Escape From Saint Rock - Chapter 3

Ariana and her mother have some fun!

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Sia furrowed her brow and removed her sunglasses, squinting at her daughter as she rummaged on the lush green lawn. The lounger beneath Sia creaked in protest as she sat up straight.

"What are you doing there, sweetheart?" she asked curiously.

Ariana looked up from where she sat on her knees, her fingers digging into the soft blades of grass. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she replied, "I think there are more of them, Mom."

Sia raised an eyebrow. "More of what?"

"Escapees, of course!" Ariana exclaimed. "What better way to remain hidden from us than to hide in the grass?"

Sia shook her head. "Oh, sweety. Even if there are any down there, you won't be able to spot them. They are too tiny for that."

"But I spotted the last group," Ariana argued, referring to Cisco and his group of escapees she had found on a leaf floating in a small puddle at her feet.

"That was a sheer stroke of luck. If you had not dropped your phone, you would never have spotted them, and they might have reached the grass."

Her daughter looked at her with concern. "It sounds like you don't care if they get away or not, Mom."

Sia put down her e-reader and gazed out at the swirling blades of grass in the distance. "Why should I?" she said, her tone growing cold. "Let them live a harsh life in the wilderness of the grass, where insects are constantly prowling about, waiting to swallow them in one bite."

"But what if they manage to get help, or worse, get hold of a Resizer?" Her daughter's voice trembled as she spoke. "They will be able to grow themselves and come back to kill us!"

Sia let out a melodic laugh. She stood up gracefully, her long skirt sweeping the floor, as she walked over to her daughter and gently placed a hand on her head. "Oh, my sweet child, your youthful ignorance is just too precious for words. Look at our lawn. Do you find it spacious?"

Ariana stood up, brushing off the dirt from her hands. She squinted against the bright sun and gazed out at their vast lawn extending from their front porch to the street. With a casual shrug, she replied, "Not really. I've seen bigger." Sia chuckled softly before responding, "You are absolutely right. There are much grander grassfields out there. It would only take a few strides and we would have crossed this one."

Ariana nodded in agreement but then added with a thoughtful tone, "But that certainly doesn't apply to the shrinkees."

Sia smiled knowingly and confirmed, "No, it certainly does not apply to the shrinkees. You know how small they are. How long would it take for them to cross this lawn, you think?"

Ariana glanced at the grass, imagining them teeming about at their minuscule size, like fleas. "Uhm, several months?"

"Could be," Sia said. But several weeks is more likely if they manage to stay alive and safe from all the predators roaming about there. The world is a scary place when you're that small."

Mother and daughter stood at the edge of the lawn, gazing down at the blades of grass swaying in the breeze. Their minds were filled with vivid images of tiny humans, not bigger than lice, struggling to survive in the vast wilderness below. They didn't know that there was indeed a small group of shrunken humans walking amidst the blades of grass at this very moment. A handful of survivors from Cisco's group miraculously evaded Ariana's grasp as she lifted the leaves they were clinging onto.

Some were able to jump in the water as Ariana's approaching hand descended upon them. Holding tight onto any shred of safety they could find - a twig, another leaf, anything that would help them reach the shore and enter the haven of the lawn.

However, their relief was short-lived as they were immediately bombarded by swarms of crawling bugs, now transformed into man-eating predators, some several times larger than the group. The peaceful lawn was now a battleground for them at their small size, filled with deadly obstacles and fierce creatures.

Teeming amidst the blades of grass, the group of small figures gazed up in awe at the towering stalks that appeared to them like trees. Through the gaps in the green canopy, they caught glimpses of Ariana and her mother, their enormous silhouettes making them appear like Goddesses.

For a fleeting moment, it seemed as though the mother's eyes were fixed upon them, but they were so minuscule and expertly concealed within the shadows beneath a roof of grass that it was impossible for her to detect them. Despite their sense of wonder at this new world, some of them couldn't help but long for the familiar comforts of city life. The arduous task of trudging through a field of grass at their meager size was only made more difficult by the endless expanse stretching out before them - every direction looked identical, like a maze with no end in sight.

With a gentle touch, Sia placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder and beckoned for her to follow. "Come, I have something to show you," she said with a warm smile. Ariana cast one last longing look at the vibrant lawn before turning to walk alongside her mother.

Ariana's curiosity got the best of her as they made their way towards the house. "Where are we going?" she asked, carefully stepping through the threshold and following Sia up a flight of stairs.

The wooden steps creaked beneath their weight as they ascended to the attic.

"You'll see," Sia smiled, her eyes twinkling with excitement, as she ushered her daughter up the creaky stairs that led to the attic. Ariana's curiosity piqued, and she eagerly followed her mother's lead. As they reached the top, Sia swung open the heavy wooden door, revealing a sight that took Ariana's breath away.

The entire floor was transformed into a miniature landscape, complete with tiny cities, settlements, and rivers winding through it all. And there, in the distance, were mountains rising from the ground. Of course, they were hardly more than bumps compared to Ariana's sneakers, but to the tiny inhabitants of this world, they must have been grand peaks to conquer.

“H-how did you?” stammered Ariana.

Sia's lips curled into a small smile as she gently caressed her daughter's head. She strode forward confidently, her boots clattering on the ground like distant thunder. With each step, the ground trembled beneath her feet, causing buildings to shake and fragile structures to crumble.

As she approached the shrunken civilization, Sia crouched down, towering over the inhabitants like a giant compared to ants. Her sheer presence cast a shadow over at least one big city, two villages, and a good portion of a forest.

With a lock of hair falling in front of her face, Sia gracefully tucked it behind her ear with one hand while the other reached out towards a medium-sized village. She unleashed unimaginable destruction upon the unsuspecting villagers with a single flick of her index finger.

Ariana timidly approached her mother, peering over her shoulder at the devastation below. She couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and excitement at her mother's immense power.

She listened intently, straining her ears to catch any sounds. Finally, she heard it—the faint screams and wails of thousands of survivors mingled with the blaring of sirens, all caused by one finger. Her mother's careless attack had left this place a mere shadow of its former self.

"Now it's my turn!" Ariana rubbed her hands.

Before her mother could stop her, Ariana bluntly placed her left foot on top of a city, decimating nearly all of it. Only a residential area on the outskirts and an industrial area on the other side had the luck to be spared the underside of Ariana's dirty sneaker.

As Ariana's foot came crashing down, the sheer force of her impact toppled hundreds of buildings and caused numerous casualties.

"Hey, not so bold!" Sia scolded her daughter, trying to rein in her destructive impulses.

Ariana's shoulders shrugged in disbelief. "What?" she exclaimed. "You wiped an entire village off the map without warning!"

"I know," the woman replied nonchalantly. "I just wanted to say, enjoy it while you can. If we use your method, nothing won't be left in half an hour."

Complete pandemonium erupted throughout the shrunken civilization as they heard the gigantic mother and daughter discussing their plans to destroy them all leisurely. The bustling streets were filled with chaos and panic as people scrambled to find safety.

But no matter their preparations, they knew they would eventually succumb to these seemingly indestructible women. Some regions began assembling troops, ready for battle against their formidable enemies, while others frantically tried to find a way to escape before it was too late. It seemed like all hope was lost against these ruthless conquerors.