It was a bullseye. 

The second the Shrinkee man had taken another step towards her, Annabelle reached down, picked up the pink doggy bowl and hurled it at his head. 

The Shrinkee man's head was forced backwards from the power of the impact. The giants around her balked. The giantesses erupted with gasps and admonishments.

Molly's chubby finger wagged outside of the cage's walls.

"Bad! Bad Poppy," she chastised.

Annabelle recoiled from the shouting giantess, but she was pleased she'd managed to keep them away from her.

"Cookie are you okay?" The giant woman whimpered. She lowered her head to the cage. Her green eyes sparkled with worry. 

Instantly, the Shrinkee man stopped tending to his injury and focused all of his attention on the woman. 

"I'm always okay as long as you're around, my Queen," he beamed. 

Annabelle cringed. Whatever was happening, she hated it. 

The giant woman brushed her shoulder length blonde hair behind her ear. She looked at the Shrinkee with adoration. In contrast, the giantesses looked down at Annabelle with disapproval. Leah lowered her head until she was eye level with the cage. Wordlessly, she beckoned Annabelle over to her with her pointer finger.

Annabelle's anger subsided and was replaced with dread and fear. She trudged over to the wall nearest to Leah. 

Leah's emerald eyes peered through the cage's wall. Annabelle lowered her gaze to one of the wall's lining wires. She couldn't meet Leah's stern face. 

"Poppy," Leah started, gently blowing Annabelle's hair with her breath, "You are not a wild animal, so do not act like one. You are our pet—and a supposedly perfect one at that. I want you to apologize and behave yourself."

Annabelle struggled to keep her indignant fury stifled from being spoken to like a child by a co-ed who was only a few years older than her.

Annabelle gripped the cage's wall, "Goddess, I—" She glanced back at the Shrinkees. They were staring up at their respective giants with bright, ear splitting smiles. Annabelle shuddered and turned back to Leah. "I don't understand why they're here."

Leah raised a dark eyebrow, "They're here because we asked them to be here. You seem to be having trouble adapting to your new identity, so we thought it would be a good idea if you met Type 0 Shrinkees who were in your position." 

Annabelle seriously doubted either one of them were ever in her current position. 

"I don't think—"

Leah sighed, "You don't need to think Poppy. Just trust us. Now go apologize."

Annabelle bit her tongue. She nodded solemnly and turned around. She heard Leah move back from the cage.

The two Shrinkees stood as though they were on standby mode, smiles big as could be. 

"I apologize," Annabelle relented. She said the words briefly and with no inflection.

"Poppy..." Molly tsked.

The Shrinkee man raised his head until he was looking up at the giants. "It's no problem, Ms. Molly!"

He turned toward Annabelle, "Apology definitely accepted, my sister." He walked up to Annabelle with his arm extended once again. Annabelle couldn't help but notice his muscles. His physique looked as though it was formed by an ancient Greek sculptor. Although they were both Shrinkees, he was taller than her. His light brown hair was slightly disheveled from Annabelle's attacks.

"Let's try this one more time. Hello, my name is Steven, it's nice to meet you," he greeted, still beaming. Annabelle wondered if his cheeks ever hurt from smiling so much.

Annabelle glanced at his extended hand. "I thought your name was Cookie," she snarked. 

"Only my Queen is allowed to call me that, but you are free to call me Steven," he replied, his pearly white teeth still on display. 

Steven grabbed her hand and shook it. Annabelle attempted to draw back from the sudden contact, but Steven was strong.  

"Your Queen?" Annabelle noted, as she tried to pry herself from his grip. She looked between the giant woman and Steven. She, Steven, and the other Shrinkee woman looked to be a few years older than the giantesses—Annabelle figured they were either in their late twenties or early thirties. 

"Yes, I am hers," Steven said with pride, continuing to shake Annabelle's hand.

"You're like the same age," Annabelle commented. 

"Age is inconsequential when comes to the essential nature of my duties—of my purpose for living—loving and worshiping my Queen."

Annabelle successfully recoiled. She pried herself from his grasp. Above her, the giantesses gushed and "aawwwwed" over Steven's spiel. 

Annabelle hadn't been sure if the giants could hear their conversation, but their reaction to Steven's cringy declaration revealed that they were a rapt audience. 

Before Annabelle could slink away towards the back of the cage, she was wrapped in a huge embrace by the Shrinkee woman whose tongue had just been wiggling around in her mouth.

Annabelle groaned from the Shrinkee woman's strength. Annabelle's feet were lifted from the ground. The Shrinkee woman squeezed her tightly.

"My name is Bitsy," she said in her accent. Annabelle still couldn't discern it. Bitsy placed her down. Annabelle straightened out her nightgown.

"Is that short for something?" she asked sarcastically. 

Bitsy smile remained on her face, "No! My name is Bitsy—just Bitsy! My Master gave it to me." She swung around and enthusiastically waved at the giant man. "Hello Master! I love you!"

The giant man returned her wave with a half hearted one of his own. Annabelle noticed he looked tired. He was old, with graying hair that was receding. He was also plump with a belly that pressed against the table.

Despite his less than energetic response, Bitsy's eyes gleamed with happiness. 

Harper's booming voice pierced the cage, "Poppy," the blonde prompted, "Shouldn't you introduce yourself?"

Annabelle's stomach turned. She loathed the charade they made her play. Still, she didn't have much of a choice. 

"Hi," Annabelle muttered, "My name is Poppy. It is very nice to meet you." 

"She's so cute," Steven's "Queen" squealed. 

"Thank you," Harper grinned. The giantesses beamed with pride as if they had something to do with her appearance. 

Bitsy's giant regarded her with scrutinizing eyes, "She really is a looker. When did you get her?" 

"A little over a month ago," Molly answered with a bright smile. 

Annabelle tried her best to tune out the giants' dehumanizing conversation. It was humiliating to be talked about like a hamster.

"You shrunk only a month ago?" Bitsy blurted. 

Annabelle turned to the Shrinkees. She was surprised to see something other than smiles on their faces. For a brief instant, they both wore shocked expressions. 

Annabelle wondered if there was any humanity left in their imprinted brains. She glanced up at the giants who were preoccupied with discussing their Shrinkee-owner lives. 

Annabelle focused on the Shrinkees in front of her. "You seemed surprised," she noted. "What did they tell you when they brought you guys here?"

Steven answered, his smile replaced with a contemplative frown, "They told us you needed help adjusting. They mentioned that you were newly shrunken, but not this new."

Annabelle tested the waters, "I mean, what do you think about this? My situation I mean. Don't you think—"

"I think it's great!" Bitsy squeaked. "I wish I had other Type 0's to help me out when I first shrunk."

Steven nodded along, his smile bright and back on his face, "Don't you worry, Poppy, we're going to help you become more comfortable in your skin."

Annabelle swallowed a groan. She glanced up at the giants to make sure their attention was elsewhere. When she saw she was in the clear, she clarified. 

"No, I mean this," Annabelle gestured around her, "This situation. It's not right, can't you see that?"

Bitsy tilted her head, confused. Annabelle couldn't help but be reminded of a puppy. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Annabelle whispered harshly, "I mean that I have four giantesses keeping me here against my will." Annabelle's eyes scoured the Shrinkees' forms. She studied their reactions as her words left her mouth. She prayed there was something behind their bright smiles.

After a moment of consideration Steven declared with a large grin, "I think it's amazing that you have four people protecting and looking out for you."

Bitsy joined in with the cloying optimism, "Yes darling! Just imagine, one of these lovely ladies will be your forever person. But before we can get there, we must help you truly understand what it means to be the magnificent wonder that we are."

Annabelle narrowed her eyes at them, and gave them a sardonic smile. "Fucking super," she mocked. They just stared back at her with wide smiles and glossy eyes.

She turned from them, running her hands through her hair. She didn't know why she'd gotten her hopes up. They were imprinted Shrinkees; there was no way they would help her.

Like always, she was on her own.  

