Matteo groaned as his alarm went off, the tightly coiled tail wrapping around him tightening as his wife, Strawberry, stretched and yawned in the early morning sunlight.

“Do we have to get up?” Strawberry murmured, squeezing him tighter and causing a grunt.

“Yes,” he managed, pushing against the coils feebly, “Come on, we’ve got to get on the road before the traffic starts!”

There was a knock on their door, “Momma, poppa!” a young girl’s singsong voice called, “it’ss time to get up!”

“Cherry go back to bed,” her mother drawled, pulling a pillow over her pink hair.

“She’s right,” Matteo laughed, “come on, we’ve gotta get up.”

Strawberry huffed, slowly uncoiling her husband from her grip and slithering off the side of the bed and to the floor. The door to the bedroom burst open before she hit the ground, and a small lamia squealed excitedly, launching into the bed and bouncing on it slightly as her red scales caught the morning sunlight.

“Get up get up get up!” their daughter chanted, her crimson hair bobbing up and down as she bounced on their mattress. With a squeal she leapt at her father, wrapping him tightly in a coiled hug. “Come on! We’re going on vacation!” she squealed.

“C-Cherry!” Matteo laughed, “You’re too big to do this now!”

His daughter giggled and slithered off of him, joining her mother as the pair of lamiae headed out the door and down the stairs to begin cooking breakfast. Cherry’s eager voice carried down the hall as she pestered her mother to hurry up, and Matteo chuckled as he changed out of his pajamas and into the clothes he’d wear for the upcoming road trip.

Life had certainly come at him fast, it was hard to believe it had been seven years since he’d discovered that Strawberry, the white scaled garter Lamia he’d bought to keep him company, was in fact a grand lamia afflicted by a shrinking curse. With her full size restored, the massive snake woman had wasted no time in confessing her feelings to Matteo, an earth shattering event that had him waking up on a Grand Lamia preserve months later with the news that they were having a daughter.

Cherry was a grand lamia, like her mother, with her rounded ears betraying her human parentage. While the pair spent a few months out of every year at their full size on the Grand Lamia preserve on the great plains, most of the time his wife and daughter took carefully dosed shrinking potions at regular intervals so they could be the same size he was, a practice that had become necessary when it was time for Cherry to start school.

The three of them were heading south to spend a few weeks at his parent’s beach house, while Lamia were not truly a cold blooded species, they were more affected by cold than humans were, and as Cherry grew older Matteo and Strawberry had decided to relocate further south. His parents had offered the use of their vacation home while they shopped for houses, and the thought of spending some time on the beach with his family was an inviting one.

“I don’t like it!” Cherry protested as he walked into the kitchen.

“Just eat a few!” Strawberry protested, holding a spoon of the Lamia pellets up to her daughter. The nutrition heavy pellets were a supplement most Lamia, both standard and garter size, would eat to compensate for their higher protein needs. By all accounts most Lamia didn’t care for them, even the more expensive brands tasted like dry cereal at best.

“Why doesn’t daddy have to eat the pelletss?” Cherry asked, crossing her arms angrily.

“He’s a human, he doesn’t need them!” Strawberry said, exasperated, “if you eat yours, you can pick whatever you want for lunch!”

“How bad could they be?” Matteo asked, chuckling and grabbing a spoon. He dipped it into Cherry’s bowl, raising it to his mouth and taking a bite of the nutritional pellets. A smell like a bottle of multivitamins hit his nostrils, and as he crunched them he tried his best not to frown at the aggressively bland flavor and odd Styrofoam like texture. “Mmm… delicious,” he lied with a weak grin. Strawberry was fighting a giggle at the sight of her husband’s face, and a moment later Cherry finally relented and took her own bite.

“You’re such a good dad,” Strawberry giggled, ruffling his hair as their daughter finished her breakfast. “Okay Cherry, shrinking potion time!” She slithered to a cabinet in the kitchen and pulled out a small bottle labeled “Gnome Brewed Shrinking Potion.” She unscrewed the top and poured a single capful for herself, downing it in a quick gulp before pouring another for Cherry. She watched as her daughter took the magical draught that would keep them at human size, then waved her out, “Good girl, now go get your suitcase!”

His wife flicked her pale pink hair over her shoulder and giggled at Matteo as soon as they were alone, hefting the bottle of shrinking potion with a mischievous smile on her face.

“Aw, does Matty want a dose of shrinking potion too?” she teased, slowly circling him and letting her coils wrap around his body. He grunted as she squeezed him tight, her tongue tickling his ear as playfully brought the bottle to his lips.

“Who would drive the RV?” he asked playfully.

“I’m pretty sure I could work the pedals with the tip of my tail,” Strawberry replied, “and you’d enjoy a nice safe ride right in here…” she traced her finger down her chest, playfully drawing a circle over her stomach. He felt his manhood stir at the thought, and she giggled as she noticed, “You humans are all the same, the thought of disappearing down a cute lamia’s throat just gets you going, doesn’t it? Like you’re eager to get into your assigned spot on the food chain…”

“You watch too many SNEKKED videos,” he teased.

“Maybe we can watch some of my favorites later,” she said with a wink. She uncoiled him, swaying in a seductive way as she slithered out the door and to their family RV.

Matteo chuckled, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. While Strawberry spent most of her time at human size for practical reasons, he’d spent plenty of time at doll size, letting her torment and tease him while she lived out years of fantasies, many of which ended with him sliding down her throat, or slipped into her womanhood where his movements stimulated the deepest part of her most intimate place.

Of course, as fun as it was to be shrunk and toyed with by his wife, it was nothing compared to the truly primal feeling of their lovemaking when she was at her full hundred-foot size, a rare experience which he only got to indulge in during the few months of the year where she would go without the shrinking potion.

Mom and dad’s old vacation home is pretty far away from anything, he thought to himself as he grabbed his keys off the counter, maybe Strawberry could skip a day on her shrinking treatment… He chuckled to himself, it was a longshot, but a man could dream.

…

Six hours into the drive the afternoon doldrums had hit, and Cherry was asleep in the back of the RV while Matteo and Strawberry listened to the “Magical Realm” podcast hosted by a bombastic journalist by the name of Andy Anderson.

