The Huntress

This is a continuation of "A Wish Come True" and Girls' Night Out"

Prologue:  Jennifer Demott was first introduced in “A Wish Come True” as the girlfriend of Mark Johnston. Mark worked in a research lab run by a cosmetics company. When he inadvertently discovers a wrinkle reducing cream can actually cause living organisms to shrink when they ingest it, he decides to coax Jennifer into helping him make his giantess fantasy become a reality. Jennifer is reluctant at first but finally agrees. But things get horribly out of hand for Mark when Jennifer discovers she likes the fantasy far more than she had imagined.

Through the smoke filled college bar, Scott Mattice saw the lanky brunettete walking toward him. He had been there for close to two hours and had about twice as many drinks. It had been a slow night and Scott’s hope of leaving with someone had begun to fade. He had talked with a couple of women who had made it clear that they were not interested. He was about to finish off the last of his drink when he noticed her near the entrance. Even allowing for his slight inebriation, the woman was stunning. About two inches of her shapely tummy showed between the bottom of the red knit top that seemed to cling to every curve of her upper body, and the low-slung jeans that gently hugged her hips. She walked passed Scott leaving the faint smell of perfume in her wake, and sat at a stool around the corner of the bar.

Scott eyed the brunette, trying not to be too obvious as she ordered a drink. She glanced over to him and smiled politely. It was the kind of smile that said I see you looking me over but I’m not particularly interested. Scott was an average looking guy and he knew that she was clearly out of his league. Still, it was getting late and the several drinks he had consumed during the evening gave him some extra courage. He approached the woman and awkwardly began a conversation.

“I was supposed to be meeting a friend here tonight but she hasn’t made it yet,” the woman said. Scott introduced himself and the woman responded a little shyly, “Hi. I’m Jennifer; umm Jennifer Demott.” Jennifer looked the man over. He was probably in his early twenties. His elongated jaw gave his face a triangular appearance. He was neatly dressed and of average build. Although she would on occasion take someone who was overweight, Jennifer much preferred her men to be slender. He was the obvious choice, semi attractive, alone, and eager; a combination that had worked well for her.

“I had better call my friend to find out what has happened to her.” Jennifer opened a side flap on her purse and removed her cell phone. She pressed the auto-dial and a moment later the familiar drawl of her friend Adeline drifted over the receiver. “Oh... I’m fine” the voice replied to Jennifer’s query. “I just got a slow start.”

“Look” Jennifer said in a hushed tone, “I’ve got a live one here, not too bad looking either.”

“Does he have any friends with him,” Adeline inquired?

“Sorry to disappoint you but he doesn’t. Would you mind terribly if we hook up another night? Maybe tomorrow or Friday?” Adeline’s laughter drifted out of the receiver. “Of course. That will be fine. I’m terribly jealous though. How ‘bout you give me a call tomorrow and let me know how your evening turns out.”

Jennifer snapped the phone closed and turned to Scott. “It looks like my friend is not going to be able to make it this evening. Some last minute thing.” Scott smiled. Maybe my evening is about to improve, he thought.

Jennifer nursed her drink for the next hour while Scott downed one and was working on a second. Jennifer was hoping he would suggest leaving but it was getting late and she was getting impatient. She removed a tiny vial from her purse pouring its contents into his glass when Scott was distracted. “Why don’t you finish your drink so we go somewhere more cozy,” Jennifer softly cooed into Scott’s ear.

Scott downed the remainder of his drink in two gulps and stood. Jennifer rose and walked to the parking lot with Scott trailing behind. “My car’s over here.” Scott motioned with his right hand. Jennifer sighed “I thought I would drive if you don’t mind. I have had less to drink than you.” It seemed perfectly reasonable to Scott who turned to follow Jennifer to a midsize silver Honda.

Jennifer started the car and began to slowly back out of the parking space. “I don’t feel so good all of a sudden,” Scott said a bit sluggishly.

Jennifer smiled slyly “I’m sure it will pass in a few minutes.” She pulled onto the street and began to accelerate. A quick glance at her passenger told her that the potion was working. It always did, and now her passenger was no more than a couple of feet tall and getting progressively smaller.

Jennifer grasped Scott’s arm while it was still visible through the sleeve of his shirt and a few moments later pulled the tiny, naked man from his clothing. The shrinking process had stopped leaving Scott a little over three inches tall. Jennifer dropped Scott into her purse and snapped the clasp shut. She had found over the past several months that it made a very escape proof container although she sometimes liked to drop her pickups into her bra or panties. But it was late and she didn’t feel like engaging in prolonged foreplay.

A Goodwill drop box caught Jennifer’s eye and she guided the car into the parking lot. Scott was not going to need his clothes any longer and they might as well go to good use. She quickly emptied the pants of his car keys and wallet before depositing the clothing into the donation box. The keys would go out the window on the way home as would the billfold once she had removed any cash.

