Chapter 46

It was good to be home. Chad and the rest of the family had been back home for nearly a week, and the atmosphere was considerably lighter after their trip. Chad and Bram still carried the weight of their shared experiences and everything they'd seen, but they hid their trauma well. The only other person in the house who was wise to what they'd been through was Anna, and she was keeping tight-lipped about the entire ordeal. Neither Pam nor Victoria seemed inclined to share anything about their night with the boys, but that was fine by the rest of the house. Beyond their secrets, things seemed to be returning to normal in the McCallum household.

Chad and Pam spent their first night back home resting together and enjoying quality alone time. The weight of the secrecy of his night at the club was still clinging to the back of his mind, but he didn't let it ruin his time with Pam. As much as he didn't like it, he'd gotten pretty good at hiding unease over the last year. He hated keeping a secret from his wife, but he knew the truth would come out eventually. Telling Pam this soon wouldn’t do anything but sullen an otherwise pleasant evening.

Rather than spend the night unpacking, Pam had planned something they could both enjoy. “I hope you're alright with this,” she said, turning the bedroom television on after she'd changed into a purple, satin nightgown.

Chad smiled at her as he watched her approach the nightstand he'd been sitting on, “It's a little late now if I'm not, but of course I'm fine with it. A night resting and relaxing with my beautiful wife sounds incredible. The fact that we're finally getting to watch No Way Home just makes it awesome too.”

Pam had rented a digital copy of the movie that they'd both been wanting to see at their last stop. With everything that had been going on over the last several months, neither had had much time to relax. Their chances to have anything resembling a date, even something as simple as a movie night like tonight, were virtually non-existent. However, after everything they'd been through over their vacation, the good and bad, Pam felt it was something they needed. Their bags could wait, and they'd be returning to the chaos of everyday life soon enough. Their world could wait a night. Above all else, they deserved to have some time together. 

With that in mind, Pam brought Chad to her chest as she settled into her spot in the middle of the bed. She deposited him on her breast and watched him closely as she moved her hand away, “Comfy?”

Chad flashed her a smile as he leaned back, “Best seat in the house, hon.”

Pam rolled her eyes but smiled at his remark. She pushed play and their night together began in earnest. Chad was surprised at how well Pam managed to keep track of him. It was all too common for Pam, or any of his family, to misplace him within an hour of being alone with them. What he didn’t know was that the night at the club had also left an impression on Pam, albeit quite different. Whereas it was a reminder of how fragile Chad’s life was, it was eye-opening for Pam. Seeing how many men were mistreated, abused, easily overlooked, and seen as toys had been awe-inspiring in the worst ways imaginable. 

It had been thrilling and exhilarating to exert her power that night, but a distant and sober part of her was more than a little shaken. The fact was that the club had been packed, and not a single woman seemed bothered by the fact that men were being abused and possibly killed. The fact that an entire business had been founded based on indulging in these cruel fantasies was more astounding. It had been a fun night that she would remember for years, but she had also seen the dark side of humanity. The look in the eyes of her friends was mildly alarming when they’d gotten back to the hotel and seen the guys. She wanted to believe that they were better than the urges they'd caved to that night, but those eyes were those of predators. Temptation was a strong and funny thing, though, and she knew that not even she was entirely above it. 

Everything she’d seen kept her fixated on Chad and his whereabouts. Typically, by the movie's midway point, Chad would have found himself inadvertently misplaced and struggling to be found. Yet, this particular night, Chad rested comfortably on Pam’s chest. It was a nice change of pace to be able to enjoy an evening with his wife and her breasts without fear of getting lost or suffocating. It was still a fear that lingered in the back of his mind, but the longer the night went on, the more he found himself relaxing. By the time the credits finally rolled, he and Pam were barely clinging to consciousness. They were exhausted, and the two drifted into a peaceful sleep, with Pam keeping her hand cupping and keeping him safe.

It was the night that brought trouble. There was a reason that Chad usually slept on the dresser in his makeshift bed; it was far less dangerous than sharing a bed with a literal titan. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Pam wouldn’t willingly, let alone knowingly, hurt him while she was awake, but things were quite a bit different when she was asleep. It started small and simple. Pam rolled onto her side and threw Chad’s world into chaos with an unwelcome wake-up call. He’d been sleeping soundly between her breasts, but the second she rolled those twin, pillowy peaks turned to painful boulders. They crashed together and crushed his little body. It was a startling wake-up call and a painful one at that.

