The Shrink Challenge (Short story)

If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.

This is Dave. A once in a life time opportunity had landed in his DM’s. It was an offer from an underground shrink game show. Dave had heard of this game show before. He had seen some content from them before and video clips of people receiving large cash prizes for winning. Complete the challenge and win the prize. These challenges involved the contestant being shrank and having to complete a task or challenge. If they win they get the cash prize and the game show gets the rights to the footage.

Now nothing about this game show was legal. Shrinking people was restricted and would often need a permit for a shrinking device or to be done at a professional facility like a fetish resort where the individual was always safe. Putting a contestants life at risk in an uncontrolled environment with unaware people was definitely not legal and broke so many regulations for a studio. But the cash prize was too good for many people to pass up and of course every contestant thought they could do where others have failed.

Now in this world there was a difference between people who got sick with the shrinking virus and shrank down and those with money who would shrink down for fun in a controlled environment. No one was dumb enough to shrink down in public on a random floor, so if you were caught out in the open, people would assume you are sick with the virus. Those sick with the virus were treated the same as insects as they could no longer contribute to society and there was no cure for them. When coming to shrunken people with the virus, there was a grey area in the law and no one really cared if you stepped on one. Even if they did care, no one could prove it was you if you accidental stepped on them in a busy street. Most of society didn’t even bat an eye if you stepped on one and almost all cases and case files were just through out.

So , back to Dave. Upon seeing the invite and the large cash prize, Dave accepted the invitation to be on the game show. Survive 1 hour shrunk in the coffee shop. Seemed easy enough, 1 hour and win $100,000. He scrolled down to the bottom and clicked on the link to accept the challenge. A page popped up with way to much writing on it. Dave scrolled all the way to the bottom and clicked accept without reading any of the terms and conditions.

As fast as he had clicked the accept button, the days went by and he was already shrunk standing on the cold floor of the coffee shop. Dave couldn’t believe he was already here, the nerves hit him and he was having second thoughts about this. Looking around at the size of this room from his new height was something else. No amount of imagining could have prepared him for how scary this actually was. How vulnerable and how insignificant he felt down on the floor.

A very cute assistant had knelt down down in front of him with the most breathe taking smile on her face that you could ever imagine. But before Dave could voice his second thoughts and opt out of this challenge, she had pressed him back and down on to the floor so that he was now laying on his back. Knocking the wind out of Dave. She obviously didn’t realise how hard she had pressed him. While Dave was recovering and getting his breath back, She had pulled out a piece of tape and applied it across his chest. Now pinning him tightly down to the floor. Dave was now in full shock and couldn’t believe his eyes. He just laid there motionless taking in what he was seeing. He didn’t read anything like this in the challenge invite. Then again he barely read it.

The cute assistant gave him one last look and a smile and said “ Good luck, you got this little guy.” and walked away. As she walked away Dave now realised just how screwed he was. It all hit him like a brick at once. There was now safety precautions in place. He was utterly alone and stuck to the floor unable to move. Any person that enters this shop now would either not see him or mistake him for someone with the shrinking virus. Remembering how many women out there openly talk about stomping on tinies for fun or out of disgust for them, sent cold shivers down his spine.

As Dave laid there, time went by so slowly. Every time someone entered the shop, he thought to him self that this is it, this is the moment its all going to end for him. But was narrowly missed by the shoes of multiple women again and again. Every single woman that entered the shop and almost stepped on him never even saw him. They all would have stepped on him and never even knew it. They would all go on with their day not knowing they just stepped on someone, and even if they did see him or know. He would have just been some insect with the shrinking virus to them.

Each time one of these women narrowly missed him, he would look over at the camera crew sitting there trying to blend into the public with hidden cameras. Not even paying him any attention. The camera crew were sitting at a table like any other members of public just chatting away to each other while Dave laid there praying for his life each time someone walked over him and the camera crew didn’t even care to look at him. Even the cute assistant was now laughing at the conversation taking place at the table.

A loud phone alarm came from the camera crews table and in sync they all stopped chatting and got up. They packed up there equipment and just left the shop with out even looking at Dave. Except for the cute assistant that blew Dave a naughty little kiss on her way out of the door. Dave now more alone than ever just laid there in disbelief. Why would they do this, why would they just leave him behind. He had survived the whole hour. What the hell was going on?

That’s when it hit Dave, he had survived and now the studio would have to pay him $100,000. They probable never imagined that he would survive this long and they where only there to record some pretty lady stepping on him. If they just left him there, they wouldn’t have to pay him anything.

As soon as they left, in walked Jennifer, a man eating business owner. She ran a highly successful business and only had one thing on her mind, her work. As soon as she was in the shop she noticed the tiny on the floor. Filled with disgust at how the lazy employees here hadn't even got rid on such filth yet. She took it upon her self to sort it out. She walked right up to Dave and without even hesitating, raised her high heel and stomped it hard on Dave. Hard enough to get the job done the first stomp. She didn’t even check to see if she had did a good job, she just knew. This wasn’t the first tiny under her heels. She walked straight over to the counter to ask for the manager and to complain at how they could let such things into there establishment. Believing the shrinking propaganda, a tiny like that could get every customer sick with the virus.

She ordered he coffee and left. In walked the cute assistant, she had forgotten he purse at the booth the where sitting in. She look for Dave and all she saw was a stain where he once laid. “Dammit we just missed it, that clip would have made so much money on our clip store.” She thought to her self.

If its too good to be true, it probable is …