Chapter 11 - She loves me, he loves me not.

“Appriilllll-” Samantha shrieks as she disappears beneath the ball of April’s foot, her little hands feverishly pressing against the soft, wrinkled flesh. Her tiny voice is suddenly silenced as April’s foot falls flat against the carpet.  Robert attempts to sit up, but a sharp pain in his stomach keeps him on his back, moaning and writhing. April laughs maniacally, looking between her foot and Robert.  

“Squirm my little playthings, squirm!” April exclaims, breathlessly, her free hand rubbing against the denim covering her crotch, her mouth hanging open. “Mmmmmmm hmmhmm!” April moans happily as she bats her toes, lifting them in the air and sliding her foot back and forth against the carpet.  She lifts her foot to reveal the writhing form of Samatha, her green dress, and her hair an absolute mess.  

Samantha crawls onto her stomach and drags herself away, only to have April slide her foot forward, blocking her path with her gigantic toes. “Boop!” April says playfully.

Robert’s feels the familiar sensation of floating on air, his muscles falling slack as he drifts off into a deep coma like state, the last thing he remembers is Samantha screaming.

“Robbie...Robbie...Robbie! WAKE UP!” A familiar voice rocks Robert towards consciousness.  He blinks a few time, staring dumbly at a dirty blond-woman, who is staring down at him, worriedly.

“Who are you?” He croaks, adjusting himself on a soft, yet synthetic feeling surface.

“Don’t you recognize me?” The woman asks, as Robert’s eyes adjust to the dim light of their surroundings.

“Sam...Samantha?” Robert asks stutteringly, a look of shock slowly spreading across his face.

“Yes...and don’t panic, you’re in my dollhouse, and you’re naked.” Samantha giggles, still wearing her green dress, though there are crumbs and what looks like grime mashed into it.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t touch anything!” Samantha grins.

“You’re alive!” Robert laughs, happily, Leaping from what appears to be a small, fake bed, and embracing the woman.  “Yes, I’m alive.” Samantha says calmly, writhing a bit in his embrace.

“But, wait, if I am in here, that means...” Robert’s jaw hangs loose as he slowly releases the woman.

“Yes, Robert, you...it just wouldn’t stop, we’ve never seen anything like it.” Samantha says in a more serious tone as Robert sits down on the bed, realizing that he is now only slightly taller than Samantha.

“She measured you at around four and a half inches.” Samantha says, frowning.

“I’m sorry Robert.” She apologizes, sitting on the bed next to him, and embracing him.

“Four and a half inches.” Robert repeats, his voice distant as he tries to wrap his head around just how small he has become.

“At least...at least you’re OK, I thought you were dead.” Robert turns to the girl.

“April might play rough, but she’s not a murderer.” Samantha says, sounding a bit hurt.

“Why do you defend her?” Robert asks, and Samantha stands up, crossing her arms against her chest.

“It’s a long story, I hated it here at first, just like you, but over time I guess she grew on me.” Samantha explains.

“literally.” Both Samantha and Robert utter in unison.

“Heh.” Robert snorts.

“What time is it?” Robert asks.

“Time?” Samantha smiles, shaking her head slowly from left to right.  “I haven’t had the luxury of knowing the time in months Robbie Ladner.” Samantha explains.

“Don’t call me that...just...don’t.” Robert snaps a bit.

“Oh, sorry!” Samantha apologizes.

“I guess it’s the middle of the night.” Samantha deduces.

“We have to get out of here.” Robert suggests, standing up and feeling around the room for a door.

“And go where, exactly?” Samantha asks, tilting her head in curiosity, like a lost puppy.

“Anywhere, away from her, before someone gets hurt.” Robert says, looking back at Samantha.

“Sit down Robbie, you aren’t going anywhere.  April is going to take care of us, and then we are going to go to the special place.” Samantha explains, in a serious tone.

“Samantha, listen to me, there is no special place, it’s just some-” Robert begins but is immediately cut off by the dirty blond haired woman.

“Never! Never! Say that again! There is!” She retorts frantically, crossing her arms more tightly across her bosom before turning her back to Robert.

“Listen to me...” Robert says forcefully, approaching Samantha slowly, and grabbing her shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!” Samantha squirms away, her voice filled to the brim with venom.

“Samantha, please! She has you brainwashed!” Robert reasons pleadingly, his voice starting to crack a little bit.

