HOME | DD

DannTheMuse - Alone Time Comic — Description

Chapter 15
The Biggest Adult in The Room
by Dann
“You shrank her?!” Donnie screamed, hands pulling at his hair in frustration.

Sarah was pacing back and forth, aggressively chewing on her fingernails. “N-no, Donnie, I didn’t go anywhere near that-that-that THING!” Sarah pointed nervously at the black remote on the counter, lying next to the miniaturized version of her roommate.

Kendra was still unconscious but slowly starting to come to.

Donnie jogged over to the accursed remote, giving it a wide berth. “I think she’s starting to wake up.”

“Donnie, you saw…I wasn’t even touching it. S-she asked me for it, and I gave it to her.” Sarah defended, though her voice was broken and cracked, like a vase that had fallen off the shelf.

“Not now, Sarah.” Donnie hissed, crouching down next to Sarah’s next unfortunate victim. “Hey, don’t try to get up. You’re gonna have one hell of a headache.” Donnie whispered, tentatively reaching out to comfort Kendra, who was the first person his own size he’d seen since this whole nightmare began. “She’s…exactly my size. Jeeze, it really worked, didn’t it?” Donnie spoke softly to himself, as the shadow of Sarah blotted out the natural light from the kitchen chandelier.

“I-is she okay?” Sarah asked, her voice breaking Donnie out of his awe and wonder.

Donnie frowned and waved his hand aggressively. “Sarah, back up. For fucks sake, she’s going to be weirded out enough when she wakes up; she doesn’t need to see you’re fat-head looming over her like some sort of Kaiju.”

Sarah chewed on her thumbnail and took a timid step back. “I-is she okay? She’s breathing right…d-did she hit her head when she fainted?” Sarah asked, standing on her tiptoes and leaning over to get a better look.

Donnie didn’t answer; instead, he focused on Kendra, who was starting to wake up. Slowly, her eyes began to open. She blinked a few times, then as Donnie began to come into focus, she let out a strangled yelp and quickly shimmied herself back, fumbling to comprehend what, or who, she was looking at.

“Wh-gah…wh-wh-stay weh fram mi!” Kendra scrambled to sit upright, immediately bringing her hands out in front and holding them up, in what Donnie could only guess was a half-awake attempt to protect herself.

“Whoa… whoa, easy… easy, Kendra. It’s me, Donnie, remember? You’re okay…I’m not here to hurt you.” Donnie tried to keep his voice low, controlled, warm. But he was high on the adrenaline of the moment too, and was doing his best not to panic.

How did the device suddenly work? Why could it only make things smaller, not larger? Did this mean they were stuck this way, and how were they going to explain that part to Kendra?

"Mi... wha mek mi.." Kendra’s voice cracked; she was breathless and panicky as she tried to scramble back even further, only to hit the edge of the massive black remote control she had been holding only moments ago. “No, no, no, dis cyan' be real…a dream dis? Wah gwaan to mi? Donnie, bwoy, bwoy, wha mek yu soh big so?! Wah happen tu di kitchen?!" The pure shock shattered any filter Kendra had; her native patwa flooded back in a thick, rapid-fire rush as pure panic and adrenaline took over.

“The kitchen is fine, you’re just really small right now,” Donnie spoke softly, giving her the answers he was never given at such an early juncture in his new, tiny life. It was a respect he’d wished he had been given, rather than being abruptly shoved into Sarah’s purse and forced to come to terms with his new reality himself. “The device…um…well, shrank you?”

“M-mi nah pay wid you, Donnie, you better serious right now.” Kendra swallowed, her voice dropping to a breathless whisper. She wasn’t screaming anymore and was starting to come back to her senses, just in time to hear the biggest bombshell dropped right on top of her. “You…you actually…this stupid machine…h-how big me’ supposed to be right now, exactly?” Kendra’s eyes were wide as saucers; she was angry, terrified, and extremely confused.

Both Donnie and Kendra were too wrapped up in their own interaction to notice the lighting around them begin to dim, as Sarah stepped back into view. She was very cautiously looking over them both, still chewing fervently on her fingers.

“Is she alright?” Sarah spoke in her softest voice. One she’d practiced since Donnie had come into her possession.

Kendra’s eyes immediately whipped around at the unearthly sound, no…not just a sound…a voice? Her gaze locked onto the overwhelming, mountain-sized woman looming over the counter, watching them both with wide eyes.

