No point in doing something stupid- they were going to find out, one way or another, so Conner figured he might as well confront them about it now. "Alright, I'n... I'm coming down now, Mom. Just don't panic when you see me, okay?"
"Conner, is everything all right?" Genuine concern traced the edge of her voice.
"Yeah, it's... well, just look." Conner took a deep breath, opened the door, and ducked his 7'10" body through the frame.
Conner's mother was waiting for him downstairs, along with his dad. He felt slightly nervous as they stared at him, waiting for their comments. When they finally came out, he was shocked.
"Conner, what are we supposed to be looking at, besides you not being dressed?"
He felt his mouth open agape slightly. How did they not notice? "I can't get dressed, Mom, because none of my clothes fit! And none of my clothes fit because I'm over seven feet tall!"
"We know how tall you are, son, and it's about time you realized that you're due for a refresher in wardrobe. Those clothes you've been wearing have been too small for ages, now, and we're finally going to get something that fits you properly!"
"What? Who cares about my clothes?!"
"You do, apparently, or else you wouldn't keep wearing them and bringing them up at breakfast," Conner's dad chuckled.
What on earth were they talking about? Conner wondered. "Helloooooo? Am I the only one who sees that I've-"
He was cut off as the familiar pains and burning sensations kicked in. "Hold on," Conner said, in half a daze, and closed his eyes. He waited until the feelings had receded, then opened them again- his vision definitely higher than what it was several minutes ago. "A-HA!" He said with satisfaction. There's no way this wouldn't resolve it.
"A-ha, what?"
"Just now!"
"Just what, dear?"
"Just now! I JUST grew several inches! How could you not notice?!" Conner let out, slightly panicked. Conner's mom just blinked and stared at him with furrowed eyebrows to mark her confusion.
"Conner... your height hasn't changed since you hit 8'5" several months ago. You're done growing." Conner was about to speak out at this absurdity when his dad interrupted him.
"I've had enough of this nonsense, I've got work. Conner, get a pair of sweats from my room upstairs. You can wear them to mow the lawn, and when you're done, your mother and you are going clothes-shopping. No more excuses- eat your cereal."
"But-"
"I said EAT." His stern look told Conner that this was the end of all possible discussion. Conner frowned, collapsed on a chair he barely fit on, and ate his cereal in silence.
The rest of the morning was executed in eerie silence. Conner looked down at his parents several feet below him. What was going on that he wasn't being seen as any bigger? What was happening to them? What was happening to him? His mind swirled with questions as he rinsed his bowl out, put it in the washing machine, and lumbered into the garage to get the mower.
----
It was summer vacation, which on the plus side meant no school,
and on the minus side meant crazy temperatures. Conner panted as he worked on the yard, his enlarged body covered in sweat. Forced to work without a shirt and in sweatpants in a ninety-degree heat should be criminal, he thought miserably to himself. He wondered how many of his classmates were actually enjoying their time off, instead of being forced into unpaid labor. He surveyed his work, as he finished pushing the mover down another row. About half-done with the front yard. Actually making good time, he thought- at least the height did that much for him. Didn't make it any less weird, though. Not even the passersby on the streets looked at him twice before they continued their jogs and dog-walks. He was about to resume when he saw the garage door open and his parents' car slide out. "Going to pick up some groceries, be back soon," He heard his mom call out before it turned onto the street and sped away. He let out a sigh of relief that he was now alone, and trotted back inside to cool off for a bit.
As he rested on the first couch he encountered, he thought carefully about his parents' reactions- or lack thereof. What on earth could it mean? What was wrong with them (or him, he reasoned) that they couldn't remember anything about what happened directly in front of them? He couldn't elaborate on this much, because the chime of a doorbell interrupted his thoughts shortly after. He huffed at the irritation. Perfect timing. He approached the door and opened it, hoping whatever it was could be brief.
The person at the door was a young East Asian girl, probably fourteen years old from the looks of her. She was wearing a knee-length robin's egg blue skirt, with a white top to complement it, clearly casual wear. Her long black hair reached down her back almost to her waist. At a second's glance from her to you, she instantly broke into an excited smile.
"PERFECT! You must be Conner!" She burst energetically.
Conner was taken aback. "How did you know my name...?" He slowly asked, with a hint of suspicion.
"Well, because you're eight friggin' feet tall and thirteen years old, duh," she said jokingly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Conner didn't have time to rally this information within him before she sped off again. "Look, I understand that you're really confused, maybe even a little scared, and that's natural, but I don't really have the time to explain everything here, and it's seriously important that I get to back to base, pronto," she rattled on breathlessly. "Once we're there, I promise to tell you everything you want to ask, but in the meantime, you've gotta trust me on this."
A lot to ask from a teenage giant you just met, Conner thought. "What about my parents? Are they going to worry about me?"
"Your parents will be fine! The Transification Field we've got going right now is completely temporary, but without it, things get messy, and if you stay here, things are going to get even messier. So if you don't mind..."
"The WHAT? What did you do to my parents?!" Conner's voice raised significantly.
The girl groaned and rolled her eyes. "It's not important, I swear! I'll tell you everything, but you've got to trust me and come-right-now!" She tugged on Conner's arm twice at the end for emphasis, though he didn't budge an inch.
"Why the hell would I do that, I don't even know your name!" he shouted.
"Katie," She responded curtly. "Now come on!"
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author