Annabelle contorted her body so she could get a better perspective of herself in the mirror. She twisted her neck over her shoulder and sighed. She was sure her butt had been smaller before she put on the wedding dress. 

"You don't look half bad."

Annabelle turned to see her sister in her green bride maid's dress, standing in the doorway with her signature toothy grin.

Annabelle rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror, "Thanks so much," she said dryly. She ran her fingers over the white fabric.

Beth sauntered over and stood next to her. She stared at their nearly identical reflections in the mirror. 

"You look like you're gonna puke. If you don't feel up to it, we can just switch for the ceremony—you know like how we used to do when we were kids—and then switch back for the reception," Beth offered with a smirk. 

"Don't even think about it," a melodious voice said. Annabelle watched her mother stride into the room from the mirror's reflection. She looked gorgeous, her wavy brown hair flowing against her dark blue dress.

Her beautiful face softened when she saw Annabelle. 

"Oh, Meu anjo, vocé é linda!" She said softly.

Annabelle blushed and sheepishly smiled, "Do you really think so, Mom? I feel kind of weird."

Francisca walked over to her daughter, beaming, "Baby, you are so beautiful."

Beth stood next to their mother. She smiled genuinely at Annabelle, "Seriously Annie, you look great." Suddenly, a deathly serious expression crossed Beth's face. She looked at Annabelle with concern.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

Annabelle opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly she found herself at the beginning of a wedding aisle. She was in a majestic cathedral. It was difficult to see with her veil covering her eyes. Still, she could see the dozens of people sitting in pews turned around to face her with bright, smiling faces.

Annabelle took an instinctive step back, but collided into someone.

"Be careful, Annie," The deep, but gentle voice of her father said. Strong hands steadied her, and made sure she didn't fall. Don smiled as he stood by her side. He offered her an arm. Annabelle hesitated before taking it with a tentative smile.

Her father started walking her down the aisle as a harp echoed throughout the cathedral. 

"You look beautiful Annie," he said.

"Thanks Dad," Annabelle smiled, feeling a little less anxious.

"I can't believe you've grown up so quickly. It just seemed like yesterday you were saying how you wanted to marry the moon when you grew up."

Annabelle giggled nervously, "Thanks for bringing that up, Dad." 

Don winked at her, "Any time Annie." 

Soon they came to the end of the aisle. Her father gave her a gentle peck on the cheek and a teary smile. He went to sit next to his wife in the front pew.

Annabelle finally turned to face the person she'd been walking towards. Delicately, two hands lifted her veil. 

Oliver's goofy smile nearly threatened to split his face in two. 

"Wow, you look..." he started, breathlessly. He took her in,"...Beautiful," he finally said.

Annabelle blushed, "So I've heard." She stared at his form-fitting tux. "You clean up nicely yourself."

Oliver chuckled, "This is nothing compared to you." His warm hands grabbed hers. Their fingers intertwined as he gazed longingly into her eyes.

"Annabelle, I've never felt this way before. You're smart, funny, kind, and so beautiful that I can't stop looking at you," he asserted. 

Annabelle's eyes were watering, "I feel the same way."

Oliver's bright face regarded her lovingly. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I really wish I could marry you."

Annabelle heard his words before she understood them. Her smile faltered, "W-What do you mean?"

Oliver laughed as though she were telling a joke. He looked at her with a smile and a furrowed brow. 

"I can't marry a pet, silly."

Dread pierced Annabelle. "A pet? But I'm not—"

Annabelle looked down. Gripped around her neck was a pink collar. Engraved across the silver tag, read "Poppy."

Annabelle shook her head frantically, "No, that's not me! That's not my name."

Oliver tilted his head, "Then what is your name?"

The Shrinkee froze. She scoured her thoughts for any memory of her name, but she could only remember Poppy. 

She turned to the pews. Her family would know! They could her what her name was. She started towards the seats, but they were empty. 

She swung back around, but when she turned to the alter, Oliver had gone too. 

"No," The Shrinkee whimpered. She was all alone. 

In the distance, she heard a rumbling boom. It grew closer and louder until the entire cathedral shook. The rhythmic booming toppled the Shrinkee to the floor. 

The Shrinkee whimpered and cradled herself into a ball. "No, leave me alone," she whimpered.

Deafening voices blasted all around the cathedral.

"Poppy...Poppy!" They were so loud. 

The booming grew louder and louder. A crackling and rumbling sound reverbed around the cathedral. The Shrinkee looked up to see the roof being torn off.

High pitched, but ear-splitting giggles pierced through the crumbling building. A gigantic hand descended from the torn roof. The Shrinkee ducked and screamed as it headed straight for her. She glanced behind her and saw it getting closer and closer. 

"No! No!" The Shrinkee screamed. Its massive fingers spread wide to grab her. 

The giant hand was the last thing she saw before she sat up straight, gasping for dear life. The Shrinkee panted. Her heart was threatening to beat of her chest. 

She looked down at her outfit, and nearly had a heart attack. She was wearing a white dress. She blinked. No, it was a regular white sundress. The Shrinkee paused. She racked her head for her name.

"Annabelle—Annabelle Copper," she muttered urgently to herself. "I'm Annabelle Cooper."

"Oh poor Poppy, did you have a bad dream?" Harper's cloying voice boomed. 

Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't freak out. Annabelle took in her surroundings. She was sitting in Harper's hand. She'd gotten so used to the sensation that she hadn't even noticed right away. Annabelle shuddered at the fact that she subconsciously thought that sitting in an enormous co-ed's palm was normal. 

Annabelle pushed it out of her mind. She glanced around. She was in a car—one of the luxury types that they had ridden in when they went to her funeral. Harper sat next to Molly, while Leah sat directly across from the blonde, and Naomi sat next to the emerald-eyed giantess.

All giantesses were staring at her with intense gazes. Their usual super stylized outfits had been swapped with—still expensive-looking—professional attire. Their business causal look made them appear more severe.

"Poppy, are you okay?" Molly asked, concerned. 

Annabelle's eyes lowered to Harper's palm. She nodded, embarrassed that they had probably seen her in such a distressed state while she was sleeping.  

Harper's slender, massive finger stroked her back. "Poppy woppy don't be scared," Harper hummed. 

Annabelle struggled not to ease into Harper's soothing rubbing. 

From her peripheral, Annabelle saw Leah cross her arms. "That's the third nightmare today," she noted with a scowl.

Annabelle hadn't been counting, but she figured Leah was probably right. Since Naomi had woken up and scrubbed her clean of the night prior's...transgressions, Annabelle had been falling in and out of sleep. Each time she closed her eyes, a new nightmare took hold of her until she woke up in a cold sweat.

"It's that fucking asshole's fault," Naomi spat, "She's probably still scared from that night."

There were a lot of things about Annabelle's situation that confused her, but she was almost certain the nightmares weren't coming from her fear of Bennet. Although, that didn't mean she wanted to analyze them either.

"Poppy don't worry. That will never ever happen again. He's somewhere where he can't get to you," Harper said ominously. 

Annabelle didn't want to know what that meant.

She simply nodded and squeaked out an, "Okay."

She knew the giantesses' families were into some shady business, and Annabelle didn't want anything to do with it.

If she was being honest, Annabelle was too exhausted to consider what they might be doing to Bennet. Between the horrific sleeping arrangements, and constant nightmares, Annabelle hadn't slept well in two days. 

