Breaking Through by ProbablyIX

                                                                                                                                        Seven Years Ago

One foot in front of the other.

Agatha trudged through the oversized town hall. Dull, overcast light trickled in from windows far above, its pale hue dampening colours in its presence. The hallways were quiet, save for the distant sounds of bureaucratic bustle forming a blurred noise floor that permeated the building.

Agatha kept her focus on her feet, and on the way the handle of her ramshackle bucket bit into her fingers. It did little to distract her from the cold.

Winter had arrived with force over the last few days – as Agatha had learned it often did, this far south. It crept in through the floorboards, and through too-thin window panes. It settled low to the ground, biting at Agatha as she skirted along the edges of the gigantic hallway.

She was always careful to avoid walking out in the open, lest she find herself within the path of a giant as they stomped through the halls. It was the first bit of wisdom Agatha had picked up from the other humans trapped here. Their warnings, alongside a few close calls, had kept Agatha alive over the years.

She huddled within her raggedy brown clothes. The cold stiffened her dusty apron and penetrated the leather of her tattered shoes. It even crept onto her scalp, past the mess of thick brown hair that so often repelled it.

The cold summoned memories of trudging through the snowy forest, checking traps and snares. As a trapper, she’d treasured the winter months. Furs grew thicker, and the snow preserved any animals she caught, allowing her to let traps linger unsupervised for longer than usual.

It had happened one of those cold, white days. When she was snatched up by a passing, opportunistic giant. He’d been interested in the coin she’d fetch, and took her deep into giant territory to be sold. Agatha traded hands for a couple months, until she was eventually acquired by the council, who put her to work in their vast town hall.

The giants called the town ‘Woodshelm’, not that Agatha ever saw much of it. Beyond cleaning the occasional window, she hardly caught a glimpse of the world outside. The red-boarded floors and brown-washed walls she trudged through had become her entire world, with only the occasional cobbled stone – seeming, at her size, like a static ocean of boulders – offering variety.

As she walked, Agatha could spot a thin coat of dust powdering the oversized floorboards beneath her tired feet. She’d gained an eye for that sort of thing over the years – most of her time in servitude had been spent scrubbing floors. It was exhausting work, but she couldn’t afford to slack off.

Agatha, and the others, were assigned to different areas around the building each day, so their handler knew when someone had been shirking their duties. This hallway was Sophia’s area for today. Agatha could only hope the girl made it in time. The punishments doled out to slackers were… severe.

With a memory of sweat and leather in her mind, Agatha picked up the pace. Yet again, ‘mistress’ – as their handler insisted she be called – had been erratic with the assignments. Today, Agatha’s cleaning areas were split between opposite sides of the town hall. It was a long trek at her size – and in in her middle age – but she didn’t have a choice. Hauling her bucket and brush, she marched onward. Whether their handler assigned their zones in such a manner out of ignorance or calculated cruelty, Agatha didn’t know.

A rhythmic thudding rumbled through the ground, shaking her bones. Agatha felt eyes on her back.

She shrank into herself, trying to remain inconspicuous as she scurried forward. A shiver tingled up her spine as the giant got closer. There were very few giants Agatha knew that noticed her presence. Fewer still that she felt safe around.

“Agatha!” A familiar voice chirped.

Agatha released a lungful of air, calming her racing heart as she turned to face its source. Blessedly, it was Eloise.

The cheery giantess struck a short, chubby figure as she trot over, spellbook clasped against her chest. Eloise hadn’t grown much taller since Agatha had first met her some five years ago, though her body had been demanding more and more food over the last few months. The mother in Agatha could spot the signs for what they were: Eloise was due for a growth spurt any day now.

Though, perhaps that smaller size helped Agatha feel calm around Eloise. She didn’t seem quite so immense, compared to her towering kin.

Agatha allowed herself a smile as the blonde giantess got within earshot of her voice. “Ellie.” She greeted.

Eloise smiled back at her, squatting down before Agatha in the empty hallway. Her dull green pants rustled with her movement. They matched her oversized green woollen jacket – that Agatha suspected would come to fit her better over the next few years.

The giantess adjusted her glasses. “How are you?” She asked, her voice rolling over Agatha with restrained volume.

“The same as any other day, I s’pose.” Agatha sighed. Some of the other humans bitterly chuckled at the way Eloise would ask that. A life of slavery rarely changed for the better. But Agatha knew the giantess meant well. It was nice to be treated like a person. “Bloody cold today, though.”

Concern flashed across Eloise’s features. “Oh gods, you must be freezing! Even I’m feeling it today.” Agatha noticed that her jacket was pulled tighter than usual. “C’mere.” Eloise adjusted in place, offering a hand down toward Agatha.

Agatha carefully stepped onto the pliant flesh of Eloise’s palm, settling down on her knees with her bucket in her lap. The warmth radiating from Eloise’s skin rushed into Agatha from below, pushing back against winter’s chill. Patient as ever, Eloise waited until Agatha was fully settled before slowly rising back to her full height. The giantess stuffed her spellbook into the crook of her arm, freeing up space to cradle Agatha against her chest.

Agatha let out a sigh, leaning back against Eloise’s breast as the giantess resumed walking. She let the gentle sway of Eloise’s movements sooth her exhaustion, feeling the giantess’ heart plod away behind her. During a long day of work, it was always a blessing to be found by the kindly giantess. Most of the other humans agreed, and sometimes you could spot Eloise trotting through the halls positively decorated with grateful humans being ferried to one destination or another. Speaking of—

“Ellie?” Agatha asked, craning her head back to meet the giantess’ eyes.

“Hm?” Eloise cocked her head to the side, her blonde locks swaying from the motion.

“I’ve been assigned to the sunroom over on the other side of the building.” Agatha explained. “You wouldn’t be able to give me a lift, would you?” Sparing her legs from the trek would make the following hours of scrubbing far easier.

Eloise smiled. “Of course! I was just talking a walk to clear my head, anyway.”

Agatha returned the giantess’ smile, thanking the shades for giving Eloise life. Agatha allowed herself to relax a moment as Eloise changed trajectory. The friendly giantess had been quick with her kindness during Agatha’s early days as a scared, lost human. She had shown Agatha around from her high vantage, keeping Agatha from getting lost – and subsequently punished.

Over the years, Agatha had grown a very real fondness for the mage-in-training. She felt a melancholy joy in watching the teenager – who was merely fourteen when they first met – slowly grow into adulthood. Even if she hadn’t grown all that much. Agatha smirked to herself. Any day now.

