Wing man, A Forbidden Dish tale Based on characters and settings by girlfood. Written with permission of the original author. Clark hit Michael on the shoulder and pointed to the oak in the common, or more specifically to Donna, who was standing under it. She was chatting with a small swarm of girl friends. ÒDude, IÕm totally going for it,Ó Clark said before jogging towards the gaggle of girls. Michael just rolled his eyes. Clark was always like that. HeÕd get an idea in his head and heÕd go off and do it. Michael was more of a planner. HeÕd get so lost in the planning part that heÕd never actually get to the doing if he were left alone. Good thing Clark was so outgoing, or neither of them would get to talk to girls. ÒAnd itÕs totally legal!Ó Donna told her friends, ÒIt was amazing. Best 21st birthday ever! I hope I get to go to Forbidden Dish again soon,Ó Her friends were hanging on her every word and didnÕt even notice Clark casually walk into the crowd and begin nodding along. Donna did, though, and she started laughing. ÒSo, Donna, How about you go out to dinner with me? IÕm buying,Ó Clark said as he leaned against the tree. DonnaÕs eyes lit up. ÒAt Forbidden dish?Ó she asked hopefully. Clark had never heard of Forbidden dish. Sounded like a high end Chinese restaurant (Forbidden City and all) ÒOf course, where else?Ó Clark said casually, ÒYou in?Ó Donna squealed with excitement, ÒReally?Ó she leaned in ÒaccidentallyÓ showing plenty of cleavage, ÒI didnÕt know you were into that sort of thing,Ó ÒUh huh,Ó he said not really paying attention to her words. To be fair there wasnÕt much blood in his brain. He didnÕt understand why the other girls gasped, but they seemed to be impressed, and that was all he needed to know. ÒOh, I almost forgot,Ó Donna said, ÒI promised my friend, Martha, that IÕd take her if I ever went to Forbidden Dish again. Do you have a friend who would be interested in going with us?Ó ÒDonna!Ó Martha said turning a little red. Clark looked at Martha. She was small and shy but very pretty. Perfect. It was better than they planned. Clark covertly waved Michael over. Michael saw the signal. He casually began to walk by the tree as if he didnÕt notice the group of girls. ÒHey Mikie!Ó Clark called now openly waving him over. Michael walked up to the girls as if this wasnÕt their plan all along. ÒWhatÕs up?Ó Michael asked. ÒIÕm going to the Forbidden Dish tonight with Donna, and she was wondering if I had a friend that would like to go with her friend Martha over here,Ó He put his arm around Martha and brought her to the front of the group. Martha smiled shyly and looked down. Michael couldnÕt believe his luck. She was exactly his type. ÒDefinitely!Ó Michael said, possibly a bit overenthusiastically. Martha finally looked up, ÒReally?Ó She seemed as delighted and surprised as he was. ÒYou know what Forbidden Dish is right?Ó Michael borrowed a page from ClarkÕs book and pretended to know what they were talking about. ÒAh, yeah. IÕve always wanted to go there,Ó he said. Based on the looks on Donna and MarthaÕs face it must have been the exact right thing to say. ÒSo, what time do you want us to pick you up?Ó Clark asked. ÒDonÕt you think it would be better if we picked you up?Ó Donna asked. ÒEven better,Ó Clark said. If appealing to a bit of feminism would impress them then he was game. Donna leaned in and breathed into his ear, ÒTonight at 8 then. DonÕt chicken out now,Ó she said and the girls walked away whispering excitedly again. ÒDude. Score.Ó Clark said. ÒYeah,Ó Michael said. ÒWeÕre totally screwed,Ó Michael said later that night at ClarkÕs apartment, ÒI looked up that Forbidden Dish place they were talking about, and apparently people go there to shrink other people and swallow them!Ó ÒWhat do you mean?Ó Clark said. ÒExactly what I said! IÕm serious. ItÕs all over the internet, and their official website confirms it,Ó Michael said, the panic obvious in his voice. ÒThereÕs no way that can be real,Ó Clark said, ÒAnd if it was they wouldnÕt do that to us. You saw how Donna and Martha are. TheyÕre too nice for that,Ó ÒOh yeah? Then why did they suggest it in the first place?Ó Michael said somewhat shrilly. ÒCalm down. We canÕt back out now. Did you see how many girls heard us agree to go? WeÕll look like tools if we donÕt play along,Ó Clark said, ÒWeÕll go, and if it gets too dangerous weÕll find an excuse to back out. Say thereÕs something we have to take care of,Ó ÒAll right, but if thereÕs any truth to this, we better scramble,Ó Michael said, ÒI hope youÕre right though,Ó They could see DonnaÕs car pulling up in the parking lot. Michael had a bad feeling about this whole thing. ÒAre you sure itÕs ok?