Chris was stunned beyond belief. Shannon had once again come within an inch of ending his tiny life. Just before the flyswatter struck, Chris made a bold move and slid underneath the fly’s body, hoping it would absorb the impact, which it did for the most part. However, the heavy blast of air had left Chris temporarily paralyzed; sheer luck, the fly’s carcass, though verily crushed, had collapsed around him, encasing him in a tiny, protective shell. Of course, now, he was up close and personal with the disgusting remains of a dead insect; Chris wanted out!
He stretched out his arms and pushed against the top of his prison, straining as he tried to sit up for more leverage. Slowly but surely, Chris forced the shell and legs apart, slinking his way out of the dead fly. He tumbled to the ground, taking a moment to catch his breath, before slowly pushing himself upright, then brushed himself off and surveyed his surroundings:
Humongous blades of grass surrounded the rocky surface upon which Chris now stood. Despite the fact his father had cut it the day before they left, it still towered nearly a hundred feet into the air compared to Chris’s current size, which, given how big things seemed before, he estimated was somewhere between 1/6 and 1/8 of an inch. He couldn’t even fathom that the rocks and pebbles beneath him were actually specks of dirt and dust.
Chris was breathing heavily, frightened beyond belief, and desperate for help.
“HELLO?!” he called out. “SHANNON? CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? I’M DOWN HERE, IN THE GRASS! HELP ME, PLEASE!”
Unfortunately, Chris knew calling for help was pointless: his voice was too small to be heard. It was merely an act of desperation. Heck, Shannon probably wasn’t even looking outside for him, thinking he was still hiding somewhere inside the house.
Ironically, Chris got his wish: he was free of Shannon for the time being, but now he was at the complete mercy of the elements of his new environment. There were probably huge insects and rodents all over the yard, and any one of them wouldn’t think twice about making a meal out of him. Chris gazed upwards, thankfully looking into a clear blue sky; at least it wasn’t going to rain anytime soon, but he had no way of knowing how long he’d be trapped outside. At least inside he had some protections, even though they game with a gargantuan babysitter.
Chris looked around the dense forest of endless grass, trying to determine which way to go, which was no easy feat: he could barely make out any landmarks at his size. Which way was home? He didn’t necessarily want to go back to his house, but honestly what choice did he have? It was the closest place he might find help, and right now he needed that more than he needed to be free of Shannon.
Of course, the first thing Chris needed to do was cover himself: he wasn’t going to get very far being completely naked. He approached a nearby blade of grass and began tearing away at the outer layers, pulling apart long strips of material. Doing the best he could, Chris wrapped the grass around his feet for padding, and tied a larger portion around his torso in a makeshift toga. He stood up and tested out the shoes: thankfully they were providing adequate padding for the long walk ahead.
Then, thinking he saw his roof in the distance through the dense foliage, Chris headed off in a direction that would hopefully lead him home.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Shannon was only getting more and more frustrated, stomping about the bedroom in her bathrobe as she searched for the tiny boy, not giving a care to whether she stepped on him or not. Occasionally, though, she would check the bottoms of her feet and in between her toes just in case, but no matter where she looked, Shannon kept coming up empty handed.
“Damn it, Chris! Where are you?” Shannon cursed, hoping he was in earshot. “I’m serious, now come out! It’s too dangerous if I don’t know where you are!”
Shannon threw up her arms in submission; she was tired of looking at the moment and stepped over to the bed. She plopped her ass down hard with a huge sigh, contemplating what to do next, though she was sure to check where she was going to sit, just in case. Shannon didn’t want to have to scour the whole house to find Chris, but he wasn’t leaving her much choice. It not like she could just give up; she had to find him! This was definitely NOT how she wanted to spend her Wednesday morning.
Shannon reasoned that the potion would off sometime on Friday, so if worse came to worse, Chris would have to show himself eventually, but that was assuming he actually survived until then. And, if he hid himself well, he might be able to grow large enough to escape the house, which would ruin her plans for him. That just wouldn’t do! She had to find him! But how?
