"My mother...my mother..." 

Annabelle sighed and dropped her head onto the coloring book. The cage's carpet rubbed against her thighs as she stretched her legs and groaned. She'd met with Steven twice since that initial late-night rendezvous. Both nights had produced the same lackluster results. Steven would ask Annabelle to tell her "story" and Annabelle would struggle to get coherent words out. She truly wanted to tell him. She would do anything to ward off the imprinting process, but she couldn't just get her mouth and brain to collaborate. 

Steven called it emotional constipation.  

To combat it, he had given her homework. She was to declare one thing about her mother. Annabelle still struggled to say the words even when she was alone, so she decided to attempt to write them down. Naomi had given her a few Shrinkee coloring books and crayons. Annabelle was able to write in the margins of some pictures.

She stared at the colorless picture of a beach. The words "my mother is" were written in the empty spaces. Annabelle gritted her teeth. She didn't know why it was so difficult. 

Annabelle started writing again when she heard the bedroom door's lock click. Quickly, Annabelle began to color over the words. The door swung open, revealing Leah in her massive form. She looked as beautiful as ever in her chic, preppy clothes. 

She glided into the room, closing the door behind her. She made a beeline straight for the desk where Annabelle's cage was settled on. Her powerful footsteps thundered as she approached. 

Annabelle, knowing her expected role, grabbed a previously colored-in picture and rose to her feet. Balancing herself through Leah's quaking footfalls, Annabelle made her way to the cage's door. 

Leah's enormous face loomed over her from above. Her perfect teeth were on full display as she beamed down at Annabelle.

"How was my precious Poppy's day?" Leah inquired. The giantess pressed her finger along the door's touch keypad. A clicking sound rang through the cage. Leah pulled the cage's door open.

"It was good, Goddess," Annabelle answered, making her way out the cage's door. 

Leah placed her gigantic hand onto the desk. "I saw you were coloring a lot today," she noted with a smile.

Annabelle inwardly cringed. She knew the giantesses had the ability to see her at anytime via the camera in the cage, but it was still an unsettling feeling to be watched.

Annabelle recovered quickly. With her biggest doe eyes, Annabelle looked up at Leah as she stepped into her warm, cinnamon scented palm. "I colored something for you," she said.

Leah's face lit up. Her dark eyebrows shot up her forehead and her grin widened. Leah lifted her hand to her face. Annabelle sat in the center of her palm, allowing the air to hit across her skin.

"Oh Poppy, that is so sweet," Leah chirped.

Annabelle held up the piece of paper and offered it to Leah. The giantess gently used the tips of her fingers to take it from Annabelle. Leah carefully sat on her bed, up against her bedframe, as not to knock Annabelle from her hand.

With intense focus, Leah squinted at the paper, attempting to make it out. 

"This is an..."

"Airplane," Annabelle helped her out. "I wanted to find a jet like the one you and the other Goddesses have, but this was the best I could find."

Leah nodded, staring at the picture with pride. "Poppy this is amazing. I'm going to keep this forever," she declared. 

Annabelle refrained from rolling her eyes. They really didn't think much of her if they were consistently impressed by basic things she could accomplish. Still, the Shrinkee somehow found her heart beating faster at Leah's praise.

Annabelle pushed down the giddy feeling.

"Goddess, you really don't have to do that," Annabelle said.

Leah shook her head, "Of course I do, my precious Poppy made this for me." She continued to look at the picture with a glint of pride in her eyes.

"You really like planes," she noted, staring at the photo. It sounded as though she were mostly speaking to herself. "Maybe we should get you your own private jet," she muttered.

Annabelle shook her head frantically, "You don't have to do that Goddess. I don't need anything like that."

Leah finally looked away from the photo and turned to Annabelle with a raised eyebrow. "When are you going to realize that you deserve everything and anything in this world, Poppy?"

Before Annabelle could answer, Leah opened her bedside drawer and placed Annabelle's picture inside carefully. After she closed it, Leah's manicured nail found its way underneath Annabelle's chin.

Her finger began scratching Annabelle underneath her chin, and she started humming softly.

