Dan paced back and forth in the stuffy confines of his plastic prison, there was a very faint light pushing through the multiple air holes Fran had punched into the lid of the yellow and white margarine container he called home. The walls were greasy, stained a sickly yellow and the whole place smelled of oily.
It was the pinnacle of bare bones accommodations. He had a place to store his excrement, thanks to a small square of paper towel Fran had left him. It was plenty absorbent, but the smell easily traveled throughout when Fran neglected to wipe it out. She had been kind enough, in her words, to supply Dan a place to relieve himself, not so kind as to clean it more than once every few days.
âBedâ was a cotton ball ripped in two and shoved in the adjacent corner of the âmargarine tubâ prison and while it provided relief from the cold, hard, floor; it did little to ease his sore back.
Dan spent 23 hours a day in the dim light; his only reprise when his warden cleaned his excrement or filled his food and water tray. âFoodâ was simple bread scraps and the off square of putrid mushy fruit, likely for the best, as meat and nuts were difficult to consume and he hadnât the tools to tear meat anyhow. Bread, fruit and nondescript mush left Dan practically homicidal for even a scrap of meat, a luxury Fran said was beyond him now.
âInsects canât be choosyâ was all she said on the matter.
Two weeks, that was Danâs best estimation of the passage of time. He only thought so as that was how many times Francine had come to change his food and water, fourteen times. He could be off, depending on if she was feeding him daily, or not. The levels of artificial light never really changed, the âsunâ above the kitchen light over the stove, where Francine kept his prison. Just another plastic bin left out in the kitchen, even if anyone was looking for him, theyâd never suspect to look for him here.
Not with her.
Not in a discarded plastic bin.
There was nothing tracing him to Francine, and she knew he knew.
The familiar jostle of his prison home sent him falling to his ass.Something in the outside world was happening, he could hear the dreaded footfalls of his warden, and her gentle hum as she went about her business. Often he would feel her presence, preparing supper, entertaining guests, even his precious Donna on more than one occasion, her siren-like voice far and distant, yet so close it hurt.
Not this time however, Francine was alone, gently humming to herself as she went about her business, her gargantuan silhouette barely visible through the yellow stained light seeping through his prison.
Rage.
Yet to succumb to hopelessness, Dan remained fervent and unbroken.. He balled his hands into white knuckled fists and stood as tall as he could, waiting for the ceiling to be removed. He was helpless, dejected and utterly hopeless, still this was how he insisted on greeting Francine whenever sheâd grace him with a visit.
With fire, with pride, with a rebellious spirit.
The ceiling was lifted away, blinding light crushing his heroic stance, sending his hands to shield his screaming eyes. âFuckâŠthatâs bright.â
"Good evening Dan." Fran spoke her voice calm and collected, yet powerful, a mere fraction of the power behind it enough to level him completely.
Francine stood straight, peering down at the container that sat on her black flat top kitchen range..
"Just how long are you planning on keeping me like this!" Dan screamed. She had yet to respond to even one of his verbal assaults. It was clear she could not understand him or even hear him, he knew this. He had thrown every insult at her he knew, every superlative, every curse word, every vicious attack he could. If this was an act, Francine was a masterful actor.
âHowâs my little pet doing today?â Francine hummed, peering down at Dan and his surroundings with a disapproving scowl. âYou havenât eaten all your supper from last night? Tut tut, we canât be wasting food? Hmm?â Francineâs well manicured fingers invaded Danâs world, poking his pie of uneaten food with a long tan-painted nail then retreated back toward her own realm.
âFuck you.â Dan barked. If he couldnât communicate, how could he reason with her? How could he bargain his case?
âWe must be grateful for what we have, letâs not forget.â Francine tisked, taking hold of Danâs container in one hand and lifting it to chest level.
âGah!â Dan screamed, tossed to and fro as Francineâs fingers squished against the outside plastic, leaving dark imprints of her hand against the semi translucent plastic. It was frightening how easily she could lift his whole world, and at speeds inhuman for something so enormous.
