“Are you out of your mind?” Alice asked, her blue eyes wide, “We can’t do that!”
I surveyed her thoughtfully, “I don’t see why not?”
Alice snorted, “It’s dangerous, that’s why! I mean, we don’t even know this place, shouldn’t we stay on track?”
I sighed, rolling my unlit cigarette over my palm back and forth. I mean, she had a point. We’d just arrived in the city a couple of days ago for our annual vacation and had been trekking through the forest for the past four hours. That’s what we do. Every year, we fly to a new country and try to pack in enough hiking and exploring to last us until next summer.
On one of the forest trails, we came across a small hill. Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘a hill? By God! Whatever shall we do?’ and I don’t blame you. Alice had a similar reaction when I pointed it out to her. That is, until she saw the little steps leading down to the gaping black hole that was once the doorway.
“It’s a bunker!” I exclaimed, dragging her towards it. I’d always had a sort of morbid fascination with these kinds of things, and I’d never been lucky enough to see one in real life. Well, not this close anyway. I was ready to head inside, but Alice protested.
“I mean, it’s not like we’re going to get trapped, right?” I nodded towards the entrance, “There’s no door! Come on, let’s just have a quick look.”
I could see the idea going round and round in her brain as she gnawed at her bottom lip.
“Okay,” she conceded, “But as soon as I feel the slightest bit uncomfortable - I’m out!”
I took her by the hand, and we approached the bunker together. It really looked rather small. One of those miniature single-room shelters with barely enough space for one person. Granted, we could only see so far inside, before the view was swallowed by darkness.
“You first,” Alice let go of my hand and gripped the hem of my shirt, “And don’t you dare start running, or I’ll scream.”
I smiled to myself. Once or twice in the past I’d scared Alice into thinking I’d run away and left her, so now she made a point to hold as tightly as she possibly could onto my clothing.
“Couldn’t if I wanted to, I’m all bridled up,” I joked, but I could see she wasn’t having it, “Okay, okay, let’s go.”
I walked slowly down the crumbling stairs, overcome with sudden anticipation. I could feel Alice trudging behind me, pulling at my shirt harder and harder with each step.
“Calm down,” I told her, as we stepped through the doorway, “There’s nothing to worry about.”
But as we entered the tunnel, unease washed over me. The place smelled old and moldy, and although we were only a few feet in, I couldn’t see a thing. I ran one of my hands against the wall to make sure we were still on track. It brushed against a dry clump that fell to the ground. I flinched and felt Alice immediately tighten the reins, making my shirt dig into my stomach.
“What was that?” her voice was tiny, but alarmed all the same, “David, let’s go, please!”
I hushed her, “Hold on, we need to get some light in here.”
I fumbled in my pocket and fished out my phone. The tunnel was instantly enveloped in bright light. My eyes barely had time to adjust, before Alice’s blood-curdling screams pierced the air.
The place was infested with toads. There were hundreds of them - stuck to the walls, and crawling around the moist stone crevices on the ground. As my eyes focused, I saw a big fat clump of them further away, melding together into what seemed like a dry, warty ball. Now, toads generally don’t scare me, but even I wrinkled my nose at the sight. Meanwhile, Alice shot out of the tunnel like a cannonball.
“Alice!” I called after her, “Come back, it’s only a few toads!”
I could hear her retching and sobbing outside.
“A few?” she cried, “David, there’s enough in there to kill you! Get out, right now!”
But I wasn’t even listening anymore. I’d discovered something I hadn’t noticed in the commotion. A door. Well, a metal gate to be exact. It was shut, and I wondered if it would mean the end of my exploration, but to my surprise, it gave at a single push.
“David?” Alice persisted, “Where are you going? Please come back!”
“I’ll just be a second!” I called, “I found a gate!”
“A gate?” she sounded bewildered.
