Chapter 30

"Oriiiii!" Louis whines at me.

"Patience, Lou. We're almost done."

"But Ori..." He pouts, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly. "It's boring. I want to go play."

Wherever did he learn that? Not from me, surely. I wiggle my pen in front of his face, guiding his attention back to the notebook we're studying from. 

"Louis, stop being difficult. As soon as you finish the page, I'll let you go play."

"But whyyy..."

We've been doing this for a while now. Every since he came to live with me, I've been doing my best to teach him when I'm not busy making clothes for the town. I'm used to teaching kids, especially young ones like himself. We're starting with basic reading comprehension, as not to overwhelm him. He's a sharp one, and I want him to live up to the potential I see in him. Whether he's cooperative or not seems to depend entirely on his mood. Even on the best of days, his health is also a factor, since he tires so easily. He's been doing better lately, but I'd rather not push him. Playing outside for an hour a day has been doing wonders. Sunny, days like this are especially nice, hence why I decided have our lesson in the park.

I hadn't considered how much of a distraction it would be. Today has not been very productive.

"Because I said so. It's for your own good. You're almost seven years old! Big boys like yourself must learn how to read." I tell him, bringing his football out from my backpack. He's been obsessed with it ever since. "Didn't you want to show me those new tricks you learned?"

"Maybe..." He tries to lie. I can see in his eyes that he's coming around. "Okay, I'll read."

He shuffles close to me on the bench, looking at the book in my lap. I put my arm around him and tap my pen twice by the word 'house'. "How do you say this word? Sound it out like we practiced."

"Ha. Oo. Sa. Eh. Um..."

"Take your time."

"H-House?" He whispers, unsure of himself.

"Yes! Good, now can you read the whole sentence for me?"

"The blue... m-mouse... lives in the... red... house."

"Excellent!" I clap for him, proudly. "Okay, now you may go. Have fun, but don't run too far."

He happily takes the ball and scampers off to kick it around. I put our notebook away and watch him from the bench. The park isn't very busy today, which is unusual given the nice weather. It's been warming up lately as we approach the summertime. I've even begun wearing colorful dresses. I couldn't help but notice Jeannine has done the same, wearing such pretty outfits. She's partial to the color blue, I think. I've nagged her to try other colors, but she's stuck in her ways. Those baggy clothes do her no favors. Someone with her figure shouldn't be so shy. It simply baffles me. 

Suddenly, a loud 'click' is heard from across the apartment. It's the telltale sign that Jeannine is home. She usually comes straight to her room to drop her bag and greet us. After that, she'll either study or relax on her bed. We've grown pretty used to her routine by now, especially the ones who been around the longest like myself. This is our 'ordinary'. 

"Hello?" A voice calls out from the other room, as the door shuts. "Jeannine, are you home? I let myself in with the spare key."

My blood runs cold when I hear the stranger's voice. That is most certainly not the voice of Jeannine. It's a woman's voice, possibly older. There shouldn't be anyone in this apartment, least of all when Jeannine isn't home! Who could it be, and how did they know about her spare key? This doesn't make any sense.  Looking around the park, I can see that everyone has stopped in their tracks. Turning around to the street, I can see that traffic has also come to a halt, as drivers step out to look at the sky. The city has come to a complete standstill, as we all ask ourselves the same question.

"What in the world is going on?"

We listen with baited breath, wondering where she'll go. Or what she'll do.

Her footsteps grow louder as she approaches. There's no mistaking it, she's headed for the bedroom. I snap out of my trance and run to Louis. I grab him and hold him close to me. He's trembling, gazing beyond the city's skyline. The unwelcome giantess then enters the room, standing at the foot of the bed. Only then do we get a good look at her. She's a Brob woman, probably in her fifties by the look of her face. She's slightly shorter than Jeannine, dressed in floral sundress with thin straps that ends around her knees. Her dyed blonde hair falls just past her shoulders. Her eyeliner and lipstick highlight her best features. Her looks are eerily familiar. Few would be able to make the connection. I've seen her before in one of Jeannine's pictures. I know exactly who this is.

