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Description

Jane bounced eagerly into the meeting hall, pausing to glance around in surprise. She expected to fiind half a dozen others from her cheerleading squad helping set up the Halloween decorations. Instead she saw only Steve, the event organizer, working solo on one of the tables. He turned to her, let his eyes travel briefly up and down her schoolgirl-like outfit, and smiled. "Hey, Jane, looks like you're the first one here."

She nodded, a bit annoyed by how brazenly he checked her out, but then she'd dressed to be noticed, with a skimpy top, even skimpier checkered skirt, and the tall white boots she normally only wore when she went out dancing. "Where is everybody?" she inquired, moving around to check out the tables, most of which had themes of some sort or another. "I know Kate and Leann were going to be here well before me."

"Oh, they called ahead, and I had them stop for supplies," he explained pleasantly, his eyes locked on her bare midriff. "Anyway, have a look around, and feel free to do any rearranging. I appreciate any help."

Jane nodded, but felt somewhat amiss, being alone here--she expected this to be more like a pre-party, a group effort before the whole squad showed up for the celebration later. She meandered around, looking at the various decorations, many of which were incomplete. Her eyes fell on a table set up like a mad scientist's lab, with beakers, twisted glass tubes, and even a small, bubbling cauldron. A collection of jars and bottles, each with a label, surrounded a sign reading "Magic Potions - Try One If You Dare!"

"What's this supposed to be?" she asked, picking up one of the containers bearing a label "Strength Potion."

Steve, whose eyes hadn't yet left her, took the opportunity to move closer. "Yeah, I thought it might be fun, you know? Drink the mad scientist's potions, and get strong, or whatever. Make-believe, like roleplaying, right? Totally safe to drink, and non-alcoholic, I assure you--unless you want to add some yourself, of course."

"Oh, I get it," she said with a laugh, popping the lid and taking a sip. "Oh, yes, I feel stronger already! Now I can lift this chair!" She leaned over and hefted a nearby folding seat up over her head, not feeling any stronger in the least, but doing a good job of pretending. "I can see how this might be fun. What other ones are there?"

She reached over and grabbed one that said "Super Speed" and took a drink. "Oh, look, now I'm blazingly fast!" She pretended to run around the table, drawing a chuckle from Steve. "And what's this? Invisibility!"

Another drink, and this time Steve played along. "Jane? Where'd you go? I can't see you anymore! What a damn shame!"

"I'm right here, silly," she replied, blushing slightly at the complement. "Oh, and this one looks like fun! A shrinking formula!" Without a thought, she popped the top and took a drink, changing her voice to a shrill falsetto. "Oh, no, what's happening? I'm shrinking...!"

She started to pretend to drop toward the floor, but all at once her vision swam, and she didn't have to fake it any more. She collapsed to the ground, so dizzy she couldn't see straight. Everything around her expanded, growing larger, the ceiling pulling away, the floor widening...

The distortion stopped and she shook her head, looking back to see something huge right behind her--a cylinder, on its side, partly filled with red liquid, an enormous label explaining, in two simple words, exactly what it was she just drank.

A massive hand reached down, and she scrambled back in fear, trying to hide in the shadow of the massive bottle, as if that would do any good at all. He lifted it away, leaving the tiny woman totally exposed on a vast, open floor, with nowhere left to go.

"I forgot to mention," the giant said with a booming laugh, "that one's actually real."

Description

Jane bounced eagerly into the meeting hall, pausing to glance around in surprise. She expected to fiind half a dozen others from her cheerleading squad helping set up the Halloween decorations. Instead she saw only Steve, the event organizer, working solo on one of the tables. He turned to her, let his eyes travel briefly up and down her schoolgirl-like outfit, and smiled. "Hey, Jane, looks like you're the first one here."

She nodded, a bit annoyed by how brazenly he checked her out, but then she'd dressed to be noticed, with a skimpy top, even skimpier checkered skirt, and the tall white boots she normally only wore when she went out dancing. "Where is everybody?" she inquired, moving around to check out the tables, most of which had themes of some sort or another. "I know Kate and Leann were going to be here well before me."

"Oh, they called ahead, and I had them stop for supplies," he explained pleasantly, his eyes locked on her bare midriff. "Anyway, have a look around, and feel free to do any rearranging. I appreciate any help."

Jane nodded, but felt somewhat amiss, being alone here--she expected this to be more like a pre-party, a group effort before the whole squad showed up for the celebration later. She meandered around, looking at the various decorations, many of which were incomplete. Her eyes fell on a table set up like a mad scientist's lab, with beakers, twisted glass tubes, and even a small, bubbling cauldron. A collection of jars and bottles, each with a label, surrounded a sign reading "Magic Potions - Try One If You Dare!"

"What's this supposed to be?" she asked, picking up one of the containers bearing a label "Strength Potion."

Steve, whose eyes hadn't yet left her, took the opportunity to move closer. "Yeah, I thought it might be fun, you know? Drink the mad scientist's potions, and get strong, or whatever. Make-believe, like roleplaying, right? Totally safe to drink, and non-alcoholic, I assure you--unless you want to add some yourself, of course."

"Oh, I get it," she said with a laugh, popping the lid and taking a sip. "Oh, yes, I feel stronger already! Now I can lift this chair!" She leaned over and hefted a nearby folding seat up over her head, not feeling any stronger in the least, but doing a good job of pretending. "I can see how this might be fun. What other ones are there?"

She reached over and grabbed one that said "Super Speed" and took a drink. "Oh, look, now I'm blazingly fast!" She pretended to run around the table, drawing a chuckle from Steve. "And what's this? Invisibility!"

Another drink, and this time Steve played along. "Jane? Where'd you go? I can't see you anymore! What a damn shame!"

"I'm right here, silly," she replied, blushing slightly at the complement. "Oh, and this one looks like fun! A shrinking formula!" Without a thought, she popped the top and took a drink, changing her voice to a shrill falsetto. "Oh, no, what's happening? I'm shrinking...!"

She started to pretend to drop toward the floor, but all at once her vision swam, and she didn't have to fake it any more. She collapsed to the ground, so dizzy she couldn't see straight. Everything around her expanded, growing larger, the ceiling pulling away, the floor widening...

The distortion stopped and she shook her head, looking back to see something huge right behind her--a cylinder, on its side, partly filled with red liquid, an enormous label explaining, in two simple words, exactly what it was she just drank.

A massive hand reached down, and she scrambled back in fear, trying to hide in the shadow of the massive bottle, as if that would do any good at all. He lifted it away, leaving the tiny woman totally exposed on a vast, open floor, with nowhere left to go.

"I forgot to mention," the giant said with a booming laugh, "that one's actually real."