“Good afternoon listeners,” he began, “Today we’ve got commentary on the closure of the last Garter Lamia shop, truly the end of an era, though it’s amazing that it took this long!”

“It really is too bad,” Strawberry sighed, “Why did humans ban the Garter Lamia stores? I thought you humies loved snake-girls!”

“We do,” Matteo said, “but when Garter Lamia first got brought to the human world we thought you were like parrots or something, just mimicking our speech. I mean that’s what I thought anyways, we didn’t know you were people.”

“Hey, it worked out pretty good for you,” Strawberry giggled with a wink.

The podcast continued as Andy introduced his guests, “and today we’ve got an interview from a dwarf who has one of the world’s largest model train sets, which she populates with real humans!”

“That’s right Andy,” a woman’s voice called, “I’m Angela Ironhammer, and when I first moved to the human world I heard stories of Garter Lamia reducing humans down to size for a little fun, and I realized I could do that too!”

“I like that idea,” Strawberry said teasingly, “maybe not a model train though…” she shifted in her seat, her long white tail coiled beneath her as she gave him a flirty wink, “what if I kept you as my pet Matteo?”

“What, am I not already?” he joked, scanning the highway for their exit.

“I was thinking… you’ve still got my old terrarium and everything, right?” she asked with a grin.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said hesitantly, “I think everything’s up in the attic, that little cave you used to sleep in and everything.”

“It’s so weird to think I spent years living in that thing,” Strawberry sighed, “anyways I think you should move into it.”

Matteo started, “You’re joking!?”

She giggled, “no, I think it would be fun to do it for a week or so, probably while Cherry is away at summer camp or something.”

She’s probably just joking, he reassured himself, but another part of him wasn’t entirely displeased at the idea of a complete reversal from how their relationship had started, and she always treated him well once she had him small. It could be almost like a vacation, he thought wryly.

He shook his head, clearing the intrusive thoughts as he pulled off the road to the RV campground where the family would stay the night.

…

“Ah, itss too hot!” Cherry whined, spitting out her roasted marshmallow with a pouty expression.

“You have to give them a second to cool down honey,” Matteo laughed.

The small fire pit bathed their RV in a warm glow, and Strawberry had coiled around him as the setting sun had brought cooler temperatures. The rumble of a tractor interrupted their marshmallow roast, and the trio turned to see the machine pulling a large haycart behind it, with half a dozen other children from the campground playfully cheering and rolling in the dried straw.

“M-Momma, Poppa, can I go do the hayride?” Cherry asked, almost bouncing up and down. As she asked, the tractor rolled to a stop, and the other children yelled and called her to join them.

“Have fun,” Matteo laughed, watching his daughter squeal and slither off to join the other kids.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Strawberry asked him, snuggling close.

Matteo shrugged, “As far as Cherry’s concerned she’s just a normal kid, and most of those other kids have probably seen enough magic and monsters by now that a lamia isn’t going to turn any heads.”

“I guess that gives us some time alone?” Strawberry giggled, glancing up at their RV.

Matteo grinned, following his wife back to their camper. The pair climbed the stairs, rocking it slightly as they made their way back to the master bedroom. While nowhere near as spacious as the bed they had at home, the camper’s simple bed was more than enough to accommodate the pair, and the springs creaked as Strawberry coiled and leapt at her husband, knocking him to the mattress with a grunt.

The pair rolled on the sheets, her powerful snakelike lower half coiling around him with each turn of their bodies as they kissed. Soon Matteo’s arms were bound at his sides, and he found himself looking up into the smug and grinning face of his wife, framed by that silky pale pink hair. He groaned as her body slid against his manhood, sending a shockwave of pleasure up his spine as she bound him like a caught mouse.

“Look what I brought!” Strawberry giggled, holding up a bottle.

“Dr. Druid’s extra strength shrinking potion?” he read, grinning.

“All that talk of keeping you in my old terrarium really got me excited,” she said with a grin, “and I packed this just in case we had a little alone time…”

Her coils tightened around him, keeping his arms and legs bound together as she took the cap off the bottle, pouring a minute amount of the liquid in. Matteo tried to strain his neck and see how much she was adding, an extra strength shrinking potion was significantly stronger than what Strawberry and Cherry took in the mornings, and he wondered just how small she wanted him.

“Say ah,” she said teasingly, lowering the liquid filled cap down to his mouth. The plastic ridge pressed against his lip, and then, almost forcefully, Strawberry tipped it, sending the small pool of liquid down his throat. With a satisfied smirk she screwed the cap back on, tossing it to her open suitcase on the ground next to them.

Matteo felt the effects almost immediately, his vision swimming as the smug laughter of his lamia wife filled his ears. Soon his clothes were billowing around him, casually tossed to the side as the giant snake woman searched for him.

Let’s give her something to chase, he thought excitedly, running down the leg of his own expanding pants like it was a tunnel.

Strawberry frowned, her snakelike instincts taking over as her eyes darted across the mattress, looking for movement. A small rodent sized lump caught her attention, and she honed in on it, bringing her face down next to the bottom of Matteo’s pants just as his naked and inches tall form sprinted out.

“Hi!” she said cheerily, startling him and causing him to fall over as the billboard sized lamia’s face loomed over him.

With a jolt he scrambled to his feet, running to his left, only to be cut off as the enormous face moved to block him, licking her lips seductively with her long Lamia tongue. He changed directions again, but each time he did so she moved to match him, slowly herding him away from the edge of the bed and back against the massive scaled wall of her curved tail.

She’s just waiting until I’m in the perfect position to strike, he realized. It was always unsettling how easily Strawberry could switch into “predator” mode, and even moreso how much he found his thoughts becoming erratic, scattered, and aroused. He was at full mast as he realized just how trapped he was, and as he reached the train sized lamia’s tail he heard a rumbling chuckle behind him as Strawberry lowered herself down, cutting off any more potential for retreat.

“Aww, excited?” she teased, spying his erection.

“You always look so amazing at this size,” he said, awed.

“I know, right? It’s like Lamia are just supposed to be bigger than humans,” she giggled, “and you’re just supposed to be food, like you get excited about serving your natural function or something…”

Matteo gulped, then with all of the speed he could muster bolted to his right. Strawberry’s hair whipped around her face as she leapt down on him like a cobra striking, her mouth open wide to scoop him up before he’d managed two steps.