Annabelle couldn't help but lean into Leah's rhythmic scratching.

"Who's a good girl?" Leah cooed. 

Annabelle gripped Leah's finger when she found herself dangerously close to answering, "Me."

Instead she looked up at the gigantic co-ed and changed the subject. "Goddess, how was your day?" She asked. 

"Hmm?" Leah hummed, slightly surprised at Annabelle's sudden question, "Oh it was fine Poppy. Just more of the same." She sighed and rolled her eyes, "Moth students and moth professors just buzzing in my ear." 

Annabelle didn't know how to respond to that without insulting her. What Annabelle would do for conversation with someone other than one of the giantesses. Steven was a nice break from the cooing and baby-talk, but their conversations were like unsuccessful therapy sessions. 

Annabelle looked at Leah's smile and decided to ask her a question she'd been thinking about for a while.

"Goddess, what is it about 'moths' that you don't like?" Annabelle inquired. She and the other giantesses seemed pretty isolated from other people. Annabelle found it strange that not one of them seemingly had genuine friends outside of their group.

Leah's eyebrow raised. Annabelle recognized the familiar scrutinizing gaze. The giantess was attempting to discern her motives. 

After a quiet moment, Leah answered. She stared down at the Shrinkee, "Poppy there are two types of people in this world: those who have, and those who want. Moths are constantly wanting what I have. It's exhausting trying to avoid their desperate, grubby hands all the time."

Annabelle could not have disagreed more. Sure, she'd seen the giantesses get bombarded with requests and inquires from other students, but a few kids wanting to get close to them for less than genuine reasons didn't mean the entire student population should've been written off.

Annabelle's face must've betrayed her thoughts. Leah tilted her head and shook her head at the Shrinkee.

"I can see you don't agree. Well, from what I've seen, it seems that the people in your previous life weren't worthy of your company. You give people too much credit, Poppy," Leah chastised. 

Annabelle gritted her teeth, but stayed silent. She pitied Leah. That seemed like a lonely way to live.

Leah was quiet, seemingly waiting for Annabelle to say something. The Shrinkee didn't speak. She didn't want to give her the satisfaction. She folded her arms and turned her head away from the giantess.

"Molly told me that you wanted us to stay away from your former friends," Leah suddenly said. Annabelle winced. She dropped her arms to her sides and looked up at Leah with wide eyes. 

She bristled when she saw Leah's smug face staring down at her. Once again, the giantess had gotten the desired reaction from her. Annabelle's cheeks burned from being manipulated again, but she knew Oliver's safety came first.

"Goddess, I just—"

She was silenced by Leah's massive fingers squishing her cheeks together.

"Poppy, I am so glad the universe brought you to me," Leah declared, "You truly were just stumbling around aimlessly before you met me. You put in so much effort into the wrong things—into the wrong people. I don't know what feelings you think you had for that freshman, but I can assure you Poppy that you were just confused."

Annabelle swallowed and nodded through Leah's grip. With her squished cheeks, she managed to get out, "I-I know Goddess! I promise we were just friends. That's why you can just leave him alone. He's dropping out, right? You don't have to ever see him again," Annabelle urged.

Leah looked over Annabelle silently. She seemed to be considering something. 

"Goddess?" Annabelle squeaked. 

Leah released her fingers from Annabelle's head. She sighed as her muscles relaxed. A bright smile spread across her face, "I have to watch a video for my PoliSci class, so you have to make sure you're quiet so I can concentrate, okay Poppy?" 

Annabelle just stared up at her, perplexed. Dread rose within her. She couldn't tell what the giantess was thinking.

Leah's hand transformed into a fist that wrapped around Annabelle. Annabelle, not wanting to make whatever was happening worse, stayed absolutely still.

She felt Leah moving around, and heard rustling. When Leah's fingers uncurled, she saw a gigantic tablet in front of her. 

The screen displayed an older man sitting on a stool, talking to the camera. Annabelle watched the man on the giant screen. He was discussing some economic concept Annabelle wasn't familiar with. She glanced up at Leah to see if she was planning anything. The emerald-eyed giantess was solely focused on the video. 

