Jake Barry
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Chapter 15
🕑 Added 2022-11-02 19:50:06 +0000 UTC"You're all set, boy." Daedalus pats the cabin-sized accessory proudly. "One giant earring, as promised."
"It looks great! I'm just worried about all the bouncing around. It is safe, right?"
The old man raises one of his bushy brows at me.
I try to laugh it off as if it was a joke.
"It's stable, for the most part. A gyroscope will keep things upright even if it swings. The only problem you might face is if she runs."
"I'm aware." The giantess interrupts. She's been sitting cross-legged at the town's border waiting for me. "I'll be careful."
"Good. Now get in already. Let me know if anything isn't working."
Daedalus opens the hatch revealing the chamber within.
I climb inside and he seals it behind me.
I find myself in a small-ish room that reminds me of an observatory.
The roof is a clear dome which gives me vision of everything around me.
It's surprising given how the exterior was completely opaque from the outside.
If I'm to believe the old man, it should also block out the deafening sounds of the outside, namely Jeannine's ridiculously loud voice.
As for the interior, it's mostly empty other than a few seats, an emergency crate, and a console.
I take my seat near the 'front' of the room and press the button to speak.
Like my earpiece, this 'little' accessory serves as a means of communication for us.
I decide to test it out.
"Hey, I'm in. Seems good to go. You ready?"
Without warning, I feel the room lurch.
I hold onto my seat to avoid being flung.
It takes a second for the stabilizers to get going before the room returns to normal.
When I look up, I'm met with one massive, emerald eye.
"I am. Honestly, I can't believe you're actually inside of this thing. Are you alright in there?"
Jeannine's voice is heard entirely though the cabin's speakers.
Damn, he actually did it.
Looks like I have on less thing to worry about.
"Rough start but I'm good now. The real test begins when you put it on."
I feel movement once more.
Thankfully, the room doesn't tilt this time.
Jeannine moves me to her ear, securing the earring in place.
Next thing I know, she's, or should I say, we, are standing up and walking to her mirror.
It's a very strange sensation.
She's totally in control while I'm merely an observer.
She tilts her head around, checking out the earring front different angles with a slight grin on her face.
"It's cute. And it goes well with my outfit, don't you think?"
Jeannine is wearing loose-cut jeans paired with a white shirt, white shoes and a beige cardigan.
I look her up and down in the mirror.
She's gorgeous, as always.
It's a struggle for my eyes not to linger.
Peering down from my position gives me a view down her top, which I quickly tear my gaze away from.
Eyes up, Nick, eyes up.
"Yes, definitely."
Jeannine grabs her purse and heads out of her bedroom ready to leave the house.
That is, until she stops short just as her hand touches the front door to the apartment.
"Nick." She says in a far less jovial tone. "Last chance to back out. Are we doing this?"
"Absolutely." I immediately respond. "I know what I'm getting into."
My massive friend lets out an exasperated sigh.
She's definitely exaggerating it for effect.
"Okay. Here we go."
We exit the apartment and head down the hall to the elevator.
Jeannine calls it up and when the doors open I'm met with my first Brob other than her.
Before me, standing even taller than her, is an older man dressed in a jersey and basketball shorts.
He's not sweaty, meaning he must be on his way to the gym.
He and Jeannine exchange 'hello's as she enters and the doors close behind her.
He must be a neighbour.
I'm about to ask Jeannine but remember that it'll be difficult to communicate since she can't easily respond.
Her earpiece could give the impression that she's on a call, I figure.
It might be best to only speak when she can respond.
A ding signals that we've arrived on the ground floor.
The doors open once more and the man exits first.
Jeannine follows him out the building's front entrance and then they part ways.
All the while, she keeps checking her phone compulsively.
It's impossible to ignore.
"Jeannine?"
"Hm? Oh, I'm just checking for something. We're sort of late for what I had planned."
"There are plans?"
"Of course there are, silly. You wanted to see my world so I am going to do just that. We've got three events on the agenda, staring with Sara."
"Okay... And who is Sara exactly?"
"My best friend of many, many years. She's...a character. Who invites someone out to lunch without telling them where they're going? Not that I'm surprised. You'll understand once you meet her."
Suddenly I feel my blood run cold.
I repeat her words in my head.
The image they depict is a scary one.
Surely, she couldn't mean...?
"M-M-Meet her? What do you-"
"No, no, no. I meant that I'm meeting her for lunch. You'll be safe and sound in there." She gently taps the cabin with a finger. "And she'll be none the wiser."
"Phew." I breath a sigh of relief. "I misunderstood."