Chad’s eyes snapped open, and his struggles began immediately. The weight of Pam’s boulders smushing and sandwiching him was enough to spur his little body into action. Kicking, thrashing, and pushing against Pam’s titanic breasts did little more than exhaust him further, but the initial wave of panic was impossible to ignore. It took him a moment for his mind to catch up with his body and to get a grip on his panic. It wasn’t the calm he needed, but he managed to stop himself from expending all his energy. He needed to be smart if he was going to survive the night and Pam’s inadvertent torture.

Being pummeled by Pam’s pillowy breasts was only the start of Chad’s problems. As Pam continued to toss and turn in her sleep, Chad found himself being thrown overboard. His world shifted as Pam rolled onto her side and partially onto her stomach. Suddenly, the weight of the world took on a whole new meaning as Pam’s monolithic body threatened to press down on him. He had to move, or else he’d run the risk of getting injured or worse. The idea of getting squashed on his first night back home wasn’t how he envisioned his homecoming. He’d survived worse than this before now and wouldn’t let himself be crushed into oblivion tonight.

His feet hit the sheets, and Chad started to run. He didn’t look back or up as he scrambled to find a safe place. The duvet was coming crashing down alongside Pam’s torso. The window was closing at an unbelievably fast rate. He'd wind up trapped and smothered if he didn’t think and move fast. The shadows continued to close around him, but Chad did his best to press on and keep moving forward. It took everything he had to keep his focus on getting to safety and his eyes fixed forward. The shadow of Pam’s curves descended closer as Chad raced against the clock. There was no way he could make it out, but he could at least find someplace relatively safe if he were smart and fast.

Fate had a twisted sense of irony when it came to Chad and his luck. He hadn’t been paying attention to his exact whereabouts as he rushed and ran. Safety had found him in an odd and unusual circumstance, another first for Chad in his tenure as a tiny to boot. Pam finished rolling onto her stomach, and Chad found himself engulfed in darkness, warmth, and a mildly unsettling weight. There was a heaviness in the air, too, but one different from anything he’d experienced. There was a distinct scent in the air that he couldn’t quite place, but his mind was working double-time to process what had happened. It dawned on him that he’d been both fortunate and unfortunate in where he’d found himself. He’d found shelter and safety, but it came in the form of Pam’s belly button. Out of all the places he’d found himself in throughout his time at this size, this one was on the list of oddities.

There were a few problems with his temporary resting place. The first was the smell that was permeating the air and filling his nostrils. The second was the rising temperature from being in such a confined area. Finally, there was the ever-present threat that Pam might shift and throw his world out of whack again. Knowing his wife as well as he did, Chad knew it was only a matter of time before she was turning again. He was safe for the moment but had to figure out his next move before it was too late. 

Time ticked by at an agonizingly slow rate. Chad refused to sit down and rest on his minor victory. He couldn’t if he wanted to, with his circumstances being what they were. Sooner or later, Chad was going to have to move again. The illusion of safety was equally comforting and thin for Chad as he tried to contemplate his next move. He didn’t see how he could rouse Pam from her sleep. The only option was to figure out some way to survive the night. He'd be golden if he could find a way out from under the covers and away from Pam, but the odds weren’t in his favor. 

After some time, Pam shifted once again. He loved his wife; he truly did, but she tended to be a restless sleeper when she was by herself. It wasn’t typically a problem, but Chad didn’t usually share a bed with Pam either. A part of him had hoped that her holding him would have made a difference, but sadly, luck wasn’t on his side. His cramped little world was thrown out of balance once more as Pam readjusted herself in her sleep to get more comfortable. Chad had a short window to figure out his next move. He knew that, at best, he’d wind up riding it out in Pam’s belly button, and worst case, he’d find himself trapped against one of her curves for the night. Hot, worried, and out of options, Chad ran the second he had an opening. 

By some stroke of luck and against all odds, Chad was able to put some distance between himself and Pam. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get out from beneath the covers. He would spend his night trapped and buried, but it was safer than being pinned. It wasn’t the most ideal, but Chad would consider this a small victory. Of course, he wasn’t entirely out of the woods yet. There was still plenty that could go wrong, and Chad knew he wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight. He could rest tomorrow if he managed to survive the night. 