I didn’t waste my breath responding. Careful not to step on any toads, I edged past the gate and into the depths of the tunnel, eager to discover the secrets hidden within. The bunker had looked much smaller on the outside, it was surprising that the tunnel seemed so long.
“David!” Alice barked, and I could sense aggravation in her tone, “Come out here right now or-”
I waited for the remainder of the threat, but none came. Great, I thought to myself. Perhaps she’d self-combusted in anger. Either that, or I was simply out of earshot. Didn’t seem likely though, as I’d just heard her fine a second ago.
I continued along the narrow corridor, pleased to have some time to myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate Alice’s company, it was just that she could sometimes be a downright pain to be around. Now that we were on this trip together, all she seemed to want to do was lie on the b-
Clang.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. A loud metallic noise pierced my eardrums, sending vibrations through my entire body. Alarmed, I doubled back and immediately noticed the gate was shut. I charged forward, gripping the metal bars and pushing, to no avail.
“Alice!” I roared, “Open the gate!”
I rattled it, sending several toads scurrying across the dirt and a strong waft of mold into the air.
“Alice! This isn’t funny!”
But she wasn’t there. Or if she was, she wasn’t listening. She was most likely getting back at me for leaving her. ‘Serves him right!’ she was probably thinking and laughing to herself outside the walls. But why couldn’t I open the gate? It had given in so easily just a couple of minutes ago. Why wasn’t it budging now that I was tearing at it with all my might?
“Alice, I swear to God!”
“Hush,” a voice came from behind me, “That’s quite enough.”
Abruptly I turned, slamming my back against the gate.
“Be quiet!” the voice hissed, “All this racket is giving me a headache!”
With trembling hands, I aimed my phone’s flashlight in the direction of the mysterious sound. At first, I thought it was a child. He looked so small and frail, I figured he couldn’t have been any older than five. But when I caught a glimpse of his face which he was shielding from the bright light of my phone, I realized my mistake.
It was a little man. He was only about four feet tall, with graying hair and deep crow’s feet surrounding his eyes. He was wearing what looked like a nightgown, though it was difficult to tell given the circumstances, and his bare feet were grimy and similar in texture to the toads.
“Now,” he began, “What is your name?”
I stared at him, leaning into the gate, willing my body to slide through the iron bars.
This seemed to anger him, “What? Cat got your tongue?”
“D-d-david,” I managed, my teeth chattering.
“David,” he took his time with the name, as though he was trying to taste it, “What are you doing here?”
“I-I- j-just-”
“What’s wrong with you?” the old man snapped, “You have a speech impediment?”
He took a step closer, which immediately sent me banging on the gate.
“Alice! Alice! Please let me out!” I wailed, rattling the bars, “Please, I’ll do anything!”
“Enough!” the man’s voice was piercing as he jabbed his finger against my back, “Follow me!”
I flinched at his touch, “I’m not going anywhere!”
“Huh. Well, I wouldn’t be too sure.”
As soon as the words escaped his lips, a loud thud came from the depths of the tunnel, followed by a shrill cry.
Alice.
“Okay, okay, I’m coming!” I said, fervently skipping over the toads and catching up to him, “Just don’t hurt her.”
“Who?” he looked at me as though he really wasn’t sure what I meant, “Oh, that screaming ape? You know her? By God, is she rowdy! When we found her, she was trampling our cabbage patch and yelling bloody murder. Something about killing toads.”
I couldn’t remember the exact words Alice had been saying, but toads had definitely come up.
“I-I didn’t notice a cabbage patch?” I tried, my voice meek.
“You people don’t notice anything!” the old man snapped.
I figured that was my queue to shut up. There didn’t seem to be anything I could say to help my case. Or Alice’s.
As we walked, the hallway got more and more narrow, and before long, I had to reposition my body sideways to fit through. The old man seemed to be having no issues at all, strolling along at a leisurely pace. The tunnel seemed to be going on forever.
“Are we almost there?” I asked carefully, “It’s getting pretty tight down here.”
