Paul searched for some sign of humanity in the sole he knew to be his body, but whatever way he looked it at it just looked like an ordinary foot. He glanced at Judy, who paid him no heed and continued with her breakfast. She must have had something to do with this! That bitch! Somehow he’d get back at her, but right now he was struggling to get his head around his new situation. For some reason, he found himself the foot of a co-worker. He tried to rationalise that this was a dream, things like this didn’t happen in real life, but no matter how hard he willed, he continued to be just a foot of a small woman. Everything felt so real, he felt the bottom of the body… the hell of the foot, rest against the coffee table he was propped up on, he could taste the lint from the carpet he was smashed into, he could smell the faintly stale foot odour emanating from himself. There was no way a dream could be this real, but this whole thing was impossible.
All while Paul tried to get things in order in his head, Judy continued with her breakfast. Part of her didn’t want to go into work that day, Paul was a real pain in the ass. She wished she could tell him where to go, but he seemed quite close to the higher ups and she didn’t want to sabotage her attempts at promotion by blowing up at some asshole who was just looking for a reaction. Her other co-workers had told her that Paul was always an asshole and had been stuck in the same role for years. She guessed he was just bitter. As Judy finished up her cereal, she decided it was time to get dressed, she got up off her couch and walked into the kitchen.
Paul‘s thoughts were interrupted by Judy standing, sending him hurtling back into the floor. Now he knew what was going on, it was worse for him, every step a new nightmare. He hated being this helpless, so out of control, his new body ignored all of his demands, he was slave to Judy’s whims. As his body bent with each step, Paul groaned. This was really happening and he didn’t know what to do. He felt himself being pushed forward strangely, there was heavy pressure to the top of his body, as the bottom lifted in the air. Just was standing on her toes as she washed her bowl. The whole experience was dazing.
Judy finished up and headed back into her bedroom to get ready for work. She’d show Paul, she decided to wear her boots, Paul couldn’t complain about her feet if they were in boots she rationalised. She got the rest of her clothes out and started to put them on. Paul felt a little weird as Judy adjusted her balance several times getting ready, it was really weird for him as she lifted him up in the air and pushed him through a pants leg. It was like going through a strange tunnel. Judy then reached into a draw and pulled out a pair of long black socks. Paul felt the world above him change again as Judy sat on the bed.
She lifted one leg up and slid her foot into a sock, now it was the other foot’s turn. The foot that was now embodied by Paul. She lifted him up in the air and he got a look around at his surroundings. He was now in a bedroom, had he known it would have been the last thing he’d see in a few hours he’d have probably taken a better look. Only too late did he spot the sock approaching him. He was terrified, he didn’t want to be stuck in a sock. It was only now that the true reality of his situation became evident to him.
He was a foot, he was going to be shoved into a shoe all day and be walked on, he would have no light, no space, he’s be crammed inside, probably sweating a lot knowing Judy. He tried his hardest to move, to resist, but he was powerless as his world became dark. The soft material brushed against his sensitive face, he felt the toes atop his body bind together somewhat as Judy made sure the sock was snug. Last Halloween, Paul had gone to a costume party as Spiderman, being in the sock was somewhat reminiscent, expect then he could still move and take off his mask, now he was motionless and helpless. The more he thought about it, the more the comparison seemed silly, but he had to relate what was going on with him now somewhat to experience.
It was time now for the shoes, Judy grabbed her knee high leather boots from beside her bed and put them on. Paul felt like he was being put into a tomb, if his toes felt scrunched before, now the squeezed into him, he could now taste the little bits of grime in between them. His whole body was surrounded by hard walls that held him in a vice like grip. He guessed the shoes were a perfect fit, because he didn’t feel like he was being squeezed too hard, but he had no wriggle-room, not that he could wriggle though. He heard a zipper in the distance and he knew this was it. He was locked in the shoe. He felt Judy stand and he instantly knew he was inside a heeled boot, the shoe forcing his body forward. It was like when Judy was on her toes, but all the time.
Judy, now satisfied with the way she looked grabbed her keys and left her apartment heading for work. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something felt different about her today. She felt better, as if there was someone looking out for her. Inside the shoe however, things weren’t going well for Paul, he was being squeezed in and Judy’s walking was far worse for him now. She seemed to have gone up a gear once she left her apartment, he was being slammed into the ground with more ferocity, and the click of the heel that was holding him was starting to drive him mad. Paul wondered how much more he could put up with.
