The morning sunlight shone brightly through the open window and fell on Susan’s face. She yawned, stretched, and, with an effort, opened her eyes and got out of bed. Reaching for the curtains, she drew them closed before starting to undress, even though she knew this wasn’t necessary. There was very little chance that anyone was spying on her, not out here in the deepest part of the forest. Most girls her age wouldn’t be worried under these circumstances, but Susan Adams was no ordinary fifteen-year old. To begin with, she stood almost a hundred feet tall.

Even though she had received the best medical attention that money could provide, Christina Adams died in childbirth. The baby she’d been carrying had grown at a tremendous rate inside her, and doctors had warned her that giving birth to it at such a late stage would endanger her life. But the decision was hers, and Susan was born a healthy, thirteen-pound baby.

As tragic as the circumstances of her birth were, they were nothing compared to what happened after. She kept on growing at an accelerated pace, and, within six months, measured six feet from head to toe. Her father, Joseph Adams, was a millionaire mine owner, and spent large parts of his fortune trying to cure his daughter. But doctors’ efforts to top her unprecedented growth were futile, and another solution was needed.

So Joseph, with the help of several of his acquaintances, tried to give Susan something resembling a normal life. They bought up a three square miles of land in Grayling Forest and surrounded it with an electric fence. For Susan they built a cabin where she could stay in safety. They had to guess how big she was going to be when she stopped growing, and concluded that it was around 100 feet or so. Everything in the cabin was built to her scale. She also had clothes that would fit her, books for her to read and learn from and toys for her to play with. Every week a fleet of trucks would arrive with enough food for 6000 people, while a nearby river provided her with water. In short, no expense had been spared to try and provide Susan with a comfortable childhood.

Comfortable it may have been, but it was also lonely. Only a few people knew of her existence, while the rest of the world was kept in the dark. Joseph Adams didn’t want his daughter constantly being monitored by the media. He arranged for a few trusted tutors to provide her education, while he himself visited as often as he was able. As she grew older, Susan began to realize just how lonely she really was, and listened anxiously for the sound of an approaching helicopter coming in to land outside the door.

Many times had she begged her father to let her step over the fence and visit the outside world, but he always refused. It was too dangerous, he said, and she was still a child. On her ninth birthday he told her the whole story of her life, leaving her heartbroken.

Six years have passed since then, but Susan’s life hadn’t changed. She still woke up in the same bed every morning.

As she was busy dressing herself, she took a moment to admire her reflection in the mirror. Her face was still that of an innocent young girl, but it had begun to look strikingly beautiful. She combed her long red hair, of which she was very proud, even though she knew there was no-one to admire her beauty but herself. Her body had begun to develop into that of a graceful young woman, with protruding breasts and long, slim legs. She stepped onto the specially built scale and weighed herself: 277 tons.

“I’m the heaviest creature alive, ever,” she thought, and imagined herself towering over giant dinosaurs and stomping on elephants as if they were rodents. Sometimes she found her colossal size amusing, though most of the time she wished and wished that she was a normal girl, of normal stature.

She finished dressing and went to make breakfast. Her cabin had just one room, a combined kitchen, bedroom, dining room and living room. A smaller cabin right next to this was her bathroom, with a shower, washbasin and toilet. Her dad couldn’t afford any more, but she was extremely grateful to have this much at all. If her parents had been poor, she probably wouldn’t have survived past age one.

In one mega-sized bowl she mixed half a ton of oatmeal with over a hundred gallons of milk. In another bowl she poured several thousand apples. Usually she mixed the two, but today she felt like tasting something different.

“Well, at least it’s healthy,” she thought of her unchanging diet. “I just wish they could make it taste a little different, though. A little sugar wouldn’t hurt, either.”

As she ate the sun climbed higher. Susan could tell that it was going to be hot today. The kind of day when she wished her cabin had air conditioning. On several previous hot days she’d decided to go exploring near the perimeter fence, and had been duly scolded by her dad for risking her secrecy. But that hasn’t stopped her from going back, though now she tried to remain hidden behind the trees whenever she could. Though she still longed to step over the fence, she recognized the danger involved, and found herself grudgingly obeying her father’s commands.

Today was another lonely day, with no visitors. She could stay in the cabin and read, but lately she’d grown a little tired of that.

“I think I’ll go out to the fence,” she thought. “There’s got to be somewhere in my area that I haven’t explore yet. Maybe I’ll find a little pool. Wouldn’t that be great! Anyway, I’ll take my towel, and just lie on it and tan a little.”

Underneath her light cotton top and short skirt she wore a bikini swimsuit. She’d never swum in it, but she’d begged her father to make one for her, just to wear. From then on it was her favourite piece of clothing, and she often spent hours in front of the mirror posing in it. There wasn’t much else to do, after all, during the long hours she spent alone, but to entertain herself.

 After packing some snacks in a picnic basket, Susan set off into the surrounding forest. It was dense and difficult to walk through, but she couldn’t get lost. The tallest trees only reached her chin, and her cabin was always visible. She headed south, in the direction of the nearby town of Barton, which lay five miles beyond the fence. She’d never seen it. As she walked she wondered how to pass the time today, not knowing that her life was about to change forever.