While retreating from the Shrinkees, Annabelle tripped over a previously forgotten object. It was the "little something" Naomi had bought her. The present had come in the form of a stuffed black bear. It wasn't as large as Mr. Bun Bun, but it was still massive to the Shrinkee. The top of its head pressed against the cage's wired ceiling. 

Annabelle had tripped over the bear's leg. She face planted into the bear's other leg. Her face burned with embarrassment. She hoped the other Shrinkees hadn't seen her fall. She started to pull herself up, and saw that they were staring up at their respective giants, mesmerized. 

Annabelle rolled her eyes. She stood up to her feet. Her eyes lingered on the bear. It's bright red bowtie contrasted with the bear's smooth black fabric. Annabelle craned her neck to see the bear's head. Instead of the traditional smile, the bear's mouth was stitched into a frown. Annabelle stared at the bear's face. She had never seen a stuffed animal with an angry expression before. The juxtaposition of the stuffed bear's angry expression and its overall adorableness reminded Annabelle of Naomi in a way. 

It was cute.

Annabelle tensed when she realized what had just went through her mind. She slammed her hands against the sides of her face.

"Stop it, stop it," she muttered.

YOU CANNOT RESIST WHAT YOU KNOW IS INEVITABLE. 

"Shut up," Annabelle grumbled. 

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She swung around and saw both Steven and Bitsy looking at her. They were still smiling, but their eyes betrayed confusion. 

"You seem to be struggling with something. Let us help you," Steven offered.

Annabelle slapped his hand from her shoulder. "Don't fucking touch me you zombie," she spat.

With speed and fluidity she couldn't expect, Bitsy glided behind Annabelle. Without giving her a chance to react, Bitsy began to massage Annabelle's shoulders.

"You are so tense, darling," she whispered into Annabelle's ear, sending chills down her back. "If there is one thing we will teach you it is that there are very, very few things you need to be worried about now."

Annabelle shivered from her breath, "Y...You're wrong."

Bitsy purred in her ear, "I do not think so."

Bitsy's hands trailed down from Annabelle's shoulders towards her chest. Before she could grope her, Annabelle spun around and grabbed her wrist, "You don't know the first thing about my situation, so don't try to tell me what I shouldn't be worried about."

Bitsy's smile never faded. She wrapped her free arm around Annabelle's waist. She pulled her closer to her. "Then you are just going to have to explain all your troubles to me darling, and I will tell you why they are nothing compared to the exquisite creatures that we are." 

Annabelle's heart pounded in her ears. Bitsy leaned down, towards her lips. Annabelle hesitated, but she didn't try to avoid her.  

"Looks like they're finally getting along," Naomi's voice interjected with a snicker. She heard giggles from the other giants.

Annabelle shoved Bitsy away from her, while her face burned from embarrassment. She turned away and crossed her arms. 

What was wrong with her? She was losing it. She had to get it together.

Leah's voice forced her attention to her, "Now that you cuties have been acquainted with one another, why don't we start today's lesson?"

Annabelle contorted her face, confused. She started to ask for clarification when both Shrinkees each grabbed one of her arms. 

Annabelle couldn't even budge an inch. The two Shrinkees turned to each other with bright smiles. 

"Let's go!" They chirped in unison.

--

Annabelle wanted to throw up. She was dizzy, anxious, and cold. She also couldn't see anything. The Shrinkee zombies had blinded folded her and tied her hands behind her back.

From the coldness that prickled her feet, she knew she was on the living room's glass coffee table. 

"Are you ready to start, Poppy?" Bitsy's voice chirped in her ear.

Annabelle jumped. She hadn't known the woman was that close. 

"Start what?" Annabelle yelped. "Can someone untie me?" 

"Explain the exercise to her, Cookie," Annabelle heard Steven's giant say. She sounded like she was in the room, but not near the table.

She practically heard Steven's smile. "Of course my Queen!" Annabelle felt the warmth of his body as he approached her. 

"Poppy, can you tell me the one thing that is essential in a relationship between a Type 0 and their owner?" He asked.

Annabelle could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on her skin. As tempting as it was to utter the word, "space", she knew she had to give an answer belonging to that of a perfect pet. 

"Uh...love?" She guessed.

"Wrong!" Bitsy shouted. A sharp pain exploded on her behind as she felt something strike her.

Annabelle yelped. The sound of the giants' chuckles bounced around the room. 

"What the fuck!" Annabelle squeaked. She tried to get away, but Steven's strong hand held her still. 

"Calm down Poppy," Leah's amused voice commanded her. 

Annabelle stopped struggling, but she wiggled her legs as the stinging from the strike burned her cheeks.

"The answer," Steven explained, "Is trust. You need to trust in every decision your owner makes—even if it harms you as a result."

Annabelle reflexively scrunched her face. She quickly adopted a neutral expression, but Steven must've noticed.

"You don't agree," he noted.

Annabelle struggled between her perfect pet cover, and her logical response. Her frustrated voice of reason won out.

"How am I supposed to trust a decision that is going to harm me?" Annabelle muttered.

Bitsy's voice hummed, "Darling, is your ass broken?"

Annabelle's eyebrows raised, surprised by the question, "Wha—no?"

"I hit your cute cheeks and yet you are still standing," Bitsy purred. "Do you know why this is?" She asked. 

Annabelle responded back with an explanation, "Because of the genetic mutation that causes our cells to—"

Another whack struck Annabelle's behind. The Shrinkee gasped to the sound of gigantic giggles from the enormous people in the room.

"Blah blah blah," Bitsy giggled. "How can you make something so magical sound so boring? Where is the romance?"

Annabelle's hands tightened into fists. She was unbelievable. If she'd seen the dozens of college kids murdered on the first night she'd shrunk, Annabelle would've bet the word "romance" would've been the last thing on her mind.

Steven's even voice interjected Bitsy's spiel. "What Bitsy means is that there is no harm your owners can place onto you that will remain with you forever. We heal. That is the very essence of our being. Therefore, every decision your owner makes will be the right one. If they step on you, or break your bones any temporary pain is minuscule compared to the happiness of your owner. Remember this," Steven said.

HE IS PROVDING YOU WITH ASTUTE WISDOM. TRUST IN ONLY OUR GODDESSES.

Annabelle scoffed with a snort. "Okay," she snarked. 

"If not your owner, who can you trust?" Steven asked.

WE BOTH KNOW YOU HAVE NO ONE ELSE. THEY ARE ALL YOU HAVE.

Annabelle gripped her fists tighter. "Myself. I have myself," she assured. 

"You think trust in yourself is enough to get you through this world as a Shrinkee?" 

Annabelle could hear the doubt in his voice.

NO. IT IS NOWHERE ENOUGH. EVEN IF IT WAS, YOU DO NOT TRUST YOURSELF. WHY WOULD YOU? LOOK AT THE DECISONS YOU HAVE MADE SO FAR. LOOK AT—

"I do trust in myself. It is enough," Annabelle declared.

Steven gave a "hmm" sound. She felt his hand on her shoulder. Before she could react, he shoved her forward. Instead of stumbling on the glass' surface, Annabelle was met with empty air. Still cloaked in darkness, the Shrinkee screamed. She barreled down until she slammed into the hard floor. She heard a crack that let her know her leg was broken.

Annabelle screamed from the shock and the pain. There was something terrifying about being in intense pain and not knowing where she was.

She heard a thud next to her. Light found her. The cover had been removed from her eyes. Standing next to her with a blind fold in her hand was Bitsy. She looked down at Annabelle with a small smile. 

Beyond Bitsy were the giantesses. They sat on the couch, observing her. They peered down at her with more intrigue than concern.

Fresh pain shot through Annabelle's leg. She lifted her head to see Bitsy caressing her broken leg. Annabelle gritted her teeth and hissed.

"Breathe, darling," Bitsy ordered. 

