Downsizing by MXP

The speakers in the coach bus crackled as a pre-recorded message played. The sound quality was awful, with primarily mid-frequencies and no bass, reminiscent of a 1950s travel advertisement.

“Greetings, traveler! Welcome aboard your last trip as humans, and the start of your adventure as downsized citizens. You are Lilliputian Lakes bound! A beacon of modernity and comfort. Journey to a time of American prosperity, our architects and designers recreated a perfect 1980s community for you to enjoy.”

As the announcement continued, strains of synth-pop and classic 80s hits played in the background, setting the mood for a nostalgic yet futuristic adventure.

“Whether you choose to live in a single-family home or a high-rise apartment, we guarantee you will live larger—by living smaller. But Lilliputian Lakes offers more than just a place to live—it is a lifestyle. The centerpiece of our community is our majestic lake. Picture spending your peaceful days near the shore as gentle lapping of waves. Have a relaxing picnic or partake in exhilarating activities like electric jet skiing or fishing for minnows over three feet long!”

Mateo, sitting in the back amidst the bus’s diesel fumes, found the idea of an all-electric, nature-filled lifestyle increasingly appealing. The promise of a serene lake and outdoor enjoyment made the prospect of downsizing seem not so bad.

“Our commitment to your safety and enjoyment is paramount. Protected by high walls and steel nets that drape overhead, Lilliputian Lakes is a secure haven from the human-world. We ensure a peaceful coexistence with nature, free from unwelcome intrusions from wildlife and even humans. Our entrances and exits to Lilliputian Lakes are physically accessible to downsizers only.

“And let us not forget the cornerstone of our community: sustainability. By choosing to downsize, you’ve taken a significant step toward preserving our planet. Lilliputian Lakes prides itself in responsible waste management, eco-friendly sourced foods, and low energy consumption. Our community’s impact is minimal, but our residents live life to the maximum.

“As you journey towards Lilliputian Lakes, remember, you’re not just moving to a new home; you’re stepping into a future where downsizing means upsizing your life. We, at NanoHabitats Corporation, know you have many options in downsizing communities, and thank you for choosing us.”

The speakers crackled as the message concluded. Mateo looked out into the city and wondered how different it was going to look at two inches. If Lilliputian Lakes was as great as they proclaimed, why would he even leave?

“Look mijo,” Sofia said. “This guide says your school commute will be about 45 minutes. That’s not too bad.”

Mateo cringed. He forgot about school. The community, as big as it was with 30 plus thousand residents, didn’t have a school. Something about government funding and diversity inclusion with humans forced the downsized kids to attend public school. Although the integration between humans and downsizers was there, the segregation was top-notch. If Mateo chose to, he’d never come close to a human. Barriers would always protect him from the human-world. So it’d still feel like he was in the downsize community, even though he was at school.

He scrolled through his phone and looked at Hazel’s profile on the MHIP website. Her profile on the MHIP website listed him as an authorized downsizer she could handle. Handle? He thought to himself. Makes me sound like an animal. Hazel’s profile picture was her making the cheesiest smile her facial muscles could allow.

That innocent-looking girl was going to look like a 25-story tall building to him. Mateo wasn’t sure if he was ready to see Hazel as a giantess. He played with the idea of telling Hazel and Emma that he wasn’t planning on leaving the downsize community—like ever. He appreciated the gesture of Hazel sponsoring him in the human world, but he needed more time to get used to the idea. Mateo wasn’t like Emma, who was born into the tiny life.

There was an option for him to revoke his CoH to Hazel. If he clicked the juicy red button, he’d be safe inside the downsizer world.

He pushed those thoughts out and turned off his phone.

The bus arrived at Lilliputian Lakes and dropped everyone off at the front of an administrative building. Behind it was an oval structure that looked like a football stadium, about four stories in height—which was where the actual Lilliputian Lakes town existed.

The lobby of the building looked like a museum. Exhibits displayed models of homes and unique buildings from Lilliputian Lakes with cutaways, allowing people to peer inside. Graphics and dioramas highlighted the minimal waste created by the large population. Mateo felt his apprehension come kicking him in the stomach. The homes were so tiny. Like the size of video game consoles from way back in the 2000s.

“I found our future home.” Miguel waved his family over and they stood over a tiny model home. It was a one-story home with three bedrooms and two baths. Open floor plan where the kitchen, dining room, and living room shared one large space. The garage was also large and could house two vehicles or a lot of hobbies. “Not bad, huh?”

“It’s so cute!” Sofia said. “Way better than that shack we live in now.”

-

They sat with their counselor and went over last-minute financial details. Mateo didn’t bother listening to the counselor or his parents drone about boring adult stuff. He was on his phone, chatting in a group text with Jack, Hazel, and Emma.

Mateo: Guys, in less than an hour, I’ll be a Lilliputian. Nervous asf.

Jack: You got this.

Hazel: Text us when it’s done!

Emma: Yay! I’m getting a new tiny buddy! 🎉 I can’t wait to see you eye-to-eye, buddy.

Mateo: Any last-minute advice?

Hazel: Make sure to dodge raindrops. Heard they’re like cannonballs for downsizers.

Jack: And watch out for spiders. 

Emma: Guys, shut up! You’ll scare him.

Mateo: Spiders??? O_o

Hazel: Too late, lol.

Jack: Bro, I’ll be on spider squishing duty for you. I gots this.

Mateo: TY dude.

Hazel: I’ll squish stuff, too. Even Emma—if she gets out of line.