Annabelle kept her guard up for a while, but she soon lost herself in the video. It was an interesting explanation on how constituents responded to taxes for public services throughout history. Annabelle was so fascinated by the video, it took her a moment to realize Leah's gigantic finger was gliding across her thigh. Annabelle grimaced. She looked up Leah whose eyes were still on the tablet.

Slowly, Leah's fingers slid up to her chest. Annabelle's breath hitched as Leah lazily began groping her.  Leah's touch was like magic. Her fingers were firm, yet delicate. Her perfectly manicured fingers rubbed her breasts together. 

Annabelle swallowed a moan. Without tearing her eyes away from the tablet, Leah casually removed Annabelle's shirt, just leaving her in a short miniskirt. Annabelle squealed, and Leah quietly shushed her.

"I need to pay attention Poppy," she chastised her. From the mischievous glint in her eyes, Annabelle knew Leah was toying with her.

With no fabric to hinder her, Leah started groping Annabelle again. She languidly squeezed her breasts together and pinched her nipples as though molesting her was an afterthought. Annabelle twitched and shivered with pleasure in Leah's hand.  

The giantess wrapped two fingers around Annabelle's small body, holding her firmly. She swiftly removed her panties and skirt in a fluid motion. 

"G-Goddess," Annabelle whimpered.

If Leah heard her, she didn't react. Instead, she started rubbing Annabelle's tiny cleft with her finger. Leah's massive eyes were still on the screen as she caressed Annabelle's slit. 

Annabelle threw her head back and moaned.

"Quiet Poppy," Leah said, still staring at the tablet. If Annabelle didn't hear the delight in her voice, she would've thought Leah was being earnest.  

Leah rubbed with more enthusiasm. She glided her finger across Annabelle's pelvis. The Shrinkee groaned and moaned as the giantess had her way with her. Through tear filled eyes, Annabelle looked up and saw Leah focusing on the video. The only thing that betrayed her true intentions was the mischievous glint in her eyes. 

Annabelle squirmed and wiggled in Leah's hand as her gigantic fingers molested every inch of her body. The Shrinkee couldn't believe Leah could cause her body to react so intensely with only a fraction of her usual effort. 

Leah's finger concentrated on Annabelle's slit. The Shrinkee's hips bucked against the gigantic wiggling finger. Annabelle bit down on her hand to keep from screaming. Drool streamed down her chin. She kept in time with the rhythm of the bucking until she exploded. Annabelle screamed silently as an enormous orgasm took over her. She arched her back, her eyes rolling back into her head. 

Finally, Leah removed her fingers from Annabelle's body. Annabelle's muscles relaxed. She twitched in Leah's gigantic hand. Annabelle panted, exhausted and overwhelmed by everything.

Leah's finger found her again. She gently stroked her hair.

Annabelle was forced to listen to the video while she gazed up at Leah's perfect face. 

Without even using any words, the giantess had reminded Annabelle who she belonged to. She'd taken an orgasm from her without much fanfare. Although the giantess had dominated her, Annabelle knew she had only done so because she was jealous. Annabelle had mentioned Oliver and it obviously set her off.

Annabelle cursed inwardly. Oliver was in trouble.

--

"Kid, sit down before you make a tunnel in the floor," Steven lectured. 

Annabelle was pacing again. She couldn't help it. Something bad was coming—she could feel it.

Annabelle crossed her arms and looked down at Steven. He sat in his usual spot on the bear's leg.

"They're planning something," Annabelle stated simply.

Steven stretched his legs out, causing Annabelle to frown. She knew that the stakes were much lower for Steven, but it still frustrated her to see him acting so casual. 

"Who cares," he noted, "you need to focus on what I asked you to do. You haven't made any progress since the last time I was here."

Annabelle grunted, "I know, but it's hard to do your homework assignments when at any second they could be doing god knows what to my friend."

Steven sighed, "Fine, let's unpack this, because apparently this is a distraction that you can't overcome."

