Zoey woke up the day of the wake the same way she woke up everyday—hungry. Her stomach growled to life as she sat up and stretched her long limbs across her childhood bed. She glanced around the room. Her mom had kept it clean since she left. The rising sun's glow reflected against the many trophy's and medals that were scattered along her dresser and walls. 

Zoey stood up and stretched again. She trudged over to her closet and grabbed her old track sweatshirt and a pair of shorts. She threw them on and headed downstairs to the kitchen. On her way, she found her feet stopping in front of the bedroom door down the hall from her. She held her breath and stared at the door's handle. She didn't have the energy to open it. It was so quiet behind the door. 

Zoey shook her head and continued downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother stood by the stove attempting to cook what Zoey suspected were vegan pancakes. Zoey walked behind her and looked over at the failed breakfast. It somehow looked to be both burnt and undercooked. 

Zoey's mother looked up at her, "Good morning, sunbeam," she greeted, using the nickname she assigned to her when she had been too young to verbally object to it. "Would like some pancakes?" She asked with a small smile.

Zoey glanced at her mother's concoction. "No thanks," she answered. She reached above her mother's head to grab a protein bar out of the top cabinet. She kissed the top of her mother's head before sitting down at the kitchen table. Since the fifth grade Zoey had towered over her mother—actually, she towered over most people. Zoey's mother, Zelda, on the other hand was a short, petite woman so their size difference was exaggerated when they stood close together.

In fact, their blonde hair and blue eyes were the only things they had in common. Whereas Zelda had spent the better part of Zoey's life, delving deep into the spiritual healing community, Zoey had leaned into the advantage her height had given her and became a star athlete. 

Zoey bit off half of the protein bar in one bite. The kitchen was filled with only her chewing and the sounds of Zelda burning the pancake.

"So how are you, sunbeam?" Zelda asked, breaking the silence. 

Zoey rolled her eyes behind her mother's back. She was sick of that question. Half of her conversations now started with that question.

"I'm fine, Mom," Zoey said through a mouthful of food.

Although Zelda had her back to her, Zoey could tell she was frowning.

"Are you sure? I know you two were close. If you want, I can set up a grief meditation with some of the ladies from the community," Zelda suggested.

Zoey cringed, "No thanks," she rejected. She tolerated her mother's yoga bullshit, but she had no desire to cry while in the downward dog position with a bunch of weird middle-aged yoga women. Zoey pushed the rest of the protein bar into her maw. As she chewed, she realized it was nowhere enough to fill her. She glanced again at her mother's failed vegan pancake.

"Do you want me to run to the diner and pick up something to-go? I think their Banana Oatmeal is vegan," Zoey suggested.

Zelda poured another cup of pancake batter onto her pan. "No, I'm all set," she insisted. "Do you have your outfit picked for tonight?" She asked, bringing the conversation back to a topic Zoey was entirely over. 

Zoey sighed and stood up to retrieve another protein bar. "I don't understand why we're having a viewing when there's not even a body," Zoey said.

Zelda turned to Zoey with a scowl, "Zoey that's—"

"She's right, Zelda," a gruff and hollow voice said. Zoey nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned to see her step-father, Don, trudge to the kitchen table. Zoey had only caught glimpses of him since she had come back home. His reddish-brown hair was longer than usual and disheveled. His beard was untamed and Zoey noticed more strands of grey than she had before. Behind him Maggie, their old Bloodhound, trailed behind him. 

The chair groaned underneath Don's lumberjack-like figure as he sat down. Maggie sat by his chair, and laid her head on top of his feet. Don released a slow breath. "Both my girls, gone. Both coffins, empty." He buried his head in his large hands, "I don't even know what I'm doing anymore," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.  

Zelda turned off the stove and firmly set her spatula down. She turned to Zoey and Don with a stern expression, "Listen you two, a wake is not about saying goodbye to a body—it is about celebrating someone's life. You don't need to look at her body in order to...mourn her," Zelda said. Her voice broke a bit towards the end. There was a heavy silence in the kitchen before Zelda once again broke it.

She looked at the broken pancake on pan and turned to Zoey with a small smile, "You know what? I think I'll take that Banana Oatmeal."

Zoey nodded and grabbed the car keys from the kitchen table. Before she left the kitchen she asked Don, "Do you want anything?"

Don kept his head in his hands, not moving. Zoey wondered if he even heard her. Zelda answered for him, "He'll have a Breakfast Sampler."

Zoey nodded and headed out the door as quickly as she could. That house was too stifling. She climbed into her car. She let all her other thoughts empty from her head. She focused on the intense hunger in her gut, and she let that consume all of her attention. Hunger was something she understood. Hunger was something she could fix. She held onto that fixation and drove off.

