The tired, worn down reflection stared back at him in the mirror. It was a stark reminder of how bad things had gone for him, of how miserable he was.

It had been five days since Guy had gone on the trip to see “Big Love” but it felt like a lot longer. Depression had hit him hard, especially when there had been no follow up from Chloe. It proved to him that she either didn’t remember him or didn’t care to. Why would she? She could do far better than a loser like him. She had the rich and wealthy rushing to use her services, as well as the porn videos that were made specifically for their pay-per-view streaming service. She was living it up, while he was barely living at all.

Guy turned away from the mirror and left his small cramped bathroom. He had to get ready for work, though he didn’t want to go. He didn’t think he could face it.

Knowing that he had to bite the bullet, he went anyway.

It was as bad as he had expected. Sat at the cash register scanning item after item wasn’t bad in itself, more that he didn’t want to interact with anyone, though they certainly wanted to interact with him.

He was thankful when he was taken off the register after his lunch break and tasked with stacking the shelves. That didn’t mean he was free from interaction. Customers still asked him where things were, but he didn’t mind that as much as the interaction was often brief and distracted him from the monotony.

Guy had never been a people person. He had always been a rather quiet reserved kind of guy. He suffered from anxiety, especially in crowds and as a result tended to drift between employment. Right now, with Christmas on the way, he had been hired as seasonal staff. Unfortunately, he knew come January he would likely be facing unemployment and an uncertain future. That was just the way his employment history went.

The end of his shift didn’t come soon enough, but thankfully it was the weekend again, meaning he had two days where he didn’t have to interact with anybody. Usually, he would take the overtime when he could, but since seeing Chloe again, he didn’t have the energy.

He bought some groceries on his way home, then without so much as changing out of his clothes, he went straight to bed.

It was the early hours of the morning when there was a loud knock at his door. He climbed out of bed and made his way to the door. He pulled it open to find the tall buxom beauty from Big Love Studios stood there on the other side of his door.

He could barely believe it.

“Guy Alexander,” the woman said.

He nodded eagerly. “That’s right.”

“Chloe has missed you so much. She wants to see you.”

Without question, Guy followed her out of the apartment building, not bothering to close or even lock his door. As they stepped out onto the street, the ground began to tremor. Guy couldn’t believe it.

“She’s here in the city?” he asked.

“Of course,” the woman answered as though it were not a big deal. “She wants to see you.”

A shadow fell over them and Guy looked up to see Chloe stretch high up into the sky. She had to be at least six times taller than she had been when he had seen her at the studio, yet she was just as beautiful.

Chloe reached down and scooped him up in her impossibly large hand and rose him up to her face. She grinned at him and he ran his hands through her hair and cupped the sides of her face like he used to.

Wait…

Guy awoke with a start. It was still dark outside and his alarm clock said it was three in the morning. Tears filled his eyes as he buried his face into his pillow. He longed to see her again, and the dream, even if for a moment, had granted him that wish. But it wasn’t real.

The rest of the weekend raced by with Guy spending most of it either sleeping or watching garbage on TV. He barely ate and only showered on Monday morning when it was time to once again go to work.

It was halfway through the week when he was called to the managers office. Guy didn’t know why, but he had a bad feeling about it.

The moment the pleasantries were out of the way, the manager began. “I’ve noticed over the last few weeks that you’re productivity has dropped off a cliff. You are supposed to greet the customers with a smile. Help them with a smile, serve them with a smile.”

“Sorry,” Guy said, unable to think of an adequate response.

“You’re still within your six week probation period. If you don’t smarten up and give the customers the service they deserve, then I’m gonna have to let you go.”

Guy forced a smile, but it came off more as a grimace.

“What’s with that look?” the manager asked. “Have you shit yourself or something? We have a reputation to maintain, so I expect you to maintain it, understood?”

“Understood.”

“Now get back down to the store floor and do your job. Make the customers feel welcome so they want to come back. Now go.”

Guy did as he was told. He faked the best smile he could while inside he was falling apart. By the time he was walking home that evening, he honestly didn’t know if he would be able to face another day. He knew he had to, otherwise he would be destitute and on the streets, but at that moment if felt preferable than having to do another shift.

Arriving home, he went straight to bed. Sleep, work, repeat. It felt like he was stuck in a never ending loop with no chance of escape.

He wanted to escape, he wanted to be free of it. But he didn’t know how.

The morning came sooner than it had any right to.

He grabbed a quick shower, brushed his teeth then ate breakfast in silence, dreading the eight hours that was to follow.

After putting on his shoes, he left his apartment, locking the door behind him. As he turned to head down the hall, he saw a somewhat familiar face.

It was the tall buxom beauty from Big Love Productions.

“Crap, I’m dreaming again,” Guy muttered. The worst dreams he had ever had were ones where he went to work, did a full shift and was coming home for the weekend only to wake up to find it was a Monday.

This wasn’t quite that bad. No, actually scratch that, it was worse.

“Guy Alexander?” the woman said as she approached.

He nodded. “Yes.” He noted that she was coming from the wrong side of the hall to have used the stairs. That meant either she had been wandering looking for his apartment, or she had come from the roof.

The woman kept her voice low. “Do you remember me? I’m Zaya from Big Love Productions.”

“I remember you,” Guy said, as he waited to wake up. “Is Chloe waiting outside?”

Zaya quirked an eyebrow. “No, she’s back at the studio where she lives. She couldn’t come here without causing untold destruction.”

“Did you come from the roof?”

“Guy. I won’t lie to you. Yes, I did. Come with me, there is much I have to tell you.”

“Uh, like what?”

“Like how your lover became what she is, and why your governments didn’t seek to destroy her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Follow me.” The woman turned and headed for roof access. Guy stood there for a moment, uncertain if he should follow.

Zaya turned around at the door. “Are you coming?”

Guy nodded and jogged over to her before the two ascended to the roof. As she flung the door open, a gust of cold wind blew down causing Guy to shiver.

“Come along,” Zaya said in a rather commanding tone.

Guy folded his arms as he stepped onto the roof. “I do have to go to work today,” he told her.

“No, you don’t,” Zaya said. “Today isn’t going to be another mediocre day, but one that will change your understanding of reality forever.”

“Listen, my girlfriend is bigger than most buildings. My understanding of reality is already changed forever.”

“Haven’t you ever wondered why she wasn’t seen as a threat and destroyed?”

“You pay off the government?”

“There is some of that, yes. The truth is a little more insidious than that.”

Zaya grabbed Guy tightly by the hand, then pulled out a small device with her other. Guy tried to pull his hand away, but she was surprisingly strong.

She pressed her thumb down on the device and the world around him began to shimmer and everything went white.