It's Jeannine's mother.

"Hm. I thought she'd be home by now..." She crosses her arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently. "Guess I'll wait here."

She takes her seat on the bed and pulls out her phone, likely to text her daughter. Sitting just a few kilometers from the city's border does not put us at ease. It would only take her two steps to close the distance. Unsure of what to do, the citizens of Magna Gratia remain still, frozen like statues. We silently watch her, praying she'll leave without noticing us. After a few minutes, she grows impatient. She puts her phone away and gets up to pace around the room. Standing near her daughter's dresser, she wipes a finger over the top. She makes a disapproving face.

"Filthy." She frowns. "She must not be cleaning."

She then walks over to the desk, coming dangerously close to the city. She wipes another finger, and is met with the same result. Without another word, she looks around the room as if scanning for something. She doesn't seem to find it, and promptly leaves the room.

I finally take a breath. I hadn't realized I'd been holding it this entire time. I've become rather lightheaded. Suddenly, a different voice is heard throughout the city. It comes from the decommissioned speaker system, at a volume no louder than a Brob's whisper, but easily audible to us Lillis.

"Citizens of Magna Gratia, this is an emergency announcement. Seek the nearest shelter immediately. Do not leave until it is safe. We've contacted Jeannine, and she is rushing home as we speak."

The message repeats once more, but I've already begun to move. I put Louis on my back and hurry home. Thankfully, we live right across the street from the park. Everyone else does the same, going indoors. Those who cannot get to their homes quickly enough are welcomed into the homes of other citizens. Within minutes, the streets are barren. To any outsider, the city would look positively desolate. Still hugging Louis close, we sit by the window and look out from there. Though our house does little in the way of safety, it's better than being outdoors and exposed.

A short time after, Jeannine's mother returns to the room with a broom and dustpan. She begins sweeping the floors of the bedroom while innocently humming a tune. She begins on the opposite end of the room and works her way to the other, taking her time with each area. She's meticulous, getting under the bed, behind the dresser, under the desk, and even the room's other corners. 

Finally, she arrives at our corner. She stands close to the city, moving the broom toward it. I hold back a scream as the giant bristles loom by our city's border. Each one is thicker than an oak and taller than several buildings stack on top of one another. The buildings we've taken cover in would give no resistance in the face of such an overwhelming force.

Her next motion will casually wipe our city away, no different than the dust in the room.

"Ori, I'm scared!" Louis begins to cry.

"I know. It's going to be okay, just close your eyes." I tell him, as he buries his face in my chest. He's scared for his life. I'm no different, but I'm trying to be strong for him. I manage to avoid crying, but I can do nothing to stop the trembling. I stroke his head and whisper to him. "Shhh... Everything is going to be okay."

I shut my eyes and brace myself for what's to come. I hope it will be quick. This reminds me of Céline. I haven't felt terror like this since I was with her. No, if these are to be my last moments, I refuse to spend them thinking about her. I instead think of Jeannine, who must be worried sick. If she finds her beloved city in ruin... It'll devastate her. She will certainly blame herself.

I embrace Louis tightly as we await our annihilation.

"What's this?" 

Rather than sweeping us away, the giantess instead moves the broom away from the city. Stepping back from the border, she begins to lower her body. As her knees hit the ground, the entire city suffers a violent earthquake. I use my free hand to hold onto the windowsill, as our house shakes. Even our furniture slides out of place. From her kneeling position, she leans over, bringing her head dangerously close. Her face dominates the sky, becoming all we can see. Every feature and little detail is visible from so close. Every pore and blemish magnified and exposed.

"Too close. Far too close! Please, stay away!" I yell in my head.

 Her lips part as she speaks again. "How strange..."