The hot humidity of her mouth hit him all at once as her lower lip lifted, sending him tumbling backwards onto the soft mattress of her tongue with a wet smacking sound. A moment later her mouth closed, sealing him in and making escape impossible.

As always she began to play with him in earnest then, her massive tongue tickling up the underside of his erection and causing him to gasp, fighting against the powerful appendage as it explored his body like a curious lover, gentle enough not to hurt him, but forceful enough as it pressed him against her cheek that he realized there would be no stopping it from doing as it pleased.

The thick waves of her spit coated him, and he splashed in the pooling saliva as he was swished about through her mouth. It was thick, swampy, and seemed to make any movement he attempted all the more difficult, a reminder that even the dripping saliva of the giant lamia’s mouth was more than enough to overwhelm any resistance he might be able to offer.

“Mmm…” Strawberry moaned, enjoying the rich flavor of a shrunken human scurrying across her tongue. With a happy sigh she flopped backwards on the bed, letting her tail go slack over the side as she slowly toyed with herself in time to the playful motions of her tongue against her tiny snack, sliding her finger in and out of her wet womanhood as she imagined her husband helplessly being tossed back and forth across her mouth, the anticipation building as the saliva welled around him.

Matteo had no more fight in him as the massive tongue began to grind him against the roof of her mouth in earnest. He let his arms and legs go limp, feeling the electrifying sensation of a tongue longer than his body teasing him with slow grinding licks, each one bringing a new wave of her salvia to soak his battered body.

She always tries to swallow me right as I cum, he thought wildly, gritting his teeth and trying to hold on.

Strawberry just giggled as she imagined his attempts to keep himself from the brink of orgasm, and she tilted her head back, letting her saliva pool as she readied for his inevitable failure.

The groan of pleasure was loud enough that Strawberry could hear it, and she felt the squirming of her tiny husband as he came against her tongue, spraying his rich tasting seed across her mouth as he lost the small battle of wills.

* Gulp*

Matteo cried out as he was rocketed downwards, the slick motion of Strawberry’s moist throat against his body bringing his orgasm to new heights. The world around him rumbled as the enormous snake-woman reached the same peak, fingering herself furiously as she felt her morsel slide down to her stomach.

“Ah,” Strawberry gasped happily one final time as she felt his form plop into her belly, and the sudden motion in her stomach caused her to give a quick and quiet burp as she covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a giggle.

Matteo groaned as he felt his way around her belly, the afterglow of his orgasm fading as his hands traced along the rubbery walls. It was always a surreal experience to end up here, Lamiae digested food slowly, and exhibited a great amount of control over their insides. He was safe here so long as Strawberry wanted him to be safe. Still, some primordial part of him always panicked slightly for the first few minutes within her stomach, in a way it was the ultimate trust fall.

How long are you keeping me in here Strawberry? He wondered. She’d fallen asleep with him in her stomach before, and while it wasn’t as nice as a bed, the cozy warmth of her stomach wasn’t the worst place to spend the night.

He was answered a moment later as her stomach compressed around him, molding to his body and slowly forcing him upwards.

Strawberry grimaced, feeling him rise up her throat again as her esophagus reversed course, bringing her shrunken husband back up into her mouth. Her cheeks bulged and a second later she spat his spit soaked form into her cupped hands, grinning down at him smugly as he coughed and wiped globs of the sticky goo out of his eyes.

“And here I thought I’d be a bedtime snack,” he laughed.

“The only reason you’re not keeping me full all night is that I don’t want to explain where you are when Cherry comes back,” Strawberry said with a wink.

She slithered out of the bed, cradling her inches tall lover like a doll as she entered the RV’s small bathroom. Humming a tune under her breath, she turned the spigot and watched as the water poured out, dabbing her fingers under it occasionally to see if it had warmed yet.

“I can shower myself!” Matteo laughed.

“Nope,” Strawberry giggled, enjoying his gurgling protest as she shoved him under the column of water. She pumped a small soap dispenser twice, taking the globs of strawberry scented hand soap and rubbing it over his body in a few quick motions. She pulled him out of the water for a moment, enjoying the way he squirmed in her hands, then thrust him back into the stream of lukewarm faucet water, rinsing the suds off. “All done,” she said cheerfully, grabbing a small hand towel and roughly drying him off.

“T-Thanks,” Matteo said, blinking as he was carried back to their bedroom. Being hand washed was always an intense experience, the powerful waterfall of the faucet always seemed to overwhelm his senses, leaving him dripping wet and stunned as the tree trunk sized fingers rubbed soap into his scalp.

“And now for your medicine,” Strawberry said gleefully. She reached into her suitcase, pulling out a bottle of unshrinking potion. “Ah, memories,” she sighed, showing him the bottle.

“The very same brand we got seven years ago,” he laughed, watching her pour him a small capful. She lowered it down to him, and with a few sips the world spun and he found himself sitting on his bed at full size again.

“Yeah, it’s not the cheapest one, but I always get it for the nostalgia,” she giggled, giving him a peck on the cheek. “The only downside is it stays in your system for like a week, so no getting tiny for you for a while!”

“I guess I’ll just have to make love to my wonderful wife at full size,” he said, growing his arms around her and pulling her into another kiss. The pair tussled in the sheets for another moment, wrestling playfully against each other’s naked bodies before Strawberry finally broke the kiss.

“Okay,” she breathed, “let’s go get dressed.”

With a sigh he nodded, glancing around and gathering his scattered clothing. The sound of the tractor pulling around the campground was echoing in the distance, along with the sound of laughing children as the hayride came to an end.

“Let’s go get her,” Matteo said, holding the door open for his wife as they stepped out into the night.

…

Strawberry yawned and stretched as the first rays of sun peeked through the camper’s blinds. With a groan she slowly uncoiled Matteo, blinking the sleep out of her eyes as she reached down to her suitcase.

Fumbling around in it, she pulled her bottle of shrink potion out. She and Cherry usually took a dose every morning to keep themselves around human size, and she usually preferred hers before eating. With a sleepy yawn she poured a capful of the magical elixir, downing it in one quick shot.

