OUT OF SAN DIEGO
by Panther
The sun peered through the afternoon clouds as the morning rain subsided and continued it's journey eastward. Ground water sprayed away from a set of new tires attached to a bright red convertible as it pulled on to the Interstate Five Freeway. The driver took one last look at San Diego as it shrank and disappeared in her rearview mirror. Drops of water that had collected on the car were beginning to streak back as the car picked up speed. The driver pressed a button on the dashboard and the top popped open and retreated into a pack behind the back seat. The sudden rush of wind sent her long, blonde hair flailing around her and she brushed it away with her hand.
She was a very attractive woman, about 5' 3", and was dressed in cut-off jean shorts and a button up Hawaiian shirt with the sleeves rolled up around her upper arms. Her feet were clad in leather sandals with open toes and thin straps hugging her heels. She shifted into third gear and began to flip through radio stations until flicking it off in dissatisfaction.
She looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes. There was a thin gold band on one of them and it glistened as the sun shined down on it from behind her in the sky. As she stared she began to feel the leather tightening against her skin. She watched as her toes slowly crept beyond the base of her sandals. Her skin turned red where they strained against the soft material and, when she listened hard enough, she could faintly hear the sound of leather trying to stretch and accommodate her growing feet. Her bra was beginning to squeeze her uncomfortably as her already impressive bust expanded beyond it's holding capacity. Her shorts were creeping up her tan thighs and the waistline was beginning to pinch her. With a quick breath and a sudden gasp of pleasure the top button on them burst open with a solid pop.
She glanced at her lower half and smiled. She could see her navel where her shirt had untucked itself and risen to her midriff and the black silk panties she had on underneath her shorts. One of her sandals lost its struggle and the leather lace-work across the top of her foot snapped open in several places with loud pops and set her foot free. She kicked off the remnants of it onto the floor of the passenger side and rubbed her foot to sooth away the redness.
She broke into an even wider smile as she looked back forward, shifted into fourth gear, and slammed down on the accelerator pedal. The force of it broke the heel strap on the other sandal and with a tug from her hand she tore the leather off the top and placed what was left of it next to it's partner. With a quick inhale her bra ripped open in the front and she pulled it off and threw it out of the car.
She giggled as the fabric of the Hawaiian shirt rubbed against her breasts, tickling her sensitive nipples as she breathed, causing them to quickly become erect.
The blonde slipped into the fourth lane as she stretched her long legs in front of her and sped up to 80 MPH.
Sara sat in her apartment. The place was a mess because she hadn't had the time to clean it for the longest time. But since she didn't have work until later in the afternoon, she had the option of tidying up; she chose not to as she lay on the couch and flipped through channel after channel.
She passed up a bad video on MTV, paused to watch a few seconds of a Sean Connery film festival, and ultimately stopped on a soccer game. An old boyfriend had gotten her hooked on the sport a few years ago and she had been watching it ever since.
Sara was attractive; dark brown hair that had a heavy curl to it as it dangled around her shoulders, a soft voice that had once been described as dulcet, quite the charming personality tinged with the slightest hint of sarcastic wit, and keen fashion sense. All wrapped up in a nice little package.
Well, not that nice by Sara's standards anyway.
She was 4' 7" and had topped out at this massive stature at the tender age of 16. Some people would call her minuscule (but didn't have the option of ever saying it again if she had anything to say about it) or snicker quietly as her light, 94 lb. frame walked down the street and it was a burden that was becoming to heavy to bear. She looked at the clock : 10:59 A.M.
A small display counted off the seconds and she stared at it. The phone rang once on the table next to the the beaten sofa.
48 ... 49 ... 50 ... 51.
The phone chirped again, an announcer was commenting on the tremendous accuracy of a recent bicycle kick.
52 ... 53 ... 54 ... 55.
What was that faint sound? So far away.
56 ... 57 ... 58 ... 59.
The panel morphed in front of her eyes as the time melted into late morning.
The phone, I know who it is, I know what she wants. Damn it.
The phone rang one last time. She picked up the receiver.
"Hi Stephanie."
"Glad to hear you up and about this morning."
"I had to get up sooner or later."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Uh oh. Sounds like someone's date sucked last night."
"It's much worse than you think."
"Meet at Star's in ten to bitch about it?"
Sara was silent for a second.
"Sure, I guess so."
"See you there."
Sara hung up the receiver and stared at the T.V. Replays of a goal were being shown repeatedly from different angles and then the commercials started. Images of models walking barefoot in the sand drifted by while upbeat drum music sang out through the speakers. She squinted in anger. On and on they paraded.
Tall sticks with plastic chests that Santa brought them for Christmas, she thought. Tyra Banks, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Rebecca Rom...
Sara threw the remote control across the room where it connected with the power switch of the cable box and the picture blinked out of existence.
"So you had a lousy date, big deal. These things happen." Stephanie was pouring sugar into a mug of house blend and was determined to find the perfect amount of cream to add without wiping out the flavor. "It was a blind date anyway. No one expects those things to work out. So what happened anyway?"
Sara didn't even bother fixing her coffee, she just sat down and sulked at a table in the corner of the bar.
"What do you think happened? He took one look at me and he couldn't wait to get out of there."
"Why? What's wrong with you? You're way prettier than most girls I know. You're smart and great wi..."
"Oh stop it. You know damn well what it is. Guys rarely like women who need a step ladder to climb into bed."
"You're not that short."
"Well, I'm not dunking basketballs either." Sara leaned back in her chair and felt her feet leave the ground, she could feel the familiar tears welling up, but forced them down. "It's not like he was any kind of fucking prize. Barely knew how to use a fork and he couldn't even keep his damned mouth shut while chewing. He thought it was more important to annoyingly boast about the great deal he got on his butt-ugly suit."
"Sara! I've never heard you talk like that before; and you split an infinitive, shame on you."
"I don't care anymore, men suck. All they want is 5' 10", 36 - 24 - 36, and so dumb all they have to do is buy dinner and skip the movie all together. Bunch of pigs. They can all go to hell."
Stephanie was stunned. All she could do was sip her coffee in silence.
Sara shook her head.
"I'm sorry, it was just a totally rotten evening. I tried to make it work in the beginning, but after a while I just got up and left."
"You ditched him?"
Sara nodded, then shrugged.
"Did you at least say goodbye?"
"No I left him and ended up walking home. I never would of left the house again if it wasn't for this woman I met in the park."
Stephanie had polished off her coffee and was looking at the bottom of the mug for any sugar her tongue might have missed.
"Who? What did she do?"
"Well, it began raining when I was about halfway home and I started looking for shade to wait it out. I found a tree with nice thick branches to sit under for a while and..."
Great! Just what I need to make this the perfect evening.
Sara glanced up as small drops of cool water dripped aimlessly out of the cloudy sky. The bright lights that shined throughout the park reflected off the rain as it began to come down in larger beads. Unable to shield herself with her small hands, Sara looked about aimlessly for shelter. She spotted a tall tree with broad branches and decided it was her best chance to stay dry.
The above average rain fall the past winter had made all of the foliage especially thick and particularly useful as a makeshift umbrella. Sara sat on the slightly damp ground and sulked.
Stupid blind dates. Rotten, miserable, stupid, fucking, blind dates.
At this point Sara couldn't even remember the guy's name, even when she actively tried. She could, however, remember all of the inane details about the tweed jacket that his brother had gotten him on sale from some factory outlet store.
The rain began to come down in thicker sheets as she curled her arms around her legs. Sara had to admit, the tree made pretty good cover. She buried her head in her knees and quietly began to cry. Because she was content to sob away, she never took notice of a petite blonde who was working her way through the miniature forest.
"So what was she doing in the park?" Stephanie was sifting through packs of jams and jellies and was disappointed when all she could find was orange marmalade. Sara was slathering an english muffin with what seemed to be the last of the strawberry preserves. She stopped in midspread and crinkled her forehead.
"I don't know. Come to think of it, I didn't even think of asking her that. I guess it just seemed kind of natural, quite soothing for her to be there actually. Now it seems like a good question."
"There you go; strange woman wandering around and you don't even think to ask her what she's doing there?"
"Stop it. I needed a shoulder to cry on and her's was as good as any. Anyway, as I was saying..."
"Excuse me?" Sara's eyes had watered to the point where everything had become a soft blur in the soft moonlight and distant street lamps.
"I asked you why you were crying. With an outfit like that, a woman should be out having a good time."
The blur had sharpened itself into a small blonde in a bizarrely colored shirt.
"Bad date, I guess." Sara sniffed and looked down. As she rubbed her eyes she saw that the other woman had a gold ring around one of her toes. It seemed to glisten even though there wasn't any light shining directly on it. She was unable to take her eyes off it.
"Do you like it? I've always liked plain bands so much more than those frilly things jewelers are trying to sell nowadays."
"Where did you get it."
The blonde let a few seconds go by as she smiled.
"An old flame gave it to me a long time ago. It's one of the few things I always try to keep around." The shirt had clarified itself into a Hawaiian pattern tucked into a pair of shorts. The pair of sandals that she wore were new but dirty from walking in the mud and rain. "Do you mind if I share you're shade?"
"I guess not. Sit down, please. I'm ... uh, I'm Sara."
"Hi Sara, my name is..."
Sara paused.
"No wait, that's not right. She didn't tell me her name."
"She didn't tell you her name? Curiouser and curiouser, I guess I should be glad that you made it home at all."
"Do you want to hear this story or not?"
"I guess I do. After all, it's not always my ear that you end up crying into; sometime it just makes me jealous."
"All right, so where was I? Oh yeah..."
"Sit down, please. I'm ... uh, I'm Sara."
(You said that already.)
(I know that, I'm just backtracking a little to get things right.)
(Oh.)
"Pleased to meet you Sara."
The blonde took a few steps toward her and sat down. Sara was a little disappointed not hearing a name in return, but it quickly faded and she soon forgot about it.
"I love the rain don't you."
"I could do without it tonight."
"Not me, it's a silent film of melting miracle play."
Sara raised an eyebrow.
"It's what?"
"Oh, nothing. Just something I heard in a song. So, bad date huh? I've had my share of those and they never fail to get you down."
"This one was no exception." Sara wiped the last tear out of her eyes and leaned back on her hands.
"So what went wrong, it couldn't have been the dress."
"This time it was mostly him, the guy was a yutz. I got so sick of him that I left him at the restaurant."
"This time? There have been others?"
"Well, this one was the blind date from hell, but usually all of my other dates ended up another way." Sara looked down again, this time in self-loathing.
"How?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She flailed her hands outward, surprising herself; but the blonde didn't quiver. "I'm not even five feet tall, as soon as men realize that I won't seem any taller as the night goes on they end the date right then and there."
"Oh, being small isn't all that bad."
"You're not as short as I am. Still, you must have a few horror stories of you're own to share."
Sara paused again. Something was dancing on the verge of her subconscious and wouldn't bring itself into the light.
"Sara?" Stephanie looked up from her third cup of coffee. This one was a Brazilian flavor.
('...you must have a few horror stories of your own to share.' The blonde seemed amused at Sara's words.)
"Sara?"
('Actually, I've never really had to worry about that before.' She looked up to see a hurt look on Sara's face. She hadn't meant to be insensitive and mentally berated herself for sounding as such. She waved her hand lightly in front of Sara's face and smiled again. 'Yeah, I understand how you feel...')
"HEY!" Stephanie banged on the table and Sara snapped back to the present. She wrinkled her nose in embarrassment.
"Sorry Steph, I guess I wandered off a bit there. So anyway..."
"...you must have a few horror stories of your own to share."
"Yeah, I understand how you feel. Love can be such a cruel joke sometimes."
Sara shook her head; she felt a little dizzy, but smiled anyway.
"It's not easy being small. Sometimes it means that you have to work a little harder to be noticed. But it doesn't mean that people will end up loving you any differently ... or any less."
"Bullshit. My whole life things have been better for those with that extra foot," Sara's eyes widened in mock emphasis, "and women who tower like supermodels can get anyone to do whatever they please. You don't have to work a little harder to get noticed, you have to shoot somebody."
The blonde gave Sara a penetrating look that seemed to sear it's way into her soul. She then smiled and crossed her legs in front of her.
"So what are you saying? Do you really hate being so small."
"Yes! I hate it when people keep telling me, 'oh you're so cute,' or, 'well big things come in small packages.' It's all a bunch of semi-sympathetic crap! No one really cares, they're just glad they don't have to stand on their tip-toes to look over a counter like 'poor little ol' Sara.'" Sara was so infuriated with the world that she didn't see that the blonde was staring at her amused. When she did, she became further enraged.
"What the hell are staring at?"
"You have really gorgeous eyes, you know that?"
"All right, time out." Stephanie put her mug down. "She said what?"
"That I had gorgeous eyes."
Stephanie laughed merrily as people from other tables glanced over in curiosity.
"It's not that funny."
"She said that? What a weirdo!"
"Well, say what you will. But I was so angry and after she said that I couldn't help but smile again."
It was so quiet one could hear individual drops falling on the green leaves all around the two women as they sat on the grass. One of them twirled her blonde hair between two fingers as she looked into the other's eyes and counted those drops. A smile began to creep on the other one's face.
"What did you say?"
"You're eyes, they're beautiful. They look like a kaleidoscope focusing on a piece of dark amber."
Sara giggled softly and then laughed out loud as she looked down.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break your train of thought or embarrass you."
"No ... I mean thank you," she looked back up, "I guess I was bitching a little too much."
"So what is it? What do you want."
"I don't know. No, that's a lie. I wish I was taller, big enough to put those damn supermodels that men keep drooling over to shame. Do you know what I mean."
"Yes, yes I do." The blonde's answer was so straightforward that it was rather unnerving. But her smile was so warm that the feeling went away rather quickly. "Well, Sara, it looks as though the rain is starting to let up."
Sara looked around and saw that the rain had, in fact, started to let up. She stood up and started to brush herself off. The blonde also rose to her feet and purposely placed herself a little down the slope they were on to be able to look straight into Sara's eyes.
"Listen, I know things seem bad, especially after such a crummy date. But the world has a way of taking care of those who are dissatisfied and truly deserve something better. I'm pretty sure you're on that list."
The blonde extended her hand and looked at Sara expectingly. Her eyes began to emit that eerie quality that her words had done such a short while ago. But that smile was still there. Sara took the hand and shook it with gratitude.
"Thanks for listening to me rant and rave. I really needed someone to talk with. I hope you have a safe walk to wherever you're going." Her hand was warm and comforting; firm but not painful. "I hope the world does take notice of me. I'd hate for this to be all that life has to offer."
"It was my pleasure." The blonde's smile faded a little bit and she leaned in a little closer to Sara. "Just be careful with what it throws at you, don't misjudge a good thing for a bad one and vice-versa. Things always happen for a reason and they always turn out for the best if you're a good-spirited ... individual."
With that the blonde let go and strolled away into the cold night.
Sara watched her leave, small clouds of frost steamed around her face as her breath caught the cool air. But Sara didn't notice the chill, then or during the entire walk back to her apartment. Her hand was tingling as though it had waken up from a long sleep, yet she didn't notice that either. Even though she had left her jacket at the restaurant, she felt quite warm and comfortable as she found her way to the city sidewalk that would take her home.
"So that's it?" Stephanie looked disappointed and got up to get a newspaper.
"What do you mean that's it? Hey! Get back over here and sit down."
"I don't know. I mean you said that you would never have left the house again if it wasn't for this woman you met in the park last night and the whole story ends with a handshake and some schpeel about being good-natured. It just sounds like some hokey religious thing I guess." After flipping through the pages of the business section, she returned to the front page and started looking through the news of the day.
"It didn't seem like that last night. I know I woke up kind of cranky but I felt so good last night. I still feel good in body if not in spirit. In fact, I feel better now that I've told you the story than I did earlier."
"Whatever cheers you up babe." Stephanie raised her hand to order a fourth cup of coffee. This time, she thought, I'll get some biscotti cookies to go with it.
A light tapping began to filter through the air and Sara smiled as she looked up to greet the source.
"Hi Benjamin."
"You know how much I hate being called that."
"I only say it when I first see you."
A pair of blue eyes blankly stared out from behind a pair of faded sunglasses as the smile underneath it beamed with the joy of hearing a friendly voice.
"Hi Sara, I assume Stephanie is with you."
"Hi Ben," Stephanie pulled a chair away from another table and brought it to her friend. "Hey, is that a new cane?"
"I have no idea. Thanks for the chair though." Ben felt around for the offered seat and placed himself in it. He set his walking cane beside him and listened for the waitress to come around. "A cup of Ibarra with half condensed milk and half water please."
The waitress, always amazed at his keen sense of hearing, scribbled his order on a pad and walked into the kitchen without a word. Ben smiled.
"So how are you lovely ladies today, I assume it's a nice morning. It sure sounds like one."
"I'm very good thank you Ben. Sara, however, leaves little to be desired today."
"Thanks a lot Steph."
Though no one was watching, a look of concern crossed Ben's face.
"Is this true Sara?" After a second of thought, he smiled. "Date turn bad last night? I told you it would."
"I should have listened, you always do look out for my best interest."
"Yes I do."
"What was that?"
"Oh, nothing. Stephanie, anything good in the paper today?"
She pointed at a paragraph on the back page, more for her benefit than for Ben's.
"Some guy in L.A. got arrested for possession of narcotics while serving on a jury."
"You're kidding me."
"Yeah, it says they found him lighting up a joint in the bathroom during a court recess. They gave him forty hours of community service as punishment."
"Some people are idiots."
"I had to put up with the king of them last night."
"Geez Sara, did you're date really go that horribly?"
"All that and quite a bit more," Sara glanced at her watch, "I'd tell you all about it but it's going to have to wait until later. I have to get ready for work."
"Don't let her tell you, it's really not worth the time."
"Thanks Steph, I always know I can count on you for moral support." Sara promptly stood up and a dull wave of nausea passed through her, almost knocking her to the ground.
Stephanie took note and quickly put down her paper.
"Are you okay Sara?"
Ben got to his feet and blindly put out his arms for support.
"I got you ... where are you?"
Not paying attention to either of them, Sara braced herself against her chair and blinked till her head was clear.
"I just got up too fast I guess. I'm okay now though. Whew." She smiled. "I'll go home now. I'll see you guys later."
Ben listened to her walk away and took off his sunglasses, they had a tendency to pinch his nose at times.
"I hope she's okay, maybe last night took something out of her."
Stephanie wasn't listening.
"I think I'll go with her." She got up and plodded after her friend. Ben, left alone with his hot chocolate and what smelled like half a plate of biscotti cookies, sighed. He wished he could go after them himself, but was afraid he couldn't find his way after them and, moreover, that his deed would go unnoticed.