Throughout the night, Chad was forced to wait and stay alert. The covers offered little in the way of protection. In fact, they were more of a nuisance than anything. They obstructed his view and made it more difficult to dodge and anticipate Pam’s moves. It was equal parts luck and experience that carried Chad through the rest of the night. He had to time his movements carefully to ensure that he didn’t find himself entangled in a lump, but somehow, Chad managed to avoid getting trapped against his wife’s curves. 

When the cold light of the morning finally came, Chad was struggling to stay awake and stay safe. He’d spent the bulk of his night running, jumping, dodging, and rolling out of the way of Pam’s tossing and turning. When Pam eventually woke, it didn’t take long for her to realize that Chad wasn’t where he should have been. He wasn’t in his bed, and the last thing she remembered was falling asleep while holding his little body. A sense of panic and dread set in as she scrambled out of bed and began tearing the blankets and sheets off the bed; as a result, she nearly sent Chad flying in the process.

“Chad, Chad?!” Pam cried out as she scoured the bed in search of him, “Oh, no, no, no!”

Chad’s world was once more thrown into chaos as Pam sent the blankets flying from their bed. He managed to leap out of one of the smaller openings before Pam could send him crashing to the floor. He tried to call out to her, “Pam, I'm down here! It's okay, I'm okay!”

However, Pam was too caught up in her frantic panic to hear him. It wasn’t until she bent down to look around that she spotted him. Her face was a mixture of relief and guilt the second she did. There were tears brimming in her eyes as she held him. It truly broke his heart to see her like this. She scooped him up and showered him with affection and apologies. “Chad, I thought that…” Pam trailed off, awful thoughts and what-ifs springing to mind and causing her to choke.

“Pam, I'm fine,” he assured her, patting her thumb, “I promise, I'm fine. It was an accident, okay? We both fell asleep, and it's not like you planned that. Look at me, I'm good.”

“How long did you spend running?” Pam asked.

“I don't know and it doesn't really matter,” Chad replied, not wanting to upset her further, “Pam, I swear to you I am okay.”

“Don't avoid the question, Chad,” Pam shook her head, “How long were you up and running?”

“Maybe a few hours, I'm honestly not sure,” Chad sighed, “But look at me, I am fine.”

It took nearly a half hour of them going back and forth before Chad was able to calm Pam down. Pam’s concern was touching, but Chad hated seeing her so distraught and upset. Eventually, Pam agreed to let it go on the condition that Chad take some time to rest after breakfast. Chad didn’t object to it given how exhausted he was from his night of frantic scrambling and running. A calm morning with their family sounded like a welcome change. A nice, peaceful meal sounded like the perfect way to enjoy their last day off as a family. 

Breakfast was eaten in relative silence on Chad’s part while he listened to Anna, Victoria, and Pam make small talk and plans. The truth was that he was far too tired to contribute to any of their conversations. Bram sat and ate in contented silence but was quiet for different reasons. His little mind was still working through various scenarios and possibilities involving his crush. Talking with Stewart at the wedding had given him a much-needed boost in his morale, but it was still a matter of taking the first step.

The evening prior had been spent in comfortable, contemplative silence for Bram. He’d returned home and let Victoria carry him off to their room while she unpacked. Since shortly before they’d arrived home, Bram had been playing out different scenarios involving Peyton. Would she be willing to speak with him again? More importantly, would she be interested in being more than friends with him? That was the one question he never got an answer to before things took a sour turn. What if she had moved on? What if Bram had squandered his one chance at building a relationship? While all of these questions scared the daylights out of him, he knew that not every outcome was utterly negative. The only way for him to learn would be to get out of his head.

Of course, there was the other side of the coin and questions playing out in his mind. In dealing with his crush, there was the reality that sooner or later, he would have to face Sarah again. Whether it be through Anna or Peyton, seeing Sarah again was inevitable. The question was, what would she do when they came face to face again? Was her twisted fun a one-time deal, or was she just waiting to get her hands on him again? He couldn’t say for sure, but his mind couldn’t let go of the possibility that he was the object that Sarah wanted. It terrified him, but he’d lost enough time to terror and fear since that fateful afternoon.

“I was thinking that maybe Chad and I could spend some time catching up,” Anna said, breaking Bram’s train of thought.

“Not today, Anna,” Pam shook her head, moving her hand closer to Chad, “He needs to rest and take it easy.”

“It’s not like I’m going to do anything bad to him,” Anna said, “He can-”

“I’ll hang out with you, Anna,” Bram cut in before an argument unfolded, “If that’s okay with you, that is.”