A sudden pounding of running feet snapped Agatha out of her reminiscence. She and Eloise both turned to face down an intersecting hall, where a tall, brawny giantess with scraggly red hair was dashing in their direction with a mad grin on her face. She was cradling something in both hands.

Agatha’s heart started to race as she tried to keep herself calm. Elysande – the humans’ handler insisted they call her daughter by the proper name – didn’t exactly have a reputation of being kind to humans. But she’d never laid a hand on the servants, and Agatha knew she wouldn’t try anything in front of Eloise.

Agatha kept telling herself that as Elysande spotted Eloise, slowing down to a jog as she approached. As she got close, Agatha could feel Eloise’s blush from all the way down by the giantess’ chest. In spite of her nervousness, she bit back a smile. Eloise couldn’t’ve been more obvious about her feelings if she’d tried. Elysande leaned in close, a conspiratorial smirk on her face.

Breath puffing slightly, she presented whatever it was she’d found to Eloise. “Check it!”

Managing to pull her wide-eyed gaze from Elysande’s face for a moment, Eloise let out a gasp. Curiosity getting the better of her, Agatha carefully stood in the giantess’ palm to risk a better look.

Her eyes went wide. Cradled in Elysande’s palms was a dire wolf pup. It poked a fuzzy brown head over the giantess’ fingers, darting its gaze around with curiosity as it stabilised itself on its forelegs.

Eloise let out a squealing coo, catching the pup’s attention. As it turned its head toward her, Agatha spotted it was missing its left eye. A primal fear crept into Agatha, irrational as it was. In the wild, stumbling into an isolated, injured dire wolf pup was a death sentence for anyone who didn’t have the wisdom to run away before its mother spotted them.

Agatha reminded herself that she was very much not in the wild, cradled in Eloise’s palm as she was. Though, even still, the pup was only a little smaller than her entire body. It very likely could kill her if it tried. She pulled back into Eloise a few steps.

Eloise, for her part, was completely unfazed by the juvenile killing machine in front of her. She babbled some nonsense its way, shifting Agatha so she could waggle a finger toward the pup’s snout. It extended its head forward, its nose pulsing as it sniffed at the approaching digit, before harmlessly teething against Eloise’s finger.

Eloise giggled, overjoyed at the sight. “Where did you find it?” She asked, glancing up at Elysande’s smug expression.

“In the woods.” The red-haired giantess shrugged. “I heard growling, and spotted her fighting off, like, three other wolves twice her size, all ferocious like. I reckon that’s how she lost her eye.” She said, pointing.

Eloise pouted a sympathetic noise, softly ruffling the top of the pup’s confused head.

Elysande grinned. “Obviously I was impressed. She’s tough as hell, so I thought I’d make her mine. Gonna train her into a proper killing machine.” She gloated, chin raised. Though, to Agatha’s eye, Eloise seemed a lot more preoccupied with how cute she found the little canine.

“What are you going to name her?” Eloise asked, gently scritching under the pup’s chin. The canine leaned into the affection, and even Agatha had to admit it was cute, watching its little head jostled up and down by Eloise’s scratches.

“Something fuckin’, awesome probably. I’m still trying to come up with something.” Elysande answered, scratching her chin.

Faint, approaching footsteps broke through the moment. Elysande’s gaze flicked in their direction as she stood back to her full height. “Shit.” She glanced back at Eloise. “I’m sneaking her back to my room. Come over later today and we can teach her some tricks or something.” She whispered.

Eloise lit up. “Really?” Agatha didn’t need to look at her face to hear her excitement. It was adorable, really.

Elysande grinned. “Yeah.” She said, taking a couple steps back. As she did, her eyes flicked down toward Agatha, seemingly noticing her for the first time. Agatha shrank down as the giantess narrowed her eyes at her.

Elysande leaned down, jabbing a finger toward her. “ Don’t tell my mum about this.” She warned, the threat implicit in her tone.

Agatha swallowed. “Of course Ely—“

The giantess’ eyes flashed with anger.

“O-of course, Sandy.”

Seemingly satisfied, Sandy leaned back, shot a wink at Eloise, then dashed away with her prize. Her mad cackles trailed behind as she thumped off to her room. Eloise’s eyes followed her until she was out of sight, then lingered there for a moment after, too.

Agatha let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding before she spoke. “Even if I wanted to, I’m not sure I’d have to say anything. Her mum’s not gonna be happy about this.” She noted. Though, She thought. That girl’s mother is rarely happy about anything she does.

Eloise didn’t reply, her longing gaze still fixed on where Sandy had last been visible. Agatha smiled.

“You should say something, you know.”

“Hm?” Eloise mumbled, barely tilting her head Agatha’s direction.

“Elysande isn’t going to notice how you feel if you don’t tell her, Ellie.” Agatha lectured, amusement still tugging at her lips.

Eloise jumped, glancing down at Agatha with wide eyes. Red flushed her cheeks under her glasses. “Wh- you- uh- I don’t-“ She stuttered.

Agatha gave the blushing girl a knowing look. Eloise shrank down into her coat, glancing away.

“Am I really that obvious?” She murmured.

Before Agatha could respond, the approaching footsteps rounded the corner. She tensed. Depending on who it was, she and Eloise could be in for a lecture. Though Agatha let out her breath as Melanie rounded the corner.

The timid giantess slunk through the hallway, avoiding Eloise’s eyes as she shuffled past. Baggy black clothes hung off her plush frame, rustling quietly as she walked. Thick, olive-green hair tumbled down past her shoulders, her eyes hidden by long bangs. She held a small stack of books close to her chest, likely having returned from the library Eloise so often frequented.

Eloise offered a friendly wave as Melanie passed by. The giantess shrank down a little but meekly returned the gesture without a word. Melanie barely spared a glance for the servant humans, whether due to her timid nature, or general indifference, Agatha didn’t know.

Once Melanie had passed by, Eloise shuffled in place a moment.

“Anyway, um. T-the sunroom, right?” She said, glancing away.

Agatha smirked. “Yes, though don’t think you can get out of this conversation that easily.” She teased.

Eloise’s cheeks reddened as she started down the hall. “Look, you’re right I do- I have… feelings. For Sandy.” She blushed. “But…” Eloise sighed, her breath ruffling Agatha’s hair. “I shouldn’t say anything. She’s… out of my league.” The giantess said, downcast.