He sighed again as he sipped from his mug. He heard that Sara had such beautiful eyes.
"I had too much coffee this morning." Sara was struggling with a pair of tan khakis as Stephanie sat very still in a chair on the other side of the room.
"You had too much coffee, I think I drank half of Columbia. Oh my stomach." She winced as it cramped and wrapped itself in knots.
Sara looked at her own stomach in the mirror, patting at her front.
"Am I getting fat?"
"What are you kidding me? You've looked the same since high school, I never see you eat more than two slices of bread before you say you get full and you jog a couple of times a week!"
"Well, I do get full. It doesn't take much to fill me up. It's just that the buttons on these things won't close as easily as they usually do. Damn it!"
"I'm sure it's nothing, they probably shrank in the wash or something. Do you have any antacid?"
"I guess I'll have to untuck my shirt today. This is a fine how-do-you-do. This is probably that blind date's fault."
"How?"
"I don't know but I'm sure he's linked to it somehow. I hate men; you can't live with them, you can't stuff them down the garbage disposal."
"What do tight pants and bad dates have anything to do with each other?"
"I'm just ranting again. Things have not truly gone well for me."
"You've had a couple of good boyfriends. What about David?"
"He eventually left me for a 5' 8" cheerleader."
"John?"
"Currently in prison for auto theft."
"Ooo," Stephanie grimaced in sympathy and a little bit of pain. "Frank?"
Sara turned with a sarcastic smile.
"He wasn't so bad, but he left me because he wanted to go 'find himself.' Last I heard he was wandering around Texas somewhere. I think his sister said he was trying to walk back to California. Still, I don't care to see Frank again."
"That's understandable. Gee, I guess you really do suck at dating."
"Ha ... ha ... ha." Sara fumbled about for her pair of black pumps, she finally located them under her bed. "I guess with this blind date out of the way I can set my sights back on that guy in the furniture department. Even if he can't set his sights on me."
"That's the spirit Sara." Stephanie burped and then raised her hand in cheer, "just jump back in the game, no time outs necessary."
Sara was wrestling madly with her shoes. With a firm stomp, she shoved both heels in and stood up. They weren't comfortable, but she didn't have time to worry about them.
"All right, I'm leaving. You're welcome to stay, just don't puke or anything."
"You'll be okay?"
"Yeah, thanks Steph."
"I didn't do anything for you. You're a good spirited person remember? Everything will work out for the best."
"I wouldn't mind you saying that if I knew you didn't mean it so sarcastically."
"Get out of here, I've got to go myself."
The store was abuzz with customers. The promise of a sunny weekend brought out those who wanted to look their best for a night on the town. Sara hadn't seen anyone shorter than her at all today, and there had even been a few mothers with their kids. She sat solemnly on a stool while she rang up the last customer in her line, at least for the moment.
"There you go sir. Thank you for shopping at Nordstrom's and have a nice day." She placed a pair of pants in a plastic bag and handed it over. Her patron didn't even look at her, he picked up the bag and turned away from the counter. On his way out the door, he stopped to say hi to a woman in the electronics department. She was at least 5' 6".
"Bitch." He wasn't really that cute. It was just the principle of the thing that ticked her off.
Sara looked up at the clock. Almost five, not quite but almost. Her shoulders hurt, she was underappreciated, she was unnoticed by most of the world, and most of the time people asked to see her I.D. if she wanted to see an R-rated movie. She was old enough to legally drink for God's sake.
"Life sucks." She took off the pair of reading glasses she had on and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She noted that it was red and sore from where they had been pinching her all afternoon.
Sara looked at herself in a mirror that was plastered on one of the pillars in her section. She stood up straight and ran her hands down her front. Did her breasts look a little bigger? Yeah, right. She wished.
So what's not to love?She lifted one pant leg and examined her calf. It was lean and shapely from running, a little stubby by the world's standards, but it was in fine form. Maybe I should work out my arms.She felt her arm, a little firmer than usual. If she paid more attention to it, maybe that would be that little extra bit of help she needed. But in the end, who am I really kidding?
Sara stopped posing. She got closer to the mirror and focused on her eyes. They really were gorgeous she had to admit. They were a light yellowish-green. Golden some people said and shaped like the pattern of broken glass around a small crack.
"What are you doing Sara?"
She was jostled back to the present. A present where her supervisor towered over her.
"If you can't find anything to do, I'm sure there are some boxes in the storeroom that could use some unloading."
"Yes Miss Drake." Sara wasn't even tall enough to look at Evelyn Drake's low-hanging necklace at eye-level. When she wore high heels, like she was today, it was infinitely worse. "Right away."
Sara skulked away, cursing her antagonizer under her breath. She pushed on a door marked employee's only and quickly hid behind it. As she peered out, she watched Evelyn stride across to another department.
"No! Damn it!" She was going towards Shawn's desk. Shawn may have never given Sara the time of day, but he was still her man. No one else was supposed to fool with him. "DAMN IT!"
It's not like Evelyn had any interest in him either, but he just drooled over her everytime her 5'11", freak of nature body walked by. All bitch, breasts, and nothing else. Sara would love to put that prom queen from a Russ Meyer movie in her place.
Look at him, he fidgets like a schoolboy when she's near, can't finish a single sentence, and puffs out his chest like an ostrich. Jerk. The cute ones are such superficial slime.
She slammed the door shut and turned on her heel. In her haste, Sara almost slipped and fell to the ground. Her head swirled around as her equilibrium gave way. As she flailed about wildly, she knocked over an open box and sent hangers flying across the concrete floor. Sara just stared at the mess she caused. After a few seconds, she clenched her fists and stamped her foot. She stamped it so hard, she managed to rip a large tear in the thigh of her tight Khakis. She tried to pinch the edges of the hole together, but it refused to close. When she let go of the fabric, the tear lengthened as it spread back out.
"Oh, damn it!"
Well, they were pretty old and they felt like they were shrinking in the wash anyway. Still, she couldn't help but gripe one last time.
"Yes, life sucks."
The street lights were on in full force that night. Shining with a white intensity that burned the vision. Two joggers turned a corner and began their journey up a long hill in one such city street.
"Thanks for coming out with me tonight Ben, I really didn't feel like doing this alone."
The sunglasses on his face bobbed up and down on his nose that was slick with runner's sweat. He continued to gaze forward as Sara shied away from the glare of the overhead lamps.
"Anything for you Sara, there aren't many people who have the same patience with me like you do. I know it can't be easy leading a running blind man." He carried his walking stick in a holster strapped to his back. To his knowledge, they hadn't invented a running stick. For this he was thankful, but he kept it to himself.
"Mail box to your left, about four seconds ahead."
Ben dodged the obstacle easily, he could hear the blunt way it blocked the oncoming wind as he passed it.
"So, how far do you want to go today Benny?"
"Up to the third, and over to the beach. It's been a while since I've heard the waves."
"Ooo, that's quite a-ways for one night. I'm impressed."
Ben smiled to himself.
"As long as you think you can handle it my dear. You already sound like you're having a rough time of it over there."
"It's these cramped sneakers. I think I've just been on my feet all day today and most of yesterday and their getting back at me for all of the pain with a little suffering. Normally I'd obey them and stick to the sofa, but I had to get out of the apartment and away from all of my thoughts. Trash can on your right, six seconds."
"Well I'm glad you called me instead of a pizza guy to help solve your problems."
"And how, though I have to admit a pizza doesn't sound so bad right about now."
"Finish this bad-boy off and the pepperoni is my treat."
"That's a deal. Car behind us, single file."
Ben slowed for a split second and then jumped behind Sara. He listened to the sound of her footsteps and managed to stay a few close feet behind her.
"You're running pretty fast tonight, I'm not used to your quicker pace."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was moving so quickly." Sara slowed and moved a bit to the side to allow Ben to catch back up. She came to an abrupt halt.
"I didn't mean for you to stop. Sara? What's wrong? Say something." He listened in distress. His breath catching in the core of his throat. All he could hear was a light shuffling and nauseated moaning, it seemed to come from all around him in his frustration. "SARA!"
"I'm here. I feel sick all of a sudden. I think it's going away."
"Didn't that happen this morning too? I'm worried, maybe we should cut this short and head back home. I'll even throw the pizza in anyway."
Sara stood up and tested her balance.
"I think that might be a good idea, so much for a mind-clearing run. But my feet are really hurting me and I don't want to take my shoes off out here. Can I lean on you the way back Ben?"
"Uh, sure. Yeah! Here, let me help you."
Sara began to hobble over to her friend's waiting arm when she stopped and looked at him questioningly. Unable to see her face, he deduced that she had a problem by her hesitation.
"Is something else the matter? You're not beginning to feel worse are you? I can get a cab if you need."
"No it's just ... Ben, how tall are you?"
He was taken slightly aback at her query, but smiled just the same.
"I don't know, I've never seen the scale when the doctors are done with me. I think it's on my I.D. but I'm afraid it's not in braille, or even with me for that matter. Why do you ask?"
"Um, no reason. Let's go. Trash can is coming back up, ooh."
Sara dropped herself on to a couch while Ben went to get her a glass of water. She could hear him tapping around toward the cupboards. She was trying to kick her little Nikes off her feet, but they wouldn't budge. With one foot on the heel of the other shoe, she pushed with as much force as she could muster.
They were glued on quite tightly.
Finally, letting frustration overcome her laziness, she began to unlace them. When they were loose enough, Sara slipped them off and took off her socks. Red marks crisscrossed across the tops of her feet where the shoelaces had bit into them. She rubbed them as best as she could.
"What the?" The reflective purple nail polish on both her toes and fingers had begun to peel away in several spots. "I just put this on this afternoon!" It had retreated from the edges of each one of her nails and wouldn't go back regardless of how much she rubbed them. The faucet turned on.
"Something wrong in there?"
"This polish I got last week is defective! It's coming off!"
"Well, it looks fine to me." He walked over to her with a full glass, careful to step around the footstool. Sara smiled.
"Gee, thanks." She looked back at her toes and wiggled them. "I can't believe how cheap this stuff is though. One jog, and it even wasn't much of a jog, and it comes off."
"Return it, get your money back. I'd be happy to do it for you if you weren't feeling up to it."
"I wonder what other stuff I have is going to muck up on me today. I'm sorry Benji, did you say something?"
"No, not really."
"I'm going to go change, these shorts are really riding up and... OH!" As she stood up, the world turned upside down again. She didn't have time to mull over it long when pain seared through both of her ears. She yelped and brought both of her hands to the side of her head.
"What is it? Sara? What is it?"
"All of a sudden my earrings were pinching me, quite a bit too." She threw them down on the floor in disgust. "What else is going to go wrong this week?" She stomped out in a huff.
Ben quietly moved to the floor where he began to feel for her discarded earrings and put them in a safe place for her.
Sara had a headache; it was a small one but it had the potential to become wicked indeed. Her bedroom looked uncomfortable for some inexplicable reason and it did nothing for her disposition. She looked at herself in the mirror for a few seconds then sneered. She grabbed the bottom of her jogging shirt and began to pull it over her head. She stopped.
Sara stared at the mirror as she pulled her shirt down as far as it could go. She let it dangle loosely. Her belly button was peeking out from underneath the lower hem. She tugged on it again and then let go. The cotton, though a little sticky with her light sweat, shifted back to where it was and her navel once again peered out. Sara stood up a little straighter and watched as her shirt creeped up a little more. Not only could it not cover all it used to, but her stomach looked slightly leaner; maybe even a little stronger, not to mention...
Sara tore her shirt off and leaped closer to the mirror. Her sports bra had always had the irritating habit of squishing her already small chest further against her body, but as she examined herself she saw that this was not exactly the case. She slowly brought her hands up to her torso and patted herself.
This was not a delusion, her breasts were larger; and not by just a little either. They were a good cup size bigger and firm enough to push out the tight fabric quite nicely. She could do nothing but stand in astonishment. Her eyes moved to the top of the mirror.
She cocked her head in speculation, something was oddly different. After a few more seconds she whirled her head around and scanned her bedroom. It wasn't just the mirror. It was her dresser, the bookshelf, the night stand, even the doorway. Everything looked, somewhat...
Smaller.
Sara's breathing was shallow from a mixture of fear, excitement, and even a little horror. She ran to her dresser and tore open her sock drawer. Frilly, multicolored footwear flew through the air as she searched for what she wanted. Back in high school, a cruel classmate had given it to her on her birthday as a gag gift. She never knew exactly why she had kept it; she never had any need or desire to use it, until now. Sara stopped and closed her hand around a small roll of measuring tape. Her hand trembled as she took it out of it's hiding place. She turned and picked a nice spot to use.
Feet firmly planted on the ground, Sara leaned up against the wall. She closed her eyes and stretched as tall as she could. With an eyeliner pencil she made a small mark just above her head. After turning around she looked at at it for a few moments. It just stared back at her, almost mockingly. She unraveled the measuring tape and let it fall to the floor; she pulled it taut. Sara blinked, than stared into the distance as the tape fell to the ground.
It had read 4'11"... and a half. She was almost five feet tall. There wasn't a mistake, she had checked it twice. She had to sit down.
"What the hell is happening to me?" There was no answer and she had really been hoping for one. The khakis she had torn earlier was in the corner, the shoes she had trouble with were there too. They probably wouldn't go on any easier now then they had that afternoon.
"Sara? Are you okay in there?"
Benjamin, he was still there. She had to go back out in the living room.
"You didn't fall down again did you?"
"No Ben, I'll be right there."
"Good, because the pizzas are here."
Sara stood and took one last look in the mirror. Her sports bra was always a little tight and it didn't feel all that different, even though it sure did look different when she stared at it. She took it off and gawked at her new body. She had always been petite, but as she examined herself "petite" wasn't the word that best described her anymore. She was still pretty short, but her breasts were firmer and rounder instead of slightly drooping and pointy. Sara carefully touched them, pulling her fingers away when she felt their warm tips whisper across her chest.
They were real. They were huge. Well, maybe not huge; but they were certainly bigger (and better) than they were this morning. A light breeze flowed into the room through the open window, chilling her warm skin and sending a pleasurable tingle through her body. They were sensitive. They were quite lovely. Sara smiled, but quickly frowned.
How the hell did this happen? I need some pizza.
"Feeling better?"
"Yes, now that I have this." Sara hefted a large slice of olive and mushroom to her lips and bit off a nice large chunk. She kept staring at Ben, trying to ascertain if he looked any smaller to her.
Should I tell him?
Ben was nibbling on a piece of plain cheese pizza and listening to the news on the television.
No, not yet.
"I sure am glad we called this order in while coming back. I don't think I could have waited a half an hour after getting here."
"Uh huh." Sara reached over to Ben's bag and pulled out his wallet as quietly as she could. Luckily, it was on top since he just tossed it in after paying for the pizzas. She looked up at him to see if he had heard her, but his ears were still pointed at the incoming news. She slipped out his identification card and examined it. She quickly saw what she wanted to see : HT : 5' 9". Sara nodded to herself and put both back from where she had taken them. She finished off her slice, chewing contentedly.
"Do you need anything Sara? More water? A napkin? Wine?"
"I'm fine Ben, thank you."
There was a dry tone to her voice that made him feel underappreciated. He didn't dare show it out of fear of hurting her feelings. He was just content with helping her out of his own kindness if that's all it meant. He didn't know it, but she was staring at him smiling.
Sara leaned back in her chair and watched with contented satisfaction as the lower cuff on her blue sweats slid up her calves. She looked at her stomach and saw where her shirt was again too small to cover all of her burgeoning upper body. Two small bumps were protruding from on top of two good sized mounds through her gray t-shirt; she giggled.
"Did I say something funny?" Ben secretly hoped he had.
"I just remembered a joke Steph told me today."
He sighed. Sara had the uncontrollable urge to measure herself again.
"Ben?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm feeling pretty tired, I think I'd like to go to sleep now."
"Oh, I guess I'll be going then. Are you sure you don't need anything before I go?"
"I'll be okay Benji, thanks for all of your help tonight. It was really sweet of you."
Something in his soul soared briefly and he got to his feet.
Sara went over to the door to show him out. She looked at him from head to toe. He was hearing his thick running shoes that protected his toes from blindly hitting obstacles. They gave him a good, extra two inches. In her bare feet she could still tell that he was shorter to her than before.
"Well Sara, I had a really good time tonight. We should do this regularly, don't you think?"
"That's not such a bad ide... uh," she doubled over and put a hand to her head as it began to spin again. It passed quickly and she blinked as her vision cleared. She was staring at her toes and she marveled at the peeling polish that had visibly retreated further from the edges of her nails.
"Sara, are you having another spell? Maybe I should stay a little longer."
"NO! Ben I'm fine. Thank you. I have to go." She slammed the door in his face.
He sighed again and slowly began walking out of her building. As he stepped out onto the street, he turned his head and pointed his ear at her bedroom window. After a few seconds he heard her squeal with delight. He continued walking.
Sara slept soundly on her tiny mattress, she had sprouted to just over five feet before she climbed into bed. She knew that the light feinting spells were directly related to her "spurts" and she was looking forward to future ones.
She dreamed of walking down a runway in high heels and skimpy clothing designed by snooty French people. Towering over her peers in the dressing room as they all changed into their next ensemble. They would look at her with awe, wonder, and great envy. She never needed any of those fancy push-up bras to enhance her image. Sara was firm and proud; a goddess. Everyone knew it and she loved it. She had everything she ever dreamed of and more.
Oh yes; she slept soundly.
A bird twittered outside the window. The brisk morning wind pushed aside the curtain and sunlight flooded the bedroom.
Sara wrinkled her nose and turned over. She unconsciously tugged on her bedspread and it slid upward; exposing her feet. They dangled over the bed post and quickly chilled. It roused her slightly and she felt a light cramping all over her body. She stretched and arched her back. Her head pressed against one end of the bed and her legs slowly extended farther over the edge, the cuff on her sweats never peeking out from under the sheets. The polish on her toenails had completely flaked off during the night. She curled herself into a ball and snoozed for a few more seconds.
The bird sang again.
Sara opened her eyes. She didn't have work until the afternoon again so she had time to sleep in, but she didn't want to do that. She swung her legs over and set her feet on the ground, smiling about how little time it took them to hit the hardwood. She slowly stood up, everything moving farther down her field of vision. Her pants were very tight in the hips, stretched tight across them and not able to totally reach up to her waist, the top band of her black panties poking out over the hem. Neither pant leg reached past her calves, instead they hugged her legs just below the knees and the fabric clung to her thighs with no room to spare. Sara walked over to mirror.
Her eyes widened in amazement. The gray fabric of her t-shirt sleeves had crept half-way up her upper arms. Her shoulders had become broader and quite a bit stronger. And...