--

The funeral home smelled like mothballs and sorrow. Zoey stood next to her mother while guests teetered in to pay their respects. In a small town like theirs, the death of a young girl meant the entire town's attention was on their family. Especially since said girl had been posthumously identified as a Shrinkee. For all the time her sister had lived in the town, no one had known that both she and her father were Shrinkees—including Zoey.

When it came out, Zoey confronted her mother, demanding an explanation to why she had been the only one left in the dark. Zelda had simply claimed that it "wasn't her place to tell." Zoey thought both then and as she stood in the funeral home, that reasoning was bullshit. She thought she had known her sister inside and out—better than anyone. The fact that there was such a big part of her identity she kept secret hurt her beyond words. There was so much she didn't know about her.

A fact that was exemplified as three teens approached them with red eyes and puffy cheeks. There was a pretty black girl with purple hair; a tall, skinny boy with curly hair; and an olive-skinned girl with long, straight black hair down her back. 

The pretty black girl spoke to her mom first, "Hi Mrs. Cooper, I know we said that we would come to the funeral, but we wanted to come to the wake too. I hope that's okay," she said, her voice cracking with every other word. 

Zelda instantly scooped her up in a hug. "Of course sweet girl. You do anything to help you better heal," she said. Zelda hugged the other two, one by one. Zoey watched intensely. These were the people her sister had chosen to spend her time with. 

"This is my daughter, Zoey," Zelda introduced. 

The teenagers looked up at her with apprehensive expressions. Zoey was used to intimidating others with her height and athletic physique. She gave them an easy smile, and they almost all visibly relaxed—except for the purple haired girl who stilled stared at her with an expression Zoey couldn't read.

Zelda introduced two of the teens to her, "This is Chloe and Oliver, they were all in a band together."

The girl with the long dark hair gave a small smile, "I was her roommate. I'm Izzy."

Zoey nodded and forced the smile to remain on her face. It was painful to see people who belonged to an entire part of her sister's life that she knew nothing about.

"Thanks for coming," Zoey said. She gestured to the far side of the wall, where a mahogany casket had been placed. It was filled with dozens of daises—her sister's favorite flower. "We've been giving people an opportunity to say goodbye, by putting a flower in her...you know," Zoey said, trailing off.

"You should only do it if you feel comfortable," Zelda clarified.

The teens exchanged glances. Oliver nodded, "Y-Yeah we'll do it." 

Zelda and Zoey left them to their own devices, as the teens walked over to the casket. More people arrived, and once again, Zoey became occupied with greeting the guests. Still, she couldn't help but glance at the teenagers every so often. They stayed by her casket for a while. From what Zoey could see, it didn't look as if they were talking. They just stared down at the wooden box. 

More guests filtered in through the door. They all seemed keen on talking to Zoey. Growing up as the star athlete in such a small town had made Zoey a minor celebrity. Zoey became distracted with greeting each person, but she would try to find the teens when she was given a free moment. After most of the guests had finally arrived and were mingling, Zoey saw the teenagers leave through one of the back doors that led into the back of the funeral home. 

Zoey glanced at her mother and saw she was preoccupied with a few guests—they were a few of the teachers from Zoey and her sister's old high school. Zoey took advantage of her mother's distraction and quietly followed after the teenagers.

She crept out the back, ensuring that no one saw her. The crisp autumn air prickled Zoey's skin. Daylight savings time was still a while away, but the sun had been setting sooner lately. Zoey had to squint to find the teenagers in the long shadows of the trees that were clumped in the funeral home's back lot. They stood together, talking in hushed tones. 

She shifted her weight to the tips of her toes. She headed for a spot behind a tree. It looked to be close enough to overhear them. As she approached them she was able to make out their conversation. Their voices were soft, but tense. 

Izzy's shaky voice reached Zoey's ears. "T-That was harder than I thought it would be," she said, sniffling. 

Chloe released a groan that bounced around the trees. She took a deep breath and let it go. "God, I feel awful," she muttered. She gestured wildly around to nothing in particular. "I thought this whole thing was supposed to help. I just feel worse. That stupid casket...her body isn't even here. Fuck, this is so messed up. I thought this was supposed to bring me closure, where's my fucking closure?" Chloe snapped. She sounded like she was going to burst into tears at any second.  

Zoey could see Oliver's bush of curly hair shake in the dim light of the sunset. His voice was so quiet Zoey had to lean in slightly. "Maybe you'll feel better after they put the box in the ground tomorrow," Oliver said. Zoey couldn't tell if he was talking to Chloe or himself.

"I'll feel better when I kick the ass of whoever hurt Belle," Chloe hissed with such vehement aggression that it startled Zoey. 

Oliver narrowed his eyes at Chloe, "Stop. Not here Chloe." His voice was deadly serious. From what Zoey could see of Chloe's expression, she wasn't fazed.

Izzy's soft voice, vocalized the question Zoey wanted to ask, "What are you talking about?" 

"Nothing—" Oliver started.