The Shrinkee yawned and rubbed her eyes. She was surprised when she didn't hear any cooing or squeals. Mid-yawn, Leah bent forward, reached down, and grabbed her cheeks between her gigantic manicured fingers. Annabelle froze, startled.

"Poppy, you need to be alert today," she demanded. Her green eyes seared into her. "Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yes Goddess," Annabelle said through squished cheeks. 

Leah nodded at her and released her cheeks.

"We're going to be there any minute. Let's practice your greeting one last time," Leah ordered. 

Annabelle stifled a groan. She was sick of going through the preparations to meet their parents. She couldn't deal with the giantesses' obsessive desire for perfection. 

She exhaled, "Goddess, please, I already know what to say. We don't have to keep—"

"Poppy," Molly suddenly said with a grave tone, "I know you've had a really bad experience—and I promise you Poppy we'll make it up to you—but today you need to listen to us without asking any questions."

Annabelle didn't have the energy to argue with them. "Okay," she relented.

"Okay what?" Leah prompted with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay Goddess," Annabelle corrected, holding back an eye roll. 

"Good girl," Leah commended, "Now, let's go over everything quickly. Let's start with your greeting." 

The Shrinkee sat up in Harper's hand and smoothed out the creases from her white dress. Annabelle plastered a bright smile onto her face. Exhaustion had not left her, but there wasn't much she could do except act her ass off.

"Hello, my name is Poppy and it is very nice to meet you," Annabelle beamed.

The giantesses exchanged anxious glances.

From above, Harper pouted, "I still think she should curtsey." 

Naomi scoffed, "That's too much. It'll seem like we're pandering to them."

"Well, aren't we?" Molly inserted with a nervous laugh. 

"Enough," Leah snapped, "We don't have much time before we get there." The emerald-eyed giantess peered down at Annabelle again. Her typical gaze of dominance and adoration was replaced with impatience and thinly-veiled panic. "Next, let's go over how you will address them," Leah commanded. 

"Start with mine, Poppy," Molly prompted. 

Though the corners of her mouth were starting to get sore, Annabelle continued to smile, "Mr. and Mrs. Gates." 

"And mine, Poppy?" Naomi said.

"Mr. Sano and Dr. Sano."

"Now mine, Poppy!" Harper chirped. 

"General Abbot and Commissioner Abbot."

"Finally...?" Leah quizzed. 

Annabelle struggled to keep her tone bright, "G-Governor Windsor." 

The giantesses nodded in approval. "Good girl," Naomi praised. Annabelle's smile dimmed a bit. When the giantesses had first taught her their parents' names, Annabelle had drilled the information into her brain. After all, they were the source of the evil actions of their children. 

"All right," Molly said, grabbing Annabelle's attention. "What do you do if someone asks you something and you don't know what to say?"

"I ask one of you," Annabelle answered. 

"And you say...?" Molly prompted.

Annabelle cleared her throat and replied smartly, "Thank you for asking, but I think my Goddesses can give you a better answer."

Molly reached over and used her gigantic chubby finger to stroke Annabelle's back. Annabelle didn't try to fight against the powerful, yet gentle caress. 

"Very good Poppy," she commended. 

Annabelle craned her neck and peered up out the window. From what little she could make out, the road they were on was surrounded by dense, thick trees. Annabelle also noticed the road was much less smooth than it had been before. 

The Shrinkee grabbed Molly's finger and looked up at the giantess. 

"Um, Goddess? Where are we?" She asked.

Molly hesitated before looking to the other giantesses. The giantesses exchanged uncertain glances, as if they were unsure of what to say. Annabelle was less than thrilled that such an innocuous question was causing such a suspicious reaction.

Harper shifted and raised her hand closer to her face. The Shrinkee tried to stay still as she neared the massive co-ed.

"This is a place where our families like to come to meet up when they want to hang out," Harper said.

Annabelle frowned, "But, where are we?" 

"That's not important, Poppy," Leah dismissed. Annabelle opened her mouth to protest, but the emerald-eyed giantess cut her off.

"Poppy, what you need to be focused on is making sure you do and say everything you are supposed to," Leah said. 

Annabelle bit her tongue. She grimaced, but only responded, "Yes Goddess."

Leah's face softened, and she opened her mouth with a sigh. "Poppy, listen—"

The sound of the car's divider rolling down interrupted her.

The driver called back to the giantesses, "Young misses, we're coming up to the gate."

The giantesses all grimaced. 

"All right," Molly replied. The driver raised the window back up.

The giantesses all suddenly turned to her. Annabelle flinched under their gazes.

"Poppy..." Harper started, "Who do you belong to?"

Annabelle swallowed a mouth full of nervous spit before answering, "You Goddesses."

"And what are you going to do when we get inside?"

"Listen to and obey everything you tell me to do," Annabelle squeaked. 

"Without..." Naomi prompted. 

"Without asking any questions," Annabelle finished. 

"Good girl, Poppy," Harper chirped. Still smiling, Harper said, "Now Poppy, I'm going to put you in my boobs. Be a good girl and stay still until I let you out."

Annabelle wanted to beg her to put her anywhere else, but she knew better. Annabelle only nodded solemnly as Harper wrapped her fingers around her body.

The blonde brought her to her mouth. Annabelle instinctively shut her eyes and clenched her own mouth shut. She was still traumatized from her night with Naomi. Harper pressed Annabelle's head against her puckered lips.

"Be good Poppy, and after this is all over, we'll see about getting you some treats," she cooed. Annabelle was too busy mentally preparing herself to be squished into Harper's cleavage to listen to Harper's obnoxious words.

The blonde shoved Annabelle between her boob fat, squeezing her between mountains of her vanilla-scented flesh. Annabelle listened to Harper's heartbeat pound away. She tried to calm down. 

She had to use this opportunity to look for an exit plan. Annabelle knew the giantesses eyes would be on her, which meant she had to be extra careful. She sighed, she just had to take the day one minute at a time.

---

After what sounded like a ludicrous amount of security checks, Annabelle heard the giantesses make it inside whatever residence they were meeting in. Annabelle bobbed along as Harper and the other giantesses walked in silence. The only sound Annabelle heard was the muffled clicking of their high heels. 

Finally, they stopped moving. Behind her, Harper's heartbeat was pounding away. 

Annabelle heard Leah's voice order, "Remember, unified front."

The Shrinkee rolled her eyes. She was acting as if they were going to war. Annabelle heard the sound of a door opening. 

Annabelle heard a deep masculine voice boom, "Girls! You've made it."

The voice was strangely familiar to the Shrinkee.

"Hello Daddy," Annabelle heard Leah greet the voice. She heard the giantess begin to walk towards the voice.

Annabelle's heart raced almost as fast as Harper's. He was the asshole who had laughed at her over the phone after she'd first been shrunken.

A lot of different voices began to speak at once, all greeting each other. Annabelle couldn't tell them a part, or begin to guess whose voice belonged to who.

Suddenly, Annabelle was smushed even tighter against Harper's boobs. She distinctly heard a second heartbeat in front of her. The blonde must've been hugging someone.

A feminine, lithe voice hummed through Harper's cleavage, "How was the trip, baby? I hope it wasn't too much trouble coming all the way here."

"It was totally nothing, Mom," Harper answered back. 

Another voice broke through the other conversations. It was a gruff, masculine one. "I heard you took down that intruder all on your own, baby."

