Chapter 12 (Patreon)

“No way,” Anna said as Bram and Chad ran the idea of a family D&D night by her, “You two can play your dorky little games, but you can count me out. I don’t do the whole make-believe thing.”

“Come on, Anna,” Bram pleaded from her dresser, "It's more fun than you think, I promise. It's more than just imagining, there's stats, experience, adventure, and it's a good way to build a strong relationship with your party."

"What about any of that is supposed to make this more appealing?” she asked.

Chad had been sitting on his stepdaughter’s dresser listening to Bram try to sway her over to the idea of joining the game for the last half hour. He knew how much this idea meant to him, and he also knew that Anna would be the most difficult to persuade. Bram had pleaded his case with Anna being less than receptive to the idea thus far. The back and forth was incredibly one-sided, with Anna maintaining her negative stance and outlook on the game. Admittedly, Chad had his own reservations about joining in the campaign, but he was willing to give it a shot if everyone else was. His little mind raced with the possibilities of problems and incidents, however. The least of which was rolling the die, and the most was getting obliterated by the hand of one of his family members.

“Please, Anna,” Bram finally said, his voice taking on a much more desperate tone.

Chad waited for the inevitable rejection from Anna, but to his surprise, she rolled her eyes and sighed, “Fine, bug-boy, but this had better not be a waste of time. So what’s the big plan with the game?”

“Yes!” Bram cheered, earning a smile from both Anna and Chad, “Alright, so the campaign is set in a modified version of Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons. Usually, I run Icewind Dale or Baulder’s Gate, but I’ve been working on a homebrew system for a while now that uses a lot of the same system mechanics from 5e but takes place in a new land entirely.”

“That’s great, now can you explain that in English?” Anna asked with heavy sarcasm.

“I hate to agree with her, but I also didn’t understand any of that, son,” Chad said.

“Right, right, my bad,” Bram replied with a nod, “So the rules will be mostly the same as if we were to jump into a classic game, but the difference will be the areas and enemies. Once we get everyone’s characters created, I'll set the tone, and I will explain more then. Trust me. Everyone is going to have a good time.”

“Great, sounds peachy,” Anna said, still sounding more annoyed than enthused about everything, “Just tell me what I need to do to get this over with.”

“Anna, can you try to enjoy this a little for your stepbrother?” Chad asked, not liking the tone in her voice.

She glared at him, and that was all it took to remind him of just where he stood in regards to her. She didn’t make a move towards him, but he knew that he would be paying for his little comment later when they were alone. Bram noticed the slight shift in the atmosphere in the room, and he looked between the two of them. Chad hadn’t told him any of the specifics of what Anna did to him, but he knew that whatever it was was far from kind. Anna cracked a small smile that was somehow more unsettling to them than her glare, “So what exactly are the rules of this game, little brother?”

Bram wasn’t a huge fan of the title she gave him, but he wouldn't complain if that were the worst thing she did to him. Instead, he cleared his throat in an attempt to dispel the nervousness that clung to him like a shroud, “Well, I won’t lie, there are quite a few rules to the game. It mostly revolves around players rolling their dice for attacks, defense, various skill checks, and of course, damage. The goal is to work together and overcome whatever obstacles I create for everyone, and to have fun while doing it too.”

“Okay, but what about acting out our actions?” Anna asked, giving Chad a slight sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“What do you mean?” Bram asked, genuinely confused as to what she meant.

“Well, let’s say I happen to find a little person, and I want to have some fun,” Anna said, reaching down for Chad and scooping him up, “Maybe my character's feet are hurting from walking forever, or maybe I need a cushion for the cold hard ground. What if I wanted to have said little person in my boot and rubbing my feet, or maybe I want to feel them squirming under my ass giving me a massage. Hypothetically speaking, of course.”

“If you’re asking me whether or not you can use my dad for that, the answer is no,” Bram said, taking as stern a tone as he could, given the size difference between the two of them.

“Do you really think I’d use him for something like that?” she asked as she rolled him around in her palm with a wicked grin.

Chad couldn’t believe that Anna would so blatantly flaunt her ideas before Bram. Why was she doing this now of all times? “Anna, put me down!” he yelled, surprising her.

She did as she was told and gently placed him beside Bram, “Calm down little man,” she said as she checked him out to make sure he wasn’t hurt, “I was just asking a question, and you know I get restless when I’m thinking. You just happened to be the closest thing for me to get my hands on. So back to my question, could my character do stuff like that?”

Bram looked over at his father to make sure he was okay. He was a little disoriented, but he didn’t really seem any worse for wear than before Anna had picked him up. Once he was sure that his father was fine, he turned back to Anna, “Yes, but she wouldn’t exactly be considered a good character.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“There are different alignments for each character,” Bram quickly explained, “Lawful Good, Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, Lawful Evil, Evil, and Chaotic Evil are all the different alignments. Something like that is more self-serving than beneficial for the rest of the world, let alone your party, so that is more of a Neutral or Chaotic Neutral action. Depending on how far you took it, you might even be encroaching on Evil territory.”

“Okay, so I’m Chaotic Neutral,” Anna said, visibly cooling off, “I guess that’s one less thing to figure out. I’m out for number one, most of the time anyway."

"O-okay then," Bram said as he tried to regain his composure, "We can hammer out the rest of the details once I get everyone else on board."

"Sounds good to me, bug-boy," Anna said, "I'll let you talk to Victoria and mom while Chad and I have a little bonding time."

"Anna," Bram began, but he paused when he started to wonder if he would do more harm than good voicing his concerns.

"What's up, little guy?" Anna asked.