Chloe interrupted him. She turned to Izzy with an intense gaze, "Belle was being abused before she came to Queenston." 

Zoey's breathing nearly stopped. Her fingernails dug into the bark of the tree she was hiding behind.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Oliver snapped. 

Chloe took a step toward the tall boy. She glared up at him. "I'm tired of fucking pretending. She's dead, Ollie, I don't know if you've noticed, but there's no use fucking tip toeing around it," she spat.

"You don't even know if it's true," Oliver retorted. Chloe said nothing, but gave him an incredulous look.

Izzy, whose gaze had fallen to the ground, spoke quietly, "Why would you think that?"

Chloe turned away from Oliver and looked at Izzy. "Me and Ollie met Belle at Summer Orientation at the end of May. You know about the Get Ahead Program?"

Izzy nodded, "Anna told me about it. You live on campus and take two Gen Ed courses during the summer."

Chloe folded her arms, "A lot of scholarship students participate because it cuts your schedule down and gives you room to take extracurricular classes for free. It also gives you a chance to get to know the campus, because you get to live in the dorms three months before everyone else. But most freshmen join the program to make friends. By the end of the first week almost everyone had found their group—except Belle."

Zoey could see Izzy's confusion from her spot behind the tree. "So you think she was being abused because she didn't make friends quickly?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Chloe shook her head, "That's not what I'm saying. She was always alone, studying or listening to music."

Oliver, who had been pacing in anger finally snapped, "Did you ever think that maybe she was just shy?"

Chloe sneered at the curly haired boy, "Oh don't fucking give me that. Every time someone spoke to her, she  jumped like fifteen feet in the air. And she never looked people in the eye. Plus, it was summer and she consistently wore hoodies and baggy clothes."

Oliver shook his head, "Why? Why are you doing this?"

Chloe laughed dryly, "Aren't you angry? Don't you want to beat the shit of the person who made her like that?"

Oliver threw his hands in the air, "Made her like what? Sure, Anna was shy when we first met her, but you know what else she was? Smart! Funny! Really fucking kind! Do you remember when Matt's dog died halfway through the program and she wrote and played him a song that he still uses as his ringtone? That's the kind of person she is—fuck—was." Oliver wiped a few tears with the back of his hand. He bent over and grabbed his knees. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Oliver straightened up and turned back to Chloe.

He looked at her with sad eyes and said, "I know how you're feeling—god I know. But maybe you're focusing on the 'Anna was abused' angle because it feels like something you can solve. Yeah Anna had her quirks, but who doesn't? I think we should all—"

Izzy cut through Oliver's speech, "Anna was being abused." She it as though it was a matter of fact.

Both Chloe and Oliver became silent. They stared at her for a while. Oliver spoke first, "Did she tell you?" His voice was calm, but his eyes were intense.

Izzy responded, "She did and she didn't."

Chloe frowned, "What the hell does that mean?"

Izzy sighed, "One night, were just hanging out in our room and talking. I was drinking tea out of a mug and I dropped it. It shattered and made this big mess."

"Did she freak out?" Chloe asked.

Izzy furrowed her brow, "Kind of? I didn't even notice at first because I was too busy cleaning it up. When I looked up she was just, I don't know, sort of frozen there. She was staring at my mug and muttering something again and again. I asked her if she was okay, and she just ran out the room. I tried texting and calling her, but she didn't answer. She came back an hour later. She looked okay, but she apologized. I asked her what happened and she said it just brought back some bad memories. I let it go because she always seemed so put together and strong, but with everything you're saying..." She trailed off.

The area around them was deathly quiet. Zoey had to calm her breathing so she wouldn't be heard.

Finally, Oliver spoke, "Who do you think did it to her?"

Chloe shrugged, "Belle said she'd never been in a relationship before, so it couldn't have been an ex. I was thinking it was someone from her family."

Zoey stifled a sharp breath. She gripped the bark tighter. She had to stop herself from bursting out of her hiding spot and screaming at the ignorant children.

Izzy shook her head, "Her dad seems pretty broken. He couldn't say two sentences to me without breaking down."    

Oliver dragged his shoe across the dirt, "That doesn't mean anything. My uncle would do all kinds of shit to my aunt and then he would go cry about how sorry he was."  

"I think it's her step-sister," Chloe said bluntly. "Look at how tall she is, Belle would've never stood a chance."

Zoey took a deep breath and focused on calming herself.

Izzy came to her defense, "Just because she's tall, doesn't mean she hurt Anna. Plus, everyone inside seemed to really like her." Izzy paused, "Could it be her step-mother? I know she's tiny, but she—"

Zoey had heard enough. She could take the suspicion when it was thrown her way, but she wouldn't have them talking about her mom in that way. 

She stepped from her hiding spot and approached the teens. The only sound that could be heard were the leaves crunching underneath Zoey's shoes. 