He didn’t even look up at me, “Suck in that gut and you’ll have no problems! No patience, no stamina! What are you even good for?”
I broke out in a cold sweat. Who was this man, and where was he taking me? I felt like a prisoner being led to his execution, down these dark, mold-ridden hallways that harbored an unknown fate.
After what seemed like an eternity, we reached a door. At this point, I was feeling seriously claustrophobic, and the walls were digging into my lungs whenever I tried to take a deeper breath.
The man opened the door, and I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw that the room behind the threshold was significantly roomier. Although the comfort that notion provided proved to be short-lived.
“We’re here,” he grumbled, stepping over the threshold and gesturing to me to follow, “Don’t you try anything.”
I had to bend down to get my head past the door frame. At six-foot-three, I stood about a foot too tall for the doorway and ended up tripping and toppling over anyway.
“Get up!” the old man hissed, “I have no time for this!”
But I wasn’t listening. I knelt on the floor, trying to take in my surroundings. The room was small. No, not in that sense. The general area was quite spacious, but the room was clearly intended for people shorter in stature than me. Even while kneeling, the ceiling was within hand’s reach, and the chandelier hung so low, that I could have probably touched it while lying down. The interior itself was filled with little things too. Little chairs, a small round table, and a miniature bookshelf filled with dozens of tiny books.
“What the hell?” I muttered, wiping my clammy forehead with the back of my hand, “W-what is this?
“Move it!” the old man jabbed me in the ribs, “Get up!”
I gave it my best shot. I scrambled to my feet, but the top of my head hit the ceiling before I could straighten my knees. I stood there, my neck bent, and my knees facing outwards, and immediately wished I was back in the narrow corridor, the walls suffocating me with every breath.
Suddenly, one of the doors flew open and another man barged in, carrying what looked to be a small rectangular container.
“Jeepers! You’ve caught another one!” he exclaimed, staring up at me, “We’re running out of space to put them!”
The man standing beside me snorted, “Don’t be ridiculous Gerry, there’s still plenty of room. I found this one wandering in the back tunnels. We lucked out Darcy shut the gate when he did.”
Gerry surveyed me for a moment.
“You’re a tall fellow, aren’t you?” he chuckled, “Don’t mind Perry over here, he’s an old grouch.”
Jesus, I thought. Gerry and Perry. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t having a nightmare.
“Where’s Alice?” I demanded Gerry, who seemed the most reasonable out of the two.
To my surprise, both men roared with laughter, “She was of no use to us, son, so we’re going to let her go.”
My heart rate picked up, “What do you mean ‘she wasn’t of any use to you’? Where is she?”
With a sly smile, Gerry approached me and presented the container he had been holding.
“I’m just taking her outside,” he said, “Send her on her way.”
I stared at the box, my skin prickling. I glanced at Gerry, and he nodded, encouraging me to take it. It was light, which made me wonder if there was a note from Alice inside. I removed the lid and recoiled as a small toad hopped out onto my arm. I shook it off violently, letting it fall to the floor, as Gerry and Perry doubled over with laughter.
“She makes for a nice toad, son!” Gerry wheezed, “Although I think you’ll find she’s much quieter than usual!”
The two erupted into a fit of laughter again.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I cried, grabbing Gerry by the collar, dead set on beating the living crap out of him.
But as soon as I did, I felt a sharp, piercing pain in my left thigh. I turned my head in search of the source, but before I knew it, my vision blurred, and I fell face down onto the stone floor.
#
I woke up in a completely different room. Or at least I think it was different. I’m not sure, as the environment was the same. Little furniture, low ceiling, except… Well, except the people. The people were big. They were all my size.
I looked around for Gerry or Perry, but none of the faces looked familiar. The other individuals paid no attention to me and went about their business; dusting and sweeping floors, reading, some were even napping.
