Aaron was sitting in front of my desk in my office trailer, his head hanging low, his hands clenched into fists against his knees. 

I remember seeing his head shots during casting. I remember being impressed by his vivaciousness and confidence. Neither of those qualities were present in him anymore, squeezed out of him by that big bitch.

“So, you say she threatened you?”

“Not explicitly…” He said, barely able to look at me.

“Listen kid, we are a million miles away from any court of law. I’m the sheriff, judge, jury and executioner here, so if you say she threatened you…”

“Yeah, she threatened me.”

“How did she do that?”

“She sat on me, and squeezed me. And then she looked at me in this way that was like, ‘I could crush you if I wanted to.’” He explained.

I ashed my cigarette and nodded. 

“So you wanna quit?” I asked, leaning back in my chair and taking another drag.

Aaron froze for a second, and then slowly nodded.

“Why’s that? There’s a new girl starting today. Desiree… she goes by Desy. She’s a little firecracker.”

“I just don’t want to be around when she gets bigger.” He said. Fuck. I knew I should have kept her off the show. The whole thing was just too weird. Now it was a horror show unfolding in the middle of my romantic drama. 

“What if she wasn’t on the show? You know, the men choose next. You could choose Desy, Darren chooses Valerie, Thomas chooses Monica, Jacob chooses Candice. Kim spends the next two months in the production village and out of the Villa until it’s time to go home.”

Aaron looked to be having a hard time believing it was possible.

“What if she doesn’t want to?” He asked, fear choking his words.

“To hell if she doesn’t want to. It’s my fucking show.” I chuckled. Aaron didn’t join me.

“Ok.” He relented. “If she’s off the show I can tough it out, but I want the crew to get a little more involved when she pushes us around.”

“Yeah, of course.” I said, with no intention of actually doing that. The storyline sort of demanded that Kim keep on turning into the villain here. Even though I’m sure I let it go on too long, I could already see the line: Girl gets dumped. Girl gets big. Girl gets a big head about it. No one loves an uppity woman. Girl gets kicked to the curb.

“Feel better?” I asked. He didn’t say anything. “Good. Now get back there and go mix it up.” I dismissed him with a clap on his shoulder.

I waited for him to leave, and then swiveled in my chair to turn on my live feed monitors. Yeah, I let it go on too long. There they all were, sitting by the pool, getting ready to meet the new girl. An event like a new person entering should have been a seismic shift. People would scramble around trying to get to know her, hearts would be broken, people would be dumped. But that couldn’t happen with the big girl around. A new person entering was now all about Kim as a new person discovered that a twelve foot tall giant walked the earth, and you had to compete with her for the attention of the men.

Damn near everything about the show revolved around her, which was fine enough when it was causing lots of drama, but it wasn’t enough to carry a show. I needed Monica and Candice to be gossipping about more than the last line Kim crossed. I needed the men to want to be with the other girls more than just playing hot potato with who would get matched with Kim. I was just about to reach for my radio to summon that worm Charlie when there was a knock on the door.

“Charlie, just the man I wanted to see.” I smiled as I opened the door for him. He looked like hell. Dark rings under his eyes and a shortness in his breath that made him look constantly on the verge of a panic attack.

“You want to quit too?” I asked, inviting him into the trailer.

“Who wants to quit?” He asked.

“Aaron, on account of being scared that Kim’s going to hurt him.” I said, leaning back in my chair and putting my feet on my desk. “It’s the end of the line for her, Charlie. She’s getting dumped at this Friday’s coupling.”

Charlie froze like a little kid being told no. I could see his blood turn to ice in his veins.

“She wants a rules change.” He said, stupidly, unable to really react to what I just told him and so deciding to press on with whatever idiotic ideas he had for this meeting.

“I’m sure she does.”

“Think about it Pete.” He said, covering up what a sniveling coward he was with a salesman act rendered completely ineffectual by his nerves. “It would be the first polyamorous relationship on television…”

“Poly-what-arous?” I laughed.