Emma: Damnit, Haze. I’m punishing you tonight for that!

Jack: Take it to another channel, you to.

Mateo: Two*

Jack: Wym?

Hazel: Jesus, open an English book, Jackie boy.

Mateo: I hope shrinking doesn’t hurt.

Jack: I hope you don’t die.

Several people are typing …

Hazel: Dude, wtf?

Emma: Go stand in a corner and think about what you said.

Mateo: My stomach hurts.

Emma: You’ll be fine, Mateo. Think of all the fun we’ll have!

Hazel: Yeah, Imma teach you some skateboard tricks.

Mateo: Oh god no!

Jack: Think of all the hot downsize chicks you’ll meet.

Hazel: Jack, turn off your phone.

Emma: Ever played DND, Mateo? As downsizers, we play on the board and kill ogre figures that are twice our size. It’s fun … until Haze starts cheating as the DM.

Mateo: I’ve never played, but I guess we can try.

-

“Mijo!” Sofia said.

Mateo shook his head and looked up at his mom.

“It’s time, mijo.”

“It is?”

“Yup,” Miguel said. “Bank settled our debts, approved our loan, and now we own our mini-house. Just gotta downsize now.”

That sickening feeling ramped up in Mateo’s stomach. It wasn’t getting easier accepting the inevitable. The family stood up and followed their counselor through some hallways and came to an observation deck that overlooked Lilliputian Lakes. The counselor pointed out through the window and into the miniature world before them.

It was like standing on top of the Empire State building, but in reality, they were only on the second floor of the administration building. Lilliputian Lakes sprawled out before them like the most intricate model railroad town they’ve ever seen. It was scenic—picturesque—a dreamlike city with a wonderful mixture of green areas and city development.

There were 1980s style suburbs spread throughout the outskirts of the community. Near the lake were quaint cottages and log cabins. The downtown portion of the city had tall buildings that must’ve been between 5 and 6 feet tall. Architects of Lilliputian Lakes even designed a river system that snaked throughout the community and fed into the lakes. Mateo could see tiny boats meandering throughout the river system.

The counselor directed their gaze towards a neighborhood on the west and informed them, “Your home nestles between those tall trees.” Mateo couldn’t decide if he dreaded his new life or was excited about it. The counselor gave the family a bird’s eye tour of the town. She described all the commercial zones, malls, dining options, and nightlife. She looked at Mateo and informed him a traveling carnival comes by once a quarter.

Mateo could not listen to all the rambling. He planted his forehead on the glass wall as he stared out, not focusing on anything in particular. His eyes eventually fell on the Puny Express. The station looked so far from his future home. The commute to school was going to be arduous.

“This is so wonderful,” Sofia said, kissing her husband. “Our new life is going to be amazing.”

“I can’t wait to finally live in a house,” Miguel said. “I’m so sick of sharing walls with neighbors.”

-

The waiting room wasn’t as pleasant as the rest of the building. The flooring was linoleum, the paint cracked, and the smell of stale coffee permeated off the walls. Fluorescent lighting buzzed overhead and didn’t illuminate the waiting area well. Mateo and his parents sat in uncomfortable waiting chairs for their turn to downsize and passed the time by scrolling through their phones.

A fat receptionist behind a counter with a glass barrier chewed on her gum and typed on her computer with two fingers. An ancient song Mateo never heard blared from unseen speakers; it was David Bowie’s Changes. Though the music filled his ears, Mateo was keenly aware of his thumping heart. It wasn’t so much as the process of downsizing scared him; it was that step into the unknown that terrified him.

“Rodriguez?” a female nurse asked, walking into the waiting room with a clipboard in hand.

“That’s us,” Miguel said, leading his family.

“Okay,” the nurse said. “I’ll be taking the boys. Another nurse will call for you, ma’am.”

“Mom’s not coming?”

“Men and women are separated for the process. But don’t worry, we’ll reunite you in the recovery room as soon as possible. M’kay?”

“Mijito,” Sofia leaned down and hugged her son. “This is just temporary. Be brave for your dad.”

“Okay, mom.” Mateo squeezed his mom and released.

Miguel kissed his wife. “I love you.” He laughed. “Why does it feel like we’re at the airport and we are taking different planes?”

“It’s silly, isn’t it?” Sofia asked. “We’ll be together as a happy family in a few hours.”

“Sure.” They kissed again and amorously hugged.

-

“I’ll take your phones.” A male tech told father and son. They were in what looked like a medical ward, with beds in rows and blue curtains that separated each patient area.

“What are you going to do with our phones?” Mateo asked, clenching his smartphone in his hands.

The tech said, “I’m going to clone the data on them. Once you’re downsized, we’re going to give you mini-phones. See, we can’t jam pack all the electronics into such a tiny thing for downsizers to use. Instead, we’ll give you this device that looks like a phone, but in reality is just a display. The actual computer part of the phone runs from a data center. You’re essentially streaming your phone onto the displays we’re giving it to you. In the computer world, we call thin-clients. But to you, when downsized, it’ll act like a regular phone. What I’m doing now is doing a one-to-one copy of your phone to our data center. So, when you’re downsized, you can pick up your new mini-phones and use them like you use your phone today.”

“I barely understood that,” Miguel said. “But it sounds good.” He handed the phone to the tech.

“It’s seamless, sir.” The tech took both phones and connected them to a PC he was wheeling around. The clone process started, and he excused himself to head down the line of patients to clone their phones as well.

