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Author's Chapter Notes:

DISCLAIMER: Any resemblance to persons real and fictional is entirely coincidential, and should not be taken to heart.

Welcome to Arne's pet shop. By pet shop, I mean prison. You won't find anything like it anywhere else.

I remember light flooding into my world, my head was spinning and my vision was blurred. I sat up and looked around only to find I wasn't alone, simply one in a batch of men who were struggling back into consiousness. We were all as confused as eachother, as to what happened to us and why we were here. My heartbeat was throbbing in my ears, for a moment that and a liquified mumble were all I could make out before I looked to my left, where there was a straight drop. Springing to my feet with a new burst of energy I peered over the edge, as I leant forward's to get a better look I banged my pulsing head against something and stumbled back, only to look up. My faded reflection was looking back at me. Wierd, it was almost as if I were facing...

Glass.

My fingertips brushed the cold, smooth surface and once again I jumped back, shocked, confused, almost horrified. The others were starting to discover this too, some from my reaction, some from reaching out themselves and others by running head first into the glass like wasps to windows.

As soon as we'd noticed, and confirmed that there was infact a glass wall infront of us I noticed the other three walls looked like wood, curiously I gave it a slight knock with the backs of my knuckles, pressing my ear to the surface. Definately wood, the floor - too. Except, the floor was covered. Beneath our feet was what looked like wooden chips...

It was like a giant cage.

It was a giant cage!

"What the hell's going on!?" someone screamed, slamming his fist into the glass only to recoil in pain, I looked over but I did not approach. No one did, we stood by and let him punch the glass over and over until his arm broke, the bone shattered while the glass remained whole. He roared and stumbled back, clutching his broken limb, finally someone rushed to his assistance, only to be hooked in the face by the panicing man, "Stay away from me!" he cried, clearly in a state. Angered, the one who was about to help him shot to his feet and attacked, the rest of us stood idily as a fight broke out between the two.

While they scrapped like mindless animals, we began to lose interest. But, something else gained it's own. I could feel vibrations in the floor and walls, some others could too while some remained oblivious, either watching the fight or sitting, thinking where are we, how did we get here?

I, with the others who'd noticed the trembling floor store at the glass. The sight made my blood run cold, I stood, staring as the others dispersed. A giant face was peering in at us. A man, in his twenties I'd imagine. He chuckled, and stood up straight before removing the lid from our prison and reaching a massive hand in toward's the two who were fighting, I took a couple of steps back before I lost balance and ended up sitting on the shavings with my back against the wall, my entire body was shaking.

The descending fingers quickly grabbed the back of the panicing man's shirt and despite his kicking and struggling, quickly plucked him out of the cage. We watched in horror as the lid was put back on, the kicking man was dropped into the giants palm and cupped between his hands.

We could do nothing, nothing but wait as that towering giant carried him away. Quickly, panic spread. The others tried desperately to clamber up the walls, to find any sign of a way out, a latch, anything.

I couldn't get to my feet, let alone try to escape myself...

The giant returned and peered in through the glass again, quickly the escape attempt ceased, no one dared to move, no one could move, we could only stare at our captor. Finally, I managed to look past him, I couldn't see the man who'd been taken away, but what I did see made my knee's go weak...

Cages and tanks, everywhere. Full of people, just like you and me.
Some of them contained women, some contained men. None contained a mix of genders, almost like the layout in a pet store.

Wait a minute...

Cages, tanks, a giant man with a name tag and...

"You, what do you do!?" I shouted, pointing at a random nearby captive. "N-nothing!" he trembled as if I were about to attack him myself, "I swear, I didn't do anything" he cried, "I didn't mean to kill her!"

My eyes narrowed and I looked to someone else, "How about you?" I asked, the man stared at me for a moment before a sharp look caught my eye, "Well!?" I repeat.

"Nothing..." Not the answer I was looking for, but my suspicions have been confirmed.

We're criminals, all of us. After asking the first man I saw the look in everyone's eyes, I could see blood in their memories, hear the screams of their victims just by looking at them.

I can't remember being caught, I can't remember being knocked out and I can't remember coming here. I can't remember anything. However, I can remember how to piece obvious parts together to figure that this is our punishment, for ruining, destroying or taking lives.

"Why is this happening?" Another one's snapped, I looked over to him to see him sitting pitifully in the corner, his head in his hands, rocking back and forth like the mad man he's turning into. "Why is everything so huge, why is there a giant" he whimpered, "What's happening!?"

"It wasn't a giant" I inform them, the only one with enough sense to figure out what's going on. It sounds crazy, impossible infact but there's no other explination. "We're just small."

The others approach the glass, horrified at the sight they beheld. This place was literally a store. On the back of the 'giants' bright red shirt there was a large yellow logo with 'Arnes pet shop' plastered across it. There were two other people, an blonde women in her twenties too I assume, and an older woman with gray hair and a typically stern look on her face.

I've never seen anything like it, I've never even heared of anything simular. A pet store, selling shrunk criminals? People who'd probably end up on death row, if they weren't stuck in cages being sold like gerbils. One of the employee's, the blonde woman was peering into cages, making sure all was well. When she approached ours I slammed my hands against the glass, "What kind of a sick joke is this!?" I shouted, she giggled and gave the glass a gentle tap, which was enough to shake it and make me jump back, which made her laugh more. It was if she couldn't understand me,

"It's Ok little one" she smiled, keeping her fingertip pressed against the transparent wall, all I could do was stare at it, her fingertip was easily the size of my hand, if not bigger. "I'm sure one as cute as you won't be here for long" she giggled, finally moving onto the next row.

I was still staring at the glass where her she'd tapped her finger, mesmerized by the size of her, and the size of myself.

"Holy shit..."

The voice caught my attention, I looked over to another who was stood by the glass, staring. I was afraid to follow his gaze, but did so anyway to see the glass door at the front of the store open, and a woman came in with two children, all three of the giants could easily destroy our insignificant lives with minimal effort.

For the first time in my life, I thought 'I regret everything'.
But, I don't. I don't regret a moment, a thing I've done.
If this is my punishment, so be it.

I think this to feel proud, but thoughts can't stop my body trembling.


My name is Noel, I am a professional assassin.

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