“Morning,” Matteo muttered behind her, sitting up.

“Morning-“ she greeted, turning around to him with a grin, but she faltered, realizing she was looking up at him.

“Strawberry?” he asked, his eyes going wide.

As she dwindled downward the lamia’s gaze turned to the bottle in her hand, “Extra strength shrinking potion!?” In a panic her eyes shot to the suitcase, where her normal bottle was waiting.” She shrieked in surprise as the potion completed its final shrinking spurt, causing her clothing to billow around her as Matteo ran around the bed in confusion.

“Uh oh,” he muttered, biting his lip as he looked down at the moving lump in the pile of clothing. “Uh… looks like you mixed up the one you used on me and the one you use to stay… yeah…”

A pouting pink haired head poked out of the pile of clothes, covering her chest as she scowled, “Go get me the unshrinking potion!” she demanded.

Matteo gulped, “Uh… well, I can’t, if we use that stuff on you it’s going to take at least a week to get out of your system.”

“So?” Strawberry asked indignantly.

“So…” he continued, “you’ll be at your normal hundred foot size, and you won’t be able to shrink down again until it wears off. I’m sorry to say it, but I think you’re stuck as a Garter Lamia for the rest of the trip, maybe once we get to the coast we can find a big open area somewhere for you to wait out the potion’s effects?”

“Stuck as a Garter Lamia for the trip!?” she whined, “Nooo!”

Matteo laughed, bending down and extending his hand, letting the once again tiny snake girl slither up, coiling around his neck as she used to do.

She sighed as she hugged him tight, “I hate being small…” she muttered, “Do you have any of my old clothes with you?”

“I don’t,” Matteo chuckled, “but most bigger towns have a clothing shop for smaller magical creatures these days, until we get there…” he bit his lip, knowing she wasn’t going to like what was coming next, “Well, Cherry did bring her dolls, and they all have extra outfits anyways…”

Strawberry crossed her arms and glared at him, “I’m going to remember this when you’re my pet Matteo…”

He tried to hide his amused chuckle as he set her down on the nightstand, leaving to go procure clothing.

…

“Poppa, why is momma small?” Cherry asked from the back of the RV, glancing at the older lamia, who was now wrapped around Matteo’s neck like a scarf as he drove.

“She didn’t eat her protein pellets in the mornings,” Matteo joked with a grin.

“Ha ha,” Strawberry muttered, crossing her arms in annoyance. The long pink dress made the motion all the more comical, the princess gown had been the only one that had fit her tiny form, the pink fabric going down her human half and down over her snakelike tail.

“I think you look cute in that,” Matteo said, gently rubbing her head with a single fingertip, “it even matches your hair.”

“Just remember Matty,” she whispered in his ear, “I might be small now, but I’m really a Grand Lamia, so don’t make fun of me too much or you’ll be paying for it when I get my size back!”

“Yes ma’am,” he said with a grin, turning his eyes back to the road.

…

The rest of the trip was uneventful, though Strawberry had found a small clothing section for Fairies and Garter Lamia at a gas station along the way, trading her flowing princess gown out for a white “I Love Buc-ee's” T-Shirt and lower covering.

As their RV rolled into the long drive of the secluded beach house Strawberry found herself on the passenger’s seat, idly surfing the internet with her phone. With a sigh she turned to Garter Garden, hoping to find something that might cheer her up after accidentally shrinking herself for at least the next week.

Strawberry scowled, Trolling? Weird? Hey at least I have a human husband! She thought defensively. With an annoyed wave she closed the couch sized smartphone browser.

Matteo grinned and waved at his parents as they walked out of the house to greet them, and with a sigh Strawberry slithered over the center dash, quickly going up Matteo’s arm and coiling lightly around his neck in the same way she’d done back when she was small.

“Grandpa! Grandma!” Cherry shouted excitedly, slithering out of the RV and leaping at her grandparents with a giddy squeal. Matteo’s mother caught her, hugging her with a laugh as his father walked around the side to help unload their bags.

“Cherry’s just getting bigger every year,” his mom commented, “have you two thought much about her education? What with her being half…” she gestured at the girl’s snake tail as she raced around their RV, talking to her grandad at a mile a minute.

“I think a normal school will be fine,” Matteo said nonchalantly, “Lamia are magical creatures, but I don’t think Cherry has any magical talent or anything like that, she’ll have to learn reading and writing like everyone else.

“Right,” his mother nodded, glancing at Strawberry. She fought an amused smirk, “And uh, Strawberry, good to see you… Didn’t you used to be-“

“Shrinking potion dosing mishap,” she said irritably.

“Matteo, I thought you said your wife was a big Lamia?” His dad called teasingly, pulling their suitcases behind him.

“I am!” Strawberry protested, “I am a GRAND Lamia! An apex predator that ruled the plains for millions of years!”

“Right,” His dad chuckled, “I guess “apex” has a different meaning in the magical world…”

“It does not !” Strawberry shouted, “Tell him Matteo!”

“Dad, the shrinking is a bit of a sensitive subject,” he said, though he was fighting to keep from laughing at the way Strawberry fumed. Her status as a grand lamia was a point of pride to her, even if she spent most of her time at smaller sizes. Being suddenly reduced to the smallest common size of Lamia was certainly a blow to her ego. “Do you know if there’s any kind of giant creature preserve nearby where she could wait out an unshrinking potion?”

His dad thought for a moment, “No, but that’s not the sort of thing your mother and I would know about. Why don’t you all come in and make yourselves at home, we can ask one of those magical creature government liaisons about it in town tomorrow.”

The evening was a relaxing one, ending with the family enjoying a firepit on the lush gulf coast sands as the sun began to set. Even though she wasn’t happy about being small, Strawberry managed to enjoy herself, and by the time she woke up the next morning, coiled around her husband’s neck like when they’d first met, she started to think that spending the vacation at a small size wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

…

The next day saw the family downtown in the small resort village that acted as a hub for many of the vacation rentals and hotels nearby. With the bulk of the town’s business dedicated to fishing and tourism, it was a laid-back place during the off season, with many of the storekeeps relaxing on chairs outside their shops, rather than standing at attention behind the counter.

