Tiny Tinder Academy – The Resort: New Arrivals

Zac’s eyes flickered from the pamphlet to the road, and he forced himself to set it on the passenger seat next to him. Both hands returned to the wheel and he accelerated through the now-green light. Eyes on the road.

Not gonna get in an accident now, he told himself. One hand went through his black hair and he laughed aloud when his GPS informed him he was halfway to his destination. He ignored his already aching back; distance driving was not his favorite thing.

“Two hours left. I’ve been saving for this for two years, I can be safe on the last two hours.”

He leaned forward and turned the radio up as his excitement built. Zac had been saving up for this vacation for the last two years and had eagerly been planning it for several more. Every penny, every extra dollar he could make had gone into purchasing his tickets. At times, he’d been tempted to use what he already had  and purchase a cheaper package just to get there a little sooner, but he’d resisted. An effort that was only more difficult since the resort was only four hours from his hometown.

On the passenger seat a small pamphlet contained his printed-out tickets and confirmation email, and several pages of what one could expect at the resort. Thos who bought tickets rarely actually needed the extra information; if someone was vacationing here, they knew what they were purchasing. Still, Zac had made a special point to read through it. Discreetly. He was living at home for the summer and wasn’t interested in his family knowing he was going to the world’s only size-related wonderland.

All the information he needed was freely available from the internet, but this was his first exposure to true, official resort material. It wouldn’t do to get sloppy now. The internet was full of myths; the brochure was reality.

Beautiful, massive reality.

“Tiny Tinder Academy, here I come!”, Zac yelled as his favorite song came on the radio.

***

Tiny Tinder Academy, here I come!”, Caley sang softly to herself as she slammed the trunk shut. She hummed as she got into her car then backed it down her parent’s driveway.

She’d only been staying with them for the first part of the summer and had then been desperate to find somewhere else to be. Free room and board had been tempting. For a few weeks. Until she’d had enough of her parents asking what she did for money while in school.

The College junior checked her long blond hair in the mirror as she put her car in drive and headed toward the freeway. It had been great staying with her parents and younger brother for awhile, but after three years of college freedom, she was restless.

Caley could have stayed near her college, but most of her friends had gone home for the summer. The financial idea of paying for her apartment without roommates wasn’t incredibly appealing, especially since she knew her job as an exotic dancer would take a hit with the college guys out of town. So instead of wasting a summer dancing for pennies, she’d elected to come back home.

Which had immediately gotten dull, until she’d chanced upon a pamphlet while delivering laundry to her younger brother’s room.

“What better way to break the tedium then head to a resort?”, she asked herself, double checking she’d brought her reservation information with her.

“Got mine”, Caley mumbled as she maneuvered her car through traffic, “and…got his.”

The blond girl smirked as she imagined what she would be doing the next couple of weeks. Her printed-out receipt lay on top of another that she’d photocopied, making sure she got the dates exactly the same. This was going to be an exciting vacation.

***

   (Zac)

“That’s the last paper”, the receptionist told Zac as she double-checked all his signatures were in place.

The check-in process had gone just as smoothly as he’d hoped; half of it had been done online when he originally registered. He had been sure there would be some last-minute hiccup, but instead the short-haired receptionist had simply checked his identification and handed him a stack of paperwork that he finished in five minutes. His hand shook slightly and he took a deep breath to make his signatures steadier.

“That’s great!”, he said as he tried to contain his excitement.

From the moment he’d stepped foot in the resort, he’d felt almost in awe of his surroundings. The walls were a beautiful white sandstone, the floor appeared to be a dark marble. All of the furniture had seemed luxurious to the point of being pulled from a movie and before he’d even gotten to the receptionist’s desk, someone had taken a drink order for him.

“Sir, your mojito”, said a voice to his left, and Zac took the drink with a huge smile.

“An umbrella and everything!”, he exclaimed, and both the waiter and receptionist laughed politely. It was obvious he’d never had such good service before. Nor had he been allowed an alcoholic beverage at any business without being carded. In this instance, not only was he not carded, they knew he was only nineteen. His purchased package had saw to that. No, with his purchase, he would be allowed to do several things that he otherwise could not do outside the confines of this resort. And it was perfectly legal here as long as one could pay for it.

“Can I get you anything else?”, the waiter asked, and Zac shook his head as he took a drink of the best mojito he’d had in his life.

“No, this is great!”, Zac said, “What do I owe you?”, he asked as he reached for his wallet.

“There’s no need, sir”, the receptionist said as she stepped around the booth and beckoned to him.