Being so close to the city makes the situation far worse. The natural volume of her voice, making no effort to hold it back, explodes through Magna Gratia. A crack appears on the wall of our home, stretching diagonally onto our ceiling. Several windows shatter as well. She's now close enough to make out the details of what she's seeing. Her giant eyes then widen as the realization hits her. She sits back up, still on her knees, and simply stares. Her expression is a mix of awe and confusion.

"I didn't know Jeannine was interested in models. It's so small... Lilli-sized, probably." She thinks aloud, trailing off at the end. "I wonder if..."

We're left wondering what she was going to say for exactly two seconds, before she purses her lips and blows out.

Windows rattle violently as a hurricane moves through the city. The force of the gale is disastrous. Cars slide across the streets, some even lifting off the ground. Garbage containers and mailboxes alike are launched through the air at disturbing speeds. Trees bend as the powerful gusts push them to their limits. I see at least two snap cleanly in half. Miscellaneous smaller objects smash against buildings causing varying degrees of damage. It's utter chaos.

And it was a single woman's breath!

The artificial disaster ends as the giantess's lips come together once more. I begin to cough when I smell the polluted air coming through the window. It reeks of her breath. Whatever she ate earlier has now permeates the air down here. The temperature has easily gone up five degrees, as I feel myself begin to sweat. Though I'm fairly sure I'd already been sweating beforehand. I then shut the window to preserve what little clean air remains inside the house. The titanic woman inspects the city curiously, unaware of the damage she's caused. I'd never seen such a casual display of power. It's scary to think that she could have done far more if she'd intended to harm us. Up to this point, she hasn't done anything particularly malicious.

I come to regret those thoughts when she continues speaking. 

"This has to be Lilli made. Only they could make something this detailed. I don't see any, though..." She frowns, her eyelids droopy as she folds her arms over her generous chest. It's a look of pure disdain, bordering on contempt. "Lucky for them. I'd been itching to put some specks in their place."

I take a shaky breath as I let her words sink in. Despite her relation to Jeannine, she isn't her. 

There is no compassion in those eyes. The warmth that Jeannine emanates is entirely missing. Her words evoke a primal fear in me, no different than with Céline. I'm thankful that we all hid indoors. I don't even want to think about what she would have done if she caught one of us. All we can do is hide and wait. So far, the illusion of an empty, model city remains.

"Just go away. Leave us in peace and never come back." I whisper, praying for it to come true.

"I'll never understand why she's so obsessed with things so small and fragile." She shakes her head, disapprovingly. Her frown turns to a grin as she gets an idea. "If this were a real city, it'd be so pathetic. If I wanted to, I could just..."

The giantess suddenly goes quiet. The city and the bedroom as a whole goes completely silent. I stare up at the woman's face. She swishing her tongue around her mouth. It's almost as if she's...

"No. No, she wouldn't." I say aloud. "Please. Don't."

Once she collects enough saliva, she purses her lips like before. Instead of blowing, she decides to spit it out onto the city. We see the mass of saliva leave her mouth in slow motion. It falls from the sky, appearing to grow in size as it descends upon us. It impacts the residential zone, flooding the streets between the apartment buildings and spreading through the park. Cars, trees, and street signs alike are washed away with the rapid currents. I manage to shut the window before the torrent hits our building. Thank goodness we were indoors, or else we surely would have drowned in the lake she cruelly dropped on us. The water levels rise high, at least three floors. Some of it leaks through our window even as I brace it with all my strength. 

I pray that it holds.

Shortly after, the glob of spit begins to spread out until the water levels become low enough to let go of the window. From what I can see, she covered several blocks with her disgusting spit. Buildings drip with sticky, foamy fluid. 

There's just so much of it! I can hardly believe it came from the mouth of a single person. It's a surreal sight. One that makes me feel dreadfully small, before this towering titaness. The feeling of powerlessness is not something I ever wanted to feel again. She can and will do whatever she pleases. There isn't anything I or anyone else can do, and that is more frustrating than I can properly express.

