Mrs. Dawson's Class (Patreon)

Finn was a case that was all too common in the world. He was born a normal size, or giant as most preferred to call it. However, he had the diminutive gene. Which meant at some point Finn was going to be a few inches tall.

While his family tried, for awhile, to get him access to Amplidine, there was no way they could afford it. Their efforts to petition their insurance provider to cover the costs failed as well. For many reasons, be it their income bracket, pre-existing conditions, etc. But this was to be expected, it was difficult to get Amplidine covered by insurance.

It at some point became apparent that he was going to start shrinking in high school. His doctor estimated he’d shrink to completion near graduation. It was a devastating piece of news. He’d at least hoped to finish high school before it took hold, but it seemed that wasn’t going to happen.

His parents were adamant that they wouldn’t pull him from his school whenever he became diminished. There were worse schools to go to as a shrinkee, his school actually had a lot of diminished accommodations. Little lifts to take you atop desks, passageways in the walls and walkways above the lockers… But even still, to giants, a mant was a mant. He’d witnessed plenty of sizeist bullying during his time there. A look into his future perhaps.

Friends of his didn’t treat him any different upon learning the news, at least not at first. His girlfriend, in particular, was still supportive. Even after he began losing inches, she stayed with him.

Finn, before he shrank, was six foot three. In a matter of a couple of months? He was five foot four. He watched as the world increasingly grew around him at an alarming speed. Friends that were shorter than him were now taller. His girlfriend, too.

A few months after that he was beginning to reach the height of a child. It’s when he first began to take note of people’s behavior toward him changing. People would giggle as he walked by. His friends would often pat him on the head in a condescending manner… And his girlfriend became distant; cold. Was this what it was like to become diminished? Is it truly as bad as it seemed?

The fateful day occurred. The diminutive disease shrinks the victim gradually for months, until what is called ‘the Drop’ occurs. Usually it takes place when the person is around two feet tall. The Drop is a rapid decrease in height and mass overnight resulting in the victim finally shrinking to completion. Victims sleep so heavily during the Drop that scientists theorize the disease creates some kind of natural sedative to apply to the body.

Finn awoke in a maze of blankets and pajamas. The alarm that usually woke him in time for school went off for an hour before his Mom finally came in and discovered what had happened.

“Finn?” She asked, looking around. “Are you, uh, in here?”

His mother knew the Drop was coming, but wasn’t sure if Finn had been able to make it out of his bedding. She gently pulled up the covers, and pushed aside his clothing. There Finn lay, helpless, vulnerable, and naked. She picked him up and held him in her fingers.

“I see it finally happened,” she said, a sad look in her eye. “I’ll get your… tiny clothes, and take you to school.”

“C-Can I stay home today?” He asked. Truth be told, he was afraid to go to school like this.

She shook her head. “No, son. We’ve said since you were diagnosed that we wouldn’t treat you any differently. Unless you’re sick, you have to go.”

“I am sick!” He said.

“You know what I mean,” she said. “Let’s go.”

The following days were… rough to say the least. It was like going to a different school. He was officially no longer a giant. The kids he saw on a more daily basis were diminished, just like him. He’d never actually seen the diminished passageways inside the walls until now. It was dark, dirty… Some of the lights had gone out, others were flickering.

The existing diminished ‘cliques’ didn’t want much to do with him, as he used to be a giant. Finn’s friends also didn’t want much to do with him. In fact, they pretty much ignored him.

At least he still had Rebecca, his girlfriend. He had an English class with her, fourth period. She had yet to see him at his new size, but he was sure she would still care for him.

He walked across the floor, scurrying from desk to desk to avoid getting stepped on. Rebecca sat on her phone, idly browsing it as she usually did. To Finn, his girlfriend stretched nigh infinitely into the sky. Her body was like a monument.

“Hey, babe!” He shouted from below. “‘Becca!”

No reaction.

Finn approached her sandaled feet and gently tapped her pinky-toe. Luckily, that did elicit a response.

“What the—” she looked down, “Oh, Finn.”

“Hey, help me up!”

She sighed, and shook her head. “Listen, Finn, I’ve been, er, meaning to talk to you about something.”

