I knew something was wrong.

 I knew it with every fiber of my being.  I could <i>taste</i> it.

 But I couldn't put my finger on it.

 As I walked away from the tram, I wanted to pause.  I felt like I
should turn around.

 But I didn't.

 I kept on walking.  And as the day wore on, I kind of forgot
about the wave of dread that had passed over me.

 But not quite.

* * *

Scott

 Now, don't get me wrong, I have a healthy appreciation for the
female form.  I will state, under oath, that Sarah is the most beautiful
thing ever constructed in this universe, ever.  Period.

 That said, it's a wee bit disconcerting to see an attractive
female form lowering itself rapidly on top of you.  Especially when it's
a female form that's four hundred times bigger than you.

 It's doubly disconcerting when you've been through this before.

 But that gave me a chance.  Moving backwards wouldn't work this
time--the seats were plastic, not cushioned, and I wouldn't be pushed
into them, I'd be squashed.  People were sitting down on my left and
right, so that left me with one possibility.

 Forward.

 So I ran forwards, forcing myself against instinct, and dove
right, just avoiding one leg.  The girl had missed me by only an inch or
two.

 I looked up at her.  She was unaware of my presence, and I
intended to keep it that way.  I started to look for a way down....

 ...and smacked myself in the head for my stupidity.

 Where was I going?  The tram would be starting in mere moments,
and I was going to, what, jump from it?  While it was moving?  For
what--to be a one inch tall guy wandering a crowded park looking for one
random family?

 Yeah.  Great idea #74.

 I would be better off just waiting here, trying to find a safe
place, and trying to get in contact with Sarah later.

 But where to wait?  I couldn't just sit here, in the shadow of a
pretty Asian tourist's jean-clad leg.  I'd be spotted eventually.

 In fact, I'd already been spotted.  I just didn't know it yet.

* * *

Sadako

[Note: the following was translated by Dr. James Harris, University of
Minnesota.]

 I saw the little man by my right knee.  He didn't realize it,
though.  He was looking for something.  Some place to hide, I thought.

 I didn't want to scare him, so I didn't do anything right away.
But I wasn't going to let him out of my sight.  He was too amazing a
creature to lose.

* * *

Scott

 I heard the same old song and dance from the Tram operator--same
jokes and everything.  Maybe it was prerecorded.  I hoped so--for the
announcer's sake.

 Anyhow, I found that a hard plastic bench left little room for a
hiding place, and after about five minutes, I decided to give up.  I
thought that, if I did it quickly, I could almost slide down this girl's
pant leg, and make it to the tram floor.

 It seemed like a plan.

* * *

Sadako

 The little man moved toward my jeans.  I watched him closely,
trying to find out what he was going to do.  It looked like he wanted to
climb on top of them.  At first, I could not figure out why, but then I
realized that he wanted to climb down to the floor of the autobus.
 
 I wondered where he was trying to get.  I decided to watch a
little longer and find out.

* * *

Scott

 She hadn't noticed me yet, or so I thought.  That was good, as I
was carefullly walking on to her kneecap.  It was a good two hundred feet
or so to the ground, and I resolved to be careful--but I'd been in worse
positions.

 Slowly, deliberately, I began to lower myself down the sheer
cliff facer of her leg.

* * *

Sadako

 I watched the man try to climb down my leg, and I felt sorry for
him.  After all, for him, it was a long, long way down, and if he
fell--!  Well, I decided that, since I had decided to keep him anyhow, I
should simply grab him now, rather than let him get hurt.

* * *

Scott

 Suddenly, everything went dark, and I was pinned.

 I wondered what had happened, at first.  Then, I began to feel
the warmth from behind me.  It was a tremendous hand that held me in
place--gently, for its size, but nevertheless very firmly.  Apparrently I
had been noticed.

 After an interminable time, the hand began to gather me up into a
fist.  Then, the fist began to sway.  We were walking.

* * *

Sadako
 
 I held the little man in my hand as we walked off the autobus.  I
walked hurriedly to the restroom.
 
 When we got there, I looked down at the little man.
Incredible--I couldn't believe he was real!  He seemed to be saying
something, but it sounded like English, and I don't speak English.  I
wondered what he wanted.

 I decided that I wanted to keep him safe, and I also wanted to
make sure he didn't escape, so I tucked him safely into my bra.  I hoped
he wouldn't be hurt, but I would certainly know if he was trying to go
anywhere.

 I went back out and joined my family.  I was not sure that this
vacation would be very fun, but I was now very glad I had come to America.

* * *

Scott

 I had tried to talk to the giantess, but she just looked at me
quizzically, and then stuffed me into her bra.

 I was fortunate that Sarah and I had tried this before--I knew
how to arrange my body right on top of the woman's nipple, to lessen the
pressure of the brassiere against me.  And I didn't get sick, or not
much, with the swaying of the woman's breasts.

 After an hour of waiting, it became apparrent that I wasn't going
anywhere for a while.  So I allowed myself to cry a little more, and then
went to sleep on the bosom of a woman whose name I did not know.

 I wished I was with Sarah.

* * *

Sarah

 The ride back from Universal Studios was a long one.  I still
don't know why we had to stay in Anaheim--It's handy to Disneyland and
the Big A, but absolutely nothing else.  I was keyed up--I intended to
make some things up to Scott when we got back.  I was going to feign
illness, and stay home while the rest of the family went to dinner.  And
then Scott and I were going to have some quality time.