"Your accommodations will be changing soon." Fran spoke, completely ignoring screams of terror and protest. "I've set up something much more convenient for me." Fran reached in with her other hand and pulled the small square of paper towel he used for defecation, replacing it with a fresh square a moment later. She then refilled his water. Poking his foodpile with her nail, âWhen you finish this, youâll get more.â
"Oh come on! Bread again! I need more than one damn meal a day! For fucks sake woman have a heart!" Dan shouted. In his maddened state he ran for her thick tan painted fingernail.
"Whatâs this?." Fran effortlessly flicked him back using her long elegant nail. "Has anyone not told you before, donât bite the hand that feeds you?" Fran's voice boomed, he had clearly hit a nerve.
Dan reeled back in pain, clutching his stomach, her flick felt like a linebacker had checked him square in the gut. Dan fell and curled up, coughing intensely. She had completely defeated him with a simple flick of her nail, still to even draw such a reaction out of her, to force a change in that irritating, arrogant tone of voice she spoke down to him with, bringing a pained smile to his lips. âBitch.â
"Perhaps a day without food will teach my little pet some respect? Hmm!" Fran's voice thundered above. She quickly removed the food and water tray, looking down in disgust.
"N...nooo...please..." Dan whimpered as his one meal, as simple as it was lifted away.
"Honestly, as kind as I've been, and you're still lashing out? Well, you have always been a fat, boarish loaf, itâll be good for you to lose some weight." Fran spoke as she would a disobedient pet. "Perhaps I've afforded you a few to many luxuries?" Her voice picked up an offended tone.
"No...no I'm sorry...l..." Dan attempted to stand, but was in too much pain. He tried to beg, throwing his hands together, but she wasnât looking at him anymore, her eyes had moved on, her gaze was elsewhere.
âWeâll see how you feel about me tomorrow, Dan.â Francine huffed. The light began to dim as the round lid began to eclipse the opening of the tub, eclipsing her face.
"Iâm sorryâŠI said I was sorryâŠgoddamnit you wrinkly old crone, Iâm sorry!" Dan screamed, angry, fearful and heavily regretting his actions.
Fran normally allowed him a few moments out of his tub. The fresh air and bright light was all he had to look forward to, now the lid landed on and snapped shut; the silhouette of her hand pressed form on the lid, blocking his air holes momentarily. Dan scrambled to his feet and ran to the edge of his tub, slamming his fists against the side. "I said I was fucking sorry! Please, don't do this, you canât fucking starve me, Fran? Fran!?" Dan screamed until his voice was raw, but the shadow silhouette of his captor had long since left. He could feel the tremors from her steps grow fainter and fainter. The final nail in the coffin, the dim lights from his air holes vanished as she turned the kitchen light off.
Dan was left alone in the darkness of his humid oily, smelly prison, hungry for another night.
What had she meant, new accommodations, and how would they be âmore convenient for herâ. Why had such an ineffective, vein show of frustration on his part brought on such a harsh, unjust punishment? He had plenty of time to ponder these questions, as he spent the rest of the day alone, in silent darkness.
***
Dan sheltered his eyes as the tub lid was quickly peeled away. The beaming face of his mother in law quickly blocked the opening of the tub, her expression foreshadowing what was to come as she was far too âhappyâ for Danâs comfort level.
âGood morning, Danny.â Francine exclaimed, her tone shrill and high, causing him to claw at his ears to deafen the intensity.
Fran was wearing a light dusting of makeup; black eyeshadow with red painted lips. She could easily have passed for a woman half her age, a commonality she shared with her daughters, the benefit of good genetics "I've wonderful news for you Dan." Fran reached into the tub. Her nails were long and painted with cle.ar polish, well-manicured, each nail easily longer than he was wall.
âGet away from me, please.âDan cowered, his voice a low whimper.