She cocked her head to the side a little and looked at the bottom of her shirt. Beneath it, the lower half of her breasts bulged out. They had grown so large her shirt couldn't cover her stomach or lower back any more.
Now they're huge.
She ran her long fingers underneath them, smiling as she did. Sara slowly lifted her shirt over the top of them. They were firm globes that stuck out from her chest; dark and tan like the rest of her skin and they shined with a dull light in the morning glow. She dropped the hem of her shirt and raised her arms above her head; gazing at her lithe body in the mirror as she did a quick twirl.
A D-cup now I should think.
Sara spied the mark she had made the night before on the wall and tip-toed up to it.
She was about eye-level with her last mark. She stood up against the wall and made a new one. After careful measuring she sat down back on the bed and looked at the tape.
Sara was now 5'3". She leaned back and took a glance around her room. Things looked smaller; not by much, but it was noticeable. Her sweats rode down a little bit more as she squirmed. She took one last look around the room, rolled onto her back as she kicked her legs in the air and screamed with glee.
"Hello?"
"Stephanie?"
"Hey Sara. Wow, I slept in pretty late today. I guess I should thank you for calling."
"Later, you have to get over here right now."
"What the hell for?"
"I'll show you when you get here, just get your ass out of bed and hurry up."
"All right, geez."
"Oh, and Steph?"
"What?"
"You're about 5' 4" aren't you?"
"Yeah, why?"
"No reason, can you bring that red skirt of your's over with you and a couple of shirts to go with it?"
"Should I be worried about this?"
"No. But hurry up!"
Stephanie slid a quarter into the parking meter and turned the handle. The 'time violation' tag disappeared and was replaced by the minute pointer. She had an hour and a half with her change and didn't know if that would be enough with what Sara wanted to show her. She shrugged and headed up the steps with a few coat hangers of clothing.
Stephanie expected that maybe she wanted dress up together and go out and do something special. Or maybe an old friend had stopped by and needed something clean to wear. She stopped in front of Sara's door and pressed the buzzer a few times. A nearby speaker crackled.
"Steph?"
"Yeah it's me. Open up will ya?"
"All right, but get ready for a surprise."
Stephanie heard Sara unlatch the door and turn the knob. It quickly opened and she stepped inside, her friend was hiding behind it. She looked around.
"So? The pad is a little messy. It's always like this."
"Oh? Well then, how does this shake you?" Sara closed the door and stood next to it with a smile.
Stephanie turned around and looked at her. She blinked a few times and looked down, expecting to see Sara standing on a step stool. Her eyes went wide as she saw her friend's bare feet on the floor and sweat pants that ended just above her smooth shins. Her face went pale and she backed up with an open mouth.
"What the he... he... HELL!" She almost tripped over backwards but Sara caught her by the arm. She clapped a hand over her Stephanie's mouth and bought a finger to her lips.
"Shhhh!"
She struggled to breathe, almost hyperventilating with hysteria. She kept shaking her head and her red hair trembled with her shivering.
Sara fought to keep down her own giggling, she kept staring at her friend's wide eyes. Trying to calm her down with quiet words and a comforting look.
Stephanie dropped what she was carrying and it slipped to the floor. She looked Sara up and down once more and, after another moment, nodded her head.
Sara slowly removed her hand and took a few steps backward. She smiled.
"Well? What do you think?"
"I, uh... I... WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU!?!"
Sara rolled her eyes and pushed Stephanie into the bedroom.
"Will you shut up!" She kicked the dropped clothes across the floor and closed the door.
Stephanie fell back onto the bed and kept staring. She calmed down a little as her perspective changed; but she knew if she stood up again, things would go back to the way they were.
Sara folded her arms in front of her and cocked an eyebrow in annoyance.
"Are you all right now?"
"I think so." Stephanie looked back down at Sara's feet. They were firmly planted on the floor. Her pant legs were still at their shorter length. The waist was tight around her wide hips and the white t-shirt was not covering all that it should have been covering. She tilted her head to get a better view of the bottom of Sara's expanded breasts. She looked like she might shout again. Stephanie looked back up. "Are those real?"
"Yep. Not bad huh?" Sara arched her back and jutted them forward. The hem of her shirt slid up past her nipples and she laughed at her image in the mirror.
"Sara!"
"What?"
"What is going on?"
Sara shook her head, her eyes filled with wondrous excitement.
"I don't know! I don't think I really care! Look at me! I'm gorgeous!"
"Sara, you've grown, like, over half a foot overnight. That's not normal."
"So? I feel great! And just look at me!" She twirled in place and her hair whirled about her head.
"So this doesn't worry you at all? Waking up and suddenly have gone through a quick second puberty isn't bizarre!?!"
"Actually, it started yesterday. Remember when I got dizzy and almost fell over at the coffee shop? Well that's happened a couple of times since and each time I seem to have gained a little height."
"Don't you want to go to the doctor or anything? Aren't you scared?"
"Hell no!"
Stephanie jumped back a little.
"I told you I feel great. If I go to the hospital, they might find a cure or something." Sara ran her hands lovingly over the firm globes on her chest, "and I'm not about to have that happen."
Stephanie slowly stood back up. Sara was still a little shorter than she was, but not by much. She had always silently pitied her friend for being so short. But now that she had apparently overcome that little handicap, she wasn't sure what to make of it. Whatever was happening to Sara, Stephanie had to admit she looked fantastic and certainly seemed happier with her situation.
"So what are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to go out and enjoy not being tiny, that's what I'm going to do."
"You can't go out dressed like that! Look at you, your shirt can't keep you decent and your pants look like they'll tear if you bend your knees."
"Well, my dear, that's why ... oh," Sara stumbled over and grabbed hold of her desk chair to keep herself on her feet.
Stephanie moved to help her then stopped and watched in astonishment.
The cuffs on her sweats, slightly huddled up above her calves, began to unbunch and travel upward where it stretched sideways to accommodate her strong thighs. The waistband tried to squirm it's way down, but Sara's hips forced it to stay put. Her shirt quit trying to cover her chest and slid past her nipples; they were stiff and perfect as they topped two large, firm, and as Stephanie noted, slowly-swelling breasts. One pant leg tore, she looked down to see Sara's tan skin poke through as the fabric gave way. The other leg squeezed her thigh as it refused to give; Sara stepped forward and, as her foot touched the ground and her muscle tensed, it split as well. Strings of cotton frayed loosely around the new openings as they widened little by little with slight rips.
Then it stopped.
Sara reopened her eyes and stood back up to her new full height. In her bare feet she was now a little bit taller than her friend. She smiled at Stephanie, who backed up a little.
Stephanie looked Sara up and down again. Her arms had gained a little definition and were certainly stronger. She had broader shoulders to match and what was left of her sweats hugged whatever it could showing that every other inch of her body was strong and firm.
"I'll ..., I'll be going now. You can ..., can keep the clothes. I need to go home ... now." She quickly grabbed her purse, not taking her eyes off of Sara. She backed out of the bedroom and made a quick dash for the door. In a moment, she was out and Sara heard the front door close.
Sara just smiled, giggling quietly to herself. She bent over to pick up the dress that was dropped on the floor. As she did, the back of her pants split and she felt the cool breeze from the window play against the smooth skin of her rear, the red thong underwear she was wearing squeezing her in familiar ways. She just laughed again and moved to her mirror where she began to hold up Stephanie's dresses in front of her.
"C'mon, pick up the phone." Benjamin drummed his fingers on his dining table. He was quite a good cook when he worked at it, everything in his kitchen was organized and easy for him to find. He poked around for the other half of the eggs benedict he had made and stuck a small forkful in his mouth and chewed nervously. The phone rang again for about the tenth time. He was about to set the receiver down when he heard something on the other end click.
"Hello?"
"Sara?"
"Yeah. Ben? Is that you?"
He breathed a sigh of relief, even if she did sound slightly perturbed about the call.
"It is, I really wanted to check up on you. I was worried after last night."
"That's sweet of you Ben, I'm just fine thanks."
Salvation!
"But I'm kind of busy right now, I can't really talk."
Defeat.
"You're sure your okay? You don't need anything?"
"Yeah I'm sure, I'm getting ready for work."
There was an awkward pause as Ben couldn't think of anyway of getting Sara to stay on the line. Then Sara spoke up again.
"Did Stephanie talk to you?"
"No, I haven't heard from her since yesterday. What was that? Did you tear something? You're not still getting those dizzy-spells are you?"
"No, I'm just realizing that I'm going to have to go sockless today. Talk to you later Benji."
"Wait, I wanted to know if you wanted to do something after work."
But he got no response. Ben sat in his chair, after a few seconds he heard a click as the operator disconnected their lines, then he heard a dial tone. He slumped in his chair and let his arm go slack, the phone hung limply in his hand. He sniffed once, smelling his cooling breakfast as he began to faintly hear the automated recording.
"IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A CALL, PLEASE HANG UP AND TRY AGAIN; IF YOU NEED HELP, HANG UP AND THEN DIAL YOU'RE OPERATOR. IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A CALL, PLEASE HANG UP AND TRY AGAIN; IF YOU NEED HELP, HANG UP AND THEN DIAL YOU'RE OPERATOR. IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A CALL..."
The taxi slowed to a stop in front of the department store. It's patron handed over a ten to the driver and told him to keep the change. He was glad to get it. The checkered door opened and out stepped Sara.
Her feet were about a size and a half bigger and she had been forced to stop by Stephanie's to steal a pair of sandals that she could wear. Luckily her friend wasn't in at the time to wallow around in a nervous stupor again; she would come around soon enough and realize that this was a good thing.
Anyway, she was wearing an old pair of brown sandals with ankle straps and no socks. She went through three pair before she concluded that the material was too thin to be of any use. The sandals clashed slightly with her dark green dress, but it was the best she could do on short notice. Sara chose this dress because the hem ended around her knees and she really wanted to show off her new legs. It also hugged her arms fairly well; she had tested them out earlier and realized that she was stronger than before. Quite a bit more in fact, she had set about her apartment experimentally lifting things and found that she could lift almost twice what she could have the day before. She had always kept herself in good shape and was still lean and hadn't become much bulkier. It was quite a little piece of information to know.
The cab drove off behind her and Sara walked toward the front door of Nordstrom's. It was a nice warm day and the cool air-conditioning gave her a shiver as she entered the store. She went into the back store room and logged in for, what she expected to be, a nice day at work.
Her register greeted her and she set her personal belongings in a small cubicle under her desk and looked around her department. There was a good-looking gentleman rummaging through a rack full of sweaters. He wasn't as cute as Shawn but he was worth saying 'hi' to. She walked up to him brimming with self-confidence.
"Excuse me sir."
He turned around with a curt expression that quickly melted when he saw her. He smiled and almost dropped the belt he had grabbed earlier.
"May I help you?"
"Uh," he quickly composed himself, "why yes. I think I'll be buying a few of these." He nodded to a few of the plaid ones he had separated from the rest.
"Right this way sir."
He giggled and followed her stupidly.
Sara was eclectic. Usually men never gave her more than a quick glance. It was a wonder what a few inches could do to the opposite sex. Her patron couldn't keep his eyes off of her while she rang up his choices. She just stood there and basked in the attention. She hadn't felt this good about herself in a long time.
"Here's your change sir, and have a nice day."
"Thanks, I mean thank you." He turned his body without turning his head and began to walk away, tripping over his own feet a couple of times in the process.
And so the day went; she never had so many people actually buy things in her department during one shift. Men would buy items that didn't even look remotely attractive just to get a chance to say 'hello' to her.
It was around five o'clock that Sara had a chance to take a break. She walked on a cloud of air to the employee's lounge and sat at the table with her snack of yogurt and granola. She mixed the two together and ate it readily. She was absentmindedly flipping through a magazine, thinking about all of the notice she had received, when she heard somebody walk in to join her. She sat up as straight as she could and laughed at her minor action.
"Sara?"
Her mirth quickly soured.
"Yes Miss Drake?"
"What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be minding your section?"
"I'm on break Miss Drake. I haven't had the chance to take one for over three hours and quite frankly I deserve one."
"There are a number of customers waiting to be served at your counter and I think it's high time you got back to work."
Sara turned in her seat and looked up at her antagonist.
Evelyn Drake had always been an imposing figure of a woman to her, but now she didn't feel like being intimidated by her anymore.
"Listen, Evelyn," Sara slowly stood up, "I've been on my feet all day." At her full height, she still wasn't nearly as tall as Drake; especially since she was wearing heels like she always did. But instead of barely coming up to chest level, Sara's head was almost level with Evelyn's mouth. "I think after all the business I've gotten for your ungrateful ass today warrants me taking a few minutes of down time for myself."
Evelyn Drake had always enjoyed picking on Sara. She never felt like she got enough of a power trip with just being supervisor; so she took out her feelings of inferiority on this employee because she was so easy to push around. But something about this particular occasion didn't seem quite right; and more importantly, she didn't feel all that comfortable with the situation. Though she didn't really know why. She was even thinking about letting the 'ungrateful ass' comment slip by without reprieve. So she just blinked a few times in mild frustration.
"Very well; carry on." She turned on one high heel and walked out of the room.
Sara felt her mood pick up a few notches and then sat back down to finish her yogurt.
When she got back to her station, she looked up to see Evelyn Drake eyeing her from across the store, who quickly glanced away after being caught spying. Sara smiled again and looked around for any stray customers. There were probably were a few here and there, but she didn't notice them when her attention was caught by Shawn. He was sitting behind his own counter reading a book, waiting for a customer to approach with a problem of some sort.
She was still feeding off her high from her confrontation with her superior (though she used the term loosely) and felt bold enough to do what she had dreamt about doing for a long while now. Sara stood up a little straighter; practicing her inhaling as she watched her chest. Took one last pause to brush away a piece of errant granola and walked towards him.
Sara passed by a courtesy mirror and gave herself a quick wink as she approached Shawn. She didn't feel the slightest bit nervous doing what she had always feared doing before. She stopped in front of him and looked him up and down. He was still intent on reading his book and she could see his eyes go back and forth as he went over each line in his mind; he was fairly tall himself being a bit over six feet in height.
"Hello."
He looked up and saw her, probably for the first time. He blinked a few times and his eyes opened a little wider along with his slightly quivering jaw.
"Hi." Shawn put down his book and stood up, probably to experiment on how tall Sara was; he didn't seem disappointed. He was wearing thin jeans and a button up shirt. His light brown hair fell over his face and thin-framed glasses.
"I'm Sara, and you're Shawn." His brow furrowed in slight confusion. She just smiled at him. "I work over in formal wear and I've seen you here a couple of times before."
That was a lie but he didn't know that.
"Oh, it's nice to finally meet you."
"What are you reading?"
"Some Stephen King. I've always been found of a little horror."
"Listen, I was wondering if you'd like to maybe get a drink or something after work tonight." Sara had never been so direct before in her life, but this was an extra-special case. Shawn seemed slightly stunned.
"I'd love to Sara, my shift doesn't end until around eight but if you don't mind waiting till then I'd be happy to go out with you."
She cocked an eyebrow and silently congratulated herself.
"Can you pick me up in front of my apartment when you're ready?"
"Sure, just give me your number and I'll call you sometime around 8:30 tonight."
Sara picked up a pen and quickly scribbled her phone number on the back of a store receipt, Shawn stuffed it into his pocket.
"I'll see you tonight." She smiled again, watching him shiver at the sight, and turned around to walk away. She snapped her fingers and nodded her head in rhythm. "So quick and so easy. Yes, things are definitely lookin' up."
"What did you say miss?" The cab driver glanced in his rear view mirror.
"I said things are looking up." Sara ran her hand through her hair and pulled on a small tangle. "Got a date tonight with a guy I've had my eye on for a while."
"Congratulations, he's a lucky chap if I may say so."
"Why, thank you." She had received so many compliments today; she hoped she never got used to it.
"So what do you plan on doin' tonight, if you don't mind me askin'?"
"Drinks probably. Hopefully dinner afterwards; maybe even a movie. It's our first and I have to say I pray that things will go well."
"Well good luck then miss. Miss? Are you okay?"
Sara felt another wave of nausea wash over her, she quickly shook it away and looked down as her legs grew longer. The hem of her skirt hugged her thighs as they slid up slowly showing more of her swelling, tan skin. Her feet spread over the base of Stephanie's sandals, her toes sticking out ever so slightly over the edge. The leather dug into her ankles and she quickly bent over to take them off.
As she loosened them the fabric over one shoulder tore and her shoulder blade pushed through. Sara sat back up. The neckline began to slide over her expanding breasts; slipping further down to try and accommodate her swelling flesh. Her breathing became labored as the shrinking dress constricted her chest until it gave slightly as the stitching tore; white lace peeked innocently in between the struggling green threads.
"Stephanie is going to kill me for that." She kicked off the sandals and and fidgeted in her seat. She finished her growth spurt but could feel how tight her outfit had become; she tried not to move and further aggravate the fabric.
"You okay?"
She looked back up.
"Hmm? Yes, I'm fine. Oh, here's my building."
The cab came to a halt and Sara dug a ten out of her purse. She grabbed the sandals and stepped out on to the warm asphalt of the street. The waning hours of the day had cooled it off somewhat but it still made the soles of her feet tingle. It took her a few seconds to find her apartment key as she wasn't quite used to her longer fingers. She unceremoniously dumped her small footwear and purse on her living room chair and walked to her bedroom.
Sara was now about halfway between 5'6" and 5'7". She began to dance lightly around her room. She turned on her stereo and continued prancing about. She stopped at the mirror and took a long look at herself. It looked like her breasts hadn't done anymore filling out, they had swollen to quite an impressive size anyway and Sara was quite pleased with the results. Her posterior had filled out a bit more however. She was sporting a lean hourglass figure that she found delightful. The dress, which was a little short to begin with, just barely covered her lower endowments. She wiggled it a little bit for emphasis and ran her hands over her hips. Her long legs had become slightly more muscular and a lot longer. She looked incredible.
Sara looked at her bedroom window, it was open but the curtain was drawn and gently fluttering as the wind blew. She looked back at the mirror and bit her lip.
"I'm sorry Steph, but it's already a little ripped anyway." She grabbed a handful of green fabric with each fist and pulled downward. The hole surrounding her shoulder widened as the seam split easily in her grip. The sides gave way like newspaper with a sound akin to velcro separating. It tore completely, with Sara holding half of it while the other half slid down her smooth back, leaving her in her underwear. Sara posed again after tossing what was left of her former outfit in the corner. She stood up on her tip-toes and watched her calves flex. They were thin and trim, just like the rest of her.