“Polyamorous.” He repeated. “A throuple”.

“Fuck off.” I said, and threw a pen at his face. He flinched like a little bitch as it dinked off his forehead. “Trying to keep her on the show, huh? Why? Cause you’re scared of her?” I didn’t need him to answer the question. It was written all over him. He kept glancing up at the monitor towards her, as if she could watch him through the screen. Pathetic.

“Listen Charlie, I know you’re an idiot who doesn’t know what is best for him, but what I am about to do is going to make you a lot happier. Kim is off the show this week. No more tip toeing around her. No more having to follow after her like you’re her little dog. You’ll go to the editing room where you won’t have to see her anymore.”

“She’s not going to go for it.” He said, what little charisma he did have flattened into a cold and even tone.

“The hell she won’t! I don’t care if she’s twelve feet tall or twelve hundred feet tall. She’s just an overgrown bitch and bitches are all the same. If you don’t tell them ‘no’ often enough they just take more and more, like a leech. No one likes a domineering woman, Charlie.”

“Tell her no?” He repeated, as if I had told him to jump off a cliff.

“Yeah. She’s not going to do shit. She’ll cry. She’ll whine. Maybe she’ll yell or throw a bit of a tantrum. And then what do you know? The next day she’ll be out of your life.”

There was a long pause as the little hamster wheel he called a brain spun up a picture of what tha would look like.

“That’s it?” He asked dumbly.

“That’s it.”

He sat there for a while. I could tell his mouth was chewing on a way to plead himself out of this.

“Get the fuck out of my office.” I growled at him, and turned to look back at the monitors to view the live feed of my empire, so close to bursting into flames.

— Charlie —

“Kim, Pete didn’t go for it.” I rehearsed, shaking my hands nervously outside of Pete’s trailer.

“Heya big girl, so, about Pete…” I tried slathering on some more confidence.

“Kim, I have some bad news.” I said, now pacing around Pete’s trailer. His office was perched on a cliff above the production village, a series of trailers that the crew called home. His office was positioned like a vulture over the whole production, high above everything and ready to swoop down to feat. 

I could see her there, by the pool, her long shins kicking in the water, making huge waves as the other cast members evacuated the pool and she just laughed and laughed. I locked my eyes on her as I practiced breaking the news to her.

“Kim, we need to rethink what is going on here.” I begged. “No one likes you like this anymore. It’s not exciting, it’s scary. Stop freaking everyone out! Maybe if you apologize and make up with Aaron, there is still time to change the story line.”

“Didn’t I tell you I was done being your plaything?” her voice echoed in my ear.

“Kim, please. You can’t keep acting like this.”

“Who’s going to stop me?” She asked, turning her head to look at me from the pool. She closed her eyes, bit her lip, and then grew. The leg kicking the water stretched across the pool, sending the water splashing over the edge and drenching the courtyard. Her size doubled in a matter of seconds. The panicked scrambling of the cast trying to evacuate the pool got more frantic as they tried to out run her growing feet surging across the pool.

“Holy shit.” I gasped, clutching my chest. I watched as she scanned the courtyard, her fellow contestants running from the even larger Kim. She brought her hand down to swat at Thomas, knocking him off his feet and pinning him to the ground just like she had done to me earlier, only now her hand was the size of his entire torso.

“No, Kim.” I begged. As the words escaped my lips, she smiled, bit her lip, and grew again. I watched as her hand expanded over Thomas until it completely engulfed him, his kicking legs vanishing under her palm.

“No?” She challenged again.

“Stop it!” I yelled down.

“There’s no stopping it… “ She moaned, and threw back her head as another growth spurt hit her. Her foot surged across the courtyard, splintering the deck chairs and flattening the still fleeing contestants. She grew until she was head and shoulders taller than the two story villa, even when sitting. She picked up her hand, and looked at the red smear that used to be Thomas, and nonchalantly wiped it on her hip.

