“Oh MY GOD. OH MY GOD” Martina says as starts to pull her pants up and button herself back up, starting to freak out more and more as she starts to really realize what’s going on and what she's staring at, and I wonder what’s going to happen next. Will she flush us down, or will we be saved and given away to the government or something like that as well too, and God knows what might. I feel my anxiety starting to rise and rise the more this situation goes on. 

I look at Dave and Tony as Martina’s pupils start to shift constantly and really focusing in us, seemingly ignoring all the other stuff in the toilet.  I guess when you see something as shocking as three shrunken men still alive after going through your entire digestive tract is something that can cause you to rethink your entire life. Tony seems to be a little bit shocked, but seemingly has a “welp, I’ve been caught” look on his face, with a bit of a frown. Noticed that Dave is the most shocked out of all of us, with his wide eyes and his eyebrows. While I guess I’m somewhere in between.

“Everything alright in there ma’am?” I hear the voice of a concerned man, I think it’s the Texan from earlier.

“Uhh Yess?” She says quickly calming down after being asked, I know her English skills aren’t the best and I’m pretty sure none of us know Spanish so I’m kinda wondering how this is going to play out as well too. 

“Alright. Just Checkin’ “ He says, and I hear the sound of his footsteps as they click clack against the tile floor, echoing a bit and the sound coming in here.

“Listen, we’re just robots!” Dave says, seemingly out of desperation. As soon as he says this I cringe internally, and I notice Tony shakes his head as if he’s saying “c’mon dude, that’s the best you could of think of?”. I start to giggle a little bit when I see Tony’s expression, since this is a pretty serious situation I also try to stifle it as well too.

“Ehhhhhhhhhh” Martina starts off, I can tell she doesn’t really know how to converse with us all too much due to her lack of English skills. So this situation is really a double whammy for all of us involved, since our Spanish is probably even worse than her English.

“I’m hearing some voices in there! And it doesn’t sound like there’s somebody else on the phone either!” I hear the hotel lobby attendant say, his Texan accent becoming stronger when he gets louder. 

“Uhhhhhhh” Martina says, and I see her reach out her left arm to flush the toilet out of a state of panic and me and Tony and Dave scream “Noooo!” at the top of our lungs, not wanting to get flushed away into the sewer system. I’m pretty sure we’re loud enough that I think that the lobby attendant is starting to unlock the door judging by the noises of a lock being unlocked. Our voices at the top of our lungs combined, sounding like another person screaming “No” inside the bathroom, our lungs and voice box seemingly packing a mighty punch of sound if we really do push it to the limit. As soon as we scream Martina quickly retracts her arm and her hand, shocking her a little bit and I notice this startles her as well too, judging by how shocked she looks a little bit in the face. The Lobby clerk comes in and I hear him cough a little bit, probably from the smell of the shit still in the toilet, although it’s died down a little bit due to water, but it still smells pretty bad to us shrunken three, since we’re so close to it still. 

“Who’s in here?!” He says, his drawl and his voice sounding stronger and stronger, he closes the door behind him slightly, enough that it’s cracked and not everyone can see in here.

I think he notices Martina looking down at the toilet. He hesitates at first judging by, judging by the smell and knowing what’s leading to it. I can tell he hesitates judging by how quickly he takes a few backwards steps. 

“Alright, what’s going on? I really don’t wanna have to look and see what’s in here” He says.

“People, Little People!” Martina says.

“I don’t think Jack Cooper’s in this toilet, ma’am” he says, that ma’am sounding a little sharp. 

“Fuck it, yeah we’re in here!” Tony says loud enough that the Hotel Clerk can hear us, and me and Dave turn to look at him like he’s insane. I honestly have no clue what the hell would possess him to blow our covers like this, I start to think all my worst fears of being tested on by the government and God knows what else what will happen once we get caught just all came true. I feel defeated and as if my life is pretty much over.

Although, there’s a small glimmer of hope inside me. That maybe the government won’t treat as badly as I though, since Jack Cooper’s talked a little bit about it on his podcast every once and awhile when the question is asked by a guest (the stuff they allow him to talk about, he says) and it’s not as bad as people have thought or figured it was. Although I also think he might be lying about that and just might be saying to throw everyone off or it’s what the government tells him to say about his time being tested when questioned about it by those who aren’t in the know. I feel as I’ve grown older through these years, I’ve really become an overthinker. Now if that’s a positive thing about me growing older, or negative. You tell me. 

“Are you play some type of fuckin’ joke on me now?” The clerk says and he quickly shuts up and I hear the sound of his hand slapping against his mouth. Letting a cuss world slip as he’s talking to a customer. Martina giggles a little bit at his reaction, 

“So, so sorry ma’am” He says, and as he starts to apologize Tony pipes up again.