Anna paused and looked down at him. She sighed and nodded after a moment, “Yeah, I guess that’ll be okay. It’s not exactly the bonding time I had in mind, but I guess Chad needs to rest.”

After breakfast, Bram was whisked away to spend time with his stepsister. Chad was taken back to the bedroom to get some much-needed rest. His father’s late-night excursion wasn’t kept a secret. It wasn’t anything lewd that kept him awake, and nobody seemed to object to him needing to catch up on some sleep. It was an opportunity for Bram to talk with Anna one-on-one about everything running through his mind. They’d gotten close while they were away on vacation, and Bram felt confident and comfortable confiding in her for help. 

However, that closeness came at a rather unexpected cost. Bram’s midmorning and afternoon took a surprising turn once he and Anna were alone. The moment the door shut, Anna sighed and laid out the plan for them. She made it clear that she wasn’t going to let him get hurt. She was clear and firm that she was going to have some fun at his expense. It was more than a little frightening, given everything on his mind, but Anna was quick to reassure him that she wouldn’t let him meet any severe harm even though it took some of the fun out of it for her. 

Sadly, Anna’s fun came in the form of using him as a miniature pumice stone, an item that, until today, Bram had never heard of. He wasn’t thrilled with the definition, and it certainly wasn’t an item he ever wanted to be compared to again. It didn’t take long for Anna to demonstrate her plans and ideas of fun for Bram first-hand. Bram was rolled in Anna’s hand with his head facing the sole of her foot. If he had any hope of Anna merely joking, they were dashed within seconds. He was pressed face-first against the sole of her foot before being dragged up, down, and around without warning or mercy.

It was one of the more miserable things that Bram had been forced to endure. Bram tried to talk his way out of Anna’s fun, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. It came at another miserable and upsetting cost. The salty and acrid taste of foot sweat was something that Bram had hoped to forget and never experience again, yet here he was again enduring it. It was strange to think that this was something he'd fantasized about only a short while ago. He was reminded once again of the stark contrast between reality and fantasy. He closed his mouth at the first opportunity to avoid the sickening taste.

Anna was rougher on him than he was expecting. She wasn’t pulling her punches with him, or Bram couldn’t tell if she was. Anna practically ignored him the entire time and used him like an object. He wasn’t sure if it would have felt better if she were taunting him. Yet again, Bram was reminded of his past obsessions and fantasies. It was borderline laughable to think that not so long ago, a part of him craved this sort of demeaning and humiliating treatment. Stranger still was the fact that despite his horrifying experiences with Sarah, he didn’t feel the overwhelming sense of terror and panic that he’d come to expect.

Surprisingly, he felt his mind wandering while Anna used him. It might have been a poor attempt at escapism, but he felt like it shouldn’t have come as easy as it was. The thing that kept popping up in his mind was another what-if scenario. Specifically, it was the question: what if this wasn’t Anna, but what if it was Peyton using him like this? He hadn’t thought about it in what felt like forever. It could have been the current circumstances, but something deep inside him doubted that. There was something within him that seemed to be stirring again that had been dormant for quite some time.

It was when Anna began threading him through her toes that his musings and curiosities came crashing down. Despite all of his fantasies and buried curiosities, Bram had never spent an awful amount of time dreaming about this. Being used was one thing, but this was another case of reality colliding with fantasy in the worst way. Getting a face full of gunk and grime was incredibly low on the list of his wants and desires. He couldn’t have been more relieved that he’d kept his mouth shut. It didn’t do anything to diminish the sting of getting sweat in his eyes or the sour stench from being used to floss between Anna’s toes. It was degrading enough without the sensory assault he was enduring. Anna was thorough with him as she used him to floss between her toes. The worst part was the slight clawing motion whenever she finished with him. Each time, she'd coil her toes around him just before roughly pulling him free. 

One by one, Bram was treated to this same shameful and humiliating treatment until he'd reached Anna's pinky toe. It might have been a relief if he didn't know there was still a whole other foot he'd have to service. At this point, Bram would have rather been tasked to try to rub or massage it instead of whatever this was. He knew things could have been worse; Anna could have been far crueler than this if she felt so inclined. Knowing that didn't make suffering through his humiliation any easier, though. He was still being used as a foot scrubber, still being ignored, and he was coated in a layer of ick and sweat that he wished he could forget. Worse still was that his mind seemed to be at a stand-still on unearthing more curiosities. However, Bram still hadn't felt the wave of panic and terror that he'd been expecting. It was perhaps the only silver lining he had, but it was one all the same.