Annabelle glowered at the Shrinkee. She didn't know how she had gotten down to the floor so quickly without hurting herself. She'd assumed the thud she heard earlier was Bitsy landing, but Annabelle didn't know how anyone could jump from that height without hurting themselves. 

"Fuck off," Annabelle hissed. 

Bitsy gripped Annabelle's leg. She threw her head back and yelped. 

"It only hurts if you let it," Bitsy said. 

"Shut up," Annabelle groaned. 

Bitsy ignored her. "You have felt your bones reconnect before. Try to recall the sensation. Remember how it felt. Try to move your bones back to where they should be."

In the midst of her pain, Annabelle didn't know what to make of what Bitsy's words. 

Annabelle's focus turned to Steven who casually jumped from the table. With speed that should've meant he would've become a puddle of blood and bones, Steven collided with the floor. He somehow landed gracefully, as if he had stuck the landing in an Olympic sport.

Like Bitsy, his legs remained unbroken. He glanced at Bitsy and took in the scene. 

"She's not ready for that yet," he told her, "she's too new."

Bitsy nodded, "I know, but it is good for her to have the right mindset."

LOOK HOW CONFIDENT THEY ARE. LOOK HOW COMFORTABLE THEY ARE IN THEIR SKIN. WHY DO YOU FIGHT NATURE?

Annabelle let her head fall against the floor. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, "Leave me alone."

Steven's cheery voice chirped, "We can't do that. Let's continue the exercise."

Annabelle squeezed her eyes tighter. Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't freak out. 

She steeled herself as she felt the hands of the Shrinkees lift her up. She would have to take it one minute at a time.

-- 

"Are you ready to try again?" Steven asked.

Annabelle sighed, "Sure." It didn't matter what she said. They would still force her to do what they wanted. They had blindfolded her once again. She was vulnerable to anything they had planned for her.

"What is one thing that is essential in the relationship between a Shrinkee and her owner?" Steven asked again.

Annabelle didn't hesitate, "Trust."

"Good," Steven praised. "Now we're going to put it into practice. Take three steps forward," he ordered.

Annabelle blanched. She was aware enough of her surroundings to know she was by the edge of the table. 

The other Shrinkees must've sensed her trepidation. Bitsy struck her again. Her behind sparked with pain.

Annabelle gritted her teeth, but otherwise did not react. 

"What is one thing that is essential in the relationship between a Shrinkee and her owner?" Bitsy asked again. 

She really hated their stupid cheery voices.

"Trust," Annabelle grunted through her gritted teeth. 

"Take three steps, darling," Bitsy purred. 

Annabelle whimpered. She hated this. She really did. The Shrinkee took a step forward. She winced when her foot took a second to make contact with the glass table. She took another step. Finally, there wasn't much she could do except take the literal plunge.

Annabelle moved forward. She screamed before she fell. She zoomed through the air, its coldness whipping her across her skin. Before long, Annabelle landed in Molly's gigantic, warm, soft peppermint-scented hands.

"Good job Poppy!" She heard her praise. She felt a heavy weight on her head as Molly's chubby finger stroked her. 

Bitsy's chipper voice sang from above. "Fantastic work, darling!" 

Annabelle bristled. Even though she was blindfolded, she could still hear her smile.

They repeated the exercise three more times for each giantess. After Annabelle successfully landed into each of the giantesses' hands, the Shrink-Zombies announced they would be moving onto the next exercise.

The Shrinkees sat in a circle, criss crossed, while the giantesses sat around the coffee table, looming over them. Steven's giant sat on the recliner with an intrigued and amused expression, while Bitsy's giant was further back on the couch, reading a book.

The Shrink-Zombies stared at her, wearing the same wide smiles on their faces.

"Fear," Bitsy began, "what is it?"

Annabelle considered her question. "Well it starts in the amygdala. Neurotransmitters are released, particularly glutamate—"

Annabelle cut herself off when she saw Bitsy start to reach for the object that had been used against her butt multiple times already—it looked to be a broken piece of a wooden pencil. It was essentially a thick stick of wood.

"Fear," Steven corrected her, "is something we don't need. Do you know why?"

Annabelle glanced at the stick. She didn't want to risk getting hit again. She shook her head.

"Fear is used to alert danger—danger that could result in pain, harm, or death," Steven answered. 

Bitsy nodded, her bright smile still on display, "We do not let those things affect us. Pain is temporary. There is nothing can harm us permanently. And as for death, well, I would not know of a way to kill one of us."

The sensation of Bennet's monstrous fingers squeezing against her head barraged into her memory. She pulled her knees to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"What if someone were to twist our heads off?" Annabelle inquired, still lost in her memory. 

The tense silence of the room reminded Annabelle that she had an audience. The giantesses didn't respond, but their faces revealed uncomfortable guilt.

If the Shrink-Zombies picked up on the tension, they didn't let on.

Bitsy responded with a grin, "You have a very dark imagination, darling."

Steven inserted, "I have heard that it is extremely difficult to remove one of our limbs by sheer force. You seem a little young so you might not remember this, but there were these things called Chinese finger traps—the harder you pulled them, the more difficult it was to remove them from your fingers. Our bodies kind of operate like that. I believe you would need surgical equipment to remove something like our heads."

Annabelle grimaced. The more she found out about her condition, the more she felt like a monster. She remembered the fear in Nick's eyes when her neck had de-twisted itself. 

On the contrary, the giantesses looked relieved at the information. 

Bitsy continued, "Really, all of that does not matter, what matters is that you still hold fear. I'm curious as to why."

Annabelle blurted out a dry laugh. She couldn't help it. There was no way that was a real question. 

"I don't know if you've noticed, but we're small—like really small," Annabelle snarked.

Steven nodded with a smile, "We are, but we just went over why you shouldn't hold any fear. There is no such real thing as danger for us."

"Easier said than done," Annabelle snapped, "You can't just ignore the pain when you're being stepped on."

Bitsy stood up with a bright grin, "Ah, so it is pain that scares you. Poppy, we control what we feel. If you do not wish to feel the pain, then do not feel it."

Annabelle scrunched her face, confused. 

Bitsy picked up the stick from the ground, "Here, let me teach you." She raised the stick in a swinging position and started making her way towards Annabelle.

Annabelle scrambled to her feet and thrusted her arms out defensively. "H-Hey! What the fuck?" She cried. 

With her creepy-ass smile Bitsy asked, "Can you hold still?" 

"W-What? You're just gonna beat me until I don't feel any pain?" Annabelle shouted.

"Yes," Bitsy chirped. 

Before Annabelle could run away from her, she felt Steven's large hands grab her wrists and pull them behind her back. 

"What are you doing? Stop!" Annabelle cried. 

Steven answered, "Don't worry Poppy, after you learn, you will never experience pain again." 

Bitsy came closer, "We will keep going until you learn how to do it. We will not give up on you, even if it takes hours."

Annabelle tried to wiggle away, but Steven had a death grip on her. Annabelle looked for something, anything to help her. Her eyes landed on the giantesses who were watching them like they would watch a nature documentary.

"G-Goddesses! Help!" She pleaded. 

Molly gave her an apologetic smile, "You have to trust the process, Poppy." 

Annabelle grunted out of frustration. It was her fault for thinking they could ever actually be helpful. 

Bitsy pulled the stick back, ready to strike when a thought struck Annabelle.

"Wait!" She screamed, "Y-You're liars! Hypocrites!" 

Still smiling, Bitsy tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"T-This morning, I attacked you both and you acted like you were in pain. I hurt you, I know I did," Annabelle blurted.

Steven spoke from behind her, "That's a little different, Poppy. It's always difficult to prepare for a sudden burst of unexpected pain, but we're trying to teach you how to block out the pain from long-term—"

Annabelle took the opportunity to thrust the back of her foot into Steven's testicleless. He groaned and released her, falling to the ground while clutching his crotch. 

Bitsy's smile finally dropped when she saw Annabelle had gotten free. Annabelle backed away from her, her hands up in a defensive position. 