Zac nodded politely to the waiter, who gave him a smile then stepped smartly to meet another incoming guest. Zac lost sight of him quickly as he followed the receptionist, whose charming smile and button nose would almost have been worth the price of his tickets on their own. Her red and khaki uniform stood out against the walls, and he could see all the staff similarly dressed. He thought she’d be a fun one to spend his vacation with.

“Here at Tiny Tinder Academy, we have an accounting system that will automatically settle your bill at the end of your stay”, she explained. “There was a brief explanation in the pamphlet we sent you-“, Zac nodded as he recalled that section, “-but ultimately depending on how much exchanging and renting and use of our facilities occurs during your stay, most of our guests with your particular package end up breaking completely even.”

“I remember reading about that”, Zac said as they entered a long hallway. It was well lit, but had a different feeling to it than the rest of the resort. The walls and decoration had a more medical vibe to them; the sandstone had shifted to white plastics and chrome. Zac’s heart started beating excitedly as they approached a tall, ornate, metal door.

“I got the VIP package”, he said as they approached the somehow ominous door. “So I get that part, but how does it work for the people with the cheaper packages?”

The receptionist just smiled and blinked at him with her pretty blue eyes. A small smile flitted across her face and for a moment Zac swore she seemed about to lick her lips in anticipation of something delicious.

“Let’s just say if I were going to come here as a guest, I’d save up for your package too”, she said as a gentle blue light illuminated the door.

It swung open noiselessly as they approached, and the receptionist put a gentle hand on his chest while she stepped to the side, carefully not entering the room herself.

“Now”, she began with a knowing smile, “Federal law requires us to tell you this is the point of no return. Beyond this door, you’ll be entering our guest adjustment facility and every agreement you signed previously becomes legally binding.”

Zac nodded. He took a deep breath. “I understand.”

With that said, she gave him an award-winning smile and stepped aside, gesturing him in with one dainty hand.

“Enjoy your stay Zac!”, she said as he stepped forward.

Twenty minutes later, Zac found himself nearly naked and confused. He was standing on a small circular stage surrounded by much-larger-than-life props of what should have been small objects while wearing only a pair of red and khaki athletic shorts. The stage was surprisingly cold against his feet and he couldn’t believe the detail on some of the props, though he couldn’t really see the point.

“Um”, he said as he leaned against a well-made faux can of soda that was taller than he was, “Remind me again why we can’t do this when I’m actually shrunk?”

It wasn’t that he minded being nearly naked in front of anyone. Years of playing several sports and spending five days a week in the gym, along with a good diet, had resulted in a toned, muscular, and athletic frame. The youth was proud to show it off. But these photos were eating into his fun time.

“Smile!”, the camerawoman said, and Zac heard three clicks as she took several photographs, then moved to get a better angle. Briefly she blocked one of the broad lights before kneeling down and letting it blind Zac again. She raised the camera to her eye and said, “Because some guests get disoriented and it’s harder to take catalogue pictures once you’ve been…adjusted.”

“Oh, that makes sense”, he agreed, though it didn’t quite click to him. If he hadn’t seen the evidence that this place was for real, he would have been nervous that he’d somehow bought into an elaborate hoax. It was easy for him to look slightly confused while the camerawoman called out as he picked up a massive thumbtack that looked surprisingly sharp.

“Just a couple more”, she called out, “Please look straight at me!”

Zac dropped the thumbtack and it rolled away, falling off the stage with a thud. He looked toward the camera and she held up a hand with three fingers on it.

“Three what?”, he asked as the camera clicked and she dropped a finger. “Okay so now-“, another finger dropped, “Oh, I get-“

When she curled her final finger, a massive flash of light blinded Zac and he shouted in surprise as he threw his hands forward instinctively to protect himself. There was a sudden feeling of pressure all around his body and he fell backward in an attempt to get away from the light. An unidentifiable sensation shot through him and an indescribable adrenaline rush instantly made him lightheaded. For a moment, the floor seemed to vanish and he felt weightless as his stomach lurched upward, then he landed again on the platform so softly he questioned if it had really vanished.

“Hey, what the hell!”, he shouted as the wave of confusion quickly wore off, now flat on his back.

Quickly, he scrambled to his feet as his ears rang and sunspots flashed in his vision. Just as he stood upright, his vision cleared, but all around him sound remained oddly amplified. The clicking of the camera sounded from what seemed a mile away, yet still he could clearly hear it. Still annoyed at the sudden rough treatment, Zac pushed aside the life-sized soda prop and looked for the camerawoman to demand an answer.

