On a beautiful day at the end of June, the world had watched, in unison, as the incredible story of Susan Adams was made public. Across the globe, newspapers, TV channels, websites, all were concerned with only one thing. In the forest next to the small town of Barton, there dwelt, in secret, what one scientist called ‘the most astonishing product of evolution since the dawn of man’. Susan, or Susie, as she preferred to be called, was, in most respects, a normal teenaged girl: pretty, with long red hair and a graceful body, friendly to each and every person she met. Also, she was over a hundred feet tall.

She dwelt by herself, in a specially constructed house, and had all that she needed in terms of needs and comfort. Her father, luckily for her, was a very rich man, and he’d spent large amounts of his fortune in order to provide for her. She had thus been able to live pretty decently, even though she was permitted no contact with the outside world. However, in that same month of June, a series of events led to her breaking that rule, and so the world learned of the existence of its one and only giantess.

There were tons of questions to be answered, though. For weeks her warehouse-sized cabin had been the focus of a media frenzy. Reporters were all over Susie and her father, Joseph. Scientists and doctors were eager to meet her as well. Then the governor of the state came to visit, followed by several other local politicians. Eventually the stress became too much for her to handle, and her usual friendliness to visitors began to disappear. Her father realized this, and, with the help of the state government, as well as the military and police forces, managed to have his daughter’s living space closed off to the public. Aircraft were forbidden to fly within two miles of her house, and the forest around it, already enclosed by an electric fence, was now only accessible through a permit from Joseph Adams himself. Guards were stationed at the gate, and, apart from the trucks which brought food and other supplies, no-one was allowed to enter.

For Susie herself, though, it was another story. She was no longer under orders to remain in her home, and could come and go as she wanted. Stepping over the measly thirty-foot fence had never been a problem for her anyway. There was now a whole world for her to explore, and she wasted no time. As soon as the crowds had left, she made it her objective to get to know the town and its people. She visited the local high school a few times, but her presence was so distracting to the students that she was forbidden to come again while classes were in session.

Not that she wanted to sit through classes; her father had made sure she received the best possible education since she was old enough to read. Her real reason was rather different, for she had a boyfriend who attended that school. Jake Darren, whom Susie had first met in the forest a week before her existence became widely known. Though they knew it wouldn’t be easy, they had decided to give their relationship a chance. Susie also managed to earn the respect of the townspeople, even if she wasn’t liked by all of them. Many considered her a nuisance, a waste of resources, or even as an outright threat to the town.

If she wanted to, it would be little trouble for her to completely destroy Barton and kill all its inhabitants. But she was determined to win their friendship, and so she offered her help wherever it was needed. So far it seemed the people were a little shy about asking her help, but it didn’t bother her that much. The fact that she’d made several new friends, as well as having a boyfriend, was enough to keep her satisfied and happy most of the time.

As for the rest of the world, reactions were mixed. Anthropologists for a while considered naming Susie a new species of mankind, before deciding that it was best not to do so. A species cannot have just one representative, they decided. They then set about the task of researching her abnormal growth. Because visiting hours were limited, however, they couldn’t get much new research done, and had to be content with analyzing previous research conducted by her doctors. Among non-scientists, reactions were understandably less enthusiastic. Many people found it difficult to accept someone like her as a human being, and she was labelled, among other things, an abomination, a demon, and even as the devil itself. Her impact on religions across the world was noticeable, and there was even a small cult which venerated her as some kind of god. The government, however, was supportive of her, and had promised that she should be cared for and treated with respect.