Francine didn't pick him up often and when she did it was never gentle. Her thick fingers clasped him around his torso, the pad of her thumb covering his whole body. âCome here, I canât wait to show you.â She boomed, her tone hiding something sinister.
Dan struggled instinctively as he was lifted high into the air, the wind knocked from him, squeezed out by Francineâs relentless grip. "It has taken a while for this little gem to come in, Dan. But you know, as soon as I saw this on Amazon, I knew this was the answer to all our problems!â Fran carried Dan at her side as she spoke, pinched between her thumb and forefinger, as if she were holding a coin or some other trinket. Her hand swung carelessly about, naturally.
âI think Iâm gonna be sick.â Dan groaned, he could hear what she was saying, with some difficulty, but wasnât honestly paying attention. He had far more on his mind presently, such as not falling several hundred feet from his perilous place between her fingers, to the cold hard ground. Secured only by her thumb and forefinger, Francineâs movements were reckless and dizzying, leaving him struggling to hold down his breakfast..
âThough, Iâm afraid your new apartment will not be as spacious as your last one was, youâll just have to adjust.â Francineâs words left her lips, masked by a subtle chuckle, as her fingers squeezed just enough for him to get her drift that much better.
He continued to struggle, her subtle show of power enough to smother him in soft, padded flesh. His struggles picked up a frantic pitch as his lungs screamed for oxygen. âMfmmmpt!â
âI need a way to keep you close, Dan, away from curious eyes.â Francine began, her voice muffled by the thick pads of her fingers, âI can't risk you being discovered, weâve come too far and I've made far too much progress with Donna, just to have her stumble upon you now." Fran spoke with assurance, looking down to the flailing figure between her fingers, from her vantage she could only see a tiny leg or two flailing wildly. She watched him struggle until his energy reserves gave out, eventually causing him to go limp.
âDonnaâŠmy Donna.â Dan thought, his eyes starting to glass over as what little air he could suck in could no longer keep him conscious. âDonnaâŠâ
Nodding with confidence she went on, loosening her grip so Dan wouldnât pass out, she did want him to hear this. "So I've figured out exactly how to deal with you.â Francine said with a chilling finality, âDon't worry; it is quite a step up from your current accommodations.â Fran paused and scoffed. "Far more than you deserve frankly. But I am nothing if not understanding Dan."
The sticky sweet tone in her voice made Dan's blood boil. She sounded so proud of herself, so pleased. "Go suck an egg you colossal shrew!â Dan cursed, winded from his exhaustive struggling.
Finally, Francine set Dan down on the hard oak surface of her vanity. Immediately Dan's knees buckled and he fell flat on his stomach, lungs greedily sucking in all the oxygen they could, the color returning to his skin. âYou nearly killed me!â He screamed. as the colossal figure of Fran moved about, vibrations from her footfalls caused him to brace the ground around him and a heavy 'thud' as she placed something down on the surface of the vanity.
"This will make things much easier, I will know where you are at all times." There was an excited but reserved tone to her voice. âIsnât that wonderful?â Francine was asking, but her tone suggested his opinion on the matter wasnât required.
Dan looked up, his vision still blurry from his ordeal. He could make out a large shiny object in Fran's hand, hanging from a long sparkling linked chain. âWhâŠwhat isâŠ.â
"Cute no?" Fran smiled, showing off the gold, diamond encrusted cage ornament-earring. It was a bit bigger than Dan, and looked like a miniature version of a guided bird cage.
What is that for?" Dan struggled to his feet and backed away. "Wait, you donât expect me to actually get in that? Do you? No way, Iâm not getting in there!" Dan gave his head an overly dramatic shake, if Francine could not understand she could at least see.
"Now don't give me that, this is for the best." Fran insisted, glaring down at Dan with side, insistent eyes.
"No, no fucking way!" Dan backed away once more. Where had she ever found something like that? Who made cages this small? He cringed, had she gone on the internet specifically looking for toys to entertain ones tiny captive? Something so exact, so perfectly designed could only have been made for one purpose, by someone who knew what they were making it for.