Ó Martha asked still sounding doubtful. ÒOf course it is,Ó Donna, answered, ÒI told you, there are lots of guys that are into this. The one I had at my party practically begged me to eat him,Ó ÒI just, it just, um. I donÕt know Donna,Ó Martha said unable to fully put her doubts into words, ÒThey seem like nice guys, and I donÕt want to hurt them,Ó ÒDonÕt worry, they want this,Ó Donna said, ÒYou heard what they said. Besides, arenÕt you curious?Ó ÒA little,Ó she said looking down and playing with her fingers, ÒI just donÕt understand why they would want us to do this,Ó ÒI donÕt care why they want us to,Ó Donna said, ÒI just want to get them to the restaurant and in here,Ó She rubbed her exposed belly and smiled. When DonnaÕs car pulled into ClarkÕs driveway, Clark and Michael went out to meet them. They were nervous, but they still believed what the website said was impossible. Donna and Martha got out of the car, and Donna hugged Clark. ÒHey you,Ó Donna said, ÒReady to go?Ó She was wearing a midriff bearing tank top and homemade cutoff jean shorts that were so short the pockets hung below the jagged edge of the leg hole. ÒUm, yeah, definitely,Ó Clark said. He was too stunned by her to worry about what Michael had told him mere minutes ago. HeÕd lost the ability to speak English. ÒHop in then,Ó she said. Clark climbed into the front passenger seat and called out to Michael, ÒHey Mikie! LetÕs roll!Ó Martha and Michael just stared at the ground and shuffled their feet. ÒYou look, um, nice,Ó Michael said. Nice? Idiot! YOU LOOK NICE? He was face palming internally. ÒThank you,Ó Martha whispered, ÒYou look nice too,Ó Once again she blushed and got quiet. Martha was dressed more conservatively than Donna. Her hair was down, she wasnÕt wearing makeup (tell the truth she didnÕt need it), and she still had her glasses on. She was wearing a simple blouse with a t-shirt under it to make up for the fact that it was low cut and a simple skirt. Michael found her modesty attractive. It made her more approachable. He opened the back door for her and then climbed in himself. Maybe this wouldnÕt be so bad. Donna and Clark were talking and laughing during the whole trip. They seemed to feel that they had to fill every moment with noise to kill their nervousness. Michael and Martha sat quietly in the back. Every now and then one would slowly sneak a glance at the other only to quickly look away if the other noticed. They barely uttered a word to each other the whole trip, but learned more about each other than Clark and Donna with all their words. Despite this being only his second time Òtalking toÓ Martha, Michael was sure he was in love. You wouldnÕt know it from looking at her, but Martha was excited. She wouldÕve never had the courage to ask Michael out herself, but he was exactly her type. The car ride was shorter than Clark or Michael wouldÕve wanted. Donna was the first out of the car. She eagerly walked toward the door before realizing that nobody was following her. Michael got out of the car and opened the door for Martha, and then Clark got out. They walked in the Restaurant with Donna in the lead, Clark following her but looking like he was dragging his feet. Michael was beside him, and Martha was bringing up the rear. It was a very high end restaurant and every member of the wait staff was gorgeous! The hostess walked them to a table and asked the girls if it was there first time there. ÒI was here yesterday and just had to bring a few friends!Ó Donna said. ÒGood, good, do you want to show your friends around, or do you wish to have one of our staff give you a tour?Ó The hostess asked. ÒWeÕll just roam around a bit,Ó Donna said. ÒVery well, If you have any questions feel free to ask any of us,Ó The hostess said. Since it was a Friday and they seemed good on their own she went to help other patrons. They went to the dining area and sat at one of the tables. A peppy young waitress approached them, ÒHi welcome to Forbidden Dish. May I take drink orders?Ó The waitress asked. They all politely declined, ÒSorry if I seem a little nervous, itÕs my first day, so bear with me,Ó ÒIs it true what they say about this place?Ó Clark asked raising one eyebrow esoterically. ÒIt sure is,Ó She answered. Clark and Michael exchanged nervous glances, ÒSo, I take it youÕve come in together?