"W-What are you hoping to accomplish?" Annabelle squeaked. 

Bitsy swung the piece of wood like a bat, nearly missing Annabelle. "I have already told you darling, this is for your own good," she said, her smile returning. She swung again, and Annabelle jumped out of the way.

She glanced up at the giants and their captivated expressions. Even Bitsy's giant had stopped reading to watch them.

"You expect me to believe that you don't get scared anymore?" Annabelle retorted, as she dogged another swing from Bitsy.

Bitsy giggled, as if she wasn't actively attempting to bludgeon her. "Why would I be afraid of anything darling? My Master is always here to protect me," she answered.

Annabelle cringed at the word "Master". Bitsy used the opportunity to strike her shoulder with the pencil. Annabelle yelped and fell to the ground.

Bitsy stood over her, ready to swing again. Annabelle cried out, "Wait! What about when he's not there to protect you?"

Bitsy froze in her swinging position. Her smile dropped. "What?"

Annabelle swallowed, "What if something happened to him? Aren't you afraid of him dying?"

The piece of pencil clamored as it fell to the ground. Bitsy's eyes became unfocused. Her face twisted with confusion. 

"Dying?" She repeated.

Annabelle quickly sat up. She slid the pencil far away, across the table. "Yeah," she said cautiously, "Haven't you thought about it? I mean if this is all we are—beings made to worship a giant—what happens when they die? They're still human, they could get hit by a car, or get sick, or—" She glanced at Bitsy's elderly "Master." She continued, "Or even just die from old age. We may be invincible, but they aren't."  

Bitsy shook her head. A small smile struggled to stay on her face, "No, because he is my Master and we will be together forever."

Annabelle frowned, "Until you aren't. You said you don't have any fear, but that's not true. You said we don't have to worry about danger, but that's not true either. We do have to worry about danger. The truth is revolving your entire existence around another person is dangerous. People die like that," she said, snapping her fingers. 

Bitsy's eyes widened. They were filled with tears. Annabelle didn't relent, "One second they're here and the next you're putting dirt on a casket. It doesn't matter how much you love you them. It doesn't matter how much they love you. You can't stop death." 

Annabelle rose to her feet, meeting Bitsy's wide-eyed gaze. "I may be afraid of pain, but maybe you should be too, because when your Master dies you're gonna be drowning in it."

A loud slam against the table nearly knocked Annabelle to the ground. It did send Bitsy to her knees. The tears she'd been holding back erupted into sobs.

Annabelle turned to see the source of the slam. Leah's enormous fist had collided with the table. Annabelle winced at the stern expression on her face. Her emerald eyes narrowed at Annabelle. 

"Enough Poppy, enough," she snapped.

The giantesses were staring down at her with a strange mixture of frustration and pity. Annabelle didn't understand where they pity was coming from. She was just being honest. Even if the giantesses hadn't been evil, murderous sociopaths, she still would be trying her damndest not to imprint on any of them. No one is around forever. Annabelle didn't want to think about what would happen to a Type 0 whose imprintee died before they did.

Despite how happy Steven and Bitsy seemed, Annabelle knew they were doomed.

The Shrinkee flinched when two gigantic hands appeared near her. It was Bitsy's giant. With a gentleness she didn't expect, he scooped her up in his hands. His massive form towered over the table as he stood up to his full height.

"Come on, buck up. I'm not dead yet," he said gruffly. 

Annabelle didn't know what Bitsy said to that, but she could hear distant sobbing from above.

"Right," Molly sighed. She seemed tired, "Let's take a break."

Annabelle's blood was boiling. Why were they acting like she was the problem? She had just told to the truth.

YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. YOU REJECT ASSISTANCE AT EVERY TURN. YOU RUIN EVERY OPPORTUNITY OUR GODDESSES GIVE YOU. THIS IS WHY EVERYONE LEAVES YOU. 

Annabelle returned to the ground. She pulled her knees back up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them.

"I'm not the problem, they're the problem. I'm not the problem," she repeated. She said it over and over again until she could no longer hear Bitsy's sobs.

--

Annabelle tightened her ponytail after her hair had obscured her vision once again. Molly's expansive stomach was slippery, and the hair in her face wasn't making staying upright easy. The chubby giantess giggled when Annabelle fell face first into her squishy stomach. Annabelle grunted. She hated being in the bathroom with the giantesses while they bathed, let alone washing parts of their bodies with only her two hands.

"Be careful, Poppy," she said through her laughter. 

"Yes Goddess," Annabelle called back. She lathered up soap in her hands and scrubbed around Molly's rib cage.

Molly hummed, vibrating her slightly. Annabelle worked through it. She hoped she would be finished soon. Though she wasn't looking forward to sharing her bed. 

"Poppy," Molly said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Yes Goddess?" 

"I saw your face when we were talking to Riley and Bryan," she started.

It took Annabelle a moment to realize she was talking about the Shrink-Zombies' giants. Annabelle stifled a groan when she realized what Molly wanted to discuss. She really wasn't in the mood for another "Here is why the horrible thing I did wasn't actually horrible" conversation. 

Molly continued, "I don't want you to think that we were..."

"Threatening them?" Annabelle offered, her focus still on scrubbing Molly. 

"Exactly," Molly nodded, "I know it could have come across that way, but we were just trying to get them to understand where we were coming from."

Annabelle nodded, but didn't add anything. There was no point. 

She saw Molly frown from her peripheral. 

"I'm serious, Poppy."

"I know Goddess. I believe you." 

"Poppy..." 

Annabelle sighed. She didn't know why they always dragged things out of her. She relented, "It's just that it seemed like they really didn't want to leave Steven and Bitsy here overnight."

Molly nodded, "And I get that Poppy, I really do. If the roles were reversed, there's no way we would leave you alone for an entire night."

Annabelle bit down on her tongue. They were such hypocrites. 

"But it wasn't a threat Poppy," Molly insisted. "I was just reminding them that we paid for their flights and their stay at my parents' hotel. I just thought they should be a little more grateful."

Annabelle nodded, swallowing her true thoughts.  

"And that thing about having our security detail check up on them in their homes was just to make sure they're safe. It's a very dangerous position to be in—the owner of a Type 0. Everyone wants what you have. A person could find themselves hurt if they're not careful," Molly noted.

Annabelle winced. Definitely not a threat at all. 

"Poppy, I just want to help you. That's why Bitsy and Steven are here," Molly said.

"Goddess, I just don't think they'll be much help," Annabelle admitted.

Annabelle's face was turned by Molly's massive chubby finger. She lifted her chin so the Shrinkee was looking up at the enormous co-ed. Annabelle had to look past her hill-sized breasts to view her beautiful face.

"Poppy," Molly said, causing the Shrinkee to focus into her big blue eyes. Annabelle couldn't stand it when they forced her to look at them. They were so beautiful.

Molly continued, "I just want you to be happy, and I think being with them will help. Lately, you've just been so sad. Especially what you said to Bitsy earlier. It was...a pretty dark. I love you and I want to help you."

Annabelle could've spat. Lately? She'd been miserable from the first night they shrunk her. Annabelle sighed. They were hopeless. They saw only what they wanted to see.

"Oh Poppy," Molly cooed, "What can I do to help you feel better?" 

Annabelle hesitated. Maybe she could use Molly's concern as an opportunity. With the saddest puppy dog eyes she could muster, Annabelle pouted up at Molly. The giantess' face melted.

"Goddess Molly, there is something that's been bothering me," she said.

Molly frowned, "What is it Poppy?"

Annabelle gripped Molly's chubby finger with her hands.

"When Goddess Leah was talking to Oliver—"

Annabelle's world shifted as Molly exhaled with a groan. She retracted her finger and ran it through her hair. Annabelle shook with the giantess' movements.

The Shrinkee grimaced. "Goddess I—"

"Poppy, I'm trying to help you—really I am, but your fixation on those freshmen is just—"

"Goddess, I'm not asking for much," Annabelle pleaded. 