A female nurse came by and handed father and son bathrobes. “Okay, so you’ll go to the next room, where you’ll take private showers. You’ll recycle your clothes in the receptacle, put on your robes, and head to the next room after that. Just like one big assembly line.”

“Oh no, are we gonna get shaved and stuff?” Mateo asked.

The nurse giggled. “That was the first- and second-gen downsize machines. We don’t do that anymore. We’ve already screened you two.” She picked up the clipboard that was on your bed. “And you have no metals or fillings in you. This is going to be like going through airport security for you.”

“Are you putting us to sleep at least?” Mateo asked.

Miguel nudged him with his elbow. “You didn’t read the brochure, did you, son?”

“No anesthesia.” The nurse said. “We’re on fourth-gen downsizers, and we’ve streamlined the process for comfort and speed. Please, if you’ll head through those doors and shower, we are running behind schedule. Thank you!”

-

Mateo was in his robe and shower shoes, walking out to the next room. After turning his phone and dumping his clothes, he truly had nothing. His old apartment and things were long gone. All he had was the white robe hugging his otherwise nude body.

“I feel like a million bucks,” his dad said. “That shower was amazing.” His black hair was still dripping with the sterile solution that was mixed into the shower.

“Now what?” Mateo asked, his breathing labored.

“One last doctor check-up and we shrink!”

-

Speed and comfort my ass. Mateo thought. They were in queue with others waiting to get checked by a doctor wearing a biohazard suit. The entire room was a pristine white, sterilized and so dust free, computer chips could be made in them.

Mateo and Miguel got cleared and moved to the next room, which looked like the previous, but there was a large square chamber in there that looked like a giant microwave. Mateo read the signs on the walls.

WARNING: DANGER OF DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY

ATTENTION: For your comfort and mental well-being, once downsized, you will not have contact with humans. Our downsized techs will retrieve you after the process is complete. Please remain where you are post-downsizing.

NOTICE: Downsizing is permanent.

“It’s like stepping into a portal,” Miguel told his son. “We enter here and then exit on the other side tiny.”

“This is dumb. Why couldn’t mom be with us?”

“Science and stuff.”

Mateo rolled his eyes.

“It’s going to be fine, mijo. She’s going through the same thing right now, just … somewhere else.”

A tech came over the loudspeaker. It was like a ride operator at an amusement park giving barely intelligible directions. “Once you enter the downsize chamber, you will see silhouettes of a body outlined on the floor. Choose one and lay down. You will then disrobe and a tech will come by to collect it. We’ll close the chamber, and in a zap! You’ll be downsized.”

“We gotta get naked?” Mateo asked.

-

Mateo was lying on the ground and handed the tech, also wearing a biohazard suit, his robe and shower shoes. The techs left the room and shut the heavy steel doors to the chamber. The twenty humans inside were moments away from getting downsized.

Mateo hyperventilated. He actually preferred being put under anesthesia for this. His stomach felt like it was finally going to twist inside out. The lights dimmed and this awful hum cranked up as if it was a pulley system for a rusted steel bridge. He could smell a burned electric stench filling the room. A vibration under him made him think something was going wrong. Like the machine was disintegrating.

This was a mistake! He wanted to stand up and run out. He wanted to yell and make them stop. Mateo opened his mouth, and nothing came out. He was seeing doubles. The room looked like it split in half and slowly moved outwards and then elevated high into the sky. Mateo was falling. He felt his back sliding across the floor and the sensation of going down an almost vertical slide.

Zap. Bang. Thum.

The lights strobed several times, and it was done.

The whining hum died down and the vibration was gone. That stench still lingered and smelled worse somehow, like burned hair. Mateo went to stand up and fell back down. His equilibrium was shot. He opted to sit up and wait for his brain to catch up with his new senses in a new world. Mateo looked around and couldn’t see the patient that was lying next to him.

Actually, he could see them. About a football field away. Mateo’s eyes focused on the room surrounding him and marveled at how fantastically enormous it appeared. The ceiling was as high as the clouds, and the four walls of the room were like a distant mountain range.

An electric bus came by to Mateo, with a tech hanging outside the door. “Welcome!” The tech jumped out, holding a folded robe. “Welcome to your new life at two inches tall. We hope that was smooth for you.”

Mateo swallowed a cold lump in his throat. He nodded and dressed in his new robe. The tech guided Mateo onto the bus, and he noticed he wasn’t the first patient they picked up. They rode around the chamber collecting all 20 downsizers. Miguel hopped in and sat with his son.

“It doesn’t feel like we shrank, huh?” Miguel asked. “It was like a cheesy ride you have to do naked.”

Mateo shrugged. The bus felt—odd. It was the best way Mateo could describe it. It didn’t feel heavy like a human bus and it accelerated a lot faster than one, too. The suspension was rough and they could feel the most minute imperfections on the floor. Aside from that, and the fact the chamber was 50 times bigger, it didn’t feel like they shrank like his dad said. People were the same size as him and the interior of the bus looked—normal.

The bus sped towards the exit once they collected the last downsizer. They went through a tunnel that shut closed as they passed through it. From there, they drove for about 10 minutes and disembarked near an opening at the end of the tunnel.

-

“What’s taking so long?” Mateo asked.

Miguel and Mateo were in a recovery room together, which felt like a psychiatrist’s office. Warm lighting, dark furniture, and fake plants in the corner. Miguel sat on a couch flipping through a magazine and noted how the pages felt thick, like cardboard.