“Nope, we’re actually shrunken men. Come Take A Look At Us!” Tony says, loud and clear.

“This has to be the stupidest attempt I’ve ever seen to make me look at some literal doo-doo, but hell. Fiiinneeee. I’ll budge” he says, and I hear his foot steps come closer and closer to the toilet, and my heart speeds up a beat or two as he gets closer.

“Oh dear lord, those are real tiny men in there!” He says, and I notice him looking into the toilet, seemingly not even caring about all the shit and the toilet paper around us. He’s middle aged, probably more in the 50 to 55 range if I had to guess judging by his face. He’s got a mustache but not much else facial hair, pink/tannish skin. He’s got his dark brown hair in that military crew cut sorta way, he reminds me of Steve Zahn in that Martin Lawrence comedy I remember seeing a movie trailer for on TV back in early 2003, during one of those nights back in high school hanging out with Jon and Richie and watching TV over Jon’s house, I wanna say it was winter break. Sometimes we’d hang out and our Summer ritual of hanging out in front of the TV until the early morning during other school breaks, but it was pretty rare though.  A random memory I haven’t thought about probably since it happened that randomly came out when seeing this guy’s appearance. 

“Yep, we’re real!” Tony says, and me and Dave keep quiet in all of this. 

“You’re talking but your buddies there don’t seem to be, are they mute or something?” The hotel Clerk says, I notice his pupils focusing more on me and Dave, studying us a bit. I start to wonder if I should say something to just keep staying still and not say much of anything. But I figure, that I might as well say something. He realizes that we’re all flesh and bone and not some type of toy or action figures or whatever as he slowly backs up out of the toilet.

“Yeah. He’s right, we’re real” I say, and the silence after I say my piece is pretty deafening as well too. The situation that we’re in really sinking in with all of us, The Texan hotel clerk and Martina seemingly starting to realize what they’re seeing is true and coming to terms with it, and us three realizing that we’ve really been caught now and there’s not coming back out of this. I think the fact Jack Cooper exists and the things he’s gone through doesn’t make it too unbelievable for people to quickly realize that we’re actually shrunken. 

I think the clerk’s about the say something but then we get interrupted by his boss. 

“MIKE, WHERE ARE YOU?! THERE’S PEOPLE UP FRONT THAT NEED TO BE CHECKED IN!” I hear his boss yell, sounding ironically younger than him. He sounds like he's probably somewhere in his twenties. 

 “HEY JON…YOU’RE GONNA WANNA SEE THIS. YOU GOTTA SEE THIS TO BELIEVE IT” Mike says, sounding shell shocked in his tone. 

“Alright!” Jon says.

I hear Jon’s footsteps walking closer towards the door, and creaking it open. I can hear him mumble under his breath that it smells like shit in here still, as if he expects a bathroom to smell like roses and cupcakes. 

“Is there a problem in here? Is the toilet clogged?” Jon says, putting on his professional voice for Martina. 

“Little Men, in there!” Martina says, I can’t see her hand but I’m assuming she’s pointing towards the toilet. 

“She’s not wrong, Jon. There’s some Jack Cooper stuff going on right now, look in that toilet right there” Mike says.

“Alright, but there’s some, uh fecal matter in the toilet we’ll say. Judging by the smell, so I’m not going to get that close to it” Jon says, slowly taking steps towards us.

“Yep, we’re here!” Tony yells, and as soon as he says this Jon stops in his tracks.

“Alright, is this some Youtube hidden camera prank shit? I swear to god Mike if I find out that you were in on this you’re fired on the spot!” Jon says, sounding pretty annoyed.

“Nope, no cameras here Boss! C’mon, take a look!” I say, starting to have a little bit of fun with the situation. Dave is still staying quiet. Ironically enough I was the most scared about it when we first all got shrunk, but now Dave’s the one who’s seemingly the most scared now when shit seemingly hit the fan, pun unintended. 

“Alright, you’re lucky I have a pretty strong stomach anyways dude. Working at that McDonald’s in South Gate in High School changed me as a man” He says, and I hear him walk up to the toilet, and look down, and he leans a little bit. He’s a black dude, which surprised me since he sounded pretty white without looking at him. He’s got a high top fade and an ear piercing, and looks about twenty eight or twenty nine if I had to make a guess. 

“No fucking way” he says, really focusing in on all of us, it’s almost like the other stuff inside the toilet doesn’t exist. I notice his pupils expand when the realization hits him with what he’s looking at is real.

“Yes, fucking way” Tony says, jokingly. 