"Like, Leah already kneed him in his crotch, Daddy. I just flipped him," Harper replied. Annabelle could practically hear her grin.

"Used his shoulder?" Annabelle heard Harper's dad ask.

"Yup," Harper sang.

"That's my girl," He said proudly. 

Annabelle groaned. It was getting increasingly hot, and the giants' inane conversation wasn't making Annabelle's situation any more bearable.

Annabelle heard Leah's dad call from what sounded like the other side of the room. "Come on, girls, let's catch up," he called. His voice was cheery, but Annabelle remembered he also had a similarly cheery tone when he'd dismissed her during their phone call.

Annabelle felt Harper start to walk again, presumably towards the governor. There was a weightless feeling and Annabelle realized the giantess must've started to take a seat. The Shrinkee jiggled along with Harper's boob fat.

Finally things settled as the giantess stopped moving. Annabelle waited for the conversation to start, but Annabelle only heard the sound of Harper's heart beat. After another moment of silence, a masculine voice Annabelle didn't recognize started with an impatient, "Well...?"

"Well what, Dad?" Naomi responded, curtly.

"Where is the Type 0?" a no-nonsense feminine voice demanded. Annabelle flinched at her mention.

Molly's exasperated voice replied, "Mother, you guys called us here to 'check-in.' You haven't even asked us how we're doing."

"We get the weekly reports from your security detail, we know how you're doing," Another feminine voice noted. It had a pragmatic tone to it. Though it was difficult to keep track without actually seeing the parents, Annabelle was sure the voice belonged to Naomi's mother. 

Harper carped, "If you guys like wanted to see Poppy, then why didn't you just say so instead of telling us you wanted to 'check in?'"

"Exactly, what if we didn't bring her with us?" Naomi added. 

"Then that would be on par with you girls' behavior, wouldn't it?" Molly's mom retorted, "Leaving something valuable unattended for anyone to take."

Harper's heartbeat pounded away. She huffed, "We didn't leave Poppy alone! The security team—"

Governor Windsor cleared his throat, immediately silencing everyone in the room. 

"Let's not get too riled up here, all right?" He said with an easy-going tone, "The important thing is that you girls are safe."

A moment of silence passed before Leah broke it. Annabelle hadn't heard the emerald-eyed giantess speak for a while, so she was taken aback when she heard her even voice.

"So why are we here, Daddy?" 

Annabelle tensed. That sounded like a challenge. 

Governor Windsor spoke again, still sounding unruffled. 

"Like I said, sweetheart, we just want to check-in on you girls," he answered.

"Daddy..." Leah tsked, disbelievingly. 

"All right," Governor Windsor relented, "We're just wondering if you girls aren't just a bit over your heads."

Molly spoke up, "Mr. Windsor, with all due respect, Poppy is our responsibility. If we needed help we would ask for it."

A male voice inserted himself. Annabelle figured it was Molly's father. She was getting a headache trying to keep track of who was who. 

"You see dear, I don't think you girls understand what exactly you have. The Type 0 isn't just a toy you can leave around to pick up and put down—it's worth so much more than that," he insisted. 

Annabelle bristled at being called an "it." For once she was grateful she was hidden away in Harper's massive breasts. The giantesses' parents were their own brand of creepy.

"Actually it's you guys that don't get it," Naomi retorted, "You don't think we're taking this seriously, when that's the exact opposite of what's happening. There's so much that goes into taking care of her."

"Like the care," Harper added, shaking Annabelle as she spoke.

"The scheduling," Molly pointed out.

"The discipline," Leah finished, sending a shiver down Annabelle's spine. Annabelle was somehow both annoyed and terrified by the giants' conversation.

"Then take it out," Leah's dad said suddenly.

The giantesses grew quiet. Annabelle froze. She knew she would eventually have to face them, but she wasn't ready mentally.

"What's wrong?" Harper's mother said, "You said we didn't 'get it,' so show us. Show us how seriously you're taking this."

There was another bout of silence before Annabelle felt her squishy prison begin to move. Annabelle fought against all of her instincts to scream and squirm away when Harper's gigantic fingers found her tiny body.

As she starting to be lifted up, she heard Molly's mother scoff, "Really? You keep it in your bosom? I'm pleased to see you girls are taking this seriously."

"That's the safest place for her right now," Naomi snapped, "Especially since the Shrink-Life accessory we received turned out to be defective."

Naomi's mother sighed, "I already told you, I personally corrected the error that caused the locket's chain to break. At this point you're being paranoid."

Annabelle heard Naomi mutter something under her breath, but between Harper pulling her up and the giantess' heartbeat, the Shrinkee couldn't hear what she was saying.

Ultimately, it didn't matter because soon Annabelle was free from Harper's chest. The entire room went quiet as Harper gingerly placed Annabelle onto her open palm. Although she suddenly had fresh air, she still found it difficult to breathe.

Annabelle's eyes instantly lowered to her feet. Although she was out of Harper's cleavage, she still heard the deafening sound of a heartbeat pounding in her ears. It didn't take her long to realize it was her own. 

She wanted nothing more than to scream and hide. She could feel the giants' eyes on her. It was too much.

"Poppy, say hi," Harper prompted gently. 

Annabelle closed her eyes. Breathe in, breathe out, don't freak out. Annabelle was trying her damndest to fight off the panic attack she could feel approaching. She had to focus on something—anything. She breathed in again. Harper's vanilla scent tickled her nose.

It would have to do. Annabelle took a deeper breath and let the familiar scent calm her. She slowly raised her head. When she did, fourteen pairs of giant eyes—not including the giantesses—were boring into her. 

Annabelle quietly whimpered. Harper's finger gave a slow stroke across the back of her frame. Annabelle took another breath again. Annabelle moved her eye line from the giants and scanned over the room for the first time. It was smaller than she expected. Still, it was pretty grand. Oak wood covered the room, from the floors to the walls and bookshelves. It reminded Annabelle of a fancier, larger version of her father's office. There was a long oak table that separated the giantesses from their parents. The giantesses sat on one side, while the parents sat on the other like they were in a conference meeting.

Annabelle glanced back at the large people in the room. The giants were still staring at her, as if they were waiting for her to do a magic trick or something equally as amazing. 

Annabelle knew she had to do something. In one quick breath, Annabelle blurted out, "Hello, my name is Poppy and it is very nice to meet you." 

The giantesses looked on proudly. Annabelle was also pretty proud of herself for being able to speak at all. The parents continued to stare intensely at Annabelle. The Shrinkee couldn't tell exactly what they were thinking. Unlike the giantesses, she hadn't spent enough time to discern the significance of their parents' expressions. 

"Set it down on the table baby, I want to get a closer look at it," Harper's mother requested.

Harper instinctively drew back her hand. "Her, Mom, Poppy is a her," Harper chided.

"Okay, can you put her on the table please?" Harper's mother asked again. 

Harper bit her lip and turned to the other giantesses. They returned her worried glance with begrudging nods. 

Annabelle watched Harper's eyes flicker between her and the Commissioner. A part of Annabelle wanted Harper to reject her mother's request, but she knew that wasn't possible. Harper relented.

"Okay, but like be careful," she said. 

Harper gently lowered her onto the middle of the table. Annabelle was too nervous to be affected by the coldness of the wood. Above her, the seven adults hovered over her with an intensity she hadn't experienced in a while.

