Size issues.
I retired to the employee break room, ready to take my lunch for the day. It was nearing 1:00 p. m., and I didn’t want one more person to ask me, “Is so and so item still in stock? Why isn’t this piece of clothing on sale like it is online?” And the dreaded question, “Where is the bathroom?”
I opened the door, quickly moving to rest on the small leather couch. There were a few other co-workers in here with me. Most went about their own business. Carien, though, a middle-aged woman who was the closest person to being my friend in this place, walked over to sit by me.
“Long day already, Sarah?”
I ran my hands through my black hair. “You can say that. Had to deal with an unruly customer.”
Carien stood up as the microwave in the corner of the lounge dinged. “Sorry, my food is done.” She walked over, flipping her blonde hair as she stood up. She pulled out a container with a small piece of roast that she had brought from home. She then walked back over to me and sat down beside me. She said, “Go on,” looking at me with her blue eyes.
I stood up, heading for the fridge. “They were demanding that I allow them to use a coupon that wasn’t even for our store.” I pulled out my meal from home, just an apple and some nuts. “They wouldn’t have it and were becoming overly angry when I kept telling them we don’t accept it, and they didn’t have enough money.”
Carien gave a slight chuckle as I sat down. I could smell her food, which made me feel like I had the lesser of the two meals for the day. “Some people.”
I nodded. “So, do you have any plans after work?”
Carien rolled her eyes. “I have to take my brother to the eye doctor. He needs someone to drive him home after he has his eyes dilated.”
I sighed. “Ahh, sounds fun.”
“Meh. I would rather just spend my afternoon going for a run or getting online.”
“Ya. So you can lose more of your time in that online shooter.”
“Look at who is talking. Between your time at your tabletop group and the multiple role-playing games you play, I’m surprised you get out.”
I smiled. “Well, that is where the fun is.”
Carien laughed. “Well said.” She pulled a bottle of blueish-looking liquid out of her purse.
“What is that?”
“This?” She held up the plastic bottle. “I picked it up on the way to work. It looks like some fresh flavored water. Fredrick’s Sparkling Water. I don’t know.
It came with the candy bar I had before I started my shift. I am not one for flavored drinks myself.”
“Mind if I look at it?”
“Sure.”
I took the bottle out of her hands. I swore I had heard that name before somewhere, but it was escaping me at the moment. The bottle looked like any other cheap plastic with the label “Fredrick’s Sparkling Water. Expand your horizons.”
I tapped my finger on my chin. I was trying to think back to about a week ago. I had met a weird salesman with the same name who pushed some odd joint relief product on me. I ended up taking too much of it, and for 24 hours, I ended up with an extremely long neck.
I wondered if this was made by the same person. It had the same cheap design and cheesy lines.
Carien suddenly said, “You can have it if you want.”
“Huh?’
“I don’t really like carbonated drinks. As I said, it came with something I bought earlier.
You can have it.”
I shrugged. “Why not.
Then I don’t have to buy my own drink then. Besides, I forgot my own today.”
She smiled. “Then, it all works out.” Carien stood up. “My break is almost over. I will catch up with you.” She walked off.
I took a moment to finish my meal. I ate slowly, hoping it would prolong the time I had before heading out into the store. I was only fooling myself, though, and before I knew it, my lunch break was over. Before I went back to my register, I took a few quick gulps from the sparkling water Carien had given me. I hadn’t had anything to drink all day.
The water was crisp, sweet, and refreshing. I wiped my lips, savoring the liquid, and screwed the cap back on the bottle, and put it in my purse.
I then left the break room and headed out into the poorly air-conditioned department store. It was stuffy, and the eighty-degree heat outside didn’t help much. I passed by rows of clothing, heading toward the front where my checkout lane was. The store, thankfully, wasn’t too busy right now.
Suddenly my stomach started to feel tight. I gritted my teeth as I felt a bit unstable and had to grasp one of the clothing racks to steady myself. Whoa, I feel strange. I shook my head. The feeling was starting to spread throughout my body.
“Excuse me, can you help me with something?”
