Not A Toy 068

Sophie left the pair of women behind, giving them not another thought. They were both secured now, and the scientist was sure they'd get over their little tantrums. People were so unreasonable, thought the relatively towering woman. That pair that now resided in her bag had caused her enough delay.

Sophie knew what she had to do next. While she had to leave and get home quickly, she knew there was a mess to clean up. She came to stand before the crumpled pile of clothing that lay on the floor, shaking her head ruefully. What random assortment of buttons and settings they had cycled through eluded Sophie, but somehow they had narrowed the field of the beam to the point that it didn't affect the older woman's outer attire. She considered that that must have been a dreadfully embarrassing experience, but was quietly irritated to have missed it -  seeing a subject react under such circumstances would have been something. A part of her grimaced inwardly - 'subject', really? The redhead tried not to let this situation go to her head... too much.

She considered her choices. Leaving this discarded pile wasn't a real option, of course it would be a beyond perplexing puzzle to anyone who came across it, but if anyone in the know were to catch wind of it then it would paint a somewhat easier jigsaw to solve. Her niece attended this center, and she needed her trail to be as clear as possible. It wouldn't buy her a huge amount of time, but it would buy her something. No, she needed this room to be clear of any evidence that this device had been here.

 She couldn't just stash the dress, socks and boots in her bag - even without its current occupants, none of it would fit. The woman reached down and pull the dress into the air, holding it aloft - she realized the solution to her problem was the most obvious one. A tinge of excitement danced across her as she had another reason to use her invention. With a quick flick of the settings, she clenched the garment and felt the device whir to life in her grip.

There was a flash, and in a moment the dress began to shrivel and shrink, climbing towards where she held. It went from an adult's garment, to a pre-teens fit, to a toddler's pretty gown, to a barbie's latest fashion statement, over a matter of seconds; Sophie twisted her hand as the clothing continue to shrink, smaller and smaller...

At last, it was finished as Sophie relished in her genius. The garment was now tiny compared to even a doll, it would just stretch across her own fingernail! She considered that she should have made the two girls this size to keep them more under control, but realized she was more likely to lose them if they were this small...

Sophie looked down at the boots and socks and fired, the same shift in size took place just as her tests had all shown they would. With a grin, she clenched her fist, the beyond tiny dress trapped within. Her eyes travelled to the shrunken furniture - a stool that she had hit when she was trying to get a handle on that younger girl, and the redhead remembered that was another one near the door - the handiwork of the clumsy pair in her bag.

The scientist couldn't help but smile. Being able to use this at will was beyond exhilarating, everything had been so controlled, so monitored, for years! Now, she had true freedom - at least for the moment - and it was every bit empowering as she thought it would be. Sophie's next steps were simple; she would dwindle the furniture, and take them with her just to make sure she was in the clear.

Her eyes travelled back to the floor and she looked about with a faint expression of shock. She had lost the boots and the socks in her distracted state. Sophie almost laughed, they had gotten so small she couldn't even see them! The scientist shrugged, she was wasting enough time already, time to get moving...