“You guys really are real. Like actual human beings, how the fuck did this happen?” Jon says and a few specks of spit lands onto us and it lands onto the side of us, it smelling pretty minty and that really contrasts with the smell of shit, and I hear Mike walks back a bit, and closes the door.

“Like seriously, how did this happen, how did you end up in the toilet? Did she eat you guys or something, and if she did, how are you guys still alive?” Jon says, rapid firing off all these questions.

“Uh yeah, she ate us. Unknowingly. How we’re still alive after everything, I guess the same way Jack Cooper is, we’re just durable like that” I say.

“I still can’t believe what I’m seeing and hearing is real, I thought Jack Cooper was the only one. Now there’s three of you guys right in here in my lobby bathroom” Jon says, and he starts to bend up and get out of the toilet. 

“HEY, WHAT’S GOING ON IN THERE” I hear a very authoritative sounding voice from the outside. It’s quite deep and booming and I can tell that Martina is a little started by a small eek that she says.

“I think that’s the General Manager” Jon says, saying it to Martina.

I hear the sound of someone opening the door, and it’s almost like you can hear a pin drop with how silent it is as soon as the GM’s footsteps clack against the floor.

“Is there anything someone wants to tell me before I find out for myself?” He says, his voice being pretty sharp. 

“You gotta see it to believe it!” Tony says, and I snicker at this a little bit. 

I hear his footsteps get closer and closer, and he doesn’t seem to care about the smell (although it’s died down as the feces gets colder and more adjusted to the water) and we’re on the side of the bowl. He looks into the toilet, his face all stern and he has a bunch of stubble all around his face. He’s a middle aged white guy, around the same age as Mike. His hair is jet black in a 50s crew cut as if he’s an adult male extra out of Leave It To Beaver or something like that. 

“Damn, those are some realistic looking action figures” he says.

“Nope, flesh and bone right here buddy boy” I say, messing with him a little bit. 

“Alright, very funny prank” He says, looking right back at me, his blue pupils really focusing on me. 

“If this was a prank, then it’s well thought out” He says, sounding monotone, as if he has better things to do.

“No, Tom. It’s real.” Jon says, and you can really hear the seriousness in his voice with it. As if his life is dependent on it. 

“BullSHIT” He says.

“As God as my witness, Tom” Mike says, I find it somewhat amusing there’s not a whole lot of “mister or misses” when talking among work superiors. But that might just be a southern thing as well too, me spending a lot of time in Georgia and North Carolina for a good chunk of my life. I guess Mike took up that west coast informality.

“Alright, if you guys aren’t trying to play some sorta Jack Cooper prank or game. What’s your guy’s name, ages, occupations, and where you’re from?” He says.

“What are you, a cop? Whatever.  My name is Anthony Smith, I’m 50 going on 51 years old. I’m from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I manage a Denny’s out there-Alright you convinced me” Tony starts off but Tom cuts him off. 

“Yeah I’m calling the cops, I’ll let one of you guys uh, take them out and put them up on the sink” Tom says. And as soon as he says this I feel my stomach drop, and I think all three of us feel the same. I’m surprised he’s pretty nonchalant about this, seemingly realizing that these shrunken men are actually real and not some type of toy or whatever. I guess due to Jack Cooper, a situation like this can have people with mixed reactions. Others seemingly shocked, and others not so fazed due to seemingly it seemingly being humanly possible to be shrunk like we are, Jack Cooper being the main example. Although he’s the only person to be so, known by the public. 

"C’mon dude, PLEASE!” Dave says, sounding pretty desperate. The first time he talks during this whole situation, and I can hear Martina gasp a little bit, seemingly out of shock.

“I didn’t know that one talked. And again, somebody get those men out of that toilet” Tom says, again, nonchalantly and ignoring Dave’s plea. I hear the sound of someone opening up some sorta cabinet and grabbing something.

“NOT IT!” Tony says, giggling and quickly touching his nose. I don’t know what came over him during this discovery, but I guess maybe being humorous in a situation like this, even though he gave us away (but to be fair once we were found and everything else that went down after it once Martina saw us).

“Lotta Humor, the older one” Tom says as I hear the noise of the phone ringback as it tries to connect to the number, and I hear some murmuring between Jon and Mike. I think Jon takes one for the team, even though Martina should be the one who should be taking us out, since it’s her shit, after all. 

I hear the sound of Latex and I hear the noise of footsteps. I see Jon look in, bend down a little and then reach his hand out, the smell of the latex from the dark blue glove on his hand really being intense as he reaches his hand out to the side of the toilet that we’ve been keeping our balance on. 

“Just grab onto my finger and I’ll take you guys from here to the sink, although I’ll probably just do it one by one” He says.