“What the hell was-“, he started to say, but then his voice trailed off.

“Holy shit!”

The camerawoman stood before him, now seeming as tall as a skyscraper, and her camera was focused on his stunned face. She had gotten much closer to him and Zac realized he was only as tall as her ankle. A glance at his surroundings showed him that the entire platform he’d been standing on had suddenly shrank, dropping him and the props around him to a small portion of their former height.

He had the realization that the can of soda had been real all along. The tiny flaws in the paint had been authentic, not poorly done artwork. The woman was close enough that he could see tiny imperfections in her nail coloring, and he was sure if she let him look, he’d see every single pore on her face.

“That was great!”, the photographer said, finally setting her camera carefully on the ground. She knelt in front of Zac and he took a step back. Her size was so massive compared to his that his instincts were screaming at him to run while his mind was screaming with joy.

It was finally happening!

“I’m sorry for the surprise”, she continued as she held out a hand gently. Without any hesitation, Zac leapt onto it, then stumbled to his knees when she stood. He could smell her strong lavender hand lotion as her fingers gently wrapped around him.

“But all these pictures will go into your catalog for the other guests to choose from, and the surprised pictures just before and after the adjustment process are usually the most viewed.

“That’s okay!”, he shouted, and the photographer giggled as she sat him on a shelf near the wall. Quickly he lowered his volume, realizing how close he actually was to her ear. “I understand!”

She’d gone through this process with thousands of guests before, but still loved the excited energy they radiated.  He looked so cute, she felt an urge to grasp him quickly and pop him in her mouth – it wouldn’t be the first tiny she had eaten. Regardless of the urge, which she quickly quelled, that didn’t mean she could spend as much time as she liked with each guest, however. She was a professional, after all.

“Well, it was great to meet you, Zac”, she said with a business-like tone that inferred she needed to hurry to her next guest.

One finger tapped a sign on the wall not far from where he stood, and Zac saw below it a door that was just his size. Above it a small sign read: WAITING AREA.

“Head on through here and you’ll find a personal suite for you to enjoy until a guest chooses you.”

Before Zac could thank her, the woman gave him a polite nod and spun on her heels. For a moment, he watched her walk away, stunned at how graceful she appeared at her incredible size. The he turned back toward the small door and pushed it open. The feeling of being in a dream intensified.

The door opened to a long hallway, and when Zac stepped forward, the floor began moving. Zac stumbled at the movement and grabbed a railing, which was also moving. He realized it was a moving sidewalk ala a massive airport, just as the walls suddenly lit up with images. He floated forward as pictures of him next to the massive props flashed by, and by the time the rolling sidewalk was slowing, he was laughing at his face when he was mid-shrink. It wasn’t lost on him that the resort’s underwear had shrunk with him, and he appreciated that not every guest would get to see him both scared and naked.

At the end of the walkway another door awaited, and when Zac strode through, he found himself in a small suite, just as promised. The entire room was white, with white tile floors and an off-white couch that looked almost too expensive to sit on. Almost. Otherwise, the room was entirely unadorned and appeared surgically clean.

After two steps, a massive television activated; when it had been turned off, it had blended perfectly with the wall. A calm scene of waves on a beach shone while small informational tidbits about the resort floated along the bottom of the screen. On the couch, Zac saw a larger-than-usual remote and he picked it up as he sat.

“Good afternoon, sir”, said a pleasant but obviously computerized voice from above. “May I get you anything while you wait? The room service menu is available by using the remote, simply the microphone button on the remote and say alout, ‘menu please.’ Please keep in mind that your physiological needs are suspended while under the effects of guest alteration.”

For a moment, Zac felt disconnected from reality. Even though he had known what to expect, everything that had happened in the past hour had been overwhelming. And now, after everything, he was in a perfectly sized room with a computer asking him if he wanted a drink. It was so calm. The opposite of how he felt; his heart was pounding in anticipation.

“Uh”, he said before remembering to press on the green microphone button, “Can I get a strawberry daiquiri?”

Zac felt silly speaking to the open room, but the voice responded immediately.

“Certainly sir, please have a seat and feel free to peruse our broad selection of movies while you wait. Your drink will be delivered momentarily. Today’s average wait time is three hours.”

He was already sitting on the couch, suddenly self-conscious in the pair of shorts the resort had given him. They had shrunk with him, but the couch was cold against his back when he leaned against it. It warmed quickly as he browsed the movie selection, and before he knew it, there was a gentle ‘ping!’ sound from next to him.