A handsome Asian man with slicked back hair and a firm jawline leaned in closer. Annabelle assumed he was Naomi's father. Suddenly, his giant fingers were squeezing her cheeks. Annabelle forced herself to stay still and not react.

"Amazing," he breathed, "Marv, are you seeing this?"

A deceptively kind-looking man with Molly's blue eyes, leaned forward, "Of course." He frowned at his daughter, "Dear, why didn't you tell me it—I mean she—looked like this?"

"I told you she was cute," Molly responded non-committedly. 

"Not like this," Molly's father denied. Mr. Sano let go of Annabelle's cheeks, and lifted her chin with his finger. Annabelle resisted the urge to push him away.

"Do you know what I'm thinking?" Mr. Sano said excitedly, "Commercials, print ads, cover on Shrink-Life." 

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Haruma," Molly's dad said. "I'm already picturing the nation-wide ad campaigns."

"Not if I beat you first," Mr. Sano chuckled.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't freak out. Annabelle was five seconds from having a panic attack. They wanted her to be a model? For Shrink-Life. She'd rather die.

Thankfully, the giantesses were of the same mind.

"Poppy isn't going to shill for your shrink crap, Dad," Naomi retorted. 

"Our shrink crap, sweetheart" Mr. Sano corrected, "Remember, Shrink-Life will be yours someday too." 

"I don't care, Poppy isn't—"

Naomi was interrupted when her mother—without warning—reached over towards Annabelle. Dr. Sano's eyes narrowed from behind her glasses. Although she knew she should have been focusing on what the giant woman was planning, Annabelle couldn't help but be amazed that the giants in front of her were Naomi's parents.

She of course could see some resemblances here and there—Naomi had her mother's nose—but the Sanos were so professional. Annabelle didn't know if the professionality of their outfits was somehow enhanced by just how extremely good-looking they were, but they were a long way from Naomi's punk look. The Shrinkee's thoughts were severed as the doctor's gigantic fingers grabbed her arm.

A sharp sounding snap reverberated around the room. Annabelle winced at the sound. It was a sickingly familiar noise. Dread filled the Shrinkee. Sure enough, when she looked down, her arm was contorted, twisted, and jutted out in a disturbing manner. Dr. Sano released it and watched her from above with rapt attention. 

Annabelle screamed as the pain finally found her. Annabelle loathed how it never got easier to withstand. The pain dulled her senses, but she could hear the giantesses shouting and protesting from the other side of the table. A few adults said something that seemed to somewhat quell them, but Annabelle could still hear their angry grumbles. 

Finally, the pain dulled. Instead of disorienting explosive, agony, it became a throbbing, searing ache. 

Annabelle's screams turned into soft whimpers.

Mr. Sano's delighted face appeared over Annabelle. "Look at how expressive she is," he noted. His eyes gained a thoughtful glint. "Maybe we should expand to movies, this could be just the thing we need to break into streaming," Mr. Sano considered. 

"The market is booming right now," Mr. Gates agreed.

Annabelle knew the giantesses enough to know that they were silently fuming. Annabelle struggled not to look at her disfigured arm, as the pain seized her body. 

Her eyes turned to Harper's parents, whose eyes were also piercing through her.

The Commissioner looked even prettier than she had on television when she had given the police report. Her blonde hair flowed to her shoulders. It was a shade darker than that of her daughter's. 

The Shrinkee could also see where Harper received her figure from. Though Harper's chest was still larger than her mother's.

"I can see the appeal," she drawled. "She's absolutely precious." The Commissioner looked at her with a  glint in her eyes Annabelle was all too familiar with.

Annabelle looked away from the lustful woman and turned to Harper's dad, but she drew back from the intensity of his appearance. His blond hair was shaved into a buzz cut. His strong jawline displayed a large scar that cut across the top of his lip to his chin. In his fearsome-looking face, Annabelle could see hints of Harper. From his blue eyes to the Commissioner's full lips, Annabelle could see their daughter in their faces. 

General Abbot leaned in closer. His gruff voice shook Annabelle, "It's hard to believe this little thing is why my costs tripled this quarter."

"I thought we more than compensated you for the costs of the extra man power, Travis," Molly's father inserted. 

General Abbot made a grunt like noise that rustled Annabelle's hair. "Yeah, it was enough, but it always  takes so much time training the new recruits," he said.

"She's worth it, Daddy," Harper assured harshly, "She's amazing." 

Annabelle watched the faces of the two giants soften as they looked at their daughter. 

"Oh we're not complaining, baby," Harper's mother denied.  

"We definitely see the value in having a Shrinkee like her, "General Abbot said, lust entering his own eyes.

"It—I mean she—is adorable," the Commissioner said. Annabelle noted that the lively woman in front of her was different from the stern police commissioner she'd seen on the news.

General Abbot leered down at Annabelle with a smirk, "I'd say more than adorable. She looks like you did twenty years ago."

Annabelle cringed, but the giants had turned from her and were gazing into each others' eyes. "Please, maybe if I'd gotten some work done," Commissioner Abbot scoffed. She reached over and pressed her gigantic fingertip against Annabelle's breasts.

The Shrinkee grimaced from the indelicate touching. The giants' faces lit up, amused.

"I don't think she likes you touching her like that," General Abbot grinned suggestively.

"Oh?" The Commissioner purred. "Then what about this?" The giant manicured finger eased up on its pressure, but began to strategically rub against Annabelle's chest. The soft fabric of Annabelle's white dress wasn't nearly enough to block her from feeling every detail of the giant's fingertip as it rubbed up against her. 

Annabelle couldn't take it. She lowered her head, praying for the giant commissioner to hurry and finish up with the molesting of her body.

"Oh, Travis, look," The Commissioner cooed to her husband, "she's hiding her face. She's so cute."

Annabelle shuddered at how eerily similar the giant woman sounded to her daughter. 

"I'm starting to get the hype around this little thing," he chuckled. He spoke to his wife, "Bev, could you imagine the fun we could get up to with her?"

Before Annabelle could truly appreciate the horrific implications of that suggestion, Harper's voice rang out.

"Nope! Like, totally ew. Poppy is more than a sex toy," Harper declared.

Annabelle raised her head. She blinked slowly from the shock. It was surreal to hear Harper of all people say that. 

Above her, the Abbot's wore shit-eating grins. The Commissioner pulled back her hand, "Baby, we were just—" Harper's mother started.

Before the Commissioner could finish what was sure to be a horrible sentence, another sharp pain flared throughout Annabelle's arm.

Annabelle watched with the familiar sensation of disgust and nausea as the bones in her arm reconnected. Like always, it was a painful process, but Annabelle bit down on her tongue to keep from screaming. She was sick of appearing weak in front of the giants. 

Though, her stomach almost emptied when Dr. Sano practically jumped out of her chair. A huge grin spread across her face. Her expression was a vast difference from the concentrated analytical look she had worn up until then.

"It's true, she's a Type 0!" Dr. Sano laughed. 

"Wha- What the hell, Mom? Did you think we were lying?" Annabelle could hear the disbelief in Naomi's voice.

Dr. Sano, still smiling like a gleeful child, looked at her daughter, "Of course not, sweetie. There was just always the possibility of you girls being mistaken or misunderstanding—"

"Leah, like, stomped on Poppy, Dr. Sano," Harper pointed out, "That's how we found out she was special."

Annabelle inwardly groaned. She really didn't want to be reminded of the moment that had solidified her fate. She still had nightmares about Leah's gigantic foot heading straight down towards her.

