Not A Toy 074

It was quiet.

Or at least, it was in the hallways that Sophie strode through, only the sound of her sneakers against the floor accompanied the muted gasps, shrieks and protests from her bag. If it was earlier in the day, there would be no chance of her shrunken passengers being heard, but in the late afternoon - someone close enough, or perceptive enough might hear - and Sophie had no intention of explaining this to anyone. 

It was quiet in the hallways but it was far from that in her mind; her head was always pulling and pushing at new thoughts, discarding old ones, storing away the most interesting considerations and calculations for later - and this was on a normal day. Today though, she carried two shrunken women inside her bag who, from the sounds of it, were not having as  contemplative an experience as she was. Once again, Sophie couldn't deny the thrill that this brought her - vindications in her professional sphere, the permission to a thousand 'I told you so's, as well as a quieter, more personal exuberance that even the redhead was not fully cognisant of, but it lingered there dimly beneath it all.

Yes, in the hallways it was quiet. The silence meant very few people were around, which suited the scientist's needs perfectly. The only consideration were the older women at the front desk, but the redhead was confident. It was an open enough space, she didn't have to pass by anyone in close proximity. No, this wouldn't be a problem.

Sophie came before the door that led to the foyer, took a breath and said under her breath tersely. "Would you two keep it down?" A playful jostle of her bag punctuated her request, but from the sounds of it, it did little to quell the hidden pair.

She opened the door, loudly, and made her way towards the exit, sparing a glance towards one visible older woman - all the while the scientist hummed a pronounced tune just loudly enough to be awkward. She kept the device hidden at her side, not too worried about its visibility - it had a rather childish look to it after all. The older woman glanced over her half-moon spectacles for a moment before turning back to her computer, and just like that - Sophie was free.

Following the path around the after-school centre to the car park, she added a spring to her step as her car came into view - a pick-up truck that contrasted her personality somewhat, it had been a gift from her employer, yet Sophie thought nothing of it, such things didn't interest her.

The quickened pace did nothing for Maisie and Jenna, who were unceremoniously tossed about inside their musty prison. Both the dwindled women yelled and protested their treatment.

"Stop this!"

"Let us go!"

"You can't do this!"

"Help!"

"Can anyone hear us?!"

Variants of these were shrieked and shouted, only when they had the chance to speak a full sentence. Most of the concentration was fixated on trying to steady themselves. It had become painfully and immediately clear that staying on their feet was a non-starter, as even the most determined attempts ended with their legs being kicked out from under them by an errant item that rolled and spilled around them, what was more the floor they tried to stand on wasn't fully solid. Maisie and Jenna were both no strangers to how easily items became lost, tangled, and hidden inside their own bags - and now they had first hand experience of that jumbled chaos.

There was no chance for maintaining dignity, or success through co-operation here - the women had been relegated to everyday items, like the very ones that pushed and shoved them around their bizarre prison. What was more, their weight and strength was affected in ways they didn't fully understand, and so they were even more flimsy than some of the objects that shared their shifting cell.

And yet, for a moment, the chaos ceased. A sound erupted above them, their panicked and anxiety filled minds tried to parse it - was that a car door opening? 

"H-hey! Whats--..." Came Maisie's voice, and instantly the words were snatched away, turning to a gasp as their world blurred once more.

Above them, Sophie deposited her precious device on the floor of the car and flung her bag to rest on the passenger seat, the leather shape crumpling as it came to rest. The scientist spared a paranoid glance to her surroundings, scanning the area for any sign of them. No, she was just letting her anxiety get the better of her. The lithe women eased into her car and slammed the door.

Inside the prison cell that had finally gone still, Maisie felt a bizarre shape around her neck, and as her vision came into focus she saw that she had become so tangled that she had become collared by the Bluetooth speaker. She groaned at the sight, trying to shove away the water bottle that threatened to wedge her into the corner.

Another groan echoed from the other side of the bag, where Jenna was almost pinned beneath the redhead's phone. The humiliation of her strength being nearly inadequate to free herself did nothing to help her confidence, the cool metal of the device pressing against her bare skin.

The pair each struggled in their own way, aching from the chaotic experience but their pride was more bruised than their bodies. Then, as if in answer to a question that was rising to the fore of both their minds, they heard a car engine roar to life.