A section of the floor lifted smoothly upward at the side of the couch, and a small table appeared with a pink drink on top. Zac watched, stunned.

“That was fast”, he said aloud as he picked it up and took a drink. He let out a content sigh and leaned back against the couch. “Now, how do I burn three hours?”, Zac asked himself as he searched for a movie.

Just as he settled on an action film he’d seen a dozen times, a repeating series of three gentle beeps sounded.

“Congratulations guest”, the same computerized voice said, “You have been selected for guest accompaniment. Please exit the waiting area and meet our delivery staff.”

Zac took a quick drink from his daiquiri and sat it back on the table it had appeared on.

“Well damn, that was really fast!”, he said, laughing as he stood, excited.

The lights in the room dimmed gently, and the border of the doorway he had entered through glowed slightly. Without a second thought, Zac strode back through it. There was another long moving walkway, but this time Zac didn’t bother looking at the screens on either side of him. He was too excited watching for the end to this rid. The path took several long winding turns and seemed to take much longer than the first; Zac could only assume he was now in a far different part of the resort.

When the walkway stopped, he walked through another door onto what appeared to be a larger silver serving tray. Zac looked all about at a massive room that reminded him vaguely of a restaurant kitchen. There were all manner of trays, mugs, bowls, and other tools he couldn’t identify on shelves all around him. A single object was on the tray with him, a simple looking golden cup that almost appeared to be a small vase; it was much narrower at the top than the bottom.

Since for the moment no one was approaching or talking to him, Zac strode to the edge of the try. There was a short lip, perhaps an inch high, but currently up to Zac’s waist. He debated hopping over it, but didn’t want to get lost in the shuffle. Not far away on that same countertop, he saw a mixed drink, deep yellow in color, for a bare moment before a waiter came and carried it away. Zac watched the waiter exit through a pair of swinging doors and recognized the distinctive style of the resort before the doors swung back shut.

For a moment, it appeared someone was swimming on the top of the drink, but it was too distant for Zac to be sure.

He turned his attention to the marvels around him and realized how incredible the world truly was. At hs size, he could see details invisible to the naked, regularly-sized eye. The smooth metal countertops were actually marred with nigh-invisible chipping and scratches, the blue tile of the wall wasn’t quite as evenly colored as he would have guessed. Even the gold…Cup? Vase?, he wondered…wasn’t quite as pristine as it had appeared when he first saw it.

In the distance, staff came and went, picking up other trays which held other tinies and seemingly random objects before vanishing to deliver them. Through a small opening in the wall, he could see someone mixing another drink before placing it through the opening to replace the yellow drink that had vanished earlier. A waiter appeared instantly and spirited it away. Zac felt like an extra in a monster movie, except he had no fear and knew his dreams were about to come true.

The size of everything about him made him spin in circles as he tried to take it all in.

“Good afternoon, sir”, a bemused voice said, and Zac stopped spinning as his face turned red. He was embarrassed, but the blonde giantess above him had clearly seen it all before. She wore the polite grin of an airline stewardess, and he was sure it would vanish the moment he couldn’t see her face.

“You have been reserved by a single guest for the entire duration of your stay”, she started, and Zac felt his heart sink slightly as she read from a prepared list.

One woman? He’d hoped to get a lot of different experiences her. Then he realized what it meant: the woman must have really loved his pictures. That thought made him smile as the waitress continued speaking, glancing occasionally at a list she carried.

In a rote voice, she said: “Just a reminder your package includes, but is not limited to, extreme toughening, physiological pausing, at-will-adjustment, location tracking, and emergency readjustment. Your guest has requested you to be delivered inside this container to her room, and from this point on your experience will truly begin.

“Oh, Great!”, Zac said, ready to start. The waitress was obviously ready to get on with her day too; she didn’t wait for his response and instead pinched his body between two fingers. She easily lifted him upward and positioned him over the narrow opening of the cup. He could see now, from above, that the opening appeared more like a funnel, as though the contents were to be poured out over something.

“Enjoy your stay!”, the waitress said before gently depositing him inside.

“Thank you!”, he yelled upward after he fell gently to the bottom of the container.

There was no sign the waitress had heard him, and he could only see through the hole directly above him. It was as though it were the opposite of the sun; his surroundings were dark but above, he could see the ceiling and occasionally the waitress’ face as she carried his tray. After a few failed attempts to stand, he decided to sit instead.

“Here we go!”, he said in happy excitement, hoping his giantess was beautiful.

***