Chapter 39 (Patreon)

Anna paused as she heard Bram screaming and freaking out. She'd meant this to teach him a lesson, but had she accidentally hurt him? She knew how fragile tinies were but didn't think she'd mishandled him. Maybe she'd bent his leg or arm without realizing it? The way he was moving nearly caused her to drop him, though. No, that wasn't it. Those weren't screams of pain; that was fear in Bram’s voice. He was crying. Even at the height of her frustration, she couldn't bring herself to go through with Bram's punishment. He might have been a jerk lately, but he was still the same Bram she loved. Something else was going on here, and Anna intended to find out exactly what it was. She let go of her waistband and carefully repositioned him back into her palm.

Bram was still hyperventilating as Anna moved him back to her palm. His body quivered and shook as his mind ran through numerous horrors and nightmares. Anna may have changed her mind, but who was to say she wasn't going to torture him? There were many ways to hurt someone his size. He slammed his eyes shut and curled into the fetal position while he waited. He muttered prayers to a God he didn't know if he believed in and begged the universe to show him mercy. He couldn't go through this again; there was just no way. His little mind couldn't handle another horrific experience with a lustful titan.

Anna looked down at Bram as he trembled in her hand. What the hell was going on with him? She hadn't seen anything like this since the night she'd borrowed Chad to teach him a lesson. Even then, he'd only broken down after she'd pushed him too far too fast. She could just barely hear Bram whispering to himself. It was heartbreaking to see him like this, and any anger she felt was washed away by guilt. This wasn't what she'd wanted when she brought him here. Anna frowned as she walked over to the toilet and put the lid down to take a seat and watch Bram.

“Hey,” she started, her tone much softer than usual, “Bram, it's okay.”

Truth be told, Anna wasn't entirely sure what to do in this situation. With Chad, she'd simply told him to get over it and promised not to hurt him, but she doubted that would work with Bram. Hell, she hadn't even done anything to him yet. A simple threat and brief display had shaken him to the point of being a blubbering wreck. Seeing him in such a state made her feel awful, and she did the only thing she could think of. Carefully, gently, Anna moved her fingertip over and stroked his back. She felt his initial response as he tensed and pulled away. She paused for a second before deciding to try again. This was new territory for her, but he needed something to focus on besides whatever had scared him so much. The thought that it was her only made her feel worse. She lifted him up closer to her face and tried to soothe him with a gentle shush.

Bram was sure that Anna was going to jab him when he felt her finger gingerly touch his back, but that wasn't what happened. She was rubbing him. Her touch was delicate and gentle, and it slowly began to break through his frazzled mental haze. He was far from fine, but his panic dropped ever so slightly. He could hear her shushing him like a distant echo. He just couldn't shake the fear that this was some sort of sick joke. A cruel ploy designed to get him to lower his guard. He didn't want to believe it, but his mind was screaming that this was all it was. Tired, frustrated, and miserable, Bram lay there motionless. He was so tired of feeling this way, but what could he do to stop it? How was he supposed to break free from the nightmare that had become his life? Every waking moment was spent with nagging fears clawing at the back of his mind.

Anna held her little stepbrother and let him cry. She continued stroking his back and occasionally shushing him. She promised him it was okay, but she wasn't sure if it was registering. Not even Chad had been this far gone when she'd messed with him. Something had happened to Bram that nobody was aware of, but what could it have been? She'd kept a close eye on him, and outside of the routine mishaps from family, she wasn't aware of anything horrible happening. He needed to talk to her, but he'd have to be able to form words to do that. As it stood, Bram wasn't in any shape to do much of anything right now. All they could do was wait it out. Her coffee was probably going to be cold as ice by the time she finally got it, a small price to pay considering the broken mess of a man in her hands.

“You're safe,” she whispered, cradling him gently in her hand, “I promise, you're safe, Bram.”

Bram wasn't sure how much time had passed before he finally started to calm down. His breathing evened out, and his trembling began to subside, but tears continued to roll down his cheeks. He hated being seen like this, but it was unavoidable, given how utterly terrified he'd been. He was still afraid, but Anna's continued reassurances and soft tone slowly calmed him down. Eventually, he was able to break free from his near-catatonic state and sit up. He braved a glance at Anna, still worried she would be wearing her usual scowl, and felt somehow worse when he saw the concern in her eyes. It was uncharacteristic of her, but he'd always known she had a good heart deep down. He'd scared her without meaning to. Although, he doubted it was anything like what she'd done to him.