“I guess I’ll go first” Dave says, seemingly starting to come more to terms with the situation of us being caught pretty quick, and he jumps a bit and grabs onto Jon’s finger. Jon asks him he’s got a good grip, and Dave says he does. I hear a few foot steps, and then the sound of someone being dropped off. And Then I go next, and I see the outside world again for the first time in a little while, The GM and Jon seemingly dressed in dark blue suits but no ties and with golden name tags saying their positions. Jon’s position being a regular manager. Mike seemingly dressed in a yellow collared shirt, light crispy looking jeans and a name tag. He has a very “dad cutting the yard” kinda dress attire for this job I’ve noticed. 

I hear that Tom is having a bit of trouble trying to convince the 911 operator that there’s truly some shrunken men at his hotel, but I can tell she eventually says that she’ll send someone over. The bathroom isn’t that clean, there’s toilet tissue on the floor from whoever’s used it last and a few piss stains on the grody looking tile floor. It’s just one bathroom, so there’s not a men's or women’s one either so this is it.  Jon goes back to get Tony last, and he has a little bit of trouble properly grabbing Jon’s finger, and he eventually is able to get a good grasp on his fingernail that’s poking out of the glove, and he goes from the toilet to near us, all of us sitting near the sink, the open bowl only a few inches away from us. I think Martina goes up and does the honors of flushing the toilet, and it sounds like the suction is pretty fast and quick of the toilet disposing of everything.

“Jon, go back out and tend to the customers. Same to you Mike. I’ll handle this from here. One of you guys tell me when the cops make it here” Tom says, and Jon and Mike quickly follow suit. Jon throws his gloves in the garbage and then walks out. Mike follows him out the door. I notice Martina starts to leave but Tom tells her to stay as well, and she stops in her tracks, almost nearing the door and about to open it.

“I’m going to wait it out with you guys until the police show up. I still can’t believe what I’m seeing is real, but honestly after these last several years in society. Nothing shocks me that much anymore” Tom says, and I notice he pulls out a silver flask from under his suit, seemingly having a pocket inside the suit jacket. He unscrews the cap and places it of of the top, the cap being connected to the flask in some way. He takes a few long sips and screws the top back on and places it back in his inside pocket.

“Yeah yeah I know, drinking on the Job. But hell, in a situation like this I need to take a swig or too” Tom says, seemingly breaking a smile. Seemingly loosening up a bit.

“Yeah, Okay. But why the police?” Tony says. 

“Well, I gotta tell somebody about you guys. I can’t just let you guys go. Imagine, you’ll get Jack Cooper levels of fame. How cool is that?" He says, stifling a burp when he finishes talking, and then he excuses himself. 

Martina seemingly doesn’t really care as much anymore, looking at her phone as she waits around as us three and Tom talk. I hear something from an Instagram reel as she opens up her phone and she turns the volume  

“I don’t care about that dude, I don’t wanna be tested on” I say. 

Tom laughs at this, and then smiles. 

“Ehh, I’ll just say I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as you guys might think” Tom says. 

“Do you know something?” Tony says, and a soon as he says this, I hear a loud knock that’s more like a bang on the door.

“Who is it!?” Tom says.

“SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!” The officer barks, a little bit more aggressively than I’d argue he needed too considering the situation that we’re in. 

“I don’t know why Jon or Mike forgot to warn me, I’m gonna give them hell about that one later on” Tom Mudders. 

“I’M UNLOCKING AND OPENING THE DOOR” Tom Barks back, and he walks towards the door, unlocks it and opens it, and as soon as he opens it two officers speed walk in, knocking him back a little bit he quickly regains his composure. 

The cops scope the bathroom, but they soon realize what they see is something that shocks them on site. Martina seemingly looks shocked and quickly puts away her phone, but they seemingly don’t pay her too much attention though. 

“HO.LEE.SHIT.” An officer says, noticing us on the sink, Jon seemingly standing off in the corner, seeming pretty intimidated by the officers. The other one takes off his shades, and adjusts the already recording body cam and putting the focus onto us, judging by the green silently beeping light right on it, you can see the shocked expression on his face. His last name seems to be Schnider judging by his badge.

“Hey, uhh. We’re gonna need some back up. This is something that’s gonna be for the history books. You have to see this one to believe it. This hotel guy wasn’t lying” one of the officers says, talking into his radio, still making eye contact with us as he does so. His last name on his badge seemingly being Gallagher, now that I get a good look at it.

“I guess this is really the best time to have the right to remain silent” I say, cracking a joke and Tony smiles at this. Dave just shakes his head as if to say “really dude?”.  Officer Gallagher seemingly looks even more shocked by this when I talk, me talking really confirming what he sees is real. 

I guess this is where it all starts with the publicity, huh.