Eve's Boutique - Ch 28

 Unnecessary Author's Note: The chapter titles get a bit unhinged as this story goes on.

Darth Vader’s Extremely Pink After School Special
(With LIVE Studio Audience!)

Finding Chloe was going to be difficult, even at twenty-five some odd feet.  Abigail knew roughly the neighborhood where the girl was canvasing, but they’d been out of touch for hours at this point.  Texting was out of the question – there was no way she was going to unlock her phone when her thumbpad was half the size of the screen.  Though at least she could see that the girl had sent her several texts over the last few hours.

And she had quite a few more from Eve.  More were coming in all the time.  Abigail hoped it was just encouragement.  Or sexy pictures.

She was holding a steady jog as she made her way across town.  At this size that was breaking the speed limit, and the traffic crews were struggling to keep up.  Cars honked, and swerved to avoid her.  She hot-stepped around them, careful to keep her balance and stay moving forward.  It was quite a workout, and she wasn’t in the best shape after Mackenzie had drained her strength the previous day – not to mention the challenge of jogging with a big chest.  Finding Kayla was a top priority, but finding the muscle potion was for sure on the list, too.

So when she saw two traffic officers at the end of the street, waving her down with those big glowy traffic wands that always reminded her of lightsabers, she was willing to pause for a moment and catch her breath.

“What’s the good word, little guys?”

“Oh – thanks for stopping, Miss Archer.  We’ve got a bit of a situation.  Could you wait here for about a minute?”

“I’ve got a bit of a situation myself.  I’d go so far as to call it an emergency.  If I keep going, are you going to stop me?”

“Ah of course not!  It’s just, Miss Nole is looking for you.”

Abigail smirked.  “Oh she is huh?  Well, I happen to be feeling benevolent.  So sure, I’ll grant Mackenzie an audience.  She’s coming this way?”

The one on the left tapped his finger to an earbud, and listened for a moment.  “She’s about forty seconds out.”

“Very well, gentlemen.  Here are my terms.  Keep Mackenzie on that cross street, around the corner.  I’ll speak with her, provided she stays out of my sight.  I don’t deign to look at her today.  Understand?”

The two men looked alarmed.  “Respectfully Miss Archer, I don’t think we can do that.  Miss Nole has… something of a reputation.  From way up there, I doubt she’d even notice us.”

Abigail’s animal brain had been aware of a distant vibration for a while now.  It suddenly became loud enough for her to consciously notice.  There was a heavy bass pounding, steadily increasing in volume.  On the sidewalk, a puddle rippled.  Smoothed.  Rippled again.

She had definitely seen this movie.

“Hey guys?  Remind me.  How tall is Miss Nole exactly?”

The men looked at each other.

“Abby!  Abby dear.  Oh, where are you?”  Mackenzie’s deep, booming voice echoed from the surrounding buildings.  The ground shook.  From down the street, a shadow came into view.  An absolutely massive outline of her too-perfect friend.

Oh you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

Abigail whirled, and ran.

“Nice meeting you, Miss Archer!” one of the men yelled after her.

She reached the end of the block, vaulted over a pickup truck blocking the intersection, sprinted down the next street.  Overhead, the copters turned and followed.

“Abigail!  Please don’t run.  I need to see you!”

Mackenzie’s footsteps boomed.  The sound of concrete breaking beneath her feet.  Even going as fast as she could, Abigail could hear the girl catching up.

They were south of downtown now, where the buildings were shorter, and further apart.  If she kept going, there would be no cover at all.  Even an accidental glance over her shoulder could spell disaster if she laid eyes on Mackenzie’s lips.

There, on a street corner, was a ruined old church.  The building had to be a hundred years old, and was in the process of being torn down – probably in favor of condos, knowing this neighborhood.  A crane with a wrecking ball sat in the yard, and the entire front face of the building was missing.

Abigail sprinted for it.

It wasn’t a big building.  She had to duck to make it through the broken face of the church, into the congregational area.  Abigail swept aside a half-dozen dusty pews and sat, hunching her knees to her chest, her back to the altar.

Something about this felt sorta on-the-nose.

Boom.  Boom.  Boom.

Silence.

“Abigail?”

Out on the street, a handful of people had stopped to stare at her.  A small family walking to the bus.  A bike courier.  A kid on his phone.

She held up a finger, shushing them, and waved her hand to get them to move along.

A few gave her a sign of ascent, and went about their business.  Most just continued to gawk.  And in the sudden quiet, she could hear the low murmur of a dozen or so voices.  People gathering, attracted to the spectacle.

Boom.  Boom.

“I know you’re there,” Mackenzie said, her voice terribly sweet.  “People like us kick up a lot of dust when we’re in a hurry.  You’re being ridiculous.  This is no way for one of us to behave.  Especially in front of them.”

More people were arriving now.  A helicopter dipped low, hovering just outside the church.  Abigail recognized the logo of a local news channel.