A lump formed in Finn’s throat. “W-What is it?”

She looked around before leaning down in a hushed voice. “I… I don’t think I can be with a mant.”

He was taken aback by Rebecca’s use of the slur. “Mant? Why would you call me that?..”

The giant shrugged. “‘Cause, that’s kinda what you are? Listen, don’t take it personally, I liked you and enjoyed our time together, but…”

“You’re breaking up with me.”

She nodded. “Yeah. I don’t see myself loving a mant.”

Doing his best to fight back tears, he gave an understanding nod and went to find a desk.

It wasn’t just the students who acted coldly toward him, teachers would also. Technically, they weren’t supposed to ever lay hands on students, but that didn’t stop them from manhandling him and the other diminished when they wanted to.

One particular instance was a real rude awakening to how he’d be treated in society from now on.

Mrs. Megan Dawson, the English teacher he and Rebecca shared, was quite a personality. She was the kind of teacher everyone’s had at some point. Overly extroverted, overly ‘nice,’ even when she was scolding someone. Of course, most everyone saw through that politeness mask she’d loved wearing. She felt very fake. Overall, she was considered a rather loud and obnoxious member of the teaching staff.

One thing, however, that she did more than any of the other teachers, was that direct interaction with diminished students. She used the term ‘mant’ often. She manhandled often. But it went beyond that.

When she disciplined giant students, it was the usual standard fare. She’d send them to the principal's office, give them a failing grade, move them away from their friends… but for mant students? She was notorious.

Mrs. Dawson would often pluck mant students from their desks and take them to hers. Sometimes, she’d shove them in a pocket. Other times, she’d keep them in her mouth like a lozenge to be sucked on. The worst of all her treatments, however, was her proclivity to keep students in her shoes, or at her feet in general.

Hunter, a student who had been particularly rude and careless to Finn, had picked him up during a test when Mrs. Dawson wasn’t looking and placed him on his desk. Then, raised his hand.

“Yes, Hunter?” Mrs. Dawson answered.

“Finn climbed on my desk, I think he’s trying to get my answers.”

“W-What?!” Finn said, “You put me here!”

The students in the classroom all looked over to Hunter’s desk. Sure enough, there stood Finn on top of Hunter’s scantron.

Mrs. Dawson stood up and approached Hunter’s desk. Finn looked up to try and plead his case, but a distinct fear formed in him. Words refused to come from his mouth.

The woman loomed over him. She stood like a tower.

“Finn, really?” She said, shaking her head. “Using your size to cheat? That’s unacceptable in my classroom.”

“I didn’t do any— Woah!”

Mrs. Dawson nabbed him mid-sentence and carried him to the front of the classroom. She turned to the rest of the students, dangling the poor mant by the leg.

“I didn’t think I’d have to say this, you’re all adults at this point,” she said with a half smile, “But cheating is unacceptable. In college, if you’re caught cheating, you get kicked out!”

“Mrs. Dawson, please, put me down!”

“As for you, Finn,” she said, “You will need to be disciplined.”

She dragged a chair from a vacant seat over to her desk. Her fingers slid up and down his body, slipping his clothes off piece by piece. Within seconds, he was completely naked.

“STOP IT, PLEASE! YOU CAN’T DO THIS!”

His cries were ignored as she placed him down on the cold seat. He sat there, feeling completely vulnerable. At least the teacher’s desk obscured the student’s view so he could only be seen by Mrs. Dawson.

“Now,” she said, slipping her stuffy flats off from her feet, “You’ll be licking my feet for the rest of the period. I’ll set your clothes to the side for when it’s time to leave.”

She’d dropped her feet hard onto the seat in front of Finn. The shockwaves nearly knocked him to his knees.

The teacher’s soles were ever so slightly dirty, beads of sweat dotting its pink landscape could be seen at just the right angle. The air around them was warm, and stunk of old leather and salt.

“Alright, Finn. Get to it!” She said in a peppy tone.

He winced as he touched his tongue against her heel. It tasted exactly as it smelled, and it wasn’t pleasant. But there was little choice in the matter. If he didn’t lick, who knows what she would have done with him?