She stood up and the courtyard cracked under her weight. She turned to face me on the cliff and started to march over to me, her footfalls causing the island to shake. Each step she took she got bigger and bigger. By the time she made it to me, the ledge was only knee height to her.

“You can’t tell me ‘no’.” Her voice like thunder rippled over the island. She bent at the hips to cast her gaze down at me, her tits like mountains handing down in front of me.

“You think Pete’s plan of banishing me in the medical tent will save you?” She asked, reaching down a finger that was twice as long as I was tall to poke at me. I dodged out of the way as her fingertip impacted the ground. She giggled at the display.

“You’re my plaything, small as you are.” Her voice echoed over the island and in my memories. “And what do you think happens to toys that no longer serve their purpose?” She repeated. I dodged her finger again, but this time she brought the finger tip to my stomach, and dragged it up the length of my body till she hooked it under my chin, coaxing me to look up. I got vertigo just looking at her. The dark and terrible giantess, head literally in the clouds and looming over all of creation. She was replaced for just a moment by the Kim from before: The sweet girl who was genuinely looking for love on a reality tv show. She smiled at me, the white of her teeth bright as the sun. She pinched something off the ground, and lowered it down to me.

“We can help each other, Charlie.” She said. I stretched my arms up to receive her gift wedged between her finger tips like a grain of sand. She dropped it over me, and I nearly fumbled it at the sudden weight in my hands.

“And at this point, it’s kill or be killed.” She advised before disappearing, leaving nothing but blue sky above me.

I looked back down at the courtyard, where Kim was, still twelve feet tall, still kicking merrily in the pool, totally oblivious to me watching her at all. I looked back up at the sky for signs of the giant, and then down at the weight in my hands.

It was a rock.

— Aaron —

It was all under control. It was all under control. I repeated it as a mantra as I prepared myself to rejoin the villa. Just a couple more days. Put on the charm. Ask Des to match with you. Avoid Kim when you can, and just try not to be alone with her. Just a couple more days, and it’ll all be over.

I joined the others by the pool. Kim was sitting at the end of it, soaking her legs in it and leaning back on her hands. Valerie was next to her, rubbing suntan lotion on her shoulders. Kim had her head turned to her, occasionally kissing her. Nearby on the deck chairs, Darren was stretching his arms with a blank look on his face. At first I thought I saw a huge bruise covering his shoulder and neck. I tried not to get caught staring as I walked past, but I just had to look. It wasn’t a bruise at all, it was a hickey, about the size of Kim’s mouth covering his shoulder. He gave me a withering look as I walked past.

“New girl everyone!” A production assistant called from the other end of the court yard. Oh thank god. Darren and I exchanged a look, and I could see it in his eyes that he had the same escape plan I had before. 

“Darren, come here honey.” Valerie called to pull on his leash. “Help me get this sunblock on Kim.” Darren looked between me, Kim, and the entrance where the new girl would be coming from, conflicted.

“Come on Darren, I need you.” Kim added. That made Darren move reluctantly, joining Kim and Valerie at the other end of the pool. I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew what he must be going through, and that sucked for him, but I already put up with it for two weeks. It was my time to get what I needed.

“Alright everyone, get excited for Desy!” The PA called over as a gorgeous girl rounded the corner. In many ways, she looked like Kim back when she was small. She was wearing a very skimpy blue bikini that complimented her dark black hair very well. Her small form was athletic and lithe, and her smile was bright and cheery. My heart melted immediately.

Her smile faded as soon as she laid eyes on Kim at the other end of the pool. I watched her blink, and then blink again, trying to figure out if she could believe what she was seeing. The cameras all zoomed around her to get her reaction to our most absurd housemate. I wanted to swoop in and take her away, but Kim reacted faster.

“Hey there!” She chirped from across the pool. “See something you like?” She asked and pushed herself forward into the water. The deep end was only six feet deep, so the water didn’t even reach the bottom of her makeshift bed sheet bikini.