I looked to see someone staring at me expectantly. I tried to ignore my uneasiness and answered. “What do you need?”
I was looking at a well-dressed man with dark hair and green eyes. “Can you direct me to where your men’s jackets are?”
I pointed behind me. “Down that way, sir.”
“Thanks. I am looking for this in particular.” He showed me a picture of some sleek, Hillsman black jacket. “Can you help me locate it?
I squinted my eyes. My body was feeling really odd. I felt like my skin was crawling. I started to scratch at my arm; it suddenly felt like I wrapped tape around it and pulled tight. Ugh. What is going on?
“I really need to get to my register, sir. I am sure someone else can help you.” Every word I spoke, the feeling became more potent. “I have to go, sorry.”
He gave me a strange look as I walked away. I think I am getting sick. I hope I can finish today without going home.
I went about twelve steps before I was overwhelmed.
I went into an aisle and leaned against a rack, my head looming over the top. “Ugh.” Everything felt like it was compressing. I was having a hard time steadying myself; my grip kept slipping on the clothing rack.
Every time I tried to grasp it, the thing felt larger.
I suddenly noticed my surroundings were becoming more significant. I looked around, and I was a whole foot shorter than I had been a minute ago. I almost cried out loud, “I am shrinking.”
I looked around, and no one saw me in this corner of the store yet. “I have to find someplace to hide. I can’t let anyone see this happen to me.”
I started walking, but with every step I took, I became smaller. Miraculously my clothing was shrinking with me. Before I knew it was an entire foot shorter than I had been a minute ago. I looked around nervously, hoping no one could see me and my transformation. Thankfully for the moment, I was out of sight. As I was looked behind, my arm slipped on one of the shirts I was leaning against, and I fell. My backpack-sized purse flew out of my hands. As I tried to get up, I could see the tiles on the floor getting bigger by the second.
I stood back up, and I was already half my average height. I felt like I was being squeezed tight. I leaned against the clothing rack, determined just to wait this out. Suddenly I fell backward, the stand now too large for me to even lean against. “Oww.”
I sat up, realizing that I was only about two feet tall and still shrinking. I then heard voices. “I have to hide.” My cheeks were red with just the thought of someone seeing this happen to me.
I slid under the racks, my body still continuing to get smaller. I was almost the size of a single tile on the floor now. Please make it stop. My body seemed to hear my plea, and the shrinking seemed to slow, finally stopping when I was just a few inches tall.
I sighed, happy to have that unusual feeling be over. I stood up only to be disorientated at how massive everything had become. Slowly I walked out into the middle of the aisle and looked up at what looked like mountains of clothing.
What am I going to do now?
The ground started to shake. Looking down one side of the aisle, I saw a giant of a man coming into view.
I recognized the sleek black shoes of my boss Gregory. “Where is that dam lazy slouch, Sarah? I saw her head this way. I will be dammed if she thinks she can head out early.”
He was heading right for me. I tried to run, but at my new height, I couldn’t run that fast.
He was on me in mere seconds, his boot kicking me, sending me flying. I landed on my back, the lights spinning above me.
My boss had stopped. “What the hell?” I could see him look down at me. I laid still, terrified by what Gregory might do. I took deep breaths in and out as his gigantic hand reached down and picked me up around the waist.
“Who’s dammed kid left their doll here?”
“Doll? I am not a doll, you dolt.”
He looked at me with his baseball ball-sized eyes in utter surprise, almost dropping me. “What the ***?”
I flipped around and clung to his hand for dear life. “It’s Sarah, you fool. Don’t drop me.”
Gregory bent over and flicked me onto the floor.
He then backed away, fear and confusion on his face. “What…the…”
I stood up, brushing the dust off of me. “I don’t understand why but I just shrunk.”
He seemed speechless for a moment and then composed himself, a scowl forming on his rigged features. “Is this some newfangled scheme of yours to get out of work?” I had to cover my ears when he spoke. His voice sounded like a loudspeaker.
“Are you kidding? How could I intentionally shrink myself?”
