~Linda~

            Before I fell asleep, I was thinking about dad’s situation now. He lost his job, and

has shrunk to a state, where he must hide himself to the world, he was once known. I just

kept holding him close to me, as he drifted to sleep, peacefully. I didn’t want to let go of

him, not for one second, his head was resting right next to my bosom. I knew that he may

have spread some tears, as I felt them drops on my shirt. I just rubbed his hair gently, and

kissed him in the forehead, like he did to me the other night, when I was sleeping with

him. I thought maybe after, I graduate, I could find another part-time job that pays a bit

more. There was no reason, for us to stay here anymore. I’ll be starting college living in

the campus dorms, until I graduate. It was all too perfect, the way I thought. But I know

that at the same time, there were going to be set backs, but I believe I can do it, and make

through. I had to do it for both myself and the little guy, I mean my father. Hopefully,

though after I move in, I can explain this situation with my friends, when we share the

dorm.

            I let out a little smile and whisper.

            “Everything is going to be fine daddy.”

            I gave him another kiss on the forehead, as I too drifted to sleep, holding daddy in

my arms.

            I woke up the next morning, feeling the sensational feeling as I was holding my

daddy like my favorite teddy bear, last night. I just wanted to squeeze him, but I know

better than that to do that. But I can tell that he pretty much enjoyed, the hugging love I

gave him all night. I smiled practically, like it was a brand new day, as it always is, it

feels like a new tomorrow that just gave me a new chance at everything. But the moment

I opened my eyes fully, I couldn’t feel my dad anywhere, it’s like he was gone. I check

the covers to see if he was anywhere, than the floor if maybe he fell. Just then I felt

something on my shirt, it was moving inside of my shirt like it was sliding. Oh no! It

couldn’t be. Just then the small figure within my shirt fell down to the bed. I was looking

at it directly, it was dad. He was shrunk again!

            “Dad, daddy are you okay? Please speak to me.”

            I began to tap him gently to get him awake; he was so small now, and naked. He

went from child-sized to doll size all in one night. And now, I might have hurt him, when

I was holding him to sleep. I was panicking. Oh, please wake up I kept saying, while

tapping him a little bit harder.

            “Daddy, please wake up. I don’t want to lose you also. Please.”

            I was drawing tears fast, until I saw him move a bit, of which I backed my hand

away. He started to stir, and opened his eyes, and opened his eyes wider. I can tell he was

in a full state of shock, just looking up to me now. I didn’t want him to be afraid of me,

but he seems he was, when he was looking around, to see how small he got now. After

discovering both his new current size and nudity, he couldn’t help but to cover his private

parts, and tried ducking into the covers, and wrapping himself. I thought maybe, I should

give his a piece of cloth to wear, but instead I took a piece paper, and placed it right

beside him.

            “Here you go dad, sorry.”

            He opened the covers and rushed to the tissue, and made some sort of toga like

dress. I giggled a bit, and was excited to see that my daddy is really small. I thought this

was pretty exciting now; I wasn’t really afraid anymore of how small my daddy was

going to be now. I had a very good feeling that his shrinkage will stop at this height. He

then started talking, in this new squeaky voice, which was so cute.

            “Thank you, honey.”

            “My pleasure daddy. Listen are you hungry?”

            “I am a bit.”

            “Okay, well just hop into my hand, and I’ll make us some breakfast, but first I’m

going to measure you.”

            I let my daddy, jump into my hand; he sort of fell at first, but decided to lay there.

He was enjoying the warm feel of my hand, as I walked into the bathroom. I gently

placed him in the counter by the sink, and took out the measuring tape.

            “You’re barely an inch tall.”

            I couldn’t help, but smiled widely and giggled a bit more. My daddy was so cute

at his height, I thought of many possibilities that the two of us can share together now. I

promise myself though, that I was not to do anything, to treat him differently or be cruel

to him. I love my daddy more than any other person in the world, and I promised myself,

I would do anything in my power to protect him now, since he is unable to. But I know

that, right now he is thinking differently in the negative way, as more tears were dropping

from his eyes.

            ~Paul~

            As Linda measured me, I couldn’t help but to look at my own reflection now. She

measured me, of which revealed that I am now 1 inch tall or less. I looked upon the

bathroom mirror, and saw what I saw. A miserable losing man, myself. I failed at

everything now, and that’s what I accomplished so far. I could no longer be the man I

was, and to be anymore. I was small and helpless. Hearing Linda’s slight giggles were a

taunt to me, she was laughing that her father was now shrinking freak, and for me it was a

worst thought, I can imagine. My own limitations have now expanded to the worst point.

I couldn’t bear to see what my future would be come. Would Linda still treat me as her

loving father, like before? Or was I to be her obedient pet? I just hope that if she chose

one answer, it would have a right reason. I just couldn’t stand it anymore, seeing myself

as the parent being babied by my own daughter. I just don’t believe she could handle it,

or at least that’s what I think.

            “Daddy, what’s wrong?”

            “Honey, you’re not going to start treating me any different than I was before. Are

you?”

            “I knew that you were going to ask that question sooner or later. Well, daddy…I

can’t really tell you this but…, things are going to change from now on. I admit, it’s

going to take a lot of time to get use to, but it’s for the best anyway.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I’m going to start college sooner, or later. And after that there’s no reason to live

here any more, since I’ll, I mean we will be living in the dorms.”

            “We? I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying in this house.”

            “Dad, you know you can’t do that, plus I can’t afford it, anymore as much for

paying for the dorms.”

            I was pouting, which I can tell is really annoying to Linda. I just wasn’t prepared

to leave the house, yet. She planned this out, all night. I was force to live with my own

daughter from now on. It just bothered me now. Was it really a choice? I asked her.

            “Not really. It was more of a choice, I made myself. I’m practically an adult, and I

have to know what has to be done.”

            “YOU’RE NOT THE PARENT, LINDA! I AM. I’M YOUR FATHER. I KNOW

WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU.”

            “Daddy, please don’t holler back at me like that. I’m sorry, but everything is

changing now, and if you don’t act now it’s just going to get worst for you, and for the

both of us. So please, you have to do what I say now. I know it’s absurd, but there’s no

other way anymore. You’re only an inch tall. And I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

            Linda dropped a tear which hit me and knocked me to my ass. She then lifted me

up with her finger.

            “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

            “It’s okay, you’re right. I’m sorry I yelled at you honey. It’s just that, I seemed to

lose everything instantly now as I never did. I never lost anything in my life, until your

mother died, then I lost my job, then I lost my manhood, and I lost my height. I don’t

want to lose you. You’re my most precious important part of my life, Linda. When you

were very small, all I ever wanted to do after work was to go home, and see you. That’s

the truth. You’re my daughter, you’re a part of me and you’re mother.”

            “I know daddy, but it’s all changed. I know that, somewhere mom is telling me to

do what I’ve got to do. And I know that, she would have agreed to the whole idea, even if

she were alive.

            “You’re right. If it weren’t for your mother’s own strength in thoughts, you

wouldn’t have her strong will. Everyday you turn lovelier, and strong like her I thank her

everyday, for helping out my own struggles, at time.”

            The two of us couldn’t agree more now. I felt strong now, which for some reason,

I didn’t have that feeling I was going to shrink again. That was one accomplishment, out

of many obstacle were going to come. I just ran to Linda, as she placed her hand down, of

which I jumped on, and placed me on her chest.

            “So daddy, what do you want me to cook for you?”