What struck me the most though, was that everyone was in the upright position. Even the sleepers. The room was clearly too small for them, and their heads were all bent at a ninety-degree angle. The ones that were moving seemed to be doing so very rigidly, the motion almost robotic. Occasionally, some of them let out a long, muffled sigh, but no one spoke.
“Hmpmh,” I tried to greet them, but no sound came out. I touched my lips with my fingers and felt a piece of thread dangling down my chin. I couldn’t open my mouth. It’d been sewn shut.
“Hpmhh!” I tried again, my muffled cries more alert than before.
The door flung open, and Gerry entered the room, an unfamiliar man in tow.
“Oh, good! You’re awake!” Gerry said, patting my shoulder and gesturing to the other man, “This is Darcy. He’s our medical mastermind!”
Darcy chuckled appreciatively, staring at the stitches on my mouth, “Don’t worry, you’ve never looked better! Or sounded, for that matter!”
Both men roared with laughter.
“Now, to business,” Darcy snapped his fingers, and two small men came running into the room, laden with two large metal poles, “Meet Ted and Ned, our champion shrinkers. They’ve certainly raised the bar for all the newbies!”
I stared at them, dumbfounded. What had he called them? Champion shrinkers? And why did everyone’s names rhyme?
I couldn’t express my thoughts, so I had to make do with a muffled grunt.
“Don’t fret, you’ll be grand,” Gerry cried, followed by manic laughter.
Ted and Ned approached me and silently instructed me to lie on my stomach. I tried to resist, but Darcy wagged his finger.
“Don’t even think about it,” he clicked his tongue, pointing to a syringe attached to his belt, “There’s only so much of this stuff the human body can take.”
I had no choice but to obey. Ted and Ned approached me from either side and placed the metal poles on my back. They were heavy and stretched all the way from my neck to the soles of my feet.
“First, let me formally welcome you to our humble abode,” Darcy squeaked, delightedly circling around my incapacitated body, “I’m sure you have lots of questions, so let me fill you in!”
“Mmmh,” I wailed, as Ted and Ned began attaching the poles to my body with a metal chain.
“As you can see, you are not the first, and you certainly won’t be the last,” Darcy said, nodding towards the other people in the room, “Overgrown monstrosities.”
He paused thoughtfully.
“We believe short is beautiful,” he began, smirking, “You may not see it now, but we’ve yet to have an addition to the group that disagrees. Now, we don’t condone torture, or any extreme methodology, and that’s why we simply allow nature to take its course.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Darcy making his way to one of the sleeping subjects at the back of the room.
“The two poles securely attached to your body will ensure perfect posture, so even when you’re taking part in… recreational activities,” he slapped the sleeping man’s cheek briskly, “You will maintain good habits.”
Gerry cleared his throat, and I saw Darcy flinch.
“Oh, yes! So, the ceiling is quite low in this room, as you can see, meaning that your body will inevitably shrink to accommodate your head. When you have reached this target height, you will be moved to a smaller room,” he looked around as if he was admiring art, “And so on, and so forth.”
Ted and Ned had just finished tying the poles to both of my legs and were getting started on my neck. My eyes were prickling with tears, but I blinked them back, determined not to go out without a fight.
“Now, we have three rooms you must go through. In the third room, you will find a small door. Once you can fit through the door, you will officially become a part of our family,” he paused, as though he was struggling to remember his lines, “Oh yes! How will you eat, you might ask? What a perfectly reasonable question! Ted and Ned make rounds every day, feeding our lovely residents through a tube - you won’t even have to open your mouth!”
Gerry tapped his watch, “Wrap it up, we’re late for the meeting!”
“Ah, good point! Oh well, any questions?” he clasped his hands, his question clearly directed at me, “No? Oh, good! Good luck then!”
And with that he was gone. Ted, Ned and Gerry pulled me upright and left me, with my limbs unusually straight, and my chin mashed against my chest. The only parts of my body I could move semi-freely were my arms.