Ó The waitress asked. They nodded, ÒSo you probably donÕt need menus or bracelets. Unless someone wants a snack or something,Ó They all shook their heads, ÒIÕll go get you twoÕs paperwork. Be back in a jiffy, and if you need anything, IÕm Jackie,Ó ÒPaperwork?Ó Clark said. ÒItÕs a contract. A waver to say youÕve come here willingly. No big deal,Ó Donna said. Clark was about to object when he noticed people at the bar openly groping each other. As he started to pay attention he saw that it was happening all over the restaurant. ÒWhat do we have here?Ó Clark asked. ÒItÕs sort of an unspoken rule here,Ó Donna said, ÒIf you agree to be shrunk and swallowed by someone the right to touch them is implied,Ó Clark ushered Michael to a private corner, ÒDude, I know you want to bail and everything, but we have got to stay until I at least get to second base with Donna.Ó ÒWhat? Are you crazy?Ó Michael said pointing to a group of girls at a nearby table with tiny men in bowls in front of them, ÒWeÕve gotta get out of here before we end up like THAT! Is second base worth that? Huh? Huh?Ó ÒI fail to see your point,Ó Clark said. HeÕd always been a breast man, and a good set could guarantee complete loss of brain function for him. Donna, needless to say, had huge, um, tracts of land. ÒYou like Martha right?Ó Clark asked. ÒYeah,Ó Michael answered. ÒYou already said you donÕt believe theyÕd do anything to us unless we let them right?Ó Clark asked. ÒUh huh,Ó Michael answered. ÒIÕm not asking you to do anything but hang out with Martha until IÕm ready to go. If things go south, IÕll call you on your cell and weÕll bolt for it,Ó he leaned in and whispered, ÒI have to make the trip worth something. ItÕs already coming out of my wallet,Ó When they got back to the table the paperwork was already waiting for them at their seats. Clark leaned in to kiss Donna and she dodged slyly and smiled. ÒNo, no,Ó She giggled, ÒNot until you sign the papers,Ó She leaned in by his ear, ÒThen we can go to the back, and IÕll give you exactly what you want,Ó Clark and Michael exchanged glances. Michael knew that there was no way to argue with Clark without causing a scene and just sunk into his seat. Martha turned to him. She had difficulty meeting his eye, ÒIf you want to, um you know, itÕs ok,Ó She said. Fear was obvious in her voice. Michael knew that there walking away and talking after hearing about the touching policy had put her on the spot and wanted to ease her mind. ÒI just want to sit with you for a bit,Ó He said. She looked partly relieved and partly downcast. She thinks I donÕt like her. He held her hand and smiled at her, ÒI just want you to be comfortable,Ó She smiled at him. Martha was happy. He still liked her; he was just trying to be a gentleman. HeÕs so sweet. Martha couldnÕt believe her luck. Clark grabbed a pen and started signing and initialing as if the paper would vanish if he didnÕt hurry. Michael picked his copy up and began to read it. ÒDude, hurry up,Ó Clark said handing Michael a pen. He gave him a look that was an argument unto itself. He gave him that look any time he seemed to be overanalyzing a good thing. Michael sighed and started signing and initialing the papers. Any time he stopped to read, Clark would clear his throat. How bad can it be? Martha smiled at him, but looked away when she saw him look up. If it gets bad, Martha will help me out. Jackie came and took the papers when they were finished, ÒOk, IÕll take care of these. Feel free to explore. IÕll be around if you need meÓ When they were alone Clark tried to kiss Donna again and she ducked him. She lifted him out of the seat by his hand, ÒLetÕs get in line shall we?Ó She said and he followed her without a struggle to the end of a nearby line. Martha looked at Michael as if she wanted to say something, but couldnÕt. He knew she wanted to get in line too. Not wanting to upset her, he smiled, got up, and walked with her to the end of another line. The line was pretty long. He still had time. Clark was surprised to see how fast the line moved. HeÕd see a man and a woman go into the room. Afterwards heÕd sometimes see a woman walk out with a tiny man in her hand, sometimes they wouldnÕt come out for a while, the line would move forward, and when they did come out the woman would be alone. ÒWhy do some of them stay in there so long?Ó Clark asked. ÒThere are private rooms in the back,Ó Donna said, ÒShould we get one?