Not A Toy 122

Jenna was utterly awake now.

Thoughts of the enormity of the room, the stickiness of the plastic bed, her current attire, the musty smell of the box... all of it was pushed aside as she was fixed on the commotion she heard beyond the towering wooden threshold.

Jenna's anxiousness and excitement was too much not to share, and her voice filled their makeshift room. "Maisie! Wake up!" She said, instinctively in a hushed tone.

Her bunkmate didn't stir, and Jenna rolled her eyes at her whispered voice. "Maise!" she repeated more emphatically, poking the side of the younger woman. At that, the sleeping graduate roused.

Maisie felt the insistent finger at her side, looking up in a daze as the gigantic world came into focus. The reality of her shrinking size at the hands of that bizarre ray the day before rocking her mind back to reality. Against all expectations, the woman had found genuine sleep, and found herself wishing her irritated companion had a snooze button.

The younger of the pair blinked, fighting back a yawn. "What?" She said, displeased with the world she was rising to.

"Someone's here." Was all Jenna offered, satisfied that her companion wouldn't fall back to sleep, she twisted out of the doll's bed.

Maisie took a beat. "Wait, what do you mean?" The woman sitting up onto her elbows, suddenly fearful there was someone in the room with them but quickly dissuaded herself of that.

Jenna rose to her full, unimpressive height and wasted no time. "Can't you hear that?"

Maisie frowned, suspicious at first, but then she listened. Jenna was right. There was some kind of conversation between at least two people happening out there. In truth, that almost made Maisie feel smaller than she actually was. The vulnerability of her size felt more real, coupled with the vulnerability of her lack of attire.

Jenna however, felt only spurred to action, and went to her ridiculous doll's dress.

Maisie sat up in the bed, even in the face of this, her impishness winning out. "Wanting to look nice for whoever's out there?"

The woman groaned as the less than comfortable material was dragged across her skin. "Better this than my underwear." She said quickly, sounding less than sure of herself.

The younger woman was finally out of bed. "It doesn't exactly sound like a friendly conversation."

"Exactly. Maybe it's someone who can help us! Someone who knows that Sophie woman is insane."

Maisie felt less certain of the sudden narrative Jenna had concocted. "Wait, what are you thinking?"

Jenna fitted the dress onto her form as best she could. "Well..." She swallowed nervously, wracking her brain, yet her course quickly became clear. "We've got to somehow get their attention - whoever it is! Let them know we're trapped in here."

Maisie twisted her lips at that. "Wait, how do you know that this other person is even... I dunno, going to want to help. I mean, I would never have assumed that stupid device was a shrinking machine yesterday... who knows what kind of friends Sophie has!"

The teacher didn't want to hear this kind of talk, but the younger woman had a point. She had no assurances whoever was out there was saner than the giant redhead. "Ugh, I'll take my chances. Seriously, you want to just sit here and do nothing right now?"

Maisie bit her lip and strode towards the collapsed dress on the floor and began rolling it up her form. It was somehow even less comfortable than she remembered. Maisie had been the voice of reason of the two, but in the face of this change in the paradigm even the more reasonable of the duo felt compelled to act. "Fine!" She said, stretching the fabric as she settled into it.

Jenna felt relieved; she didn't want to have to waste time convincing Maisie that she was right.

"So, what's the plan?" Maisie questioned.

The words hit the older woman like a truck. She had been so focused on the decision to act; she hadn't actually considered the next steps. The reality of their diminished size suddenly dampening the older woman's nerves. Jenna played out numerous scenarios in her head - knocking on the door wasn't an option, who knows how long it would take to even get over there. Calling out was off the table too, even if they screamed, she doubted someone even listening for them wouldn't hear the shrunken women.

Jenna paced inside their box-turned-bedroom. There was no phone here, and the computer wasn't an option...

Maisie could see the gears turning in the older woman's head, and she knew exactly what problem she was trying to solve, as the younger woman was confronted with the same plight.

Then, it hit her. "Huh. I might have an idea..."

Jenna's head turned, eyeing the now dressed graduate with stark curiosity.