Peine Forte Et Dure

Ivana was floating, tendrils of golden brown hair floating in and out of her vision as her stomach followed suit. Air whipping at her body as she reached apogee, for a moment, she was in zero-g.

Weight returned, dragging her down the arc towards the blue-green plaid crash pad far below. Time creeped by, her skin rippling in the wind, her movements sluggish, she couldn’t even tell if she was screaming.

The checkerboard patterned fabric expanded below her, lines exploding outwards as she tumbled end over end before her head and neck slammed into the pad.

Every muscle in her body tensed, she felt her veins and tendons straining against her as she braced for whatever injury might occur. The only thing she could here was her pulse, surging in her ears. The breath had been knocked from her chest, spots flashed before her vision. The feeling passed, and flexing her limbs, her hands trembling. “She wasn’t lying…” She whispered. 

A shadow crossed the surface before her. The dark portion of the cushion turning almost black in the dim light of the room. “Excellent.” Peering over her shoulder, Aubrey’s titanic silhouette loomed. Hidden in shadow. “Subject survived two meter drop. I’ll have to check the math, but it should be the equivalent of a two-story fall. Target Resilience Field appears fully operational.”

“You… you tossed me!?” Ivana hissed, scraping her fingernails along the fabric of the cushion. 

“Mmm hmm!” Aubrey chirped. 

A rumble filled the room, Aubrey’s soda can rattled in place on the distant side of the coffee table. Ivana’s Ford, reduced to a fraction of her new size, sat beside their former keys. Aubrey twisted, plucking up a massive slab. 

Ivana’s eye’s widened, watching as Aubrey held the phone in front of her face. The screen reflecting off of Aubrey’s lenses. Rolling to sit up, Ivana clenched her fists tightly. “Aubrey! Leave my phone alone!” She squealed, rising to her knees. “You won’t get away with this you little…”

The towering sophomore bent forward, sweeping Ivana’s phone over her much smaller head. Ducking, Ivana whimpered as Aubrey flopped the phone onto the cushion. The device rolled edge over edge, coming to a rest with the screen facing her. “Oh fine.” Aubrey sang, patting Ivana’s head with the tips of her massive fingers. “Pizza’s getting cold anyway.”

For a moment, Ivana watched the towering college student. The screen went dark, before blaring to life again. The caller I.D. read unknown, her heart began to flutter. 

Even with Aubrey right there, this was her best possible chance for rescue. With any luck it was a friend, Nicole, Caity, Maggie, Kristen…anyone… calling from a work number. 

Gingerly she began inching towards the phone, crawling slowly. The shame burning in her shrunken chest, treated like a lab rat by some bimbo she’d been asked to tutor.

As she reached out, movement caught her eye. A growing shadow, a rush of air, she exhaled. Looking over her shoulder once again, she saw a wall of teal cotton falling down on her from above. Aubrey’s body slammed into the couch, pinning Ivana beneath her. “Really, you’ve been such a brat all day. I offered you Pizza, collected your little things…” Aubrey let out a sigh, Ivana cringed as the giant girl’s body settled into place. “…Some people are never happy.”

The phone flicked off again, before another call came in. Ivana reached pathetically for it, the phone was tantalizingly close.  It rang again, and again.  Ivana heard some bizarre music,  gunfire,  zombies groaning in the distance.  “Get off of me! You're going to crush me!” She wailed,  elbowing the co-eds bum. “Do you hear me!?”

“Trying not to. “ Aubrey purred,  Ivana winced as the girl giggled. “And that little header earlier proved otherwise.  Thanks to the emitter, your teeny-tiny body is basically indestructible. Well, almost." Sitting forward,  Aubrey grabbed her drink. 

Grimacing, Ivana tried to turn over. Aubrey tailbone digging into her lat. The woman’s pony tail swayed as she continued whatever game she was playing. In the corner of her eye, Ivana saw her phone screen light up once more.  “Persistent, aren’t they?” Aubrey sighed. “Ah well, they'll give up eventually.  And if they don't, maybe you'll have a…little…company.”