Miguel paced back and forth. “They could’ve at least given us those phones they were talking about. I want to call my friends and tell them I’m tiny now.”

“Patience, mijo,” Miguel said in a bored tone. 

There was a knock at the door. Mateo ran and opened it.

“Mom?” he asked.

It was a female nurse with a nervous expression.

“Oh, sorry.” Mateo said. “Where’s my mom? Sofia? Sofia Rodriguez?”

“Umm,” the nurse was holding a plastic phone in her hand. “Mr. Miguel Rodriguez?” She looked past Mateo’s shoulder.

Her tone caused him concern. He tossed his magazine and jumped to his feet. “Dios mio. What’s wrong? Where’s my wife?”

“Your wife is on the phone. She needs to speak with you.”

Miguel walked to the nurse and took the phone. A million thoughts ran through his head as he squeezed the phone in his hand. Where the hell was Sofia, and why wasn’t she with him at that moment?

“Sofia?” he asked. “What happened?”

Sofia’s voice came over the phone in high-definition. It sounded like she’s been crying. “Honey, please don’t be mad.”

“What happened Sofia? Why aren’t you here with us?” Miguel’s voice was a powder keg about to go off.

Mateo listened to the conversation closely; he could hear his mom over the phone despite it being glued to his father’s ear.

“Something’s wrong with me,” Sofia said, her voice wavering. 

-

(Earlier)

-

“Isn’t this exciting?” Luna asked. “More people need to do this and help save the planet.”

Sofia felt ridiculous in the bathrobe. Whoever designed the robes had short, rail-thin women in mind and not people like Sofia. The robe hardly reached her knees and barely covered her ample bosom. Sofia kept tugging, trying to wrap the cotton fabric over her chest. She gave up eventually and tied the belt around her waist. The bathrobe looked like a seductive dress with a plunging neckline. Her cleavage was on full display and her heavy breasts swayed as she walked.

“I hope they have clothes that fit me,” Sofia said. “When I downsize, I mean.”

“I’m sure they do,” Luna said, looking up at the woman who was half-a-foot taller than her. Sofia’s physique mesmerized Luna. She didn’t consider Sofia fat, but thick in every sense of the word. Her thighs and hips gave her a solid foundation. A waist that curved inwards, giving her a flat stomach, right below her pendulous mammaries. “It wouldn’t be difficult for them to custom make you clothes.”

“Who’s them? Humans or other downsizers?”

“Either.”

Sofia giggled. “I’m seriously thinking they won’t have anything that fits me when I downsize. They might have to give me a human wash cloth to wear for a while.”

“Isn’t that just the coolest about downsizing, though?” Luna asked, holding her clasped hands to her chest. “We’ll take up next to nothing in resources when we’re tiny. Did you know our carbon footprint becomes almost negligible? It’s like we’re giving Earth a big hug!” She crossed her arms and hugged herself, as if physically embracing the planet.

“Umm, yeah.” Sofia forced a grin.

“And it’s not just that; I’m a vegetarian, too. Imagine the impact if everyone downsized and stopped eating meat! We could revolutionize the world, one tiny step at a time!”

“That’s … that would be neat.”

“I just think it’s the responsible thing to do. Even if others disagree. We all have to do our part to save the planet—I would’ve done this sooner, you know? But people keep trying to stop me, saying it’s a mistake and that I’m needed with the other humans. I think that’s all a bunch of baloney. We’ll still be ourselves when we shrink. I can still telework and call people on the phone. I don’t have to be human-sized to be me. You know?”

Sofia nodded politely.

“My husband and I always get into fights about this.” Luna kept talking as Sofia was getting checked by the doctor in a biohazard suit before they moved to the last room. “He wants to stay big and eat meat. He loves his steak so rare, it makes me gag. I’ve asked him to cut down, but he needs the protein,” she said in disgust. “He works out so much, he claims he needs over 200 grams of protein a day. That’s so wretched. I’ve told him many times, if he downsizes, a steak would last him a year. But, no. He wants to be big. Bigger, actually, hence the gym.”

“Okay,” Sofia said with a faux smile. “I guess this is it, huh?”

“Yup! Let’s save the world!”

Like the males, the females entered the downsizing chamber and laid down on the marked areas on the floor. Luna stole a glance at Sofia’s nude breasts, that were as big as her narrow head. She looked down Sofia’s body and noticed her ass was so large, her lower back didn’t touch the floor. Luna wanted to look away, but admiring Sofia’s body was like appreciating masterful art.

Luna handed her robe to the tech and laid back on the ground, facing up and staring at the ceiling. With the chamber door closed, Luna went through a rollercoaster of emotions that was typical for patients. Ultimately, she was excited about her new life at two inches and her contributions to society. The lights flickered, the room hummed, and the floor shook. All the women in the room became disoriented as their world transformed their eyes.

When the sensations finally faded, Luna took a long sigh of relief and sat up. “That wasn’t bad at all! Wasn’t it Sof—” Luna froze in terror. 

“My head.” Sofia groaned.

All the downsized women heard and felt Sofia’s voice, like a roar from the heavens, louder and more sensational than the crack of lightning. Sofia placed a hand on her forehead, a move that terrified Luna. Sofia hadn’t downsized. Her rich olive brown body, laid before her as large as a stadium. The mountain that was Sofia was moving at speeds that boggled Luna’s mind.

“Is it done?” 