 Karen seemed a bit quieter than usual.  I wondered about it, but
didn't worry too much.  I was grateful, really.

 As we pulled into the parking lot, I had a feeling, a feeling of
dread, just as I had had earlier.  I wondered why.

 Soon enough, I would know.

 When we entered the room, Susi made a beeline for the bathroom,
and I made a beeline for the sock drawer.  Carefully, I pulled it open.

 I didn't panic when I didn't see Scott.  I simply tugged a bit on
Scott's hiding place.  When he didn't come out, I pulled the socks apart.

 And when he wasn't there, I nearly fainted.

* * *

Karen

 I watched Sarah go to the sock drawer.  I wondered what she was
doing for a moment.  She was looking for something.  Then, she started
looking more carefully.  Then, she started tearing the drawer apart.

 I got a feeling in my stomach that I knew what she was looking
for.  Her little man.  It must be.  That's why she pulled her old
dollhouse out.  That's why she was always sneaking off to do things by
herself.  That's why she had turned Sammy Dussendorfer down when he asked
her to prom.  She had a boyfriend.  He was just short.

 And I had lost him.

 I was in big trouble.

 I thought about being quiet; I almost did.  But I had to tell her.

 She's my sister, and I was the one that screwed up.

 So I did.

* * *

Sarah

 "Um, Sar...what are you looking for?"

 I paused briefly.  I had put him in the sock drawer, and he was
smart enough to hide.  Could the maid have him?  I doubted it.  He was
too small to open the drawer.  Where could he be?

 Oh, wait, Karen had asked me a question.

 "Um...nothing."

 She was silent a good long while, and I suddenly stopped
looking.  She hadn't asked me to explain.

 "Why do you ask?"

 "Um....are you looking for...I don't know how to...a little man?"

 My blood ran cold.  I turned to face Karen.  I was preparing to
kill her.  "Why...do...you...ask...that?"  I seethed.

 "Well....because....when I came back to get my locket, I found
this tiny man...and I put him in my purse...but when we got to Universal
Studios, he was gone...and, oh my God, Sarah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean
anything, I swear to God, if I had even thought he was yours I would have
left him be, I didn't mean to lose him, you've gotta believe me!"

 I almost killed her, but didn't.  Not because I didn't want to, I
did.  But she was the last person to see Scott, and if I had any prayer
of finding him, I had to work with her.

 "Karen, if Scott is hurt, if ANYTHING has happened to him...."

 "Sar, you won't have to do anything to me.  I'll do it myself."

 I saw the look on Karen's face.  And abruptly, my anger
dissipated.  She didn't know--couldn't know--who Scott was.  What she had
done was no different than what I had done months ago, when I saw a tiny
man on the floor of the third floor women's bathroom at school.  She
hadn't meant to lose him, any more than I had.

 "Karen....It's okay.  It's not your fault--well, not entirely,
anyhow.  We just need to figure out how to find him, that's all.  Was
your purse shut completely the whole time?"

 "Yeah, except for when I put my ticket in my purse, and then I
zipped it up tight after the tram ride--"

 And my heart sank.  Because I knew why I had felt like stopping
as we left the tram.

 And I knew that Scott could be anywhere by now.

* * *

Scott

 I was finally free.

 Well, sort of.

 I was on a bathroom counter in a hotel--a Hilton, according to
the complementary bottle of shampoo by me.  The woman--I think her name
was Sadako, I'm not sure--Had removed her clothes and set them on the
counter.  She spoke to me in what sounded like Japanese, and smiled.  She
was very pretty, and actually pretty young--maybe twenty or so.  But she
was no Sarah.

 She picked me up, and took me into the shower with her.  I had no
idea what she was doing, but I was more than a little nervous.  After
all, a vigorous shower would bludgeon me to death.  Fortunately, she just
put me on the soap dish, and let me watch as she washed herself.  It was
cold comfort.

 After she was done, she shut the shower off, and picked me up.
She began rubbing me over her body.  It was like a giant slip and
slide--only slip and slides don't have curves like Sadako did.  I found
myself growing aroused in spite of myself.

 When she was done, Sadako put a robe on, and placed me in the
pocket.  She walked out into the room.  Her family was there, I think.
I'm not sure.  At some point, she shoved a little bit of rice into her
pocket, which I ate hungrily.

* * *

Karen

 Sarah didn't really talk to me the rest of the night.  I can't
say I blamed her.  But at least she didn't seem ready and willing to kill
me anymore.  She had good cause.

 After talking for a while, she decided that we'd have to hope
Scott survived, and hope he could get in touch with us.  Sarah said he
knew where we were staying, and knew our home address.  If he was alive,
she said, he'd find us.  We just had to keep our eyes peeled for him.

 Sarah talked hopefully, but I could see in her eyes that she
didn't expect to ever see Scott again.  Her heart was broken, and I was
the reason why.

 As we went to bed that evening, I said a little prayer for Scott
Chelgren, wherever he was.  I prayed he would come home safe to my sister.

 I hoped my prayers would be answered.

* * *

Sadako

 I put the little man in the drawer by my bed, and closed it all
the way.  I didn't want him escaping.  Tomorrow, I would take him out to
the beach with me, and then back to Japan tomorrow night.

 I couldn't wait to show him to all of my friends back home.