I know it's selfish, but I do not care if anyone else is okay. I'm only concerned about myself and the little boy in my arms. As the situation worsens by the minute, I feel my scar begin to hurt. It throbs, as if a wound has been reopened. It's a physiological response to this terrifying monster of a Brob.

In a surprising twist, the woman's expression softens. She wears a look of concern, though I have no clue who it's for.

"Oh no! What have I done..." She presses her finger to her lips nervously. "Jeannine is going to be furious. This must have been very expensive. Umm..."

She turns around in place, grabbing her purse from behind her. Setting it down in her lap, she begins searching through it. Judging by the look on her face, she can't find what she's looking for. After some frustrated grumbling, she pulls out a tissue. One that looks to be either used, or simply old. It must have been in there for a while. She clumps it into a wad beyond the city skyline. Without warning, she then brings it down onto the city. 

The sky becomes snow white as the tissue descends. Her hand brings it down to the area where she spit, and she moves it around to soak it up. Her actions do clean up some of the saliva, but they take the streets and much of the park with it. Thankfully she realizes this, and promptly stops. Her panicked expression tells us that she isn't thinking straight. She stands back up, forgetting to remove the filthy tissue as she backs away from the city. It sits there, looming over us like some otherworldly hill. 

"Please, Jeannine. Get home, already! Save us from your mother!"

As if on cue, we hear the apartment door burst open. Not a moment later, our beloved caretaker arrives in the room. I don't think I've ever felt so relieved just to a see someone. Jeannine rushes over to her mother. She's out of breath and drenched in sweat, likely from running. Upon seeing the city, her expression becomes grim. 

"Mom! Step away from that city! Right now!"

Her voice is so loud that I have to cover my ears. In her panic, she must not have realized that she was yelling. Her mother is also surprised by her outburst. Jeannine has never been the type to overreact, let alone yell. Her mother begins to step back, turning to face her. 

"That's no way to greet your mother, young lady. I haven't seen you in months! I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"I-I am, Mom." She calms down, beginning to catch her breath. Her voice becomes quieter now, but no less on edge. "Please tell me you didn't touch my..." She tries to come up with a word, while keeping the secret. Perhaps it's because lying does not come naturally to her. The word she chooses is the same as her mother used. "My model. It was very expensive and it's extremely fragile."

"Fragile is an understatement. I tried to dust it off and nearly toppled a building!" She laughs, lying through her teeth. Rather than telling her what she did, she tries to change the subject. "Why do you have that? It's very odd, even for you."

Jeannine pauses briefly. Unlike before, she's calmer now. She speaks confidently and respectfully, even though her words are untrue. "As a Political Science major, I spend a lot of time studying the other nations. I purchased a Lilli city to help me understand how they live."

"Okay. I'd rather you use the money I send you for other things. This is rather exorbitant for a study aid."

"Maybe so, but I did ace my last exam. Do you remember? It was because of my research."

"Whatever." Her mother shrugs, walking past her and out of the room. "Let's catch up. I want to hear all about your university life!"

"Sure. Just give me a moment to freshen up."

Jeannine steps over to the city. She's visibly trembling now. All of the confidence from a moment ago has melted away. As she kneels down by the city's edge, her eyes widen in horror. She carefully removes the tissue, only to find ruined roads beneath and buildings covered in spit. Her other hand covers her mouth, suppressing a gasp. She begins to piece together what happened. 

In a hushed voice she whispers to us, "Is everyone alright?"

The speaker system comes online once more, broadcasting louder now that it's just us and her.

"There was no loss of life, but the city has sustained some damage. People are...understandably frightened."

Jeannine whimpers, closing her eyes tightly for a moment. She takes a shaky breath and looks at the damage more closely. 

"Jeannine, are you coming or what?" Her mother calls to her from the living room.

"Yes, Mom. Be right there." She turns her head away from us, trying not to yell while so close. She then looks back at us with an apologetic look. "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry, everyone. I'm going to fix this."

With that, she stands up and exits the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.