Agatha raised an eyebrow. “Someone ‘out of your league’ wouldn’t run up to you to show off like that.” She said. “Much less invite you over to her room this evening.” She smirked.

Eloise froze, blushing redder than Agatha had ever seen her. “T-there’s no way. I-I mean… Y-you don’t think-“ She stammered.

Agatha chuckled. “No. I don’t think she’s going to go that far.” She assured. “Knowing Elysande, she probably wouldn’t know what to do with her feelings even if she noticed them in the first place.” She said, adjusting her position in Eloise’s palm. “She’s clearly interested in you, but trust me. Nothing’s going to happen unless you make the first move.” Agatha insisted.

Eloise twitched her fingers, anxiously. “But what would I even say?” She whispered, clearly embarrassed by the thought of being overheard. “What if I just make things uncomfortable between us?”

Agatha shrugged. “I dunno. It’s up to you to figure out yourself.” Agatha hardly felt qualified to give such specific love life advice to a giant teenager.

Eloise pouted. “But you’re old. Shouldn’t you have some wisdom for me about this kind of thing?”

Agatha barked out a laugh. “First off, rude.” She smirked. Eloise glanced away. “And second, I’ve never been in your shoes. My husband was the one to make the first move, I wouldn’t know a thing about it.” She chuckled.

“Well… what did he say, then?” Eloise frowned.

Agatha felt memories tug her mouth into a smile. “He said he’d invented a new kind of knot. Presented it as ‘proof of his love’ and proposed on the spot.” She grinned. “Turned out he’d just stumbled into a worse kind of slip knot.” She chuckled. “He was a fool, but shades bless him he tried.”

Eloise furrowed her brow in thought. “That doesn’t sound like a very good approach.”

Agatha laughed. “No, not really.” She sighed. “But that’s not the point. What he actually said hardly mattered. What mattered was that he’d made his feelings known. Sorting everything out with fancy words came after that.” She shrugged. “Just talk to Elysande. Tell her how you feel. You can work out the details later.”

Eloise chewed at the inside of her lip as she took in Agatha’s words. “…Maybe.” She mumbled, glancing away.

Agatha smiled. She probably wasn’t getting a better answer than that. “You’ll figure it out. I reckon you’re everything a girl like that could want.”

Eloise shrank into a reserved smile, meeting Agatha’s eyes. “…Thanks, Agatha.”

Agatha patted the soft flesh of Eloise’s thumb. “You’re welcome. Giving you a little nudge is the least I can do, ‘specially after having you carry me around like this.”

Eloise’s smile widened. “It’s no trouble.”

A pale light enveloped the pair as they passed by a window. Eloise slowed to a stop. They were skirting around the front of the building, and from Eloise’s vantage, Agatha could peer through the facade and out into the town proper.

A white blanket of snow had been laid upon the outside world — covering the ground, blocking doorways, and powdering roofs. Winter had well and truly fallen over Woodshelm. While Eloise admired the flakes of white drifting down outside, Agatha felt her mirth fade.

She had been counting the winters since coming here. Keeping track of how long it had been by the seasons. This winter was the fifth she would be spending in servitude. Five years of scrubbing floors.

Reality reared its ugly head once more. No matter how close she and Eloise were, Agatha was a prisoner here. Her husband had died ten years ago to disease, and she hadn’t seen her daughter in over five years.

“She’d… be about your age, by now.” Agatha mused, solemn.

Eloise blinked. “She?”

“My daughter.” Agatha said. “She was of thirteen years last I saw her. Just a little younger than you were when we met.”

“Oh.” Eloise whispered, glancing back out at the falling snow. “…Do you miss her?”

“Of course I do.” Agatha breathed. Poorly suppressed longing made her heart ache. “Not a day goes by when I don’t.” She said, feeling her throat tighten. She tried not to imagine how Rosemary must have felt, as she slowly realised her mother wasn’t coming back.

Eloise glanced away, shrinking into herself. “I’m sorry.” She mumbled, guilt written across her features. “You don’t deserve to be here. Not like this.” She said, curling her fingers around Agatha protectively. “You should be with your daughter, not scrubbing floors because some arsehole thought they could make some easy coin by kidnapping you.”

Agatha thumbed at Eloise’s fingerprint. She’d had lived most of her life thinking of giants as immense, cruel monsters. Forces of nature that swept in and caused tragedies with a callous indifference. Though, throughout her time here, she’d found the opposite. She’d found people. People with laws, society, and culture. The terrors they wrought weren’t part of their nature, they were conscious choices, driven by centuries of tradition.

On one hand that made their actions that much more despicable. But on other hand, it meant that things could change. If giant society could see humans as people, then the horrible fates they inflicted upon Agatha’s kind could be avoided.

That faint hope was what kept her going. The hope that one day, giants like Eloise would finally change their people for the better. She kept the possibility tucked away in her heart, kept her head down, and survived. And then maybe one day, eventually, she would be able to see her daughter again.

Agatha sighed. She dismissed her earlier thought. She was a prisoner here, but Eloise really did care. She shouldn’t discount that. “It’s not your fault, Ellie.” She assured, placing a hand on Eloise’s nearby index. “You were a child when it happened. You can’t be blamed for the world you happened to be born into.” She said. “Though,” Eloise glanced back at her. “It doesn’t have to be like this. Not forever. You’re an adult now, if you and others like you spoke up, things might actually be able to change.”

Agatha swallowed. She hadn’t mentioned those thoughts to Eloise before. She feared that if she pushed too hard, the giantess would push back. Agatha usually tried to hold back her hopes for Eloise’s future, but five years of servitude had worn down her patience.

Eloise shuffled in discomfort, glancing away. “There aren’t many others like me.” She confessed. “I’ve protested before, but nobody listens to me. Not really.” She said, eyes downcast. “They might say they do, but nothing ever changes. Eventually I just gave up…” She winced. “I can’t do anything in the grand scheme, so I just do what I can here, helping you guys out.” She sighed. “I know it’s not… enough. But I just don’t have a voice that they respect.” Her expression crumpled behind her glasses. “If only Hugo were still around. He was always fighting for you guys. Maybe he could have gotten the council to listen, but…”

Agatha had only heard about this Hugo in the past tense, mostly from Eloise, and the two humans that had survived here long enough to remember him. She’d never known the giant, but he had clearly been a big influence on Eloise’s character. Agatha had him to thank for Eloise’s kindness, she supposed.