"Why them? They aren't good for you Poppy," Molly tsked.

Annabelle fell to her knees, "I'm not asking to see them. I don't have to ever see them again. I won't say their names again—I-I'll erase them from my brain. But I just need to know that you and the other Goddesses are going to leave them alone."

Molly sighed, "Poppy, I can't control what the other girls do, but if it's that important to you then I'll mention how strongly you feel about it." 

Annabelle's muscles relaxed. It wasn't perfect, but she would take it.

"Thank you Goddess," Annabelle beamed. 

Molly's face softened. Her chubby finger returned, stroking her cheek. "I'd do anything for you Poppy. Do you know why?"

Molly's finger lowered itself down to Annabelle's chest. Annabelle shivered with electricity. 

"Why?" She asked. Her breath hitched.

Molly grinned down at her, "Because I love you."

More of Molly's fingers joined Annabelle's chest. They danced and traced along her breasts, inciting gasps and shivers from the Shrinkee.

"Don't you have something to say to me too?" Molly hummed.

Annabelle tried to concentrate while the giantess played with her chest.

"I-I love you too, Goddess," Annabelle squeaked.

Molly's grin widened. "Then show me," she purred. 

Annabelle's eyes met Molly's lust-filled gaze. The Shrinkee gulped. She glanced at Molly's breasts. With a tentative step, Annabelle neared the gigantic hill of flesh. She attempted her best to keep her balance. Carefully, Annabelle climbed to the top. Molly's pink nipple jutted out, as if it was greeting her.

Slowly, Annabelle crawled over to the nub. Her knees sank into Molly's squishy flesh. She gripped Molly's nipple. 

The giantess gasped. Annabelle felt Molly's heart pound below the squishy surface of her breast. Just Annabelle's touch was enough to affect her. Annabelle began squeezing and pulling at the nipple. She knew that she needed to use all of her strength to effectively arouse Molly.

"Oh Poppy," Molly moaned.

Heat spread throughout Annabelle. She couldn't tell if it was from Molly's body or her own.

Annabelle rubbed harder. She twisted and rubbed in between the nipple's creases. Molly leaned her head back against the wall. "Oh my god Poppy," she moaned.

Annabelle continued for a while until a massive shadow covered her. Above her, Molly's gigantic chubby arm stretched over her. Droplets of water dripped down from her jiggly arm, narrowly missing Annabelle as they collided onto Molly's breast.

The arm descended into the water in between her legs. Annabelle's heart pounded as she realized what was happening. Molly shifted, raising her knees slightly and pushing up her belly fat.  

Annabelle's world gently swayed like a boat, as Molly began to rub herself underneath the water. 

"Fuck," she breathed. Her enormous blue eyes peered down at Annabelle, "Poppy, don't stop."

Annabelle gulped and returned to her task. She continued to massage Molly's nub while the giantesses touched herself. 

Molly's movements started to become more jerky. "Poppy..." She moaned.

Annabelle knew she had to get Molly there quickly or she would be thrown off her body. The Shrinkee wasn't in the mood to go swimming or be trapped underneath the chubby giantess' massive body.

The Shrinkee opened her mouth and started licking her nipple. The rough texture scrapped across her tongue. A distant soapy taste entered her mouth.

Molly reacted with gusto. She moaned loudly and arched her back. Annabelle gripped onto the nipple to avoid falling off. 

Annabelle heard the waves of the bathtub crash behind her as Molly rapidly began fingering herself. Molly bucked along to her movements. Annabelle was losing her grip when Molly's massive hand suddenly smushed her against her breast.

Annabelle's face mashed against Molly's nipple as the giantess groped herself. Her nipple was like a diamond against Annabelle's face.

"OooOoh," Molly screamed. Although Molly's hand muted everything for Annabelle, she could still hear her screams of pleasure. Annabelle was rubbed and massaged into Molly's breast as the giantess moaned and screamed out with pleasure. 

"Oh Poppy,  I'm...I'm cumming!"

Annabelle felt Molly's body stiffen. Her heart beat vibrated Annabelle. Finally, she uncovered her hand from Annabelle's body. The hectic movements had caused Annabelle's ponytail to become undone. The giantess lowered her legs, relaxing her muscles. 

Panting with a bright smile, Molly beamed down at Annabelle. "Poppy, that was amazing," she breathed. 

Annabelle groaned. She tried to bring herself to her knees, but her bones creaked with every movement. Suddenly, Annabelle found Molly's gigantic finger in front of her face. It was coated in thick, clear liquid. It shimmered even under the harsh bathroom fluorescent lights. 

"Go ahead, Poppy," Molly ordered.

Annabelle grimaced. The emotional and mental anguish that came when the giantesses forced her to consume their liquid never surpassed the guilt she felt from the physical bliss that accompanied when it touched her tongue.

With less resistance than she was embarrassed to admit, Annabelle opened her mouth. Tentatively, she licked Molly's finger.

Electric flavors burst inside her mouth. It was addicting in every sense of the word. She gripped Molly's finger with her hands and began lapping across every inch of her skin.

"Poppy," Molly said warmly, "I only ever feel sexy when I'm around you." 

Annabelle ignored Molly's declaration, and focused on swallowing every bit of her liquid that she could manage. 

--

"Please let me just kiss her goodnight," Harper whined. 

Annabelle felt Molly's enormous fingers wrap around her tighter. "No, you're still on probation," she answered.

Leah pressed a slender finger against her lips, "They're sleeping," she shushed. 

The giantesses were standing around the cage in Molly's bedroom. Annabelle lay limp in Molly's possessive fingers. She was exhausted from Molly's bathtub friskiness. She couldn't see them from so high up in Molly's hand, but the Shrink-Zombies were in the cage on top of Molly's desk, apparently fast asleep in her bed.

Naomi bent down next to the desk. "At least they stopped moping and crying," she noted gruffly. 

Harper pouted, "What did you expect, they're away from their owners. It's like physically painful for them."

Annabelle grimaced. That sounded like a fucking nightmare. 

After a moment of quiet, Naomi peered into the cage, "It's fucking insane that there's I don't even know how many billions worth of Shrinkees just in this room," she noted.

Leah raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Careful, you're starting to sound like your father." Her eyes lingered on the cage. She added, "The touch ID is activated, right?"

Annabelle's stomach twisted at the mention of one of the several new security features of the new and improved cage. The cage's door had been modified to have the option to only open if activated by the giantesses' fingerprint. 

Annabelle felt more and more like their prisoner each day.

"Yes," Naomi said, rolling her eyes.

Leah pursed her lips, "I'm simply being cautious. These are their Shrinkees. How would you feel if Poppy—"

"I said I activated it," Naomi snapped. 

"I was just ensuring—"

Molly groaned, "Will you two stop it? It's too late for this."

Annabelle hated acknowledging it, but she'd grown used to Leah and Naomi's constant bickering. After more than a month of hearing them go at it, she found it less terrifying and more irritating.  

Molly's fingers uncurled from around Annabelle. Her blue eyes shone with adoration as she peered down at the Shrinkee. 

"You be a good girl tonight and share your bed, okay Poppy?" She hummed.

Leah moved closer. She wiggled her massive finger against her stomach, tickling her. Annabelle involuntarily giggled. The giantesses cooed quietly at the sound of her laughter. 

Annabelle blushed, thankful the Shrink-Zombies were not awake to witness the embarrassing display.

Naomi stood up to her full height, and suddenly she had all four giantesses staring down at her. As always, it was an oppressing feeling. It was almost impossible for Annabelle to look up at their massive faces.

Leah's finger stopped tickling her. A serious expression crossed her face. Dread rose in Annabelle, she just wanted to go into her cage where it was quiet, but it looked like she was going to get a speech instead.

"Poppy," Leah started, "What you were saying earlier about death and not depending on anyone was really sad to hear."

Harper pouted, "You don't really believe that Poppy?"

Annabelle didn't respond. There was no reason to explain anything to them. They were monsters who would never understand human pain.