Despite weighing the alternatives, Shannon realized she simply couldn’t get around it: she’d have to search the entire house, top to bottom, with a fine tooth comb, literally! She walked down the hall to the bathroom, retrieving a comb from one of the drawers before returning. Then, she pulled out the magnifying glass she’d gotten from the kitchen after killing that fly earlier, got down on her hands and knees, and started searching again. She was absolutely determined to find Chris....one way or another.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Chris was running as fast as he could, trying to avoid the deadly grasp of the giant beast chasing him. Unfortunately, the tall blades of grass were the only cover he could find, and the insect’s powerful mandible was chopping through each one as if they were paper. Chris was so disoriented he had no idea which way was honestly going; he just knew he had to keep moving, or he’d be surely cut in half.
Most of the bugs he’d encountered so far had either flown harmlessly overhead or were more interested in the vegetation rather than a tiny boy, but this beetle was bound and determined to make a meal out of him.
Suddenly, Chris tripped over uneven patch of ground, landing hard on his chest. He flipped over quickly, trying to keep his wits and scoot away, but it was too late: the huge bug was already bearing down on him.
Then, just when he thought he was done for, a huge roar sounded from above. Chris turned his gaze skyward as a giant beast blocked out the sun, casting a huge shadow over the both of the grass dwellers. In a split second, the huge bird swooped down, grabbed the beetle in its talons, then flew away again just as quickly, leaving only a huge downdraft from its wings, forcing Chris to brace himself to prevent from being blown away.
“Whew!” he sighed with relief, “That was a close one. I’ve got to get back inside before I get eaten by another bug.”
Chris lay on his back for a moment to catch his breath. Then, after waiting for his heart to stop beating out of his chest, he stood up and brushed himself off. Chris looked up to see if he could orient himself again.
Success! He could see his housetop in the distance. Chris wasn’t too sure how far away it was, but, at he moment, he didn’t care: he had a heading, and quickly took off in that direction, bound and determined to make it back home.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Rachel was absolutely bored. She kept flipping through the channels, hoping she’d find something interesting to watch, but she just couldn’t settle on anything. It was just one more sign of another long, boring day.
Even after trying to sleep in that morning, Rachel couldn’t help but be wide awake, what with the sun beaming in through her bedroom window. After slipping on a pair of pajama shorts and a T-shirt, she casually strolled down stairs to the kitchen for some breakfast. She actually considered using the stove to cook something, but eventually relegated herself to a bowl of cereal, plopping down on the living room sofa, and trying to find a show to pass the time.
Rachel honestly couldn’t help it: she’d been bored since Sunday afternoon. Her best friend was sick, she was too embarrassed after the whole pool incident to ask Shannon to go for a swim, and there really weren’t any other kids in the neighborhood she could hang out with. What was she supposed to do?
“Rachel, are you just gonna sit there all day and watch TV?” her mother asked, carrying a small basket of laundry down from upstairs. “It seems like that’s all you did yesterday, too.”
“What else am I supposed to do, mom?” Rachel replied sharply. “It’s not like I can go anywhere.”
“You don’t HAVE to go anywhere; just go play outside.”
“First of all, mom, I’m not a little kid: I’m 13; and second of all, play with who? Chris has been sick all week.”
“Honey, Chris isn’t the ONLY other kid in the neighborhood.”
“Actually mom, he is. No other kids my age live anywhere near here.”
“Well, are you sure he isn’t feeling better yet?”
“I went over on Monday to check, and Shannon said he was still sick and that she’d send him over when he was feeling better.”
“Well then, why don’t just go for a walk while it’s still nice outside?”
“I’m not really in the mood, mom,” Rachel moped. “Hey, maybe we could go see a movie or something?”
“Oh, I can’t today, sweetheart. I’ve got too many things to do around here: I’ve got laundry that needs to get done, I need to work out, vacuum...Maybe on Friday, OK?”