Ó She leaned in and whispered the question in his ear. He tried to kiss her again, and she stepped back playfully. ÒA little further,Ó Clark smiled and continued forward as the line progressed. She was keeping him just tense enough that he wasnÕt paying attention. If he thinks too hard about it, he might chicken out. When she saw that they were next in line she began to run her fingers up and down his chest. When he leaned in for a kiss she didnÕt back up. Donna turned Clark around and began slowly guiding him as they kissed. His hand was slowly working its way up her shirt. He didnÕt realize heÕd backed into the shrinking booth until she was quickly backing up and lowering the door. ÒWha,Ó Clark started. ÒI thought youÕd be less nervous if your mind was, um, otherwise occupied,Ó Donna said smiling. ÒHi IÕm Janice and IÕll be your operator today,Ó A woman that was standing next to the booth said startling them both. She was so quiet that she almost seemed to materialize when she spoke. She bent down and locked the booth, ÒPlease bear with me. ItÕs my first day and IÕm still learning the ropesÓ She grabbed a sheet of paper with a check list on it, ÒLetÕs see make sure door is fully closed and securely locked, mmhmm, oh ok, so once thatÕs ready I push this button here. Oh wait!Ó SheÕd already pushed the button, ÒIÕm supposed to ask if youÕre sure you want to do this first, ÒThatÕs the third time this day,Ó she looked like she was going to cry. Donna opened the booth and scooped up Clark. ÒDonÕt worry about it,Ó Donna said, ÒWeÕre good,Ó She put a ten in the tip jar and headed out to the restaurant area. ÒWeÕre good?Ó Clark asked, ÒI donÕt want to do this!Ó ÒToo late to back out now,Ó Donna said, ÒYouÕre all mine,Ó She went back to their table and sat down. ÒPlease! This is a mistake. YouÕve got to do something!Ó Clark yelled. ÒOh IÕm about to do something alright,Ó She said lifting Clark above her head. Just then Jackie approached the table, ÒWould you like a drink to go with your meal?Ó She asked. Donna lowered Clark for a few seconds while she thought about it. ÒJack and Coke please,Ó she said. ÒAnd find someone who can put me back to normal size,Ó Clark said, ÒThereÕs been a little mix up,Ó ÒIÕll be right back with your drink maÕam,Ó Jackie said walking away. ÒShe, she just ignored me!Ó Clark said indignantly. ÒCan a piece of steak make requests?Ó Donna asked him, ÒAs far as anyoneÕs concerned here you are just as capable of making demands as a jumbo shrimp,Ó She brought him to her mouth and licked him, Òmmm. I wonder, should I wait for my drink or finish you right now,Ó ÒPlease!Ó Clark yelled, ÒDonÕt do this Donna!Ó ÒYouÕre putting up a lot of resistance for someone who was so gung ho about this earlier today,Ó She said, ÒYou know what, I donÕt think I can wait for my drink,Ó Donna opened her mouth and began to slowly lower Clark in. ÒWe didnÕt know!Ó Clark screamed. Donna wasnÕt sure sheÕd heard anyone sound so scared in he life. She pulled him back where she could see him better and saw that he was crying. ÒWhat do you mean you didnÕt know?Ó She demanded. ÒWe didnÕt want to look stupid in front of you and your friends, so we pretended to know what Forbidden Dish was, but neither of us had heard of it, Clark was openly sobbing now. ÒNeither of you knew?Ó she asked. She was a bit worried. I hope Michael speaks up before he gets in trouble. ÒWait a minute. You knew about this place when we got here. You had to have found out before we picked you up,Ó ÒWe didnÕt believe the rumors,Ó Clark said, ÒIt sounded impossible. We knew if we backed out it would ruin our reputation, and we wanted to impress you,Ó ÒBang up job so far,Ó Donna said, ÒBut thereÕs no way I could eat you if you didnÕt know, that would be wrong,Ó Clark looked up hopefully, ÒIÕll ask the waitress to send you back. I hope youÕve learned your lesson,Ó Clark nodded solemnly, ÒThank you,Ó When Jackie arrived with DonnaÕs drink she handed Clark to her. ÒThereÕs been a mistake,Ó Could you take him and change him back? ÒNo problem,Ó Jackie smiled, ÒCan I get you anything else? Donna took a sip of her drink, ÒNah, I think I can do my own hunting,Ó Donna sat and sipped her drink. She couldnÕt see Michael and Martha in the line anymore, but sheÕd let that problem take care of itself. She had some prowling to do. She saw a man in a nice suit setting by himself at the bar. He was wearing a red band on his arm signaling that he wanted to be eaten. She slid into the bar stool next to him. ÒAre you sure you want to be shrunk?Ó Donna asked him, ÒMy date got cold feet and bailed on me,Ó The man looked her up and down, ÒI canÕt imagine why,Ó he said, ÒHeÕd have to be crazy to not want to be eaten by you,Ó How sweet. She put out her hand, ÒDonnaÓ He took it, ÒDuncanÓ ÒShall we?