Jennifer’s apartment was on the other side of town from the bar. She picked the bar deliberately for that reason and because it was near the college campus where a stranger would not be noticed. About thirty minutes later Jennifer pulled into a space near the door. She quickly walked up the two flights of stairs to her apartment. It was well past eleven o’clock and she wanted to have plenty of time to enjoy herself.

Jennifer popped open the clasp of her purse and carefully removed Scott. He was trembling as she placed him in the middle of a small saucer on the counter next to the stove. He had slapped himself a couple of times while trapped inside her purse. It had to be a dream and if he could only wake up it would all be over. But it wasn’t over and Scott stared up at the enormous beauty standing before him. Her knit top clung to the underside of her well rounded breasts which completely obstructed the lower half of her face.

Jennifer grabbed a small bottle of olive oil from a row of bottles and cans against the back of the counter. She smiled at Scott and began to drizzle the oil over him. He looked at Jennifer dumfounded as he tried to wipe the oil from his face.

“What in the hell are you doing?” Scott demanded his tiny voice quivering with rage.

Jennifer laughed. “Well silly… the olive oil is to help you slide down.”

She had said it so matter-of-factly that Scott felt almost stupid for not understanding. “Slide down? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Look. I don’t want to waste a bunch of time explaining so I’ll make this short. It was really my boyfriend’s fault. Mark was into this giantess fetish and had always dreamed about being swallowed alive. So when he discovered a shrinking potion I reluctantly agreed to help him achieve his fantasy. He wanted me to wait a couple of minutes then cough him back up. But the thing is I could feel him moving inside me, trying to escape. I think it was knowing that no matter how much Mark fought, he could never escape me unless I let him out. Well whatever the reason, it got me really turned on and I had this totally amazing orgasm. I can’t imagine any drug giving a stronger rush than what I felt. It made me feel very sensuous to think about him being digested; becoming a part of me. I can’t really explain it. So, instead of coughing him back up afterward, I left him inside me.”

“So what’s the deal, you want to swallow me so I can keep him company?”

Jennifer let out a long laugh. “You know, I hadn’t thought of that one. No. Mark doesn’t need company. My digestive system made short work of him. I try to do this about once a week because it gives me such intense orgasms. I know you must think me a selfish bitch but if you knew how incredibly wonderful it feels, you might forgive me for being unable to help myself.”

Jennifer smiled and continued. “I’ve never swallowed anyone as big as you though. Usually they are one to two inches and go down pretty easily. But I have always been disappointed that you guys never survive very long once you’re inside me. I was hoping that by not shrinking you as much you might be able to play a little longer.” Jennifer paused, eying her captive with a winsome smile. “Enough talk. It’s late, I’m a little drunk and very horny, and I have to work tomorrow. So down you go.”

Jennifer’s enormous hand reached for Scott. For a brief moment her palm filled his entire field of vision as he stood momentarily frozen in fear. He stumbled backward and she was on him. Jennifer’s lithe fingers grasped him around the thighs with an almost bone crushing pressure. He was at once lifted into the air and found himself dangling over her enormous mouth.

“Please, don’t eat me! Don’t let me die this way,” Scott screamed. His struggles caused him to slip from Jennifer’s grasp hastening his descent into her waiting mouth. The fall knocked the breath from him and before he could recover, her mouth had closed tightly over him.

At three inches tall, Scott was too large to fit fully inside and his feet stuck outside Jennifer’s lips which pressed against his calves. A soft moan erupted from the depths of Jennifer’s throat. Scott felt her tongue undulated beneath him and he was now fully inside her mouth.

Hot saliva washed over Scott as he struggled to free himself. It was too dark to see but he knew that he was at the precipice of her throat. Scott wrenched himself sideways in an attempt wedge himself against either side of her mouth as Jennifer’s tongue thrashed beneath Scott, trying unsuccessfully to maneuver him into position. Abruptly the tongue stopped. Scott braced himself for another onslaught but Jennifer had other plans. Her tongue lifted Scott, pressing him firmly against the bony roof of her mouth threatening to crush him. Scott slipped his arms down toward his sides trying to relieve the pressure on his chest as he gasped for breath. Jennifer’s plan had worked and she now quickly maneuvered Scott to the back of her mouth.

Having never swallowed someone this big before, Jennifer was afraid she might choke but the desire to have him inside her was far stronger than the fear of choking. She tipped her head back slightly letting his upper body slide into her throat.

This was the difficult part, the point where the swallowing reflex and the choking reflex intersected. The slightest hesitation would cause her throat and stomach to reflexively convulse in an attempt to expel whatever she was trying to swallow. Jennifer didn’t hesitate and she felt the squirming charge travel slowly down her throat.