"Well, the important thing is that it is confirmed now," Dr. Sano said. Annabelle withered under her giddy gaze. 

"I have so many questions," she muttered. Annabelle winced as her long, giant finger tip caressed her freshly mended arm. She did not want to look at the giant parents, let alone answer their questions.

Governor Windsor spoke, almost startling Annabelle out of her skin. He had been mostly quiet until that moment. Annabelle hadn't been able to get a decent look at him, but there was something about just his presence in the room that was powerful. 

"Now is your time to ask, Reina," he said. 

His tone was casual, but Annabelle suspected he was as interested as Naomi's mother was in her Type 0 status. 

A determined look passed over Dr. Sano's face. Annabelle began to mentally prepared herself to be asked intrusive questions, but instead Dr. Sano looked up at the giantesses.

"How many bones has she broken since she's shrunken?" She inquired.

Annabelle tried not to let her surprise show on her face. She should've known the giants wouldn't bother with questioning her themselves.

Molly answered Dr. Sano's question. "That's not really something we keep track of," she said.

Annabelle fought the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't even sure the giantesses were aware of how many bones they inadvertently cracked when they had first shrunken her. Over the past month, they had learned to hold her without hurting her, but it definitely hadn't been a smooth learning experience.

Dr. Sano's face contorted into a disapproving frown, but she quickly moved on.

"When I fractured her arm just now, it healed in under five minutes. Does it usually mend so quickly?" She asked.

Annabelle grimaced at the morbid nature of the doctor's questions.

Leah's voice answered factually, "It depends on what she breaks. Her arms heal faster than her legs." 

Annabelle was interested, but not surprised Leah had been able to make that distinction. Though she wasn't thrilled by the implication that it was Annabelle who was responsible for the majority of her bones breaking, and not the giants that occupied her world.

"Fascinating," Dr. Sano muttered to herself. Annabelle noticed the other adults were staring down at her with curiosity. She didn't anticipate any of the parents being so interested in the biology of her Type 0 status.

"How much does it—I mean—she eat?" Annabelle was surprised to hear Commissioner Abbot ask.

Naomi answered, "We typically give her a small bite from our own plates. She doesn't get hungry often, but we make sure she eats at least twice a day."

Harper chirped, "We give her dessert too sometimes! She really likes fruit."

Blood rushed to Annabelle's face. She didn't think the conversation could be any more humiliating. She knew the giantesses genuinely viewed her as a pet, but there was something mortifying about listening to them discuss her eating schedule and habits like she was some kind of a dog. 

"How often are her bowel movements?" Dr. Sano inquired.

Annabelle slammed her hands over her face. Shame filled every ounce of her being. She could feel her face prickle from the blood rushing to it. 

"Oh Poppy doesn't do that," Harper replied, cheery.

"Excuse me?" Dr. Sano said, sounding flustered. 

Molly clarified, "We tried making her go in the beginning. We thought she was shy or just constipated, but she hasn't done it since she shrank." 

"Are you telling me she doesn't shit?" General Abbot's gruff voice asked, incredulously. 

Dr. Sano rubbed her chin with her free hand. "I suppose it makes sense. From what I've read about Type 0 Shrinkees, their bodies are extremely efficient. I'd bet her small intestine digests everything she eats," she noted.

Annabelle breathed in deeply and slowly released the breathe. She was going to explode if the conversation didn't diverge from her bathroom habits. 

Thankfully, Dr. Sano moved on.

"The imprinting," Dr. Sano started. Annabelle slowly uncovered her eyes. She figured the giantesses' parents would ask about it eventually.

"Let's talk about that later," Leah said. Annabelle glanced at the giantess, wondering why she didn't want to talk about imprinting, but her expression betrayed nothing. Annabelle guessed she probably didn't what the competitive nature of their relationship to arise in the conversation. 

Dr. Sano developed a curious expression on her face, but she didn't say anything further.

Naomi exhaled, "Okay, are you done now?"

Annabelle felt Dr. Sano shift in her chair. She looked at her daughter with a determined gaze. 

"800 million," she said suddenly. Annabelle looked up inquisitively. Dr. Sano was staring down her daughter.

"No," Naomi spat. 

"1 billion," Mr. Sano inserted. His cocky grin had transformed into a resolute expression.

Annabelle heard Harper's firm voice reply, "We're not selling Poppy." 

Annabelle paled. She couldn't comprehend the amount of money Naomi's parents had just offered. And the giantesses had turned them down. Annabelle had always known they were deranged, but their rejection of a billion dollars had solidified it. 

"It would do you girls good to consider the offer more seriously," Mrs. Gates suddenly said.

Annabelle glanced at Molly's mother. 

If Annabelle had one word to describe Mrs. Gates, it would be stern. She was beautiful like her daughter, but it was difficult to take notice of her attractiveness when she stared down at Annabelle like a disapproving librarian. Her brown hair was neatly held up in a perfect-looking bun. Her face was thin which would have made her look frail, if not for the dominating presence she held.

"Mother, we heard your offers when Poppy was first shrunken. Our answer is still the same: we are not selling Poppy," Molly declared.

Mrs. Gates scoffed at her daughter, and looked as though she were about to comment further, when Leah's father stepped in.

With a smile Annabelle could only describe as enchantingly charming, the governor asked, "Poppy how would you describe the night Mr. Daudler intruded into your owners' home?"

It actually took Annabelle a few moments to even register that Governor Windsor was speaking to her. It was the first time any of the giantesses' parents had addressed her. Once she understood that she indeed was being spoken to, she considered his question. 

It seemed innocuous enough, but she knew that everyone in the room was a manipulative demon, and should not be trusted. Annabelle glanced at Leah to see her reaction. Annabelle winced when she saw the giantess' dark glare aimed towards her father. The giant ignored his daughter and continued to smile down at Annabelle.

The Shrinkee assumed this was some sort of power move, and she wanted nothing to do with it.

Annabelle swallowed and looked into his green eyes, "T-Thank you for asking, but I think my Goddesses can give you a better answer." 

General Abbot laughed dryly, "I guess they're training her well." 

"We already told you what happened that night," Harper said firmly. 

"Then it shouldn't matter if you let the Type 0 restate it," Mrs. Gate's challenged. 

Annabelle turned to the giantesses to see what she should do. They looked angry and conflicted, but Leah relented, "Go ahead, Poppy." She spat out the words bitterly and crossed her arms while she glowered at her unflinching father.

Annabelle grimaced. The one time she actually would've appreciated them speaking for her, they decide to let her have her own voice.

Annabelle quickly considered how she should proceed. Her first priority was escape. However, that didn't mean she wanted to go with one of the giantesses' parents either. She didn't want to just run from one cage to another. She decided to go neutral. 

"W-Well after...my Goddesses left for the Halloween party, I fell a asleep in my cag—I mean room, and I heard someone in Goddess Molly's drawers. I didn't recognize—"

Annabelle was interrupted by Mr. Gates' fist slamming into the table. The Shrinkee's heart nearly stopped.

"The bastard was sifting through her clothes?" He barked. Annabelle's legs started to tremble from the giant's intense reaction.

"Calm down Dad, you're scaring Poppy," Molly hissed. 

"Why didn't you tell me he was looking through your clothes?" Mr. Gates insisted.

Before Molly could answer, Mrs. Gates inserted, "Why wasn't your door locked Margret? When you moved in, Travis went through all that trouble to make sure you girls' doors could look from the inside and out."