Ó She asked. ÒI thought youÕd never askÓ Duncan said and they went to the line. It was much shorter than earlier and they were able to get him reduced fairly quickly. This time Janice remembered to ask if he was sure before pressing the button. He nodded nervously ÒAs sure as IÕll ever be,Ó Donna took him back to her seat and ordered a refresher on her drink. It was getting kind of late, ÒI wonder whatÕs keeping Martha,Ó She said out loud but to herself. ÒWaiting on friends huh?Ó Duncan asked, ÒI remember one time I,Ó Duncan started, but before he could finish Donna had popped him into her mouth, played with him absently for a bit and swallowed. She had no time for stories, especially from someone who was trying to pad the last day of his life. She doubted she would remember the story anyway. By tomorrow she probably wouldnÕt even remember his name. What was it again? Dawson? Danny? Whatever. Her drink arrived and she began to quietly sip it. Her second visit wasnÕt as fun as the first one, but she already knew she wanted to come back. Lindsay was bored and slightly angry. There were a lot of call-ins today. Some strange bug was going around. The only operator working today was a new girl, so the servers had to take turns working one of the shrink booths. It was LindsayÕs turn. On a Friday of all days! It was not that Lindsay didnÕt like operating the machine; it was just that when she did she liked to enjoy the little treat that came out. Working the machine and then handing off the tiny guys to others was frustrating. I could have had so many by now. She saw a young couple approaching her booth. The guy looked frightened and ready to bolt, but Lindsay felt pity for the girl and decided to have some fun. The line was moving very fast. Martha seemed distracted. SheÕs probably nervous. SheÕd stare off at something or other and the line would move without her noticing. People would bump into her. The taller ones (almost everybody to her) would nearly trip over her if they werenÕt paying attention. ÒSorry,Ó she said over and over again in a high shy whisper. As they got closer to the booth room Michael began to panic internally. Every time he tried to tell Martha he didnÕt want to do it heÕd lose his ability to speak. On the other hand she seemed to get more excited with each step. Before he could work up the words they stepped through the threshold into the booth room. ÒUh, Martha, IÕve been meaning to tell you,Ó Michael started but was cut off. ÒWelcome to the shrink booth. IÕm Lindsay, your operator,Ó A beautiful woman beside the booth said ÒI Just need you to step right here, good,Ó Lindsay said guiding Michael into the booth. He went without too much resistance. He had a hard time protesting people in official positions. She closed the door and locked it, ÒNow, this is very important, this is your last chance to back out. If you change your mind right now, you can walk out of the restaurant. Once I push this button, thereÕs no going back,Ó Fear for his life finally won over his fear of speaking, ÒI donÕt want to be shrunk!Ó he yelled, ÒI want out!Ó Martha looked crestfallen. ÒWhatÕs that?Ó Lindsay said, ÒI couldnÕt quite hear him. With those thick walls and the whirr of the machines I have a hard time hearing the people in the booth. Seeing as youÕre the only other person here that couldÕve heard him I need you to tell me what he said,Ó ÒWhat do you mean you canÕt hear me?Ó Michael yelled, ÒI can hear you just fine,Ó Realization dawned on MarthaÕs face and her eyes brightened, ÒHe said heÕs ready,Ó She said smiling, ÒHe wants you to get started before he changes his mind,Ó ÒMartha?Ó Michael said. ÒI thought so,Ó Lindsay said as she pushed the button. Before he could figure out what happened MichaelÕs head was spinning. When he came to he was staring up at an impossibly large Martha, who was smiling. She reached down and gently picked him up. His head was still spinning and he couldnÕt quite figure out how to react to what just happened. Martha was staring at the tiny man in her hand with reverent awe. She looked at Lindsay, her big innocent eyes near tears. Martha tried to speak but was too choked up. As she went back to staring at Michael, Lindsay explained her options to her. ÒThere are private rooms if you want one,Ó she said. Martha nodded excitedly, ÒGo back there and look for the next unoccupied room. DonÕt forget to lock the door behind you,Ó Martha stared at Lindsay quivering with excitement. She tried to speak and when that failed, simply nodded and sort of skipped towards the private rooms. Without a word, Martha locked the door and placed Michael on a nearby table. She had an odd smile on her face, and her gaze was darker. Michael couldnÕt explain it. It was just darker. And her breathing! Her breathing was heavy and a bit raspy. ÒMartha, listen to me!