If you've ever fainted before, you know it's a kind of waking dream situation, where the mind just sort of lets the subconscious take over for a time, while your body recovers from whatever has befallen it. While I was out, I had a vision of Mark suddenly bursting in the door with a huge gun, which he fired at Bob. The resulting beam caused him to start shrinking, sort of like the ray gun Talon liked to use in the SW Clubhouse, and I was able to jump free in time to watch him dwindle down to my size and beyond. He just kept going until he was just a little ant on the floor, and I took great delight in squishing him underfoot.
Everything sort of went black after that, but I wasn't feeling any pain anymore, so I didn't mind. Vaguely, through this pleasant unreality, I began to hear voices, loud ones. I figured it wouldn't hurt to let them join me in my dream, so I allowed them to float through my head like little clouds. "Come on, Bob," said one. "You don't want to miss your flight."
"Just a minute," he replied. "I'm just having a little fun before I go."
"Let me guess," said the other voice, which sounded vaguely familiar. "You're abusing one of our pets, aren't you? You'd better not be hurting Heather, or any of the new girls!"
"Uhh..." he responded, sounding like an idiot. I wanted to giggle, but for some reason I couldn't seem to do anything except listen, and even that was uncertain. Their words sounded like something you hear coming through a thick wall.
There was a kind of thump and a creak, as of a door opening, and the other voice said, "You are, aren't you? Which one do you have?"
"Ashley Richardson," Bob admitted. "Sorry, sir, I just couldn't resist! I've been watching her so long on the monitors. She's just so damn hot! I mean, look at that body!"
"I AM looking at it," he said, and even through my dark haze I could sense he was holding back a bit of anger. "Now give her to me before you hurt her any more than you already have."
Now I began to feel things again, but only dimly, like I was on painkillers. My whole body hurt, especially my breasts, legs and groin, but I also felt a sensation of motion, as of being moved around rapidly. I suspected I'd just been transferred to a new hand. Great, I thought. Out of the frying pan, as it were. I'm naked and helpless and they're playing tag-team with me!
"I didn't really hurt her," whined Bob. "I just gave her a little massage, that's all."
"We'll see," said the other voice. As I slowly returned to my senses, I realized it was Gary Tangeray that was speaking. "You'd better hope she does, because I was planning to win her for myself tonight, and I don't want her damaged."
"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine," insisted Bob. He sounded almost like he was sniveling, which made me want to laugh. So that's the kind of person Bob was, I thought to myself. He probably got stepped on all the time in real life, so it was no surprise that abusing helpless shrunken women turned him on. "I'll go get my things and head out, then," he muttered, "if you don't need me for anything else."
"Not this time," said Gary. "And Bob, when you bring in the next girl tomorrow, make sure it's Larry that makes the delivery. It's his turn, after all."
"Yes, sir," Bob replied, and scurried off. My eyes weren't open yet, but I still got the idea he'd moved rather hastily. He obviously hadn't realized how much of a favorite I already was to the casino owners, and now that he knew, he was all too eager to get away and hope they'd forget this little slight. Whether or not he'd take it out on me next time he was here, though, remained to be seen.
There was another bit of news there, I thought, in that another new arrival would be coming in tomorrow. There wasn't much I could do about that now, I thought, but it just reminded me that another poor unfortunate woman would soon be joining us in our little private corner of Hell.
I felt myself moving downward again, and for a moment I thought I'd be set down on the floor, but no such luck. After a few seconds I was lifted up again, and then started moving rapidly. I opened my eyes. The ceiling far above was moving quickly past, and I knew Gary was taking me into a different room. Where, I didn't know yet, but it only took a moment or so to find out. I felt him lowering me, and then he let me slide off onto a tremendously soft, plush surface.
I sat up and looked around. I was sitting on a silk-covered pillow in one of the bedrooms. Gary was hovering over me, like a human skyscraper. "Are you all right?" he asked, actually sounding concerned about my welfare.
Well, it crossed my mind to lie and say I was really hurt, in the hopes of getting Bob fired, but I decided not to. I was sure the truth of that would come out easily enough, and the penalty for lying to one of the owners was probably much greater than the enjoyment I'd get out of ruining Bob's career, assuming they did anything to him at all. "I-I think so," I replied, moving my limbs to see if I was injured, but except for some places where I'd probably get bruises, I was all right.
I suddenly realized I was still naked, except for a couple of tenacious socks that clung to my feet. Reflexively, I covered myself, shying away from the giant before me. He laughed, but it was a kinder sound, not evil and cruel like Bob's voice had been. "So modest! I like that. Well, here, put these back on if you like. I won't watch."
So saying, he dropped the tiny catsuit, panties, and shoes at my feet. He'd obviously taken the time to collect them from the floor of the bathroom before bringing me here. Well, I didn't question my good fortune, but slipped them all back on quickly. I felt much better with them on, despite how skintight and provocative they were. There's just something about having something between your bare flesh and the air around you that makes you feel more comfortable. It was like I was a human being again.
"Thank you," I said once I had covered myself. "I didn't think anyone would bother helping me."
"Well, it wasn't entirely selfless," admitted Gary, turning back to look at me again. "I don't know if you heard me, but I plan to win you for myself tonight."
I didn't say anything, but gave a little shudder. I guess it was too much to hope for any kind of real generosity from these people.
"I wanted you last night, you know," Gary went on, lying down on the bed on his stomach in front of me. Now his eyes were approximately the same level as mine, removing some of the feeling of monstrousness that surrounded him, despite the fact that his face was still gigantic. "Mostly it was just to meet you, but also, I like to be the one to break in a new girl. I like to think I'm the least dangerous of us owners."
"So I hear," I told him, "but just the same, I'd prefer if none of you had me at all."
He just chuckled. "Sorry, doll, but you're stuck with us now. Might as well get used to it."
"I don't suppose you'd let me go?" I suggested hopefully. "If you put me back to normal, I'll do anything you want." My voice took on a more pleading tone, only halfway faked. "I'll be your slave, or anything else you tell me to do. Just don't leave me like this forever!"
"Can't help you there, either," he replied. "Like we told you, this is your new size now. There's no way to reverse the effect now that your body's set at that height."
"But how can you do that?" I begged him. "I thought it was impossible to permanently reduce anything!"
"That's what they tell everybody," explained Gary, not realizing I was actually pumping him for information. "That's what they told us, too, but they lied. One thing we have going for us is lots and lots of money, though. A few bribes here and there, and we found out how to make it work. I don't understand the technical details myself, but we figured it out, and viola! You're three inches high forever."
Well, I'd was hoping for some kind of hint or clue that what I'd been told before was a fabrication, a lie meant to cow us into passivity. I was disappointed, however. From what I could read on Gary's face, believed what he said was true. Of course, it was always possible he was just a good liar, or had been telling this particular story so often it was automatic for him, but the chances of my getting back to five feet nine had just dropped another notch.
I didn't say anything else. I think I was looking at Gary with an expression of horror, or maybe frustration. Or something of a combination. "Well, be that as it may," he said, "I have to get to work now. I do have a job, you know. Looking forward to seeing you again tonight, Ashley."
With that, he rolled off the gigantic bed, got to his feet, and departed, leaving me more depressed and distraught than ever.