"Oh yeah," she began to strut around the room, "gonna go out and have a good time for a change. And it's all thanks to you." Sara blew herself a kiss in the mirror and walked over to her closet. Her smile quickly faded as she began to take down hangars of clothes. Each outfit was obviously too small for her new body. Even the other ensembles that Stephanie had brought were a little tight. She threw them down in disgust.
"They were baby clothes anyway. It's time to treat myself right." She grabbed her purse and found a few credit cards. "Time to go shopping." She walked towards her door and stopped, looking down at her nearly bare body.
Doris whistled as she brought out a couple more shoe boxes out of the store room. She had a paltry existence but enjoyed her daily routine. Besides getting a new style of pump in, the only other exciting thing that had happened to her this week was getting a letter from her Uncle Roy; which she had left unopened on her nightstand for the last two days since she received it.
Truth be told, she wasn't all that fond of him. He was greasy and self-absorbed and never left the diner he owned in the small, unknown town where he lived. He hadn't even been down for the last seven family reunions.
Doris liked those family reunions.
She looked up as she heard someone come in the front door to the store. It sounded like a woman; and a fairly frantic one at that. Whoever it was, Phillys would handle it. Doris began to stack the boxes in nice, neat piles. She liked to call them the 'Great Pyramids of Doris.' She laughed to herself and placed the last box on top.
"Excuse me."
Doris was startled. She looked up to see a tall, brunette woman standing in the entryway into the shoe department. She was wearing what looked like a table cloth or bed sheet made into a skirt and a sweater that looked like it was meant to be worn bulky but she had it pulled tight over her chest; something that made Doris quite jealous. It looked like she had made an attempt to push up her sleeves but the cuffs were to tight to push up her forearms. She was also barefoot.
"May I help you?" Doris tried to use her most annoyed tone of voice.
"Do you have a foot sizer on hand?" She had dropped a black dress behind her, something off of one of the racks in front.
"You don't know your own foot size?"
The woman looked at a nearby table and grabbed a package of pantyhose.
"It's been that kind of day." She smiled sardonically.
Doris licked her lips and nodded to a corner. The woman walked over and found it under some loose papers. Doris noted how tanned and toned her patron was, she looked at her own arm and remembered how pale and wrinkled she was; her nose wrinkled in that same way.
The woman had apparently finished what she was doing and was skipping back over to her. Doris hated young women.
"I think I'll take one of these." She started picking through one of the 'Great Pyramids of Doris,' something Doris found extremely agitating. "These black heels will do fine. Thank you." The woman smiled again.
Doris found it hard not to smile back; she may have hated her, but she did have fascinating eyes.
She turned and went back to the front.
"Hmph." Doris shook her head. It wasn't fair to see women like that, it only reminded her of her own deterioration. She bent down to pick up a carelessly tossed aside box and shrugged. Maybe she would read that letter from her Uncle Roy when she got home.
Shawn looked at the numbers on the building walls. He passed on to another block and then found what he wanted. He slowed to a stop in a space right in front of the address Sara had given him. He made sure to call her right after he had gotten off of his shift. It was almost nine and he was anxious to get this date started.
He went to his place and quickly changed into clean jeans and a sports coat. He always struggled with casual and semi-formal and found this ensemble to be a nice in-between. He pushed on the parking break and turned off the ignition; he pulled down his sunshield to take a look at himself in the mirror on it's other side. He cocked an eyebrow and used his tongue to pry something loose from between two of his teeth. He nodded to himself.
"Yummy." Shawn opened his door and stepped into the street. He had never seen Sara at the store before and couldn't believe he had looked her over until now. It wasn't like him to miss someone like her for so long. Maybe she was in a department on the other side of the store. She was close to Evelyn Drake in beauty and a lot more accommodating. While Drake teased him all the time with her very presence, Sara was actually willing to go out on the town; and that was all the reason he needed to agree to the date.
He walked up the short flight of steps to the outer complex door. They were a pair of large oaken doors, designed to be fashionable and elegant when they were made thirty years ago. But they had lost something over the decades; at least they did so in his eyes. He navigated the hallway until he quickly came upon the apartment door he wanted. He pressed the buzzer and waited.
As he heard Sara approaching the door. He sucked in his gut and puffed out his chest slightly, like a bird showing off it's crest. She opened the door, and he was forced to breathe out in admiration. Damn. Shawn shook his head and 'ooed' softly. He looked at her head to toe and nodded.
"You look lovely."
Sara smiled.
Yep, the cheap compliments always do the trick.
"Hello Miss, my name is Shawn and I'll be your escort for the evening."
She giggled and he knew she would.
"After you milady, your carriage awaits us on the curb before your lovely home."
"Thank you Shawn."
He watched her step out and he closed her door behind her, making sure it was locked, and followed close behind her. He looked at her body from behind and sighed a sigh filled with desire.
She was wearing a tight black dress that hugged her body in all the right places. It came down almost to her knees and he stared at her great ass as her hips swayed while she walked, each cheek lightly bouncing up and down in succession in rhythm with her high-heeled steps.
Shawn licked his lips.
He could tell she did whatever she could to keep herself in shape. He mentally congratulated her on a job well done; it was a fine shape. Her outfit had very short sleeves he noted, as he traveled up her back. He marveled again at her size. He probably hadn't gotten a good enough glance back at work. He loved the tall ones; and she certainly qualified as one of them.
They walked out into the street and he paused to open the passenger door to his car. Chivalric acts always scored a few points. Shawn watched as Sara sat and swung her legs inside. He closed the door behind her and moved over to his side, humming to himself along the way. He got in his car and stuck the key in the ignition. He looked at his date.
"Ready?"
Sara smiled and nodded.
The engine turned over and the exhaust rumbled as smoke began to pour out of his dark blue Camero. He stepped on the clutch and shifted into first gear as he pulled out of the parking space and into the light traffic. As he did, he opened a little compartment by his side filled with tapes. Shawn rummaged past his copy of Barry White's Greatest Hits along with Enigma's first offering and chose a tape of assorted soft rock.
Better save the sex tapes for later; later that night when I play my cards right.
The speakers hummed into life, he stole a glance at Sara's long and firm legs, and he drove to one of his favorite bars.
Sara watched as Shawn opened the door to her side and offered his arm to her. She was almost too overcome by the romance of the moment to even grab it. She stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked around.
It had been a while since she had been to this part of downtown San Diego and didn't recognize this particular bar. It was a little grimy, but the same could be said for all bars, the thing that really caught her eye was the abundance of small bulbs flashing all over the front of it. They kept blinking in various formations and the effect quickly gave her a headache.
She turned her eyes away and watched Shawn hand over his keys to the valet. The guy licked his lips and promptly plopped himself behind the wheel and started the car.
Sara swallowed. Her date startled her by putting his hand on her shoulder. She smiled and walked with him inside. As the the saloon-style doors opened, the putrid waft of cigarette and cigar smoke blew against her and began to cling to every inch of her skin and clothing; she quickly winced. Shawn looked back at her.
"It's okay, there's a non-smoking area in the back. Their still having a little trouble coping with the new laws." He smiled reassuringly and Sara nodded in response.
A wrinkled waitress came up and looked at them expectingly. Shawn held up two fingers and the waitress put two fingers to her lips as if holding a cigarette; Shawn shook his head negatively. The waitress blew a a purple bubble and rolled her eyes. She started to walk around tables towards the back of the bar and Shawn beckoned Sara to follow. After navigating the table labyrinth through hazy mist, they walked through a small doorway, past a few bathrooms, and into a small back room that was obviously once a gaming area. The floor was worn in a few places where pool tables once sat and a dart board was set up against one wall that was covered in the holes of bad throws. The waitress motioned her hand to one table and scratched her smoke-scarred face as the couple sat down.
"What'll ya' have?"
Shawn looked up.
"I'll have a rum and coke and the lady will have a khalua shake."
She wrote down the order and promptly walked out. Sara stared at Shawn.
"Why did you order for me? How do you know what I want?"
"Trust me, this bar may not look like much. But they make a fantastic khalua shake. I thought we could have a few and talk before we went to dinner."
"So we are going to dinner?"
"Sure we are, what kind of cheap date do you think I am?"
Sara laughed.
"Actually, I was beginning to worry. So, how did you find this dive?"
"I came here when I first turned twenty-one. It's been kind of a tradition ever since." Shawn smiled. And a great place to soften up dates.
He stood up and fished in his pockets for a few quarters; he walked over to the jukebox and, after putting his money in the slot, chose a few selections. When he came back to sit down, Elliot Smith rose up softly over the aged speakers.
The waitress came back with his order and placed their glasses in front of them. She stood there for a few moments chewing her gum, until Shawn pulled out a ten dollar bill and laid it on her tray. She picked it up and stuffed it in her blouse contentedly, walking away while still chewing.
Sara sipped her shake, her eyes suddenly widening in surprise.
"Wow! This is really good; very sweet and not strong at all."
That's the point.
"I know, what did I tell you?" Shawn took a sip from his; he took the cocktail stick and stirred his drink a few times before pulling it out and setting it aside. While Sara busied herself with another taste, Shawn stole himself another gaze at her body. Her arms were strong and dark from tanning, they were extremely shapely and ended in long and smooth fingers. She had painted each of her nails to match her black dress. Her low neckline hugged her firm breasts close to her body, pushing them slightly upwards.
Set them free, can't you see their suffocating?
Her hair was long and curly, framing her beautiful face with it's straight nose, high cheek bones, and gorgeous amber eyes. Their eyes met as she set down her glass.
"So, Sara, how long have you worked at Nordstrom's?"
"Oh, just for about two weeks." Sara inwardly shrugged, he never even noticed her for the past year at the store.
"I can't believe we haven't met before"
"Yes, neither can I." They had actually; but just in passing. That was all in the past now; a past she didn't feel like returning to ever again. "So, what's the plan for the evening?"
"Well, I took the liberty of getting us reservations at Wolfgang's down in the Gaslamp District."
Sara's smile broadened.
"That place is tough to get into, and almost impossible on such short notice." She looked back at her drink and readied herself for another sample of it's soft sweetness.
"I pulled a few strings and called a few friends." Shawn glanced down at her long legs from behind the side of the table. They glistened in their dark hose under the soft bar light. She was wearing black open-toed pumps over her thin feet and he watched as she curled them slightly as she sipped her khalua. "And, if you feel up to it, I thought we'd catch a late movie afterwards." Shawn smiled with a raised eyebrow. He didn't expect it to go that far, they never did. Sara tilted her head back and drank the last of her drink. Shawn nodded in appreciation.
She's a natural.
Sara burped lightly.
"Excuse me!"
Shawn looked back and raised his hand, signaling the waitress.
"Would you like another?"
Sara couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun. She giggled bubbly as her salmon melted in her mouth, the light creamy taste swirling over her tongue. She looked up to her smiling date.
Shawn was a delightful man and quite the charmer. He emptied the last of their wine bottle into her glass, she watched as the red liquid curled around the edges of the crystal. He picked up his own and made a silent toast. Sara grabbed the thin stem and raised it in the air and then to her lips. It chased down the salmon magnificently and further warmed her stomach with comfort.
Shawn had said something but she didn't quite understand it through her mental haze, so she just nodded her head and smiled. Her whole body was tingling, she loved her new size and was pleased on how well the night was progressing.
Sara looked around the restaurant; it was fairly late and most of the patrons had left for the evening. But a few have them had stuck around and were drinking their last sips of merlot and watching the low lamps flicker with candlelight intensity.
She realized something was touching her and she glanced down to see Shawn's hand squeezing her thigh. It sent cool and not too unpleasant shivers through her body. Her muscles tensed at the lightly-tickling feeling and playfully removed it while laughing.
Shawn admired all of Sara. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her thighs were firm and toned from god knows what. Her smooth skin was perfect, unmarred, and smelled faintly of roses. It was intoxicating.
Intoxicating, hmm.
Sara moved his hand away, but did so without negative intent. He knew she was his.
I'll be fucking you in thirty minutes.
Sara smiled again. Shawn raised his hand for the waiter. When he arrived, Shawn waved him closer and whispered to him.
"We would like a healthy order of your Cherry Jubilee please, and don't be afraid of too much brandy."
The waiter closed his eyes and nodded emphatically.
"Very good sir, excellent choice." He turned on his heel and walked back to the kitchen. Sara put her chin in her hand and wrinkled her nose as coyly as she could muster.
"And what are you doing now?"
"I thought we would enjoy a little dessert."
"Ooo, sounds delightful!" She clapped her hands girlishly and licked her moist lips. Shawn slowly moved his feet forward until they bumped into Sara's under their small table. He saw her eyes flash but he didn't react. Sara, thinking she had done it herself, began to slide one of her black heels along the denim of Shawn's calf and shin.
Her demeanor impressed him, she was still in fair control of her senses and didn't give much sign of being quite fairly inebriated. He always found that as a remarkable strength of character; especially when concerned waiters and waitresses were, well, concerned.
Shawn reached across the table and took hold of one of Sara's soft hands; he carressed her fingers and then squeezed them as he gazed longingly into her eyes. He slowly took a deep breath, for emphasis on his next words.
"Sara?"
She cocked her head slightly in awareness of his question.
"I just want you to know what a wonderful time I've had tonight." Shawn looked down with a boyish look, he fixed his glasses in an uneven gesture. Sara thought it gave him an intellectual, yet strong, sense of shyness. "I have to admit I was a little nervous about tonight; it's not often I have the chance to go out with such an incredibly attractive woman such as yourself."
She blushed and bit her lip in response.
I bet she gives phenomenal head.
"I just had to thank you for the pleasure of your company." He squeezed her hand a little tighter. "I hope you allow me to experience this again some day soon."
"I've had a good time tonight too." She hiccupped behind the back of her free hand. "It's been a long time since could be with a man that is as funny and entertaining as you Shawn."
He turned his head as if to cough and mumbled.
"And handsome."
"And handsome!" She looked at him with wonder after her realization. He shook his head and laughed.
"Thank you Sara, I don't know if I deserve as much as that."
God bless those monks that invented alcohol.
"Oh yes! I've been watching you at the store for a while and you're really good-looking."
"Well, I've never thought of myself as such, especially with these glasses and all."
"No, I think they make you look sexy." Shawn adjusted the thin frames and gave his humblest expression. Sara began to squeeze his hand back.
That's right.
"Your Cherry Jubilee sir." The waiter set a small dish in front of them and lifted the lid. The sweet scent of tart fruit swimming in strong brandy was heavenly to the senses. The waiter brought up a lighter stick and clicked on the flame. The cherries blazed alight and Shawn quickly blew them out.
"Thank you my good man. I'll take it from here."
The waiter shrugged.
"Very good sir, I'll bring your check for you in a few minutes."
Shawn grabbed a bowl for Sara and began scooping cherries into it. Her also poured a few extra spoonfuls of sauce over them and handed it over.
"Bon appetite mademoiselle."
Sara's eyes shimmered. The heat from her bowl and the smidgen of French melted her heart. Her head swam freely in a euphoria that she couldn't explain; Shawn just made her feel light and glorious. She quietly ate her dessert and smiled longingly at her prince. He ate very little, just watching her every move; it made her feel special to have such attention.
Shawn grinned warmly. He watched as Sara put each spoonful in her mouth and swallowed them delicately. Her smooth neck rippled after each bite and her eyes closed as she relished the taste.
Cherry Jubilee had always been one of his favorite dishes. It had that sweet and unobtrusive flavor that he so admired. He looked at the time on his wrist and whistled the waiter over. It was almost midnight and he believed he was ready.
"Your check sir."
Shawn reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a number of large bills, flipping through them slowly and choosing a few relatively new and crisp ones.
"Thank you for a wonderful dinner garson. My compliments to the chef." Shawn stood and set out his arm for Sara. She slowly stood up and took hold of elbow. He was careful to guide and steady her as they walked to the front door. He pulled out a ticket and handed it to the valet. "Dark blue Camero, and please hurry." Sara wobbled a bit but he put his arm around her and pulled her closer, she sighed and put her head on his shoulder.
"Sara?"
"Hmm?"
"You know, it is getting rather late. Maybe I should take you home."
"You don't want to see a movie?"
"You look pretty tired. I think we should take a rain check." He hadn't bothered to check what was playing and when anyway. He knew it wouldn't have gone that far.
"Okay, I'd like that."
The valet returned with his car and Shawn opened up the passenger side door; Sara slouched into it. He skipped over to his side and gave the valet a couple of ones before quickly hopping behind the wheel and speeding off. He looked over at Sara as he turned into traffic.
"Why don't you take off your shoes? It'll make you a little more comfortable."
"Mmm, good idea. They're feeling a little tight anyway."
Shawn smiled, he looked at himself in the rearview mirror and picked out a sesame seed. He then glanced down at Sara's impressive mounds as they heaved up and down as she breathed quietly. Her eyes closed, she slipped off her heels and nestled back into relaxation. Shawn looked back forward, cocked an eyebrow, and stepped harder on the gas.
The police car was resting quietly by the side of the road at the corner of a lifeless intersection. A map light flickered on for an instant as one of it's two occupants peered into a small white bag. The outside of it was beginning to stain clear as he reached in and rummaged through it's greasy, fried contents. He pulled out a frosted donut with sprinkles and displayed it triumphantly to his partner who just shook her head in disgust and sipped her cooling hot chocolate. She squinted into the darkness, too vain to put on her glasses, and saw something slowly coming up the road to one side.
It was a bicyclist crossing in front of them. She looked at the late time on the clock and then tapped her partner's shoulder as she pointed out the window. He looked at the cyclist for a few seconds, then back at his donut, then shrugged and held up the bag again. She just rolled her eyes as the cyclist passed ahead.
He was singing to himself with each push of his legs, keeping rhythm with his tune.
"There she goes...," he took a deep breath and pedaled again, "there she goes again. Chasing down my lane." He loved that song, and the fact that musical artists kept redoing it didn't hurt either. "And I just can't contain, this feeling that remains."
He pedaled for a few more blocks and then stopped, looking in both directions. He reached for his water bottle and squeezed about half of a pint into his mouth before swallowing. Sweat had matted his long brown hair against his head under his helmet and it was starting to itch. He stretched out his arms and then scratched a small scar on one of his cheeks while he spoke aloud to nobody in particular.
"I can't believe how late it is. I must be nuts." He put his water bottle back in it's cage and yawned. "North, that's where I want to go. What I'm looking for, I'll find her up north."
He closed his eyes and listened, he heard the faint sound of the ocean off in the distance and looked down the crossing street. Setting his feet back on his pedals, he turned and began to make the slow grind uphill. The sidewalk eventually gave way to a gravel walkway, the drainage ditch along it was still muddy with rain from days ago.
"I should rent a car; maybe a jeep."