Sofia turned to her side. Luna let out a shrill scream as she saw Sofia’s heavy boobs turn over and fall towards her like a hot-air balloon crashing to the ground. She was in no danger, being so far away from Sofia, but as new downsizers, the sense of scale confused her mind. She thought she was going to be crushed, when she was in fact safely far away.

Sofia pushed herself up on the side and looked around. “What happened?”

Luna fell on her back, tripping over her feet as she was backing away from the giantess. She thought Sofia was large before, but her body being amplified exponentially, really highlighted the sensual hills and valleys created by her Rubenesque hips and titanic tits. Luna along with the others screamed when they saw Sofia shifting her weight to rise to her feet. The boom caused by the giantess’s right foot planting itself on the ground nearly made Luna faint.

“Hello?” Sofia asked. Her vision was slowly adjusting to her surroundings. The chamber hadn’t changed. It looked the same as before. She looked down at her body and the silhouette painted on the ground and confirmed she did not shrink. Maybe it hadn’t gone off yet? But where was everyone? She looked for that annoying brunette from before and didn’t see her—at first. She looked at the silhouette where she should’ve been and saw her cowering two-inch form, about the size of a chapstick backing away. “Luna?”

Sofia’s mind wasn’t fully working; the failed downsizing still dazed her, as if she had awakened from a brief nap. Sofia rose to her feet and almost lost her balance. She stuck her foot behind her to catch her falling body, causing a tremor that terrified the 19 downsized women.

A bus, which looked like a toy from her perspective, entered the chamber and halted upon seeing the human. Sofia locked eyes with the driver. He reversed the bus back into the tunnel with all the power it had. Sofia brushed her hair out of her face with her hands and looked down at her feet with unpainted toenails. She had come close to landing on another silhouette, and the woman that was there was running for her life.

“Ma’am, please sit on the ground and do not move.” A voice spoke over the intercom. Its volume was low to not deafen the downsizers. “There’s been an anomaly. We will collect everyone who’s downsized and will come to escort you afterwards. Please do not panic.”

Sofia nodded, herself terrified, not understanding fully what any of this meant. She dropped to her knees and sat back on her ankles. The wrinkles of her soles now faced Luna. 

Luna shuddered, thinking how many downsizers could fit under just one of Sofia’s feet. The dangers of downsizing—a thought that hardly crossed her mind—came flashing in her head. Sure, Luna would meet and interact with humans post-downsizing. But those would be controlled, carefully planned visits. Here she was, not a downsizer for more than a minute, and a gigantic nude Latina narrowly crushed a downsizer without realizing it.

The miniature bus came back inside the chamber to collect everyone rapidly, forgoing the usual pleasantries accompanied by a newly downsized patient.

Sofia was aware of her nudity, but didn’t bother covering herself, since her thoughts preoccupied her. She placed both her hands on her thigh and gently rocked back and forth. She then thought of her family. Did her husband and son shrink successfully, or did they have similar issues? Were the techs going to try to shrink her again? What if they couldn’t?

Sofia placed a hand over her mouth. A sickening thought made itself known. What if her family shrunk, and she was unshrinkable? She’ll never be able to hug her husband or son again. She’ll never be able to kiss her husband or make love with him ever again. Mateo would grow into a man before her eyes—and will be smaller than her pinky finger while doing so.

The bus collected the last downsizer and made a beeline for the tunnel. The women inside the bus scrambled and looked out the windows as if they were tourists in Paris, watching Sofia’s minute movements with awe. Luna waved at Sofia, but her gesture went unnoticed.

There was a process for downsizers to get introduced to the scale difference of humans. A slow methodical process that didn’t shock or traumatize the tiny people. This unfortunate incident would traumatize them and give them pause to think about how vulnerable they truly were as downsizers.

-

(Present)

-

Sofia sobbed as she finished telling the story. “They told me, in the last five years, out of the millions that downsized, they’ve had less than 100 cases like mine. They don’t know what causes it, but they have theories. Mi amor, they say I’ll never be able to downsize. Ever.”

Miguel, without saying a word, collapsed on the sofa, dropping the phone beside him.

Mateo pounced over, grabbed the phone, and said, “Mom, can’t you ask them to retry downsizing you?” 

“They tried, but apparently my body isn’t compatible with the transformation. It’s a rare occurrence that only a few people experience. The odds of this happening are so small, they don’t even tell people this is a possibility. Just my luck. I can’t downsize, mijito.” 

Mateo stood silent before bringing the phone toward him again. “I thought you said we’d downsize as a family?”

“Mateo, this was out of my control!” She pleaded. “No one saw this coming, not even the doctors.” More sobbing. “I really want to hug you and your father right now.” Her speech broke apart as her emotions overcame her.

Miguel clenched his fingers, putting pressure on the phone.

“Well, you can’t hug me! I’m two fucking inches tall right now, mom. I didn’t want to do this, remember?”

“I know, baby. I know you’re upset—”

“—of course I’m upset! You made me shrink … and you didn’t even shrink yourself. This is the most messed up thing you’ve ever done in my life.”

“Mijo, you know I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” She sniffed and controlled her sobbing. “Listen, we’re still a family, no matter what, and nothing will separate us—not even this … incident. I can’t live in Lilliputian Lakes, but maybe you can live with—”

Mateo threw the phone across the room. The plastic device harmlessly bounced off the wall. He went to the opposite wall and sulked, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to collect himself. 

Miguel rose and picked up the phone. “Sofia?”

“Yes, honey?” Hopefulness filled her voice.

“I want to see you.”

-

“Now remember, ma’am, you don’t have a permit, and may not touch them legally, understand?”