Annabelle bristled, "This isn't aV" she stopped herself. She glanced at the sleeping Bitsy on the panty-bed, and further in the distance, Naomi's slumbering form. 

Annabelle lowered her voice and whispered harshly, taking a seat on the bear's leg across from Steven, "This isn't a distraction. I'm trying to get the target away from my friend's back."

Even in the dim moonlight, Annabelle could see by Steven's unimpressed expression, that he didn't appreciate the severity of the situation. Annabelle understood his lack of urgency, he didn't know the extent of the giantesses' cruelty. 

"Okay," Steven started, "Why do you think there is a target on your friend's back?"

Annabelle shook her head, "They hate anything dealing with my life before I shrunk. They don't like me mentioning it. I think they like to pretend that I was always like this."

"Is that why you won't tell me your name before all of this?" 

Annabelle fiddled with her fingers. Steven didn't know it, but she'd be damning him if she told him her identity. If he knew who she was and the giantesses found out, they'd make him and Riley disappear—even if he vowed never to reveal her identity.  

Annabelle couldn't say all of that, so she simply nodded. 

"So they're not curious about your past life at all?" Steven asked, "Riley wanted to know everything about me. She had to have asked nearly a thousand questions." 

Annabelle hesitated. She wanted to tread carefully.

"Well, yeah there's certain things they want to know about, but it's none of their business," Annabelle said.

Steven raised an eyebrow, "So you're saying that they would rather pretend that you've always been theirs— and hate to be reminded that you were a full-sized person before—but they also want to know about your life as a full-sized person?"

Annabelle huffed. It sounded nonsensical when he put it like that.  

"I guess?"

Steven folded his hands together, "Do you think—and I'm just spit-balling here—that you could offer them a story from your pre-Shrunk life? You know, just to take some attention away from your friend?"

Annabelle answered without hesitation, "Absolutely not."

Steven attempted and failed to keep the frustration from his face. "Why not?" He asked with a sigh.

Annabelle's gaze lowered to her feet. "They only want to know about...about the things you are trying to get me to talk about," she muttered.

"Oh," Steven replied quietly. 

The cage was silent for a while, before Steven asked, "Is there not a single small story that you can just throw their way?"

Annabelle shook her head, "There are no small stories. If I mentioned something, they would just ask more questions. There are questions I don't want to answer—questions I can't answer."

Steven cringed, "That's rough, kid."

Annabelle gave him a pointed look, "Thank you for your astute observation."

Steven shrugged, "What do you want me to say? Your owners—"

"Captors."

"Your captors seem like the type to get fixated on something without letting go," Steven noted. He paused, "You've been with them for over a month now. Why are they just now going after your friends?"

Annabelle swallowed. "Well it's really just the one...friend they're interested in."

Steven's brow furrowed, "Why?"

Annabelle fiddled with her fingers again, "They were talking to my friends and one of them said something that gave them the wrong idea."

"The wrong idea?"

"That I was...interested in him before I shrank," Annabelle muttered. 

Steven visibly grimaced. "They're targeting your boyfriend?"

Annabelle's head shot up. 

"He's not my—he wasn't my boyfriend," she sputtered. 

"Right..."

"Okay we kissed once," Annabelle admitted. 

Steven made a humming sound of surprise. "You kissed but weren't in a relationship," he said.

Annabelle nodded sincerely, "It was just one kiss. It didn't mean anything. I freaked out like immediately after anyway."  

"What does that mean?" Steven inquired.

Annabelle crossed her arms. The conversation wasn't going in a direction she appreciated. "We kissed, I panicked and left," Annabelle said briefly. 

Steven stared at her, intrigued, "Why did you panic?"

Annabelle rose to her feet. She started pacing again. She shrugged, "You know how it is—Shrinkee and Non-Shrinkee relationships."

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "I didn't want it to become a whole thing." 

Steven opened his mouth, but Annabelle cut him off, "And don't say 'it was just a kiss' because it could've turned into something more. I just couldn't do it. We would date, and maybe it would get serious, and then the guilt would come—like I'm lying to him. Then I'd have to...confess."

