(TATB) Ch 9: The Way To Escape

(Skylar)

Stepping out of the shower, I felt the cool air hit my skin, making the warmth of the water that much more comforting as it clung to me. There was nothing like a hot shower after a long day—it always made me feel like I was shedding the weight of the world, even if just for a little while. I wrapped the towel around myself and squeezed the excess water out of my hair, taking in that fresh, clean feeling.

I walked over to the mirror, wiping away the fog that had settled over the glass. My reflection came into focus, and I took a moment to look myself over, my gaze falling naturally to my chest. "They grew again," I muttered, almost irritated. My breasts always seemed to be getting bigger, and it wasn't something I was exactly thrilled about. They were already plenty noticeable, and now they just felt like more of an obstacle than anything else.

I sighed, but the annoyance didn't last long. My mind quickly shifted, replaced with a buzz of excitement as I thought about what was next—meeting my new Lilliputian friends. I couldn't help but smile just thinking about it. I'd been waiting for this moment for so long, imagining what it would be like to finally talk to them, to hear their tiny voices and maybe, just maybe, have them see me as more than some giant monster.

I wanted to make a good impression. Even if they were small, they deserved my respect and care. I grabbed my brush from the counter and started working it through my wet hair, taking my time to smooth out the tangles. My brown hair darkened and heavy with water, clung to my back, but as I brushed, it started to feel lighter, more manageable.

I glanced back at the mirror, my face still glowing from the warmth of the shower, my eyes bright with anticipation. Would they be afraid of me? Maybe at first, but I'd show them I wasn't like the others. I'd be gentle, careful. I couldn't wait to talk to them, to learn about their world, their lives. They must have stories, real stories about the things I'd only read about.

I kept brushing, my smile growing wider with each stroke. The thought of finally connecting with them, after all this time, filled me with so much joy. I wanted everything to be perfect. Maybe this was the start of something better, something good. I just hoped they would see it that way too.

***

(Vu)

My fingers were dug deep into the ridges of her skin, every imperfection feeling like a lifeline as the Brob began to move again. I could barely breathe, the slickness of her skin, soaked in water, making it harder to hold on with every tremor. Tears stung my eyes as I glanced down at Nemu and Sawyer, both clinging desperately to the shifting surface beneath them.

"Hold on!" I yelled, my voice strained and nearly drowned out by the deafening rumble of her movements. I could see Sawyer slipping, her fingers barely gripping the grooves of the skin.

I cursed under my breath, knowing what I had to do. "Dammit, I didn't want to do this," I muttered, my heart pounding in my chest as I reached out. My hand opened, and from the air itself, my soul object materialized—a small blue circle with a single red button in the center, glowing faintly against the darkness of the situation.

"No!" Nemu shouted from below, her eyes wide with fear as she looked up at me. "Don't do it!"

But there was no other way. I looked down at the red button, my hand trembling as I knew the cost of what I was about to do. "I have no choice," I whispered, my voice barely audible. Then, with a firm press, I pushed the button.

The world around us exploded into a blinding light, the overwhelming sensation of being ripped from reality, from her skin, from everything. For a moment, I felt weightless, as if the very fabric of existence had torn away and left us floating in a void.

Then, just as suddenly, the light vanished, replaced by a suffocating darkness. We landed hard, my knees buckling as I hit the ground. The air was thick, humid, and smelled of rot. My vision blurred, and my body felt like it had been drained of every last drop of energy. I collapsed, barely able to keep my eyes open, my chest heaving with shallow breaths.

"Vu, what the hell were you thinking?" Nemu's voice broke through the haze. I felt her hands on me, shaking me gently as she tried to get me to focus. "You know how much using that thing takes out of you!"

I could barely speak, my throat dry, my body heavy with exhaustion. "Had... no choice," I gasped, the words escaping between labored breaths.

The soul object... it was powerful, but using it came at a cost. With just a push of a button, I could teleport myself and anyone nearby to a different location, usually within a close radius. But every jump drained me, more and more each time. I'd never pushed it this far before. I wasn't sure how many more times I could do it before... before I wouldn't wake up at all.

"Uh, guys..." Sawyer's voice broke through the fog, and I forced my eyes open, blinking away the darkness that clung to my vision. She was standing a few feet away, looking around, her face pale. "Where are we?"

I turned my head, fighting the weakness in my body, and for the first time really looked at where we had landed. We were inside a massive cavern, the walls slick with moisture and lined with pulsating green sludge. The largest one was towering above us, its grotesque form shifting like a mountain of living hardened liquid.

My stomach twisted as I realized what I had done. We were safe from the Brob for now... but this place... this was far worse than anything I could've imagined.

"Nemu..." I whispered, my voice weak. "We're not safe yet."

She knelt beside me, her eyes full of worry as she held me up. "You need to rest, Vu. That thing took everything out of you."

I nodded weakly, but I couldn't stop thinking about what was coming next. We had escaped one giant... only to land in the jaws of another nightmare.

***

(Skylar)

I finished brushing my hair, running the brush through the last few strands until everything felt smooth. I set it down on the counter and admired my reflection for a moment—skin still flushed from the warmth of the shower, droplets of water beading down my arms and shoulders. The fresh smell of shampoo clung to my hair, now neatly combed down my back. I felt good, refreshed, like the day had finally been washed away.

Then, I felt it—a faint tickling sensation in my right ear. It wasn't painful, just irritating enough to distract me from my thoughts about the Lilliputians waiting for me. I tilted my head to the side and shook it a little, hoping it would go away, but the sensation stayed, a persistent itch that was impossible to ignore.

"Great," I muttered to myself, rolling my eyes. "I guess it's time for a cleaning."