Matteo and Strawberry had peeled off from his parents and Cherry to journey into the town’s magical creature liaison office, a common site in towns and cities these days.

“Hmm?” an elf standing just about five feet tall perked up excitedly as they walked in, “W-Welcome!” the petite blonde woman stammered, “I’m Elyria, I see you have a garter lamia with you sir, can I interest you in resources to help her acclimate to human society? This pamphlet here on how to use televisions is very-“

“I’ve been in the human world for almost a decade!” Strawberry snapped irritably, “I know how TV works!” She paused, “except how to get it to switch from streaming over to the gaming consoles…”

“We were wondering if you’ve got any giant creature preserves nearby?” Matteo asked, cutting her off, “Strawberry here is actually a grand Lamia if you can believe it, we’d like to get her back to full size in a safe place.”

“Hmm… the only thing we’ve got like that is a special zone for really big mermaids a few miles offshore,” Elyria muttered, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Strawberry sighed, “I guess I’m pet sized for the rest of this trip…”

“Oh, before you go, you need to be on the lookout!” Elyria said, running around the desk. She quickly handed them a series of flyers, “There’s been a surge of criminal activity lately, mostly elvish and orcish gangs trying to kidnap rare magical creatures!”

“What!?” Matteo asked, taken aback, “even in a quiet place like this?”

“Yeah, they try to get tourists,” Elyria said bitterly, “it almost makes me ashamed to be an Elf… I don’t know why my kin are so obsessed with shrinking and kidnapping people! If I shrank a human it would obviously just be to help them relax! Or maybe to have some fun…” She looked embarrassed for a minute as Matteo and Strawberry looked at her curiously, and she blushed, “That is to say I uh… I just get really upset about other elves doing bad things!”

“Well, humans do bad things too,” Matteo said with a sigh, “I guess we’ll just have to be on the lookout for any suspicious people.”

Matteo walked out of the office, thinking about the warning the elf had given him, he almost didn’t realize that someone across the street was shouting his name.

“Matteo!”

He looked up, then grinned, “Dillon?”

“What’s happening my man?” his old friend called. The pair had gone to high school together, both members of the computer club and a number of other extracurriculars. Dillon looked almost like he remembered, if with slightly longer hair. He was sitting at a small table outside of a café, a woman and a small boy next to him.

“I’m Charlotte,” she said, standing up to shake his hand, “nice to meet you!”

“And this little rascal is Timothy,” Dillon said, pointing to the boy, who looked up from his coloring book with a frown at the newcomers.

“Hi,” he said nervously, quickly turning back to his crayons.

“So, wife and kids huh?” Matteo asked, sitting down.

“Yeah, heard you got married too?”

“Hi!” Strawberry said, grinning.

“A garter lamia,” Dillon chuckled, “well, you’re not the only guy from our graduating class that married one, you remember Darren? He and his pocket snake Apple tied the knot too, he shrank down for the wedding photos.”

“Uh, excuse me, I’m a grand Lamia,” Strawberry said proudly, “and so is my daughter!”

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of for being small,” Charlotte said with a warm smile, “My own sister is dating a fairy, if you’re going to date across realms you might end up with some size difference!”

“No, really, I’m huge!” Strawberry insisted, “This whole Garter thing is just temporary!”

“Momma, Poppa!” Cherry called, slithering up to them with her grandparents in tow, “Look at this big bag of taffy I got!”

“Wow, can I have a piece?” Timothy asked.

“Only if you can catch me!” Cherry teased, slithering over the pavement as the boy scowled and started chasing after each other.

“Be careful!” Matteo called, exasperated. As he watched Cherry slithered easily up a nearby bronze statue of the town’s founder, causing the human boy to leap as he tried to grab the bag of taffy from her hands.

“Ah, Dillon,” Matteo’s dad said, grinning as he greeted his son’s old friend, “I didn’t know you still lived around here!”

“Just moved back to run the family business,” Dillon said with a nod.

“That’s great, Matteo and his family are thinking about moving around here too!”

“Yeah,” Matteo nodded, “It just seems like the right call for us, warmer climate, better schools, closer to family.”

“Hey, if you’re not busy, you should come with us out on the boat tomorrow,” Matteo’s dad said with a grin, “see about doing a little ocean fishing!”

Dillon grinned, “Sounds like a good time!”

“Pass,” Matteo’s mother said with shudder, “I get seasick too easily, even after all these years. I’ll take Cherry into town to get some new clothes.”

“Let’s make a girl’s day out of it!” Charlotte said.

…

Matteo’s dad had always enjoyed boating, and after his business had really taken off he splurged and bought himself the nicest fishing boat that would still fit on their family’s dock. As it bobbed up and down in the waves Matteo and Dillon laughed, recounting old school memories.

“Marrying a Garter Lamia,” Dillon chuckled, “I mean I always wondered if you were into magical girls, but still, it was a bit of a surprise.”

“She’s a big lamia,” Matteo retorted, cracking a beer and taking a long sip.

“Seriously?” Dillon asked with a frown, “I thought that was a joke.”

“I’ve never seen her at her full size myself,” Matteo’s dad said, coming to join them at the boat’s edge, “but Matty there insists she’s normally a hundred feet tall.” He sighed and looked over the waves, “I want you to know, your mother and I totally support you and Strawberry son, we’re very happy with how all of this turned out.”

“Aw, thanks dad,” Matteo said with a small smile.

“To be honest we were wondering about getting grandkids at all, so we weren’t going to get picky,” his dad laughed, causing Matteo to scowl at the joke.

…

Leltyr Swiftfoot adjusted his sunglasses, and took a moment to touch up the illusion charms on his cohorts. He, the towering orc behind him, and the bald human at his side, would all appear to the passing eye as a trio of little old ladies out for a Sunday stroll.

“Heads up,” he growled, nodding to a passing group. There were two women that they could see, a young human boy, and a lamia girl. As his eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses he could also make out a garter lamia riding on one of the women’s shoulders.

“We could get good money for a Lamia girl in the Elf country,” Leltyr muttered, “what do you say boys? A quick snatch and grab?”

“Hehe, sounds like fun,” the orc muttered as the trio approached them.