“What the fuck?” Desy murmured, still not sure what she was seeing as Kim loomed larger and larger over her the closer she got. She stepped out of the pool and planted her feet in front of her.

“Hey, I’m Kim.” She said, standing as tall as she could.

“Holy cow.”

“What?” Kim asked, and cupped her hand around her ear to point it down at her. “Sorry, I can’t hear you too well. You have to speak up, you’re like a little kid to me.” She said.

“I-I’m Desy.” She managed. Though I’m sure Kim heard her, it was apparently still too quiet for her liking. She rolled her eyes.

“Hold on.” She said and stooped down to snatch her up in both hands. Desy let out a yelp as she was lifted to eye level, her legs kicking wildly around Kim’s hips.

“Don’t!” I yelled from below, reaching up in vain to try and grab her out of her hands.

“Oh relax Aaron, I’m just getting her close enough to hear.” She tutted down at me before turning her attention back to the person in her grasp. “Who are you?” She asked.

“I’m Desy!” she nearly screamed.

“See? Was that so hard?”

“Let her go Kim.” I begged from below her waist.

“We’re just having a conversation.” She smiled down at me. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn with her.” She said with dripping sweetness.

“So as you can see, I’m pretty big. I got bit by a snake and started growing. No one really knows why, and it’s still happening. It’s getting faster, even! I think it suits me, what do you think?” She asked, and stretched her arms out to give Desy a better look.

“Oh my god.” Desy managed.

“Aw, so sweet.” Kim cooed. “You’re pretty cute yourself.”

“So, first impressions. Do you have your eye on anyone?” She leaned her face close to Des as if to conspire, even though the rest of the villa was gathered around her waist and watching this unfold.

“I think I want to be let down.” She said.

“Oh hush. Look, I’ll introduce you to everyone.” She said, cocking out her hip and cradling the woman to her chest. She began pointing down at the contestants and giving a spiel.

“That’s Thomas. We used to date back when I was small, but then he traded me in for Candice over there. But I think she was too tall for him so now he’s with little itty bitty teeny tiny Monica. I bet she makes him feel like a real big man. Jacob’s pretty new, but he’s really athletic. Him and Candice are together now but I think it’s more out of convenience because I accidentally crushed her former match’s leg, so you might have a shot with Jacob. I think that would be fair since Candice isn’t above stealing men, right Candice?”

Candice’s mouth opened wide in shock, but Kim whirled around on her heels to aim Desy across the pool. Those two over there are Darren and Valerie. They’ve been a couple since day one. Look at Darren’s hands, isn’t he hot?” Kim leaned in again. “We have a thing going, the three of us.” She added in a stage whisper.

“Please set me down.” Des begged.

“Kim, put her down. She doesn’t like it.” I called up to her.

“And this is Aaron.” She sighed. “You probably have a chance with him too if you want it. We just broke up last night. It’s still kind of fresh but you know, it’s Lover’s Lagoon, so he’s all yours if you want him. I just hope he’s enough for you, you know? Because he wasn’t enough for me.”

“Let her go Kim!”

“Fine! Geez, relax.” She scoffed, and lowered Desy back down. “Good luck with that one, Desy, he seems a little desperate.” She added and put her on the ground. I rushed to usher her away, and she gladly folded herself into my arms for protection. Yeah right, as if I could actually protect either of us from Kim.

“I’m tired.” Kim announced, scratching her stomach just above her panty line. “Valerie and Darren, let’s go take a nap.” She commanded, and began to exit the courtyard. Darren looked like he wanted to stay, but Valerie hooked her arm around him and guided her out of the courtyard.

“What the fuck?” Desy murmured, shaking in my arms.

“Yeah, that’s Kim.” I said.

“How is that shit ok?” She asked me.

“It’s not ok.” I said. “But it’ll be over soon. I talked to Pete about it, he’s going to make sure she gets kicked off the show by the end of the week.”