Although the sun was almost set, Zoey could clearly see the expressions of dread and fear on their faces. Oliver clenched his jaw and asked, "How long were you listening?"

Zoey folded her arms. The teen's faces drained of blood. Zoey knew how to be intimidating when she wanted to. Whether it was a competing opponent or three seriously misguided teens, Zoey could unnerve a person down to their boots with just a look. 

"Long enough," she answered evenly. She ensured that her face remained unreadable. They squirmed underneath her gaze. No one said anything for a while. After a couple more seconds of uncomfortable silence,  she decided they had enough of her scare tatics.

She uncrossed her arms and sighed, "Anna wasn't being abused—"

Chloe opened her mouth to protest, but Zoey cut her off, "She wasn't being abused, she was being bullied."  

"What?" Oliver breathed. He looked shaken, "How could anyone—"

Zoey shoved her hands in her jacket's pockets. "Some people just suck. They were probably jealous of her," she shrugged.

Chloe scowled at her, "Why didn't you stop it?"

Zoey gave the teen a pointed look. "I didn't know. We only went to school together for one year—she was a freshman and I was senior. The next couple of years, I did my work-study at the school as an assistant coach, but Anna wasn't the type to join any kind of sport. We just didn't run in the same circles, so I didn't see what was happening. I didn't find out until she had already chosen a university on the other side of the country. I know that makes me a shitty sister, and there's nothing you could say to make me feel worse than I already do," Zoey said. 

There was a heavy silence for a while before Chloe asked, "What did they do to her?"

Zoey took a deep breath and sighed, "I really don't want to get into it. Listen, I appreciate how loyal you guys are to Anna, but there's no big secret or anything. I was too involved in my own shit to be a better sister. Just learn from my mistake and pay attention to people you care about."

Zoey left them with that, and began to return inside. Her mother was probably looking for her. 

Oliver called out to her, stopping her for a second. "Sorry we thought...just sorry!" He called.

Zoey turned around towards the teens. Guilt was plastered onto their faces. She gave them a slight wave and a small smile, "Have a safe drive, see you tomorrow."

Their faces relaxed and Zoey watched as they headed for their car. When they finally left, Zoey sighed and returned to the funeral home. It was a lot quieter—most of the guests had left. Only relatives lingered around. 

Zoey watched her mother and Don speak to some of his relatives. Rather it was Zelda and Don's relatives that spoke, while Don stared off into the distance. Zoey, curious, observed the couple Zelda was speaking with. They were both middle-aged. The woman was tall and plump. She had kind eyes that shone with pity as she spoke to Zoey's stepfather. She was average looking with a pretty forgettable face. 

The man, on the other hand, Zoey couldn't look away from. He, like his wife, was a little chubby, and appeared to be kind. They appeared to be the perfect match—except for the fact that he looked to be three inches tall. He sat in his wife's pudgy hand, talking to Zelda. 

Zoey had never seen a Shrinkee in the flesh before. Of course, she had seen the social media accounts of Shrinkees in costumes and enjoying their daily lives, but she had never seen one in person. Zoey assumed that most of the town had come to the wake to get a peek at one of Don's Shrinkee relatives. 

Zoey considered going up to them, just to get a better look, but she realized she would run the risk of having another "how are you holding up?" conversation. So instead she headed for the bathroom. She didn't need to go, but she did need some space to herself.

Zoey walked in and was thankful when she was greeted with an empty restroom. She relaxed her shoulders leaned against the sink. The blonde pulled out her phone and checked it for the first time that day. Dozens upon dozens of messages popped up on the screen. Zoey glanced at a few of them. After the sixth I'm so sorry for your loss, she put her phone away.

She looked around the vacant bathroom. She decided she needed to something to get her mind from the day's events. Peeing was as good as an activity as anything. 

Zoey went into the first stall and closed the door behind her. She took off her pants, turned around, and started to bend down when she heard a strange noise. Zoey stopped mid-bend to see if she was just hearing things. 

Then suddenly, much clearer, she heard a voice, "Down 'ere! For the love of god, I'm down 'ere!"

Zoey jumped and quickly spun around. She peered in the toilet to see a tiny man, paddling frantically. Zoey yelped and leaned in closer. 

"What the fuck," she breathed. The man was floundering in the water. Zoey wasn't sure he was panicked from his situation, or he just didn't know how to swim. Either way, his head kept falling under the toilet's water. Zoey watched him struggle. She was completely transfixed by the scene below her. 

"What are ya doin'? Fuckin' help me!" He shouted. 

Zoey's mind came back to focus. "Shit," she hissed. She acted quickly and lowered her hand into the toilet. She easily gripped him in her palm. She placed him on the toilet seat. She watched curiously, as the tiny man collapsed to his knees, coughing up water. Zoey leaned in closer as she loomed above him. She saw him more clearly. The Shrinkee was actually pretty young looking. He looked to be around her age. He was dressed nicely in a blue button up and black pants. Although, they were drenched with toilet water. 