It took Annabelle a second to realize Mrs. Gates was speaking to Molly. Annabelle hadn't heard Molly be referred to as "Margret" before, but once she thought about it, "Margret" seemed like a name someone like Mrs. Gates would name her child.

Molly retorted, "I didn't think I had to, Mother. I thought the alarm system would be enough, and I didn't expect the security detail to abandon their post."

Mrs. Gates scowled, "You shouldn't be depending on others to protect your belongings. You need to take some responsibility Margret, you have a Shrinkee that's worth several billion dollars simply lying around on—"

Naomi scoffed, "Now she's worth several billion? Just a second ago, you guys tried to buy her for $800 million."

Mrs. Gates pursed her lips, "Young lady, that was the offer your parents made, I have yet to disclose my own offer."

Mr. Gates sighed, "You mean our offer, Martha."

Harper pouted, "Like, it doesn't matter how much money any of you offer. Poppy is ours."

Governor Windsor cleared his throat, stopping the conversation. Annabelle released a breath of relief. The strenuous conversation the giants were having was almost unbearable to listen to. For the most part, Annabelle had adapted to the loud volume of giant people, but when they argued like that, it was dizzying. 

"Poppy, you were saying?" He prompted, with a patient and calm voice. Annabelle tried not to show it, but she regarded him with suspicion. She understood his success as a politician.  

"S-So he came up to my cage, and I could tell he was...intoxicated," Annabelle explained.

"What was his demeanor like?" Governor Windsor asked.

Annabelle considered his question before answering, "He was sad at first, because he'd been thrown out of the Halloween party. Then he started to get angry."

The giant tilted his head, "Why?"

Annabelle shifted uncomfortably, "Because he was jealous of me for...for living with my Goddesses."

General Abbot turned to the giantesses, with surprise, "You'd made contact with the intruder earlier?"

Harper sighed, "Yeah, but he was just being a clingy moth, so we kicked him out of the party. We didn't know he was going break into the house."

The adults in the room exchanged knowing glances.

"What?" Leah snapped.

Governor Windsor turned to his daughter, "Calm down, sweetheart, we'll talk in a second." He looked down at Annabelle again, "What happened next?"

Annabelle tried to summarize the situation as quickly as possible, "He grabbed me from the cage and accidently broke my arm. He started to freak out, and he took me downstairs. After my arm healed itself, he sat on the couch and...he..."

"Yes?" Governor Windsor prompted.

"He...he put me in his pants," Annabelle said.

Governor Windsor leaned in close, casting a shadow over Annabelle. An unsettling feeling rose within the Shrinkee. 

"And you're sure that's all that happened?" He asked.

Annabelle was silent. She couldn't speak. The giantesses hadn't asked her for specifics that night, and she hadn't offered any to them. Hearing about what Bennet had done wouldn't help anyone. 

General Abbot's gruff voice forced Annabelle's attention to him, "I personally had a conversation with the intruder, and his story was a whole lot more detailed. I mean I could ask him again, but I don't think he's in a talking mood." 

Annabelle shuddered, considering the implications of General Abbot's words. 

"Poppy," Leah's father smiled gently down at her, "I won't ask you to tell me everything he did to you, but I will ask you one thing: Poppy, do you feel safe with your current owners?" 

Before Annabelle could even fully comprehend his question, the giantesses exploded with protests. Annabelle flinched. She hadn't seen them this angry since the night with Bennet. 

"What are you trying to imply?" Molly barked.

"Poppy is just fine, Daddy," Leah snapped at the same time.

"Listen," Governor Windsor said over their shouts, "I'm asking this for Poppy's sake."

"What do you even know about Poppy?" Leah spat. 

Commissioner Abbot crossed her arms over her ample bosom, "I'd argue we know more about her than you."

Annabelle's ears perked up at that. The giant adults all looked as if they knew something. From the uneasy expressions on the giantesses' faces, they also knew their parents had something up their sleeves. 

Leah's father snapped his fingers, and a suit instantly marched into the room carrying a manila folder. He handed it to the Governor and left without a word. 

Annabelle stared at the door as the suit closed it behind him. She felt like she was in a movie. 

Naomi's voice brought her back to real life, "What is that?" She nodded at the folder. 

Leah's father placed a massive hand on top of the folder. "This is Poppy's life—or should I say Annabelle Cooper's," he smiled.

"You really shouldn't," Leah said darkly.

Her father ignored her with a smile, while Annabelle's eyes bore into the folder. She had no idea what could be in there, but the urge to run away was growing by the second. 

"I'll be honest," he sighed as he peered down at Annabelle, "At first I was only interested in you as an extremely rare product." The Governor picked up the folder, "But then I read your life story, and I gotta say it is tragic."

Annabelle's heart sunk. Fear and shame gripped her all at once. She stared wide eyed at the folder. There was no way he had any real information. 

The Commissioner spoke up, "I'd have to agree. I've seen my fair share of awful cases, but for someone so young to experience so much hardship back-to-back is pretty unusual."

Annabelle felt like the air was thinning around her. They couldn't know.

Dr. Sano inserted, pushing up her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "In some Shrinkee cultures, they hold the superstition that Shrinkees' lives are cursed until the day they die. If she hadn't turned out to be a Type 0, I would've had to agree." 

Annabelle couldn't look at the giantesses. She knew they didn't know. They would've mentioned it. They would've looked at her differently. 

"For the record," Mr. Sano declared, "Shrink-Life LLC reserves the rights to her life story."

Mr. Gates scoffed, "You keep dreaming Haruma." 

Annabelle was hardly listening to the adults anymore. It was difficult to hear anything over her own heart beat.

Suddenly, Annabelle heard someone clear their throat. For the first time it wasn't the governor, but his daughter. Annabelle forced herself to finally look at the giantesses, but when she did, she was surprised at what she saw.

They looked completely calm and composed.

Leah folded her hands together and said directly, "I don't know why you're attempting to distress our Shrinkee with lies, but if you do not stop, we will walk out of this building right now." 

Annabelle looked up the giantesses with wide, hopeful eyes. Was the governor really lying? He and the other adults had seemed so certain.

Mrs. Gates raised a stern eyebrow, "Are you claiming that we don't know anything about the Shrinkee's life?"

Molly folded her arms, "We're claiming that you don't know any more than we do."

A wide grin spread across the governor's lips. "Shall we make it interesting?" 

Leah scowled at her father, "What do you want?" She quickly added, "You can't get Poppy."

The Governor smiled, "How about instead of going to Bora Bora during winter break, you spend your vacation at home—you can switch off on taking care of Poppy."

The giantesses exchanged glances. After a moment of silent deliberation, they agreed. 

"Fine," Leah nodded. Annabelle didn't care about bets or deals, she just didn't want her past to be on display. 

The Governor smiled and held up the folder. Everyone in the room had their eyes trained on the thing. 

"So, what do you think is in here?" He quizzed.

Naomi frowned, "Honestly? Probably blank papers. We know how you guys are."

General Abbot laughed, "If we really didn't have any information then we might've done that, sure. But I put my best men on reconnaissance."

Annabelle grew nervous, but giantesses looked as if they knew their parents were bluffing.

"I'll give you a hint: twin," Governor smirked. Annabelle flinched at the mention of Beth.

Harper rolled her eyes, "We already know about Poppy's twin. We looked into it. She died when Poppy was in the fifth grade." 