“There we go,” Anna said, a ghost of a smile on her face as Bram sat up, “You wanna tell me what that was about? Don't tell me it was just you being afraid either, Bram. I don't doubt that, but this was way over the top for just nerves.”

It was difficult to look Anna in the eyes right now. She'd nearly put him in a horrific predicament because he'd been a rude jerk, but she'd stopped herself. It was proof that not everyone was evil, but more than that, it was proof that she cared. “Anna, I-” he started, choking on a sob, “I can't, I just can't, okay?”

“It's not okay, Bram,” Anna sighed, trying to keep calm lest she scare him again, “Please talk to me. It's just you and me here, okay? Did something happen?”

He shook his head, torn between holding in his secret and letting it out, “If she finds out…if she finds out I say anything…”

Anna's frown deepened as she caught the faint murmur of Bram's response. “Bram, look at me,” she said, “If who finds out? Look, I promise that whatever you say stays between us, okay?”

Bram swallowed, realizing he'd let a detail slip without thinking. He looked up at Anna and bit his lip, “I want to believe you, I really do.”

“Then believe me,” Anna said, “Remember who you're talking to here. We used to talk all the time, and I never said a word when you asked me to keep a secret. You always did the same thing for me, too, so why would I break that now? I know it might not seem like it, but talking to someone can help. As much as I hate admitting this, your dad proved that much to me. Let's start small, okay? Who hurt you?”

“Anna, she'll kill me if I say anything,” Bram replied, although his protests were getting weaker, “She made it pretty clear that she'd find out if I said anything…”

“Is it Peyton?” Anna asked, “I know it wasn't Mom, Victoria, or Rose.”

“What, no!” Bram replied, “I-I mean, no, she never did anything to hurt me. I don't think she would if she had the chance. Please, please don't make me say who it was.”

“Okay, okay, I'll drop that for now,” Anna sighed, realizing she wasn't going to get an answer from him, “But something did happen to you, right? Is that why you've been acting so differently lately?”

Bram nodded, deciding that he could at least answer this without revealing the direct subject of his nightmares, “Yeah. I got to see the difference between dreams versus reality.”

“What does that mean?” Anna asked, confused.

“Promise me this stays between us, yeah?” Bram practically begged her.

“I swear I won't say anything to anyone,” she assured him, “Like I said, it's just you and me here.”

“Don't judge me for this,” he began, “When I first shrunk, I wasn't as afraid as I should have been. Yeah, things were scary, like spiders, bugs, and the thought of getting crushed, but I couldn't stop thinking about…other things.”

“I know you’re trying here, but I’m going to need a little more to go on than that,” Anna said, not entirely sure where Bram was going.

“You know,” Bram said, rubbing his arm nervously, “Curiosities and stuff like what it would be like to be…close to someone as big as a building.”

Anna’s eyes widened as she realized what Bram was trying to say, “Oh my God, you mean to tell me that you were getting off to stuff like getting buried in tits?”

Bram felt the blood rush to his cheeks. It wasn’t the most articulate way to put it, but Anna wasn’t known for her tact. “Yeah, among other things,” he admitted, closing his eyes to hide his shame.

“Pervert,” Anna sighed, although she didn’t say it with the usual amount of venom, “Wait, is that why you were so into Peyton?”

“No. Yes, I don’t know,” Bram shrugged, sitting down and pulling his knees close to his chest, “Peyton was, is, different than most girls I’ve liked or dated. She’s tall, yeah, and maybe that has something to do with it, but she’s also…I don’t know, interesting.”

“What a way with words,” Anna rolled her eyes, “Alright, so you had a fascination with giant women, but then what happened? Did you get stuck in someone’s shoe or sat on without someone knowing?”

Bram swallowed a lump in his throat. He’d already confessed more than he ever thought he would, but now it was time to reveal the root of what had been haunting him. “No, I could have lived and handled that,” he admitted, “Someone…someone took advantage of me. That’s why, uhm, that’s why I was so freaked when you were…”

He trailed off, his panic starting to swell once again. “Drop you down the back of my shorts,” Anna finished for him.