I’ll spare you the details of my gruesome time in that bunker. Aside from my shrinking limbs, I inevitably started going insane due to the lack of mental stimulus. Ted and Ned came into the room to feed us and change our undergarments every morning, evening and afternoon. The only thing that allowed me to maintain my last drop of sanity were the books.
Oh, the books. I devoured every single word as if it was the last thing I’d ever read. I combed through piles and piles of journals, novels and encyclopedias as I waited for whatever life had in store for me next.
Lots of people died. There was a guy that would always stand next to me and read the same books over my shoulder, pointing out the funny bits and making gurgling noises that were supposed to substitute for laughter. I’d gotten used to having him there, until one day Ted and Ned came in to take his body. I was never told of what happened to my friend, but I knew he couldn’t have been transferred to another room. His head had still been scraping the ceiling.
I had no idea how much time had passed since I had first entered the bunker. Months, years, decades? Time flow had ceased, and I didn’t even know the time of day. Eventually though, I had shrunk enough to be transferred into the final room. The one with the little door. I measured myself against it every day, willing my body to shrink faster, so I could return to the life I’d been living.
When the day finally came, I stood at four-feet-two. Ted and Ned removed my shackles and Darcy waltzed in to congratulate me.
“You did it!” he squealed, “One of the fortunate ones!”
Indeed, I was. My body hadn’t retained the muscle memory which allowed regular humans to sit or lie down, so I was only able to function in the upright position. Thankfully, Darcy said the effect would wear off.
“Within six months, give or take,” he said.
I had to learn to speak again too. My tongue was so frigid it wouldn’t flip over correctly when it came to pronouncing certain letters. Not to mention eating. You’d think that’s a skill that can’t be unlearned.
“It took you precisely…” Darcy trailed off, tapping a piece of paper with his finger, “Nine hundred and eighty-two days! Not record time, but Gerry would’ve certainly been impressed to see it. He always thought you wouldn’t last the first two months.”
I opened my mouth to ask about Gerry, but no sounds came out.
“He died of cardiac arrest a couple of weeks after your inauguration,” Darcy said, without remorse, “Good guy, good guy.”
“Can I-” I mouthed, pointing at the door. I desperately wanted to go outside.
“All in good time,” Darcy waved his hand dismissively, “Wouldn’t want to rush the recovery process, hm?”
For the next couple of months Darcy helped me through intense physical therapy. He said I needed to rebuild the muscles in my legs to walk normally again.
“You look like you’re constipated,” he constantly told me, leaning down to manually bend my knees at every step, “Walk naturally!”
I tried. I really did. The thought of finally escaping and returning to society motivated me. Although, granted, I had no idea how I’d fit into society with my new look. What’s more, it seemed that Darcy and the rest of the residents had their hearts set on having me as the newest addition to their clan.
“I can’t stay,” I told Darcy one night, as he spoon-fed me oatmeal and scribbled notes into his notebook, “I want to go home.”
“What nonsense!” he sneered, but there was an uncertainty in his voice.
I wondered if perhaps I was the exception to the rule. Had the experiment gone wrong with me? The other inmates seemed more than happy to obey every command as soon as they’d stepped through the little door at the end of the third room.
But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. My need for freedom was far stronger than any incentive I had to stay. So, one morning, while the others were still asleep, I made my way to the door leading to the back tunnels. I knew there was another exit somewhere, but I wasn’t familiar enough with the territory and I didn’t have time to look.
I was stunned by how different the tunnel looked. The walls seemed so far apart, I couldn’t believe I’d ever felt uncomfortable in such a large space. I walked slowly, but I knew I had enough time before the others noticed I was missing.
As I approached the metal gate I’d once desperately clung to, I could see the sunlight streaming in through the entrance. Sunlight! It had been so long since I’d last seen it! The gate was open, patiently awaiting its next victim, and I limped past it as fast as my rigid legs would allow, basking in the morning rays.
And then I heard a familiar voice.
“David? What the hell took you so long?”