He decided to go ahead and speak up, "Please don't hurt my dad."

Anna studied her stepbrother for a minute. Though minuscule, she could tell he was afraid both for himself and for Chad. How he managed to have so much effect on her was beyond her, but somehow he always found a way to get through. She rolled her eyes as she replied, "Don't worry, shorty, I'm not gonna do anything to hurt him. I've kept him safe up until now, haven't I?"

"Thanks, Anna," Bram said.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome," Anna said as she reached down to pick them up, "Alright, let's get something to eat."

Victoria clutched the steering wheel with a white-knuckled grip. Her stress levels had been increasingly high over the last few weeks, and today's traffic was only serving to elevate them further. Business at Cups had been steadily growing despite the pandemic that had swept the country. It kept her busy, but between it and her worries over her father and brother, it was starting to weigh on her. In addition, her moods had been affected outside of work. She was fine with customers, but she found herself snapping at the people closest to her between delivery shipments, Anna, and everything going on at home. She sighed as she recalled the most recent incident with her brother of all people.

She'd been running late that morning, and Bram had desperately needed a bath. She knew it, but she just didn't have time the night before. All he'd done was ask if she'd be able to help him, and in her stress-induced rush, she'd snapped at him. She berated him for needing her help, snatched him up much rougher than he deserved, and her grip had been too tight on him. She had ignored his pained cry as she marched to the bathroom and vigorously scrubbed him clean. It wasn't until after she'd finished and dried him that she realized how scared she'd made him. He hadn't spoken to her the rest of the day, and when she tried to apologize to him, he had nearly jumped out of his skin. She felt awful about it still, but she couldn't take back what she'd done or said.

The light turned green, and the flow of traffic slowly started to move again. She took a deep breath as she resumed her drive home. She needed to do something to make it up to Bram. She was so worried about Anna mistreating him and her father, and yet here she'd done the very thing she had been angry at her for. Honestly, the atmosphere at home had been growing increasingly tense and heavy since Bram had been discovered. It wasn't his fault by any means, but the added stress of having two afflicted family members had put everyone more on edge. Pam had been withdrawn into herself, and she'd all but stopped talking to her about her problems. Her father maintained that Anna wasn't doing anything wrong, despite the exhaustion he always seemed to display after spending time with her. The only person who seemed fine was her grandmother. Oddly enough, she appeared to be the only one acting as a sort of glue to keep the household together. She supposed someone had to be an optimist in the darkness that had somehow crept into their home.

She turned into the suburb they lived in and decided to put her stress behind her for the night. She had to do something to try to help everyone. Whatever that something was, she couldn't say. Maybe she needed to try to be nicer to Anna; perhaps she and her father were telling the truth about their time together. She'd always hoped for a sister, and now that she had one, they were at each other's throats. Indeed this was only adding to the turmoil that was filling the house. She was the adult here, so she felt it was her place to put these problems behind them. Before she did that, however, she needed to spend some time with Bram. She owed him that much. He didn't choose to be the size he was, and she could only imagine how terrifying everything had to be from his perspective. She pulled into the driveway, put the car in park, and resolved to put her best foot forward for the rest of the day.

Pam took a deep breath as she stood outside of a set of large double doors. She'd found a support group online for spouses and romantic partners of women whose significant others had been shrunk. Tonight was her first meeting, and she'd been standing outside for the last twenty minutes. As much as she hated herself for it, she still hadn't been able to work up the nerve to talk to Chad about what happened between them. Instead, she'd found herself falling deeper into the familiar depression she wanted to avoid. She was going through the motions, and she knew it had to be obvious for everyone around her. Interactions with friends, family, coworkers and clients were forced at best. She'd heard about this place from one of her clients. She was becoming a shell of her usual self, so she came here in hopes of finding some way of getting through this challenging time in her life.

"Excuse me," Pam jumped when she heard a young woman speak behind her, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just wondering if you were here for the meeting?"

Pam looked at the redheaded woman behind her. Her curly hair fell to her shoulders, and she wore a simple blue blouse with white pants. She gave Pam a warm smile that helped to relax her as she replied, "I-yes, I was just wondering if this is the right place."

The redhead smiled and nodded, "It is, my name is Carol," she said as she extended a hand to Pam, "First time here? What's your name, hon?"

Pam took Carol's hand and shook it as she answered, "Nice to meet you, Carol. I'm Pamela McCallum, but just call me Pam. This is my first time attending any kind of support group, so if I'm being honest, I'm a little nervous."

Carol nodded in understanding and spoke warmly, "It's natural to be a little nervous the first time. New people, new faces, it doesn't matter how old we are, this sort of thing can be nerve-wracking for everyone. Just remember, everyone here is here because they need someone to talk to. I'm running a little late this evening, so why don't you and I walk in together? That way, you don't have to face a bunch of strangers alone."

"That sounds nice," Pam said, feeling a bit more at ease from her new friend's warm welcome, "Uhm, after you?"

Carol was happy to oblige, and she stepped forward to open the door for Pam. Pam stepped through the doors, and Carol quickly joined her. The lobby of the building was clean, and they could hear some chatter coming from the room to their right. Carol gave her a reassuring smile and motioned for her to follow. She led Pam into the room where the noise was coming from. Two tables were set up with snacks and drinks, and off to the side were a few other round tables where different women were sitting and making small talk. There were ten women of varying ages sitting around one another when they entered. Some looked to be about her and Carol's age, while others looked like they were fresh out of high school or maybe college. The atmosphere was pretty relaxed given what the group was here for, and most everyone seemed to know each other well enough.