But he was gone. Probably dead, Agatha imagined. Eloise was her only chance.

Glancing out the window again, she felt a reckless desperation creep into her heart. Wishing for change was one thing, but Eloise’s words painted a bleak picture. How much longer would Agatha have to wait? How much longer could she wait?

“They might not listen to you yet, but you’re hardly powerless.” She said. “You’re seen carrying humans around all the time. It couldn’t be that hard to smuggle us out of town.” She suggested, her voice quiet.

Agatha swallowed past the tension in her throat. It was risky, being this forward. Frankly, she was shocked at herself. What had happened to patience?

Time, apparently. She thought. She had imagined herself stronger, able to weather the years it would take for her hopes to align. But she was tired, and desperate. The thought that she had missed some of her daughter’s most important years was too much. It crept into her heart, eroding her will to endure. For all she said about long-term change, Agatha was still human.

She nervously waited for Eloise to respond, terrified at how the giantess might react to something so blatant. Agatha was risking years of their friendship.

Eloise shuffled in place, biting her lip. By the look in her eyes, Agatha could tell this wasn’t the first time she’d considered it. A flutter of hope rose in her chest.

“It’s not that simple…” The giantess argued in a whisper. “My reputation would help me get you out, sure. But it also means that they would absolutely know it was me, once they figured out you guys were missing.” She shrank into her coat a little. “I… I honestly don’t know what they’d do with me after that. But they certainly wouldn’t let me near any humans again. Whoever they found to replace you would be trapped, I wouldn’t be able to help them.”

Agatha clicked her tongue, but Eloise was right. “What if it was slow, then?” She suggested. “One at a time, make them look like unrelated escapes.” Her heart was racing, the fact that Eloise was remotely considering the idea gave her hope.

Eloise frowned, glancing away. “I don’t know… Even if I got you guys out, Woodshelm is pretty far from the border. And assuming you could survive alone in the wilderness for weeks, you’d still freeze to death in the cold.” She argued.

Agatha shuffled in place at that. Beyond the locks on their cages and the enchantment their handler placed on them daily, the forest was the reason most didn’t try to escape. Without any supplies, most people wouldn’t have what it takes to survive the journey home. She was different though. And with Eloise to help get around the spell…

“I can’t speak for the others…” Agatha admitted. “But I can survive the journey.” She steeled herself, holding Eloise’s eye. “I spent half my life learning how to navigate the Giant’s Forest, and trapping for food was half of what I did for a living.” Desperation crept into her voice, her composure buckling under the weight of her years spent trapped in this place. “Please, Ellie. Please get me out of here. Even if it’s just me.” She begged, her voice breaking as she spoke.

Agatha felt a stab of shame for not fighting harder for the others, but she was desperate.

Eloise bit her lip, glancing around anxiously as she whispered. “I don’t know… what if—“

“Eloise, please.” Agatha pleaded, catching the giantess’ eyes. “I just want to see my daughter again.”

It was the simple truth. She’d been avoiding thoughts of home for years, knowing the memories would only hurt to conjure. But she could only hold them back for so long, and speaking with Eloise today had been the final straw. She just couldn’t take it anymore.

Agatha felt her hands trembling, her heart pounding as she hoped beyond hope.

Eloise closed her eyes, taking a breath as she adjusted her glasses. Then, after a pause: “Okay.” She whispered. Agatha’s heart soared. Eloise glanced out the window, into the cold. “Once the snow clears, I’ll help you escape. That way we’ll have time to… prepare.”

Real, genuine joy filled Agatha’s heart. It could be months until the snow cleared, but she could endure. For the first time in years, she had a future. She took a few deep breaths, keeping her heart in check as she steadied herself against Eloise’s thumb. Someone her age couldn’t exactly break down into tears in front of a teenager.

She gripped the digit in an embrace, driving her face into the warm, textured skin. “Thank you…!” She managed. She took another breath, steadying her voice. “Thank you, Ellie. Not just for this. I don’t think I could have made it this far without you being here.” A misting of tears escaped her eyes despite herself.

The world shifted as Eloise cradled Agatha close to her chest. Agatha hid her face in the girl’s blouse. Mingling with her joy was an odd kind of pride she felt toward Eloise. The giantess had proven her character. It made Agatha’s heart swell to have proof that Eloise’s kindness wasn’t superficial. That, deep down, she really was different from the others.

Eloise held the embrace for a few moments longer, before pulling Agatha away to meet her eyes. The giantess offered a smile, moisture gathering behind her glasses. “I’ll miss you when you’re gone, you know.”

Agatha smiled, thumbing the tears out of the crook of her eyes. “I’ll miss you too.” She replied. “But it’s for the best.” She said. Eloise nodded, glancing downward. Agatha felt a melancholy settle over her mood.

If she was being honest with herself, she had almost come to see Eloise like a daughter in her own right. A massively overgrown, bookish daughter. She smirked at the thought. She… truly would miss their conversations.

Eloise looked downcast, looking past her hands with a wan smile. Their thoughts seemed to be moving in similar directions. “You’ll be alright.” Agatha said gently. “You’ll still have Elysande to keep you company.” She smirked.

Eloise flushed, then glanced away with a sheepish smile. “You don’t have to tease me…” She mumbled.

Agatha chuckled. “Alright, alright.” She relented with a smile, successfully having brought Eloise’s mood back up.

The giantess took a deep breath, before she started walking again. They moved in silence for a moment, as the implications of their agreement settled in the air. Agatha had a hard time believing it was real. She almost worried she was dreaming. Before anxiety over the plan could set in, Agatha spoke up again.

“How are your studies going?” She asked. Goodbyes, even pre-emptive ones, hurt a lot more at the giantess’ tender age, so she wanted to keep Eloise’s spirits up.

Eloise perked up. “They’re going well, actually…!” She spoke, her voice returning to its usual, animated self. “I’m finally getting proficient with the basics, and I can consistently turn one material into another, with varying durations depending on the original and target materials.” She explained.

Agatha nodded along, smiling as the giantess’ lively tone mixed with her own brightened mood. The giants’ magic was foreign to her, but she’d put together a vague understanding by listening to Eloise’s rambling over the years.

Eloise smiled to herself. “I’m finally moving on to altering forms and changing sizes.” She said, eyes twinkling with excitement. “Mastering weaving was the hard part. Now I can fully dedicate myself to studying different spells and methods of construction.”