Annabelle clenched her fists. She hated that Beth's death was a simple trivia fact in their bet.

"You have nothing else," Molly claimed. 

"Really?" Leah's dad challenged. 

Leah narrowed her eyes at him, "You have nothing."

The Governor chuckled, "Well—"

"Wait!" Everyone in the room turned to Dr. Sano. "I would like to add something to the terms: I get her blood."

Annabelle paled. She wanted to be anywhere but in this room.

Naomi cringed, "What? What the hell do you want with her blood?"

Dr. Sano lowered her steely gaze to Annabelle, "To test it of course."

Annabelle shuddered, but Naomi waved her hand. "Sure, whatever," she allowed. Annabelle grimaced as Dr. Sano gained an unsettling grin as she stared down at her.

Governor Windsor waved the folder around, "Now, can we return to matter at hand?"

"By all means," Leah prompted with a shrug, "Tell us what we don't know."

Governor Windsor looked over the giantesses, obviously loving the tension he was causing. Like father like daughter. 

"How about this, I won't give you the exact details, but instead I'll say a few key words. Why don't you watch your Shrinkee and see if she responds to any of them," he offered.

"Asshole," Annabelle muttered under her breath. All of them were just monsters who turned people's pain into entertainment.  

He placed down the folder and leaned back into his chair. His smile faded away as he stared down at Annabelle. The Shrinkee could also feel the giantesses and all the other adults piercing through her with their eyes. 

Annabelle struggled to stay cool. The Shrinkee part of her brain wanted to break down and cry from having the full attention of a room full of giants. Yet, Annabelle knew she would never escape if she crumpled into herself. A newfound resolution washed over Annabelle. She would turn his little game on its head. If the past month had taught her anything, it was that she could act her ass off when she needed to.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't freak out. If anything, they only had surface level info—things found in local newspapers. Nothing revealing. 

"Hospital. Three days."

Annabelle tightened her fists, but otherwise didn't react at all. She suspected they might've had something like that. Leah had once mentioned she had access to her medical records. Her stay at the hospital wouldn't have been too difficult to find. Though they more than likely didn't know the full story.

Annabelle refrained from cracking a smile when she saw the Governor's smirk fade.

Leah leaned forward, scanning Annabelle for any reaction. Annabelle supposed as certain as the giantesses were in calling their parents' bluff, they still were interested in any and all information relating to her.

"Poppy, do you know what he's talking about?" She asked gently. 

Annabelle shook her head, "No Goddess." She adopted a pout, "I'm sorry," she squeaked.

The giantesses cooed out objections. "Oh Poppy woppy, you like have nothing to be sorry for," Harper purred. 

Annabelle glanced at the giantesses' parents, fully expecting their faces to be contorted into bitter frowns. They probably hadn't been expecting her to lie.

Instead she was shocked to see all of their expressions seem almost...impressed.

General Abbot let out a deep and roaring laugh that startled Annabelle. He turned to the other adults with a grin, "Did you see that? I like her! We could use her over in Intelligence, she'd make a good agent."

Commissioner nodded with delight, "I was thinking the same thing—an undercover Shrinkee." 

"What are you talking about?" Harper frowned. 

Mrs. Gates raised an eyebrow, "Your pet is lying to you, dear." 

Harper began to sputter out protests when Leah interrupted her. 

She smirked at the adults, "Lie or not, the bet was going to be determined by Poppy's expression. Well, she didn't react, so I guess we'll be video chatting from Bora Bora this Christmas."

Annabelle wasn't surprised by Leah's response. The green eyed giantess could usually discern when she was lying. She was; however, surprised by Leah's desire to win against the adults was more powerful than her desire to know about every aspect of Annabelle's life.

"211-798-5542."

Annabelle froze as Governor Windsor spoke each digit calmly. It was in that moment Annabelle knew he wasn't bluffing. Everything in that folder was definitely detailed, invasive, and a hundred percent true. 

Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't freak out. It was harder to think than to do. For the giant adults to not only have that number, but apparently know its significance to her meant that they didn't just dig through her past—they performed a fucking excavation. 

Still, Annabelle looked up at the giant with wide eyes and with her most 'stupid Shrinkee' voice replied, "I'm sorry, Governor Windsor, I don't know what that means."

The Governor only regarded her with an amused smile. It was simply a game for him.

Naomi laughed dryly, "Looks like you were off target again." 

"Are we finished now?" Molly asked quietly. Annabelle glanced at the chubby giantess. She was more reserved than before. An inexplicable sting pricked Annabelle's heart when she realized Molly was disappointed because she had figured out Annabelle was lying. However, unlike Leah, she seemed more hurt that she didn't know everything about Annabelle. 

Annabelle wanted to be angry at the giantesses' persistent need to take everything from her—including her past. Yet, when she looked at Molly's forlorn expression, the annoying itch in the back of her brain returned.  

Annabelle tried to shake it off. They had no right to her past—especially the more raw aspects of it. The Shrinkee knew the Governor was choosing details of her past that he knew would upset her enough to get a reaction.

Still, she hadn't expected him to call out that number. Of course she still knew it by heart. It was the phone number her dad had given her when he left Annabelle and her mom after Beth died. It had taken her a week to sum up the courage to call him the first time, and she called that number every day after that for almost a year. Though the call would always end in the same way: The number you have dialed is not in service.  

There was no doubt the governor expected her to freak out when she heard the number. But after a month with the giantesses, Annabelle was getting a handle on mind games.

"You want to stop so soon?" The governor asked with a smile. "There's still a couple of things in here I'd think you'll be interested in."

Leah scoffed, "Sorry Daddy, but it's over. You guys lost, and we find Poppy already extremely interesting without your falsified facts." 

With her gigantic manicured finger, Leah tapped on the wooden table and made a clicking sound with her tongue. "Come here Poppy," she beckoned. 

Annabelle's cheeks warmed from the humiliation of being called back to the giantess like an animal, but she was happy she was finished with the interrogation portion of the meeting. 

Annabelle turned away from the still smug looking adults, and started making her way to the equally smug looking giantesses. 

Governor Windsor's voice called out behind Annabelle, "Are you absolutely sure you want to turn your back on this information?"

Annabelle ignored him and continued to walk towards Leah's awaiting open palm.

Harper pursed her lips, "We already said—"

"I wasn't talking to you girls," Governor Windsor said. Annabelle could practically hear his smirk. "Poppy," he called. 

Annabelle didn't brake her stride. She'd met people like the governor before. People so used to controlling everyone around them with just a glance or a word. Annabelle walked with determined steps, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her waiver. 

"What about your mother?" 

Annabelle's feet turned to lead. She stopped in her tracks. Her heart pounded in her ears. Slowly, she turned around.

"Poppy...?" She heard Molly's wary voice call.

"What?" She breathed, ignoring the giantesses behind her. She wasn't even sure the governor could hear her. The adults peered down at her, their smug expressions still in place.

"Bingo," Naomi's dad chuckled.   

"I'd say we have a reaction," Mr. Gates smirked.

Annabelle ignored them all and focused on Governor Windsor who was still smiling down at her. 

"What the hell do you know about my mother?" Annabelle seethed. Her fury only grew when the giant adults chuckled, amused at the Shrinkee's anger. 

The governor held the folder up and flipped through it quickly enough that Annabelle couldn't see anything except blurry words. "Probably a great deal more than you," he retorted. 