“Y-yeah, that,” Bram nodded, taking a moment to collect himself, “They didn’t do that, but they threatened me, used me, and made it a point to remind me again and again that there was nothing I could do about it. That was the first time I came face to face with just how powerless I am at this size. I was just a toy to them, and they made sure I knew it.”

“Why haven’t you said anything before now?” Anna asked, more curious than outraged.

Bram shook his head, “How was I supposed to bring any of this up? I already felt like a weirdo for being attracted to giants, Anna.”

“I’m not talking about that,” Anna sighed, “I get why you’d want to keep that to yourself. I’m talking about what this person did to you. And, for the record, while it is a little weird, everyone has their thing.”

“You’re just saying that,” Bram said, staring at his feet.

“Dude, do you really think I’d lie about something like this?” Anna asked, “I’ll level with you; I’ve messed with your dad quite a bit. It was way more fun than I thought, and I’m pretty sure there are women and girls out there who want to have fun with guys your size. Jessica and I like to take turns being in control.”

“Oh Jeez… Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Bram said, cupping his ears, not wanting more details than necessary.

“I’m just saying, everyone has their thing,” Anna said, “I’m not gonna say I get it because I don’t, but I’m not here to judge you. So, someone got their hands on you, took advantage of you, and threatened you if you said anything. Am I missing anything?”

“No,” Bram shook his head, “That about sums it up. It was after that happened that things started to change for me. I’ve been living in fear and haven’t lied about not sleeping well. I’ve been having flashbacks in my dreams, and they usually end with me getting crushed, eaten, or…enslaved and no one looking for me.”

“Eaten?” Anna repeated, recalling how terrified Chad had been when she’d popped him into her mouth, “Bram, if you went missing, we would do everything we could to find you. I would do everything I could to find you, okay? You know that, don’t you?”

Bram shook his head and shrugged, “It’s one of those things that I want to believe, but everyone gives up eventually. It wouldn’t be hard for me to get lost for good at my size.”

“I found your dumbass dad when he went parading off through mom’s work,” Anna pointed out, “I wouldn’t have given up either because mom loves him, and I wouldn’t give up on finding you because…”

Bram looked up at Anna and waited for her to finish, but the words were caught in her throat. He knew what she meant, though. “I love you too, Anna,” he finally said.

“Don’t make this weirder than it needs to be,” Anna sighed, smiling down at him, “Bram, I promise we'll keep you safe. Me, Mom, and Victoria will do everything we can to make sure you and Chad come out of all this no worse for wear. I won't ask who did this to you, but I do want you to know you can come to me anytime. I'm here for you, just as long as you quit being a gigantic dick. Metaphorically speaking, of course, 'cause you're so small.”

Bram felt like a weight had been lifted off him for the first time in weeks. It had taken a threat to push him into opening up, but he was glad he had. “Thanks, Anna,” he said, “Do you think I could apologize to Mary?”

“Who?” Anna asked.

“The girl behind the counter, that's her name,” Bram replied, “I saw it on her apron, and I was pretty rude back there. I was scared, but that doesn't make it okay.”

“Yeah, we've got to go pick up our order anyways,” Anna said, glad to see Bram returning to some part of his old self, “I'm sure she'd appreciate it too. So, what's the deal with you and Peyton? Have you given up on that because of what happened, or are you still going to try to hook up and climb her like a mountain?”

“Oh my God, I'm already regretting telling you about that side of me,” Bram groaned, his cheeks burning, “I don't know, to be honest. I haven't talked to her since she was last over at our house. She's probably found a guy that's either normal-sized or less of a coward.”

“Don't sell yourself short, well, you know what I mean,” Anna said, getting up to leave, “She thought you were really sweet, and she's not exactly the most sociable girl on the team. I can reach out to her later if you want. Also, definitely going to be bringing up your interests when it's just the two of us.”

“Why?” Bram asked.

“Because I thought you'd want to talk to her, duh,” Anna answered.

“No, why are you going to bring that up?” Bram asked.

“Oh, because I don't get it,” Anna replied, “I'm curious, sue me. Is it like an extreme sports thing, or is this like one of those domination deals?”

“Please stop,” Bram sighed, already feeling uncomfortable with the topic, “I don't get it myself, so I can't really answer it.”

“Well, I wanna know when you figure it out,” Anna shrugged, “It's weird, but maybe I could help you with Peyton if you two wind up together.”