"I've also picked this upâŠ" Fran set the massive pair of bird cages down and pulled another object out of the brown wooden jewelry box. âYouâll love this one.â
Dan beheld before him a large round heart pendant attached to a gold chain. A sick feeling came over him right away. âNoâŠ.â He shook his head, trying his best to convey his protest to her, but she was looking at the pendant, not him.
"It opens up to reveal a secret chamber!" Fran displayed this for Dan to see. "And I bet you will be a perfect fit." Fran slowly brought the open pendant towards him, a clever look in her eyes, her lips curled into a grin.
"Wait, just wait! I'm ok with the butter tub, let me go back to the butter container" Dan turned and started to run. Maybe he could get away from her! Maybe if he ran far enough! Fast enough!
"Hohohoho!" Fran gave off a deep belly laugh. Dan's fastest running couldn't even get him an arm's length away. His pathetic athletic abilities were painfully ineffective compared to Fran's behemoth size. "Run! Run little man! The hungry locket will eat you up!" Fran brought the open heart locket close, chasing Dan slowly across her vanity.
Dan could see the locket begin to surround him through his peripheral vision, lost in its shadow he could feel it as much as he could see it. There was no way this hunt ended well for him, he knew deep down he had nowhere to go, nowhere to run. He wasnât going to find shelter, he wasnât going to get down off this vanity, he wasnât going to evade her. Try as he may, he just could not get away. "Noooo!" Dan screamed.
"Omnomnomnom!" Fran giggled as she snapped the pendant shut behind him, the force of the snap sending him sprawling forward, landing on his stomach. âAwww, Iâm afraid youâre too slow! Lunch time for the big bad necklace!â Francine laughed, slapping the pendant open with her thumb and hovering it over Dan.
âSomebody help meâŠ.â Dan whimpered, as darkness engulfed him, a sickening SNAP sealing his fate as darkness entombed him. Dan was swallowed up by the decorative, gaudy piece of costume jewelry, the loud 'clack' sealed his fate.
"See, a perfect fit!" Fran lifted the chain, dangling the pendant before her face, watching gleefully as it spun idly on the gold chain. She could barely make out Dan's panicked form through the transparent rose colored tempered glass. âNow I can keep you close to my heart, away from prying eyes.â Francine hummed softly to herself, a dark, sinister chuckle tailing.
Dan watched the blurry face of Fran watching him with a proud smile, she was so smug in her victory, he could feel it from here. âI hate you!â He barked, slamming his fists against the inside of his small, cramped prison. His struggles ceased however when she drew the pendant so close, her billboard sized face gone, one enormous eye taking up his entire field of vision now.
"You'll have a much better view from inside here, little one." Fran carefully unhooked the necklace and set it around her neck, allowing the pendant to fall in between her breasts, landing atop them along her neck line then neatly tucking it between her cleavage, under cover of her neat red blouse.
Dan felt ill as his prison moved about, turned upside down as Fran looked him over one last time. "You wonât get away with this, you bitch!" Dan cursed, but Fran's face vanished from view and he felt himself tumbling toward an unknown destination.
When the chaos stopped, he heard a satisfied âhummâ resonate from deep within Francineâs chest, and looked up to see the underside of her chin, she was moving about as if he was not even there. He had been reduced from a bug in a bin on the kitchen counter, to a trinket in a decorative piece of costume jewelry. Angry, hot tears fell from red veiny eyes as Dan screamed, yelling himself raw, taking out his frustrations on the thick glass heart shaped coffin around him.
But none of this reached Francine, none of this concerned her. Fran simply went about her day as if Dan wasnât even an issue. She had him close to her heart now and he wasnât going anywhere.