Agatha smiled. Eloise’s interest was infectious. The giantess continued rambling about her studies as they moved through the halls. She only stopped when Agatha told her that Elysande would probably like to hear about her studies, too.

Eloise’s blush had died down by the time they arrived at Agatha’s destination. A small sunroom, tucked away in the western wing. A loose ring of low couches filled the space, surrounding a round, lower table in the centre. In the warmer months, golden sunlight would shine across the space, ushered in by two large windows on the far side of the room. Though now, in the overcast winter months, it was the same cold, pale grey that decorated the landscape outside.

When she’d first arrived, Agatha had scoffed at the glut of seemingly useless rooms scattered about the town hall. Loungerooms and studies littered the building, gathering dust that she and the others had to clean. Now though, Agatha understood that spaces like this served a common purpose. That being to provide comfortable spaces for council member’s families, as well as breakaway spaces for council members to convene and discuss after session. Though, that didn’t make them any less of a chore to clean.

Still, she had a job to do. “Thank you, Ellie.” Agatha smiled.

The blonde giantess returned the expression. “It’s no problem, really!” She said, before glancing around the room. “Should I set you down just anywhere, or-“

“Oh my gods, Ellie~!” A new voice chirped from behind, making Eloise flinch.

Agatha’s blood went cold. As Eloise turned around, her fears were confirmed. It was Stephanie.

The pale-haired giantess stood in the doorway, wearing a shapely dress that showed off her obsessively maintained appearance. Leather sandals slapped against the floor as sauntered into the room, wearing a smile that dimpled her pale blue cheeks.

Stephanie was the last person Agatha wanted to see today. Or any day for that matter. Daughter of the current head of textiles, Stephanie had an inflated opinion of herself, which she made into everyone else’s problem – human or giant. Problems that tended to be brushed under the rug by her influence.

If Agatha had been alone, she might’ve gotten off easy with some mocking words. Or perhaps she’d be made to clean Stephanie’s shoes. But with Eloise in the picture as well? Agatha had no idea what Stephanie would do, and that terrified her. She felt herself tremble as she clutched her wrist in a vain attempt to calm herself.

Stephanie was followed by Isa, her ditsy groupie. The shorter giantess bounced into the room, around the same height as Eloise. Her dusky brown hair bobbed around her face as she trailed behind Stephanie.

“Hi Ellie!” She giggled. “Your hair looks great today!”

Eloise blinked behind her glasses. “R-really?”

Stephanie smiled wide. “Really! And have you been doing something new with your skin? You look amazing.” She said, clasping her hands before her with a tilt of her head.

Eloise blushed, but Agatha could see through them. Their voices were dripping with false sweetness. She scowled to herself. Eloise couldn’t see it, but there was a contempt behind their thin veneer of smiles and compliments. Whatever they were after, it wasn’t going to be nice.

“Ellie…” Agatha whispered, before Stephanie cut her off.

“We were just passing by when we spotted you in here!” She said, casting the briefest of glances toward Agatha as she did so. There was a flash of cool smugness in her eye that sent tingles down Agatha’s spine. Agatha’s heart started to pound. The giantess continued. “What are you up to?” She asked, sweetly.

Eloise started. “O-oh, I was, um, I was just giving Agatha a hand to-“

The nervous giantess was cut off by the light tinkling of Stephanie’s laughter. “Oh Ellie, you’re still carrying the humans around like that?” She giggled, acting as if she had only just noticed Agatha’s presence. “Doesn’t holding them make you feel dirty?” She asked, crinkling her nose.

“Yeah!” Isa snickered as she idly bobbed around the room. “Cause don’t they, like, spend all day crawling around on the floor? They’d be super dirty!” She said, earning a giggle from Stephanie.

Eloise shuffled in place. “That’s not… I-I just want to help them out, is all. The building is so big for them, so-“

“Ellie…” Stephanie intoned, giving Eloise a look that one would give a misbehaving child. “I know they’re cute and all, but you can’t go around treating them like people…!” She giggled. “It’s just not right! You’re so smart, I thought you’d know that by now!”

Isa hopped up onto the desk with a giggle. “Yeah! They’ve got their own legs, why should you have to carry them around?” She added, kicking her feet back and forth. She and Stephanie shared a grin. Agatha felt a cold sweat forming on her brow.

Eloise frowned. “T-that’s not- I-I mean I don’t-“ She stammered, the words struggling to form. It was clear why. Saying to no Stephanie carried social consequences, especially for someone as socially isolated as Eloise.

As much as Agatha wished she could help, she couldn’t. And she really didn’t want to be present for whatever Stephanie was planning.

“Thank you for the lift, Ellie.” She said, pushing the words out quickly. All eyes in the room snapped toward her. “I-if you could just put me down, now.”

“O-oh, right. Sorry-“ Eloise was cut off by a sharp gasp from Stephanie – which was quickly echoed by Isa behind.

“Ellie…!” Stephanie gasped, looking shocked. “Are you really just going to let her boss you around like that?” She asked, her voice indignant. Eloise froze, glancing wide-eyed at Stephanie.

“W-what? I don’t-“

Stephanie cooed, hiding her mockery behind a veil of concern. “Gods, it’s worse than I thought.” She stepped forward, gently taking Eloise by the shoulders. “Listen Ellie. I know they look like us, but you don’t have to do what they tell you to.” She said, pale grey eyes full of false kindness. Isa nodded compassionately nearby.

Eloise looked away, brow furrowed. “N-no, I didn’t-“

“Come on, sit down.” Stephanie didn’t let Eloise continue, ushering her down into one of the low, plush couches that filled the space.

Eloise curled her hands around Agatha protectively as she sat. Agatha trembled. She could only hope they was in for some manner of ‘training’, and not something worse.

As Stephanie settled down in front of Eloise, Isa moved behind her, gently slipping her spellbook from the crook of her armpit. Eloise glanced her way nervously, but Isa responded with a gentle smile.

“Just to help you get comfortable.” She assured. Agatha felt like she was going to be sick.

Eloise settled, glancing at Agatha with a concerned look. Agatha met the giantess’ eyes, trying to communicate her distress through gaze alone. She feared that if she spoke, she would only be inviting further ire from Stephanie.

“Listen, Ellie.” Stephanie began. “I know you like being nice to the humans, and it’s really sweet. But,” She rose a finger in the air. “I think they’re using that to take advantage of you.” She intoned.