"Sorry I'm late, ladies," Carol announced as she walked in, "Traffic was heavy this evening, and I had to make sure Troy had everything he needed while I was gone. I'd like to introduce a new addition to our group; this is Pam McCallum. Now, we all remember what it was like our first time here, so let's try to make her feel welcome."

Pam hadn't expected to be put on the spot like this, but she supposed it was better to get it out of the way early. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she meekly waved, "Hello, everyone, it's nice to meet you all."

"I'm going to make sure everything is ready before we begin," Carol said, "Pam, feel free to make yourself at home and grab something to eat. We spend the first thirty minutes or so just socializing before we circle up. This is a safe place, and I can say with confidence that you'll be hard-pressed to find a more understanding group of people than here."

Pam watched as Carol walked down a hallway and left her in a room full of strangers. She pushed the bundle of nerves that was building in her stomach down and tried to focus on the reason she was here. Then, a blonde young woman wearing a t-shirt and jeans walked up to her with a big smile. She couldn't have been more than twenty-five by the look of her, "Hi, I'm Tracey," she said as she held out her hand.

Pam smiled back and shook her hand, "Nice to meet you too, Tracey. I wasn't expecting to see so many people here, to be honest. How long have you been coming here?"

"I've been coming since Carol started the group," Tracey replied, "My fiancé and I were hit pretty hard by this virus when it started. We had to postpone our wedding date, and we've had to rely on family and friends to help us get through everything. Usually, James is at home with my sister, but she had to cancel at the last minute this week. So he's…oh boy, where did he get off to now? Excuse me, Pam, I've got to track him down before he ends up in someone's food again. James! Honey, if you can hear me yell as loud as you can!"

Well, at least Pam wasn't the only one who had a hard time keeping up with her significant other. Another girl, one of the younger ones with hair dyed purple, carefully walked over to Pam to greet her, "Hey, you'll have to forgive Tracey, this usually happens whenever she has to bring James, but then again, I think all of us have lost our other halves at some point or another. I'm Morgan. Feel free to grab something to eat and have a seat with the rest of us. Just watch your step. James has a bad habit of either ending up on a plate or getting underfoot."

"Okay, thank you, Morgan," Pam said as she carefully made her way over to the tables with food and drink.

The floor was carpet, but it wasn't thick like it was in her house. She hoped that would make it easier to spot Tracy's missing fiancé; she caught a glimpse of Tracey examining the other girls' plates before she started crawling around on the floor while calling out for James. The options for food were fairly plentiful. Chopped vegetables and dip, a crockpot that held a roast, bags of chips, and some rolls were laid out alongside different drinks and cups. She was hungry, having skipped lunch today due to a rise in new customers needing an orientation.

It seemed like more and more women were looking for an escape from the chaos that was their lives, and as a result, she was working to create a safe area for any tiny men that had to accompany their wives or girlfriends. Business was growing at Lift, but they were also having more people cancel memberships due to the pandemic. It had been her idea to create an area for men to sit and be safe while their significant others focused on themselves. It was a way of saving memberships, and it also meant she could take Chad with her to work to get him out of the house. Surely he had to be getting at least a little stir crazy from being trapped at home after all these weeks.

She was about to grab a roll to go with her roast when she spotted some movement on the table. She bent down to see if it was a bug or if it were James. The way he recoiled at the sight of her told her it was the latter. She gently put her hand down for him and tried to relax him, "Hello there. You must be James, right? I'm Pam. Would you like me to take you back to Tracey?"

James stared at the giantess' hand stretched out before him and slowly walked towards it. He climbed aboard and held on as Pam slowly lifted him so he could be heard before replying, "Yes, mam, that would be nice. Can you...can you try to keep me away from Donna?"

Pam frowned, "I'm afraid I don't know Donna, sweetie, but I'll make sure that you go straight to Tracey."

James nodded and gave her an appreciative smile, "Thank you, Pam. I've been wandering around the food table for the last twenty minutes."

"Don't mention it, now hold on," Pam said as she walked towards Tracey, "Tracey, I found James. He was by the rolls."

"Oh, thank God!" Tracey exclaimed as she got up and ran over to Pam, "James, honey, I thought that you might have gotten eaten! I'm so glad you're okay."

Pam handed James back to Tracey and watched as she gave him a careful yet loving hug. At least not everyone's relationship seemed marred by the size differences. There was some hope to be found in that thought. Pam went back and grabbed her plate and drink before joining the women at a table. She sat beside Tracey, stroking her fiancé with her fingertips, and Morgan smiled at the two lovers. Across from her was a young woman with tattoos and a nose ring. She had hair that was cut into a pixie style with black and green streaks dyed into it. She wore a tank top and a pair of baggy black cargo pants. She did not seem thrilled to be here, nor did she seem enthused about Tracey and James' reunion.

Beside the tattooed girl was a woman who looked a little older than herself. A brunette wearing a pencil skirt, a blazer, and a white blouse underneath. Everything about her screamed business, but her eyes were heavy and tired with dark circles underneath them. Pam wasn't sure if it was because of long work hours or if perhaps she'd been stressed about something in her home life. Then two other women looked identical beyond their clothes. Twins, by their look, they had the same facial structure and long brown hair that went past their shoulders. One had a pair of colorful leggings, a white t-shirt, and a denim jacket that she'd bedazzled. The other wore on a white fleece sweater and a pair of tight-fitting jeans.

