Johnsons.pdf

It was another lazy Sunday afternoon at the Johnson household. 12-year-old Tommy was lounging on the living room couch, idly flipping through channels. His older sister Lily, 16, had barricaded herself in her room upstairs.

The sibling rivalry between the two had always been intense. They were like oil and water, complete opposites. Tommy was a rambunctious goofball, always getting in trouble, while studious Lily worked hard to keep her 4.0 GPA honors student status.

As Tommy zoned out to some reality show, his mind started to wander to his sister. A wicked little grin spread across his freckled face. He knew exactly how to get under her skin. Quietly, he crept up the stairs to Lily's room. He rattled the doorknob. No lock. Perfect.

Tommy slipped inside, letting the door creak shut. Lily barely glanced up from her laptop. "What do you want?" she sighed irritably.

"Nothing," Tommy shrugged, hands in pockets. "Just thought it was weird you were holed up in here all day. You okay?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. Mom left me this really cool shrink ray app to beta test. I'm just trying to work some kinks out is all."

"Cool," Tommy said, edging closer to peer at her screen. It showed a 3D model, with sliders and buttons. "Don't suppose I could give it a try, huh?"

"No way, kid. This is serious science stuff. You'd probably break it."

"Aw c'mon, I'll be careful!" Tommy whined. "Pleasepleaseplease?"

Lily heaved an exasperated sigh but swiveled the laptop toward him. "Fine, but you better not mess it up. Okay, aim it at this toy car..." She indicated a small plastic toy on her desk.

Tommy eagerly grabbed the device, fiddling with it. "Whoa, this thing is so cool!" He centered the targeting reticle on the toy car and pulled the trigger. There was a blinding flash and a whirring noise. When the light faded, the toy car was gone - replaced by a tiny metal speck, barely visible.

Tommy grinned at his sister. "Sweet! It worked! Try it on me!"

"Are you insane? Mom said not to test it on people!" Lily looked aghast.

"C'mon, she never has to know," Tommy wheedled. "I'll even let you try it on me first if you want."

Lily hesitated, but curiosity got the better of her. She took the shrinker back. "If anything happens, I'm blaming you," she warned, centering him in her sights.

Tommy closed his eyes, bracing for the flash. But there was no light, no sound. Wait a minute...

His eyes flew open in shock. Everything looked so huge! The furniture, Lily - they towered over him, looming giants.

Tommy tried to take a step back, but his footfalls were now nearly silent. His body felt feather-light. The hem of his shorts brushed his ankles.

"Whoa... it worked!" he breathed in wonder, voice now barely a squeak. He'd been shrunk down to the size of a bug!

High above, Lily was giggling with glee. "This is awesome!" she crowed. "How's it feel to be a tiny little insect, runt?"

"Emily!" Tommy squeaked, trying to sound stern despite his new stature. "Reverse it! Now!"

"In a bit," she sing-songed, advancing on him. "I think I want to have some fun with you first. And you're about to learn what it means to really bug your sister!" She loomed over him, feet like skyscrapers, eyes glinting with playful malice.

Just then, they heard the front door open downstairs. "Girls? I'm home!" their mother called.

Lily's eyes went wide. She'd completely forgotten her mom said she'd be back early! There wasn't time to change Tommy back. "Quick, under the bed!" she hissed, scooping up her miniaturized brother, plunking him on the soft carpet.

"No!" Tommy protested, but she shoved him out of sight just as their mother climbed the stairs and entered the room. "Hi sweetie, how was your day?"

Mom sat on the bed to slip off her shoes, which she'd been wearing all day. Lily gulped, seeing Tommy right where her mother's foot would land. She tried to shout a warning, but Tommy was too small.

"Oof!" Mom grunted, standing and shifting her weight to one foot to remove her shoe. Her other foot rose, getting ready to take a step, hovering over Tommy...

The tiny boy looked up in sudden, silent horror as the shadow of his mother's foot eclipsed him. The single stiletto heel, still caked with dirt from the outside, descended towards his prone form. He tried to roll aside but it was too late. The pointed tip stabbed down through his body like a dagger, erupting out his back in a spray of blood.

Tommy's eyes bulged in their sockets, his tiny mouth opening in a silent scream of agony as his mother's weight bore down, pinning him to the carpet. His miniature body spasmed weakly beneath her foot. Then it went limp, a broken, punctured husk.

Above, Lily watched in numb shock as her mother, oblivious, tugged off her other shoe and set both aside. "Love you, sweetie," she said, leaning down to kiss Lily's forehead before standing to putter off to her own room.

Lily stared at the small, red stain and crumpled figure beneath the bed, struggling to process what she'd just witnessed. Her brother, her stupid little brother that she'd finally had the upper hand with... was dead. Crushed by their mother's carelessly shed shoe.

A small, choked sound escaped her throat, and then she collapsed face-first onto her bed, sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow, overwhelmed by delayed shock and grief. The shrinker, still clutched in her hand, tumbled to the floor...