Eloise shuffled in place. “T-that’s not-“

“ So, ” Stephanie interrupted. “You need to learn how to put them in their place. Make them understand that they’re here to serve you , not the other way around.”

Eloise scrunched up her features, before letting out a sigh. “Alright, how?” She relented, clearly just wanting to get whatever this was over with.

Agatha winced. Eloise shouldn’t have taken the bait. Stephanie’s eyes flashed for a moment, before she held a finger to her lip in mock thought.

“Hmm…” She pondered. Agatha heard Isa’s stifled snicker from behind Eloise. Stephanie glanced at Agatha, a cold smirk in her eyes. “Oh, I know!” She reached into a well-hidden pocket at her side, presenting a fresh, human-sized brush. “Your breath was pretty stale just now,” She smirked. “So how about we get her to clean your teeth?”

Agatha froze, feeling a bolt of icy cold shoot down her spine. Above, Eloise flushed, taken aback. Mortified as she failed to choke out a response. Agatha felt her body start to shiver. She knew exactly what Stephanie was playing at. She wanted to protest, to run and hide. But as Stephanie shot her a glance, Agatha could tell from the look in the giantess’ pale eyes that she didn’t have a choice in the matter.

Eloise finally found enough of a voice to speak. “I-I don’t- I really don’t think that’s-“ She stammered, flushed with shame and dread.

Stephanie looked back up at the blonde giantess with a ready smile. “Aw, don’t worry about it Ellie. It’s the least she can do after having you carry her around everywhere!” She assured. She cast an eye down at Agatha. “Right?”

Agatha shivered in place, desperate to be anywhere else than here, but unable to do anything but watch as Eloise’s resistance was broken down.

Eloise squirmed in place. “I-I really don’t know, Steph, I-I don’t want-“

“Ugh, just do it , Ellie.” Stephanie snapped, letting her mask of goodwill slip for a moment. She quickly recovered, adding: “I mean c’mon, you deserve a little pampering, right?” Stephanie flicked the clean brush down toward Agatha, who flinched as it struck Eloise’s palm next to her.

She picked it up with a trembling hand, wondering who exactly Stephanie had gotten the tool from – and what had happened to them in the process. Feeling eyes on her back, she glanced upward at Eloise. The giantess’ blue eyes were apprehensive, unsure.

Isa’s face appeared over her shoulder with a grin. “C’mon, Ellie, give it a try! I bet it feels really good…!” She spoke into Eloise’s ear. Agatha’s skin crawled. They were all over Eloise, trapping her in confines as physical as they were social.

Eloise squirmed, though her eyes were caught by Stephanie’s. The pale-haired giantess held her gaze cooly, applying a silent but powerful pressure. Stephanie was in control of this situation, and they all knew it.

Agatha’s stomach dropped as she watched the last of Eloise’s resolve crumble. The giantess swallowed nervously, before letting out a murmur. “A-alright…”

Agatha could feel Eloise’s hands tremble as they slowly rose toward her face. For a moment, they locked eyes, before Eloise glanced away, ashamed. Agatha’s heart was pounding, twice as fast as Eloise’s own panicked thrum. It took every ounce of self-control she had to not panic.

Slowly, Agatha was drawn closer to Eloise’s face. Her heart pinched in her chest as the giantess tentatively opened her maw. A gale of a whisper blew from within.

“I’m… really sorry.” Such were the only words Eloise could muster, before opening her mouth wide.

Agatha was terrified. Before her lay the object of every human’s fears. A cavern of dripping humid flesh pulsated and writhed behind Eloise’s pale teeth. The space was dominated by the pink speckled mass of her tongue, which snaked out of the darkness of her throat before huddling against the floor of her mouth. A gust of warm, wet air rolled over Agatha as the giantess exhaled, marking her with Eloise’s scent. She couldn’t help but direct her gaze toward its source: the dark, sloped pit of her throat.

Agatha trembled, digging her nails into the hard wood of her brush. She wanted to scream, to run and hide. To cast herself over the edge of Eloise’s palm and take her chances with gravity.

But she felt Stephanie’s eyes on her back. As horrified as she was, only worse things would come from disobeying. She squeezed her eyes shut, gathering what little courage she could muster.

“Go on.” Stephanie said. Agatha could hear the smirk in her voice.

Agatha opened her eyes, facing Eloise’s maw. This is Ellie . She told herself. The blonde, bookish, eternally friendly giantess couldn’t hurt a fly. Eloise was her friend, and would never willingly let anything happen to her while she was… While she was inside.

Shoving her fears into a tiny little box in her mind, Agatha forced herself to crawl forward. Tentatively placing a hand on Eloise’s textured, plush lip, then the smooth, hard surface of her front teeth.

Agatha kept her head down, trying to keep her focus on her hands. She cringed as she planted her left hand into Eloise’s slimy tongue. The muscle twitched and squirmed under her touch, a slithering texture beneath her palm even as Eloise tried her best to hold still. Agatha scrunched up her face and took several deep breaths to steady herself. She tried to ignore the hot natural scent of Eloise’s breath as she did so.

A sudden prod against her rear startled Agatha out of her breathing. “Hurry up!” Stephanie’s voice already sounded muffled only a foot into Eloise’s maw. Her tone was harsh, demanding. “And make sure you go to the back. Get into all those hard-to-reach spots.” She ordered.

Agatha shivered. She didn’t want to think about being that close to Eloise’s throat. Mirroring her concern, a soft groan rumbled out from ahead. Eloise vaguely enunciated a protest.

“I’m just making sure she does as she’s told, Ellie.” Stephanie replied, as if she somehow understood Eloise’s vocalisations. “This is what I’m talking about, you need to learn to be firm with those things.”

Agatha did her best to tune out the rest of Stephanie’s lecture as a sigh from Eloise washed over her body. She didn’t need to hear another dehumanising speech from the bratty giantess. Not now.

Stephanie continued to ramble as Agatha crawled forward. One foot in front of the other.

That mantra had helped keep her sane over the years. She just had to focus on the now. The immediate. She carefully shuffled deeper into Eloise’s maw, keeping her eyes only on where she next needed to place her hands.

She let out a shudder as her feet left the safety of Eloise’s palm. She could sense movement outside as it lowered away, leaving her stranded in the giantess’ mouth. Agatha huddled there on Eloise’s tongue, feeling saliva seep into her clothes. She flinched, gasping as a drop of the stuff fell onto her from above. She trembled, squeezing her eyes shut in the darkness. Perhaps if she just waited here, she could lie about cleaning Eloise’s teeth once they let her out?