It wasn't a calm that washed over him, but he wasn't afraid either. Bram wanted his treatment to be over and done with, yes, but he was somehow keeping it together. Even as Anna wordlessly shifted him around and moved him to restart his task anew, Bram didn't feel anything more than longing. Again, he longed to see the end of his dirty job, and again, he suffered in relative silence while Anna hummed to herself. As he was dragged along the heel of her foot and calluses, Bram wondered if this was the type of thing that his father typically endured with Anna. It would make sense, given the numerous warnings he'd received and how grotesque and dehumanizing this experience was. It would have been much more harrowing had Bram not already seen and experienced depravity and sadism from someone far more sinister than Anna.

Eventually, Bram's time as a tool came to a close. Once Anna was satisfied, she stood and carried him to the bathroom for a rinse. Anna finally spoke to him while she waited for the water to warm up. It wasn't much, but she checked him for any marks, bruises, and any signs of trauma. The truth was that Anna had been keeping a closer eye on him than he realized. After the events at the beach, Anna had been more worried about Bram’s well-being than ever. Seeing how he had been on the verge of a complete breakdown from a simple threat, there had been a part of her that had been worried she was pushing him too far. However, she’d let the cat out of the bag regarding her secret with Chad, and it had been too long since she’d had a bit of fun for herself. 

There was something about the rush of power that came from holding someone so small and fragile in her hands that was inexplicable. She could have teased and taunted him and probably would have if she hadn’t been so concerned about Bram’s mental state. As it was, she chose the silent approach this morning. The entire time she used his little body, Bram never made a move that set off any alarms. He squirmed, but she had learned to tell the difference between panicked thrashing and uncomfortable squirming. He might not have enjoyed himself, but he seemed to be holding up well enough. It was a good sign, considering just how shaken he would have been only a short while ago.

Once Anna was sure the water was at an acceptable temperature, she placed Bram by the edge of the sink basin. She let him ease into the water and soak to relax and unwind. Bram didn't complain or argue as the warm water washed over him. This was one of the few benefits of life at this size. “Hey, Anna?” he asked after a few moments of silence, “Can I ask you something?”

“You just did, dingus,” Anna pointed out, grabbing a bottle of soap to squirt some in her hand and  lather him up, “If you’re going to ask me why, the short answer is because I could.”

There was more to it than that. Bram knew that for a fact but wouldn’t press the issue on it. Instead, he shook his head, "No, it’s not that. It’s about Peyton.”

Anna pursed her lips and motioned for him to swim closer, “I already told you everything I think on the matter, Bram. I don’t know if she’s seeing anyone and the topic of you hasn’t really come up lately.”

Bram did as instructed and swam closer to let Anna help wash the stink of feet and sweat from his body. “Can I finish?” he asked, waiting for Anna to shrug before continuing, “I wanted to see if you might be willing to set up a time for us to hang out again. I, uhm, I don’t mean like a date, before you ask, but maybe you, me, Peyton, and Jessica could hang out sometime?”

“That sure sounds like a double date to me,” Anna said, carefully covering Bram in a layer of suds, “Let me guess, you want us to hang out and watch a movie, right?”

“It’s not a date,” Bram sighed, pausing to submerge himself beneath the waters, before surfacing and shaking off the water, “Although I wouldn’t complain if it turned into one, or if we ended up watching a movie. I just thought that maybe I could try to talk to her myself instead of having you do it for me all the time.”

“Hmph, how do you like that?” Anna chuckled, leaning down and watching Bram closely, “I think I just heard a hint of the old Bram there for a second. Does somebody have a thing for feet? Did getting some personal time perving out give you a confidence boost?”

Bram felt his cheeks heat up from Anna’s teasing. He hoped she couldn’t see his blush, but she was far more observant than anyone else in the house. “Ew, no!” Bram exclaimed, sinking down deeper into the waters in hopes of hiding his embarrassment, “What is wrong with you?”

“Oh, lighten up, dork,” Anna laughed, “It’s a joke. Honestly, you getting defensive like that makes me think you might actually have a foot fetish.”

It was a question that Bram didn’t quite have an answer to and one that he wasn’t sure about either. Given the way his mind had wandered and the places it had gone, he wasn’t sure if Anna was correct or not. He knew that he didn’t have an attraction to feet per se, but the topic of fetishes and fixations was one that he had previously pondered on before everything with Sarah. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he couldn’t deny having a definite fixation with giant women. Well, he couldn't lie to himself about it, anyway. 