Strawberry frowned as she sensed something was off, and she turned to see a trio of older ladies crossing the street towards them suspiciously fast.

“Can we help you?” She asked.

“Now!”

There were screams as the illusion dropped. A massive green orc grabbed Cherry, hauling the girl off the ground and tossing her over his shoulder, and before they could react the elf was muttering a new series of spells, covering their retreat in a puff of smoke.

…

Matteo watched as Dillon taught his son Timothy how to bait a hook, idly wondering if Cherry would be interested in learning to fish someday.

His thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of his phone in his pocket, and with a frown he picked it up. Seeing his mother’s contact he answered it, holding it up to his ear not sure what to expect. His blood ran cold as she started speaking, and by the time she was done his hands shook so much he almost dropped his phone into the sea below.

…

“We’re going to catch them, I promise!” Elyria hugged Matteo’s shaking mother, a worried look on her face as the police took statements.

Strawberry was hugged tight around Matteo’s neck, fearful and quiet as they finished talking to the police officers. There was a somber mood as the group walked out of the station, and Matteo didn’t remember much of the car ride home, consumed by his worry.

…

Strawberry paced across the ground of the guest bedroom, her tail trailing behind her, “If I could find them I’d go full size,” she growled, “then they’d really get it!”

“The cops are looking,” Matteo muttered, staring at the ceiling.

“Forget the cops!” Strawberry shrieked, “let’s find them and eat them ourselves!”

In spite of everything Matteo couldn’t help but smirk, “I’m sorry did you say-“

“If I catch them, they aren’t going to jail!” Strawberry said, her fists balled in anger. Matteo watched as she went to her phone, muttering under her breath. He saw her logging in to Garter Garden, and frowned, but didn’t say anything, instead just laying back on the bed.

We’ve all got to cope however we can, he thought miserably.

Strawberry blinked, “M-MATTY!” she shouted, “We’ve got to get on your dad’s boat right now!”

…

Matteo, his father, Strawberry, and the elven government worker, Elyria, were all on his fishing boat, racing along the coast. With the weather beginning to turn bad, there weren’t any other boats out, and his father grimaced as he fought against the choppy seas.

“A-Are you sure about this?” His dad grunted, steering against the rising waves, “we really shouldn’t be out here.”

“That makes it easier,” Matteo explained, “Who would be out in this weather except people doing something they shouldn’t?”

“And why’s she here?” his dad jerked a thumb at Elyria.

“I can sense another elf’s magic,” she explained with a grin. She suddenly perked upright, “THERE!” she pointed to a yacht, rolling on the waves.

…

Leltyr chuckled as he walked through the terrariums of shrunken prisoners. Most were various magical creatures, lamia, holstaurs, catgirls, but there were a handful of humans too, mostly for clients in the elven settlements. Cherry shivered, looking out fearfully and then slithering under a rock in the cage as the elf walked past.

“We’re going to be rich off this haul,” the elf said with a wicked grin. He peered out a porthole, spotting the cargo ship that would take their cargo of victims further out to sea.

“Hey boss,” one of his men called from up on the deck, “We’ve got another boat coming!”

…

Matteo, his father, and Elyria looked up defiantly at the group on the deck, two humans, an orc, and an elven male with fingers glowing with magic as he walked along the railing. The men had handguns at their sides, and the orc cracked his knuckles with a cruel grin.

“You’d best get moving,” The elf said, “the weather’s turning rough, you don’t want to be out here.” He glanced at the approaching cargo ship and scowled, “If you don’t head to shore you might be heading to the sea floor soon.”

“We know what you’ve got on board,” Matteo called, “give me my daughter back!”

The elf’s eyes narrowed, and there was a spark in midair between the ships, “EEP!” Elyria yelped, “H-He’s pretty strong Matteo, I can’t block another spell, don’t antagonize him!”

“We’ll pay!” Matteo’s father called out. Matteo watched, stunned, as his dad hurried over to the fishing boat’s small refrigerator. He quickly unclasped a false floor, revealing a pair of gold bars.

“Dad, what the hell?” he whispered.

“I got a little scared of the Y2k bug back in the day,” his dad admitted sheepishly, “So I hid some stuff on the boat just in case.” He lifted the gold up, showing the kidnappers.

The elf smirked, “Very well, you had the little red snake, right?” From the rage filled look Matteo gave him the elf could tell he’d guessed correctly. He laughed as he walked below deck.

A few moments later the two boats were close together, and the elf was lowering a terrarium with a terrified Cherry in it down to him. Matteo took it grimly, fighting the urge to strangle the elf as he clambered back down to his father’s boat.

“A pleasure doing business with you,” The elf chuckled. “Remember, it’s best if you keep this quiet, or maybe we’ll come back.”

The engine rumbled beneath their feet as Matteo’s father brought the boat away from them, and a moment later Elyria’s spell had brought Cherry back to her full size, letting his daughter cry in his arms as they sped across the rough waves.

“What about the rest of their captives!?” Elyria protested, “We’ve got to call someone!”

“They’d be gone before the coast guard could get here,” Matteo’s father muttered.

“Don’t worry,” Matteo said, handing bottle to Strawberry, “they won’t get away.” He watched as Strawberry pulled the unshrinking potion’s lid off, tilting the bottle that was almost as big as her body and taking a deep gulp. She was already as high as his waist as she leapt from the boat, her tail slithering through the water like a sea snake in the direction of the elves.

“Oh,” Elyria said, her eyes going wide, “Is she going to-“

“Don’t look back Cherry,” Matteo muttered, “Dad, floor it, we really don’t want to be out here.”

…

Leltyr grinned as he looked at the pair of gold bars on the yacht’s kitchen counter, “We’re not even ten miles off shore and we’re already pulling in more gold than a year in a mushroom mine.”

“Boss,” the orc called, "look!”

Leltyr ran to the window, and his triumph turned to terror as he saw the state of their cargo ship.

…

Strawberry loomed out of the water like an angry goddess as the rain started to fall, her massive white scaled tail coiled around the cruise ship like a sea serpent, thick as a commuter train and impervious to the small arms fire that sparked across her impenetrable hide.