She couldn’t risk upsetting Stephanie. If she found out, Agatha would surely be in for more, worse torment. One foot in front of the other.

Mindful of Eloise’s gag reflex, Agatha slowly shuffled deeper. She kept her heart from panicking with the assurance that Eloise would not swallow. At the same time, she couldn’t help but dread a sudden turn. That things would plunge into chaos in an instant.

And yet, the world remained calm. Outside, Stephanie seemed to have moved on from her lecture. Now gossiping about some business her father was engaged in.

Ignoring her, Agatha reached the thick molars nestled in the back of Eloise’s mouth. She kept her gaze focussed solely on them, studying their details in an attempt to distract herself from the rippling gullet nearby.

Eloise’s teeth emerged from her jaw with a smooth flow. Her gums rose to meet them, as if they were pale boulders being pulled from red honey. The teeth themselves were crumpled and rough on the top, and – to Agatha’s mild surprise – there actually were small pockets of gunk nestled within.

Tentative, she gave the teeth a scrub, using the abundant saliva to wet her brush. The gunk crumbed away without too much effort. Agatha tried to focus on the familiar sensation of menial labour, letting it block out the periodic surge of Eloise’s breath, and the encroaching wetness in her clothes.

She couldn’t fully keep her mind from contemplating the worst-case scenario, but as Agatha scrubbed, she couldn’t help but note how cramped it was inside Eloise’s maw. Chancing a glance to her side – and enduring the spike in her heart rate it inflicted – Agatha wondered if Eloise could even swallow her if she tried.

The mental image that thought conjured gave Agatha pause as she shuddered. She took a breath before she continued, quietly blessing the girl’s smaller stature.

A minute went by. Then two. As the minutes crept by, a smidgen of hope crept into Agatha’s chest. Perhaps this really was the extent of Stephanie’s torment. Simply subjecting her to a disgusting, terrifying menial task. Could she really let herself believe that the cruel giantess was simply trying to traumatise her…?

Agatha shook the thought from her mind. One foot in front of the other. She threw her weight into her scrubbing. She just needed to focus on the task at hand, then everything would be fine. She’d done it before.

Agatha was too focused to notice the giant fingers approaching from behind.

Eloise jolted backward with a yelp. Agatha scrambled for purchase as the world around her rocked. Her ears were still ringing from the blast of sound that had rocketed up from Eloise’s throat, when Stephanie’s fingers rammed into her from behind. She gasped as she was forced deeper into Eloise’s maw, face-to-face with the giantess’ gullet.

Outside, she could feel Eloise squirming against something, shaking her body, bucking her tongue. Unwittingly making it even harder for Agatha to orient herself within the shifting, wet cavern.

Stephanie giggled. “Open wide, bitch~” She sang. Eloise began struggling harder, wordless panic escaping her throat.

Agatha screamed.

Her voice bounced off the fleshy walls as Eloise’s tongue shoved against her, unable to stop Stephanie’s fingers from pressing her deeper. Agatha tried to scramble away from the mewling pit of Eloise’s gullet, but she found no purchase against the slick flesh that surrounded her.

Eloise let out a yelp as her head was forced back. Agatha’s cries scratched against her throat as gravity aided Stephanie’s fingers, pulling her down into the pulsing tube of flesh below.

“Eloise…!” She screamed, desperate. “Don’t let them do this! D-don’t swallow. Don’t-“ Agatha’s voice devolved into a howling shriek as Eloise’s gullet closed around her feet.

A well-timed shove from Stephanie rammed Agatha deeper. Eloise coughed and sputtered against the forceful intrusion, but Stephanie didn’t let up. The action only widened Eloise’s throat for a moment, allowing Stephanie to jam Agatha waist-deep into the slick, quivering flesh.

Agatha wailed, thrashing her legs against the peristaltic motion pulsing along them, but to no avail. Her dress bunched up around her armpits, forcing her skin into contact with the slimy flesh.

It couldn’t end like this. Not now. Not after she had just found a way out. Agatha writhed against her confines, but it was no use. Eventually, with no viable option for expulsion, Eloise’s body did what it had to. A swallow grasped at Agatha’s body, lurching her deeper into Eloise’s gullet. Agatha began to hyperventilate.

The motion had snatched her hands.

Two more swallows came hard and fast, crushing around Agatha’s body as she was forced deeper. Eloise’s throat bunched around her neck, eliciting a strangled gasp from Agatha. Time seemed to freeze. Her face was slick with tears and spit, and her hair lay in sodden strands across it. She craned her eyes upward, spotting the last rays of daylight she would ever see again.

As well as Stephanie’s spiteful grin.

The giantess shoved a finger into Agatha’s forehead, forcing her wholly inside of Eloise’s throat. Time resumed as Agatha screamed, crushed by Eloise’s gullet as it drew her deeper agonisingly slowly.

Primal instinct drew a desperate struggle from Agatha’s muscles. She thrashed against the rippling flesh around her, shoving and kicking as much as her cramped confines allowed. Desperate swallows undulated around her, casting saliva down to lubricate her as she writhed. Yet, through all the panic, and the terror, Agatha noticed something.

Eloise was choking.

Strangled gasps tapped against Agatha as Eloise thrashed, just as primal and desperate as Agatha’s own struggles. Agatha froze. She was terrified. Wet, crushed, and about to die. But the thought of hurting Eloise stilled her movements, even for but a moment.

A moment was enough. Without her resistance, Eloise’s throat dragged her down. Agatha’s panic returned in a rush as the giantess’ heart slammed into her from nearby. It faded as she slid further but never left.

A threshold was crossed, and Agatha could hear Eloise’s lungs fill with air as the giantess gasped for breath, her airway clear. Agatha couldn’t hold back any longer. She kicked and screamed and cried as she was pulled deeper into Eloise’s chest.

The heat rose sharply, and an acrid smell began to fill the air. Agatha shuddered as she felt her toes crushed through a tiny opening below. Her motion slowed to a crawl, as she was squeezed through the narrow entrance to Eloise’s stomach. Her lower legs emerged into an open space. The air below was sweltering, and Agatha thrashed for purchase as her hips somehow made it through.

The crushing passage continued until it reached her shoulders. It shoved them together with an immense pressure, forcing them down inch by inch as Eloise’s throat shoved against Agatha’s face.