"Yeah." She giggles. "You did."
At last her phone beeps as a message is received.
When she goes to check the message, I end up seeing it too since my perspective is essentially the same from this position.
I see what she sees, for the most part.
It feels weird but I don't comment on it.
I notice that Jeannine's earlier smirk has been replaced by a frown.
"Is everything alright?"
"Mostly. Don't worry about it. It looks like she wants to eat at this high-end place I'm not really a fan of."
She doesn't elaborate so I drop the subject.
I know that Jeannine's always short on money since she spends it all on saving us.
It could be about that?
It takes about ten minutes on foot from her apartment building to the restaurant.
During the walk there we don't chat all that much.
I'm too distracted by the 'big' world to converse.
The scenery is amazing, especially to someone like me who grew up living in the most dark, disgusting places.
It's silly, but I think what amazes me most is the sky.
The clear blue sky and the shining sun are beautiful even on a cold winter day.
We arrive at the the place and one of the servers approaches us.
She's a middle-aged woman, noticeably shorter than Jeannine and barely coming up to her shoulders.
She must look up just to face her.
"Welcome to Gigi's! Table for one?"
"Two, actually. My friend should already be here." Jeannine scans the place for her, spotting her in the far corner. "Ah, found her."
We head over to the table where I see a young woman approximately the same age as Jeannine.
She's wearing a pretty, dark green dress with matching eyeliner and an expensive-looking necklace.
Upon seeing us, she gets up to say hi.
It's only then that I see her full height.
She's just as tall as Jeannine, at least in those heels.
"Jeanie! How's it going?" She greets her.
Sara's face rushes forward, becoming all I can see.
Both ladies make a 'kiss' sound before turning their heads and doing the same again on the other side.
It's a common gesture even among Lilliputians.
"I'm doing well. How are you? Your dress looks amazing." Jeannine looks her up and down. "I feel underdressed."
"Haha! I know, right?" Sara gives us a quick twirl to show off the entire thing. "I bought it recently, and on sale too!"
They take their seats opposite each other just as the same server from before brings them their menus.
"My name is Becca and I'll be your server today. Let me know when you're ready to order."
"Wait a sec, Becca." Sara points to her menu. "This menu is great, but I was hoping for something a little more...special."
"I'm not sure what you mean, ma'am." Becca tells her, looking genuinely confused.
Sara then pulls out a very shiny card.
Almost immediately the server's demeanour changes.
She gives a knowing wink and takes Saras's menu back.
"I wasn't aware that I was dealing with a card-holder. Please, enjoy our secret menu."
She pulls out a smaller, single page menu from her pouch and hands it to her.
"Thank you very much! Give us a few minutes to look it over."
Once she leaves us, Jeannine finally speaks up. It sounds like she's irritated by her friend's actions.
"Sara..."
"Wassup?"
"Please tell me you didn't bring us here so that you could order...that."
"Maybe I did. Is that a problem?"
"Of course it is. You know how I feel about this kind of thing."
"Yeah, but that's you. I'm not you. I'm not forcing you to do anything here."
"Sara, that's not the point and you know it."
"Okay, okay, how about this? Your meal is on me so long as you stop your whining. Deal?"
Jeannine huffs and looks away, crossing her arms over her chest disapprovingly.
I'm trying to follow their conversation but it's so vague.
Is that intentional?
Something seems off.
"Um, is everything alright?" I whisper into the mic, as if to be discreet.
Jeannine doesn't respond, simply bringing a finger to the cabin and tapping it lightly.
I take it as a 'we'll talk later'.
I keep my questions to myself, for now.
Still, this tension in the air has me unable to relax.
"Do what you want." Jeannine grumbles. "It's not my place to stop you."
"Thanks, Jeanie. You know, I've been wanting to do this for ages. I don't plan to make it a habit, I swear. Just once, never again."
"It's your money. My order will be from the regular menu."
The two of them sit in silence while they order.
A few minutes pass before the server returns to take their orders.
"I'll have the sirloin. Medium." Jeannine tell her. "And some water, please."
"I'll have the Number 2. With the special garnish." Sara says next.
"Excellent choices. Will that be all?"
"Yes." They both say at the same time, unintentionally. Sara laughs while Jeannine hardly even chuckles.
This time Jeannine is willing to engage with Sara.
She's not happy but she is chatting this time, which I think is good.
I've never known 'best friends' to give each other the silent treatment.
About forty minutes pass until the server returns with the food.
She places the most delicious looking beef I've ever seen in front of Jeannine.