Strawberry felt a wave of primal fury and hunger rip through her as she cried out angrily, squeezing the ship as tight as she could within her coils. The steel groaned as the elves, men, and orcs on the deck screamed in fear, looking up at the goddess grinning wickedly overhead. The sound of metal tearing rang out as the cargo ship crumpled like a tin can, the water pouring in as Strawberry gritted her teeth, constricting with all her might.

“ABANDON SHIP!” someone shouted.

The crew scrambled for the lifeboats, with a few jumping straight into the water as the ship split in two, sucking water in as it was pulled beneath the waves by the powerful force of the enormous Lamia’s tail. She turned to the fleeing survivors, giggling as she slowly uncoiled the doomed wreckage, letting it slide to the bottom of the sea while she slipped down into the water, her white tail disappearing into the water behind her with a splash.

“Where’d she go?” an orc shouted.

“Who cares, get to shore!” a burly man in a thick coat called.

“Wait for me!” one of the men called, paddling through the water, “Wait for-“

A massive shadow appeared underneath him, and a moment later there was a splash as Strawberry’s immense form burst out of the water underneath him, scooping him along with the seawater into her mouth as she rose into the air. The terrified kidnappers got one look at their crewmate’s shocked face before her lips snapped shut and a loud *gulp* rang out through the air. A smug girlish chuckle rumbled across the surface of the water as she disappeared below it again, leaving the stunned onlookers in silence as the rain picked up.

“GO GO GO!” one of the elves shouted, starting the motor to the lifeboat.

A moment later the churning sound of water became a buzz as the boat was lifted out of the waves, and the four inside it looked up in horror as a pair of mountainous breasts rose up on either side of them like mountains. Strawberry had surfaced, doing a backfloat and trapping the boat in her cleavage, grinning down at the passengers.

“Cute boat,” Strawberry teased. She pressed her hands on either side of her breasts, and a moment later the wooden lifeboat collapsed into splintered timbers as she ground the massive mountains together in a slow kneading motion. She slowly let them separate again, looking down at the dazed passengers, who fell into the sea as she lowered herself back down. She opened her mouth, swallowing each of them in turn with gleeful relish, feeling their squirming forms fight their way down her throat and land in her belly.

“Mmmm…” she moaned, “You guys are sooo yummy!”

The thunder boomed as lightning cracked, illuminating her grin in a frightful way as she moved through the water, hunting down the rest of the group that had tried to take her daughter from her.

This, Strawberry thought as she loomed underneath another lifeboat, this is what it is to be a GRAND Lamia! Her tail casually flicked out of the water, tipping the lifeboat over and spilling its scrumptious contents into the sea. They swam against the current, but they were no match for the massive snake woman who opened her mouth, almost casually bringing it up under them and closing her lips.

Each swallow was like ecstasy for her as she enjoyed the thrilling sensation of capturing her prey combined with the righteous fury of a mother defending her child. Finally, only one member of the cargo ship’s crew remained, an elf desperately paddling towards shore against the current. Strawberry followed behind him, letting her instincts consume her completely as she bumped her nose playfully against him, causing him to cry out in panic one last time before her mouth snapped out and over him like a cobra, sending him to his fellows with one final triumphant swallow.

She growled as she sank into the water again, her massive white tail swishing in the water behind her as she spotted the yacht with the elf who had kidnapped her daughter in the first place. As much as her instincts roared for her to smash the boat with her tail, a more rational part of her whispered that there were still innocents on board… No, this prize would come into port unharmed.

“I’m warning you, stay back!” Leltyr shouted, raising his hands and casting a lightning bolt down onto the water. The sea hissed where it struck, but as the elf blinked away the blinding flash he realized he’d missed. His human henchman appeared at his side with a large looking gun, pulling the trigger with a roar and spraying the surface of the water.

“Give up right now and maybe I’ll let you go!” Strawberry roared, rising out of the water mere feet from their hull and causing the yacht to rock back and forth as her face came level with the deck.

“Fuck that!” the human shouted, backing up as he struggled to reload the firearm. Strawberry’s tongue whipped out, curling around him and binding his arms and legs together. There was a final shout of surprise and a burst of gunfire as he was whipped across the deck and into Strawberry’s waiting mouth. Her lips smacked as she closed them, and the elf watched in horror as she tilted her head back, sending his minion to his doom with a quick swallow. Her throat bulged ever so slightly, and a moment later her gazed traced back down to him with a smug grin.

Leltyr stumbled as he ran for the stairs leading below deck, she can’t hurt me if I’m near the captives!

“What’s going on?” the big orc asked as he stumbled down the staircase.

He was answered by broken glass as the Lamia’s massive tongue pressed through a large viewing window, curling around the orc and drawing him out into the stormy seas with a scream. The boat shifted as Strawberry put her shoulder into it, forcing it against the waves and its own engine towards the shore. Leltyr could only watch as his yacht was pushed against the sandy shore.

Now’s my chance! He leapt through the gaping hole in the side of the boat, grunting as his feet hit the sand. He whirled around, looking up at the hundred foot snake woman, silhouetted ominously against the lightning of the oncoming storm. She reached down to grab him, up, a look of anger coming across her face as her massive fingers squeezed tightly around him.

“You took my daughter,” she growled. She lowered him down her body, letting him rest against her manhole sized belly button. His hair stood on end as he heard the muffled shouts from inside it.

“I took your daughter,” he sneered, summoning all of his magical might for his favorite spell, “and I’d do it again! Gods will it I will do it again!” he laughed as blue energy lanced out from him, and the massive Lamia jerked, almost dropping him as he chanted the words of the shrinking spell in the elven tongue.

Steam from the raindrops hitting her skin rose as Strawberry shivered, shrugging off the attack. Leltyr’s face fell, and his mouth gaped open.

“N-No, impossible!” he whispered.

“Anti-shrinking potion,” Strawberry grinned, “it stays in your system for a week.” She peered down at him, raising an eyebrow at the way the sparks struggled to stay on his fingers. “I’m guessing that blast emptied your tank as far as spellcasting goes, huh?” The elf’s stunned expression confirmed her suspicions, and she sighed happily, holding him against her toned belly just above where the skin met her snake scales. “I think your spell did shrink the ones in my belly…”

There was a high pitched yelling from inside as her stomach gurgled, then her belly went silent again.