Then, all at once, Agatha fell.

Eloise’s strangled gasps echoed through her body as Agatha collapsed in a heap at the bottom of her stomach. Muffled laughter penetrated Eloise’s flesh, raking against Agatha’s soul as her mind struggled to accept what had happened. The stomach was dark, but she could make out the cramped sack of rumpled, oozing flesh surrounding her as her eyes adjusted.

This couldn’t be happening.

Before Agatha had a chance to move, the giantess’ stomach lurched. A muffled retch made its way to her ears. Contracting in on itself, the stomach pressed Agatha upward, shoving her back towards Eloise’s oesophagus. Panicked hope blinked to life inside of Agatha.

Eloise was trying to throw up.

Agatha kept herself perfectly still as the stomach’s entrance quivered open. With another gag, her shoulders were forced back up against the oesophagus. Another push tried to get them through, but the strength of Eloise’s body gave out, casting Agatha back down into the hell of her gut.

The world rocked. Eloise’s trembling voice shook down to Agatha’s ears. “No… nonononononono…!” Her voice was hoarse as she began to hyperventilate.

Agatha’s blood ran cold as the realisation dawned on her. Eloise’s body had barely managed to swallow her in the first place. The giantess physically couldn’t throw her back up.

Outside, a rushing of footsteps sounded, followed by cackled taunts. Then, the distinctive sound of a slamming door. Eloise jolted, before dashing, sending Agatha hurtling against the stomach walls.

Eloise slammed into the door, and Agatha could hear her jostling the handle to no avail. “Stephanie!” She cried, voice shaking with fear. “L-let me out!” Rapid breaths pulsed through her chest. “Anyone! Please!” She practically screamed, thrashing against the door.

But it didn’t budge.

Agatha went limp as the giantess stumbled away from the door, whimpering. This was it. Agatha was going to die here.

She yelped as Eloise collapsed to the floor. She could feel the giantess trembling. “A-Agatha…” Eloise whimpered, tears choking her voice. “I-I’m so sorry…! I didn’t think- I-I don’t- I don’t know what to do…!” She wailed.

Eloise’s voice warped into wordless sobbing, the force of her sorrow wracking her body. Agatha lay in a shallow pool of rising acid, feeling numb as it tingled against her skin. Her mind turned inwards as memories flashed through her mind.

Breaking her arm as a teenager. Shadowing her mentor as a woman in training. Giving birth to her daughter. Losing her husband to his illness. Five years of struggling to survive in a foreign land.

All of it had led her right here. Trapped within the belly of the one giant that had ever given a damn about her. A single thought rose to the surface among the turmoil as the stomach groaned around her.

…Was that all there was to this?

Everything Agatha had done, everything she had been. All just to end up here. The object of a cruel joke, orchestrated by a pair of teenagers and played against the only giant who has ever cared about her. Was that all she was supposed to amount to?

Emotion came surging back to Agatha. Tears pooled in her eyes, mingling with the other fluids that clung to her skin in the sweltering heat. All she could picture was her daughter’s face. She had held on to life for so long, all in the hopes that she might one day see Rosemary again. But she never would. Not anymore.

Rosemary would never know what had happened to her mother. To her, Agatha would have simply disappeared one day without explanation. Would she think her mother had abandoned her? Agatha’s heart broke at the thought.

The acid rose, trickling down the oozing walls. Agatha winced. She could feel it biting through her clothes, forcing her to rise from the biting pool with a gasp. Agatha scrambled away, huddling against the wall in a futile attempt to avoid her fate.

Howling sobs echoed in from outside, shaking Agatha from her thoughts. Eloise shivered, wailing incoherent apologies and sorrow. In spite of everything, a caring instinct inside of Agatha was stirred by the sound.

The weight of Eloise’s situation hit Agatha then. She never wanted this either. The giantess’ sorrow pierced Agatha’s soul, drawing more tears as she cried, herself. Casting away her own sorrow, Agatha leaned into the scaldingly hot flesh. She placed a trembling hand against the tingling stomach walls, feeling the vibrations of Eloise’s sorrow against her palm.

Her voice shaking, Agatha hushed Eloise, stroking against the flesh before her to offer what little comfort she could. She could feel the stomach working away at her skin with each pass.

“Y-you’ll be alright.” She managed, gasping through the tears. “This isn’t your fault, Ellie.” Agatha squeezed her eyes shut. “I forgive you…” She choked out.

Agatha couldn’t know if her voice was heard or not. She could only hope her sentiment was at least carried through her touch.

The time went by. The acid rose further. What remained of Agatha’s clothing provided little protection as her skin began to burn. She struggled through the pain, distracting herself by soothing Eloise. There was nothing else she could do. The other two giants had long since left, and a combination of shock and physical damage meant that Agatha’s strength was starting to fail her. She wasn’t getting out of this.

She clung to consciousness as the acid crept around her shoulders. Her entire body tingled and stung, but she couldn’t let go yet. She didn’t want to leave Eloise alone.

Minutes went by before a distant voice muffled into Agatha’s ears. Shortly after, a violent crash sounded from where the other two had left. Rushing footsteps approached Eloise, before a familiar voice sounded out.

“Fucking hell...! Ellie?”

Agatha let out a sigh of relief. It was Elysande. Eloise’s cries rose once more as she lurched forward. There was a soft thump from outside, jostling Agatha in place.

“H-hey, hey,” Elysande spoke, her voice softer than Agatha had ever heard it. “You’re gonna be okay, okay?” Agatha felt Eloise’s body squeeze in an embrace. “Whatever… this was, it’s over now. C’mon, let’s… let’s go back to my room, okay? I’ll, um, I’ll let you hold the wolf, if you want.”

Agatha let herself smile at Sandy’s clumsy attempt at comforting Eloise. She could relax, now. Eloise was in Sandy’s care, now. She didn’t have to hold on any longer. Distantly, she could sense the two of them walking slowly. Soft thumps vibrating up through her body as Eloise shuffled, clinging to Sandy for support as she sobbed.

Agatha could feel herself coming apart. The pain had ceased as her nerves wore away, leaving her only with a dull sense that her body was coming undone. She let herself sink, reassured by the thought that she wasn’t alone. If nothing else, at least she had Eloise with her as she died. Maybe that was enough. As her body unravelled, she hoped that Sandy would stay with Eloise after this.

The last thing Eloise needed was to be alone.