Ó Michael shouted, ÒThereÕs been a big mistake! I didnÕt want to get shrunk! Please youÕve got to help me!Ó Martha didnÕt say a word. Her breathing became heavier and a shudder ran through her. Michael could see her hands tightening on the hem of her skirt as if she was restraining herself. ÒWe didnÕt know what this place was when we agreed to come!Ó Michael yelled. Martha let out a delighted squeal. ÒYou have to believe me,Ó Michael yelled. Martha poked him in the chest, and he fell down. Michael quickly climbed to his feet. Martha poked him again. This time he caught himself and remained standing. ÒMartha, what the hell?Ó Michael yelled. Martha giggled, ÒYouÕre exactly my type,Ó she whispered. Her voice had taken on a huskier tone, ÓAt first when Donna said you wanted this I was worried, but after hearing you in the booth I know youÕre my type! IÕm so happy!Ó ÒWhy did you tell that lady I was ok with this? I want to be changed back!Ó Michael yelled. Martha shuddered again. She was now wringing her skirt. WhatÕs wrong with her? She wasnÕt like this before. Her stomach growled, ÒExcuse me,Ó she said timidly, ÒI havenÕt eaten all day since Donna said we were coming here,Ó She picked Michael up and raised him above her head. ÒPut me down!Ó He yelled. ÒI will in a bit,Ó She said smiling slyly, ÒAll the way down,Ó She rubbed her belly, ÒWhen I was a little girl, every time I was alone, I used to imagine I had a little boy of my own to swallow. IÕve never told anybody this. YouÕre the first to hear,Ó She opened her mouth wide. Michael had a clear shot of her throat. She canÕt be for real! ÒMartha, I know you donÕt really want to do this!Ó Michael yelled as Martha slowly lowered her hand. He could feel her hot breath flowing heavy over his body,Ó ÒOf course not,Ó she said smiling, ÒThat would be bad,Ó she continued to lower him towards her mouth. She licked his feet as he tried to curl up and make himself shorter, ÒSo bad, so very mean,Ó Michael screamed and Martha shuddered again. She accidentally let go of Michael and dropped him into her mouth. He tried to crawl out, but she pulled him back in with her tongue and closed her mouth. She began to hum a happy tune and move him around in her mouth. Enjoying the struggles. Enjoying the fact that there was nothing he could do even more. The suspense finally got to be too great for her. Martha tilted her head back, And swallowed. Michael fought the hot mouth sauna as hard as he could, but it only served to get him banged against every surface of MarthaÕs mouth. He felt the terrain suddenly shift and before he could react he was sliding down. ÒNooooo!Ó he screamed as his feet caught in the esophagus below him. He could feel it squeeze his feet and pull. Suddenly, his whole body was pulled into the tight tube and being forced down. He fought tooth and nail to climb back up, but nothing he did changed his direction. After a few seconds that felt like forever he was squeezed tighter and then fell suddenly. He landed on something soft, wet and squishy. As he landed the area around him erupted into violent movement throwing him and tightening around him. The liquid that leaked from the walls coated him as he was tossed around. At first it itched, then it began to burn. He tried pounding on the walls and screaming, and then realized his mistake. HeÕd just let out all of his air. The feeling of MichaelÕs struggles as he went down her esophagus was incredible. When it was over she wasnÕt sure if she could feel him in her stomach or was just imagining it, but the image of him being trapped inside her struggling with all his might but unable to get out thrilled her in ways she couldnÕt describe. The shudders were coming faster now. She finally gave in and drunkenly swayed over to the love seat in the corner of the room. She plopped down and slowly worked off her panties. Lindsay had finally gotten back to tending bar as one of the other girls relieved her of operating duty. She saw the young woman she, ÒhelpedÓ earlier walk to a bar stool with a dreamy smile on her face. She almost seemed to float there. ÒCan I get you a drink?