He picked me back up again and raised me up, so we were looking at each other at eye level. I tried not to look down at the massive drop below my feet. “I have had to deal with a lot of crazy things that people have come up with to get out of their shifts early. If Maxwell couldn’t trick me by painting himself in red dots and saying he had the Measles, you aren’t getting out of work for this.”
“But he had the Measles. We were on the news for spreading the disease, for goodness sake.”
He suddenly shook me. “That isn’t the point. You are working if you are 2 inches tall or 20 feet.” He slid me into his back pocket. “I am going to make sure of it.”
I tried not to fall out as he started to move.
Watching my soundings go by as Gregory walked felt like I was on a roller coaster ride, and I felt motion sickness.
I closed my eyes and held my right hand over my stomach.
Then I felt Gregory’s hands pick me up again, and when his hand let me go, I was sitting on my cash register. His disapproving glare was looking down at me. “Now, do your job.” He stormed off, flipping the light for my lane, indicating that it was open.
Great.
How am I supposed to do this when I am the same size as the price gun?
A few minutes passed with people walking by. The customers were generally confused. Even though my checkout lane was open that there didn’t appear to be anyone standing there. I took a sigh of relief as a sign that I wasn’t going to have to go through the hassle of working at this height.
My hopes were dashed, though, when a young mother and her son came down my lane. She started putting some shirts on the convoy, saying, “Lucky me, I will be first in line when the person gets back. Jonny, don’t touch that.” The kid was trying to grab some candy from the shelves nearby. They both had auburn hair and green eyes.
I hopped off my perch on the cash register to get this over with. As I did the boy, who I guessed was about ten years old, I wasn’t exactly sure as he was just slightly less massive than the mother. But as I moved into view, he saw me and ran up and picked me up.
“Mom, look. It is some crappy action figure.”
“Tommy, I told you, I am not buying you anything.
Put that filthy thing down.”
Tired of being held like a doll for the day, I said, “Let me go.”
He dropped me immediately. Luckily I was able to twist around and grab the counter’s edge before falling onto the ground below. The mother rushed up, causing a gust of wind to slam me into the side. “What in the world? Get back, Tommy.”
I pulled myself up and turned around. “There isn’t anything to worry about. I am your cashier for the day.”
The mother bent down, so her eyes were level with my body. “This is absurd. You are but inches high.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Please, oh, please take it up with my supervisor. I don’t like it any more than you.”
For a moment, I thought she was going to walk away and try another checkout lane, but she just arched her back and said. “Well, if you have a job to do, then get to it.
And don’t keep me waiting too long, I have to get my son to a soccer game. I don’t want to have to tell people I was held up by someone that could stuff in my purse.”
I sighed as I looked at my task ahead of me.
Three massive t-shirts I had to scan and bag and handle the computer and dollar bills that were about my height.
I didn’t even want to think about how I was going to type. Ugh, this is going to go so well.
I started by using the switch to start the conveyor belt, bringing the shirts within walking distance of the register. I then tried to pick up the price gun. It felt like I was trying to lift another person. I managed to get a good grip, getting the device off the ground, and then suddenly, I started to backpedal backward as its weight threatened to flatten me. “Crap, crap, crap.”
I managed to twist around and drop it right in front of the clothing, avoiding the contraption landing on me. The woman waiting on me rolled her eyes as if she expected me to know how to handle myself. I then climbed onto the shirts, the fresh fabric smell overwhelming my senses.
Thankfully the tag was on the collar.
I grabbed it and pulled it down in front of the scanner, ran around, and pulled the trigger only to hear an error sound. “Damit.”
It took me three tries to line things up correctly. I then did the same job for the other two shirts.
I then walked to my left and dragged out a plastic bag. I wasn’t going to come back for it. Even though it was flimsy, it was hard to maneuver.
It was like I was trying to pull a bedsheet. But after some effort, I was able to get it over to the shirts. Then came the issue of actually pushing the shirts into the bag.
I scratched my head on how I would do this until the mother did it for me. “Just hurry up and make the payment.”