Steven nodded with understanding. "The confession," he stated knowingly. 

Annabelle laughed bitterly, "Isn't it so fucked up? After how many months of dating, you're supposed to be just like 'I know things are getting serious, so I just want to let you know that I have a disorder where I may just possibly permanently shrink down to three inches at anytime. Also it's genetic so our future children—do you want children by the way?—will have a fifty percent chance of inheriting this disorder too."   

Steven looked out of the cage's wall. He scoffed, "Yeah I don't miss dating." 

"Which is why I realized I was being stupid. Crushes come and go, but revealing your Shrinkee status is something you can't take back," Annabelle said softly. Her hands turned into fists when she remembered how stupid she'd been when she'd told Harper. It was the worst mistake of her life.

"Are you one of those exclusively Intra-Shrinkee relationship people?" Steven asked.

Annabelle flinched at his sudden question. "No," she answered quickly, "I think you love who you love." She hesitated, "But I can see why some people are like that. It's easier to be with someone who gets it. But it's not like there's a lot of us. And if you do find someone, then you have to make the baby decision."

Annabelle could've swore she saw Steven wince in the darkness. 

"Your parents are both Shrinkees?" He asked. 

Annabelle nodded tentatively. She knew where he was going with this. She'd heard the same line of questioning from other Shrinkees since she could remember. 

Most Shrinkees were the product of Shrinkee—Non-Shrinkee relationships. It was one thing for a Shrinkee and a Non-Shrinkee to take a chance and have a child, but two Shrinkees getting pregnant was seen as irresponsible and immoral. It was part of the reason her parents had been estranged from their families for so long.

"My mother didn't really want kids, but my father convinced her. He was a bit of an activist back in the day. He said that their disorder shouldn't stop them from living life to the fullest. My mother was more practical, but my father always had a way with words," Annabelle said.

Steven looked at her with the brightest of smiles.

Annabelle raised an eyebrow, "What?" 

He grinned, "You just completed your first assignment."

Annabelle paused and considered what she'd said. Her eyebrows raised as realization hit her. She'd done it, and she hadn't even noticed.

"Oh wow," she breathed.

Steven nodded with pride, "Do you want to try to say it again in the prompt that I gave you?"

Annabelle inhaled deeply and nodded. 

"My mother didn't want kids and she was more practical than my father," she said slowly. She grimaced, "That makes her sound kind of horrible."

Steven looked at Annabelle with an even expression, "Was she horrible?"

"No," Annabelle replied quickly. She thought about his question and corrected herself, "She was...complicated." 

An image flashed in her mind. Her mother's long fingers on top of hers, teaching her how to play the piano. 

"Kid, is your mom still—you know—around?" Steven asked gently.

Annabelle's stomach twisted. She looked into Steven's eyes. He genuinely seemed concerned.

"I don't know," Annabelle answered honestly. 

"When was the last time you saw her?" 

The memories came bubbling up in flashes. A knock on the door in the dead hours of the night. Rain and thunder. Fear. Desperation. Pain.

Annabelle covered her ears and fell to the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut and folded into the fetal position. 

 "Push it down, push it down," Annabelle muttered. She couldn't think about it. She couldn't go back to that time.

She could still hear it—the raindrops against the windshield—the sound of crumbling metal.  

"Stop it, stop it, stop it," Annabelle pleaded. She started rocking herself to calm herself down but it wasn't working.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't go back. She couldn't go back.

"You really are silly aren't you?" 

Annabelle gasped. Her head shot up. She looked around and saw she was in a meadow—Poppy's meadow. The air was fresh and the sun's warmth tingled against her skin.

She lay on the field of flowers. Poppy lay next to her, she held her head up by leaning her hand on her cheek. 

Poppy booped her nose.

"Silly, silly girl," she repeated. 

Annabelle tried to sit up, but Poppy held her down by placing a single hand on her chest. Annabelle couldn't believe how strong she was.

"You're carrying soooo much," Poppy said. "Just give some of it to our Goddesses. They're strong enough to carry it for you." 