Great.  Now the whole city was probably watching.

“Mackenzie, sweetie,” Abigail called.  “I’m very happy to see you.  But per our previous conversation, I’d prefer not to look at you right now.”

The crowd murmured at this.  Several of them had their phones out, recording.

Mackenzie was silent for a moment.  “As… per our… previous conversation… I’m happy to report that… the thing.  That did the thing to you?  Is no longer doing… the thing.  Do you understand?  The thing?”

“The thing, yes.  That’s very good news.  For no reason whatsoever, how’s your make-up look today?”

A few people in the crowd broke into spontaneous applause.

“Aw, thank you, little folks.  You know I love you all!  But Abby dear, listen, even though I’m still wearing my make-up, I’m certain that it isn’t….”

“Hey all you Mackenzie fans out there?  Do a girl a favor?  Because you know I’m a fan of hers, too!  Tell me, what color is her lipstick today?”

“Blue!” the crowd screamed.

“And how’s it look?”

“Perfect!”

“Now now,” Mackenzie said, her tone pleased.  “You really know how to make a goddess feel special.  But Abby, seriously.  This is vitally important, to a cause we both care about.  I need your help.  Please come out.”

“Sorry Mackenzie, I can’t do that.  Old tradition.  It’s bad luck for me to see your make-up before the party.  As a giantess, it’s the closest thing I have to a religion.”

A rumble of conversation went up from the crowd at the new Abby Lore.  More people held up phones.  Abigail had the sick feeling this conversation was trending online.

Boom.

Crack.

The ceiling above her bowed inward, as Mackenzie rested her hands on the roof.  Through the broken wood, Abigail could see a massive shape moving.  Trying to peer in.

“Kayla’s in trouble,” Mackenzie said quietly.

Abigail squeezed her eyes shut, turning her head away.  “Okay.  You’ve got my attention.  You know where she is?”

“I’ll take you to her.  Right away.  Just come out.”

“No.  Tell me where she is.  I’ll handle it.”

Overhead, a rafter broke.

Mackenzie sniffed.  When she spoke, there were tears in her voice.  “Why won’t you help me?  You don’t have to be alone in this.  I always try to be there for you.  Won’t you be here for me?”

Sympathetic noises from the crowd.

Abigail affected a heartbroken look, making eye contact with the circling news copter.  “I want your help.  But I have… trust issues.  I’ll get a therapist, okay?  Maybe someone out there can recommend one?  But, Kayla, we have to….”

“She’s trapped.”

Abigail sat up, bumping her head on a dangling light fixture.  “Trapped?””

“Oh, Abby!  It’s so tragic!  And the worst part is, she trapped herself.  Like so many I could name, the decisions she made led her to be isolated.  In a prison of her own harmful beliefs.”

A brick fell from the ceiling of the church, and bounced harmlessly off Abigail’s shoulder.

Yep.  Definitely on-the-nose.

“But some of us have the ability to free ourselves.  You and I, we’re exceptional!  We have a gift, and the obligation to share it with the world.  We have the power to rescue poor, defenseless people.  Like Kayla.  Together we can save her – from her predicament, and from herself.  I’m here to ask you – no, beg you – to find a way out of your shell, and rejoin the world!”

Slowly, the crowd began to clap.  Building into a raucous cheer.  “Mack.  Ken.  Zee!  Mack.  Ken.  Zee!”

Inside Abigail's head, a few pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.  Mackenzie’s new size.  Her knowledge about Kayla’s whereabouts.

She took a stab in the dark.

“Sweetie pumpkin?” Abigail said.  “How is Kayla trapped?  Like.  Physically how.”

“Oh!  She’s too big to… get out of the… but she’s not that big, she’s actually kind of scrawny, so….”

Abigail let her giant friend work it out.

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Abigail said.  “Your make-up.  Is still perfect.”

“So she’s not in trouble anymore?” Mackenzie said, in a small voice.

“Based on present company?  I’d bet she’s small enough to free herself from just about anywhere.”

There was a long silence while her friend considered the implications.

“This means… I already saved her?  All by myself?”

Mackenzie laughed.

The crowd laughed with her.

A small chunk of ceiling fell, a cloud of plaster poofing onto Abigail’s skirt.  Fuck, there better not be asbestos in that.

“Well!  That’s one crisis averted.  But please don’t think this means I don’t need you, or won’t in the future.  You’re incredibly valuable and important to me.”

“Aw thanks, ‘Zee.  That means so much!  Especially from someone as big as you.  Hey, where was Kayla anyway?  Like, do you have the address, or….”

“But Kayla isn’t the only person who needs saving today,” Mackenzie went on.  Speaking dramatically now, warming to the crowd.  “My beloved little fans.  What if I told you that before I saved her, my friend Kayla had trapped herself… with a dangerous, illegal substance?  Something she got… from Abigail!”