The road began to brighten as car approached him from behind. He stopped pedaling and pulled farther to the side. One couldn't be too careful with the number of drunk drivers on late nights. The car swerved slightly; it was a dark and an older model by the sound of the engine. There were two people in it and it looked as if the driver was more intent on his passenger than his own driving. The lights swerved and covered him for a second, then moved back to the road. Regardless, the bicyclist watched as the vehicle drifted towards the gravel walkway.
"Oh dear."
The car hit a pothole and jerked to the right. It only grazed the bicyclist, but it was enough to send him spinning. He hit the ground and skidded for a number of yards before coming to a halt on the edge of the ditch. He tried to lift his arm, but the shift in weight sent him over the side. He landed face down in a rivulet of mud and sent spray in every direction. A few bubbles surfaced in the thick muck. He raised his head, let a few drops of mud fall off of his thin goatee, and passed out with a dull splat.
Sara opened her eyes, Shawn was fixing the rearview mirror; apparently it was too low. She looked out the window.
"Did we hit something?"
"I don't think so. How are you feeling?"
"Mmm, it's so nice and warm in here. I'm really comfortable."
"Excellent, we're almost at you're apartment. You should get yourself ready." Shawn turned the corner and stole another look at his date's legs. They were long and gorgeous. Sara slid one cute foot along the curve of her left calve and settled back into her seat, pulling the tight hem of her black dress slightly lower. He was pleased to watch it slide back up.
A passing street lamp brought his attention back to the road. He turned another corner and began to look through buildings and addresses. He saw Sara's apartment complex, smiled, and pulled into an open spot.
As he stepped out of his car, Shawn twirled his key ring around his middle finger. There weren't any people wandering the sidewalks and he took slight comfort in that fact. He pulled a small tube of breath freshener out of his pocket and swallowed a few stinging sprays. He ran a hand through his light brown hair and walked over to the passenger side.
Sara smiled up at him warmly at the sound of the door opening. He offered her his arm as he had done so many times before. She picked up her heels and stepped out, slowly rose from the car and staggering slightly.
Shawn sighed a sigh of minor awe; he loved tall women and she was at the upper end of the scale. She wasn't as thin as he usually liked, he normally liked the anorexic and docile look that the scrawnier models tended to sport and Sara looked like she worked out regularly. But she would do for the evening.
She started forward, holding on to what she could as she walked. Shawn looked down and saw that perky rear of her's bob up and down with each step inside her, oh-so tight, black dress.
Oh yes, she will do for the evening.
They walked up the steps to her door and Sara tripped, beginning to fall backward. Shawn brought up both hands and grabbed a shoulder and put the other one on one firm cheek to help steady her. He then helped himself to a light squeeze. She was too startled and inebriated to notice.
"Thank you Shawn, I guess the ground is a little slippery. I should be more careful." She reached into her purse and rummaged for her keys as she approached the complex front door. He joined her on the building porch and scanned her from head to toe.
This is it Shawny boy, time to pork her blue.
He licked his lips as he watched her fish through her bag.
"Sara, maybe I should help you inside. You don't look well, I'm concerned about you." He nodded politely with a wry smile.
"Oh, that's so sweet! Sure you can come inside, I could use the help. Here are my ... ooo." As Sara pulled her keys free of her purse, her head began to spin and her surroundings began to blur. She dropped her keys and they clanged to the ground near her bare feet. She grabbed hold of the railing and moaned softly as if trying to shake a headache. Shawn immediately stepped in to comfort her.
"Careful there, don't worry I got you." His smile broadened as he moved his arms up and wrapped his hands around her chest, for support. "You could have taken another nasty spill there Sara, lucky for you I was ... uh." He had set her back up and took a step backward, unsure of what was happening. Her breathing had become shallow and he was worried that he had fed her too much wine.
The dress, which was already extremely form-fitting, seemed to be shrinking on Sara's body. While her hose remained the same the hem of her dress was sliding up her thighs, exposing more luscious flesh. One of the sleeves began to groan and he looked up to witness the stitching around her arm begin to pull apart. Her tan skin peeked through the new holes as her bicep began to bulge through the fabric. Her already huge breasts swelled and pushed upwards; there was a loud pop and they fell forward, still straining the material. Shawn saw that the sides of the dress had given way to accommodate her growing body, she apparently was not wearing a bra. The damaged sleeve had completely torn in two pieces and her toned arm flexed periodically as Sara continued to moan in delirium. She spun around.
The back of her dress stretched out as her hips widened; the stitching began to give way there as well until Sara bent her back to gain a better hold on the rail and the flimsy threads gave way with a loud tear. The white lace underwear and garter that was holding up her hose was flossing her firm posterior as the dress continued to split open upwards along her back. And then she appeared to stop growing, though Shawn could still hear an occasional ripping sound. Sara straightened up and turned back around. Shawn stared in astonishment.
She had grown a good three inches right before his eyes. She was almost as tall as Drake and he stood speechless, his jaw trembling in anxiety. Sara was smiling at him though nothing had happened. The front of her dress had torn slightly, where the sides had not given, allowing her cleavage to bulge further forth. The incredibly perky mounds jiggled slightly as she staggered in her drunken stupor.
"I think I had a little too much to drink."
Shawn just blinked. He knew he still wanted to ride her; but he wasn't entirely sure what had happened, or how to proceed. He was about to suggest that they go inside quickly when she looked down.
"Oops! I've dropped my keys." Sara bent over to pick them up; as she did she arched her back slightly and the front of her dress sundered under the massive weight. The heavy mounds spilled out and sent black fabric falling to her sides. Shawn's mouth fell open and his body went slack.
Sara stood back up and felt the back of her head strike something. She thought she heard a loud popping and she brought up her hand to rub her hair. The back of her hand connected with something solid and the sound of metal crashing together rang out. The fuzzy surroundings clarified and she found that Shawn had left. She shrugged, causing her other shoulder to tear through the black fabric, and unlocked the door. She stepped into the hallway, closed the door behind her, and slowly walked to her apartment.
Behind the steps, bruised and bleeding from his lip, Shawn picked himself out of the garbage can he had fallen into. Coffee grounds and pizza cheese dripped off of his sport jacket. A flat soft drink was spilling into his left shoe and a carton of old eggs had cracked into his hair. He stood up and warm yolks oozed over his face and into his eyes. Shawn felt his jaw, it was tender from where Sara had hit him with her head and he thought she had knocked out a permanent tooth. The backhanded slap sent him over the side railing and flat on his ass. His head spun lightly. He heard the soft sound of shoes clapping towards him.
Two friends were walking along the sidewalk. Their laughing stopped when they saw him. One of them looked him up and down, reached into his pocket and pulled out a few one dollar bills. He stuck them in Shawn's breast pocket, wiped off some pizza sauce on a clean spot on Shawn's pants, and continued to walk on his merry way.
Sara opened her front door and threw her keys on the ground, missing the table she was aiming for by a good three feet.
She was euphoric, the date had gone phenomenally well but she was a little perturbed at how abruptly Shawn had departed. Oh well, she would see him again at work soon enough. She dropped her shoes and kicked them near her keys. As she walked to her bedroom a few stitches that were holding on to their last threads broke one by one. Their popping lit up the silent hallway with sound but went unnoticed by the drifting Sara.
The light stung her eyes as she turned on the switch; squinting she found the pair of sweats she had stolen from Stephanie along with a t-shirt. She slung them both over a chair. Sara was about to wrench her tight dress off of her body when she tripped over her own feet and stumbled, knocking over a small table in the process. When she righted herself, she found that she had already taken off her dress. It lay in a messy state on the ground and Sara was left standing only in her thong panties and dark hose. She sat on the cold wooden floor and removed the hose then stood back up and stretched, raising her arms high into the air; she felt fantastic.
She grabbed Stephanie's sweats and stepped into them. She had to work getting the top band all the way up to her waist. The middle seam dug playfully into her crotch as she tugged and smiled at the sensation. She pulled the lower cuffs up past her calves to relieve the strain on her legs. They were tight all around her hips, but she didn't care.
The t-shirt wiggled on like plastic wrap and hugged her breasts delightfully. She jumped up and down and reveled in how they bounced heavily with the fabric. Sara turned off her lights and tiptoed into her living room. She sat down on her couch, the springs creaking under her unaccustomed weight, swung her long legs onto the cushions, and promptly fell asleep.
The quilt Sara had covered herself with had easily fallen to the floor. She was lying on her back as the clock on her wall ticked the seconds of the night away. It rang as three o'clock came and went and she shifted one arm above her head.
Sara fidgeted, her brow wrinkling. One of her feet was relaxing on the arm rest and it slowly began sliding farther over the edge. Millimeter by millimeter it crept, leaving the unbunching pant leg behind. The sweats tightened around her expanding hips. Already too small, they only held on for a few moments before splitting down the middle, the pieces flapping to the sides, the rest still being pinned beneath her. Sara's shirt stretched around her chest, the fabric pulling on her back as her firm breasts pushed against the unyielding cotton. Her stomach quivered as the cool night air drifted across her exposed navel; her giggling sending quick ripples through the firm muscles.
Sara began to moan softly through her humming lips, her head tossing lightly back and forth. Her thong panties were slipping into her sensitive folds as they constricted her growing form. She bit her lower lip as slight pleasure coursed through her, sliding one of her feet along the inside of her other leg, trying to increase the contact between the tightening threads and her engorging womanhood. Finally, the pressure became too great and her underwear burst apart with a wet snap. As it did, Sara arched her back in a miniature orgasm; the new strain proved too much for her shirt and the neckline tore. Her enormous breasts forced themselves free and the shirt continued to tear with each passing breath. It stopped near the lower hem, which had wrapped itself comfortably beneath her large mounds; tickling the undersides pleasingly.
Sara smiled and let out a long sigh. When she finished, she turned over on to her side; one pant leg splitting in the process. She finished her night in relative peace; her amber eyes flitting in an erotic dream.
The clock began to gong again, striking nine times and finally waking up the tall woman that was lying on the couch. She swept some of her lightly curled, brown hair away from her face and opened her eyes. Both of her legs were hanging over the armrest and she crunched her long toes as she stretched. She then swung them over to the ground and stood up. She smacked her dry mouth a few times and ran her fingers along her bare side to rub away an itch; then she stopped. She scratched a few more times and realized she wasn't scratching through any clothing. She looked down at her body.
Sara gasped. The shirt she was wearing was in tatters. The front was totally gone and one shoulder had torn through. One pant leg was squeezing her thigh while the rest of her sweats dangled loosely from it. The waist of her panties was still there, it had risen up to around her navel and the crotch had torn. She looked up and found that ceiling had come down by quite a bit. Sara smiled and gazed around her apartment in wonder. She abruptly stopped and ran to her bedroom, not bothering to cover up her naked body.
She quickly went to the wall where she had been measuring herself and made another notch with her eyeliner pencil. She turned and saw that her new mark was a good deal higher than her last 5' 6" check. She eagerly grabbed her measuring tape and began to reel it out; Sara pushed one end with her foot against the wall and stretched it taut. She laughed at the results. The tape only went up to seventy-two inches, or six feet, and she almost had that beat with her astonishing, new 5' 11" body.
"And a half!" Sara strode over to her mirror and was forced to bend down a little to see all of herself in it's refelctive surface. She tilted it back to see her face and fell in love with what she saw. With her left hand, Sara tore away what was left of her pants and used her right to remove her shirt; she stood defiantly in nothing but the thin silk remains of her panties.
She looked at her smooth legs, turning around to see her tight derriere. She always worked to keep herself in shape, but whatever was happening to her had taken it to another level. Sara ran her hands along her sides; she had a very trim waistline with a firm stomach and gorgeous hips. Her breasts were round and extremely perky, despite their immense size, with large and dark nipples; the tips proudly erect from the rough aureole. She rubbed them for a few seconds and felt the familiar chills run through her. Her shoulders were broad and easily supported her chest. Sara brought up one arm and curled it to watch her bicep flex. It was fair, but well-defined, like her whole body; femininely muscular, athletic, lithe, and strong.
"I am a goddess!" Sara spun a few more times and then stopped in mild confusion. She remembered Shawn giving her a ride back the night before, but she couldn't remember what had happened after that. She shrugged.
Oh well, I'll see him today anyway. He thought he liked what he saw before, he'll flip over me now!
She squinted at her statuesque body once more and then at her closet. She smiled and skipped over to it.
"Supermodel!" Sara threw open the door and began tossing pairs of shoes and boxes out onto her bedroom floor. After a few minutes she found what she was looking for and tossed it on her bed. It was a dusty cardboard box with a ribbon tied around it. It was meant to be a birthday present for Evelyn Drake; of course, that was before Sara knew what a complete and total bitch she was.
She opened the box and found a dark purple business suit and skirt. The jacket might be a little tight, but the rest should fit just about right.
All right, this is it.
Benjamin opened up his beaten-up backpack and took out the bag of bearclaws. He checked the styrofoam cups of coffee in his little carryall to see if they were still piping hot. The man at the donut shop was always good to him, making sure the breads and drinks were fresh, but this was a special case. He then grabbed his walking cane which he had leaned against the wall and knocked on the door. His keen ears heard Sara curse somewhere in the back of her apartment. He could feel his knees shaking. She called out.
"Who is it?"
"It's ... Benji."
She paused for a moment.
"Okay, hold on a second." She unlocked the door and opened it. He lifted up the bag and coffee.
"I brought breakfast!" He stepped inside.
"Ben! That's so sweet." She closed the door behind him. Sara smiled, she watched him as he walked and felt her heart skip a beat when she realized that she was a little taller than her friend; regardless of the fact that he was wearing shoes while she was still barefoot.
"Are you okay? Your voice sounds a little ... husky."
"Really? I didn't realize."
Benjamin turned his head towards her, as if trying to work out a mental problem. Sara realized what he was doing and stooped over before speaking again.
"Please, sit down."
"... Thanks."
They both pulled up chairs and he began to take out pastries from it's white bag. Sara put her long legs up on another chair and graciously accepted her coffee.
"It's pecan cinnamon with two creams and three sugars."
"Just the way I like it."
"Always."
Sara smiled again and he continued.
"I'm sorry if I got you at a bad time."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well I kinda heard you grumping when I knocked."
"Oh, you just caught me right out of the shower."
"Ooo," Ben smirked in mock (yet semi-real) excitement, he was used to this kind of situation; but this time was a little different. The tension bringing his emotions to a slightly higher level.
Sara felt rather naughty. She had just started to dry herself off when Ben had knocked on her door. She never felt uncomfortable around him in any form. She originally thought it was because of his blindness; but now she realized it was because he was such a good friend. Steam was still hanging in the air as they sat. Sara was only wearing a light sleeveless shirt around her shoulders and it stuck to her slightly damp body. She couldn't find any underwear that would fit in such a hurry (there probably wasn't any anyway) and this was the only thing she found that she could squeeze into, and this was mainly due to the fact that she didn't button it up.
She was flashing Ben with everything; she had done this before, but right now it was particularly mischievous.
"So what brings you by Benny?"
He smiled sheepishly, his eyes blankly moving back and forth.
"I was just worried about you. Are you still having those dizzy spells?"
"Yes, but I'm okay with them now."
"Good, I talked to Stephanie last night."
"Really? What did she say?"
"She was worried about a couple of things. Beside stressing out about what to get her friend Nikki for her anniversary..."
"The one in Vegas?"
"Yeah, she was also concerned about you for some other reason; though she wouldn't tell me why."
"It's no big deal. Everything's all right Ben. Thanks for the concern."
"I'd like to think it's a little more than concern."
"You're right," Sara put the last bit of her pastry in her mouth and quickly swallowed it. "Are you going to finish your bearclaw?"
"No, go right ahead." Benjamin laughed, "you sure are hungry this morning."
"I think it's all of the running we're doing, I have more of an appetite."
"That's cool," he cleared his throat, "so, I was wondering if you wanted to go out this evening. Maybe we could catch a movie and I'd take you out to Sakura Bana up in Encinitas. I know how much you love sushi and I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate you being okay, not to mention further cheer you up."
"That's a great idea Ben, I'd like that."
His heart skipped another beat.
"But I think I should keep tonight free."
He almost dropped his coffee.
"Why is that Sara?"
"Well, I went out with a guy I know from work last night. Things went really well and I have to make sure what he wants to do first."
"That's ... wonderful. Um, I have to get going then."
"I'm kind of nervous about it too. I've had my eye on him for a while."
"I need to go and clear up a problem I've been having with the phone company."
"I'm sorry, what did you say Ben?"
"Nothing, can you help me get to the door? I just wanted to drop off this stuff and now I have to get going."
She got up and put an arm around him. He could feel her skin but only dwelt on how wonderful she smelled.
"Sure, be careful."
"You too, have a nice day, it's supposed to be nice and warm."
Benjamin was so depressed, he didn't even notice that Sara's arm was holding his from a higher angle, or that her hand was substantially larger than usual. He just walked outside and tapped his way down the street.
Sara stepped out of her taxi. She offered the driver a twenty for his trouble but he just waved it away with a smile. He nodded and watched as she closed the door and walked away. The driver sighed and pulled out into traffic. Sara put the bill back in her purse and tip-toed into the store, trying her best not to get her bare feet dirty. She brushed a few pieces of lint off of her suit.
Her dark blue skirt hugged her legs and she held it up with a thick belt that was hidden beneath the purple jacket. It was buttoned up over a white collared shirt. She thought about putting a tie on as well, but eventually decided against it. The shoes she had bought the day before didn't fit anymore and she was going to have to grab a pair from Nordstrom's. She opened the front door and walked inside.
Everything looked so small to her and she laughed inwardly at how mildly absurd it all seemed. Most men, and a woman or two, that she passed would give her long glances as she walked by. Sara made a point to toss her long hair about as she moved, giving them the full effect of her statuesque beauty. She walked past the perfume counters and found the elevator that led up to the formal wear and, across from that, the furniture section. She reached the top and scanned the floor.
There was an unfamiliar face at Shawn's station. They looked at each other for a few seconds and then she gazed around again. Sara knew he was working today; she had checked the weekly schedules, but he was no where to be found. She frowned.
Distraught, she headed for the shoe department. She passed the salesman who gawked at her. She had actually eaten with him a number of times, but today he just stared. She walked into the back and he shook his head, realizing he hadn't seen where she went. Sara rummaged through a number of boxes, trying to estimate her new size. She had small feet and her growth spurts had only added a few inches to them. She found a pair of purple heels and began to take them out of the box.
"Excuse me."
Sara's head shot up.
"You're not supposed to be back here miss. This area is 'employees only.'"
Evelyn Drake was standing above her, tapping an impatient toe. She evidently didn't recognize her.