"I—"

Poppy placed a finger over Annabelle's lips. She purred, "No more talking. You've been saying too much anyway. If you're going to talk, talk to our Goddesses, not some faker."

Poppy's finger shifted from pressing against Annabelle's mouth, to softly tracing along Annabelle's lips. 

Annabelle opened her mouth to say something, but Poppy silenced her with a kiss. Annabelle didn't move. It was getting harder and harder to fight against her. Poppy's soft lips pressed against her own, soothing her into darkness.

Annabelle fell into the familiar slumber.

--

"K...Kid...Kid."

Annabelle blinked. Her slumber was briefer than she expected. She was in the cage again. The darkness of the night still nearly engulfed her surroundings.

She looked around for the raspy voice that had called out for her. She was confused until she looked down. Underneath her was Steven. 

Her hands were wrapped tightly around his neck. His pale face practically was illuminated in the darkness. Veins, along with his eyes bulged out of his head.

Annabelle gasped. Her fingers quickly released from his neck. She fell on her behind and scampered away from him.

Steven turned on his side and gulped the air desperately. Annabelle watched his chest expand and contrast as he greedily sucked in air.

"Wha—What happened?" Annabelle breathed.

Steven still trying to regain his breath, clambered to his knees. 

"Y...You switched," he panted. 

"I-I what?"

Steven placed his hands on his knees and looked at Annabelle with a stern expression.

"You had an imprinting episode," he clarified. "I asked you about your mom, and you had a panic attack. Then you just went really quiet. I tried calling out to you, but you just had a blank look on your face. Then you—I don't really have a word for it other than switched. You tried to wake Ms. Naomi up, so I tried to stop you, and then...well..."

Annabelle shook her head in disbelief, "I-I am so sorry Steven."

Steven dismissed her with a wave, "Don't worry about it kid. It's not your fault, I pushed you too hard. You'd already accomplished a lot today. I was being greedy."  

Annabelle looked down at her hands. How could she be so violent? If Steven wasn't a Type 0, would she have killed him?

Steven stood up, breaking Annabelle away from her thoughts. 

"For now, we have to deal with her," he said, gesturing over to the wall.

Annabelle followed his hands and gasped when she saw Bitsy, unconscious and slumped against the wall. 

"What happened? Is she okay?" Annabelle squeaked.

Steven rubbed his neck, "Yeah, she'll be fine. She woke up when you started to attack me. She tried to calm you down, but you knocked her onto the floor and she hit her head on the doggy bowl. It was actually pretty impressive, it takes a lot to knockout a Type 0."

Steven was attempting to make light of the situation, but Annabelle's heart was heavy. She truly was a monster. It was just another reason her not to imprint. This fiasco proved that Poppy truly wouldn't let anything get in between her and the giantesses. 

"Well, help me lift her, kid," Steven ordered. He grabbed Bitsy's shoulders and Annabelle picked up her feet.

"We can just say you were angry with me because I told you to imprint on one of your captors," Steven suggested. Annabelle nodded half-heartily. Guilt gripped her as she lifted Bitsy towards the bed. She'd given herself up to Poppy so easily, and in doing so had put others at risk.

Steven continued, "If she doesn't remember in the morning, we'll just take her cue and not bring it up."

"Okay," Annabelle said listlessly. They placed Bitsy gently on the bed. 

"Kid," Steven said, making his way over to her, "This is not your fault, do you hear me? This is a shitty situation, but you didn't cause it." He placed a hand on her shoulder, "You have one job, and that's to focus on stopping the imprinting process. We may have had a set back today, but we also made a lot of progress."

"Yeah," Annabelle said quietly. He patted her shoulder and climbed into bed with Bitsy.

Annabelle balled her hands into fists. Steven was wrong. It was her fault. She wouldn't be in this situation if she hadn't revealed her Shrinkee status to Harper. She wouldn't be the reason Steven and Cookie were forced to spend another night away from their homes. 

She wouldn't be the reason Oliver had a target on his back. 

Annabelle had fucked up—and everyone around her was paying the price.