Scott flailed his arms and legs outward trying desperately to stop his descent but the peristaltic contractions were far too strong. As the feeling of fullness in her throat ceased, Jennifer felt a very distinct ‘plop’ as Scot landed inside her nearly empty stomach. The sensation sent a shiver up her spine. She poured herself a glass or white wine and carried it into her bedroom, taking a sip before stretching out on the bed to wait. Several minutes had already passed and she had not felt Scott moving inside her. Jennifer was beginning to worry. Perhaps the trauma of being eaten had been too much for him she wondered.

Jennifer leaned forward and took another sip of wine letting it linger in her mouth before swallowing. The sensation was so sudden and intense that Jennifer jerked her hand upward, spilling some of the wine on the comforter covering her bed. “Ohhhh my God!” Jennifer gasped. She swallowed the remaining wine in one gulp and padded into the bathroom for a towel. She had returned to the bed when another tickling sensation as strong as the first nearly brought her to her knees.

She pushed the damp comforter aside and stretched out on the bed. “My God Scott. What you’re doing inside me feels so absolutely delicious.” Jennifer gently rubbed her palms over her stomach in a circular motion moving upward; gently caressing her breasts. Scott had become quite active and because of his large size, she could feel his every movement inside her stomach.

Jennifer reached up under her top, unhooking the front clasp of her bra and letting it pop open. She began to tickle the nipple of her left breast with the tip of her finger, stopping long enough to squirm out of her pants. Scott was waging an impressive fight and the intense sensations from his struggles were quickly arousing Jennifer into a frenzy.

Her right hand slid down her tummy to the wet folds of her labia which she began to stroke teasingly. Her index finger slipped inside pressing upward on that softly ribbed magical spot within her vagina. The result was nearly immediate as she felt a deep, almost burning sensation within her pelvis. The vaginal muscles began to shudder and Jennifer thrust her hips upward letting out a low breathy scream as the orgasm rippled throughout her body. The sensations continued to reverberate through her for several minutes not unlike the way a bell continues to ring once it has been struck.

She gently tapped her index finger against her clitoris almost in rhythm with the sensations from within her stomach and, as she felt a second orgasm building, began vigorously rubbing the small nub. For a second time the muscles within her vagina contracted intensely, almost painfully. As the contractions eased and the tension within her muscles released, Jennifer slumped into the bed feeling a euphoric intoxication far better than any drug could produce.

The intense tickling sensation from within Jennifer’s abdomen continued. She enjoyed the feel of him inside her knowing that he was helpless and could do no more to escape than the dinner she had eaten earlier. Jennifer lightly rubbed her abdomen, luxuriating in the touch of her fingers against her bare skin, and wondered what it was like in there. She always felt a slight twinge of guilt afterward, once her lust filled hunger had been temporarily appeased, and she preferred not to dwell on the painful reality of the fate that awaited her sexual partners. The air conditioner kicked on making Jennifer suddenly cold. She squirmed under the covers, clicked off the light on the night stand, and drifted off to a deep and relaxed sleep.

Jennifer awoke to the NPR news cast feeling as though she could sleep another hour. The previous night seemed almost dreamlike and Jennifer smiled at the memory of that intense orgasm. Slowly she raised herself up and stretched before swinging her legs over the side of the bed. As she stood, she felt an intense and very familiar tickling sensation just below her left breast. “Why Scott, you’re still alive!” she exclaimed. “How wonderful!” She had fully expected Scott to be nothing more than a pleasant memory having been dealt with by her body’s marvelously efficient digestive system.

“I’ll bet you are starving. After all you did have quite a workout last night. I’ll send something down in a few minutes. Kind of like having room service. Sorry the accommodations are not more comfortable.” Jennifer giggled, “I do hope you like what I eat. I guess you can hear me in there. How about giving me a little tickle to let me know.” Jennifer felt a sudden, sharp sensation and smiled. “I suppose if I had one of those things the doctor uses I might be able to hear you as well. That would be strange to carry on a conversation with you inside me.”

Jennifer continued talking as she showered and dressed. Scott was exhausted and irritated. He had tried several times while Jennifer slept to push his way into her throat where he could then crawl out. But each time the reflexive action of her esophagus pushed him back into her stomach gently explaining to Scott that food was meant to travel only one direction. Still, he had managed to stay alive. Even if Jennifer had not been so talkative, Scott would have known she was awake because her movements were tossing him about inside his small prison. He had liked it much better when she slept.

Scott was hit by something cool and wet. Then, a moment later, he was hit again and Scott realized that Jennifer was eating. He scraped whatever it was off his skin and hungrily stuffed it into his mouth. It had an odd texture having already been chewed and swallowed but it was edible and Scott was starving. In several minutes he was waist deep in it and the muscular walls of her stomach were beginning to churn and contract. A large wave of liquid washed down over him and Scott knew instantly from the taste that it was coffee.