It's more than I could eat in a lifetime if I tried.
It has me practically watering at the mouth at the sight of it.
"Save me a piece?" I ask Jeannine, to which she gives a very subtle nod.
"You're the best!" I thank her.
On the other side of the table is Saras's order.
It's raw meat, which is very strange to me.
It looks to be red meat, but not beef or lamb.
Whatever it is, I wonder how it tastes?
While I'm trying to solve the meat-mystery, the server pulls out something akin to a saltshaker, only smaller.
It's barely and inch long.
"Be sure to sprinkle them away from the sauce. In my experience, it's the best way to enjoy their flavor."
"Will do. Thanks, Becca."
My cheerfulness turns to confusion and then horror.
It suddenly dawns on me what I'm looking at.
It's no wonder Jeannine was so upset before.
How could I have been so clueless?
This restaurant serves Lillis.
"Jeannine." I say in a calm but no less serious tone. "That's not garnish."
I get no response from her.
Though I can't see it clearly from here, I know exactly what's happening on her plate.
Every time she jostles the shaker, a couple of Lilli's fall out and onto her plate.
Most will be stuck in the juices and sauces, either glued there or left to drown.
The ones who land on the meat itself will have a chance to run, though they have no chance of getting off of the plate.
I put a hand to my chest, feeling my heartrate skyrocketing.
This is panic.
I've felt it before.
Closing my eyes, I'm taken back to the day I lost my family.
The image of that cruel giant becomes clear as day, as if I'm seeing him right before my eyes.
Sara, a girl who up until now I'd considered to be pretty and very pleasant, is revealed to be no different than him.
What are they seeing right now?
How must they feel?
I can't imagine being on a plate, looking up at a being who is not only going to eat me but is eager to do so.
I'm reminded of the terror and cruelty of Brobdingnagians.
Jeannine's example had simply made me forget.
"Ooh, this looks great. Let's see how many I can get in one forkful..."
The horror show continues as Sara pushes them around with her fork.
She's playing with them before she eats them.
I've never seen a more predatory display.
I look to Jeannine who is acting, or trying to, act normal.
She cuts a piece of meat and eats it, averting her eyes from her friend.
Sara's fork lifts up off the plate as she opens wide.
Just as she does, Jeannine's hand moves to her ear to block my view.
I know what she's doing.
I'm furious but I refrain from screaming.
"Jeannine. Move your hand, right fucking now."
The giantess tenses up, caught off guard by my reaction.
She complies, giving me back the view of the slaughter across the table.
Sara's fork is already back in the plate as her mouth chews her food.
I have no doubt everyone in their died a gruesome death.
Her and Jeannine continue to eat in silence for the most part, mainly due to how invested Sara is in the experience.
I stare, unblinking, until her plate is clean.
She scans the plate for any runners, confirming for me that no one escaped.
There's a terrible feeling in my stomach, and I feel the urge to throw up.
How can she look so satisfied?
"That was amazing. Although, the garnish is overhyped. Hardly tasted a thing."
"Mine was great. Thanks for paying." Jeannine finally speaks up.
The cabin does an amazing job of keeping things steady.
It wasn't until I looked at her that I noticed her trembling.
"Sorry, babe, I need to go use the bathroom. Be right back."
"All good."
Jeannine stands up and hurries to privacy.
Once she's inside, she confirms that none of the stalls are occupied.
It would seem that we are now completely alone.
I'd been holding it in, on the verge of busting.
The emotions I'm experiencing are so varied and intense than I can hardly process them, being on the verge of tears.
I've been traumatized.
"Jeannine... How could you?"
Comments
Jake Barry
Thank you. That chapter took me ages to write. I’m happy that it is resonating with my readers. You’ll see the aftermath in chapter 16.
Acrophite
I had high hopes for Sara before...wow. Just a lot to process from this chapter. Stellar writing, new favorite chapter. You can feel Jeannine's anger, and Nick's resurfacing trauma. I've honestly never seen writing this real in a story centered on size. Difficult read though, even without much detail. - Acrophite
G
You know what f - it someone get nick the infinity gauntlet and the infinity stones to snap every brob except Jeannine of course from existing because I wouldn’t even be upset at this point if he did. Or get a lilie version of the avengers dang anything please I don’t know how much of lilies lives being lost I can handle hell get the death star and the galactic empire with sprinkle of darth Vader and some with lords too to go to war this means absolute WAR dang it.
G
Dang I should have known that Sara would be just like the rest some one needs to call the cops record what is happening dang it Nick I’m sorry you had to see that great and heart breaking chapter as always