“And she’s getting even bigger?” She asked in a daze, like she didn’t even hear me.

“Hey.” I said, taking her neck in my hands and gently coaxing her to focus on my face. “It’s going to be ok. She’ll be gone at the end of the week and you won’t have to worry about her anymore, alright? I - you can focus on doing what you came here to do. We just need to get through this week, alright?” I spoke in a soft and gentle tone that seemed to resonate with Des, and soon her trembling stopped. She blinked a few times, and really looked at me for the first time. She brought her fingers up to my wrist, and traced her fingers over my strong arms. A look down at the space between us, a look back up into my eyes, and then a brave smile accompanied by flushed cheeks. I was smitten.

I released her neck and held out my hand to her to begin to guide her to the deck chairs.

“Come on, let’s go meet the normal members of the cast for real.” I offered, and started leading her by the hand to join the rest of the group sharing sympathetic looks with us. They all knew what it was like to live with Kim. They could understand what Desy was going through.

Monica was the first to notice. I saw that sympathetic look melt into confusion, and then to fear as she did a double take over our heads. Thomas was next, catching Monica’s sudden shift in attention. He grabbed her by the waist and held her close to protect her. Candice and Jacob both started to backpedal away.

My smile fell from my face, and I slowly traced Monica’s eyeline up and behind me. It might sound absurd, but for a moment I genuinely thought that Kim had somehow suddenly ballooned in size and they were all looking up at the catastrophe that she was. I dreaded turning and seeing Kim’s body filling the entire sky, that mocking look she got when she teased us about her size plastered on her face so high above us.

But of course it wasn’t Kim they were looking at. I caught it just as it tipped over the edge of the cliff, the trailer that I had spent this morning in, trying to convince Pete to let me leave the show. It listed over the edge of the 80 foot cliff face, tipped over the edge, and began to tumble. It hit a rocky spire with a sickening crunch on the way down, and then another. The metal crumpled like a soda can as it tumbled down the cliff face. A huge cloud of dust and a hollow bang singled that it had hit the ground on the other side of the Villa.

— Brian —

“Welcome, singles and couples.” I began somberly. Everyone was gathered in the main ballroom of the villa. Even now the cameras were rolling. It was what Pete would have wanted.

“There has been an unfortunate accident.” I said. “Earlier today, the wheel locks on Pete’s trailer failed, and it rolled off the cliff next to the villa.”

The next words were the hardest.

“Unfortunately, Pete was inside the trailer at the time of the accident, and he didn’t survive the fall.” I tried to put the image of Pete’s body out of my head, but failed. The image of his caved in skull and twisted limbs would be with me forever.

My words were met with startled gasps from the contestants. What was real, what was an act? Kim’s hand clutched to her chest and her fingers dabbing her eyes, were those actually tears? Aaron looked like his soul had been ripped from his body. You never really could tell with reality tv stars I suppose.

“Obviously, the safety team will be investigating how this happened. We still have two months of filming before our boat is scheduled to arrive back from the mainland. Pete would have wanted us to carry on. We will have a memorial service for Pete tomorrow, and then the next day’s coupling ceremony will continue as scheduled.”

I reached down into the well of my talent for as much gravitas as I could muster for the next line.

“Lover’s Lagoon is a place for you all to find loving life partners, and life isn’t just a party at a secluded tropical villa. Life has hardships. So please, hold those who are dear to you close tonight, take care of each other, and don’t forget your bravery as you quest to find love. Thank you.”

“Cut. Great work Brian. Very heartfelt.” Charlie called from behind the camera. “Cast, go get ready for testimonials. All senior production crew will be having a meeting about future leadership on the show.”

My eyes were drawn to Kim’s absurdly large body unfolding behind me as she stood. The ballroom had the highest ceilings in the house but if she kept growing like she was she’d be ducking under it by this time next week. Dead producers, giant contestants. I shook my head. This all felt like a bad dream.

“Excellent stuff Brian, really.” Charlie congratulated me again.

