"We have to cover shrinking", May once declared over the dinner table. Leah looked at her with suspicion.
"Shrinking", she repeated slowly, as if savoring the word. "Mmhm".
"Do you disagree?"
It took Leah some time to reply. She took a sip from her glass, swirled the wine around her mouth, closed her eyes for a moment. Once she opened them again, she was looking straight at May, her gaze calculating and cold. May knew that look.
"Shrinking's all the rage right now", Leah said. "Our last episode blew up. If we were to make one on Shrinktech, we'll have another hit".
"That's exactly why I've suggested it..."
"But", Leah set her glass back down with a quiet 'ding!', "but you do realize what that would mean".
"Money", May suggested. "Ad money".
"No, before that".
"Huh?"
"If we're to make a good one, and we obviously must uphold the standards, then one of us would have to actually do it", Leah stated bluntly. "And it's not exactly... safe. Or regulated".
May smirked.
"Oh come on Leah, here I thought you'd found some real issue I haven't thought of".
Leah's eyebrows shot up.
"Yeah, unregulated, so what", May continued, unphazed. "Thousands of women have fun with Shrinktech and there doesn't seem to be much trouble".
"There's plenty of reports..."
"Sure is, but as long as you're smart and don't let the first guy you met at a gas station shrink you, you'll be fine", May shook her head. "Other than that, it's perfectly safe".
"Aren't you afraid though? Still?"
"Of what?"
"Of losing control", Leah said. "Of not being able to go back to normal on your own".
"The whole thing is about letting it go", May said. "Control, I mean".
"And I don't get that. How do you just surrender it all like this?"
"You trust and, once again, you don't let the first dude you met..."
"...at a gas station..."
"...at a gas station shrink you. Yes. They say that when you shrink you sort of... fall out of life for a bit, and it can be very relaxing".
"It's hard for me to imagine that".
"That's exactly why you should try it".
Leah shuddered.
"I'll be staying big, thanks", she said. "You can shrink and I'll, I don't know, put you into a glass? A dollhouse? You know whom we can borrow..."
"Leah".
May reached across the table and put her palm over Leah's hand. Her touch was cool.
"Leah, I have a better plan", she said with a devious smile. "Yes, I have a friend with Shrinktech, and he has a friend too... so yes, there is someone in mind. But we gotta do it together".
"Together?!"
"Together. We both need to experience it. That's how the podcast has always worked and you know it. Cold Leah versus bubbly May. Same experience, different viewpoints. Yadda yadda".
"I am still not sure..."
"I'll be with you every step of the way", May said.
There was a silence between them for a while - and then Leah asked whom did May know.
***
Over the next few days, May and Leah prepared for their upcoming adventure. They chose outfits, read everything about the possible Shrinktech side effects and even started writing out the script for the podcast introduction - although, of course, the bulk of the material would have to be written much later, once they were normal again. Leah went with her typical business casual style; May opted for a summer dress. At some point, she messaged her friend. As a result, that night a very different conversation took place at someone's apartment, where two young men sat across from each other in front of a TV. Both were athletic and tall; one was dressed in a casual way, the other's clothing indicated he was simply visiting. His name was Scott.
"So yeah, two girls", he repeated. "They want to shrink together, take some pictures, record the experience and get out. The usual cutesy thing".
His companion laughed. "Why didn't you take them to that other dude and his girl? The chill ones?"
"They are on a vacation", Scott said. "So I thought about you. I still owe you".
"Hm", the man said. "How's Sylvia?"
"Changed gal", Scott smiled. "Really appreciates me now".
"So these two... any ties?"
"None that I know of", Scott shrugged. "They are from out of town. One of them, May, is pretty receptive I think. The other one is stuck-up".
"A good combination", his friend said. "I did think of looking for a girl..."
"...So?"
"...and here you are rolling up with two", the man finished. "Yeah, let's do it. Tell them Ben will give them a real good picture of what it's like to be shrunk."
"Will do", Scott replied. "Cool. I'll send them a picture of Sylvia".
"Won't that alert them?"
"They will think it's a joke".
In the hallway, by the front door, a three-inch-tall woman was dutifully scrubbing a giant sneaker with her bare hands. She was kneeling in front of it. Her palms were dirty and sore. Scott usually wore white sneakers and always wanted them to look squeaky clean. After every walk outside, she’d be thrown on the ground in front of his shoes and told to make them “look new”. Often enough, she had to do it in public places, while the sneakers were still on his feet and he had a reason to stay in place for some time. She’s learned to fear and obey her boyfriend.
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