Ó Lindsay asked. Martha shook her head and rubbed her belly. Ah, she doesnÕt want anything else in there with him. Can she feel him?! ÒThank you,Ó Martha said in a sweet voice. Lindsay winked. ÒDonÕt mention it,Ó Lindsay said. Really kid. Martha smiled and walked to a nearby table where Donna was sitting. Lindsay smiled and went to refresh another patronÕs drink. He seemed to be plying up enough courage to request her to shrink him. Looks like IÕll get lucky tonight after all. ÒThere you are!Ó Donna said, ÒWhereÕd you vanish to?Ó Martha sighed happily, but said nothing. ÒClark chickened out on me,Ó Donna said, ÒBig surprise there!Ó ÒOh,Ó Martha said. ÒOf course I couldnÕt eat him after he panicked like that,Ó Donna said, ÒI sent him back and got someone else to, um, fill the position,Ó ÒOf course not, that would be awful,Ó Martha said. It would be very bad. Very mean. ÒI hope heÕs ok,Ó ÒYou know what?Ó Donna said slapping the table,Ó I just realized, if he came here knowing what we were going to do, but not wanting to do it, he probably just staid to try and feel me up! That little! Errr! I shouldÕve swallowed him anyway! Hell, I shouldÕve chewed!Ó ÒDonÕt say that,Ó Martha said putting her hand to her mouth in shock, ÒYou donÕt want to do something youÕd regret,Ó ÒSpeaking of regret, I had a few glasses of regret tonight. ItÕs probably best you drive us home,Ó Donna said. Martha nodded, ÒOh by the way, howÕd it go with Michael,Ó ÒWonderful,Ó Martha sighed. ÒHuh, Clark seemed to think Michael would chicken out too,Ó Donna said. Martha shook her head, ÒHe was very happy to do it. He was probably too embarrassed to tell Clark,Ó ÒWhen we get home ClarkÕs the one thatÕll be embarrassed,Ó Donna said, ÒWhen IÕm done with him no girl on campus will want to date him,Ó Jackie carried Clark casually in her hand as she walked briskly through the restaurant. She didnÕt seem to care for his comfort or personal safety. When sheÕd stop at a table to take orders sheÕd casually wave him around. She was a major hand talker and would frankly forget he was there. Any attempts to ask her questions were ignored. Clark had had all he could take when he saw that she passed the shrinking booths without slowing down. ÒHey, WeÕre supposed to be going that way!Ó He yelled. She ignored him and kept walking, ÒHello!Ó He waved up to her, but she trudged on dodging customers and wait staff who were carrying massive trays. At the far wall of the restaurant was a sign that read STAFF ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT. She continued down the hall as other waiters brought trays towards the restaurant. Considering it was her first day, she maneuvered through the traffic like she had done it all her life. It seemed to be second nature to her. At the end of the hall there was an area similar to a tray drop off at a cafeteria with a bin of tiny men with a label that read DIRTY. Beside it there was a tray of dirty dishes that also said DIRTY, a bin of tiny men that said CLEAN, and a stack of clean dishes. She dropped him in the dirty men tray and walked off without a word. The tray was full of angry and confused men yelling pretty much what Clark had been yelling since Jackie had picked him up, but nobody would listen to them. After waiting there for a few minutes a woman on the other side of the drop off started picking them up one by one and wiping them off with a rag. (You know, in case the customer had licked them before returning them) After wiping down and drying each of them, she transferred them to the clean tray and went back into the kitchen area. She ignored their cries as well. She might as well have been polishing glasses. Every now and then, a waitress would come, count out a few, put them on a tray, and walk off. With each tray the sinking feeling in ClarkÕs stomach grew. Finally a waitress counted off six men, Clark included, and put them in individual bowls on her tray. She grabbed six cups and walked over to a drink fountain. ÒLetÕs see, three sparkling waters, two regular waters, with lemon, and a diet cola,Ó she mumbled to herself trying to recall the whole order, ÒCheapskates. Always coming in here and never tipping,Ó ÒExcuse me!Ó Clark called out. The others began to yell out to her as well, but Clark was closer and caught her ear, ÓI need your help! ThereÕs been a terrible mistake! Please, get me out of here!Ó ÒRelax sir, youÕll get out soon,Ó The waitress said, ÒYou just have to go to processing first. ItÕs standard procedure I assure you. Once youÕre processed you can get out,Ó She stopped for a moment, ÒOh yes, they ordered an onion blossom as well,Ó After sheÕd placed the order and received the onion blossom, she walked the other way down the hall deftly carrying the tray. ÒIf weÕre going to processing, why are you carrying drinks and an onion blossom with us?