Molly sighed, sending the scent of toothpaste Annabelle's way. "Poppy, I know you've dealt with a lot of bad things in your past—"

Naomi scoffed, "Which you won't tell us about."

Molly ignored her, "We just want to let you know that we're not going anywhere. You don't have to worry about us."

The Shrinkee was too stunned to speak. She knew they were narcissists, but to think they had actually taken what she'd said to Bitsy to be about them was too unbelievable. 

At least they were consistent. 

"We love you so much Poppy, and we don't want you to be afraid to love us back," Harper said.

"I doesn't matter which one of us you imprint on—whoever it is will never ever leave you," Leah insisted. 

Annabelle held back a shudder. It was fascinating how what were probably words of assurance to them, were threats to Annabelle. 

"Okay, time for beddy-bye widdle Poppy," Molly sang. Annabelle's stomach lurched as Molly bent down to the cage. The giantess pressed her finger against the new touchpad that was attached to the cage's door.

A beep pierced throughout the bedroom, and Molly pulled the door open. Annabelle was surprised when the giantess didn't immediately set her down inside the cage. Instead she was carried over to the panty bed where the Shrink-Zombies lay. The chubby giantess nestled Annabelle between the two Shrinkees. Annabelle cringed as she was squished between them.

The giantesses beamed down at her from beyond the cage's ceiling above. "Have fun sleeping with your widdle friends Poppy," Molly chirped.

Annabelle pressed down the urge to flip her off. 

Molly went to turn out the lights while the other three giantesses left giggling and squealing over the Shrinkees' cuteness. 

Annabelle sighed as she listened to Molly's mattress creak as she climbed into her bed. Another day of captivity with no end in sight. At least she'd been able to convince Molly to put in a good word in for Oliver's safety.  

Annabelle stared through the cage's wired ceiling. She couldn't see anything beyond its darkness. She wondered what her friends were doing at that moment. Izzy said she'd be transferring. Did that mean she was going to stay for the rest of the semester, or was she leaving right away? And Oliver—she'd hoped that he would reconsider is decision to drop out. Although it was plagued by four insane monsters, Queenston was one of, if not the best, universities in the nation. It would be a crime to waste a scholarship because of her.

Annabelle sighed when she thought about Chloe. She was beyond touched by her loyalty, but her other two friends had been right. She needed to move on. She couldn't keep antagonizing the giantesses the way she had been. One day they would retaliate and it wouldn't be pretty.

Annabelle wondered what time it was. She was exhausted, but she knew she couldn't fall asleep. Although being squished between two Shrinkees wasn't the most comfortable, it was the thought of her having nightmares that kept her awake. 

They'd been getting worse.

She didn't know what that meant, but she knew it wasn't good. 

After a while, she heard Molly's breathing turn rhythmic and slow. Annabelle wasn't sure, but she sounded a little congested. Annabelle had seen there had only been one light blanket on Molly's bed. She wondered if she was warm enough. The season was changing and it was starting to get cold outside. 

"Meet me by the bear in three minutes."

Annabelle's heart nearly shot out of her throat. Steven's breath blasted against her ear as he whispered to her. Before she could think about beginning to react, she heard Steven slowly climb out of the bed. Annabelle lay in the bed, frozen. She could not begin to fathom what Steven wanted with her in the middle of the night. Was it another exercise? It didn't seem like it was.

What felt like three minutes passed, and Annabelle gingerly left the bed. She glanced at Bitsy who remained fast asleep. As quietly as she could, Annabelle tip toed over to Steven, who was sitting on one of the bear's legs.

Even with the moon being the only source of light in the bedroom, Annabelle could see something was different about the Shrinkee. 

His posture was no longer ridged, and his ear splitting smile had been replaced by an anxious scowl. Annabelle was shocked to see his demeanor had changed so drastically.

He looked up her and gestured to the bear leg that faced opposite of him. "What are you waiting for? Sit down," he said with slight panic in his voice. 

Stunned by his change, Annabelle listened to him. Steven glanced behind his back. Annabelle wasn't sure if he was checking on Bitsy or Molly, but he quickly turned back around to face her. He regarded her for a moment, his eyes boring into her face. Annabelle's eyes lowered to her feet automatically, unsure of what he was thinking.

"How old are you?" He asked abruptly.

Annabelle lifted her head back up, "What?"

His expression grew irritated, "I said how old are you?"

"E-Eighteen," she answered.

Steven visibly looked taken aback. His eyes widened, then narrowed with disgust. He rubbed his face. 

"Shit," he hissed.

Annabelle, still shocked by Steven's switch in personality, was quiet.

Steven exhaled and looked at Annabelle. "Honestly, I wasn't going to say anything. I was going to keep my mouth shut, give you your 'lessons', and get the hell out of here. But..." He inhaled deeply.

He shook his head, "Eighteen, fuck."

Annabelle's confusion finally surpassed her shock. She leaned forward, "What's happening? I thought you were imprinted."

Steven sighed again, "No, I haven't imprinted."

Annabelle's heart stopped for a moment. She gripped the bear's leg between her fists. "How is that—How are you—" She stammered.

"Calm down kid, I'm going to explain it to you, but you have to keep your voice down. I may be faking, but I seriously doubt Miss 'I love my Master' is too," he said.

Annabelle glanced at the still sleeping Bitsy and nodded.

Steven fiddled with his thumbs before he began, "I didn't know Riley—'My Queen'—before I shrank. In fact, the first time she'd spoken to me was right as I shrank."

"How did it happen? Did someone shrink you?" Annabelle asked, intrigued.

Steven looked at her surprised, "I didn't think your generation knew about HDD stimulators, because of the ban. I thought you all assumed we shrank the 'natural' way."

Annabelle grimaced. It seemed as though Steven didn't know much about her situation. It was probably for the best. She didn't want to put him in danger, so she just stated with a shrug, "I read a lot."

Steven nodded, accepting her answer. "But yeah, I shrank the way mother nature intended. Just good old fashioned hormones, biological chemicals, and a natural trigger." He smiled bitterly before continuing, "Funnily enough I shrank in the waiting room at my therapist's office. It was back home, in Toronto. It was completely random, unexpected—you know all the things they tell you it will be."

Annabelle shuddered. She couldn't imagine just going about your normal routine and suddenly finding yourself three inches tall. 

"So I shrank and I thought that I was dying, but then Riley walked over to me and then I thought that the world was ending, because her footsteps were shaking everything. It's crazy how I didn't even acknowledge her before I shrank, she was just some blue haired skinny girl fidgeting in the chair across from me. But I guess that's the whole thing about the Shrinkee experience."

He shook his head, "You know for all the books and documentaries about Shrinkees, they don't really go into detail about how it isn't so scary that we get smaller, more so it's that humans become so big," he said.

Annabelle nodded. A lot of her nightmares borrowed memories from the first night the giantesses had shrunken her. She remembered being frozen by their immense sizes.

"So she picked me up, like I was some strange rock she found. At that point I was in and out of consciousness, it was just too much for me. I have a vague memory of her pocketing me and going home. You can only imagine what I thought. A stranger picking you up after you've suddenly shrunken? That's the stuff of Shrinkee campfire stories. I wasn't sure if she was going to sell me to some pervert or keep me until she got bored," he said.

Steven leaned back and exhaled, "But she never got bored. She mostly wanted to talk, so I let her talk. It was all right. I had long since stopped asking her to contact my family, and I had just accepted things as they were. Then one day she dropped me and I broke my arm. Well, you know the rest. That's when we discovered I was different. She did her research and figured out the whole Type 0 thing, and the imprinting that went along with it. A few years passed and nothing changed."

Annabelle frowned, "Why didn't you imprint?" 