“Yeah, you got your own people,” Strawberry shrugged, “Lamia digestion is usually pretty slow, but shrinking them down to that size? Ouch, I think they’re gone.” She licked her lips, “problem is, I’m hungry again.”

Leltyr screamed, flailing as he was brought up to her mouth. The air rushed around him as he was dropped in, plopping onto the massive Lamia’s tongue and sliding down it as she angled it backwards, his journey lubricated by her slick saliva.

Behind him he could hear her teeth click shut, forming an impenetrable wall to his prison as the saliva welled around him. The elf scrambled for purchase, falling further and further towards the back of her throat, and it seemed to tense for a moment before the inevitable came.

*gulp*

Strawberry traced a finger down her throat, following the trajectory of her final meal of the evening. As the elf reached the bottom of her esophagus there was the slightest pause as he plopped into her belly. Inside her Leltyr pounded feebly against the leathery walls of her stomach, panic welling within him as the natural churning of the Lamia’s insides and the chemicals therein began to make him drowsy.

“N-No! You’re just a damn Lamia!” His strength left him, and he found himself sliding lower into the massive innards as the Lamia’s rumbling giggle echoed like an earthquake around his prison.

Strawberry glanced at the toy sized boat, then around the deserted stretch of beach. The storm was still coming ashore, with the palm trees waving in the winds and the rain beginning to hit her skin almost like hard pebbles. In the distance she saw flashing red and blue lights, the approaching police.

Sorry humies, she thought as she slipped back into the waves, but magical crimes, magical justice. She disappeared easily into the sea, her pale white scales quickly becoming invisible in the murky water of the storm surf.

…

Matteo and Dillon watched the blurry news footage of the massive white tail coming out of the water, coiling around the cargo ship and crumpling it.

“This amateur cell phone video was taken of a mysterious creature that intervened to save a group of traffic victims just last night,” the newscaster explained. “Police are asking anyone with any information to come forward, while all of the victims of the traffickers have been accounted for, there appear to be no survivors for the infamous kidnappers that have plagued the state since last march. The local Magical Liaison office has denied having any knowledge-“

“I think I’ve seen enough,” Matteo sighed, muting the broadcast and collapsing into the chair in the beach house living room. She didn’t get seen at least… While he didn’t disagree with his wife’s actions, he didn’t think the law would see it the same way.

“T-That’s your wife?” Dillon whispered, glancing at him, then back to the TV, where the footage was repeating.

“Yes,” Matteo said, “and I’d appreciate it if you could keep it quiet.”

“Yeah man, you can count on me,” Dillon said eagerly, “That’s so… cool.”

“So she really was a Grand Lamia,” Charlotte said, “Huh, I feel kind of bad for teasing her now…” She licked her lips nervously, “she doesn’t get too offended by that kind of thing, does she? I mean, she seems to have a bit of a temper-“

“Charlotte, come on!” Dillon hissed, “those people took her daughter!”

Matteo just chuckled, rubbing his temples for a moment, “I’ve got to go tuck my daughter in,” he said finally, standing up. He went up the stairs to the guest room where she was staying, but as he opened the door he realized she was already asleep, and he decided to leave her to it, closing the door softly.

She’ll be okay, he thought to himself with a sigh. He’d worried at first, but as soon as Cherry had gotten home she’d asked for her favorite bedtime story and stuffed animal. Now what am I going to tell her about where her mother is?

…

A week later the entire incident with the kidnappers seemed like a bad dream, and the family had once again settled into something almost like normalcy. Elyria had hidden Strawberry at a sandbar far off shore in a mermaid reserve where boats were prohibited. The mermaids themselves hadn’t seemed to mind the massive Lamia crashing with them for the week, and Strawberry had even made a few friends.

Still, things weren’t totally back to normal. While the witnesses to the event had been far away, and it had been raining, there were still a few grainy cell phone videos of the night when Strawberry had put an end to the magical creature trafficking ring.

“T-They’re calling me the leviathan?” Strawberry stammered, looking at the footage of her rampage being played on the news again.

“Yeah,” Matteo laughed, “nobody’s sure what happened, some people are saying it was a kraken or something, others are saying the whole thing’s fake.”

Strawberry frowned, pulling up her phone to check Garter Garden.

“A movie promotion!?” Strawberry fumed, “ A TAIL TOO FAT FOR SCREEN?”

“I think it’s wonderful honey,” Matteo laughed, slowly running a hand over the white scales. He grimaced as he felt the bulge that was still in her lower body twitch suddenly. The elf was apparently still working his way through her…

The sound of playing children outside called them to their bedroom window, and the pair watched as Dillons’ son Timothy chased Cherry across the beach sands, each laughing as Dillon watched from a nearby folding chair.

“Cherry, come inside and get ready for bed!” Matteo called, “You’ve got a big day tomorrow!”

“Aww…” she pouted, but waved goodbye as she slithered her way back up to the beach house, where her grandparents were holding the door for her.

Matteo sighed, pulling the window and the blinds shut as he collapsed back into his bed, “it seems like just yesterday you were told me were having a daughter…”

“Yeah,” Strawberry sighed happily. “Matty,” she said, stroking a finger through his hair, “do you ever think about having another child? I mean the people at the preserve say Grand Lamia populations are considered to be at risk, so you should really be doing your part, you know, for conservation.”

“Conservation, right,” he grinned, embracing her, “maybe we’ll discuss it when you’re done with your last meal.”

Strawberry scowled and looked down at the lump in her lower half, “Fine,” she muttered. She looked worried suddenly, “Matty, you’re not… scared of me now, are you?”

“No,” he said, a little surprised, sitting up, “Strawberry, those people took our daughter, they took dozens of other people for their trafficking operation. If I could have torn their ship apart and saved everyone, I would have done it, but I can’t… You can, you did. ” He hugged her close, “I could never be scared of you, I know you too well.”

“Thanks Matty,” she giggled, slowly coiling around them as they lay in the bed together, “I love you…”

“I love you too Strawberry,” he whispered back, embracing her in turn.

Outside the waves turned red in the light of the sunset as the pair kissed, enjoying the slow beat of the sea against the shore as the day ended.