Ó ÒThe orderÕs going the same direction,Ó She said casually, ÒWhy make two trips when you could make one,Ó This satisfied Clark and he asked no more questions. His worry was piqued again when he saw the waitress walking towards a table with six smartly dressed women. They were young professionals; most of them had their P.D.A.s out and a Bluetooth in one ear. ÒHere you go, six shrunken men, an onion blossom, three sparkling waters, two regular waters with lemon, and a diet cola,Ó She said laying out the order. The diet cola was placed next to Clark. The women halfheartedly thanked the waitress and went back to talking. Clark tried to call out to the waitress, but she was long gone. He saw the woman across from him pick up her tiny man and pop him into her mouth. She didnÕt even pause her conversation on her Bluetooth. She just swallowed and kept on talking. He turned to face the woman who purchased him and his heart leapt for joy. He was as good as saved! ÒVera!Ó Clark yelled. Of all the people in all the places in all the world he was lucky enough to land right in front of his oldest friend during his most desperate hour. Clark and Vera had started kindergarten together, and remained friends until high school graduation. They hadnÕt been in contact with each other since high school graduation, but she was sure a sight for sore eyes! Vera heard him yelling and looked down at her bowl annoyed at first, but then smiling, ÒClark!Ó She said excitedly, ÒItÕs been forever!Ó ÒWhat are you doing in a place like this?Ó Clark asked. To tell the truth seeing her had filled him with relief. ÒIÕm working as a file clerk for Dewie, Cheatim, and Howe,Ó She said, ÒIf I stick with the partnership theyÕll pay for my J.D.S and make me partner when I graduate. They said I had great potential. To tell you the truth, IÕm doing more law work than most lawyers. I just have to be a file clerk on the books until I get my degree. HowÕve you been?Ó ÒNot good,Ó Clark said, ÒListen, I need,Ó Vera held up a finger. ÒSorry. Gotta take this,Ó She said and then began talking to the air, ÒYes Hank, I understand. Undoubtedly, but that doesnÕt change the fact that they are our client and they paid a retainer.Ó She paused and listened for a while. While she was waiting she lifted her soda and drank down about half of it. Vera began to absently play with Clark in her fingers, knocking him to the bottom of the bowl and pinning him without watching what she was doing. He noticed with fear that he was about the size of one of her fingers. Her French tipped nails were long enough to slice him in half and there she was just tap tap tapping around him with them unconsciously, ÒExactly how unethical are we talking Hank? Fine, IÕll look into it, but you owe me,Ó When she hung up she withdrew her hand from the bowl and looked down at Clark, ÒI hate to be rude and break this off early, but this is a working mealtime, and I only get thirty minutes. I have to finish this,Ó Very gestured towards Clark and her drink, Òand get things ready for a surprise meeting before I can go home to bed. It was nice seeing you again though,Ó Clark stood up to protest, but Vera held up a finger, ÒHank? Yeah, I just have to shuffle a few papers around. It should be done before I head out,Ó She took another drink of her soda and picked Clark up. She played with him in her fingers as she took another drink, ÒA place called Forbidden Dish. No IÕm sure you havenÕt heard of it. We helped them with some paperwork when they started out, so now we get discounts. Just wanted a little something before the meeting. Yeah sure why donÕt you come check it out some day. IÕll bring you myself. Sure, sure,Ó She popped Clark into her mouth. As he screamed and begged he could hear her hum Òmmmhmm, mmmhmm,Ó To ÒHenryÓ Suddenly he went barreling down her esophagus. He knew it was no use to fight, but that didnÕt stop him. He struggled the whole way down before splashing into a mess of diet cola and stomach acid. Clark swam around blindly looking for a way out, and only finding walls that constricted and tightened around him. How could she do this? We were best friends! He braved through the pain and pounded on any wall he came in contact with. We were best friends! ÒWhat Henry?Ó Vera asked, ÒOh that? Just an old friend. Sweet guy, IÕll let you meet him if you come down with me tomorrow. Good, good. See you then.