~Paul~

            I couldn’t respond back. It was so humiliating; I couldn’t bear to let Linda see me

in my current size now. It was hurting me in the inside; my heart rate was pumping a lot

of adrenaline. I began to sweat, very quickly and desperately. I then went down the floor

to the door, took my cell phone out and put on camera mode. I placed my phone, right in

the crack between the door and the floor, to see if Linda was coming this way. I had to

keep silent, I then saw her, and only by her feet as she walked around the hallway, and

even stopped, looking for me.

            “Dad, are you home? Daddy”, she said.

            I was so nervous now, I couldn’t handle the thought it would be like if she saw me

now. I was also being a voyeur, at the same time. Just watching her like this by her feet,

like some foot fetishist, trying to take a good picture of her feet. I had to get rid of that

thought. Just then, I accidentally pressed the volume button, on my cell phone. It was

loud enough, even for her to hear, which caught her attention straight.

            “Daddy, are you in the bathroom?”

            I couldn’t answer.

            “Dad, I heard your cell phone, I recognized the ring tone anywhere. Are you

trying to hide from me? Please come out, I know what happened about you and your job.

It’ll be okay, like you said. Take it step by step, remember? Please, come out.”

            Those words, I said I remembered, exactly, she used those words to persuade me.

But it was no use this time. I couldn’t take it step by step; it was a leap that was growing,

well shrinking for me. I don’t even know what I’m talking about anymore. I then cuddled

myself into a ball, and began to cry again. I was no longer a man to be a man. I was

pathetic and useless now. Linda then began to open the door, as she used one of her

cards. The door then swung open.

            ~Linda~

            I managed to open the bathroom door, by using one of my cards, but instead of

finding my dad, there was this little boy, in baggy clothes crying. What was he doing

here? And why is he here

            I said, “Oh, my god, hey little… boy. How did you get inside my house through

the bathroom? Are you lost?”

            I was drawing near this kid, he looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out where.

Did I meet him in the volunteer club? No. I then placed my hand on his back. The

familiar touch was now getting to me. I know that I met this kid somewhere. But what I

don’t understand is how did he get inside, where did he come from? And why is he here?

I then said:

            “Well, can you tell me your name, at least? So I can take you home to your

mommy and daddy?”

            The boy then looked up. I was surprised more than ever in my life as my jaw just

dropped, and I dropped dead.

            ~Paul~

            I couldn’t believe that my own daughter thought I was some little kid, who just

managed to break inside her house and locked himself into the bathroom, because he was

abandoned. I lifted up my face so she can see me. I was completely heartbroken, as she

was in complete shock more than ever, as she backed away and hit the wall with her

back. I was crying even harder, and I felt another tingling pain in myself. Could I be

shrinking again? How small would I be next time? The size of an ant or baby, there was

no time to think about that, Linda completely froze, not turning her eyes anywhere, but

stared at me with her opened eyes. The eyes I gave her.

            “Da, da, Dad, Daddy?”, she said, stuttering.

            “Yes, baby it’s me.”

            My voice was in trance of a child nearly, all squeaky and annoying. I just looked

down, and brought in more tears. She knew it was me. She had felt it. And it was hurting

her, as much it is hurting me.

            “Oh my god, what happened to you?”, she said.

            She was drawing out her own tears fast, as her face turned red and eyes turned

puffy; I just ran up to her and hugged her leg. It was the only point in my height that I can

reach her. She just went down and started to hold me, hug me like I was her son, and

she’s my mother.

            “Please tell me, what happened to you?”

            After half and hour, it was all told. Even though, it was only less of a story to be

told what happened, but I told Linda my thoughts as well, when telling her about the

troubles my body was suffering. After discussing about it, it was best that I shouldn’t

leave the house. It was for the best. I might shrink to nothing at the rate I was, I might

shrink to the next world, the microscopic world, possibly.  Those set of words just gazed

around my head, as I feared it, and was not prepared for the inevitable. Linda and I had

no idea small I would shrink, really. She explained to me, that maybe it was the turkey

leg I ate is causing me to shrink. She said that, it wasn’t meant to be eaten. Of which, I

really couldn’t understand anyway, as she went on, of the real purpose why she bought it.

            That night, I hopped up to my bed, well sort of climbed it anyway. I was thinking

a lot about my life so far. Linda managed to come inside the bedroom.

            “Hi, daddy. Are you okay?”

            “I’m not sure anymore, I’m more confused and afraid now with what’s happening

to us, to me.”

            “We’ll manage somehow. I mean, I’ll take care of you.”

            “I let you down, big time. I’m sorry, I really am, honey I should have never ate

that turkey leg.”

            “Dad, it’s okay. I’ll make sure nothing ever happens to you, and if you do shrink

to a much diminutive size. I’ll still take care of you; I’ll be gentle lifting you, from places.

I’ll feed you whatever you feel like eating. That is if you’ll let me.”

            “Okay. It’s time for bed, now.”

            “Can I sleep with you?”

            “Sure, if you want.”

            Linda just hopped into bed with me, again. Her weight was bouncing me a bit.

But after getting comfy, I felt her arms wrapping around me. Her arms were warm and

soft, like Susan’s. I felt Susan’s touch through Linda, which was the greatest sensational

feeling, I can ever imagine. It really was comforting, to have my daughter hugging me

close to her, feeling her warmth going around my body, securing me, and protecting me.

It was sort of odd, at first to sleep with my daughter, who now is twice, or maybe more of

my size. But then, I began to understand the concept, more and more of this compelling

feeling of my own daughter doing the reversal role of parenting her own father, like a son

or brother. It wasn’t all bad. I was practically enjoying the comfort of being taking cared

of my own daughter. But the odds though were another story, my smile turned to an

instant frown as my thoughts got the best of me. I was going to shrink again. And God

only knows how small I will become after. It’s only a matter of time, but in my case

hours, until I will shrink again. I just hope that I won’t shrink to the point, where I’m

nothing but dust in my daughter’s fingertip, on the coming days.