“Great,” Rachel remarked sarcastically, “another fun-filled day at home for me. This isn’t how I pictured my summer vacation going.”
“Alright, come on. Get up.” Mrs. Carson said, setting down the laundry basket and shoving Rachel’s shoulders.
“Ugh, MOM! Stop!” Rachel said with annoyance, resisting.
“Nope, come on. You’re not gonna loaf around here all day again, now get goin’.”
“Mom, come on,” Rachel whined.
“I don’t wanna hear it, Rach,” her mother scolded. “Now, I want you to get out of the house for a while. Go for a walk, walk down to the park. Maybe you’ll meet some kids your own age.
“Mom, ‘kids my age’ don’t go to that park,” Rachel said in air quotes. “It’s not that big, and there’s nothing to do there. All it has is a playground.”
“So walk down there, sit for a bit, then come back. I don’t care, but you’re not hanging around the house all day. Besides, the fresh air will do you some good. And who knows? Maybe you’ll meet somebody.”
“Mom! Geez!” Rachel exclaimed, blushing, knowing her mother was talking about boys.
“I said, I don’t want to hear it. Now, go upstairs, put some clothes on, and go out for a walk.”
“Fine,” Rachel relented begrudgingly, “I might as well. There’s nothing to do around here anyway.”
Mrs. Carson sighed and shook her head as she watched her daughter mosey on up the stairs and out of sight.
“That girl really needs to make some new friends,” she commented to herself as she picked up her basket of clothes and continued towards the laundry room.
Mrs. Carson paused for a moment, however, pondering over what Rachel had told her.
“Hm,” she uttered, “I’m surprised Chris is still sick. I hope it’s nothing too serious.”
——————————————————————————————————————————
Despite being nearly ten blocks away, it had only taken Rachel about 30 minutes to walk to the park; a surprising feat considering she was wearing a pair of tan, Birkenstock sandals. Ordinarily, it would be an odd choice for a walk, but they were well worn in and comfortable, something she valued more than practicality. It also explained the rest of her outfit: an olive-green T-shirt with an abstract design on the front, khaki shorts, and a beat up baseball cap; everything a regular tomboy would wear.
“Typical,” Rachel scoffed as she approached and surveyed the park. There wasn’t a single person in the park that day, not even younger kids playing on the playground. Of course, it wasn’t anything she hadn’t expected, it being such a small park with nothing but a measly playground and some benches.
Rachel sighed with disappointment and walked up to the edge of the park. She quickly slipped off her sandals and stepped into the grass; the lawn felt cool to the touch, just the thing to comfort her bare feet after walking so quickly. Then, she reached down and picked up her sandals with two fingers before strolling further into the park.
Despite being in public, Rachel didn’t give a second thought to slipping off her shoes and walking through the grass. She actually preferred going barefoot most of the time anyway: she enjoyed the freedom, only wearing shoes when she had to. It was just one of her many quirks.
The park’s swing set was located in the middle of a large dirt patch created by all the previous swingers who skidded their shoes across the ground. At least, for the time being, it wasn’t wet, so there was no mud. It was, however, very dusty; a distinct difference from the lawn that Rachel noticeably felt as she casually stepped through the dirt patch to the nearest swing. She plopped down into the seat and tossed her sandals a few feet out in front of her; they landed with a PLOP, kicking up a small bit of dust as they landed.
Rachel took a few moments to wipe the dirt off her bare feet; there was a surprising amount considering she only took a few steps through the bare ground, no doubt it was sticking to the sweaty skin of her soft soles. Instead of swinging, though, Rachel pulled out her phone and paused the music playing in her earbuds. As she flipped through the apps on her phone, Rachel rolled her eyes, thinking that she could’ve done this at home. At least, this way, it got her mom off her back. It didn’t take long, however, for Rachel to get bored with playing on her phone; she disconnected her earbuds, wrapped them into a bundle, and stuck them in her pocket.