After a few more moments of hacking up water, the Shrinkee looked up at Zoey. His eyes widened as he stared up at her. Zoey was confused until she saw his face turn red. She followed his gaze. She had forgotten to pull her pants and panties back up. Her mound was on full display for the tiny man.

Zoey swore underneath her breath and quickly pulled up her pants. The tiny man craned his neck to speak up at her.

"Thank ya! I thought I was a gonner!" He shouted. 

Zoey noticed he had a Scottish accent. He was definitely from Don's side of the family. If his small stature or accent didn't give it away, his bright red hair did. 

"What the hell were you doing in there?" She demanded. Her voice echoed around the bathroom and she saw the Shrinkee wince a bit. She made a mental note to lower her voice.

"My sister came in here for a quick piss. It was good n' all 'till she did her business and flushed, but she went to tie her shoes and I fell out!" 

Zoey nodded at his story, "You're lucky you didn't get flushed down the toilet." 

The man scoffed, "I'd be luckier if I didn't fall in the first place."

Zoey smirked at his indignation. "What's your name?" She asked.

"Daniel," he answered. He paused as he looked her up and down, "But I'll let a pretty lass call me Danny once n' a while." He grinned up at her. 

Zoey's smirk grew wider. "That's the first time I've ever been hit on by a guy drenched in toilet water," she said. 

"Me Ma always says I'm drippin' with good looks," he smirked back. 

Zoey grinned and lifted him from the toilet seat. Her smile grew when he made a little yelp-like sound from her gripping him in her palm. She left the stall and stepped into the open area of the bathroom. She was beginning to realize she liked the feeling of holding him in her hand. 

She leaned against the sink and uncurled her fingers from Danny's tiny body. His eyes went directly towards her plush lips. Zoey beamed down at him.

"Where's your 'Ma' now?" Zoey asked. 

Danny sat with his legs criss crossed. He leaned back with his hands, trying to appear nonchalant. 

"She's probably off chewin' me Pa's ear off. Don't even know I'm gone, I'd wager. Me sis too, she's off asleep somewhere seein' as it's dark out," Danny said.

Zoey's heart beat quickened. "Really?" She said.

Danny stared at her face in silence for a while. He asked, "You gon' take me back to me Ma?"

Zoey shrugged, trying to keep the excitement from her face. "I don't know, I mean you're pretty dirty. I think that would be pretty rude of me to return you to your mother like this," Zoey said.

Danny frowned, "What do ya—"

His voice was drowned out by Zoey turning one of the sink's faucets on. Zoey chuckled at Danny's panicked expression. He was saying something, but she couldn't hear him over the sound of the water. She grabbed his shirt and easily pulled it from his torso. She was pleased to find he had a nice little body underneath. 

She did the same with his pants and underwear. 

Danny tried to fight her, but he was laughably weak against her fingers. Zoey lowered the redhead underneath the bottle of hand soap. She squirted the thick liquid all over his small body. She looked down and giggled as the tiny man struggled in her hands, only coating himself more in soap. When she felt his start to get tired, Zoey clasped her hands together.

She was firm, but didn't put a fraction of her strength into it. She had heard of how fragile Shrinkees could be. Zoey rubbed her hands together, feeling the tiny man smush between her palms. The sudden motion brought the Shrinkee's fight back. Zoey started to move her thumb over his crotch when the door to the bathroom swung open.

A woman Zoey recognized as one of Don's cousins stepped in. Zoey quickly moved her hands directly underneath the faucet, and she continued to rub her hands. Zoey gave the woman a small smile, which she returned. 

The woman walked into a stall and closed the door behind her. Zoey glanced down at the Shrinkee in between her hands. She hoped he knew how to hold his breath. Zoey decided to give the Shrinkee some pleasure, while he was most likely trying not to drown for the second time that night. 

Zoey's thumb once again found his crotch. She began to maneuver her thumb up and down his tiny little shaft. She grinned when she felt it get hard underneath her thumb.

"There we go," she muttered. She continued to stroke his dick, but she also angled her pinky nail so it began to slightly tickle his balls. She felt him move in between her palms. Zoey wished she could've turned the water off so she could hear him.

As if to remind her to why she couldn't, the woman stepped out of the stall. She glanced at Zoey with confused expression as she began to wash her own hands.

Zoey grinned, "I'm a huge germaphobe."

The woman gave her an awkward nod and smile. She quickly finished and left the bathroom. Zoey turned off the faucet and lifted Danny to her face. She laughed when she saw his disheveled form. He was on his back. His green eyes stared up at her with sheer exhaustion. But Zoey was most interested in his tiny dick, which was at full mast.

"A-Are ya gonna let me be?" Danny panted.

Zoey smirked over him, "Why would I go through all the trouble of getting you clean, if I didn't get to really enjoy our time together?" She asked. She held her pointer finger and thumb together and gently flicked his dick. At least, Zoey thought it was gentle.