The crowd gasped.  And began to boo.

Huh, a heel turn.  She honestly hadn’t seen it coming.

“Now now!” Mackenzie went on.  “Please, little ones.  Let’s not be too harsh.  She’s trying her best.  She just strayed from the path.  And who can blame her?  It’s got to be so hard for her – so great, yet with someone always overshadowing her.  It’s no wonder she’d fall to the dark side.”

Abigail considered whether it’d be in-character to roll her eyes.  It was taking a tremendous amount of will to stop herself.

“Abigail has just fallen in with a bad influence.  And as so often happens with addiction, she doesn’t understand the way it’s hurting her.  Hurting her friends.  Hurting me.  But I’m not mad.  After all, is there anyone alive who knows better, how to be the bigger person?”

This got a huge laugh.

“So I forgive her.  And I love her, too.  We all love Abigail.  Don’t we?  Let’s show her some love!”

The crowd applauded.  A slow building clap like something out of an 80’s movie.

“Ab-ba-gale!  Ab-ba-gale!”

Abigail pressed her palm to her chest, and leaned forward to let a shaft of sunlight fall on her face.  It was almost golden hour, might as well milk it.

“Oh Mackenzie.  I love you too.  It’s going to be a hard road to recovery.  But I know you’ll be there for me.  You, and all my friends, big and small.  But oh, I feel like this is too much for love alone to solve.  I’m going to need professional help to break out of this awful, toxic cycle.  And as big as I am, that professional would have to be awfully strong-willed.  Powerful, even borderline magic.  Do you happen to know someone like that?”

“Why of course there is!  I told you about her already – it’s Lilith!  Oh that reminds me, she wanted me to say hi, and make sure you knew her name.”

Abigail felt a muscle tighten in her jaw.  “I’m so honored.  I just can’t wait to meet her.”

“And that means you don’t have to spend time with that… other person anymore.  The one we talked about last night.”

“Her name,” Abigail said flatly.  “Is Eve.  Oh, and I’ll have to see her one last time.  To say goodbye of course….”

“No!” several people yelled.

“Our little fans are right,” Mackenzie said.  “It’s best to make a clean break.”

Abigail affected a sigh.  “I suppose so.  I’d like to go apologize to Kayla now.  So I can start the road to recovery.  I’d really like to do this part alone.  Can you tell me where to find her?  Please?”

“Of course, dear.  I’ll text you.”

“Um, the thing is, can you text Chloe instead?  I’m locked out of my phone right now….”

The crowd laughed and whooped, as though she were a sitcom character who had just said her catch phrase.

“Oh, Abby.  One of these days you’ll get a phone that can do speech-to-text.  I’m sure we could find you a sponsorship.  Now one last thing, before I go.  Can I get a hug?”

The crowd aww’d.

Abigail thought fast.

“I’d like that very much.  The thing is, I’m feeling a lot of shame right now.  And I was serious about your make-up – whether or not it’s not doing the thing.  I don’t want spoilers for Saturday.  Okay?”

“Okay, sweetie.  I promise I won’t give you spoilers.  Now come out here.”

Eyes squeezed to slits, she crawled out of the ruined church, emerging into bright afternoon sunlight.

The crowd cheered as it made space for her.  Their numbers had to be in the thousands.  Several of them were openly crying.

She stood, dusting herself off.  Her shadow was very long, as the sun sank toward the horizon.

The ground shook.  And another shadow, much larger, blotted her out.

Mackenzie sank down behind her.  Wrapped two titanic arms around her, each much thicker than Abigail’s thighs.

Mackenzie pulled her in for an embrace.

Until this moment, Abigail hadn’t processed exactly how big her friend had grown.  The people around her looked tiny, almost insignificant.  Yet even as big as Abigail had become, she was almost completely lost in Mackenzie’s arms.  The woman had to be twice her size.  And though her friend was incredibly gentle, she could feel the power in her arms, the terrible sense of mass as she stood pressed against her.  It was like being hugged by a statue of iron.

“I’ve got you sweetie,” the giantess whispered.  “I’ll always be here, to lift you up.”

“Thanks, ‘Zee.  And remember, I owe you one.  For saving me today, from a very dark place.  If that ever happened to you?  Even if you seemed completely lost to me?  I’d never, ever give up on you.  I swear.”

Mackenzie hugged her tighter.

“Now um,” Abigail cleared her throat, trying to speak with those vicelike arms around her midsection.  “Can you give me a push in the right direction?  To Kayla?”

The larger woman laughed.  And gave her ear a sensually playful lick.  Before giving her a little slap on the butt, pushing her northwest.

God damn it, why was that kind of hot?  As if things needed to be more complicated right now.

“Kayla’s in the west part of Ravenswood.  Look for the beige mortar building, with a big hole ripped in the front.  Oh and, it’s Lilith’s house.  While you’re there, why don’t you introduce yourself?”