The table behind them had two women who looked like they'd spent the better part of their day crying. An African American woman with hair tied back and braided and wearing a baggy t-shirt and a set of bright, tight leggings. Beside her was an Asian American woman who wore a hoodie and a pair of acid-washed jeans; her hair was tied up in a bun, but her eyes were as red as the other girl's. There were two other women besides the two girls who'd been crying. They looked to be trying to console the other girls. A blonde who looked like she was in her late twenties wearing a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, another woman around the same age with auburn hair and wearing coveralls. The one I'm coveralls looked like she had grease on her, and Pam couldn't help but wonder just what she did for a living.

"Can you two do that lovey-dovey shit somewhere else?" the tattooed girl asked, glaring at Tracey and James.

"Don't be so hard on them, Donna," Morgan said, "They're just happy to be with each other. They love each other."

"How is someone supposed to love a toy?" Donna asked, earning a glare from Tracey, "Don't look at me like that. No person is that size, and as far as I'm concerned, he's nothing more than a toy or a bug. So do us all a favor, and drop the little shit down your shirt or pants. Better yet, let me show you how to use that little insect."

"You stay away from James!" Tracey snapped, "He didn't choose to be this small, and I'm not letting you take him away from me just because you don't know how to treat men."

"Oh, I know how to treat them," Donna said, leaning in with a malicious grin, "Trust me, every guy I've ever been with will tell you that I know what I'm doing. I could give like Jimmy over there a night he'd never forget, and I bet he'd die a happy man getting squashed under my big ass."

"That's enough, Donna," the woman in the business outfit cut in before things could escalate further, "It's that kind of thinking that got you here in the first place. You don't think that maybe these little people deserve some mercy?"

"I like you, Jane, but if you'd seen or endured half the shit I have, then you'd probably jump at the opportunity for payback as well," Donna replied, "My dad was a piece of shit, my brother wasn't any better, and as far as I'm concerned, they got off easy. If I'd have been smart, I'd have sewn them into my panties or my socks."

"Not every man is like that, Donna," Jane said with a sigh, "I know you know that. What about your uncle or my Tommy? Do they deserve to have such a terrible fate, to be eaten alive or ripped limb from limb?"

Donna was silent before she looked away and quietly said, "Every man has the potential to turn into a monster. It's in their DNA, Jane, and I'm not letting myself get caught again."

Jane sighed and placed a hand on Donna's forearm, "Don't give up on everyone so quickly, dear, you're much too young to be so cynical," she said before turning to Pam and forcing a smile onto her face, "Sorry, things aren't usually this tense around here. I'm Jane, this is Donna, and you've already met Tracey, Morgan, and James. Girls, would you care to introduce yourselves?"

The twins gave her a genuine smile, "I'm Clarissa, and this is my sister Peyton," Clarissa, the one in the denim jacket, said, "We're here because our brother got shrunk, and then our boyfriends caught the virus as well."

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Pam, and my husband and stepson both caught the virus," Pam said, "My husband and I had just gotten married, and we were down in the Bahamas just before the outbreak. Unfortunately, he was one of the early victims, and my stepson Bram just recently caught it from his father."

"Sounds like you got two toys to occupy yourself with," Donna said before Jane smacked her hand, "Ow! I'm just saying, maybe they're both little pervs! We don't know; maybe that's why she's here!"

"I see everyone's getting along about as well as usual," Carol said as she returned with an armful of pamphlets, "Donna, we've talked about assumptions of others. That is part of the reason you're required to be here, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," Donna said, waving Carol off, "Kind of hard to forget when you all won't shut up about it. Stupid court order…"

So Donna was mandated to be here, interesting. The girl reminded her of Anna in many ways, which was a slightly scary thought. Would Anna resort to this kind of behavior with Chad or Bram? She didn't want to think about it. "Pam, I hope that everyone has been welcoming to you so far," Carol said, directing her attention away from the awful comparison between Anna and Donna, "We usually eat and socialize for a bit. Afterward, we circle up and share a bit about why we're all here. It might be for different reasons, but in the end, we are all here for the same reason: to have someone to talk to. So, enough formalities, girls, let's enjoy our time together, shall we?"

The next hour was spent with Pam listening and getting to know the women in the group. She learned the names of the women either through speaking with them or listening to them talk. Two women at the table behind her introduced themselves; Stacey, the woman in coveralls, and Laurie, the blonde in long sleeves. Stacey was a maintenance technician at a factory on the Southside of town, and Laurie was a sales rep at a local electronics outlet. Stacey had gotten her job shortly after the pandemic had started, and she worked closely with a miniaturized supervisor who was appreciative and supportive of her role. Unfortunately, the workforce of her job had been dramatically affected by the virus. As a result, they had ended up shifting to a female-led company to keep going. Every woman was paired with at least one male worker, and their jobs hung on minimizing accidents, keeping track of them, and maintaining an efficient quota each day. Pam had never considered the impact that this could have on factory work, but at least companies were attempting to take steps to ensure families and workers were still supported.

It took some time, but the women who'd been crying eventually introduced themselves to Pam. Emma, the African American woman, and Mia, the Asian American, both apologized for their dour moods and antisocial behavior. It hadn't bothered Pam, and she had tried to assure them that it was fine. They didn't say much unless someone asked them a question, and even then, they tended to give short answers. Curiosity gripped at Pam, and she wondered just what these girls had been through to shake them as severely as they were. She was no stranger to depression, and she knew that pushing them to talk would only push them away from everyone. Maybe they'd talk about it later.