"It was a bitch of a time tracking down information about her," General Abbot admitted. "I've had an easier time doing recon for dictators."

Annabelle clenched her fists. The absolute audacity of the giants was incomprehensible to her. For the first time since she'd shrunk, escape wasn't at the forefront of her mind—it was revenge. She didn't care that the giantesses were probably behind her looking perplexed as they've ever been. She just wanted the governor and the other giant adults to go to hell.

Governor Windsor leaned in. He bent his head down, so his enormous face was directly in front of Annabelle's tiny body. 

With a mischievous grin, he pretended to whisper, "If you tell your owners you'd rather live with me, then I'll tell you if your mom is dead or not."

Just like that, something in Annabelle snapped. 

"Vai pro caralho!" Annabelle spat. Literally. She hocked a glob of spit at the Governor's face. It collided with his upper lip and dripped down to his chin. 

From her peripheral, Annabelle could see the shocked expressions of the giant adults. She heard the giantesses stiffen behind her.

Still, she didn't care. 

"Keep my family out of this," she hissed. She glowered at the giant, who still seemed to be in shock. 

She found herself suddenly clasped in a tight gigantic fist, with only her head poking out. Without her even realizing it, Leah had grabbed her. 

"I'm so sorry Daddy, she didn't mean it," Leah insisted. Her voice wavered with apprehension. Annabelle knew the game was over.

She started to pull her back when Governor Windsor raised a hand to stop her. "Put her back Leah," he ordered evenly.

"Daddy—"

"Put her back Leah," Governor Windsor commanded with a soft, yet stern tone. 

Leah returned her to her original spot. Annabelle felt the pressure ease up from her sides. Leah hesitated before fully letting her go. Annabelle continued to glower up at him. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she should be afraid, but she was too furious to feel anything other than indignant. 

Governor Windsor folded his hands and placed them underneath his chin. Her spit still glistened down his chin. The governor made no move to wipe it off. He looked down at Annabelle with an even expression. 

"There seems to be some misunderstandings here," he said calmly. "I take full responsibility for that. I'm going to explain some things to you to clear up anything you may be confused about."

Annabelle couldn't do much except listen to what the evil giant had to say.

He took a deep breath and exhaled over Annabelle's tiny body. The Shrinkee didn't let his breath affect her. 

Governor Windsor started, "It's been over four years since you've seen your mother, and you don't know if she's dead or alive."

Annabelle froze. That wasn't a question.

The governor continued, "We were able to locate her—whether we found her living somewhere, or we found her corpse—well, we're not going to tell you."

Annabelle opened her mouth to unleash more anger at him, but he silenced her by placing his finger tip under her chin.

"That was an interesting reaction you had there. I expected you to be surprised and a little angry, but I didn't think you would expectorate onto me," He said, his lips curled as he spoke. "As I told my daughter after we had our first little conversation: you've got spunk."

Annabelle's eyes narrowed at the giant. Her expression only seemed to add to his amusement. 

He tilted his head, "Although I do think you need a reminder of where your priorities should lie."

Annabelle stepped away from his giant finger. "I think my priorities are fine where the way they are, Governor," she scowled.  

The Governor didn't respond. He sat up straight and reached into his shirt pocket with a smile. He pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping her spit from his face.

He looked away from Annabelle, and turned to the giantesses, "It seems as though your pet is in need of a fresh perspective."

Molly defended her with a quiet voice, "It's only been a month, Mr. Windsor. She's still adjusting." 

Annabelle scoffed. She was far too tired, and much too angry to keep cool under this ridiculous situation. And it was that—a ridiculous situation. 

Everyone at the table wanted her for their own psychotic and selfish reasons, while they viewed her feelings as an amusement or an inconvenience.  

"We can see that," Mrs. Gates looked down at Annabelle with another critical expression. It was the image of her shrunken dad within the grasp of these evil giants, that held Annabelle back from flipping her off.

She needed to find an escape from this hell—soon. 

"Poppy is usually, like, a really good girl," Harper argued. Annabelle glanced at the giantesses. They looked offended on her behalf. 

Naomi nodded in agreement, "She only acted out because you guys baited her."

Dr. Sano frowned, "If she were trained properly, it wouldn't have mattered what we said."

General Abbot sighed, "I'm gonna be honest with you girls, I don't think you're up to snuff. From everything that's happened with the intruder, to seeing how the Type 0 is acting now just proves you girls need help." 

The giantesses' expressions turned cold. Leah spat out, "Why don't you guys just say what you've been wanting to say since we've walked in. Stop feigning concern. Just tell us what you want."

Mrs. Gates cleared her throat before answering, "We think it's best if you leave the Type 0 with us, at least until you graduate."

Annabelle didn't even have time to take in Mrs. Gates' proposal. Instantly, Annabelle was engulfed in vanilla-scented flesh. Her head snapped back as she was pulled towards the blonde giantess. Harper's enormous hand clenched her in a unwavering grip. With both hands she wrapped Annabelle in a secure fist.

"No," she said simply, with a darkness in her tone that alarmed Annabelle.

"Poppy is ours," Naomi declared. 

"She stays with us—always," Leah said.  

"This isn't open for debate," Molly solidified. 

Harper's fingers tightened around Annabelle's body. Annabelle attempted to shift her body so the giantess wouldn't crack her rib. 

As if the giantesses' words weren't smothering enough, Harper's fist threatened to engulf her completely. 

The Commissioner shook her head, exasperated, "Really, you girls should be more mature about this. If you truly cared about the Type 0 then you would—"

"Poppy, Mom, her name is Poppy," Harper snapped. "Just because you like dug into her past doesn't mean you actually know her."

Annabelle rolled her eyes. It wasn't as though the giantesses knew her either. They just wanted a pet. Everyone in this room was a hypocrite. 

Governor Windsor once again cut through the tense argument, "Enough," he said gently. The room hushed. 

"We seem to be at a standstill, and this back and forth isn't helping anyone. I think we should take a breath and have something to eat before we all end up at each others' throats," he said.

Annabelle enjoyed the mental image of the giants destroying one another, as Harper's grip loosened. 

"We're not really in the mood to eat," Naomi said bitterly.

A bright smile flashed across the governor's face. "I think you'll change your mind when you find out what's on the menu," he said.

Annabelle didn't like the sinister tone his words carried. Before she could think too much on it, the governor snapped his fingers. Just like before, a suit entered the room. However, this time he held a wooden box in his hands. 

Each and every giant in the room sat up in their seats. Their faces brightened as though it were Christmas  morning. Annabelle stared curiously at the box. It looked to be an average sized jewelry box. The suit handed it over to Governor Windsor. 

All of the giants' eyes were boring into the box. 

General Abbot laughed, a loud surprised laughed, "Warren, you son of a bitch, you didn't."

Governor Windsor grinned slyly, "It's a special occasion, so I thought I'd provide a few treats." He shook the box playfully. 

Finally, she heard it. 

Screaming. Muffled screaming. Annabelle heart pulsated in her head. Fearfully, she looked up at her co-ed captors. Gone were the looks of irritation and frustration. They were replaced with gleeful excitement—and a primal dominance. Annabelle felt Harper's hands grow warmer.

The governor's blue eyes found Annabelle. He gave the Shrinkee a wink before turning to the rest of the table. 

"Now," The governor smiled his wide, politician's smile, "Who's hungry?"