Sarah over did it with the Fredricks Fancy product and grows into a massive giant, and now is living proof of Fredricks products causing her to alter in size and shape.  But will the shifty salesman use this to his advantage?  Part 2 of the short story and short story seven in the series.

Confronting Fredrick part 2

Matt didn’t get a chance to ask what I meant before I started to rocket skyward.  My feet flew off the table, pushing Matt to the ground.  A second later, the table beneath me snapped under my new weight.

I could hear Fredrick’s voice saying, “This is nothing, people.  Just some publicity stunt.”

My accelerated growth continued.  I was already passing twenty feet tall and knocking over Fredrick’s tent.  People were starting to back away from me.  I could hear faint voices of, “I tried that crap.  That isn’t going to happen to me, is it?”  But the voices were becoming softer as I became larger.

The trees around me started to become waist-high.

And yet, I continued to grow and grow.

I felt like a bomb had gone off inside me.  As I expanded outward, I knocked over tent after tent.  Oh my, I am so sorry.  Looking around, the skyscrapers even started to become small around me.  Just how big am I becoming?

Finally, I stopped with an abrupt halt.  The park below looked like a small patch of grass.

I must be a good hundred feet tall.

I looked down at all of the crushed vendors my feet had knocked over from just growing.  Oh no.

I could barely see the people below me.  I need to know what is going on down there.  Carefully I bent down onto my hands and knees.  It was tough finding places for my limbs without crushing anything.

My arms and legs ended up resting on the city streets. I made sure to push the cars out of the way first before resting my arms and legs down. As I was getting settled, one of my legs became wedged between two buildings so tight that I was afraid that it might be stuck. This isn’t good.

My head hovered over the park assembly.  From what I could see, Fredrick was trying to defend himself from a group of people.  “Why were we not told that your products could do anything like this?’

He waved his arms.  “This is an accident.  It has no connection to Fredrick’s Fancy products.”

I couldn’t believe it even now he was trying to deny this.  “Don’t you lie, you crook.”

Everyone looked up at me.  “Hey, you.  Why don’t you whisper next time?  And take a breath, mint lady.”

“Ya, we don’t need your loudspeaker voice.”

I narrowed my eyes as Fredrick spoke.  “Thousands of people had tried my products.  If this was as much of a problem as you all believe, then why is she the only giant that you have seen.”

The crowd didn’t have an answer for that.

Fredrick continued.  “This umm, young lady, surely has something else wrong with her.  Stop blaming everything on my products that are perfectly safe.”

There was silence for a moment until a young man spoke up, holding up his phone.  “I just did a quick search on Fredrick’s Fancy products on the internet and found in Georgia a man claims he shrunk a few feet after trying your product.”

The crowd erupted once more.  Fredrick tried to get control, but as he tried to yell over the group, the news team that had been at the event came over.

Great.

Now my image is going to be plastered all over the country.

I tried to stand, but one of my legs was stuck between two buildings where I had laid down.  As I attempted to free it, the surrounding buildings started to shake violently.  That isn’t good.  I didn’t want to knock them over, so I stayed where I was.  Even if that meant risking my giant face on television.

I watched as the reporter from channel 13 walked up onto the scene.  He couldn’t take his eyes off of me.  After a while, I just couldn’t take his awkward stare.  “Stop staring at me.’

My voice made him almost jump out of his skin.  He adjusted his crappy-looking suit and walked up to Fredrick.

“Hello, viewers.  We are here at New Centennial Park, where a rather exciting development has occurred.  Fredrick’s Fancy products have come out swinging with their promotional campaign this year.

Their products promote all matters of growth, like helping bone development, but now we can see it in action.”

I had thought Fredrick would be outraged by this, but he was silent for a moment.  Then he said.

“Yes.  This is a part of our promotional campaign.”

I couldn’t stand this.  “Excuse me.”

He looked up at me.  “Would you be more considerate?  You don't want your new voice to hurt anyone” Fredrick looked back at the reporter.

“Now, as I was saying.  This is showing off a rather extreme version of how well my products will help your bones grow.  This woman has had a special dose that is not available to the public so that today’s spectacle could be brought before you all.”

The reporter ate it up.  “Amazing.”

Fredrick straightened his jacket.  “Why, yes.  I pride myself on my quality products.”

The reporter took another look at me.  “Are the effects on your friend here permeant?”

Fredrick shook his head.  “No.  She will shrink back down soon.  You have no reason to concern yourself.  She is perfectly alright.”

While this was going on, I felt something itching its way up my left shoulder.  I looked over and saw Matt trying to climb up the side of my body.  What is he doing?

The conversation below me went on.  “Well, our viewers at home are very excited to know about what else you are brewing up.”

Fredrick waved his right hand.  “My future product line is still a surprise.”

“Can’t you give us any hint?”