Steven shrugged, "I just didn't. I didn't think too much of it." His face suddenly twisted with bitterness, "But she did." He rubbed his shoulder awkwardly. "Do you remember how I told you she picked me up while we were both in a therapist's office? Well it turned out she had some issues with feeling abandoned. My not imprinting really started to affect her mentally. She took it personally. Things started to get pretty bad. She stopped showering and eating and well...I didn't want to be stuck in an apartment for who knows how long with a dead body. Also despite everything, I didn't want her to die."

Annabelle didn't respond to that. She couldn't relate. Almost all of her problems would be solved if the giantesses just dropped dead.

"So you just, what? Pretended that you were imprinted?" Annabelle asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, she instantly perked back up. She started going back to therapy afterwards. She finished her education online and is now an actual working adult."

Annabelle could hear the pride in his voice, but something he said stuck out to her. "Wait, she works?"

The giantesses constantly claimed that she was worth billions of dollars. It didn't seem right that Riley was working a 9 to 5.

Steven answered, "For the type of person Riley is, just coming home and spending time with me is all she ever asks for. She was never interested in the money research from private companies could bring in, or sponsorship deals."

He sounded like he was almost bragging. Her stomach churned. Annabelle's gaze lowered to her feet. "Steven," she started, "Are you...friends with Riley?" She asked softly. She surprised herself with how betrayed she felt.

Steven sighed, "Kid, I know it seems strange to you, but the world isn't just black and white. I didn't exactly have the best life before I met Riley. You know about the Shrinkee curse."

Annabelle stood to her feet. She folded her arms and began pacing, "That's a myth—a bigoted myth designed to make us hate ourselves. Everyone experiences hardships, they don't happen to us more just because we're Shrinkees." 

Steven chuckled a bit, which made Annabelle angrier. "Woah, calm down. I'm still Pro-Shrinkee, it's just I have a good thing going with Riley—or at least I had a good thing until that man in the suit came to our house," he grumbled.

Annabelle stopped pacing. She sat back down as guilt plagued her. "Was he really muscular and tall with dark hair?" She asked. She already knew the answer.

Steven nodded, "His name was John. He said he had an opportunity for us that we couldn't refuse, and that the people he worked for had a Type 0 Shrinkee that was having trouble adjusting. He offered us a frankly insane amount of money to help. Riley's car had just broken down, so we thought why not? I still don't know how he knew I existed or how I lived with Riley. Riley had said the week before that she thought a black car had been following her around. I just thought she needed a new dosage on her medication or something."

Annabelle squeezed her hands into fists. Once again, she was the cause of someone getting trapped in the giantesses' web.

YOU SHOULD BE APPRECIATIVE OF THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT THEY MAKE FOR YOU. 

"Why do you do that?" Steven suddenly asked.

Annabelle flinched, "What?"

Steven looked at her curiously, "Every once in a while you'll make that face. You talk under your breath too."

Annabelle blanched. She was too small for the giantesses to ever suspect anything, but it made sense that Steven would be able to notice.

She changed the subject, hoping that he would let it go. Annabelle folded her arms, "Steven, why did you want to talk to me? You could've just kept pretending you were imprinted." 

Steven grimaced. His eyes filled with pity again, "I don't know what I was expecting when they brought us here. Maybe I thought you would be the spouse or brat of a rich guy who wanted to make sure you had all the help you could need. I-I wasn't expecting a teenager." He fiddled with his fingers, "I guess I just wanted to..." he sighed. "Honest to god I really don't know. You're just so young, and—a-are you okay?" He rambled.

Annabelle didn't know if it was his pity or inane question that pissed her off, but she suddenly found herself on her feet. She gave him an incredulous look. "Am I—" She glanced quickly at Bitsy and Molly. She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "Am I okay? Steven, my day began with two strangers molesting me—"

"I swear to god I didn't know you were eighteen," Steven said, panicked.

"My age is not the fucking issue, Steven," Annabelle spat. "I'm just sick of people doing things to me without my fucking consent." 

Steven nodded, "I can only imagine—"

"No you fucking can't Steven," she whispered angrily, "You can't even begin to imagine what it's like. Do you know how I know that? Because you keep apologizing to me and pitying me because of my age, when we both know that's not even a fraction of what's really fucked up about this situation—about my situation. You can't even fucking say it."

"What do you want me to say, kid?" He retorted.

RETURN TO YOUR RESTLESS SLUMBER. THIS IMPOSTER IS NOT WORTH OUR TIME.

Annabelle ignored her. She sat down again and leaned in close to Steven. 

"Tell me the real reason you wanted to talk to me," she demanded.

Annabelle could've sworn through the dark of the bedroom she saw Steven's face pale. He blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Tell me why you dragged me out of bed. Don't say it's because you feel sorry for me because of my age," Annabelle said.

Steven shook his head, "I don't know what you mean." He couldn't look her in the eye. 

HE IS LYING.

"You're lying," Annabelle said. Steven opened his mouth to defend himself, but Annabelle interrupted him, "Walk me through your thought process. During everything that happened today; did you think 'this is a completely normal series of events to transpire, but I wish she were a decade older—then everything would be on the up and up!' or did you think 'wow, this is a fucked up situation, I'm glad I'm not her'?" 

Steven rubbed his face. "I already told you I feel bad for you. That's truly the only reason I wanted to talk to you. I just wanted to see how you were doing. What more do you want me to say Poppy? I'm sorry that—"

Something in Annabelle snapped. She rushed into him, nearly knocking him from his seat on the bear's leg. Annabelle gripped his shirt between her fists. 

She seethed, inches away from his face, "My name is not Poppy."

Steven balked, "I'm sorry—"

"Don't be fucking sorry. Just tell me what's wrong about what's happening to me. Say the words," she insisted. 

Steven's face softened, he asked gently, "Kid, why do you need me to say it? We both already know."

Annabelle's head dropped to his chest, still gripping his shirt, she begged quietly, "Please, just say the words so I know I'm not crazy. Everyone keeps telling me to be grateful—even my own head. Can you just please say it?"

After pause of quiet sadness, Steven spoke, "You're young—"

"Steven," Annabelle pleaded.

"I'm not finished," he said softly, "Your age is part of it, but not all of it. We both know as Shrinkees that people can be really freakishly weird about us—especially Type 0s. But they seem kind of...obsessive about you? All people who take care of Shrinkees can be pretty possessive, but I don't think they looked away from you for even a second during our exercises. And I mean the amount of money they offered for us to be here today is unbelievable."

Annabelle shook her head slowly, "Money is not an issue for them."

Steven gave a bitter laugh, "Yeah, I kind of picked up on that." He continued, "Also based on the beefy men in suits loitering around this neighborhood, and the terrifying threats your owners casually threatened Riley and Bryan with, I'd guess you're not legally registered under any of them. It would also explain the hint of competitiveness I picked up between the four of them."

He was quiet before asking, "Are they competing to get you to imprint on one of them?"

Annabelle swallowed and nodded. 

"Kid," he sighed, "You...you were right before. It wasn't just the age thing. I wanted to talk to you, because I heard."

Annabelle looked at him with a furrowed brow. She unballed her fists from his shirt, "You heard?" 

He nodded, "When Molly took you into the bathroom. She was loud."

Heat burned Annabelle's cheeks. Tears prickled her eyes. She couldn't believe he'd heard that. She was beyond humiliated. 

"Riley has a pretty low libido so I wouldn't say I'm an expert or anything, but isn't that...difficult? Not to give too much information, but Riley does things to make me feel good. I can't imagine it the other way around. It just seems overwhelming," he said.

Annabelle took in what he said. How could she respond to that? Almost every night she was used to masturbate with. Essentially she was no better than a vibrator or dildo. Shame took ahold of Annabelle.

The tears in her eyes flowed down her cheeks. She tried to stifle her sobs so she didn't wake Bitsy up, but the tears kept coming.

"I don't know if I can keep doing this anymore. There's four of them and only one of me," Annabelle sobbed. 

Steven gently placed his hand on her shoulder. He said gingerly, "Kid, I understand you have your pride but at this point isn't it easier to just...let go?"