Thankfully, I ran over to the computer. I bear-hugged the mouse to get the thing to wake back up. The screen flared to life, and now I had to walk on the keys to type, careful to tiptoe on the edges between keys to avoid pressing characters I didn’t want.
“Ok, how will you be paying today?”
The woman pulled out a credit card. “Just put it on here.”
She gave it to me, and the moment her fingers left the card, I fell to the ground, trying to hold it up. “Ouff.”
I shook my head and tried to get a better grip. Thankfully the card wasn’t extremely heavy, just awkward to hold. My arms were stretched out fully in both directions.
I then walked over as if I were drunk to the card reader and slipped it inside.
I then rushed over and handled the transition on the computer. Once paid for, the customer just picked the card out herself and walked off with her clothing. The kid, Tommy, waved goodbye to me. I waved back, exhausted.
“Miss.”
I looked behind me. There was a line of people there now looking at me. Where did these giants come from?
It seemed like everyone wanted to see the inch-high woman. My cheeks flooded with embarrassment, and I thought about hiding in the cash register.
Before I could get out of this situation, though, Gregory walked by, giving me a big goofy smile and thumbs up, mouthing, “You are doing great.” I knew then I was backed into a corner with a massive workload on my lap. In the mood he was in, he might threaten my job for the business loss I could cost him.
I waved the first person over. Thankfully he only had one bundle of socks, but sadly he tossed it down, and the bundle took a wicked bounce and landed on my feet. I bit my tongue to avoid crying out as I rolled the white mass off of me. The man looked down and simply said, “Sorry, miss.”
I rolled my eyes. At least this is easy to move. I maneuvered it to scan the item and then walked back to the computer to check the man out. It went smoother than my first customer. I still found him eyeing me with an impatient stare.
In the next few hours, I worked harder than I had in my life. The flow of people who wanted me to check them out didn’t stop. There was a winding line that backed up father then I could see, though the people’s massive walls and shoulders made it hard for me to judge.
Every customer was a unique experience. Some were very willing to help me with my burden of work. Some didn’t want to acknowledge that I was different and won’t look at me at all, staring uncomfortably into space. Oh, and that one young lad who thought I was some new line of robots. He instantly picked me up and tried to look me over, wondering where my wiring was.
Gregory actually had to escort him out of the building.
Thankfully though, it was now nearing 5:00pm. My boss finally closed my lane off, and I was on my last customer.
I was taking in deep breaths, my uniform soaked with sweat. I just wanted to go home and soak in a bath or something equivalent to it for my size.
I blinked. How am I even going to get home? I shook my head. One problem at a time. Just get through this last trial and then think about it.
I wiped my forehead and looked to see who my last ordeal was going to be.
Please don’t let it be someone who thinks they can grab me again. The last person who did that smelled like fried sweat.
I looked up into a familiar face, that of my friend Carien. She looked down at me in surprise.
“I heard rumors that Gregory had hired on a special sideshow worker, but I didn’t think he had actually shrunk one of us to make money.” She bent down so she could see me better.
I walked up until I was right in front of her face. “Gregory didn’t do this to me.” I tapped my left hand on my chin. “I think. I don’t believe he would even know how to shrink a human being.” I shook my head. “Don’t you have a brother to take to the doctors?”
“I am about to go and do that. Terrys’ is the last appointment of the day, and their practice is open really late.
I was just getting a soda on the way out.”
I looked at the drink, the bottle slightly taller than I was. I hadn’t had anything to drink since that Fredrick’s Carbonated Water I had that she had given me. That water bottle….
“Sarah. Are you alright? You seemed spaced out.”
“I umm. Ya.”
“Do you want me to check my soda out for you? You look exhausted. I can’t imagine…”
Gregory seemed to materialize out of nowhere. “You are off the clock, Carien. Our little co-worker here can finish her shift just fine.”
“But come on. You want someone who could fit inside this soda bottle to check me out when Sarah is about to fall flat on her face?”
Gregory threw his hands up. “Not my problem. But if you both want to keep your jobs, she will do hers, and you won’t help.”
I mustered up the strength to say, “It’s ok, I can do it, Carien.”