Judy walked into work, a little anxious, but she was relieved to see Paul’s desk unattended. The last thing she needed was a glib remark from him. She walked to her desk, set down her things and begun her workday. Inside the boot, Paul had been through hell. As if the walking wasn’t bad enough, as Judy drove in, he was being used for the gas. Judy must have been a timid driver as he was lifted the slammed back into the pedal repeatedly. Finally, he felt the pressure lift, he felt the leg supporting him swing over, and all he could do was hang in darkness as he was free from downward pressure. He gathered Judy must be at her desk now and she had crossed her legs. The next few hours for Paul were agonising, rather than being pounded into the ground, Paul was just left to merely exist. He had no indicator of time, the noises from the outside world were muffled heavily. He had no idea if he had been here for hours or just a few minutes. The only break to his monotony was when Judy would swing her leg. He was actually thankful when movement came and he was walked on again. The more it happened, the more the walking just became another part of what he had to put up with, being encased in the shoe was a help, as opposed to when Judy was barefoot that morning in the flat.
Now it was like he was on some kind of ride where he was pushed hard in the face, only there was no nose to be broken, the body was designed to put up with such punishment, so all pain was relative to him, he wasn’t even sure if it was pain at all, or just the simple sensation of being pressed up against the floor. This was not something Paul wanted to get used to, but anything to help him through this ordeal would be helpful. Paul began to wonder when this torment would end. She couldn’t keep him like this forever, could she? Paul just hoped this would be a one day only sort of thing and tomorrow he would wake up in his human body. If Judy thought she gave him a hard time before, just wait until he was back.
Judy meanwhile was having a great day, without Paul there to put her down, she found herself working with a new found lease. Previously, her job always seemed an uphill struggle, but today she found everything so much simpler. She even got a personal congratulations from Mr Sanderson for her work on her latest project. Not that it helped her get the employee award, but she had ambitions above where she was now, so worrying about a silly little prize was pointless to her. She felt like she had a spring in her step and just hoped the feeling would continue. It was the end of her work day and Judy was finishing up. She decided she’d had such a good day, she’d go to the gym, make the most of her positive energy. She logged off her computer and walked back to her car.
Paul was jolted back to consciousness by Judy’s sudden movement. He had spent the last few hours in a lull, a sleep-like state. The lack of stimulation of his senses had led him to it, being held firm by the boot was like being wrapped up snug in bed, only less comfortable. Still, while he was in that state it was easy to imagine he was still human, just wrapped up tight, not moving because he wished not to. Judy moving again brought reality back and the fact that he was a foot came crashing back to him. As there was a brief pause in Judy’s gait, she strummed her toes inside her boot. Even the movement of his body was beyond Paul, he was just a spectator, a passenger. He could feel everything the foot did, but he was not in control. This was hell to a control freak like Paul.
Judy finally got back to her apartment, she was looking forward to taking her cumbersome boots off. She only wore them because she didn’t want Paul on her case. Her feet were aching after a long day. Paul struggled to notice the ache, it slowly built up over the day, though if he concentrated he could notice it. Movement above him became unfamiliar as he heard a zip loudly above him. It must be the end of the day, he thought, looking forward to escaping his prison. As just lifted Paul out of her boot, the effect of the day became apparent to him. The sock, which at the start of the day was dry, was now soaked. Paul had emitted so much sweat he had saturated the sock. The sock was peeled off him and light returned to his vision, it took his eyes, or whatever he had for eyes now, a while to adjust after being in darkness for so long.
Finally adjusting, Paul saw the bedroom from earlier in the day. Having a look around, he spied a clock on the wall signalling that it was 5PM. Given how early Judy usually got into work, he could conclude he’d been stuck as a foot for almost twelve hours. It felt like an eternity, but if this was just a one day thing, it was almost over. Paul found himself being planted back onto the ground again, his moist body picking up lint from the carpeted floor.
“Shit, is that the time?” He heard Judy say “I guess I’ll just shower after the gym”
Gym!? Shower!? In his hubris, Paul forgot to take into account what Judy would do after work. He had just hoped she’d just put her feet up and watch some trash TV, like he did. He didn’t anticipate she’d be a gym nut. And what would a shower be like as a body part!? These questions circled his mind as a new sock, this time white and athletic was pulled over his body. Judy put the other sock on and grabbed her sneakers. They were a few years old now and falling apart, she kept them on her balcony as the smell was bad, but they were lucky to her. Grabbing them, she slipped them on.
If Paul thought Judy’s feet in flats smelled bad, he was not prepared for the sneakers, as the stench overwhelmed him, he must now be unable to faint, as if he were still human, he would be out like a light. Just tied the laces of the sneakers, entrapping Paul in this new prison and went to her car to go to the gym.