“Yes,” Sofia said, still exhausted from the recent devastating news

“Through this room, they are seated at a table waiting for you. Just some advice: speak quietly, don’t make sudden movements, and don’t get close. We recommend downsizers to not meet humans right away, as it can be—a lot to process. But your husband was very adamant he sees you.”

“Thank you.”

-

“This way, Mr. Rodriguez,” the nurse said.

Miguel looked over his shoulder and saw his son with his arms crossed, leaning against the hallway wall.

“You coming, mijo?”

Mateo rolled his eyes and reluctantly followed his father. They took an electric vehicle down hallways and tunnels that seemed to go on forever.

“We’re heading to the human-downsizer meeting room,” the nurse said. “It’s a simple room with a table and a couple of chairs. It’ll be on top of a human-sized table where your wife will sit at.”

The nurse stopped the vehicle at a double-door and told father and son to go right ahead and enter the doors. “Oh, almost forgot to give you these.” He handed Miguel a pager. 

“What is this?”

“SOS pager. If you need help or … protection. Just hit that button and we’ll swoop in to assist.”

“I’m just meeting my wife. She would never—”

“Sure thing, pal.” He drove off before Miguel could hand back the device.

Mateo’s eyes were heavy, and he hadn’t uncrossed his arms. Miguel patted his son’s back and entered the reception room. It was like entering the most massive Superdome in existence. The room stretched thousands of feet in every direction. It was brightly lit and had frosted windows along one side of the room. There was one human-door that led inside and, judging by its size, Miguel figured this room was tiny for humans. Slightly larger than a cramped bathroom. 

Both Rodriguez’ men walked straight to a table that had two chairs. They were a couple dozen steps in when they noticed they were actually walking on a human table top. They sat down and picked up the megaphones that were waiting for them. 

“What are these for?” Mateo asked. “My friend doesn’t need a megaphone to talk to humans.”

“I read it takes a while for us to learn to project our voice. The megaphones just help.”

A buzzer went off, and a click went off at the door. The handle slowly rotated, and the door opened to reveal Sofia standing, peeking her head in. Miguel knew his wife was nervous as she came walking in. She looked like she was walking on a tightrope. Her steps were purposeful and dainty. Mateo, however, began losing some of his anger and frustration and was now experiencing feelings of awe and fear. The closer his mother walked, the larger and more imposing she appeared. He thought back to what his ex, Tricia, told him about how he’d look like a bug to a human now. He pushed back from the table and stood up.

“What’s wrong?” Miguel asked.

“I’m—it’s just.” Mateo’s heart raced. It was his mother, but he’s never seen her like this before.

“Hi, my loves,” Sofia said as gently as possible. Mateo's and Miguel’s skin tingled as they both felt the power of her voice even while speaking in a soft tone. The nurse warned them that their bodies were still getting used to their new surroundings and senses.

“I don’t know if this was a good idea,” Mateo said in a quick, hushed voice to his dad. “Should we leave?”

“Sit down.” Miguel sounded annoyed and gripped the megaphone. He used it to speak to his wife. “Mi amor, come sit with us.”

Sofia pulled the chair out, scrapping it across the floor, which made her downsized family cringe. “Oops.” She lifted the chair and sat down. 

Miguel was enthralled by what he saw. His wife was wearing a white cotton bathrobe that was at least two sizes too small. Her cleavage was on full display and he could see the massive outlines of her breasts—large enough to crush their new downsized homes. If his son wasn’t with them, he would’ve said a colorful comment to his wife.

Through the megaphone, Miguel said, “I guess we’ll have to get used to seeing each other this way.”

Sofia nodded, a tear running down her cheek. “I guess so.”

Her powerful voice once again caused both Rodriguez’ men to flinch. Her giant voice felt strong enough to push them back. Sofia saw this and shot her hands up to her mouth. Again, this rookie mistake made her miniature husband and son flinch.

“I’m sorry,” she said, tempering her voice. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Please stop moving so much, mom.”

Sofia nodded. “Of course, sorry Mijo.”

“Our apartment is gone,” Miguel said. “Where are you going to live?”

“I don’t know.” Sofia was moments away from sobbing. “That’s something we really need to talk about.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

“I don’t think it makes sense that you and Mateo live in Lilliputian Lakes, given our new situation.”

Mateo looked up with a wide eye.

Sofia sniffed. “Because if you do—we’ll be separated.”

Miguel pinched the bridge of his nose. “You want us to live with you? In the human world?”

Sofia nodded, afraid of her husband’s next words.

Mateo stood up. “No fucking way!”

“What did I say about cursing?” Miguel shouted.

“What the actual hell is going on?” Mateo was losing it. “I didn’t want this—I didn’t want to downsize. But you forced me to, and I went along with it because I thought we were all going to live together in the downsize town. Now we have to live with my giant mom?”

“Mijito,” she pleaded. “Nobody wanted this, but this is where we are. We can’t afford a home in Lilliputian Lakes and a home for myself. We have to give it back, and I need the money to find a place to live out here.”

“Wait, what?” Miguel asked.

“Well, what do you recommend we do?” Sofia asked. “If I could walk inside Lilliputian Lakes, I would live with you all in a heartbeat. But that won’t happen. The only solution I see is that you live with me in a human home.”

“Ridiculous,” Mateo said. “Just when I accepted living in a downsized home, this happens.” Mateo planted his face in his hands. “How would this even work, mom? You don’t even have an MHIP.”