Eventually, Dan give up trying to escape from the pendant, drifting in and out of conciseness many times, losing interest in the mundane drudgery of Fran's day, her conversations, her routines were invisible to him, her cleavage under shadow of her blouse dominated his foggy view of the outside world. Humiliating him, confined between the massage bosom of his mother in laws chest.
It was not until late afternoon, as Fran stood to make her way to the door that Dan's interest peaked again. Francine had pulled the heart shaped locket out from her cleavage only to fidget with it between her fingers, giving him a foggy view of something other than her flesh. He had thought he heard the chime of a doorbell, but had dismissed it as another distant whitesound of the outside world. But when the door opened to reveal a short statuesque blond, with wavy hair and a youthful expression, Dan realized someone else was here now, somebody he vaguely recognized.
âHi Ma!â The woman spoke with the same deafening tone everyone else did, but Dan suspected her voice was naturally high, with a similar pitch and tone as Donna. The woman wore a long white sleeveless blouse and super short skin tight pants. Her long legs met with a pair of black ankle boots, he knew right away who this was, his mind filling in the gaps he couldnât see from the confines of Francineâs pendant.
"Gracie darling!" Fran smiled, shoving her pendant back between her cleavage, shroweding Dan in darkness once more. She then wrapped her youngest in a warm yet reserved embrace.
"Good to see ya!" Gracie bound into the condo, setting her purse down. "Sarah is on her way, sheâs just parking, your building has crap parking. Anyhow, then we can head to Donna's andâŠ.â
Dan pressed his face against the glass surface, that name, that word. DonnaâŠthey were going to see Donna, Dan felt a fire light under him, renewed by hope of rescue. If he could get her attention...if he could just make her see him! He began to pound endlessly on the locket, screaming for all he had. She had to hear him, she had to see him, Gracie wasnât like Sarah and Francine, he could trust her, she always liked him. She would help him, she had to!
âNâŠno..noooo!â Dan cursed as the familiar sight of Francineâs heaving bosom squished against the glass prison. He was engulfed by her breasts, the voices from above now muffled. Sheâd squashed his rebellion before it even began. âGoddamnit Francineâ
"Itâs good of you to come. Donna could use the support. Such a shame about Dan." Fran spoke, her well-rehearsed voice downcast and full of mock concern.
"What happened anyhow?" Gracie questioned her tone, careless and aloof.
"Freak sizer malfunction we believe. The poor lad likely shrank away to nothing!" Fran fingered her locket, speaking with a grave frown.
"Wow...weird!" Gracie shivered. "Didn't find anything?"
"I am afraid not." Fran spoke with a sigh, dismissing the conversation.
"Didn't know that could even happen? Weird." Gracie narrowed her eyes.
Fran closed the door and set the lock, moving into the living room. "You just never know." Fran sighed.
"Poor Dan, who knows how long he lasted. Sitting there all tiny, trying to get help!" Gracie shrugged off the grim image.
"Likely ended up food for some hungry spider, swept up into the garbage, or squashed underfoot" Fran's tone had picked up a more relaxed tone.
"Eww! Gross!" Gracie shivered. Flopping down on the couch, examining her nails idly.
"But enough talk about that hmmm? We must not depress your sister hmmm, I want nobody bringing him up unless Donna does, you understand? The important thing is that she moves on, and we are to help her do just that, capisce?" Fran sat next to her daughter.
"Oh! You fucking witch!" Dan cursed. She was out right lying! And everyone was buying right into it.
âYou got it, Ma!â Dan could hear Grace's voice, distant and dismissive, she had already moved on to better things, rambling on about college Drama and some friends she had made off campus.
The fire extinguished, Dan fell back against the glass pendant, his world erupting in a violent maelstrom of chaos as Francine laughed, her obnoxious deep throaty laugh resonating from all around Dan, dominating his senses.
âThis is hopeless.â Dan closed his eyes, wishing for once, the world around him would just swallow him whole, ending his suffering now.
But he wouldnât get that blessing, no, Danâs adventure had only just begun.