Finally, much to the swing’s delight, Rachel pushed off backwards to get her self moving. The wind upon her face came as a welcome comfort in the warm day, and despite being a teenager, swinging brought back happy memories of younger days; the higher she went, the happier she felt.
It wasn’t long before Rachel was swinging high enough to see a woman walking up the street in the distance, no doubt someone taking advantage of the cooler morning to avoid the hottest part of the day. The closer the woman came, however, the more Rachel could make out her outfit. She wasn’t wearing normal workout clothes: the woman had on a patterned, tank-top blouse; tight-fitting Capri khakis; and flats. She also appeared to be carrying a large bag around one shoulder. Eventually, Rachel was able to make out facial features, and quickly realized it was someone she recognized; someone who would often watch Chris almost as much as Shannon did.
“Hi, Sue Ann,” Rachel called out, slowing down her swing.
“Rachel! Hi,” Sue Ann replied, “how are you?”
“I’m doing, OK. Just thought I’d come to the park and kill some time. How ‘bout you?”
“Well, as always, I have work to do, but it’s such a nice day, I just couldn’t stay inside, so I thought I’d head over here and work.”
“Mind if I join ya?” Rachel asked.
“Not at all. I’d welcome the company.”
“Sweet!” Rachel said, jumping off the swing.
Sue Ann giggled at Rachel’s actions as she watched the teenager dust herself off and pick up her sandals.
“You’re sure full of energy today,” Sue Ann commented as Rachel walked up with shoes in hand.
“Well, I’ve been penned up for three days,” Rachel replied, gesturing towards a nearby park bench.
“Still, I’m surprised to see out so far from home,” Sue Ann said as they walked.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t have much else to do today,” Rachel said bluntly, staring at the ground as she walked.
“Really? The start of summer vacation and you’re already bored?!” Sue Ann queried as she sat down and unpacked her computer. “I figured you’d be out having fun.”
“Yeah, well...” Rachel’s voice trailed off as she removed her ball cap and shook out her hair, pulling it backwards before replacing her hat and plopping her behind on the bench.
“It’s kind of hard to have fun when your best friend is sick,” Rachel finished her sentence.
“Yeah, Shannon told me. I stopped by Chris’s yesterday to say ‘hello’ and apologize for having to cancel at the last minute. Poor kid.”
“Tell me about it,” Rachel moped. “It feels like it’s been forever since I last saw him.”
“Well, don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be better soon. These things usually don’t last long.”
“That’s the thing, Sue. He’s been sick since Saturday. You see, I went over to—“
“Whoa! Wa-wait, hang on a second,” Sue interrupted her, stuttering. “Are you saying Chris has been ill since Saturday?!”
“Y-Yeah,” Rachel murmured. “I, uh, went over to his pool for a swim and Shannon nearly bit my head off when she lost her contacts. I’ve barely been able to face her since.”
“And you’re sure you haven’t seen him since then?”
“I haven’t seen him all week. In fact, I haven’t seen him since LAST week.”
“Rachel, are you absolutely sure?”
“Yeah, why?” Rachel inquired, slightly concerned.
“Um, it-it’s nothing,” Sue Ann stammered.
“Come on, Sue, what is it?” Rachel urged.
“Well, it’s just that....when I stopped by yesterday, Shannon gave me the impression he’d JUST come down with something. It fact, I’m pretty sure she said it outright.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Well, considering how weird she’s been acting, I guess it’s no surprise.”
“Why?” Sue Ann asked, “How’s she been acting?”
“Well, she’s always been weird around Chris: wrestling, teasing him, and one time, I saw her sit on him.”
“Yeah, Chris has told me that she can be a little rough,” Sue Ann commented.
“Yeah, but lately, it’s like she’s been freaked out, or paranoid, or something. You know, I went over on Monday to check on Chris, and I actually caught Shannon talking to herself.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and that wasn’t even the really weird part. When I peeked in one of the windows to see who she was talking to, I swear that Shannon was talking to her FOOT!”