“I can get one!” She adjusted herself in her seat and tried closing her robe over her chest. “I was thinking … we give up our home in Lilliputian Lakes. Try to cancel our loan and get our money back. I’ll get a hotel tonight and see if I can get a temporary family permit to handle you two. How does that sound?”

“No!” Mateo shouted. “No way. I’m so out of here.” He rose from the table and stormed to the exit.

“Mijo, wait.” Sofia hesitated and, by instinct, almost brought her hand down on her son to stop him.

“Back off, mom. You don’t have a permit and even if you did, I sure as hell won’t consent to you holding me.”

“Mateo, get back here,” his dad said. “Where are you going? You have no money or place to stay. Your mother is right. We’ve been through a lot and should stick together as a family and figure this out together.”

“No way!” Mateo was at the double-door exit. “You all can figure it out yourselves. I’m going to stay with my friend.”

“Mateo,” his dad shouted. “Stop right there. You will not walk away from this family.”

“Fuck this family,” Mateo said. His skin was red out and his eyes filled with tears. “You ruined my life! I won’t let you ruin it further.”

“Son, if you walk out that door—”

“Or what, dad? Mom going to stop me? She can’t touch me or she’ll go to jail. She’ll never touch me or come near me again.” Mateo slammed through the doors without looking back or saying another word to his parents.

“That boy…” Miguel growled before Sofia spoke again.

“Please, don’t be too harsh on him, amor. He has every right to be mad at me.”

“Mad at you? This wasn’t your fault.” Miguel sighed. “I think everyone needs time to accept what happened. I’m sure he’ll call back in a couple of days.” He then looked up at his giant wife and saw how devastated she felt. “Hey.”

Sofia looked down at him. “Yeah honey?”

She watched as her tiny husband rose from his chair and began walking towards the edge of the table where she sat.

“Careful honey.” Sofia worried, once again instinctively readying her hands. 

“It’s alright, dear. I may be small, but I can still handle myself!” He smirked before finally reaching the edge. He raised his hand.

“What’s this?” Sofia asked.

“A handshake or rather pinky shake for you, that no matter how shitty things get, we will get through this, together as a family.”

“It’ll have to be a pretend one,” Sofia said. “I can’t legally touch you right now and they’re watching.”

“Okay, pretend handshake, but get close.”

Sofia giggled. She felt so relieved seeing her husband handle this better than she expected. “No matter what, we’ll get through this as a family.”

She extended her pinky and let it rest on the table beside him. He stood back, not realizing his wife’s hand was now the size of a tank. He moved his hand up and down like he was shaking her hand. She moved her pinky finger up and down. Miguel looked at his beautiful wife and yearned to touch her.

-

Mateo met up with a communications tech and he provided Mateo with his new downsized phone. After he set up his account and logged in, his phone came to life and behaved like his old one. The plastic around the display gave it a cheap feel, and the pixels on the display were large enough to see. But the phone was at least functional.

He dialed Hazel’s number. 

“Hey big guy!” Hazel’s cheery voice came over the speaker. It instantly lifted his mood. “How’d it go?”

“Hey Haze.” He tried masking his somber voice, but failed.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Umm. I’m okay, but—”

“But? But what?”

Mateo felt his voice crack. “Haze, something happened … I don’t have a place to live tonight and—”

“Say no more. I’m heading out right now. Lilliputian Lakes, right? Meet me at the greeting checkpoint.”

A smile formed through his saddened face. “Thanks, Haze.”

-

Liam raced to the Lilliputian Lakes in his red coupe. He was speaking to his wife through the hands free system as he weaved in and out of traffic.

“You got to be fucking kidding me, Luna.” He sounded desperate and anxious. “How could you do this behind my back?”

“I didn’t do it for me or for you,” she said pleadingly. Her voice played through the hands-free system in his car. “I did it for the planet. Humans are destroying the environment every day by taking up so much resources and eating meat, that we—”

“Stop. Just stop.” He didn’t need to hear the speech for the hundredth time that month. “Fine. You want to downsize for the planet—fine. But you don’t do that shit behind your husband’s back; especially after he told you he doesn’t want to downsize.” He was stuck behind a red light at an intersection, but could see the sprawling structure that made up Lilliputian Lakes. “You know I don’t want to downsize, right? That doesn’t change just because you shrank.”

“That’s okay, babe!” Her spirits lifted immediately. “I don’t expect you to downsize! Now that I’m tiny and taking up fewer resources, it will offset all the resources you take. Plus, can you imagine all the fun we’ll have together? I know how much you like playing with downsizers.”

Liam’s eyes glanced at his phone display to ensure he and Luna were on an end-to-end encrypted call. “I have fun with unregistered downsizers. Y’know what I do to them. You wouldn’t want me to do those things to you.” The light turned green, and Liam was on his way again. He found parking in the rear, shut off his car, and continued talking to his wife through the phone.

“You don’t have to do the mean things to me,” Luna said. “But I love everything else you do with them.” She said with a lustful lilt. “I can’t wait to see my big man.”

Liam stopped his march to his building as her comment gave him pause. “Luna, I’m here. I’ll meet you at the reception.”

-

The techs gave Sofia spare scrubs to change into. They were a size too small for her, and the pants didn’t quite reach her white shoes, and the top strained around her chest. Sofia was waiting for a tech to issue her a temporary MHIP that would be usable to her husband only. She didn’t know what use this would be, since the few hotels she called refused to book her a room, on the account she was showing up as a downsizer in their system. She figured she’d have to appear in-person to reserve a room. But first, she had to collect her husband.