“No! No! NO! Samantha shrieks, bringing her fingers to her ears and plugging them.” Lalalala, I can’t hear you!” She spouts angrily.

“Fine.” Robert sighs.  

“Good.” Samantha responds.  The girl walks over to the bed and sits down on it, staring at Robert with narrowed eyes.

“You know, you should really give her a chance.” April shrugs her shoulders.

“A chance to what, grind me under her toes, drown me, or financially rape me?” Robert growls.

“Financially rape you?” Samantha asks in a confused tone.

“Yeah, she’s emptying my bank account.” Robert sighs.

“Oh...” Samantha says, calmly.  “She needs that money to-” Samantha begins, only to have Robert cut her off. “Buy jewelry? Because that is what she did with it earlier.” Robert snaps, his face beet red as his hands ball into tiny fists.

Samantha shakes her head, looking away from Robert.  “She wouldn’t do that... She needs your money to make a deposit, so they can reserve a spot for you. Look, I don’t want to talk about this, so just... Sit down, shut up, and go to sleep!” Samantha snaps quiveringly, tears streaking down her cheeks as she lays down in the bed. She turns her back towards Robert and lets out an angry huff.

Robert slumps down against a plastic wall, sighing and leaning his head against it’s surface.  He closes his eyes, and time melts away.  The sound of crickets fill the air, their echoing chirps pounding ceaselessly against the flimsy dollhouse.  Robert is certain Samantha is fast asleep, until she stirs a little bit.

“Robert?” Samantha asks softly, breaking the long simmered silence.

“What?” He responds, his voice stern, yet even tempered.

“What was it like?” Samantha asks gently.

“What was what like?” Robert responds, confusedly.

“Working for a newspaper, driving, walking down the street...” Samantha says rather quickly.

“Wha-” Robert begins, only to be interrupted.  “Being big.” Samantha interjects longingly.

"You were big once, don’t you remember?” Robert responds softly.

“Kinda, well, it’s all I ever think about really. I remember just being able to get up and go, I remember working and going to school, and my boyfriend...” Samantha stops after she utters the last word, and Robert can hear her begin to sob in the darkness.  “Oh god Fraaaaank!” Samantha whines.

“Oh, hey! Hey!” Robert tries to comfort the sobbing girl, standing up and approaching the bed.  He sits down on the bed and places his hand on hers, forcing himself to choke back his own tears.

“It’s OK, Samantha, look at me.” Robert says, his voice cracking as his overly empathic nature takes over.

“We...we had a fight right after I got diagnosed...He said... He wanted me to go into the hospital... Said he was going to force me.” Samantha stammers through her tears.

“Everyone knows the hospital is the worst place to go.” Robert says, shaking his head.

“What about your parents?” Robert asks.

“They’re...they died when I was little, well, younger.” Samantha laughs a bit through her tears.

“My aunt used to hit me, so I moved in with Frank” She explains.

“I’m sorry.” Robert says, looking away from Samantha.

“So you really did have nowhere else to go.” Robert whispers.

“No, and April...April has been wonderful, she’s gone out of her way to cook all of my favourite foods, and comfort me, and...There was Seth and Elizabeth, and we were all so happy together." April explains, nostalgically.

“What happened to them?” Robert asks.

“I woke up one morning and they were gone, April says she brought them to the special place. They were so small... You could hardly even see them.” Samantha sniffles.

“It’s real Robert, they have a whole website, with interviews, videos and everything.”  Samantha stammers.

Robert smiles down at the girl, at once feeling sorry for her, sorry enough to humor her, taking a deep breath and nodding.

“Robert? Do you want to...lay down with me? The floor is kind of hard.” Samantha offers, her voice a bit more composed.

“Thank you.” Robert says, awkwardly, as he lays down on his back next to Samantha.  The girl snuggles up to him and plants her hand on his bare chest.

“I think you and Seth will get along really well.” Samantha says softly, idly running her palm up and down his chest.

“You think so?” Robert asks.

“Yeah, he is kind, and gentle, just like you.” Samantha whispers.  

“And I know it won’t be long, it’s coming, really soon, I feel it.” Samantha says happily, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples as she sucks air through her teeth.

“Are you Ok?” Robert asks, hesitantly.

“I have a headache.” She laughs, a pure innocent laughter, filled with untainted joy.