The Purge - Chapter 12

Milena has an argument with her sisters.

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With a loud groan, Milena pushed herself off her bed and struggled to sit straight. "My head." Her voice sounded hoarse as she rubbed her forehead.

"Yep, this is a hangover, alright," she muttered as she made her way to the closet and grabbed her bathrobe.

She shook her head, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror and berating her actions from the day before.

Last night, Milena's classmate, Hazel, had invited her to hang out at her house. She was so jealous of that girl. Her father was a wealthy businessman before the ReVa virus caught up to him, shrinking his body to the size of a crumb.

When that happened, Hazel's mother – immune to the virus – inherited the company and all its highly profitable shares.

However, Hazel's mother had no interest in running the business; she preferred spending her time shopping and watching drama series. Thus, she opted to sell everything and enjoy the riches instead.

Hazel's mother did not see the true value of her husband's company and the shares he owned. As a result, she sold it for far less than what it was actually worth. Perhaps she would have made a greater profit if she had been more patient and sought help from someone with a better understanding of its value.

Hazel's mother had no patience for her husband's life's work, and she didn't regret selling it for a fraction of its worth. The fortune she scraped in was more than enough to live a life of luxury fitting to a queen. It could support her and her descendants for at least four generations.

It also gave them the connections and funding needed to come into the possession of several miniature cities worth a country with several millions of unfortunate ones. They all fell under the cruel care of Hazel and her mother as they loomed over the speck people like Gods.

As luck would have it, Milena was allowed to see these cities. And seeming that she was chosen by a program to come into the possession of a city for herself it gave her an excellent opportunity to experience what it was like to look down upon thousands of people who trembled at her presence.

Milena couldn't contain her excitement as she gazed down at the minuscule landscape at her boots. "This feels heavenly," She grinned at her friend.

"Isn't it?" Hazel chuckled. "If this isn't what it feels like to be a God, then I don't know what is."

The experience only fueled Milena's desire to have a city of shrunken people under her control.

But that's an issue for another time. Right now, Milena believed that Becca's aunt was working behind the scenes at Small Corp to secure her as the recipient of her own city.

Milena scrutinized her face in the mirror, noting the pallor of her skin and the eye bags from the rough night. "Ugh, I look like shit. Let's hit the shower first and then see if my lovely mom could convert these specks."

Savoring the warmth of the water, Milena relaxed in her bathtub and let the droplets calm her chilled skin. After drying off, she slipped on an ocean-colored mini-dress accentuating her gorgeous legs. She completed the look with a pair of ankle boots borrowed from her mother - as she couldn't wear them anyway - along with a golden bracelet and necklace, also taken from her mother. With her raven hair thrown up into a carefree bun, she headed to her bedroom.

Milena's hand reached for the doorknob of her bedroom, but she froze when she heard giggling from Julie's room. She squinted as she noticed muddy footprints leading down the hallway, left by Miley and her posse.

Mom and her worshippers have to wait. Milena marched over to Julie's room and barged in without knocking.

Julie spun around, irritation clear on her face. Milena was sure she saw Julie hide something behind her back. "Never learned how to knock?" Julie sneered, her gaze traveling over Milena's long legs and revealing outfit before adding, "...slut."

Milena's eyes shifted from Julie to Miley sitting on the bed. "What is she doing here?" She pointed a finger.

Julie stepped in between her older and younger sister, standing tall and confident. "None of your business! A more appropriate question would be is what the hell are you doing with Dad over there?"

"Mom is with him and–" Milena was about to explain when Julie's hand came into view, nearly touching Milena's face. Her hand opened, revealing their tiny mother sitting huddled up in Julie's palm.

Milena glared at Julie, who calmly replied, "No, I did not come into your room. We found her in the hallway this morning, looking exhausted and hungry. Miley and I decided to take care of her for you since you seem incapable of doing so. Isn't that right, Mom?"

Milena's gaze fell upon the pitiful sight of her mother, appearing frail and weak, who now seemed no bigger than an action figure in Julie's hand.

Her mother gave a meek nod. "Yes, that's right, dear. I was so hungry, so I ventured out for myself."

Milena's voice was sharp as she asked, "Where is Dad? I swear if you guys took him!"

"He's still there, dear," Melody said. "And don't worry, I did what I said I would do." She was referring to her task of convincing the small village to accept Milena as their Goddess. That seemed to ease Milena.

Milena was done here. She took one more glance at her pitiful brother standing on Miley's shoulder.

Before Milena sauntered off, she stepped up to Julie, accentuating her towering figure over her shorter sister, and poked her finger against her chest. "Stay out of my business, or I'll make your life a living hell when residing in my city!"

"I/she won't shrink!" Julie and Miley said in unison. "And just so you know," Miley added confidently, "Even if Julie does shrink, she'll never be going to live in that horrifying city of yours; I'll make sure of that."

Lennard was impressed as he observed the tension between his sisters. He had seen his sisters squabbling before, but witnessing it as a person barely two inches of height made it a whole new frightening level. These teenage girls seemed like towering Greek titans to him, and he couldn't help but worry about what would happen if things turned physical. He relied on Miley or Julie to intervene and keep him safe if things got out of hand. And now even his mother, the one person who could maintain order in the house, was also shrunken down.

A power vacuum had emerged within the household, and Lennard's sisters were keenly aware of it and taking action. Lennard had yet to learn who would come out on top.

It was abundantly clear that Miley and Julie had formed a unified front against their older sister. Milena was feeling it. She must have also sensed that their mother had sided with Julie and Miley. Strength in numbers, as they say.

Lennard prayed that Julie would not shrink, as it would nullify their advantage over Milena. Although she was no longer sick, Julie wasn't out of the woods yet either, as there was still a risk of her shrinking at any moment.

Lennard couldn't bear to imagine the consequences if Milena were to relinquish her grip on the household. It would spell disaster, as she would have free reign to do whatever she pleased.

If not, then the game was still in play when it came to Miley. Lennard's younger sister may be small, but she is also fierce and capable of being ruthless when necessary. Milena knew she wouldn't have an easy win if it came down to a face-off between her and Miley. Feeling unwanted, Milena turned on her heel and returned to her room. She didn't care; they could have their mom. At least she still had her dad. And in the near future, she would have an entire city full of shrunken adults at her mercy.

Milena rubbed her hands in anticipation as she entered her room. She made a beeline to her desk where the stolen village was. She parked her cute butt on the chair and soared her beautiful face closer, making it loom over the desk.

She waited patiently. Just when Milena was about to open her mouth, she saw a line of crumb-sized people marching up to her face. When close enough, they halted and sank to their knees.

One of the crumb-sized people stepped forward and said something inaudible to Milena. But she soon understood what was happening.

A smile crept upon Milena's face, and a tingling sensation swirled in her stomach. At last, these people she'd stolen from a tween are finally worshipping her.

It felt good to Milena! She craved for millions more to bow down before her perfect visage.