She didn't know if Jane and Donna had any relationship or not, but the two of them seemed to talk more with each other than anyone else. It primarily consisted of Jane reprimanding Donna about comments she would make about James or others affected by the virus. Jane did speak to Pam briefly regarding her work as a case manager with social services. Her workload had shifted since everything began, and her primary duties now consisted of investigating and handling reports of mistreatment of tinies. She mentioned that Carol had reached out to her agency when she founded the group, and she'd happily accepted her invitation to the meetings. Her job was stressful, and many of the things she saw were horrific and disheartening. Nevertheless, she came because this group gave her hope that not every individual was out to take advantage of people in a defenseless state. She assured Pam that anything said here would stay here; she'd swore to Carol on her first night that nothing would be used against any of the members unless it was a dire emergency.

Donna, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She'd already gathered that the girl had done something horrible to her father and brother, but the details were kept vague. Maybe that was why Jane stuck close to the girl's side. Pam honestly couldn't tell if she was just a troubled girl or if she was honestly just full of hate for men. From what little she'd said, her father and brother had done some horrific things to her in the past, and it was clear that she genuinely believed that she was justified in her actions against them. The similarities between her and Anna were slightly alarming, but Anna hadn't endured Donna's trauma. Still, she couldn't but wonder just what it would take to push her daughter over the edge. The idea was harrowing and had her slightly anxious just thinking about it.

Morgan and Tracey were probably the two friendliest of the group next to Carol. Out of everyone, they seemed to be the most laid back and put together. Tracey kept her focus on James in an attempt to keep from losing him again, and Morgan seemed to be doing her best to watch out for the little guy while maintaining a conversation with everyone else. The twins joined in off and on, mostly joking or trying to lighten the mood, but their levity seemed to be something of a necessity amongst the group. It felt good to laugh again. Peyton and Clarissa were both college students trying to maintain their schooling while also taking care of their father and brothers between classes. The stress of midterms was bad enough but combined with keeping up with miniaturized family members, had both of them feeling the pressures of life.

The hour came and went before Pam knew it. She'd gotten lost in the company of these strangers that had quickly turned into friends. Then, finally, the time had come for everyone to circle up and open up. This was the part of the evening that Pam had been secretly dreading. She honestly wasn't sure how to even begin describing what she'd been through, let alone what she'd done to her beloved husband. Fear was a powerful thing, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to wrest her voice from the nerves that gripped her throat.

Once everyone had moved their chairs into a circle, Carol addressed the group, "Okay, ladies, and James, we've got a new arrival tonight, so I want to go over the guidelines of our little support group. Firstly, anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements of our group, and we cannot have a safe space without them. What's said here stays here, period. Second, try to keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts and feelings. We've all got opinions on the world, but we're here to talk about you and not it. Going along these lines, there is also no cross-talk allowed. Now, cross-talk is when two individuals engage in conversation that excludes the rest of the group. This can also be commenting on someone else's sharing without their consent. We want to make everyone feel welcome and safe here, and if we shoot down someone else's thoughts and feelings, then they're not going to feel either of those things. Lastly, we are here to support one another, not fix one another. With that out of the way, I'll call the floor open, and you're free to speak. Tell us how good, how bad, how happy, how sad you're feeling, how your week has been, or if you prefer, you can just listen. I can almost guarantee you, though, that you might be surprised how much talking about things can make things feel lighter."

The room was silent for a minute, and Pam started to think that nobody was going to speak up. Finally, Stacey cleared her throat, leaned forward, and started speaking, "My name is Stacey, and I'm a maintenance technician at work. I used to be an office worker before all of this started. After the guys at work started getting affected, that changed. My dad was a mechanic, and he worked with me for most of my youth until he passed away. When work started asking for volunteers, I threw my name out there and my experience. They paired me up with Rob, the former head of maintenance, and he started talking me through fixing, maintaining, and running PMs on the presses and equipment at work. I caught on quickly, and now I've got a guaranteed job if everything ever goes back to normal."

She sighed and sat back before continuing, "The biggest issue I have these days is keeping up with Rob. The other girls at work have talked about their partners going missing or accidentally dropping them into a spot on their bodies. I know a lot of guys are afraid of something like that happening, someone mistreating them, but what I think people are overlooking is how much people like us worry. I like Rob; he's a nice guy and very respectful. But, I worry that he might get hurt, I might lose him, or he might get mixed in with my tools. I mean, the guy is smaller than most of the screws we use at work, and I can't tell you how many of those go missing! I...I thought I'd lost him earlier this week. We were working on the roller press at work, and I thought he was still in the pocket of my coveralls. Well, guess what? He wasn't. Instead, I'd forgotten that he wanted to get a closer look at the rollers that had been jamming. At his size, it's easier for him to get in and look without me having to take the whole damn thing out."

"I did the stupidest thing I've ever done. I put the grates back on the press and started it. He's fine! He said he saw me heading for the switch, but he barely made it to safety before we ran a test board through. I nearly flattened one of the nicest guys I've ever met because I wasn't paying attention. I can make up excuses and say I was just in the zone, but the truth is I was just ready to move on to something else. I was being selfish, and because of that, Rob almost died. He keeps telling me not to worry about it, but I almost killed a man! I know it scared him, but it's just another reminder of just how easy it is for us to hurt these guys. The stress of that alone is enough to keep someone up at night, and honestly, I haven't been sleeping well since then. I don't know. I think maybe I just needed to tell someone about how badly this has been weighing on me. Anyway, I'm starting to ramble, so I'll just shut up now. Thanks for letting me share."

"Thanks for sharing, Stacey," Carol said softly, "If you need to talk more about it, either Morgan or I will be happy to sit down with you."

"Yeah, we're here for you, Stace," Morgan agreed with a smile.

"Thanks, girls," Stacey said.