“Was that care I heard there, or are my ears deceiving me?” Bram asked.

“Shut it, runt,” Anna scoffed, “Don't push your luck, or you can ride back to the motel buried in my shorts.”

Anna was a little concerned that it may have been too soon for her jab, but Bram didn't seem too phased by it. “I was just saying that it's out of character for you to be so nice,” Bram clarified, “It's not a bad thing.”

“I can be nice when I want to be,” Anna scoffed, “I'm not evil, just easily annoyed. Come on, let's go get our order and give you a chance to do something nice.”

The pair left the bathroom and returned to the counter to retrieve their order. The line had dissipated in their absence, and Mary stood by the register with their order close by. She beamed them a smile as they approached and was surprised when Anna mentioned Bram wanting to talk to her. Bram surprised himself and Anna when he let Mary hold him while he talked. His altercation turned discussion with Anna had given him peace and a level of courage he hadn't felt in weeks. Anna stood close by and sipped her coffee while she watched the exchange. Mary was gentle with him, and Bram apologized for his rudeness and hateful tone. He didn't share any explicit details as to what had brought it out, but he made it a point to admit that Mary didn't deserve that for being curious. It ended with a small hug before Mary handed him back to Anna. Afterward, the two left to head back to the hotel.

They stopped at the edge of the boardwalk to look at the moonlight reflecting off the ocean. A sense of calm tranquility pervaded the air as they stood silent and looked out. The two step-siblings had grown closer this evening. They'd been close before the virus, but their bond was deeper now than it had been. Anna now had more of an understanding of her little stepbrother and what he'd been dealing with.

Conversely, Bram had found trust in Anna that he'd needed for some time now. It didn't make his situation magically disappear or any less dangerous, but knowing she cared helped. A simple promise from her had done wonders for his mental state, and it had helped to put things in perspective. He'd been attacking the people closest to him because he was scared, but all that was doing was isolating himself. It was essential to count on his family, not push them further away.

The walk back to the hotel was uneventful for the two of them. They shared some small talk and a few laughs, but it was mostly quiet while they took in the sights. Anna had given Bram a few small pieces of the Danish he'd wanted, as small as she could manage anyway. As they neared their room, Anna decided to check in on the guys and their bachelor party. It might have been intrusive, but given Chad's history and luck, she figured it couldn't hurt. She only intended to stay for a moment before taking Bram back to their room for the night. Bram didn't object to it, feeling like it would do him some good to see his father now that he was in better spirits.

Anna used the spare key that her mother had given her to open the door, but she and Bram walked into an empty room. She knew her mother, Victoria, Rose, and the other women were going out, but the guys were supposed to stay in. “Crap,” Anna sighed, walking in carefully and checking the room, “Is it so much to ask for your dad to stay in one place unattended? I'm gonna put you on the table; check for anything out of the ordinary, okay?”

“Why not put me on the floor?” Bram asked, looking around from Anna's hand, “I might be able to spot them. They could have fallen off, or they might be exploring.”

“Too much risk of you getting hurt,” Anna explained, setting him down, “It's bad enough these dumbasses aren't where they're supposed to be. I don't need you getting hurt too.”

Bram shrugged, unable to argue against Anna's logic. He walked around the table and tried to figure out anything he could. A half-empty bottle of tequila, various discarded cards, and an untouched pile of poker chips were all he could find. Anna got down on her hands and knees to try to spot them; Bram heard her mumbling curses from the table. He continued looking around and trying to pick out any clues he could. They weren't here, at least not on the table; that much was evident. Where had they gone, though? It didn't sound like Anna was having much luck, either. Her frustration was evident as she huffed and sat up.

“Dammit,” she sighed, “Did you find anything?”

“Nothing useful,” Bram replied, “They left the liquor, the chips, and the cards on the table. It almost looks like they went somewhere in a hurry.”

Anna furrowed her brow and tried to work out the possible solutions. They were a handful of guys the size of bugs and small toys, so where would they have gone? “Oh, those little fuckers,” Anna growled, grabbing her phone, “I swear to God if they did what I think they did…”

“What?” Bram asked, walking over to the table's edge, “What are you doing, and what do you think they did?”

Anna shook her head as she opened an app on her phone and waited for it to load, “I gave Chad one of those tracking bracelets after the last time he got lost. You know, since you two have a habit of ending up in stupid places, no offense. He had better not be where I think he is.”