Gregory said, “See, that is the spirit we need around here. When you are done here, Sarah, your paycheck is in my office.”
I sighed. How am I supposed to get to your office, you fool?
After Gregory slinked off, I went about helping Carien out. I pushed the bottle on its side and rolled it over to the scanner to read the bar code. I then walked over and handled the finances. Carine was kind enough to hand me a folded-up bill and a few coins.
Once the transition was done, she looked at me and said, “What are you going to do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, like, do you have a plan on getting home or even making it to the edge of the store?”
“I ugh… I haven’t thought about any of it. I had just hoped something would happen, and I wouldn’t stay like this.”
“I don’t want to leave you like this, Sarah. I can drop you off at home if you are willing to ride with me.”
‘What do you mean by ride?”
Carian held up her purse. “You will have to hide in here as I don’t want people to really know people to know what is going on.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Are you embarrassed by me?”
“I just don’t want to explain to my brother why I have an inch-high tall person in my purse.” She seemed to want to get out of the conversation. I need to use the restroom. I will be right back.” She ran off.
I sat down, my legs dangling in the air off the ledge. “Well, this is a predicament I am in.” I heard footsteps coming up, and I looked up, expecting Carien to be back, but instead, I saw Gregory.
“Hey, look, I am not waiting around for your little legs to find their way to my office, so here is your paycheck.” He threw a flimsy piece of parchment at me before I could react just above me. I reached up and grasped it, falling onto my back as the check carried me backward.
“Well, I am sure you will find your way out.”
I stood up, rolling up the check like a tootsie roll. “How am I supposed to even jump down without assistance?”
“Don’t look at me?”
“You put me up here.”
I felt a slight tingle creep through my body.
“Hey, you had to do your job somehow.”
I ran my fingers through my hair, making my bangs hanging just above my eyes.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
“Hey, it isn’t my fault you are this…” He waved his hands. “Size.
I am not here to cater to you.”
I raised my hand and pointed it at him. “Gregory…” My skin felt like it was rubber suddenly. A sudden pressure built inside my chest, and before I knew it, Gregory’s head was closer and smaller. He took a few steps back.
“What in the world?”
I looked around, embarrassed. I tried to back away but stopped after two steps as the world started to shrink again. I fell onto my butt, unable to stand as my limbs stretched out.
My back hit the cash register. I was now about a foot tall. I looked up at Gregory, who was staring at me wide-eyed. “Look, umm, we can say we forget about this, and we can talk about a raise for you on Monday.” He then ran off, leaving me alone.
I tried to stand up, enduring another growth spurt as I did so. I was getting too big to be on the desk now. I hung off the side of the counter and let myself drop, landing awkwardly on the ground. I then leaned against the table for balance as I continued to rise upward, now about 2 and a half feet tall.
I gritted my teeth as I continued to grow. I was almost tall enough to see over the counter now. I was getting a bit nauseous. I was happy that I hadn’t just eaten, as the sudden growth was doing wonders on my stomach.
With another spurt, I could just reach over the desk. I was now starting to grow at a more constant rate to the annoyance of my belly. I watched as the candy on the shelves just became smaller before my eyes.
Then suddenly, it was over. I felt like I hit a ceiling as the growth cut off, and the stretching sensation left my body. I took in a few deep breaths and looked around the store.
Everything was quiet. I then looked myself over. I was back to normal.
“Sarah.”
I looked behind me to see Carien.
“Looks like you are back to your normal self.”
I ran my hands through my hair. “Ya. I don’t know how it happened.”
“Just like you don’t know how you shrank?”
I nodded. “Ya.”
“Well, since you seem to be okay, I need to rush out and help my brother.
We can talk about this tomorrow?”
She started walking past me. “Ya, sure.”
I sighed. Had today just been a bad dream? I looked at my hands, almost expecting them to suddenly alter in size. I knew things were too strange to be real, and yet they had been. Well, it is time to head home and have a nice long rest. After today I deserve it.
Ive been farming mythic nighthold for the glowy set. That and ToS