Danny howled in pain and covered his crotch with his hand. He rolled around Zoey's palm, twisting and turning in agony. 

Zoey rolled her eyes, "Oh don't be a baby." Without any fanfare, she lifted him into the air and dropped him into her mouth. Zoey had moved so quickly, she could tell he didn't even know what she had done until he was inside of her mouth.

Zoey giggled at feeling of frantic movements in her mouth. She had never felt anything like it before. Not just the taste of a Shrinkee, but the absolute rush she got from knowing she had a living, breathing person in her mouth. She twirled him around her mouth, rolling him with her tongue. She rubbed him against the roof of her mouth, then dropped him back on top of her tongue. 

She could hear him screaming from the inside of her mouth. Zoey began to hum, which caused him to scream more. She pushed him on each side of her cheeks. The blonde looked at herself in the long mirror that was above all of the sinks. She looked like a chipmunk, hiding nuts in her mouth. If Zoey considered the situation—technically she was hiding nuts in her mouth. She giggled at her own joke, causing Danny to scream even louder. 

Still staring at herself in the mirror, Zoey leaned in closer. She opened her mouth. It was a mess in there. Dozens of strings of saliva dangled from the top of her mouth to the bottom. Daniel was absolutely coated in her saliva. She couldn't even clearly see his face. He had gone limp. Zoey moved closer to the mirror. He was still breathing, but he looked liked he was seconds away from passing out.

As Zoey stared at the Shrinkee's defeated face, she noticed her pussy was almost past the point of leaking past her panties. She realized had to finish it soon. 

Zoey returned to her original mission. She puckered her lips and slowly began to push Danny out. She stopped when half of his torso was exposed. Zoey looked at herself in the mirror. It looked like she was giving birth to him. Zoey giggled, waking the Shrinkee out of his stupor. Zoey noticed Danny got a surge of new energy as he began to fight against the blonde's lips. 

Zoey knew how to stop him in his tracks. Her giant tongue slithered up his tiny legs and trailed towards his crotch. Like she suspected, Danny froze. Zoey wasted no time. She lapped up his dick, rubbing and prodding it with her tongue. She left not one inch alone. Zoey watched Danny's mouth form the shape of an "O" in the mirror.

"Oft," he groaned loudly. 

Zoey grinned, as she lowered her tongue to his balls. She used the tip of her tongue to tap and tickle them. In the mirror she saw Danny's eyes roll in the back of his head. Zoey continued her all out assault on his tiny pecker. She was honestly surprised he had lasted so long. Zoey licked, tickled, and prodded until finally Danny released a groan.

Zoey's tongue tasted a salty flavor. She opened her mouth fully and let the wet Shrinkee collapse onto her waiting palm. Zoey hovered her tongue over Danny, allowing his spunk and her excess saliva to wash down over his twitching body.

Zoey smiled at the man covered in both his own and her liquids. Danny's eyes were closed, and his stomach expanded and contracted deeply. Wordlessly, Zoey turned on the faucet and began to gently rinse Danny off with warm water. She forced herself to keep away from his tiny dick. 

After she was finished, she placed him onto the counter, next to his clothes. Zoey grabbed a tissue from the dispenser and handed it to the Shrinkee.

"Get dressed," she ordered. Although he was obviously exhausted, Danny listened to her. He dried himself off and put his clothes on. After he was fully dressed, he looked up at Zoey with an anxious expression.

"So...?" He trailed off.

"So...?" Zoey shot back.

Danny gulped, "A-Are we done 'ere?"

Zoey looked down at him with a smirk. "Depends on what you mean by done," she said.

Danny dropped to his knees, "I'm begging ya! Please don't kill me!" 

Zoey raised an eyebrow as she stared down at the Shrinkee. She lifted her hand and balled it into a fist. She heard Danny continue to beg from the counter. 

"Please, oh god, please!"

Zoey raised her fist and slammed it onto the counter—right next to Danny. Zoey laughed as she saw a puddle of yellow liquid form underneath the trembling redhead.

"Oh Danny, right after we got you all cleaned up and everything," she tsked. She turned on the water and without bothering to take off his pants, she ran his waist underneath the faucet. Zoey quickly cleaned up the piss and placed Danny on her palm. 

He stared up at her with wide, terrified eyes.

She held him closely to her face. As she spoke, his ginger hair tussled with her breath. "Now Danny, is there anything you want to say to me?" Zoey asked with a bright smile.

Danny continued to stare at her in horror, before it dawned on him that she was talking to him. "T-Thank ya!" He cried.

Zoey grinned, "For what?"

She could feel him shaking in her hand. "F-For pickin' me up from the toilet."

"And?" 

"And?" Danny asked, confused. "Um, for giving me a—"

Zoey narrowed her eyes at the Shrinkee.