It looked like Sarah, mostly, only…why…how was she so big?

“Lord Gat!” Kendra let out a shriek that tore, raw and jagged from her throat. It was a scream that lingered and stretched on as long as her lungs could sustain it.

“O-oh god…n-no…it’s okay. Kendra, it’s just me!” Sarah backed away, holding both her hands out in front of her, in surrender, and while this gesture had, in all honesty, been meant as a show of non-aggression. To Kendra, it simply looked like a mountain-sized woman holding two larger-than-life hands out toward her.

Kendra doubled back, scrambling around the giant black remote to put it between herself and Sarah, who was nearly doubled over, tears streaming down her face.

“N-no, no, no, no, please…it’s just me..Kendra…please….” Sarah whimpered, feeling this deep in her gut, a pain that cut her deep. Her own best friend, who had stuck by her through the worst times in her life, was terrified of her.

“Sarah, just go,” Donnie shouted, aggressively waving Sarah back, while trying to keep an eye on Kendra, who looked as if she just might make a running leap off the kitchen counter in absolute panic.

“I-I can’t leave her like this..Donnie…she’s afraid and….”

Donnie sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “She’s afraid of YOU, Sarah… because you’re huge. Remember? Trust me, I know.” Donnie tried to lower his voice; Sarah was just as much of a wreck as Kendra, and shouting would only make matters worse. “God, I can’t BELIEVE I have to be the biggest adult in the room right now. For fucks sake…”

Sarah let out a timid whimper, one arm holding her stomach while the other was up near her mouth, her manicured nails chewed and wrecked. “J-just tell me she’s okay…Donnie, I can’t just leave her like this….”

Donnie groaned, running his entire palm over his face, and spoke muffled into his hand, “I’ll calm her down; just go.”

Sarah nodded, took an uneasy step back, but her gaze lingered on Donnie and Kendra. “But…”

“GO, Sarah…” Donnie yelled, then took a breath, exhaled slowly, and softened his tone. “Please?”

“O-okay…I-I’ll go.” Sarah relented and disappeared into the other room; her footsteps still felt as Donnie turned back, scanning the countertop for any sign of Kendra.

“Fuck, she didn’t!” Donnie winced, making a jog to the edge of the counter and scanning the floor for any signs of Kendra, relieved to see none. “Oh, thank heavens.” He sighed, feeling lightheaded from all the excitement. “But where did she…”

Donnie turned, taking a solid look around the counter, eyes finally landing on a knife-block in the distance. It stood high on the horizon like an apartment complex, but was really the only place he could see where Kendra could be hiding.

“Kendra?” Donnie tested, then listened.

Bingo.

She didn’t answer, but he could clearly hear her panicked, shallow breathing, now that Sarah wasn’t blubbering in his ear. “Hey, so I’m going to come over to you, okay?” Donnie took a careful step forward. “I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t…you know…scream and hit me and run?” Donnie winced; that really had sounded better in his head.

He felt his heart in his throat as the knife-block grew larger the closer he came. It really was like some fantastical abstract structure, with a dozen or so pillars sticking out of the top of what was already a massive and impressive structure. “I’m rounding the corner?” Donnie spoke, loud enough for anyone lurking nearby to hear.

As expected, Kendra was cowering on the other side of the block, huddled against the enormous brown wooden obelisk. She was hugging her knees and trembling, eyes wide as saucers.

“Hey there.” He spoke calmly, offering a half wave.

"No, no, no... nuh come nuh closer. Just... please, stay right deh." Kendra pressed herself into the knife-block, her voice a shaky, nervous whimper.

“Okay…okay…no problem. I’ll stay right where I am, okay?” Donnie crouched, then sat down himself, leaning back on his hands.

Oh, how he empathized with Kendra right now; he just wished he could find a way to guide her through this.

“Everything…everything so big.” Kendra stammered, shaking her head as if that would chase away the ‘hallucinations’ she was experiencing.

Donnie nodded. “It’s the sound that’s really jarring at first, right? How like, everything just sounds…wrong?” Donnie offered, keeping gentle eye contact with her. “That…tends to get better eventually. You just…sort of get used to it?”

Kendra’s attention snapped back to Donnie, sharp, alert, ready to pounce. “How’d she do this…?” Kendra asked next, staring back at Donnie with laser focus.