Sara smiled.
"I'm sorry, I was looking for someone."
"Well you won't find them back here."
"Maybe not, but maybe you can point me in his direction. I'm looking for Shawn; tall man with light brown hair and glasses. He should be working here today."
"He called in sick."
Sara looked puzzled.
"Apparently he had a rough night last night and he had to go to the hospital to have a few stitches put in his head."
"What happened to him?"
"He said he went out with some crazy, bitch co-worker."
Sara's mouth widened in horror and outrage.
"And, quite frankly, I'm thinking the same thing of you. Just what are you doing back here. Are those store shoes? That's Nordstrom's property!"
"Oh, it's okay." Sara stood up. With their matching heels, neither woman was taller than the other. Evelyn took a step back, she wasn't used to such an opposing stature from a woman. Sara smiled a cocky smile. "I work here."
Evelyn examined her from head to toe. She was always considered by almost everybody as a magnificent specimen of a woman. But while they were in fact the same height, this rival was, by far, more of a woman than she could ever hope to be. Her long legs were strong and firm while Evelyn just sported, what she had originally deemed wonderful, toothpicks. This woman's arms were toned, unlike Evelyn's supple, yet flabby ones. She had an overwhelming sense of power that made Evelyn feel inferior, the one thing in the universe that she couldn't stand to feel.
"I've never seen you here before, and I'm the supervisor!"
"Yes, I know you are Miss Drake; Miss Evelyn Drake."
Evelyn's knees began to shake.
"Miss Bitch. You don't mind if I call you that do you? Bitch?"
"I, uh..."
"Don't tell me you don't remember me? Don't you Bitch?"
Evelyn stared forward into this beautiful woman's face. She felt inadequate, petty, in her presence. Her eyes were gorgeous and familiar; she knew she had seen those amber colored eyes before. Those kaleidoscope eyes.
"No, I can't say..."
"Why, it's Sara. From formal wear. You've been pushing me around for over a year now."
Evelyn's voice caught in her throat and she choked out her words.
"No, you can't be!"
"I can, and I am." Sara stepped forward and poked Evelyn's inferior chest with her index finger. "You always took some sick sense of pleasure out of picking on me everyday didn't you?"
"I never meant..."
"Everytime you saw me you knew it was another chance to make your pathetic little life a bit more tolerable by taking out your frustrations on poor little Sara."
"I didn't think..."
"You didn't think it mattered? You didn't think I'd mind? You didn't think at all?"
"Please, I..."
"It never crossed your superficial cares that anyone not on your level mattered. I was beneath your attention, but not anymore." Sara felt the familiar wave of vertigo beginning to surge, but she was too far along her roll to stop. "Now we're on the same level and it's time you gave me some respect." Both women heard the creaking of the buttons on Sara's suit.
"Wha... what's happening to you?"
The light shade of Sara's undershirt began to peek through from in between the lapels as the buttons tried to pull themselves out of their holes. Sara's toes began to push through the front of her heels, her feet widening the holes as they grew. The cuffs of her suit began to creep up her forearms, a thin old bracelet was left alone on her wrist as they withdrew.
"Normally I treat people the way I want to be treated; golden rule thing, you know." Sara's top button snapped, forced open by her firm breasts that pulsed forward from the minor release of pressure. "But I don't think you deserve that much." Sara's head slowly began to rise above Evelyn's; her tall body starting to be slightly dwarfed by the burgeoning amazon.
"There's no need to..."
Another button broke with a loud pop and it flew at Evelyn with frightening velocity. She just barely flinched out of it's path as it flew past her head and clanged against a steel pole. Sara's skirt tore as she spread her legs slightly apart, her thigh rending the thick fabric as she endeavored to keep her balance.
"Oh, I have a need. It's been building ever since the first time you picked on me and it's increased with every joke, every abusive comment, every deed that was meant to make my life miserable." The last two buttons, stretching their last threads as they split under the increasing strain, snapped simultaneously. They flew off in the same direction as Sara's lapels whipped open; the buttons on the shirt she wore underneath began to show the same signs of weakening as the small plastic disks started tugging on the polyester blend.
"This can't be real!"
The leather on the top of one of Sara's pumps tore. She stumbled slightly from the sensation and the heels on her shoes broke. Her feet made a light slapping as they struck the floor with her increasing weight. Evelyn looked her up and down in shock and found that they were the same height again. She felt her own heels buckle out of fear. Sara stopped growing, she just stood and stared with a smile as Evelyn quivered.
"If ... if you do work here..., you're fired!"
Sara leaned forward, her eyes opened wide.
"BOO!"
Evelyn shrieked and crumpled to the ground as she feinted. Sara stepped out of the ruined remains of her heels.
"It doesn't matter, I quit Miss Bitch." She tried to close her jacket but found that the lapels would no longer close together. "I'll just take a pair of flats and a new swimsuit as my severance pay." She walked unevenly, her tight skirt not allowing full use of her long legs, over to another stack of boxes and found a larger shoe size to accommodate her. A button in the middle of her undershirt popped open as she walked back out into the store, her head just inches below the top of the door frame.
The warm San Diego sun beamed down upon the white sands of Coronado Beach. The water was a clear aquamarine, a nice change from the murky brown that the drudged up bay usually sported. People who had been shut in their homes during the past few rainy days and the overcast ones that followed had come out in droves to enjoy the change of scene. Sara was lying out on her towel, her legs going over the edge of it by a good foot. Her bare skin, save a thin strap across her broad back and another just above her firm posterior, was tanning happily under the comforting rays. She thought about her day as she flipped through her book.
She had gone home after her confrontation at work. She found that she was now 6'2". Her body no longer changed shape, but was just growing bigger with each spurt; every perfect part of her keeping it's relative proportion and gaining in mass. The bikini she took as one of the last presents from her former employers, fit snugly but covered up all that it was meant to do. She then put on the silk shirt she had on with her suit , which was now missing a few buttons, rolled up the sleeves, and put on the pair of sandals that she had taken.
She decided to walk to the beach. Almost everybody stopped to watch her go by. In fact, she was the central cause of a few fender benders.
She towered over all of the women she saw. She took delight in looking at them with a smirk as she passed. The closest one she passed in size was only 5'10" and Sara couldn't help but laugh at her. She was also bigger than most of the men; occasionally one of them matched her or beat her by a few inches. She gave them sidelong glances and coy smiles; never failing to take their breath away. Her breasts bounced heavily in her bikini top; swaying back and forth as the shirt rustled at their sides. Sara ran her fingers over her stomach and felt the firm definition in the muscles and knew that every other inch of her was just as solid and appealing.
Sara adjusted her sunglasses and flipped another page of her book as she lay on the beach. A frisbee landed in front of her with good enough force to knock a few grains of sand her way. She just smiled, knowing why it had landed there.
"Miss? Excuse me miss?"
She looked behind her and found a handsome young man smiling down on her, he walked over.
"Can I have my frisbee back please?"
She took hold of it and slowly began to stand. He began to twitch nervously as she easily towered over him. She could sense his knees shaking far below her. Sara was a good half a foot taller than him and he was thoroughly impressed by her stature. She handed him the frisbee and he happily tripped over his own feet as he backed away. She scanned the rest of the beach and caught most of it's occupants staring in her direction. Sara lay back down on her blanket and basked in the attention.
Guys kept concocting excuses to come and be near her. Besides the frisbee, others would throw footballs or drop their keys. Two men had come and asked her opinion and help in settling a bet between them. Neither had gained the courage to say anything else however. Sara just smiled politely and took pleasure in watching them walk away with an insecure gait. A beautiful young woman even sat down next to her and asked Sara's help in applying a coat of sunscreen; claiming she didn't trust any of the men on the beach. Sara turned her down with a giggle and the woman complemented her on her gorgeous eyes and left.
And so the day went, out of everybody that she had spoken to, only one guy was willing to give her his phone number. He gave it rather apprehensively as well; when she stood up to talk to him, he seemed fairly taken aback. After a bit of uneasy conversation, he wrote down his number and turned away. Sara sighed and got back down on her towel again, she had read a good fifty pages in her book while sunning her body. She tired of it and threw in her bookmark. She looked around the beach again and still found most of the people watching her. She tried to take pleasure in it again, but couldn't. Groups kept pointing at her and astonished looks and she was beginning to find it tiresome. She heard someone running up to her from behind and knew it was someone else trying just to impress her and run away.
"OOPS!"
Something cold and wet splashed all over Sara's back and washed down between the crevice made by her legs. She could feel chunks of ice chilling her flesh as it slid into the small of her back where it continued to freeze. She shrieked and turned over. Another dose fell over her as a wax glass spilled it's contents over the front of her body. Ice slid down her robust cleavage and the liquid glistened in the sunshine. She looked down at herself in anger and horror.
There was a man standing over her, trying to regain his hold on the two, now empty, cola cups. He turned around and gave a thumbs up to a group of male onlookers who nodded in approval. He looked back down at Sara.
"Miss, I'm so sorry. Here, let me help you dry off."
"Don't you fucking touch me, you creep!"
"Hey. It was an accident." He kept staring at her breasts and blinked as he saw her nipples swell into erection under the chilled soft drinks. A piece of ice slid further down her front. "I have to help you out, it was my fault."
Sara shot up and stared down at her assailant. The smile was wiped off his face when he saw how imposing she was. He wasn't small by any means, but her anger coupled with her stature was more than enough to stuff his tail between his legs.
"I'll, just let you be..."
"Yes, you will."
He backed away, his friends still cheering him on.
Sara shook some fluid off her hands. She had rolled onto the sand when she turned over and it was sticking to every wet part of her body. She stomped off towards the water, leaving heavy footprints in the surf. She could hear the whistles and catcalls of the boorish swines that surrounded her and she began to run into the water. As she broke into the foam, it washed over her and cleared away all of the soda and sand; as well as a bit of her maltemper. She swam out and floated for a few minutes when the familiar wave of nausea began to creep into her head.
Sara splashed and tried to find the ground with her feet. Her head went under for a split second but quickly came back up. Something pinched her sides and she felt something snap. She took in a quick breath as the pressure suddenly eased and she scrambled for dry land, struggling to fight the surging tide. She fell into a coughing spasm as she walked onto the sand, fighting to keep her balance. As her head began to clear, she became aware of the shouting that was going on around her. Sara looked up to see everyone pointing at her and screaming, not just the men that were annoying her earlier. She looked down to find that she had lost her bikini top during her last growth spurt.
She wrapped her arms around her, mortified at her half-nakedness. Everyone else continued to laugh and gawk. She stormed up the beach, her hands sliding up and down her slick flesh as she moved, and flopped down on her towel with a tear in her eye. Sara looked for the shirt she had worn when she came, but somebody had apparently stolen it when she was rinsing herself off. She picked up her blanket and tried to wrap it around as a makeshift top.
"NO! Don't do that!"
"C'mon baby, the show ain't over yet!"
"Hey! Just one more peek!"
She tied the towel tight to keep it in place and managed to push her impressive cleavage up a few notches to the delight of everyone else. Sara began to run back towards the street and her home, the sandals she had brought with her would barely fit and she was forced to squeeze them on without the benefit of the ankle strap. The whistling was ringing in her ears, people would run up and attempt to block her path and then impotently step aside out of fear. She stumbled out into the street, forcing herself to move through her anxiety and avoid everyone she could. A light clopping warned her of a barrier approaching her and she turned; the towel slid down slightly, her heavy breathing having undone the light knot, and she scrambled to reposition it. But she only managed to drop it and she quickly bent down to pick it back up and she draped it in front of her.
"Now what do we have here?"
Sara looked up through her tears to see a police officer on horseback patrolling. He reached behind him and grabbed his radio.
"I'm sorry sir, I was just trying to get away from some trouble..."
"This is Merrit to dispatch, I need a black and white down here to pick up an indecent exposure."
"Wait! Those men back there stole my clothes!"
"I don't want to hear any of your story." He stepped off of his steed, showing that he was an imposing figure.
Sara didn't know how tall she currently was, but the policeman had a few good inches over her.
"Don't think that you can manipulate me just because you're tall or attractive. I won't fall for any of your wiles missy."
"But I..."
"I said shut it! You are under arrest for exposing yourself in public."
Sara looked pleadingly into the sky as the police man took hold of one of her arms, bringing it up behind her long back.
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law."
She felt the cool metal of the handcuffs wrap around her wrist.
"You have the right to attorney."
She heard the wailing sirens of the backup he had called for pulling it's way up the street towards them. Sara began to cry again.
A light flashed and Sara blinked.
"Turn please for the profile shot."
Sara did as she was told. The officers down at the station had been kind enough to give her some spare clothing and she stood in deep depression with her arms hanging limply at her side. The light flashed again and the woman behind the camera pulled out a note pad and began to scribble on it.
"Now just wait a second miss."
Sara faced forward again and almost slipped; she grabbed hold of the wall and steadied herself as another growth spurt came and went. Luckily the clothing she had been given was particularly bulky, but she still felt it starting to squeeze her swelling body.
"Are you okay?"
Sara took in a deep breath, feeling the tight shirt squeeze her breasts, and looked towards the question.
"Yes, thank you."
The officer frowned.
"You weren't standing up straight for the photos were you?"
"Hmm?"
"I could have sworn you were 6' 5" a second ago. Well, I don't have the time to take more snapshots." She erased her last entry of her pad and wrote in 6' 7". "Do you play basketball or somethin'?"
"No."
The officer blinked a few times.
"I'll take you back to holding now , there's a phone in there you can make calls from."
"Thank you."
Sara plodded along, trying hide the fact that she had slightly torn the tops of her sandals. Her toes stretched about a half of an inch over the bases and she has to make slight fists with them in order to hold them in place.
She walked into the large cell and listened as the metal door was closed and locked behind her. The cell wasn't packed, but those women that were in here didn't seem to be of the friendly persuasion. Luckily, they all took one look at her and shuffled into the corners; Sara was thankful for small miracles.
The phone was a small, white, rotary phone made of scratched plastic. She picked up the cold receiver and started to dial. It began to ring.
"Please, please be home."
It rang a good six times, Sara almost lost hope when...
"Yeah?"
"Steph?"
"Yeah?"
"It's Sara. Man Steph, you sound like shit."
"I've been drinking; quite heavily too."
"I have a huge favor to ask of you."
"Oh Sara, I don't know..."
"Please Stephanie, you have to help me out." She heard Stephanie sigh.
"What is it?"
"I'm in jail."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line.
"What for?"
"Can we discuss that a little later? I just need you to get me out of here."
"I guess I can try."
"Thank you Stephanie. Please get down here as quick as you can."
"Sure." Stephanie hung up on her end.
Sara looked into her receiver for a few seconds and then hung up hers. She walked over to the bench and sat down. One of her fellow inmates began to walk over to her but she gave them a sharp look and they backed away. Sara stretched out on her bench, taking almost all of it's space in the process, and started to nap.
"Sara? Hey! Wake up! I didn't take that long."
Sara opened her eyes. The extra large t-shirt she was wearing had torn lightly over one of her broad shoulderd from her tossing and turning. Her back was fairly stiff and the shorts they had given her were riding up slightly between her firm buttocks.
"C'mon miss." One of the police officers began to drum his nightstick along the rusted bars of the cell. "You're bail has been paid, you're free to go, for now."
"Let's go Sara, I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to."
Sara slowly got to her feet and heard Stephanie gasp. The cell door was opened and Sara stepped out. She looked down on her friend with a smile and trapped her in a big bear hug; easily lifting her off the floor.
Stephanie's body froze and she hung there limply in Sara's embrace. Her strong arms squeezed her tightly and she was suffocating in the bulge of Sara's firm mounds.
"I'm so glad you're here Steph."
Sara dropped her. Stephanie backed up a few steps with a bewildered look on her face.
"Yeah, sure ... come on."
Sara picked up what was left of her sandals and dumped them in the trash as she followed Stephanie out.
The officer put away his night stick and followed them. He stopped at the front desk, waving goodbye as he turned to the clerk.
"That's a whole lot of woman."
"You're tellin' me."
Outside, Sara skipped lightly behind Stephanie who was staring down at her shoes. Sara couldn't hide her mirth; she kept clapping her hands girlishly as she tip-toed. They came to Stephanie's car and they separated to go to their own doors.
"Steph, thanks again for coming to get me."
Stephanie didn't look up; instead, she just shook her head.
"Just get in the car Sara." Stephanie quickly got in.
Sara frowned, biting her lower lip in dismay. She opened her door and looked at the seat. When she tried to get in, she found that there wasn't enough room for her long legs, they were bent too close to her body for any semblence of comfort. She stepped back onto the sidewalk.
"Um."
"Here." Stephanie pulled on a handle below the seat and pushed it back as far as it would go.
"Thanks Steph." Sara tried to get in again. Sara's feet slid in front of her; her knees were still bent quite a bit, but she was inside the car. "I forgot the seat could do that."
Stephanie felt the car lurch over to one side slightly and cringed.
"You knew, you just wanted me to fix it for you."
"Stephanie, I didn't mean anything..."
"Sara, you wanted to show off."
Sara was stunned, Stephanie looked at her for a split second then started the car and looked forward as she put it in gear. There was a few minutes of uncomfortable silence as neither one said anything to the other. Stephanie adopted a look of quiet and fuming anger and Sara kept stealing glances at her friend. It wasn't until they were over halfway to her apartment when Sara had worked up the courage to speak again.
"Stephanie, I'm sorry."
"Sara ... don't even start, okay?"
Sara fidgeted, her knees pressing against the dashboard.
Stephanie cleared her throat.
"I see you've gotten ... bigger. Taller."
Sara shrugged her shoulders, her curly brown hair spilling over their broad expanse.
"I'm over six and a half feet tall now."
"And this still doesn't bother you?"
"Well, your attitude is bothering me a little more."
"Can you blame me? Something really bizarre is happening to my best friend and she doesn't seem to care about it one bit! Not to mention that this whole thing has me really weirded out and all you want to do is try on new clothes and run around naked in public."
"That was an accident! Some creeps stole my stuff while I was in the water at the beach!"
"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't have all of that planned."
"Stephanie!"
"And you call me up in your 'time of need' just so you can throw it in my face again."
"I needed you help, I was in trouble and I thought I could count on you."
Stephanie sat there quietly, she made a perfect switch into another lane.
"Thanks for bailing me out Steph."
"Don't thank me, I didn't have the money to pay for it."
"Where did you get it then?"
"Benjamin."
Sara put her hand to her temple, massaging away an imaginary headache.
"You didn't tell him why you needed it did you?"
"I didn't have to, I just told him you were in trouble and he understood."
"Thank god for small miracles."
"Yeah."
"I have no idea how I'm going to repay him."