Danny shook his head, frantically, "And for nothin' else! Absolutely nothin' else!"

Zoey's bright smile returned, "Good boy," she praised. She tapped him on the head with her finger. Zoey left the bathroom in search to return the Shrinkee back to his family. She didn't have to look far. 

In the center of the funeral home, a tall, redheaded woman was scolding a sleepy looking little girl. Zelda and Don were next to them looking worried. 

As Zoey approached them, she heard the woman speak in a thick Scottish accent, "Yer turning nine in a month, and ya can't watch yer wee brother for five minutes without losin' him?"

The little blonde girl being scolded seemed unbothered by her mother's anger. Instead, she was too busy yawning and rubbing her eyes. 

Zelda stepped in, "Calm down, Allison, I'm sure he's around here somewhere. We just need Paisley to retrace her steps." Zelda bent down next to the little girl, "Paisley, where did you last have your brother?"

Before the little girl could respond, Zoey held out her hand in front of Allison, "Looking for someone?" Allison's face blossomed with relief. She grabbed her son and crashed her plump lips onto his head.

"Ya nearly gave me a heart attack!" She said through kisses.

"Ack! Stop it, Ma!" He protested. 

Don looked at Zoey with surprise, "Where did you find him?"

Zoey smiled at Paisley, "Someone accidently dropped her brother in the toilet after she flushed."

Instead of being ashamed or showing any remorse, Paisley broke out into giggles. "Ew," she squealed. She pointed at her brother, "You fell in pee pee water!" She laughed.

Danny's face turned as red as his hair. He yelled down at his sister from his mother's hand, "Whose fault is that ya brat? I told ya not to keep me in yer back pocket!" 

Paisley stuck her tongue out at him. Allison groaned, "Enough! The two of ya, both shut it!" She turned to Zoey. "Thank ya so much, dear," she said sincerely. 

Zoey shook her head with a smile, "No, it was no problem at all."

Allison turned to her son. She frowned, "Did ya tell the pretty lass ya were grateful?" 

Danny glared at his mother, "O' course, Ma!" He glanced at Zoey before quickly reverting his eyes downward. Zoey grinned at the Shrinkee.

Allison sighed and turned to Don, "I'm sorry about my children. They can be a handful. We'll be headin' off now. Alec is already in the car asleep. Not even close to midnight yet and he's already passed out. That's where this one gets it from," she said nodding at Paisley who was nodding off again. 

Don nodded, "Thank you for coming." Allison placed her free hand on top of Don's. She gave him a sad smile before turning to her children. 

"On the way back to the hotel, I don't want a peep outta ya," she warned. She lowered Danny so he was eyelevel with his sister. Allison told Paisley, "Take yer brother. I have to drive."

Before Danny could protest, his sister grabbed him from her mother and shoved him into her pocket. Zoey grinned, at least it was her front pocket.

Don and Zelda turned to Zoey. Zelda smiled at Zoey, "We're going to leave too. We told the staff here that the doors can stay open for another twenty minutes. If there's anything you want to say or do, you can take the time to do that now."

Zoey did her best to keep her irritation from her face. She wished her mother would stop trying to get her to cry.

"Go ahead, I'll come home later," Zoey said. Zelda's face lit up. What Zoey wasn't telling her was that she was staying back so her mother would be asleep by the time she returned home. There would be no late-night emotional conversations for her. Zoey walked them outside to their car and they said their goodbyes. Zoey felt instant relief when they drove off.

She was sure everyone else had left. It turned out it wasn't the funeral home making her stressed out—it was the people. The fun experiment she had done with the Shrinkee had been a great way to de-stress, but Zoey was ready to be alone. Zoey strolled back into the funeral home, ready to have a bit of quiet.

But when she returned inside, quiet was the last thing she found. She was surprised to find several people standing in front the casket. They were sobbing heavily. As Zoey walked closer, a pit began to form in her stomach. She knew them.

There were four of them. Two women and two men—they were more or less her age—give or take a few years. One blonde man, one brunette man. One brunette woman. One blonde woman. It had been a while but, Zoey immediately knew who they were. 

She walked up behind them. They were so deep in their wallowing, they didn't even notice her. Zoey plastered a bright smile onto her face.

"Are you here for penance?" She smiled innocently. 

All four flinched and spun around simultaneously. It would have been funny to Zoey if she hadn't been absolutely furious.  

"Z-Zoey," the blonde man sputtered. 

"Why don't we step outside?" Zoey said, her smile still in place. The four exchanged anxious glances, but didn't hesitate in following Zoey's order. 

They walked silently towards the back lot. When they neared the area the teens had been at earlier, Zoey stopped. The four looked at each other again. The dark-haired man spoke up.

He stepped forward, "Look—"

Zoey wasted no time in smashing her fist into his face. Her knuckles tingled as she felt the familiar feeling of a bone snapping against her fist. The man groaned as he collapsed onto the ground. He withered around. It was dark, but Zoey could see his face was drenched in blood. The blonde girl ran over to him.