Fredrick smiled.  “What fun would I have if I just told you what inventive idea I had to show the world next?  Part of this is surprising people with what I have come up with next.”

The reporter turned to his camera.  “Well, we are all sure we will be delighted to know what is in store from Fredrick’s Fancy.  That is for sure.”

The angry crowd that had once been there seemed to be dissipating.  Fredrick seemed to once again to have fooled people into believing his products were safe.

This was a giant waste.  All I did was help Fredrick out in the end and end up becoming so big that it is uncomfortable for me.  My legs take up entire roadways.  I wonder if I am going to get a ticket for having my legs obstructing traffic?  Even still, I wasn’t that angry.  I thought I would have been, but I was content.  Even though Fredrick is a lying jerk, I guess I can find a way to live with this.  I mean, it isn’t that bad that I am going to change size every time I have one of his products.

I was reminded of Matt when I felt my shirt sleeve tug.   He was just reaching the apex of my shoulder.  I reached over and gently picked him up, bringing him before my face.  Whispering, I said.  “What do you want so badly that you are climbing on me?”

“We need to talk about this, Sarah.  You went too far today.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.  “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t like it when you change size like this.”

“On our third date, you said-“

People below were looking at us.  Matt looked down at them, a bit embarrassed.  “Considering even when you whisper, half the town can hear us, can you take us somewhere a bit more private?  I am not going to have you telling the world about our private conversation.”

“I would, but my leg is stuck.”

“Sarah, I am serious.  If you really care, you will do this.”

I closed my eyes.  I didn’t relish the thought of possibly toppling a building, but at the same time, I didn’t want this to escalate into a fight.  “Fine.  Let me slide you into my pocket so I don’t hurt you while I find a place where we can talk.”

“Wait, Sarah-“

I had made my mind up, already closing my hand and sliding him into my pocket.  I then focused on trying to free my leg.  Try as I might, I couldn’t pull on my leg without causing the buildings to wobble.

I twisted my body so I had a hand on each building and slowly pulled.  My leg slowly wormed its way out.  With my might, I kept the structures in place.  Then all at once, my thigh popped out, and I had to catch myself, almost crushing a small department store.  I sighed, happy to be free and not causing any property damage that would have come to bite me in the rear end tomorrow.

I then stood to my full height and looked around for a place that Matt and I could talk in private.  That was going to be tricky, considering just how tall I was.

I turned around to the south see the countryside expanding out before me.  My own house was in that direction.  I decided to head that way and away from civilization.

As I walked, I made sure to keep a constant eye on where my feet fell.  One wrong step could be someone else’s misfortune.  You had to just eat more of the honey, didn’t you, Sarah.

Ugh, I hope I never live to be this big again.  Fifty feet tall is pushing it.  This is just absurd.

In a matter of minutes, I had left the city behind me and was strolling over the countryside.  I was looking for a beautiful secluded spot in the forest for our conversation.  Eventually, I found it; the only problem was there wasn’t a place for me to step with all of the trees.  Frustrated, I just sat down, crushing as few trees as possible.

I then reached into my pocket and pulled out Matt.

He looked around, clinging to my index finger.

“How did we get out here?”

“I carried you.”

He looked down.  “What did you do to those trees?”

I rolled my eyes.  “I am frustrated about being this size, and I just needed a place to sit down.”

He was silent for a moment.  “Look, Sarah.  I don’t like you changing size like this.”

“But, you were ok with it before.”

“I was being nice.  It was weird when you showed up on my door with a giant neck.  I didn’t know what to think, and I didn’t want to make you feel bad.  I had hoped it was temporary.  But I am not happy to find out this stuff is happening to you again.”

“It isn’t exactly my fault, Matt.  Well, today might be but the other times-“

“What other times?”  He looked frantic.

“Umm.  Well, there was a time I accidentally shrunk at work.  Also, you know how I had to borrow my neighbors’ car.  I outgrew the other one.  Literally.  I turned into a rabbit once, and my boss forced me to grow once for his own business strategy.”

It looked like he was taking in a few deep breaths.  “This is crazy.”

“Matt, I know what is happening to me now.  It is some kind of allergic reaction to the Fredrick’s Fancy products.”

“That makes no sense whatsoever.”

“But it is the truth.”

He clasped his hands over his ears, sliding down into my palm.  I had made the mistake of raising my voice.  “I am sorry.  I will try and remember to whisper, Matt.”

“Dammit, Sarah.  I don’t know if I can handle this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know if I can handle my girlfriend being this sick freak who might change size because she drank the wrong bottle of water.”

I narrowed my eyes.  “I am not sick.  There is nothing wrong with me.”

“You grew a hundred feet tall.  What normal person does that?”

I was starting to get angry.  “And what is wrong with that?  Sure I may have overdone it with the growth, but I don’t see that much of an issue.”