Silence fell over the circle once again like a blanket covering the room. It wasn't tense, but Pam kept wondering who would speak next. Emma took a deep breath and sniffled before she spoke up, "I'm Emma, and I'm currently struggling with grief. Uhm, most of you are aware of my situation, so I'll give the short version. My husband and I were happy together when everything started...he...he caught the virus, as most of you know, and...oh God, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Emma," Carol said, "You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but if you want to, then take as much time as you need."

Pam bit her lip as she watched Emma let out a shaky breath. She nodded and tried to collect herself before continuing, "Phil, he was always a bit clumsy, but I never imagined that it would...that it would play such a huge part in his...his death. I still remember the day he went missing. I'd gone to bed with him tucked away in his little bed, but when I woke up, he was gone. He'd been staying in an old dollhouse my grandmother had from when she was a girl. The furnishings were all handcrafted, and I had it in case we ever had a little girl. I would never have guessed that my husband would be staying in it, but I remember thinking we were fortunate to have it. After he shrunk, I'd set it near our bed so he could still be close to me. I'd put him in his house, tell him I loved him, and then climb into bed myself to go to sleep."

Emma began to tremble as she paused to take another deep breath. She closed her eyes in an attempt to block everyone else out and continued, "I don't know if he was trying to surprise me or if he was just exploring, but I was already terrified that something had happened to him. I crawled around our room for an hour before I found him, or rather what was left of him. A mouse had gotten a hold of him somehow, and I honestly think it was because he was trying to do something sweet for me. God, why didn't he just stay in his bed?! Better yet, why didn't I call the damn exterminator beforehand?! That little idiot was trying to climb the bed to get to me. The doctors said he died before the mouse got ahold of him. They said the fall had been what killed him. I can't...I'm sorry, I can't say anymore. Thank you for listening."

Pam's heart broke for the poor girl. Her husband had died trying to surprise her, and he'd not only fallen to his death, but mice had also scavenged his remains. She couldn't even imagine the horrors of seeing or finding Chad in such a state. It was no wonder Emma was in such a shaken and emotional state. "I know it isn't easy, Emma, but you don't need to blame yourself for what happened to Phil," Carol said, "Nobody is saying anything about forgetting him, but he wouldn't want you to be this heartbroken. From what you've told us, he wanted you to be happy, to smile and laugh. Grief is a process, but remember that we are here for you if you ever need us."

Emma nodded, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything else. "I'm Jane, and I struggle with my workload currently," Jane introduced herself, taking the focus off of Emma, "The past week has been incredibly stressful for me. The cases that have been coming across my desk have been increasingly gruesome, and lately, I've been struggling to hold onto hope. Seeing what women are doing to these defenseless little guys has been steadily taking a toll on me mentally for some time now, but this week has pushed me to the limit. A family was brought in this week due to mistreatment and abuse by the daughter and other relatives. There were originally five males in the household, but by the time they got to us, there were only two."

"Unaware abuse is something I can tolerate, but willful and knowing abuse is something else entirely. The family's daughter was a college student who took to using her brother as a stress reliever. Worse, she made her father watch while she used him. It wasn't sexual, but rather she used him like one would use a stress ball. She squeezed him continually and seemed to delight in his screams of pain and protest. That wasn't what killed him, however. When that stopped working for her, she started pulling him apart piece by piece. She was a med student, so she was careful to drag out his suffering for days on end. The mother ignored her husband's claims about what was happening, even though she hadn't seen her son in days."

"Things escalated when the girl's aunt arrived to stay with them with her husband and boys. The aunt discovered what her niece had been up to and encouraged it. She had been keeping her children lodged in the base of her shoes. Her husband had been turned into a pleasure toy for herself. The daughter finished her brother on the same night that the aunt ground one of her sons underfoot and murdered her husband through asphyxiation via her vagina. The mother noticed that her aunt had been spending more time with her daughter, and she finally noticed that neither her son nor sister's kids or husband had been seen. By that point, the damage had already been done, though. She called our agency, and we could barely save the other two by the time we arrived. The father is in critical condition, and the boy is traumatized to the point of no longer being able to speak. The daughter and aunt have been charged with manslaughter, and the mother has been charged with neglect."

"Honestly, if it weren't for you girls here, I probably would have lost hope and faith a long time ago. Hearing you all talk so transparently and honestly reminds me that not all of us are monsters. Some of us may be misguided, confused, or hurt, but I believe goodness is within every woman in this circle. I need these meetings, and I cannot stress how grateful I am to have the opportunity to come here, talk, and listen. Thank you, I needed to get that off of my chest."

The next twenty minutes went in a similar fashion, with each girl sharing a bit about themselves and their lives. The twins had relatively good things to say. They'd recently purchased a dollhouse for their father and brothers to stay in to recreate a bit of normalcy for them. Their aunt had been caring for the men in their family while they were at school, and thankfully they'd received passing grades despite the added stress of being caretakers and full-time students. Mia shared a tragic story of crushing her boyfriend without meaning to, and Jane had to step in to assure her that no charges would be brought against her. The way she described feeling him beneath her foot was vivid and turned Pam's stomach, but she couldn't even imagine the amount of grief she was dealing with. Much like Emma, by the time she finished sharing, she was practically racking with sobs.

Tracey spoke with James in her hand and asked him to confirm what she thought to be true. She had felt the week had gone relatively well, and she'd only lost him four times this week, not counting tonight. James supported her statement and did his best to assure her that he was fine and just happy to be alive. However, she did mention that she missed having him in bed with her at night and briefly hinted at an idea gone awry that the two of them had had. Cuddling with a miniaturized man was riskier than either of them had realized. James didn't seem upset by it, but he'd ended up trapped in Tracy's armpit for most of the night. She had bathed him the following morning, and they both agreed to continue their typical sleeping arrangements until a cure could be found.