“To her....FOOT?!”
“Yeah, weird right?”
“I’ll say!” Sue Ann replied with confusion. “But....you’re sure Chris was sick on Saturday?”
“Well....that’s what Shannon told me. In fact, I spent Sunday out with my mom because of it.”
“Huh,” Sue Ann uttered. “Rachel, um, I-I think I’m going to head back home, OK?”
“But I thought you had work to do.”
“I do. In fact, I....I think I’ll get it done a lot faster if I do it at home.” Sue Ann stuttered, scrambling to gather her things.
“Oh, o-okay,” Rachel uttered. “I hope I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“N-no no, Rachel. You’re fine. I just have some things I need to take care of,” Sue replied as she stood up, “but maybe you should head home too.”
“Uh....okay,” Rachel said as she too stood up, watching as Sue Ann bid a hasty retreat. “I’ll....see you later.”
“See ya later, Rach.”
Rachel stood speechless, watching Sue Ann head off into the distance. She was slightly confused at the woman’s reaction, although considering what she’d just told her, Rachel shouldn’t really have been that surprised.
The young teenager flipped her sandals upright with her feet and stepped into them, making sure they were on snugly; then, after untangling and plugging in her earbuds, Rachel started her music and began her journey back home.
——————————————————————————————————————————
It had been nearly three hours since Shannon had started her intense search, but she still hadn’t found any sign of Chris. After thoroughly scouring the bedroom, she worked her way down the hall towards the guest room, then down to the master bedroom.
“Could he really have gotten this far?” Shannon asked herself, “He’s so tiny, it literally would’ve taken him hours just to GET here.”
Of course, Shannon wasn’t sure exactly when Chris had escaped, so he could’ve had the whole night to get a head start. She wasn’t going to give up hope, however; there was too much at stake!
“Chris, are you in here? Honey, come out. I don’t wanna squish you.”
But the longer Shannon searched, the more frustrated and concerned she became. Chris was so small and helpless, who knows what kind of trouble he could get into, or currently be in?
Waves of paranoia continuously washed over her, and Shannon kept checking her body to make sure that Chris wasn’t stuck anywhere. In fact, at one point, she even sprayed a bottle of douche not just in her vagina, but also up her ass in case Chris had somehow gotten stuck inside her again.
“This is ridiculous!” Shannon exclaimed. “Chris! Sweetie, where are you? If you’re hiding, please, come out. You’re too small to survive on your own. Chris, I promise I’ll be nice to you for the rest of the week if you just come out.”
Of course, Shannon really didn’t mean it. When she found Chris, he wasn’t leaving her panties for the rest of the week.
“It’s hopeless!” Shannon lamented. “I been at this for hours, and there’s still no sign of him, unless...unless he isn’t on the floor.”
Shannon actually wondered if it was possible for Chris to have gotten up off the floor to hide. She began thinking like a tiny person: where could she get to if she were an 1/8th of an inch tall? She’d already searched Chris’s desk thoroughly and inspected everything; there was no way she could’ve missed him. He must’ve gotten off the desk somehow. If he fell off like the last time, he’d literally have to travel through miles of carpet, and she surely would have found him by now, even if he was actively avoiding her. The only other option was to head for a wall.
Surely Chris isn’t stupid enough to try to go through a hole in the wall, Shannon thought. Who knows what kind of bugs or mice could be crawling in there?!
Chris had to be hiding; Shannon just knew it! But where?
“Chris, I know you’re here somewhere,” Shannon said, promptly lowering her voice afterwards, “and when I find you, you’re going to spend the rest of the week under my ass!”
But honestly, in that moment, Shannon never would have guessed that she’d accidentally thrown Chris outside, or that the fly she’d swatted earlier was the vehicle of his escape.
There was also no way she could’ve known that at that very moment, many blocks away, a young, caring professional was making a phone call that was about to change everything.
Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
WEDNESDAY