you tried calling him?"

"Not yet," Victoria answered, "If he went out for a D&D night then he was probably up late. I'm guessing he won't be up for another couple of hours at least. I'll phone him after I get to Cups and get everything up and running."

"I hope he's alright," Pam said, “With everything going on in the world right now, I don’t think it’s a good idea for him to be out with his friends.”

“All of this is still so new, though,” Victoria said as she sat down and started fixing her plate, “Honestly, even with what happened to dad I still find it all so surreal. There’s no way that we’re the only people having a hard time accepting that this is the new reality.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Pam replied, “But still, I wish he would have at least let one of us know he was going somewhere. I’m going to be worrying about him all day until one of us hears something.”

“As soon as I hear something I’ll let you know, Pam,” Victoria said, “I’m sure he’s fine.”

“Yeah, and if he comes home before then I’ll call you, mom,” Anna added.

“Thanks girls, you’re good kids,” Pam said, “Now, why don’t we try to have a nice breakfast together.”

That was the last they spoke of Bram for the morning. The conversation turned to plans for the day. Pam’s plan for Lift, Victoria’s questions for Chad about Cups, and Anna’s plans for the weekend. Chad kept quiet while the women talked and only spoke up when he was addressed. Victoria double checked on a few paperwork questions and the newest recipes that Chad had come up with, while Pam tried, to no avail, to subtly get to the bottom of what was bothering her husband. Anna, on the other hand, continued to pour on her false pleasantries and promises of a change of heart regarding Chad. There were quite a few double entendres that Anna made that no one except Chad managed to pick up on.

Eventually, their meal came to a close. Pam and Victoria got up to clear the table before getting dressed. Chad once again found himself alone with Anna and under those hungry eyes. She slowly lowered her open hand down next to him and leaned in, “Get on, pipsqueak, you’ve been good so far, but I think we need to step up our appearances. Hurry up before you piss me off and I have to punish you.”

Chad knew there wasn’t another option and did as he was told. He climbed onto Anna’s palm with no small degree of trepidation and waited for the nauseating and disorienting sensation from the night before. To his surprise, he was gingerly lifted into the air and brought closer to her bosom. His mouth opened before he could think about what he was saying and he instantly regretted it, “So you can be gentle when you want to be!”

He slapped a hand over his mouth even before he felt the glare on him. She checked to make sure that Victoria and Pam were still out of the room before using her other hand to apply a bit of pressure to her stepfather, “Watch it, little man, keep that attitude up and I’ll make sure you get an afternoon of getting acquainted with Rose’s feet or maybe you want to see how close we can get you to her more...intimate areas.”

Chad could feel the color drain from his face at Anna’s threat, “Y-you wouldn’t.”

“You really want to call my bluff, bug boy?” she asked, “Get smart with me again and the next time I have practice, you’ll tag along in my ass.”

Pam poked her head back in before Chad could fathom a reply and Anna’s face instantly switched back to that innocent look. He felt the pressure on his body lighten considerably right before Pam’s voice sounded, “Just wanted to let you two know that Rose should be here soon. Victoria and I will be leaving shortly.”

“Alright, mom, Chad and I are just going to hang out together and do some bonding until then,” Anna said and brought him closer to her chest in a mock hug.

“I’m so glad to see that the two of you are starting to get along,” Pam said with a smile, “I wish it had happened before this outbreak, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

Anna shrugged and smiled, “Sometimes it just takes a little crisis to bring people together.”

Pam smiled and walked over to the duo. She bent down and gave Chad that smile that he’d fallen in love with so long ago, “I love you, hon, and I promise that we’ll get through this as a family.”

Those sweet words and that warm smile erased Chad’s looming terror for the briefest of seconds and for the first time that morning he actually felt relaxed, “I love you too, and I know that we will. I’ve got the world’s most amazing woman and her daughter looking after me until then.”

Pam laughed and stood up straight, “Take care of him for me until Rose gets here, Anna,” she said, “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to him.”

“Oh don’t worry, mom, I’m not going to let him out of my sight,” Anna said with a glint in her eye, “If it’s alright with you, I think we’re going to head up to my room for a bit. Chad mentioned he wanted to see some of my trophies.”

Pam suddenly had a slightly concerned look on her face, but after giving Chad a look and receiving a nod she said, “Alright, but please be careful with him.”

Chad wasn’t fond of the idea of heading back into that nightmare room, but he couldn’t bear to see Pam worried so he lied to try to ease her mind, “Don’t worry, hon, we might have had our differences, but Anna’s a good kid and the last thing she would do is hurt me, right Anna?”

Anna was genuinely surprised by Chad’s defense of her, but she did her best to act natural, “Yeah, right, I’ll take good care of him.”

“Alright, love you both,” Pam said.

“Love you too, hon, have a good day,” Chad said.

“Love you, mom, we’ll see you when you get off,” Anna said before slowly walking towards her room. Once she was sure that they were out of ear shot she whispered down to Chad, “I’ve got some questions for you, runt, you’re going to answer them or you’re going to have a very long day.”

Chad sighed and sat himself down in her palm, “Yes, Anna,” he said.

“Good boy,” Anna chided as they entered her room.