“Thanks.” I said politely, but really I was wondering who decided to crown this guy king. I guess everyone was in shock about the whole thing, so when someone comes around with a little bit of confidence and something for you to do it’s easy to just follow along.

And I guess that’s how we all ended here, at a meeting being lead by a production assistant, who now seemed to control the show just because he wanted to.

“Thanks everyone. I know we’re all tired and there is a lot to cover, so if we could all just calm down and take our seats we can get this train moving. First off, hello! Some of you might not know me very well. I’m Charlie, and I was Kim’s production assistant.”

There was some murmuring amongst the others at this reveal. Of course this kid thought he was hot shit, he had a thirteen foot tall woman backing him.

“So for the last day and a half I’ve been a sort of defacto leader after the chaos of Pete’s accident, and I just wanted to take this time to make that official, and take over show running duties from here on out.”

“Kid, you’re a p.a.” The director of photography called from the side. “You got about twenty more people more qualified than you on this island that are more than capable of doing the show running.”

“Then why haven’t you?” He shot back.

“Listen here you little shit…” He started, but the head of the medical team stood up and placed their hands up to calm them.

“Enough. Let’s turn down the temperature here. Obviously we thank Charlie for helping us get organized after the tragedy, but Darrell you are also right. I think we should put it to a vote.”

“Fine by me.” Darrell said, folding his arms over his chest. “I nominate myself for the fact that I’m in charge of a quarter of the staff and my opponent’s experience has been to fetch water for a giant brat.” There was a smattering of applause.

“Darrell, Jesus. Turn it down a notch.” The med lead chastised. “Ok anyone else? Charlie?”

I didn’t notice it until now, but Charlie looked like shit. There were dark rings under his eyes and his fingers were twitching. He kept looking out of the ballroom window and into the sky. He closed his eyes, stood up, and made his speech.

“I think I should be in charge of show running because I know Kim the best, I’ve been working with her for about two months now, and this show is obviously about Kim now.”

“The fuck it is.” Darrell interrupted.

“Isn’t it?” Charlie challenged, getting bolder. “What is the source of all the drama on the island? Who is everyone talking about in their testimonials? Who do all the camera crews follow?”

“She’s on the outs.” Darrell snapped back. “Aaron wised up and got out from under her thumb.”

“And so then what? She spends the rest of the time here on the island in the med tent while she grows to be bigger than an elephant?” He challenged. “Imagine if you were the audience. What’s really more interesting? Thomas and Monica or the fact that somewhere off camera someone has grown to twenty feet tall?”

“He has a point Darrell.” A voice from the back chimed in, the property manager.

“The fuck he does.”

“Put it to a vote then.” Charlie said, his head inflated by the agreement. “And remember,” He said, addressing the room. “It’s just us now. Pete, rest his soul, he can’t make or break our careers anymore. It’s on us whether or not we return to the mainland with the best version of this show that is possible.”

“Alright.” The med team supervisor said, all those in favor of electing Darrell showrunner, raise your hands. Most of the camera leads hands shot up immediately, as did the med team’s. There were some other random pockets of support, but I could tell it wasn’t a majority.

“Fifteen.” Darrell counted aloud.

“All those in favor of Charlie?” The med head prompted. More hands into the air, raised with a little less confidence but raising them all the same.

“Brian, are you abstaining?” The med team asked as they counted over my side of the room. I thought back to what Charlie had said, about Pete not being here to make our careers anymore. I already got washed up once. A show with Kim in it had to be better, right? A woman growing to the size of an elephant, that was the stuff people made documentaries about.

I raised my hand.

“Sixteen.” Charlie counted triumphantly. I watched him take a deep breath and then blow it out, as if this was some big relief for him.

“Bullshit.” Darrell scoffed. “This shouldn’t be a vote anyway.”

“We all agreed to a vote.” Charlie smirked. “Thanks everyone, I’m glad most of you share my vision. Now, there’s going to be a few changes to the rules…”