Morgan went next and talked about how much her life had changed since the pandemic started. She admitted to being a former bar-fly and picking up guys, but that had all changed once the virus struck. At first, it had been because of the lack of men, but then she saw something that broke her heart. A pair of women had been sitting in a booth playing with a small man they'd found. They dunked him in their drinks, rolled him around their mouths, and threatened to take him home to turn him into a permanent toy for their amusement. The poor guy had been terrified and helpless, so she decided to step in and do something about it. It was the first time she'd gotten into a fistfight since high school, but she came out on top, and with the man in her possession, Matthew was his name. The police had been called, and while they understood the circumstances, they still had to take her in.

She'd been given community service and a slap on the wrist for instigating a fight. They allowed her to choose a program to volunteer at, and that had been when she'd met Carol. Carol had offered a chance to help other women struggling with the pandemic, and the courts had agreed that the program would be a suitable option for her. Best of all, she'd made a connection with Matthew. He was currently staying with her, and the two had hit it off quite well. He was a funny guy by the way she talked and seemed to like being with her. The two of them were nearly a couple now, and even after her community service ended, she planned on remaining with Carol to keep working with people who needed help. She still had the same struggles as many women, mainly losing track of where Matthew ended up. She told an amusing story of him ending up under her ass for the duration of a movie. She had thought he was beside her, but she kept feeling an itch on her backside. She panicked when she found him, but he'd merely remarked that the view wasn't terrible aside from the pressure he felt. He'd also said that he hadn't been interested in watching the movie to begin with, and he was glad to have been able to get closer to her, even if how it happened had been rather unorthodox.

"He's just so light-hearted and easy-going," Morgan said with a smile, "Part of me thinks he likes getting himself into these situations, but I don't want to ask or assume anything like that. I've been with plenty of guys into kinky stuff, but that's not something you just flat out ask a guy this early in a relationship. I don't know. Maybe he just takes it all in stride, but whatever the case, I don't think I deserve to have him in my life. I'm thankful for him and this group, but I was a mess before that night. God, I'm rambling again. I'll shut up and let someone else go if they want."

There was only a handful left who hadn't spoken, Laurie, Donna, and herself. Pam wasn't sure if Carol would speak or not, and it looked like Laurie had talked herself out during their meal. She was about to speak when Donna heaved a dramatic sigh and spoke up, "Alright, fine, I'll go. I'm Donna, and I'm here because of a stupid court order for giving two scumbags what they deserved. Let me start by saying I'm not sorry for what I did. My dad was a drunk piece of shit who liked to abuse and fuck anything that moved, and my brother was the same way, just without the excuse of booze. I spent a large part of my life living in fear of those two assholes, and so when they shrunk, I saw an opportunity and took it. I had a chance to make them suffer and show them what it meant to be afraid for once."

"I didn't do anything sick like pull them apart or eat them, but I did use them to satisfy my own wants for once. David made a good little insole for a little bit, and I had him massaging my toes for days on end. Then, of course, being the piece of shit that he was, my dad got to spend time with the ass he so often liked to touch. I won't lie to you all, I liked feeling them squirm and struggle at my feet, in my crack, and anywhere else I put them. I also don't regret what I did to them, and I stand by what I said about them getting off easy."

"Donna," Jane cut in.

"Let me finish, Jane," Donna said, "Just because I don't regret what I did to them doesn't mean I want to hurt every other guy out there. When I first started having to come here, I thought it was stupid bullshit and touchy-feely crap, but after listening to a lot of you talk week after week, I'm not so sure anymore. I've also got that dumb step study that I have to do, and as much as I hate to admit it, some of those questions have made me think. I've got issues with dudes, that's a given, but maybe I'm too harsh on guys like Jimmy over there. I know I wouldn't have offered to help Morgan's little boyfriend if I had seen that, and that kind of makes me feel bad. My dad and brother were monsters, but what if I'm turning into one worse than them? I honestly don't want to be anything like them, and I'd be lying if I said the thought of me becoming one didn't scare the hell out of me. So maybe there is something to this talking stuff and those questions, but what if it's too late for me?"

"As long as you're feeling this way, it's not too late," Carol said, "You're not a monster, Donna, and I've seen people further gone than you come back from awful mistakes. If you keep coming, keep trying, and keep being honest, then there will always be hope for you."

"I agree, Donna," Jane said, putting a hand on the girl's thigh, "The progress you've made is incredible, and I promise you that I will do everything I can to keep you from serving time for what happened."

"Thanks, and I mean that," Donna said before looking over at Tracey and James and sighing, "Sorry for...I'm sorry, alright? Anyway, I'm done. Someone else can spill their guts now."

"Thanks for sharing, Donna, and for what it's worth; I don't don't you're a bad person," Tracey said, "I appreciate everything you've said, and I've seen you change since I started coming."

"Yeah, yeah, no cross-talk, remember?" Donna said, trying to get the attention off of her, "Thanks, though, that does mean a lot to me."

Silence fell over the circle once again, and Pam debated on whether or not to open up. "Anyone else?" Carol asked, looking around, "Going once...going twice…."

Pam swallowed the lump in her throat and waved her hand, "I'm Pam, and I am struggling with fear, anxiety, and depression. I'm newly married, but I'd been with Chad for a while beforehand. Since he shrunk, things have been...different. My daughter, Anna, and his daughter, Victoria, have been doing everything they can to help out at home, but I'm worried that Anna might have done something to him. She's never liked Chad, but then she's never cared for any man I've been with since her father left me. She is protective of me, and I don't know if she realizes just how much of an impact his leaving had on her. Robert was my first husband, and he left when Anna was young. We fought constantly, and I knew things were over long before he left. I blamed myself for the way things turned out, and unfortunately, Anna was left to pick up the pieces of me. She and I have always been close, and after Robert left, we grew closer."