"You don't want to ask how much the bail was." Stephanie turned a corner towards Sara's apartment.
"Well, thanks then for picking me up."
"It's okay. You'd do the same for me."
"I did do the same for you."
Stephanie smiled.
"I guess what they say is right, paybacks are a bitch."
"I'm glad to see you laughing with me again."
"I love you Sara, I can't be grumpy with you forever."
Sara put her hand on her friend's shoulder; Stephanie gave a sleight hint of discomfort and she withdrew it.
"Stephanie I ... um."
Stephanie glanced over. She heard Sara's legs pressing further into the dashboard. Her shirt had bunched up around her midriff after she got into the car and she could see Sara's flat stomach and the blue denim of her shorts. The button on them creaked as her expanding waist and hips fought with the stitching. After a few seconds of tug of war, the button hole tore slightly and the button slipped out. Her thighs grew further out of the already short shorts, filling out the tightening material with toned flesh. Sara's legs further bent at the knees, trying to consume more free space in both directions, squeezing her broadening chest. Her t-shirt tore beneath one breast and the firm mound pushed it's way free. Her head pressed against the roof of the car and Sara abruptly scrunched down; as she did, a spring in her seat broke and Stephanie slammed on her brakes.
Sara's enlarged body kept her firmly in place. They looked at each other. Stephanie's face had regained that look of horror and Sara just winced under the stare.
"Stephanie I..."
"Sara, just get out."
Sara looked out her window and saw her apartment. She opened her door and struggled to free one of her legs; having to pry herself out of her seat to make it to the sidewalk. She stood up to her full height, startling a passing old man, and could feel another tear forming in the corner of her eye. She closed the car door and listened as Stephanie revved the engine to leave. The hum began to die down and the passenger window rolled down. Sara stopped walking with a glimmer of hope.
"Sara?"
She turned back to the car. Sara had to get down on one knee in order to see her friend.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry. I just need some time to get used to all of this."
Sara smiled and Stephanie looked in her eyes as she searched for understanding.
"I know you covet what's happening to you and I have no right to tell you how to feel or what to do."
"I know this is kind of scary."
"You're right it is. I'm still your friend Sara, I don't want to give you any other kind of impression. Just don't be insulted if I decide not to call for a while or stop by and see you in person okay?"
"Okay, I'll be here keeping the coffee warm."
Stephanie smiled again, then turned away as she gripped the wheel and stepped on the accelerator.
Sara watched her friend drive away until her car was a speck lost among the parked cars down the avenue. She turned back around and walked towards her building. The large oaken doors that had always seemed imposing to her had become quaint. Beyond it, in the foyer, the chandelier greeted her. It was hung a good distance above the floor to avoid anyone from hitting the heads against the crystal. Sara brushed it aside with a hand as she passed. The carpet was rough and she rubbed it against the soles of her feet as she giggled at the sensation. Her front door was tiny, a miniature representation of what it should really look like. She was taller than the door itself now. She looked up and saw how far the ceiling had come down in the hallway, reaching up and scraping at the stucco popcorn with a barely extended arm.
Sara sighed. She opened her door; stooping over as she entered. She dropped her keys on her dining room table and looked at her furniture, not having taken the time that morning to take a really good glance around her apartment.
Everything was minuscule. A large and life-like doll house that was tastefully decorated and scented with fresh potpourri. Her body was now longer than her sofa and taller than her halogen lamps.
Sara went into her kitchen and opened her fridge. She closed the door and ran a finger across the top; a top she could never see or have even reached before without some sort of aid. Her wiping fingertip left a thin, clean streak behind it.
Hmm, need to dust that.
She opened up cupboards and took items off of the top shelf as she smiled. She closed her eyes and stretched to touch the ceiling without even lifting her heels off the ground. A small step stand sat next to the sink and she kicked it lightly as she filled a glass with cool water.
"I'm afraid I'm selling you my old friend. No need for you anymore."
Sara moved into her living room and sat on her cushioned love seat. She had always been swimming in it before, but now she rested back comfortably as she picked up her television remote. Her long fingers wrapped around it and she shook her head merrily as she examined it. She switched on the cable box and began flipping through channels. Nestling down in her seat, Sara stretched her legs and rested her feet on the coffee table that was in front of her sofa almost four feet away.
I do covet what's happening to me.
She stopped on a cereal commercial and set down the remote. The front button on her shorts stared at her as it still refused to close over her the smooth skin of her long and trim stomach. The bikini bottoms she was still wearing peeked out from underneath and Sara could feel how taut the fabric was across her waist. She squeezed one hand into an extremely tight pocket and felt around as best as she could. She pulled out a strip of paper with a scribbled name and a phone number.
"The blonde surfer," Sara whistled. He wasn't the most attractive man on the beach that day, but he was the most civil; even if he was a little intimidated.
He'll get over it though, all men want a supermodel. They just have conquer the fear.
She stood up and strided over to her phone, dragging her long fingers along the ceiling as she did. White powder filtered down behind her, leaving a light trail in the carpet. She picked up the phone and began dialing, listening for the dial tone. Someone picked up.
"Sherman's Auto Parts, service department. Can I help you?"
"Uh," Sara looked puzzled, "I don't suppose you have a John working there do you? Tall guy with blonde hair?"
"No, no one works here with that name or description."
"This is 555-4292? Area code 619?"
"Yes it is. Can we help you with your next oil change?"
"No, that's all right. Thank you."
Sara set down the phone and looked at the slip of paper again. She crumpled it up and threw it into the corner as she slouched down into one of her dining room chairs. Her knees bumped under the bottom of the table as she buried her head in her folded arms.
She leaned back in the creaking chair and stared at a spot on the wall while a few episodes of I Love Lucy drifted by. Imaginary colors began to swirl over the white surface and she shook her head, breaking out of her stupor, and looked once more at the phone. She drummed her fingers a few times and then picked up the receiver once more as she dialed.
Benjamin opened a cabinet in his kitchen and felt around for the container he wanted. His fingers landed on a long cylinder and he smiled. He could hear the water boiling on his stove and he was about to pull out a helping of spaghetti noodles when his phone rang.
"Damn it, always when I'm cooking." He carefully put the noodles back in their container and made his way to the living room. He had a large apartment and made sure everything was spaced wide apart for his own comfort and ease; however, this also had the annoying habit of making a trip to the ringing phone seem like a five kilometer walk. It rang once more and he dove on the sound, rolling on to the soft couch as he put the receiver to his ear.
"Yo?"
"Benji?"
"Sara! I ... uh ... I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you." He shot upright in his seat, "I wanted to call you and see how you were but I thought you might need some time alone."
"Thanks Ben."
"I figured whatever bad had happened, you'd tell me when you were ready." He heard her laugh a little on the other end and the sound made him feel light.
"I, uh ... I wanted to thank you for helping me out today. I desperately needed it and I promise I'll pay you back in just a little while."
"Don't worry about it, as long as you're okay."
"Thanks, that means alot to me, especially right now."
"How are you feeling?"
"Pretty shitty."
"I'm sorry," Ben shrugged and took in a quick breath, "what are you doing tonight?"
"I was thinking of just eating a stick of raw cookie dough and going to bed."
"Yikes! That's no way to punish yourself, no matter what evil you may have done." Sara laughed weakly on the other end of the line and Ben fidgeted, "tell you what, come over here and I'll make you some dinner."
"I don't know."
"I'm making pasta, there's always enough for a friend."
"I don't want to be a burden."
"You could never be that Sara."
"Thank you Ben."
"Is that a yes?" He could feel his throat constrict as she kept silent for a few seconds.
"I guess it is."
His hands began to tremble and he almost dropped his phone.
"Great! Do you remember where I live? I know it's been a while."
"I'll find my way. I should be there in a little bit."
"I'll hear you when you get here."
She laughed again and then hung up the phone. Ben just sat there smiling.
Sara looked out the window of her taxi and sighed. She had had a hard time getting dressed before she left. She hadn't checked, but she was now around 6'10". Her measuring tape was no longer long enough to gauge her correctly and she was too tall to just walk through any of her door frames; more than once she just barely caught herself before banging her head.
Eventually, she wrapped her long legs in an old dress; it wasn't capable of going all the way around her waist so one of her toned thighs peeked out from the wide slit. The best she could do for a top was a hand-knit sweater that had been made into a make-shift belly shirt. She also had a pair of jogging socks on without any shoes.
The female driver made a right turn and a McDonald's sign drifted by.
Sara had to admit, she was glad to be going over to Ben's. Being alone didn't sound like the best way to spend the rest of the evening and Stephanie seemed fairly reluctant to be her shoulder to cry upon tonight.
She sighed again. Ben always tried to be a good friend and she really appreciated that. She had known him since high school along with Stephanie and he usually knew all of the right things to say to perk up her mood.
Sara scratched an itch on her arm as the taxi slowed down. She was glad she didn't have to drive herself.
"That'll be $12.50 miss."
Sara pulled a ten and a five out of her purse and handed them over.
"Keep it."
"Thank you, I hope you feel better."
"Is it that obvious?"
"A woman knows these things, I hope you find what you're looking for."
Sara smiled and got out. She was glad to stretch out her legs after being cramped behind the tight seats for even a short period of time. The taxi pulled away from the curb and drove off into the night and she looked up at Benjamin's building.
He lived on the top floor of a fairly tall apartment complex. The neighborhood itself was fairly nice too; the streets were lined with tall trees and well-trimmed brush. Sara pressed the intercom button next to the front door and it buzzed heartily before she stepped back.
"Sara?"
"Hey there Benji."
"Hold on a sec, I'll buzz you in."
She heard the entrance start to whine and everything around started to go fuzzy. Her head swirled around her and she put her hand on the door to steady herself. She could feel the glass of it sliding beneath her fingers as they slowly spread across it's crystal surface. Her sweater drifted up slightly, exposing more of her stomach and long back, but keeping her decent. She watched as the top of the door lowered slightly through her blurred vision. The dress around her hips began to pinch her waist as the knot she made drew tighter. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and it ripped over one firm buttock as the muscle tensed. The fleshy skin burst through the opening and pushed outward as she steadily grew. Her socks squeezed her feet for a moment, the fabric becoming thin as it stretched taut, then the top of one of them tore open allowing the tanned toes greater movement.
Sara's growth spurt stopped and she stood there catching her breath; she wasn't entirely sure how to feel about this anymore. On one hand she knew that, physically, she was becoming what the ancient Greeks dreamed their goddesses would be; she loved that and had wanted it with all of her heart. But on the other side of the coin, while everyone else craved that what she had, they only did so from afar; and that left a bitter taste in her mouth.
So what do I want?
She stood back up and retied the dress around her waist to give her more room and relieve the growing tightness. She pressed the intercom button again.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry, I .. uh," Sara giggled, "I missed it."
"Don't worry about it, these things happen. You ready?"
"Yes."
The door whined again and she took hold of the handle and pulled, bending down considerably to fit through. When she was inside, she called for the elevator and took off her other sock. It tore apart in her fingers and she had to pull away the frayed remains of it.
It had been about two years since she had come here. The last time was when Ben had originally moved in and they had thrown a little party to commemorate the historic event. They had all been in college together for a year and it was his first apartment.
The elevator door opened and Sara crouched inside. She lit the button for the 'penthouse' and the doors closed as the elevator began to ascend. The sudden shift played havoc with her equilibrium and it scared her, almost fooling her into believing that she was starting to grow again. It quickly stopped and the doors opened with a high pitched 'ding.' She walked out into the hallway.
Sara looked up and thanked the building's designer for putting in high ceilings, even if the doors were standard sizes. She knew that she would be about half a foot away from scraping her head in her own building; bumping into it with the slightest jump. There were only two doors on the floor and she turned left towards Benjamin's. As she stopped in front of the door, she studied it from top to bottom. Her eyes were well above the top of the frame and the doorknob was set just a tad below the middle of her thigh.
Sara realized that she didn't know what to tell her friend. She desperately needed his company but she was having flashbacks to Stephanie's own apprehension. Her body began to tremble and she closed her eyes. She knocked on the door and dropped to her knees, mentally cursing her lack of ingenuity.
Ben answered the door with a warm smile.
"Hey there Sara, glad you could make it."
She knelt there in shock, even on her knees she was still the same height that he was. She panicked and rolled backwards to sit down.
"Hi Ben." She shook her head, having never felt this stupid in her life.
"C'mon in, dinner is all set. Just grab a seat."
She sighed again; if he suspected anything, he was kind enough not to call attention to it. She stood back up to her full height and bent over to squeeze through the door. She looked down at her friend; he seemed so small in comparison. She had always looked up at him and felt that he was a rather tall human being. Now he didn't even come up past chest level to her.
I'm even quite a bit taller than Shawn by now.
Ben walked into the kitchen as she looked around. She was astonished at how big his apartment was, she didn't remember there being so much room. She figured he was far enough away from her and decided it was safe to speak while standing.
"Damn Benji, this place is quite different from how I remember it." There were numerous paintings on the walls, as well as an ornamental rug hanging near the television. "You did an amazing job decorating."
"Not bad for a blind man huh?" He smiled as he sprinkled oregano into his sauce and gently stirred it. He loved the smell of Italian food. "Don't let me fool you though, The building went co-op about a year and a half ago and I bought out my neighbor. I knocked down a few walls and called it 'home sweet home.' That's why the place looks so huge."
Sara looked farther down the living room and found the other front door that led to the outer hallway. She nodded in admiration.
"The rest is an interior decorator's handiwork. I'm afraid my tastes in eye-candy are slightly more bland."
"Why go through all of this trouble?"
"Why not? Contrary to popular belief, I have company over every so often and I like to put up a nice front. Plus, just because I can't see it doesn't mean I can't appreciate it. I don't know if you've sat in any of the chairs in there, but I can assure you it's quite an experience to behold."
Sara shrugged and sat down in one of the plush seats.
"Oh my god!" She ran her long fingers across the armrests and took in the softness of it. The cushions wrapped around her firm body and squeezed her warmly. She extended her long legs and slipped them under his coffee table, not knowing where else to put them.
"What did I tell you? Orgasmic isn't it?"
Sara giggled, biting her lip.
"Everything in here is designed to delight more than just the eye. I can still smell the faint odor of opium off of that rug and I love the sound that couch makes when you sink into it. And you can't tell me that that isn't the most comfortable chair you've ever sat down in." Ben smiled at himself. He knew he sounded like he was bragging, but he was genuinely proud at how his home had turned out. "Come into the dining room and we can get started."
Sara looked over at the dining room table, which was eloquently set, and winced. She knew she wouldn't be comfortable in the small chairs while trying to keep Ben in the dark (so to speak) about her condition.
"Hey, Benny?"
"Yes?"
"I don't suppose I can convince you to move dinner in here, could I?"
"That could be arranged. I trust you not to spill."
"Thank you." Sara watched him move around in the kitchen. Benjamin danced lithely about, easily finding anything he needed; he walked to the dining room table and collected the plates and took them back next to the stove with skill and alacrity. She smiled, awed by his dexterity, regardless of his handicap. He knew where everything was in his home and was capable of dealing with it in his own way. She admired him for that.
Benjamin began scooping noodles onto plates. He was so nervous he was worried he would drop something at any moment. He found that he had to resort to counting his steps when he walked to keep from bumping into his furniture and he hadn't had to do that for quite some time. He spooned sauce over both plates and took them both into the living room where Sara was waiting for him.
"There you go."
She took it gingerly.
"Thank you; it smells delicious."
He nodded in mock pompousness.
"I know." He could feel the warmth that radiated from her smile and it comforted him somewhat. "Let me just go grab some parmasean cheese to go along with it and anything you would like to drink."
"I'll have some milk if you have it."
"Not much of a red wine drinker? It would be a little more traditional."
"No, I think I'll stay away from spirits tonight."
"There's no shame in that. Hold on a sec." He walked back into the kitchen and began to fill their drink orders.
Sara bent her legs and tucked them underneath herself as best as she could. It was a large chair with plenty of room but she was unaccustomed to having so much body that the task proved fairly difficult and she almost spilled her plate in the process.
"Everything okay in there?"
"Nothing escapes your ears does it?"
"Not in my apartment."
"I almost had a little accident, but I pulled myself out of the fire."
"Then I forgive you." Benjamin came back in holding two glasses and a bowl of freshly grated cheese. "There you go. I know it's not the sushi I promised, but I think it will do for now."
"It certainly will."
He could feel her sarcastic nod and he laughed along with her as he sat down next to her on a nearby sofa.
"So, how shall we while away the evening? Pleasant conversation? Or maybe a movie or some good old fashioned cable if you're not up for it?"
"I think maybe we should just flip around the channels."
"Fair enough," he picked up the remote that was next to him and handed it to her. "Here, I trust your judgment."
She turned on the television and began to search through the options. Benjamin began to neatly wrap noodles around his fork and bring them to his mouth; meticulously eating all of the sauce and not spreading any errant pasta over his face. Sara smiled. She had been on more than a few dates where her escort had been foolish enough to order Italian food and was incapable of keeping it just in his mouth. Channel thirty popped up on the box and she left it on MTV.
"How's this?"
"It's cool. I'm just glad they're actually playing videos and not one of their silly shows."
Sara began to eat, after applying a healthy dose of cheese over the top of her plate.
"Benjamin, this is fantastic!"
"The secret is brown sugar. I prefer my sauces to be a tad on the sweet side. Traditional spices do the rest."
Both of them sat and enjoyed a quiet dinner; towards the end, Sara became increasingly pensive. She didn't normally have a problem with a silent interlude with a friend, but she was waiting for something that seemed increasingly less likely to occur. She picked up her glass and drank her pearly milk. She stared off into a corner as she set it down and sighed.
"You're not going to ask me what happened are you?"
"Nope, that's none of my business and I have no right to pry. I figure if you want to talk about it, you should be comfortable with starting."
"I guess so. I don't really want to talk about it but I was expecting the question."
"Then I'm all right with it."
Sara smiled faintly and looked down. Benjamin cocked his head to one side with a concerned expression.
"There's something else though, isn't there?"
"Yeah, there is."
"You don't have to talk about that either."
"I want to, you deserve to know because you're my friend, but I'm scared."
"Scared about what?"
Sara was silent, she just shook her head in frustration. Benjamin wanted to comfort her but decided to stay where he was. After a few moments, she spoke again.
"I don't think I can."
"Sara, I don't want to force you into something you don't want to discuss. I just want you to know that you can trust me and confide in me with anything."
Tears of gratitude began to well up in Sara's eyes and one of them dripped down her cheek. Her bottom lip trembled.
"But this..." She waved a hand over her body.
"Sara, you don't have to..."
"You know this dizzy spells I've been having?"
