Chapter 22 - A Helping Hand 3’3”

Daphne came in and I closed the door behind her.  I was shocked when I turned around and ran right into the scantily clad crotch of Daphne.

“Getting frisky down there little guy,” she teased, her smirk becoming even more obvious.

“I’m very sorry,” I apologized, “I really did not mean to.”

Daphne then did something I would have never expected.  She put her seemingly now-massive hands on each of my shoulders and pushed me effortlessly back-first into the closed front door.  With my body easily overpowered against the door, her left hand covering the width of my chest, Daphne reached up with her right hand and locked the door above me, even going as far as to swing shut and secure the latch lock at the top of the door frame.

“Daphne,” I screamed up to her from my extremely vulnerable position, “what the fuck are you doing!”

That must’ve had an impact as Daphne knew I rarely cursed and she looked down at me with a scowl.  Her scowl quickly returned to a smirk and I was shocked as she let me go from her large left hand.  I collapsed to the ground grasping my chest, it had felt as if she had cracked my ribs from the pressure she had placed on me.

“You of all people, by now, should know that nothing comes free,” Daphne said as she made an obvious, blatant reference to my diminished height tipping it off by gesturing at me with both hands.

“W-what,” I stammered as I managed to get up to one knee.

“You want dinner,” Daphne schemingly returned, “you need to give me something in return.”

“But you agreed to work with Helen to help me,” I said flabbergasted at what Daphne just inferred.

I was on my feet now and very terrified by what was transpiring.  Fight or flight had already kicked in and I was like a caged animal.  Daphne had me trapped as I was far too short now to reach the top latch to escape and find refuge.

“Well,” Daphne started with a bossy sounding tone, “if I remember correctly, I said that I would come check on you.  I never said anything in specific about helping.”

She took a step toward me and I bolted.  I ducked between her legs, an advantage to my small stature, and she nearly caught me right there as she reached down.  I wanted to prolong whatever she had planned for as long as possible.

I sprinted as fast as I could into my bedroom.  I turned around to see Daphne standing in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips, shaking her head at me as if we were playing some sort of game.

“Very cute,” she said in a tone as if I was a small child, “little Stevy-Weevy thinks he can run away from big Daphne.  I will play along, but these heels are going to kill me if I don’t take them off.  Run along little man.”

It seemed as if she was letting me off.  This was all a game to her.  She walked over to the couch and out of my line of view.

I took my opportunity and slammed the bedroom door shut.  I couldn’t do anything more to hinder Daphne from easily catching me as another perk of my terrible apartment was a lock on the bedroom door knob that did not work.  I was cornered in every sense of the word.

I looked frantically for a place to hide.  I scrambled into my bathroom and hid in the cabinet that was built into the counter.  I hoped and plead she would not find me.  Just then, I heard the door slowly squeak open.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Daphne said gleefully as if this were the world’s most sinister game of hide-and-seek.

I could hear her walk across the room and start rummaging through the pile of clothes still lying on my bedroom floor.  I heard a soft thump as a tossed garment hit the wall next to me.

“Oh darn,” she said playfully, “that was an obvious spot!  You’re going to make this hard for me aren’t you little Stevy?”

“Why can’t she just help me out,” I thought to myself, terrified by the whole sequence of events that was unfolding.

I heard the sounds of Daphne stomping across the bedroom.  She must’ve been trying to get me to react as I heard one of my crash cymbals slam to the floor as it’s stand was tossed over.

“Oopsy,” Daphne teased, “I accidently knocked over one of your precious little toys.  Maybe you should come out here and help me fix it my big, strong man!  I mean let’s face it Steve, you’re a hunk!”

She was trying all she could to lure me into her trap.  She was the predator and I got the lucky role as the prey.

“What other obvious spots are there,” I heard Daphne mutter to herself.

I heard her walk across the room to check under the bed.  At that inopportune moment my lungs started to burn, I realized I had been holding my breath through the whole ordeal and tried to exhale as quietly as possible.

Unfortunately for me, Daphne must’ve heard it as she immediately rushed into the bathroom.  I heard her tear open the shower curtain, ripping the room apart.  Just then, the my dark cabinet lit up.  I covered my eyes from the blinding outside light.  

“Gotcha,” Daphne cheered triumphantly.

“Please Daph,” I pleaded, “you don’t have to do this.”

“Aww you’re so cute,” she cooed, “you think you can convince me otherwise.”