"Chad has always tried to be understanding and patient with Anna. Lately, he's been spending at least an hour a day with Anna, but I'm not so sure that it's for the right reasons. My stepson shrunk not long ago as well, and now we've been forced to work twice as hard to keep up with having two little men in our house. My mother-in-law has been staying with us to keep an eye on them, but all of us have been guilty of losing them at one point or another. Victoria has sat on her father, Rose found Bram in her shoe, and I've even misplaced Chad more times than I can count. Anna seems to be the only one who can keep track of the two of them, and I'm not sure if I should be grateful or worried about that."

"I hadn't considered the possibility of Anna harming Chad or Bram until after the other night. I'd noticed Chad pulling away from me before then, but he kept insisting that he hadn't been sleeping well. I went out with my girlfriends and had too much to drink, and one of my friends mentioned how she and a little guy had met and hit it off. She said she was using him as a dildo, and she swore that he was fine with it. I remember her stressing to all of us that if we tried it, we needed to make sure that whoever we were with was okay with it, but I was so drunk by the end of the night I never even considered that!"

"I got home, headed straight to our room, and proceeded to use Chad like a toy. It felt incredible at the moment, and me being the idiot that I am, believed that he had to have had as much fun as me. However, it was after that night that he started pulling away anytime I tried to touch him. He won't talk to me, I've seen him jumping anytime I get close to him, and I am genuinely afraid that our marriage is in jeopardy. All because I got drunk and used him for my own personal gain. All of this has me thinking back to Robert, and it makes me wonder if I am the cause of my marital failures. It's affecting my work, my sleep, and it's even bleeding over into my personal life now. I'm even afraid to go out with the girls again."

"Can I say something?" Donna asked.

"Sure," Pam said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Alright, I'm no expert on this stuff; let's get that out of the way," Donna said, "But I don't think your husband is gonna ditch you over one drunken mistake. As someone who has been on the receiving end of drunken fuckery, you seem like you really regret what you did. That can go a long way, and I think the fact that you're worried about it happening again says a lot about you as a person. My dad never gave a shit, but you're almost in tears because of what happened and your worries. Your daughter might be mistreating him, but how long have they been spending time together? Have you noticed any bruises, scratches, blood, or anything like that with your husband?"

"Well, no, but Anna is a smart girl," Pam replied, "She's even admitted to not liking Chad, and I'm worried that she may have done something that I can't see. Victoria is also constantly worried about Anna doing something to Chad, and I think that it's causing even more issues at home than anything either of them are doing."

"Have you tried sitting down with everyone and talking about it?" Donna asked, "Jesus, I can't believe I just said that."

"Donna has a point, Pam," Jane said, "The fact that you're this upset and worried shows that you care about the wellbeing of everyone in your family. It would be different if you were trying to justify what you did, but instead, you're sitting here in a worried and frazzled state of mind."

"They're right, Pam," Carol said softly, "Regret is what makes us strive to do better. Everyone makes mistakes, but what matters is that we try to learn and improve from them. Just because Chad is afraid doesn't mean that he doesn't still love you, and as for your daughter, sometimes we have to trust the ones we love. That said, I certainly don't think that it would hurt to sit down and talk with everyone. Maybe try to figure out a way to bring everyone together to bond, but communication is the key to any healthy relationship. Can I ask you to do one thing?"

Pam sniffled as she replied, "O-okay."

"Talk to your husband about what happened," Carol said, "Then, sit down with your daughter and talk to her woman to woman. Ask her the hard questions, and be mindful of whether or not she's telling the truth. Once that is out of the way, you can talk to Victoria and try to move on. Then, you and everyone else in your home can start to find whatever the new normal is for everyone."

Pam took a deep breath and nodded. They were right. Everyone had been telling her this, but somehow hearing from women who'd endured traumatic events drove it home. Maybe it was because they were strangers, but whatever the case, she knew they were right. She swallowed once again and nodded, "Okay, I can do that. I'll sit down with Chad and talk to him about it. I'm just scared that he'll tell me he doesn't love me anymore."

"Honey, I don't think that's the case," Tracey offered, "James and I have been through the wringer, and despite my oblivious and clueless nature, he still loves me. If he's a good man like you say, then I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what he says."

"I hope you're right, but there's only one way to find out," Pam said, "Thank you all for listening to me, letting me hear you, and being so welcoming to me. Can I come back here next week?"

"Of course you can, the more, the merrier," Carol said warmly, "We'll be here at the same time next week, Pam. I have to say, ladies, I've sat in many circles, but I haven't sat in one this honest in some time. I want to thank each of you for coming out and sharing, and I hope that, in some way, it helps you get through your week. Remember, we take it one day at a time, and if you ever need any of us, just reach out. Pam, if you'd like, we can exchange numbers before you head home."

"That would be nice," Pam said, feeling better already.

She had been skeptical that any of this would make an impact on her, but she wasn't too proud to admit that she was wrong. Several of the girls gave her their numbers, including Donna and Jane, before leaving. She knew what she had to do, and after hearing it from these women, she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. She stayed and talked with Carol for a while longer, but eventually, she had to head home. She wondered if everyone was okay, but she reminded herself that she had to trust the rest of her family. The conversations to come would be difficult, but once they were done, then everyone could move forward. At least, she hoped that they'd be able to. This was something that had to be done, and one way or another, she would see it through for her family's sake.