Zoey wiped the blood from her fist, "What was the last thing I said to you guys?" 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The brunette woman screamed at her. Zoey took a step forward, and before she could react, Zoey grabbed the side of the brunette's head and shoved her to the ground. She landed with a heavy grunt. The blonde man rushed to her side. All four of them were on the ground.

Zoey sighed, "I asked, what was the last thing I said to you guys?"

"You said not to contact you again!" The blonde woman shouted. 

"So why," Zoey started. She picked up some debris from the ground. She continued, throwing objects at the four with each word she said, "Are. You. Fucking. Here?" They put up their hands, trying to block the debris from hitting them.

"Because we heard what happened to Anna!" The brunette man said.

Zoey looked at them incredulously, "Is that it? You feel bad?"

The blonde woman glowered up at Zoey from the ground, "Fuck yeah we feel bad! That's why we're here!"

Zoey laughed dryly, "Why now, after all this time? Why not when you were tripping her in the hallways? Why not when you were filling her locker with garbage? Why not when you pelted her with snowballs so hard, that she bled?" 

The brunette woman lifted herself up to her feet, "I did feel bad back then!"

Zoey laughed again, "Bullshit. You laughed your asses off each and every time. You all did."

The blonde man barked, "Fine whatever! But fucking let us make up for it now! Especially since—"

He stopped when he saw Zoey's smile had faded.

"What?" Zoey asked, evenly. "Especially since what?" 

A hush fell over them all.

It was the brunette man who staggered up to his feet and dared to speak. He held his broken nose and glared at Zoey. He spat, "Especially since you were the one who told us to do all of those things."

Zoey turned to him with a blank expression. "So?"

The brunette man looked at her like she was crazy, "So, take some fucking responsibility. You were the one who tortured her every fucking day."

Zoey froze, "Tortured?" She was genuinely confused. "We were just playing," she said incredulously. 

The other four looked at her with wide and horrified eyes. 

"You're fucking crazy," the blonde man murmured in disbelief. 

Zoey shook her head, "I wouldn't expect you to understand our bond."

The blonde woman took a step forward, "H-How could you say that was just playing?"

The brunette man grabbed her arm so she wouldn't get closer to Zoey. "Don't, it's not worth it," he said.

The blonde woman shook her head, "No, I need to know. The stuff we did—I can't go to sleep at night without it playing back in my mind. This whole time, to you it's just been—"

Zoey finished for her, "—A game." She sighed, irritated, "It was just something fun to do to pass the time. I mean, it wasn't just for no reason. Mousey needed to be humbled."

They all flinched at the name. The brunette woman glared at her, "Don't call her that anymore!"

Zoey looked at them all and shook her head. She couldn't believe how much they had changed. She sighed, "What happened to you guys? We used to have fun together. Now, you all are so self-righteous. It's not like it was just us anyway. The entire school used to mess with Mousey."

"They were just following your fucking lead!" The blonde woman said. 

Zoey shrugged, "They did it, because they thought it was fun—which it was. Plus, I'm the one who actually lived with Mousey. She was always fine. We still hung out together at home and played our own little games. I'm telling you it was good for her. It made her tougher."

The blonde man scoffed, "So that's what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night? If that were true, why did you drop us and tell us not to contact you after we graduated? It's because you felt guilty!"

Zoey looked at him like he was stupid. They had never been the most intelligent, always following her around school, waiting for her orders like eager little soldiers.

She explained slowly, so they would get it, "I told you guys to fucking leave me alone, because you had gotten boring. I didn't want you in the game anymore."

The blonde man shook his head. He turned to the other three, "She's fucking hopeless, let's just go."

Zoey smirked at him, "Please do. Looking at your faces is pissing me off."

The four exchanged tired glances and began to stumble away. Zoey leaned against a tree and looked up at the night sky. It was full of stars. Before they walked very far, the brunette man's voice forced her back to Earth. "When you finally come to your senses and you want to start to grieve her, don't fucking call me," he spat.

"You all really are dense," Zoey sighed. She didn't know whether to pity or attack them again. "Mousey isn't dead."

They stood in stunned silence for a while. It was the brunette woman who spoke, "What the fuck makes you say that?"

Zoey gave her a bright smile, "Because, you dumb bitch, I didn't give her permission to die." She sighed and turned her attention back to the stars. She didn't want to look at their stupid faces anymore. Zoey listened to the leaves crunch as the four walked away.

Zoey felt bad for them. They had lost their sense of fun. Zoey sighed and listened to the sounds of the funeral home staff locking up for the night. She wondered wherever Mousey was, if she was thinking of her. When they met again, they would have a lot of catching up to do.

"The game isn't finished," she muttered to herself.

Zoey stood against the tree for a while, thinking of all the games she and Mousey would play together.