Annabelle winced, "What?"

"Maybe it's because I'm a coward who hates any kind of discomfort, but there's no way I wouldn't have given up already if I were you," he admitted. 

Annabelle looked up at him and blinked. She sniffed, "Do you mean—I mean I don't know how I would do it, we can't die."

Steven looked at her, confused, until realization seemed to hit him. His eyes widened and he grabbed her shoulders. 

"Shit kid, no. I am not talking about—" He looked at her and shook his head in disbelief, "Listen, that is not the answer." 

He sighed and Annabelle felt foolish. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about it before. It seemed to be the best solution to cause the least amount of damage. It was just that her affinity to heal made it an impossible task. 

"See, even the fact that your mind went there shows me that I'm right. When I said 'give up' I meant just pick one of them and imprint," he said as though it were the obvious answer. 

Annabelle jumped to her feet. It took all she had to keep her voice low.

"Are you serious?" She spat. The tears still spilled down her cheeks.

Steven replied defensively, "I know it's not ideal, but Bitsy seems to be pretty happy."

"That's not happiness, that's being a fucking zombie. At that point I'd actually be dead," Annabelle whisper-screamed. 

Steven frowned, "Calm down, kid. It's better than fighting against them day in and day out."

Annabelle scoffed with a dry laugh. She wiped her eyes and sniffed, "You don't know what you're talking about. I can't imprint on them."

"Why not?"

An image of her blood soaked dress flashed through her mind. She still didn't know what had happened during her latest imprinting episode. The giantesses' families were far too sinister not to take advantage of a Type 0 Shrinkee under their complete control. If Annabelle imprinted on one of the giantesses, she'd be impacting any Shrinkee that fell into their trap.

Of course she couldn't tell Steven any of that. It would only place him in danger. 

"My situation is more complicated than your guys'. My options are not between imprinting on a disinterested old man or not being born with the imprinting gene," Annabelle snapped.

Steven furrowed his brow, "What are you talking about? I was born with the imprinting gene."

Annabelle paused before matching his confused expression. "You said that you never imprinted," she said slowly. 

Steven nodded his head, he answered, equally slowly, "Exactly, I said that I never imprinted, not that I didn't have the imprinting gene."

"I-I don't understand," Annabelle said.

"I have the ability to imprint, just like all Type 0s. I just didn't," he replied.

Annabelle laughed dryly and ran her fingers through her hair, "You're talking in circles. What do you mean you didn't imprint? You make it sound like you had a choice."

Steven raised an eyebrow, "I did have a choice, and I decided not to imprint."

Annabelle wanted to strangle him. Instead she took in a deep breath, rubbed her face, and exhaled. Emphasizing each word, she asked, "How. Did. You. Not. Imprint?" 

Steven shifted in his seat. He looked as though he was contemplating something. After a while he gestured to the bear leg across from him. 

"Sit down," he said. 

Annabelle looked at him curiously, but followed his command.   

His brown eyes stared back at her intensely. "Before I tell you, I'm going to be honest: I genuinely believe that you should imprint. This method is not easy and it is not a short process," he explained.

Annabelle sat up, "I told you, imprinting is not an option."

Steven sighed, "All right." He straightened his posture. "You have to love yourself," he stated simply.

Annabelle cocked her head, "What?"

Steven nodded, "I know how it sounds, but its the truth. Imprinting isn't just about finding the perfect person who can protect you, it's also about being the perfect Shrinkee that will make a person desire to protect you. If you can convince yourself that you already are perfect, then there is no need for you to change into a different 'imprinted' Shrinkee."

Annabelle considered his words. She mused over the implications of what he was saying. "So," she began slowly, "My brain believes that I need to lure in a 'protector' by behaving in a certain manner. However, if I am able to deceive my brain into believing that any change in my behavior would be redundant, then there wouldn't be any catalyst and my brain wouldn't release the imprinting chemicals?"

Steven blinked, "Uh, yeah sure."

Annabelle's lips expanded into a wide grin. "Wow, you're brilliant!" She praised, before she remembered to keep her voice down. She flinched and whispered, "This is amazing."

Steven placed his palms up, "Hold on kid, it's a lot easier said than done. It's not just tricking your brain. It's actually believing you're worthy of unconditional love. Now, Shrinkees typically have a healthy amount of baggage when it comes to this stuff, which is why I have never heard of another Type 0 not imprinting. A lot of Shrinkees don't think they deserve love."

Annabelle didn't want to get into how much that rang true for her. Instead she asked, "How did you do it?"

Steven rubbed he back of his neck, "Years of therapy, kid. I wasn't playing a fair game, I had a head start. Which is why I say you are way better off just imprinting. I don't think you can get to where you need to be mentally, before she the chemicals will fully release in your brain."

Annabelle frowned. She didn't have that kind of time. "Did you do like mental exercises? Or mantras?" She asked desperately. 

Steven shook his head, "No, I just talked."

"You talked?"

"With my therapist. It took years for me to open up, but I finally did and you would not believe the relief I felt. There's something about telling your story with your own words and your own mouth. You start to realize that there's someone behind your story who should have a chance at happiness and love," he explained.

Annabelle's gaze lowered to her feet. That went against everything she'd trained herself to do. Since she was ten, survival meant burying bad things in the depths of her mind. She didn't know what would happen if she started even thinking about those things—let alone talking about them.

"Like I said, I wouldn't judge you if you just wanted to imprint," Steven said.

WHY WASTE YOUR TIME GOING AGAINST YOUR NATURE WHEN YOU CAN ENJOY THE SPLENDOR OF THE GODDESSES UNADULTERATED LOVE?

Annabelle lifted her gaze to meet Steven's. Her eyes focused on him, determined, "If I do this...will the voice go away too?"

Steven scrunched his face, he looked genuinely confused. "What voice?" He inquired. 

"The voice in my head that keeps trying to get me to imprint. It says things like 'submit to your Goddesses' etc," Annabelle frowned, "...Did you not hear a voice?"

Steven glanced away from Annabelle. Before he turned his head, Annabelle could've sworn a strange expression flashed across his face.

Her focused on her again before she could say anything. When he looked at her, his expression was contemplative, "Yeah, sorry it's just been a long time since I've had to deal with the whole imprinting process. Now that you mention it, I did have a voice early on talking to me about Riley. I guess it just went away as time went on," he replied.

Annabelle balled her hands into fists. That solidified her decision. "All right, I'll do it," she declared.

She sat up, "Let's get started."

Steven stood up with a chuckle, "I appreciate your motivation kid, but I think we've done enough tonight."

Annabelle deflated, "Seriously?"

Steven yawned, "Your owner—captors—have me and Bitsy on retainer. We can start the next time I come over. Plus, I don't know about you, but when I'm elbowed in the gut, had a dog bowl thrown at my head, and kicked in the balls all in one day, I kind of want to sleep it off."

Annabelle grimaced. She'd forgotten she attacked him throughout the day. "In my defense, you were acting like a complete zombie. It was creepy, and you had me completely fooled. How'd you get so good?" She asked.

Steven shrugged, "Years of practice kid, years of practice." He thought about it more and added, "But I used to do community theatre before I shrank."

Annabelle's eyebrows shot up, "Really? You?"

He nodded, "Hey don't knock it. My therapist suggested it to me as a way to practice expressing emotions—even if they weren't mine. And I'm a pretty good actor if I do say so myself. Though when you kicked me in balls, that was the closest I'd come to breaking character in years."

Annabelle's face scrunched with guilt, "Steven, I'm sorry about all of that."

Steven stretched, his bulging muscles pressing against the fabric of the shirt, "No worries kid, you didn't know. You were just trying to survive."

He began making his way back to the bed. He paused and looked over his shoulder back at Annabelle, "But remember, it's not just about surviving. If you want to get this right, then you're going to have to want to live too."

Annabelle nodded. She didn't know what if felt like to love herself, but for the sake of the giantesses' potential victims, she'd do her damndest to try.