Donnie motioned with his chin to the large remote off in the distance, then looked back to Kendra. “That’s the culprit.” Donnie adjusted his posture and scratched his stubbly chin with his free hand. “It helps to breathe. You’ll pass out if you don’t.” Donnie offered again, his voice soft, steady, constant.

Kendra nodded shakily and began to focus on her breathing, taking deeper breaths, but her attention was everywhere, focusing on the alien landscape that was her own kitchen. This wasn’t helping, and soon Kendra’s breathing devolved back to short, shallow, panicking breaths.

“Hey…hey, look at me, focus on me. Don’t worry about any of that for now, alright? Just look at me…there…yeah that's it.” Donnie nodded, inching a little bit closer. “Breathe with me, deep breaths, okay?”

Kendra nodded and watched Donnie, her eyes locked onto his with a desperate, pleading hope. He would explain things; he was normal, he wasn’t huge, loud and terrifying. “What’s she going’do wit us?”

Donnie broke eye contact long enough to roll his eyes and scoff, “Don’t worry about her; she’s about as dangerous as a lame duck. I don’t think Sarah knows what she’s doing ten minutes from now. Trust me, she hasn’t planned any of this; she’s about as useful as a knife made out of rubber.”

Kendra didn’t laugh, but this information did calm her a bit, though the square breathing was doing most of the heavy lifting. “How….”

Donnie shook his head. “Dunknow…I guess when you hit it…the thing set off or something? I wasn't sure it worked, but…Heh, I guess it does?” Donnie offered, as he moved closer.

Kendra didn’t react; she just continued to stare at the black device. “Why…why would she do this?” Kendra asked next,

Donnie stopped; honestly, he was wondering that himself, and had he an answer, he’d have gladly offered it up to her. Instead, he closed the distance between them, cautiously, and stopped an arm's reach away. “You good?”

“No.” Kendra shot back, sharply, watching him with suspicion.

Donnie laughed and shook his head. “You were afraid of me when you thought I was a Brownie; now you’re afraid of me because?”

Kendra shook her head, then shrugged. She wasn’t willing to offer him a reason, but she didn’t shoo him away either. “W-well…you could be dangerous…a-and how do I know ya not in on this too, hmmm?”

Kendra was starting to calm down; her accent was still thick and strong, but her breathing was no longer shallow.

Donnie sighed and leaned back against the knife-block, closing his eyes. “I’m a victim, Kendra. Just like you.”

Kendra was quiet; she couldn’t hear Sarah walking around anymore, and that made her nervous. She moved closer to Donnie; he was the only thing that wasn’t terrifying right now. “How long?” She asked softly.

Donnie laughed, mirthless and dry. “Oh shit, I’ve already lost count. A while? Long enough that PTO isn’t going to cover my absence?” Rent, bills…all of it was still due.

Sarah could feed the Don for him, but she couldn’t pay his rent, or explain to his employer why he was gone for so long.

Kendra leaned into Donnie; she was calmer, but all that served to do was make way for other emotions. Panic gave way to the cold realization, as tears began to well up in her eyes. “Is she gonna…I mean…are we…”

Donnie sighed; he could feel Kendra shaking, and hear it in her voice. He wanted to comfort her, put his arm around her and tell her everything was going to be alright. But he didn’t know that himself, not really.

“No.” Donnie said, flatly, then eased his tone, “Sarah’s not a danger, not really. She’s irresponsible, selfish, entitled and manipulative…but she’s not going to physically hurt us.” Donnie paused, then admitted, “I mean…maybe don’t scream at her too much? But no, I don’t think she’s going to hurt us. She…she legitimately seems to want to make this right and…I dunknow I kind of believe her?”

Donnie could feel the hole Kendra was attempting to stare right through him, and added quickly, without opening his eyes, “I didn’t say she wasn’t to blame for all of this, just that I don’t think she’ll hurt us, not on purpose.”

Kendra was quiet, even as she leaned her head on Donnie’s shoulder. “We need to get help; we need to find help.”

Donnie didn’t answer, not at first. He just leaned his own head onto Kendra’s and sighed, “Probably. But…I’m afraid of what will happen if we do. I-I guess I was kind of hoping she’d sort this out without me ending up in some lab?” Donnie was at a loss for words. She was right; they did need help; he was just too afraid to admit it.