Bram frowned, waited, and watched Anna stare at her phone, “Where do you think they are? Anna, talk to me.”

Her phone loaded, and Anna had to resist the urge to throw it in anger, “Fucking perverts, all of them! Ugh, I am going to ream that little fucker a new one when I get my hands on him!”

“Anna, what is it?!” Bram shouted, growing more concerned by the minute, “What's going on?!”

Anna had to take a moment to calm herself down before speaking to Bram. He wasn't the one at fault, and he'd been through enough as it was. She exhaled slowly and stood up, “They're at the same club mom and the other women went to. It's not a good place for guys, mainly tinies like you, your dad, and the other morons.”

“A club?” Bram repeated, “What's so bad about that?”

Anna shook her head and got to her feet, “Rose told me about it when she invited me along. It's a strip club where tinies dance, and women get to go wild. It's not my thing, but I did some digging on the place after she brought it up. There's nothing that's been proven, but there are a lot of reports of missing workers out of that place. From what Rose told me, it's likely because women can do whatever they want to the guys. Those horny little dickbags must have hitched a ride there. Ugh, I am so fucking mad at him! Every time I think I can trust him, he does something like this!”

“You're sure he's there?” Bram asked.

Anna nodded, “Positive.”

“It doesn't seem like something dad would want to do, though,” Bram said, hopping onto Anna's hand, “He's not the type to cheat, and he's always warned me about being careful at this size. Victoria is pretty adamant that Stewart has changed, and from what little I've talked with him, it seems like he's pretty invested in her.”

“You think it was one of the other idiots’ ideas?” Anna asked, lifting Bram up.

“Maybe,” Bram answered, “I don't know the other guys that well, but I know David is dad's oldest friend. Dad would probably have gone along with it if he wanted to do something, even if he thought it was stupid.”

“Reckless is more like it,” Anna sighed, “This is exactly why I don't trust guys. You think with your junk, act on impulse, and you’re all pervs.”

“Standing right here, literally in your hand,” Bram reminded her.

“You just told me an hour ago that you have a thing for giant women,” Anna countered, “Perverts.”

“Aren't you dating another girl?” Bram asked, “Doesn't that make you a bit of a perv, too?”

“Shut up,” Anna rolled her eyes, “That's different, and you know it.”

“I'm just saying, we're not all creeps,” Bram sighed, “There are guys out there that are, yeah, but just cause we have thoughts doesn't mean we act on them. It's not all black and white.”

“I'm carrying a tiny voice of reason,” Anna said, thinking about where she was going to keep Bram for their trip, “I guess it's better than the sullen asshole you were before. We can argue about this later, though. Right now, we need to get down there and make sure these morons haven't gotten themselves killed.”

“You really think they're in that much danger?” Bram asked.

“All that stuff you said you'd been having nightmares about,” Anna replied, “That's the kind of stuff that's allowed at this place. If the wrong person gets a hold of them, then they could be dead already. Chad might be a pain in my ass, but I'm not letting him get killed. He's not getting off the hook that easily with me.”

“You're not gonna hurt him, are you?” Bram asked, worried by Anna's sudden hostility.

“I'm gonna make sure he's fine first, but he and I are gonna have a long talk the first chance we get,” Anna sighed, trying to rein her temper in, “He knows better than to pull something boneheaded like this. Come on, it looks like we're going back out. You can ride in my purse or on my person; what's it gonna be?”

“Uhm, your purse, I guess,” Bram replied.

Anna nodded and lifted Bram up, “Alright, try to hang on because I'm gonna be moving pretty quick. The last thing I need is for you to get hurt on the way there.”

Anna opened her purse and carefully placed Bram inside. Her wallet, room keys, and other miscellaneous items were all at the bottom, but it wasn't what Bram would consider cluttered. Anna watched him from above as he found a place to settle in that seemed safe enough. Once he was secure, he flashed her a thumbs up, and Anna sealed him in darkness. He sighed as he leaned back and tried to relax. It had been a day, and it was only getting more exhausting. He hoped his father was okay, but he also hoped Anna wouldn't be too hard on him. He now understood his father's warnings about Anna, but she seemed more concerned than outright hostile. All he could do was sit and wait to see what happened next.