Benjamin sighed.
"Yeah," he felt his throat constrict as a horrible thought passed through his mind. "Sara, you're okay aren't you? It's not some disease or anything?"
"No," she laughed weakly. "They've been going on for the past couple of days. And everytime one of them happens..."
"Yeah?"
"I ... grow."
Benjamin coughed and his brow furrowed.
"You what?"
"I grow. Taller, stronger ... bigger. My body has gotten longer and leaner and my ... uh ... well, my chest has grown too."
"Sara, um..."
"You don't believe me do you?"
"I didn't say that."
"No you think I'm lying don't you?" She had a smile on her face from the lunacy of the situation. "Ben?"
"What is it Sara?"
"Stand up and come here."
Benjamin shook his head and slowly did as he was asked. He stood up and walked around the table to stand next to Sara's chair.
"There, are you happy?"
She was about his height even though she was sitting down. She bent over a bit and looked up at him.
"Are you ready for a surprise?"
"I guess so."
Sara took her legs out from beneath her and stretched them out before getting to her feet. She watched as the top of Ben's head drifted down as she slowly rose higher and higher. He became charmingly impatient.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
Benjamin flinched in shock, he cocked his head upwards towards the sound of her voice.
"Sara?"
"Yes?"
He stood motionless for a second, then laughed.
"You're standing on the chair, or the table aren't you?"
"Nope. Feet firmly planted on the floor. See for yourself."
Ben knelt down in skepticism. He reached forward, found her ankles, and blinked a few times as he felt her cute toes with his fingers. He tapped on her shin and got back up on his feet. He poked a finger forward and pressed into Sara's firm stomach. She giggled at his touch and startled him. His hand flew up and brushed against the firm curve of her ample right breast. He quickly withdrew it in embarrassment and backed up half of a step.
"Now do you believe me?"
"My god Sara! It really is happening to you." He stepped back forward and raised his hand up high. She took hold of it and brought it to her face. He had to extend it fairly far to reach her cheek. It was soft and warm and he recognized the high cheekbone and smooth texture.
Sara closed her eyes and gently rubbed her face into his palm, breathing her warm breath over his fingers.
"It really is you Sara!" He took back his hand and backed up again; Sara felt a sudden pang at his withdrawal.
"Ben, don't..." She opened her eyes to see the familiar look of aversion on his face. She was about to start crying again when she felt her growing pains return.
Benjamin's mind raced with thoughts and emotions. He heard Sara's last words trail off and she began to moan softly. The sound of material stretching filled his ears, he could hear stitching slowly give way as expanding flesh forced them apart. They began to pop as clothing tore. He heard Sara's breath come out in short bursts as her chest was constricted. Her skirt gave way, spliting completely with a drawn out tear. Sara gasped and he heard something soft hit the floor.
And just as abruptly as it started, it stopped. Benjamin fidgeted nervously, he had never anything so erotic in all of his life.
Sara looked back at him and saw the bewildered look on his face.
"I'm sorry Ben. I ... I guess I should get going."
Benjamin blinked, trying to understand her and quickly shook his head.
"No!"
Sara stopped.
"Sara, I'm sorry if I made you feel bad. I'm just shocked, that's all. Please don't go."
"I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Besides, I'm tired and I think I should go home anyway."
"Sara, please stay." He smiled and shook his head, "I don't think you should be going out dressed like that."
She looked down at herself. Her sweater was totally wrapped around her expanded chest; the lower halves of her full breasts jutted out from beneath the hemline and the dress she had wrapped around her waist had torn away. Benjamin was even shorter to her now and he probably was about even with that hemline.
"I can't do that to you."
Benjamin just smiled.
"Sara, come here." He walked into his hallway.
Sara was left standing there bewildered and unsure of what to do.
"Well? Come on."
She followed him, peeking around corners to look out for imaginary fears. He was standing in his bedroom; Sara stooped over to walk through the doorway and was astonished at the sight before her.
"Benjamin, your bed is huge!"
"Yeah, my mother got me hooked on them when I was young. She was always worried that I would fall out of a smaller one because of my handicap," Benjamin laughed at the notion. "I guess she never realized that she had to close her eyes too when she slept."
Sara looked about the room. Everything in it was dwarfed by the giant mattress that was perfect for her body. She shuffled her feet and put her hands behind her back.
"Ben, I don't know..."
"Oh it'll be fine. I'll sleep out on the couch and you can tough it out in here."
Sara walked over to the bed and pressed on it with her hand. It was yielding and soft. True, she had only slept on her couch for one night, but she missed a bed.
"No I..."
Benjamin held up a hand and smiled warmly. She stopped and sighed.
"Sara, just know that you are welcome here as long as you want to stay. I could never turn my back on you and I hope you understand that."
She returned his smile and turned back to the bed.
"Thank you Ben."
"You're welcome." He began to walk away when Sara looked up.
"Ben?"
"Yes?"
Sara was beginning to tear up again and she fidgeted nervously as she prepared to ask her question.
"None of this makes you feel ... uncomfortable? None of this scares you at all?"
Ben walked back in and shook his head.
"Sara, you're my friend. Sure I was a little surprised at first, but I'd care about you no matter what happened to you. I'll always be there for you when you need me. Don't ever think for a moment that anything you could do could change that. Or that your appearance would alter how I feel about you."
Sara glanced down trying to hide her sobs.
"Ben..."
"I love you Sara."
She looked up, her beautiful eyes glistening with her tears. Benjamin backed up uneasily, realizing what he had said. She sat there shaking with unknown emotion.
"I'm sorry Sara, I didn't mean...," Benjamin's body shivered with his nervous apprehension. He took another step back and turned away. "Good night Sara."
Sara lifted a hand and struggled to find the words to say, but he had gone.
Sara's sweatshirt lay on the floor as she stretched out uneasily on the bed. Her body took up most of the mattress as she turned and tossed with her inner turmoil. Her broken sleep was filled with daydreams and memories of years and pleasant times since past.
She dreamed of Benjamin and all they had done together; of all that he had done for her. She dreamed of his warmth and caring that he had always shown towards her; never asking, or even expecting, anything in return. He had always been there to comfort her when she was troubled and he had always been there to share in her joys. She had always been happy that he was a part of her life and she was beginning to see that she just might want something more; that she did want something more.
Sara opened her eyes.
She was a little light-headed, but she blinked away the mild confusion and sat up. The apartment was quiet and dark and she looked around nervously as her eyes adjusted. Crickets chirped softly outside the window while the neighborhood was silent in slumber. Sara slipped out from underneath the flannel sheets and placed her feet on the cool, wooden floor. She stood naked in the moonlight as clouds drifted high in the night sky and a soft wind chilled her, causing her to break out in goose flesh. She looked down at the sweater she had brought with her and left it lying on the floor. She crept towards the open door of the bedroom, putting her hand on the top of the door frame as she bent over to peer into the empty hallway.
Sara bit her lower lip and closed her eyes as she gathered up the courage to move forward. She opened them again and stepped through the doorway. A floorboard creaked as her long foot pressed upon it; the sound making her cringe and curl her toes.
Like a thief she tip-toed, as silently as she could, through the house. Her body trembled, half out of cold and half out of fear. She didn't know the consequences of her coming actions, but it was a risk that she was now willing to take. The hallway ended and the living room began to loom before her. She saw the couch through the darkness and she stretched to gaze over the edge of it.
Benjamin lay there on his back and with his hands beneath his head; his eyes were open as he reflected on what had happened that night. Sara took a deep breath and tried to speak. Her voice caught in her throat as she choked on her words and froze, unable to find what she wanted to say. She wrung her hands together and opened her mouth again. Her jaw wavered and she closed her eyes as she looked down and shook her head in frustration.
"Sara?"
She looked back up.
"I know you're there."
"Benjamin I..."
"Sara please don't, I didn't mean..."
"Ben be quiet for a moment. I have something I want to tell you. Something that needs to be said."
Benjamin sat up and vaguely looked towards her. Sara looked at him through the darkness and felt her heart pound in her chest. She walked around the couch and knelt beside him; still trembling slightly.
"I've been thinking lately; about something someone told me. About how things in the world have a way of working out and how the universe takes care of people."
"Sara ... what ...?"
"Please, just ... let me say this Ben."
He lay back down on the couch; his ears turned to her words.
"I thought that maybe I had misjudged my ... Ôgrowth spurts,' and that were a bad thing. But then I realized that this is what I wanted and I shouldn't let others judge me and try to change the way I feel." She looked up at him; he was so handsome as he listened, "you helped me to see that.
"Then I thought of you and how you've always been there for me no matter what has happened, good or bad."
His brow furrowed and he swallowed nervously as she continued.
"Ben I'm sorry."
"What..., what for?"
"I've mistaken a Ôgood thing' for nothing at all."
He lay there quietly for a few seconds and then turned his head towards her.
"Life had given me a chance to be happy and I never noticed it; not until now. I guess it just took ... this," Sara looked down at her giant body, "for me to see that."
"What are you trying to say?"
Sara felt a tear fall down her cheek and she shook as she struggled with her next words.
"I love you Ben."
He started to say something but she placed a hand over his mouth. Sara could feel his breath drift through her fingers and she closed her eyes as she knelt closer. She removed her fingers and pressed her lips against his; they were warm and moist as they met. Benjamin was startled at first, but he returned the kiss gently as he closed his own eyes. Sara drew back and looked at him through misty tears.
"I love you."
"And I love you Sara."
She felt her heart soar at his words and a weight lifted from her being.
"I've always loved you."
"I know." Sara ran a hand over Benjamin's broad chest and knelt down to kiss him again. He brought his arm up and carressed her neck beneath her curled hair. It was smooth and long, melting into her broad back. She pressed herself into him, her breasts were full and warm and electrified his body as he felt her firm nipples slide against his skin. Sara began to stand up, taking Benjamin's hand and beckoning him to go with her.
"Sara, I ... I don't want to take advantage of you; if you're vulnerable in any way I ..."
"Ben, I want this. I know that now. I probably always had but I was too afraid to see the truth."
Ben smiled warmly and stood up to join her. She took both of his hands and began to pull him along with her. She stopped as they entered the hallway and wrapped her long arms around him, running her fingers along his bare skin. He was engulfed in her massive body as his head was drawn between her huge mounds; they slid around his ears and he kissed her the firm ridges of her abdomen. She bent her leg slightly and he felt her knee press against his thigh; the thin fur of her crotch tickled his stomach as she slowly rubbed her giant body against his. He squeezed his arms around the small of her back and glided his fingers over her hips and down her strong legs. He felt the sudden definition in her muscles as she tensed at his touch. There was so much of her and he wanted to drink in as much as he could. Sara pulled back and looked down on him as he slowly raised his head. She knelt forward and kissed Benjamin passionately. She ran her tongue over his lips and they pressed their foreheads together; aching with need.
Sara began to move again and Benjamin followed her into the bedroom. She slipped a leg back onto the sheets and gently pulled him towards her, all the while drifting further back. He placed one arm next to her calf and climbed on top of her warm body, sliding his bare chest over her long legs, kissing her tenderly, as he crawled his way to her torso. He pressed his thumbs firmly into her hips and rubbed them up her stomach while squeezing plush skin with the rest of his fingers. He massaged her enormous body, feeling every inch and every curve with an expert touch as she writhed under his ministrations; she arched her back and clenched the flannel of the sheets as she trembled.
Benjamin moved further up her form and felt their feet touch; his head began to press against the grandness of her grand again and Sara cooed softly. He placed a palm over her left breast and marveled at the wonder of it. It was huge, the skin tight and smooth with a large, dome shape, and would not completely fit under his hand. He carressed it lovingly and found it to be almost the same size as his head. He lightly brushed the very tip of her nipple and played with it until he felt it stiffen. He smiled and slowly brought his lips to it, kissing gingerly. He pinched it between his teeth and swirled his tongue around it's rough edges while Sara took his head in her hands and ran her fingers through his hair. She shivered and he began to knead both of her swollen breasts with his swirling strokes, then bringing him closer to kiss him. They wrapped their arms around each other; the heat of their passion bringing a light sweat to their bodies that mingled together and oiled the skin.
Sara could feel Benjamin's member swelling heavily against her stomach, she took it gently in her fingers and began to fondle him into rigidity while still kissing his salty lips; he quivered under her touch as he throbbed in her burning hand. She rolled him over onto his back and sat on his legs; spreading apart her own and lowering herself upon his manhood that stood proudly in the moonlight.
Benjamin was paralyzed by the intense sensation; her sheer size pressed down on his shaft incredibly as she slowly began to rotate her hips, firmly massaging him from every angle. The feeling excited him more, causing him to swell even larger. He felt Sara lower her upper body down upon his as she continued to gyrate. Her breasts pressed lightly into his face and he took them back into his hands and roughly stroked them as he listened to her breathing become heavy somewhere above him. He imagined gazing into her beautiful amber eyes as they melded together and his own pressure began to build.
She began to moan as she rocked back and forth, faster and faster, until she began to cry out. The bed creaked under their weight and her intense movements, the headboard beating against the wall in a steady and violent rhythm, as Sara began to slither her entire body over her lover. He could feel every pulse of her heart through her hot skin. He kissed every part of her that he could as he began to peak, every slight movement she made bringing another portion of her incredible form within reach. She screamed as they both achieved orgasm; Benjamin spent wave after wave into her and collapsed back on the sheets drained.
Sara continued to circle her hips, in a shrinking figure-eight motion, for a few more moments before stopping out of exhaustion. She slid off of his softening erection and cuddled next to him, breathing softly as she nibbled on his ear. She draped an arm over his chest and whispered.
"I love you."
Benjamin took hold of her hand and nestled close to her. His foot didn't even reach her knee as they touched. He smiled.
"Thank you."
Sara slept peacefully, not having done so this soundly in a long time. She could feel sunlight warming her bare skin as she climbed out of her dreams. She felt alone and fear began to creep into her body as she opened her eyes and looked for Benjamin.
He was there with her in the bed. He looked so small compared to her and the bed, but she loved him. He was a strong and attractive man with his hair tousled from dozing. He was curled up and sleeping with his hands beneath his head. Sara smiled down on him as she sat up in bed, scratching his head with her little finger and giggling as he quivered.
His eyes fluttered and he opened them.
"Good morning sunshine," Sara bent her long leg and rested her arms and head on her smooth knee. Benjamin rolled over and smiled. His eyes were squinted as they looked past her; she found his expression pleasing and extremely attractive.
"Hello gorgeous." He sat up himself and moved towards her voice and kissed her. They separated and Sara began stroking his chest; occasionally tracing symbols with her nail.
"Ben?"
"Yeah?"
"Why were you on that side of the bed? Why didn't you stay with me?"
"I was afraid that if I touched you in the night that you would disappear. That it would turn out that all of this was just a dream and you had never really been here."
Sara felt her soul fill with love and joy.
Benjamin shook his head as he smiled.
"I didn't want to take that chance. I was afraid."
"You don't have to be afraid. I'm never going to leave you. I can finally see a truly good thing when I see it. I understand now." Sara closed her eyes as she felt her head begin to spin. Instead of the familiar vertigo, she felt her whole body tingle as if her whole body was pleasantly asleep. She knew what the sensation was and she silently thanked it for helping her; knowing she wouldn't need it anymore. Sara looked back down. "I love you Benjamin."
"I love you too Sara. I promise I'll never leave you alone again."
She smiled.
"Thank you." They kissed again and Sara rolled out of the bed. She stretched and looked at herself in a full length mirror that was hanging on the wall. She stopped with a puzzled expression, looked at Benjamin again, then back at the mirror and laughed.
"Are you mocking my decorator again?"
"I'm thanking him actually."
"You egotist," Benjamin smiled, "you're admiring yourself aren't you?"
"I guess I am," Sara laughed, "sometimes I still can't believe what's happened." Ben took a deep breath.
"Describe yourself to me."
She looked at him and smiled before looking at her body in the mirror.
"I'm probably about seven and a half feet tall now," Sara looked back at Ben who had gone back to lying on his back and listening. "I have dark hair that curls lightly as it comes down to a little above the middle of my back. My, it sure has grown quite a bit, I hadn't noticed it until now." Sara turned and ran her hands down her torso as she swiveled her hips lightly. "I have a thin, shapely neck that meets perfectly with my broad and strong shoulders." She heard Benjamin sigh. "My back is smooth but fairly muscular and my stomach is flat and well defined." Sara gave herself a sultry look as she glided her fingers over the muscles in her stomach; tensing them to feel the slight ridges. I have nimble fingers and long arms that are really toned," Sara giggled and did a little bounce, "in fact, none of my body seems to jiggle in the slightest." She raised an eyebrow and cupped both of her huge breasts with her hands. "Well, almost none of it."
Benjamin grinned, knowing what she meant.
She turned to look at him as she kneaded them with slow strokes.
"My breasts are, if I may say so..., exquisite."
"You are allowed to say that."
"They're full, firm, perfectly shaped," Sara stood amazed in admiration of her own body, "they're magnificent." She closed her eyes and brushed one of her nipples lightly with a long fingernail. It began to swell and she trembled at the mild rush it sent through her. Her womanhood began to engorge as her fondling aroused her sexual drive. She stopped abruptly and opened her eyes in slight embarrassment. "Sorry, got a little carried away for a second."
"It's okay," Benjamin got up to lay on his side, "go on."
Sara turned back towards the mirror and looked down.
"I have a thin waist, very trim, but curving into wide hips." Her hands went around her hips, the small dimples just below her waist, and over her firm buttocks that were as toned as the rest of her; she bit her lip and slapped one cheek with a resounding smack.
Benjamin jumped a little at the sound.
"I think my legs are almost as long as I was tall," she shook her head, "well, maybe not that long; but they're close. They're slim but sturdy; smooth all the way down to my feet and all the way up to my ..."
Sara jumped as Benjamin slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her back and made small circles with his nose on her skin. Her tips of her hair brushed lightly against the top of his head.
"I know where they go." He slid his fingers down into her crotch and swirled his fingers in the light fur. Sara placed her hand over his and gently guided it down further.
"Hmm, I love you."
"I love you too."
She felt him begin to stiffen once again against the middle of her thigh as her own heat trickled onto their hands.
"Now, let me show you what I see; how beautiful you are to me."
Sara's arousal permeated every fiber of her being and she knew she was happy and complete. She turned and bent her head to kiss Benjamin. He returned it emphatically, then broke away to whisper in her ear.
"Let me show you what a man who lives by his sense of touch can do."
She giggled as they kissed again and slowly moved back to the bed. Outside the window the sun shined and warmed the streets of San Diego as thin clouds drifted along. A passing car had it's radio tuned to the guitar of Santana as the birds sang their morning songs.
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