She was in the human/downsizer reception lobby of the building. The downsizers sat behind a large acrylic box that looked like an airport terminal. Sofia stared down at her husband through the menagerie, who sat in a seat with the other downsizers while waiting for the permit to get sorted.

He was on his phone, texting her. She’d take her eyes off her husband, respond, and then go back looking at him as if he were inside an intricate Lego model display. There were at least fifty downsizers in the reception area, coming and going. They were meeting with their humans and departing through a special tunnel that led to an open area where a human could pick them up. As soon as things were cleared, Miguel would walk through the tunnel, akin to a passenger bridge to a plane, and Sofia would be free to swoop him up from the other side.

A man walked up beside her and was talking on the phone. He, too, was looking down at the glass menagerie, his eyes scanning for a downsizer.

“Luna, where are you?” Liam asked.

Sofia’s ears perked up.

“I don’t see you,” he said.

“I’m in the bathroom!”

Sofia could hear Luna’s voice over the phone and recognized it as that hippie woman from earlier.

“Okay, well, I’m ready to pick you up.” He hung up the phone and sighed. Under his breath, he said, “I can’t believe this shit.”

Sofia and Liam were the only humans standing in front of the downsized reception area. She felt a little awkward standing there in silence and wanted to strike up a conversation.

“Picking up your wife?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. She … uh, she downsized today—without telling me.”

“Really?” Sofia chose a tender voice and said, “Is that a good thing or—”

“Bad. She did it behind my back.” Liam shook his head, his eyes preoccupied with looking at the tiny reception room, not once turning to look over at Sofia. “I don’t know what we’re going to do …”

Luna came out of the bathroom and ran up to the glass wall closest to her husband. The menagerie was just below chest-level, so he only had to bend down slightly. Luna was giddy, jumping up and down and waving at Liam, now gigantic compared to her. She then spotted Sofia standing next to her husband and looked up in surprise. She extended her enthusiasm and started waving to her as well.

“Oh, you know each other?” Liam asked Sofia.

“We met today,” Sofia said. “I was downsizing with your wife, actually. But there was an anomaly, and I didn’t shrink.”

“Lucky you.” Liam put little thought into his words. He pulled out his MHIP card and held it up to the glass wall. His wife scanned it with her phone, and in three quick clicks, she signed her Consent of Handling over to her husband. Liam then went to the side, where Luna was running off to. Once through the tunnel, she was in an open area where Liam put his hand down to collect his wife. He lifted his palm up to his face. “I don’t know how I’m going to get used to seeing you like this.”

“Sofia!” Luna shouted.

Liam noticed his wife trying to communicate with the Latina standing beside him, so he brought Luna over. It was only then that Liam realized Sofia was as tall as he was and had a knock-out figure. He tried to ignore her chest bursting out of her scrubs and kept eye-contact with her.

“Hey, Luna.” Sofia waved softly.

“It’s so crazy what happened to you,” Luna said. “Is everything okay with your family?”

Sofia explained to Luna everything going on briefly: Sofia’s finances were in limbo, they were trying to return the Lilliputian Lakes home, she was trying to find a hotel for the night, her son ran off to a friend’s house, and she wasn’t sure if she was getting a temp MHIP to handle her husband.

“That’s terrible!” Luna’s voice wavered sympathetically. “I’m so sorry to hear all that. Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Oh, no. I’ll figure it out.”

“Nonsense! We want to help.”

“I appreciate the gesture, but … I don’t know. No, I don’t want to burden you.” The weight of everything barreling down on her was too much to handle. She was close to losing her composure and falling to the ground to cry.

“Well,” Liam said. “Good luck with everything.” Liam turned to leave and felt his wife pounding on his palm. “What?”

“Turn back around! I want to talk to her.”

Liam sighed and obeyed his two-inch wife. He brought his palm up to Sofia.

“We have a guest bedroom,” Luna said. “You’ll stay with us as long as it takes.”

“What?” Both Liam and Sofia asked. “Really?”

Luna shot her husband a dirty look and smacked his large finger.

“Umm, yeah,” he stammered. “Really. Sofia, we got room. If you want. Sounds like a shitty situation you’re in, and we can definitely help.”

“Are you guys really willing to help?” There was a sparkle of hope in Sofia’s eyes. “Because, honesetly, that’s the best thing I’ve heard all day. Thank you so much! I promise not to be a burden.”

“It’s settled!” Luna shouted. “You’re coming home with us. Want to hold me, Sofia?”

Sofia thought that was weird to ask. “Oh … I can’t. I don’t have a permit. Actually, that means I can’t hold my husband either.”

Liam felt Sofia directed that statement to him. “I guess if he’s cool with it. I can hold him.”

It took a lot of convincing for Miguel to get onboard with this sudden plan. Liam and Luna sat off to the side in the human-section of the reception lobby while Sofia argued with her husband over the phone. Miguel didn’t like the idea of trusting his life with a stranger. Sofia explained it was the only way. Otherwise he’d be sleeping in the streets of Lilliputian Lakes. After a lot of back-and-forth, Sofia beckoned Liam over.

Sofia told Liam her husband was ready to sign consent over to him. Liam pulled out his card and held it up for Miguel to scan. Liam explained to Sofia, once they were out of the public’s eye, she could hold her husband. He doubted her husband would report her for unauthorized handling.

Ten minutes later, the foursome was in Liam’s coupe, heading to his home.