“Will you listen to yourself?  You are a bit delusional if you think any of this is good for us.”

I closed my eyes.  I was personally mixed about this whole deal with the Fredrick’s Fancy products and what they had done to me.  Sure, I had been embarrassed at first, but I usually found the experiences generally ok.  Sure, I had wanted to expose Fredrick, but that was because I thought it happened to everyone.

I was growing to not mind these adventures.  Now that I knew what was causing them and that they were not as much of an issue to the general public, I could maybe learn to use them in my everyday life.

But what I did not like hearing was Matt saying there was something wrong with me.  “Sure, I may end up growing or shrinking more than other people, but there isn’t anything wrong with that.”

“Sarah, if you care about us, I want you to stop abusing this drug.”

“A drug, is it?  It has been an accident most of the time, except for when Gregory threatened to fire me if I didn’t grow for him.  I am hurt that you are comparing this to an addiction.”

“That is how I see it.”

I took a few deep breaths it.  “This is a part of me, Matt, and you are just going to have to deal with it.”

“Well, either you stop with this size-changing crap, or we are, though.  I will not have my girlfriend be some freak.  It is far too embarrassing.”

“And I won’t let you talk to me in that way.  I think we are done.”  I lowered my hand down to the ground and shook him off.

“Find your way back to town.”

“Hey, you can’t leave me here.”

“Not my problem anymore.  Besides, I thought you were too embarrassed to be seen with a giant.”  I stood up, disgusted with him.  How dare he call me a freak?  Not a single person has called me that yet, and he just…  Ugh.

I started walking.  I needed to be alone.  I thought I would make my way to a nearby lake and soak my legs in the water.  I needed something relaxing after having to break up with Matt.  I was foolish to think he was accepting of me.

It took me a good fifteen minutes to reach a lake that I didn’t dwarf.  I then spent another two minutes walking down the beach to find an unoccupied spot so I could lie down without anyone bothering me.  I then sat down, my legs extending out into the freshwater.  Sadly my legs were only half-submerged beneath the waves.  It was still lovely.

I then laid onto my back and cried.  Matt had been the first real person I had gone out with in my entire life.  I had been shut in during my teen years, playing games online and stuff like that.

When I had turned twenty-four, I had decided I was finally going to try a dating app, My Heart, or something like that.

I wasn’t sure what I was looking for in a partner; I just didn’t want to be alone anymore.

Spending that time with Matt had been fun, but something had always seemed like it was missing.

I sat up, wiping the tears from my eyes.  The more I thought about it, the more I felt I had forced myself to go out with Matt just because I was afraid of being alone.

I didn’t even find him that attractive.

The sun was starting to dip on the horizon.  I looked at my watch, and it read five forty-five.

I wonder if I should start heading back soon.  I am a reasonable distance from town, and if I shrink down, it could take me hours to get back.  Eh, I will give it another half hour before I head back.

I watched the waves hit the shore, lost in thought. I still didn’t know much about what I wanted in a man. Or if I even wanted one at all.  The more I thought about the whole issue, the more I became twisted around.  It came to a point where I just didn’t know anymore.  This wasn’t something I was going to figure out today, so I just let the matter lie for the time being.  All I was doing was stressing myself out, thinking about it.

At six p. m.  I picked myself up and made my way back to town.  I was curious to see what was happening there in my absence.  It took me a good twenty minutes to return.

Unlike Matt, no one seemed to be bothered by my gigantic size.  Wonder why he was so buggy about it.

As I neared the park, I noticed that I was starting to lose my height.

Finally, I am going to be a more appropriate height.  A hundred feet is too much.  It was a long way down, about a minute to go down five feet.  I could feel the blood pumping through my veins, slowly condensing upon myself.  I leaned up against the side of a building as I shrank downward, twiddling my thumbs.  It was boring having to wait so long to return to my average size.  I wish I had some quality speed control.

After about fifteen minutes, I returned to my normal size, standing at the edge of the park.  The place was jam-packed.  It seemed that after I had left, people had flooded the assembly.  I walked in, curious as to what had become of Fredrick.  It took me a few minutes to navigate through the crowds, but I found him in the center of all the commotion.  The news crews were still around him.  There were now multiple news networks around him.  Fredrick seemed to be soaking in his newfound fame.

I crossed my arms.  Well, it seems instead of running Fredrick, I helped him find a new level of popularity.  I watched him gleefully take in all the attention.  I will have to keep an eye on him.  As long as there is else too crazy comes out with these Fredrick’s Fancy products, I think I can live with what is going on.  Besides, it doesn’t seem like he was doing it on purpose, even if he was trying to cover it up.

I sighed.  It is interesting, though, to say the least.  A few months ago, I never thought I would find out I would find a product that could alter my size or shape.   Life sure does have a way to keep things interesting.

I turned around and headed for the parking garage, where I had left my car.  It was time to head home.