Rather than dwell on it, Bram decided to try to redirect the conversation, “So what do you think about having Peyton and Jessica over?”

“I’ll reach out to them and see,” Anna replied, “I’m not going to make any promises, but if it means I don’t have to go back to being your messenger, I’m willing to try. Just promise me you won’t go back to being all mopey and pouty if things don’t work out between you two, okay?”

“Your faith and confidence is inspiring,” Bram scoffed.

“It’s not like that, idiot,” Anna rolled her eyes, “It’s called being a realist, Bram. As much as I wish I could see things like a glass half full, that’s not how I see the world. All I see is a glass. I’ve found that you can't be disappointed if you don’t get your hopes up. It’s not that I don’t think you have a shot with Peyton, but I won’t sit here and give you false hope. I mean, if I didn’t like you, then I might, but I care about you even though you can be a little moron.”

Under the insult, Bram picked up on the care in Anna’s statement. Sometimes, he needed the reminder that Anna was a realist, not a cynic. “Thanks, I guess,” Bram said, deciding to change the subject afterward, “So how are things going between you and Jessica?”

“What’s it to you?” Anna asked, catching herself after hearing the bite in her voice, “Sorry, old habits when it comes to my personal life.”

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine,” Bram said.

“No, it’s not that,” Anna sighed, shaking her head, “I’m just not used to talking about this side of my life with…well, anyone that isn’t Mom or, strangely enough, Chad. Jessica and I are good, I think. Honestly, I’m still getting used to this whole relationship thing. I’ve never really been one for a long-term thing. I was always more into the idea of going from one fling to the next to avoid getting attached.”

“Are you two happy?” Bram asked.

Anna smiled as she considered the question. “Again, I think so,” she finally said, “I am, and I like to think that she is. If she’s not, then I haven’t picked up on it. We talk almost daily, and I’m supposed to see her this weekend.”

“Do you, uhm, still hang out with the other girls on the team?” Bram asked, trying to work up the nerve to ask about the object of his terror.

“Well, duh, it’s kind of hard not to when you’re on the same team,” Anna rolled her eyes, “Sometimes you ask really stupid questions for someone that’s supposed to be smart. What do you have your eyes on someone else if things don’t work out between you and Peyton?”

“What, no!” Bram quickly exclaimed, “I was just trying to make conversation, I swear!”

Anna shook her head and rechecked her attitude, “Again, old habits when it comes to guys. You’re really set on making something work between Peyton and you, huh?”

“If there’s a chance, I want to take it and see where it goes,” Bram replied.

“Alright then.” Anna smiled, reaching down to check the water, “Well then, I’ll see what I can do to set up a time for all of us to hang out. In the meantime, let’s get you out of the water and dried off.”

“You’re not going to, you know, use me for anything else weird, are you?” Bram asked as Anna got ready to pull the plug and fish him out.

“First, screw you for calling me weird,” Anna rolled her eyes, “Second, I wouldn’t have taken the time to get you cleaned up if I had something else in mind. Nah, you took it like a good boy, so I won’t throw more on you. Besides, everybody needs a break. We can watch some TV or something for a little while, or I can get you one of your nerd books.”

It had been quite some time since Bram had given any thought to any of his D&D campaigns. The last time he’d done anything involving his family and their characters had been before that fateful day with Sarah and Peyton. He’d been far too distracted to focus since then. However, he felt a clarity that he’d been missing for a long while. “Do you want to do something with your downtime where we left off?”  Bram asked.

“Can you explain that a little clearer?” Anna asked, setting her hand down for Bram to swim over and climb aboard, “A lot of this stuff is still basically Greek to me.”

Bram climbed aboard Anna’s hand and let her hoist him out of the water. He waited until she draped a rag around him before trying to explain, “Okay, so basically, it’s just roleplaying what you would do between adventures. Interacting with townsfolk, taking an extra job, forging a new alliance, or whatever else you might be interested in doing. Think of it as killing time while everyone else is having a drink.”

Anna helped to dry him off as she mulled over her options. “Alright, yeah, I guess I’m game for that,” she said, “I’ll grab your books and junk.”

“It’s not junk,” Bram argued, giving Anna a hard look, “My books, dice, and notebooks are-”

“Calm down, mini-dweeb, I’m just poking fun,” Anna cut him off, “There’s no reason to get your little panties in a twist. Come on, let’s get going, dork.”