The contractions were pushing Scott downward toward the entrance to Jennifer’s small intestine. He struggled to pull himself upward, where he had found the contractions to be less severe. Scott’s struggle to survive was sending electric jolts of pleasure shooting through Jennifer’s body and as she dressed, she wondered how she would be able to concentrate at work with such a distraction.

Scott’s remaining alive was a distraction for Jennifer on two fronts. First, there was the sexual excitement. Feeling him moving inside her was a strong sexual stimulation. Added to that was an emotional element more difficult to assess. Jennifer took a certain satisfaction in knowing that as she busied herself around the office, no one was aware that a tiny man was struggling for his life within the confines of her stomach. He was trapped alive inside her and despite his struggles and cries for help, no one was aware of his existence other than Jennifer. He was totally at her mercy.

The second distraction was physical. He was not constantly active. He would be quiet for a time, and then abruptly start moving. The sudden sensation was not unlike being poked in the ribs causing Jennifer to suddenly jerk in reaction. After several hours of being ‘tickled’ Jennifer was starting to grow weary of the situation and hoped that her body would soon take care of its tiny guest.

By noon, Jennifer was over having Scott alive inside her and was considering ways to finish him off. The irony of the situation was not lost on Jennifer and she couldn’t help but laugh at herself. Despite her desire to kill him, he was beyond her reach. There was nothing she could do but wait for nature to take its course. After wishing her snacks would survive inside her more than a few short hours, she had finally gotten what she wanted.

Coughing him back up was not an option. She had eaten him and he was not going to escape. Jennifer had tried quickly drinking a large cup of coffee, thinking the hot liquid would either drown or burn him but it hadn’t worked. Then it occurred to her that if she ate a large lunch he might be digested with the rest of her meal. A nearby restaurant had a buffet and seemed like a perfect choice. An hour later she felt very full but was still aware of the tickling sensation although it was not as intense as it had been earlier.

It was mid afternoon when Adeline called Jennifer. “Hi Jenn. I just wanted to find out about your hunting trip last night,” Adeline drawled in her slightly southern lilt.

“Oh my God” Jennifer exclaimed! “It went very well. In fact it was amazing. There’s just one problem though. He’s still alive. Have you ever had that happen before?” The gasp on the other end of the phone told the answer. “I am so jealous” Adeline responded. “I don’t think I have ever had one survive more than a few hours. Certainly by the next morning they were gone. How did you manage it?”

“Well...” Jennifer began. “I have been experimenting with their size, you know, controlling the amount of serum so they don’t shrink quite as much. Well last night I shrunk the guy down to about three and a half inches tall.”

“Did you have difficulty getting him down? That seems awfully big.” 

“I was nervous but I had coated him in olive oil and he was also pretty drunk. Initially, he put up a struggle but that just made swallowing him even more delicious. Once I got him properly positioned he went down quite easily and the sensations... Well they were soooo wonderful. Then this morning when I got up he was still very much alive.” 

“That is so incredible. I must try that myself.”

“It isn’t all that great Adeline. At first I was thrilled. I thought of him living for days inside me, living off of whatever I ate and drank. And knowing that he was utterly my prisoner made me feel, sexy and powerful. But the reality is that I am getting tired of feeling like I am being poked in the side every few minutes. It has become very distracting. I was in the lady’s room washing my hands. That old prune Victoria walked in just as he decided to give me another poke and I actually jumped and let out a little squeak. It was so embarrassing. I tried eating a large lunch hoping that he would be digested along with my meal but he is still alive!”

Adeline laughed. “I’m sorry Jennifer, I don’t mean to make light of your problem but I can’t help but picture you jumping around the office. Hang in there. Eventually he will either suffocate or simply be overcome by exposure to your stomach acid and digestive enzymes. He has to keep awake in order to fight drowning or being drawn further into your digestive tract. It is just a matter of time until he succumbs to you. Why don’t I come by later and you can tell me all about it. I want to hear all the details.”

“That would be great Adeline. See you later.” Jennifer hung up the phone and smiled, excited about the prospect of sharing all the details with her friend.

It wasn’t until the drive home that Jennifer realized that she hadn’t felt Scott moving. She tried to remember when she last felt him but was left unsure. She felt a momentary twinge of sadness but hopped that he was finally being digested. Perhaps because she was distracted with thoughts of Scott, Jennifer didn’t notice the cream colored Taurus following several car lengths back. She would likely not have noticed anyway. The car had been behind her since leaving the Carter Street parking garage and now followed Jennifer’s silver Honda into the apartment complex. As Jennifer pulled into the third spot down from the door, the Taurus slowly rolled past, pulling into a vacant spot across the drive from Jennifer’s building.

The woman driving the car unclasped her seat belt and watched cautiously as Jennifer entered the building. The building had four floors with four apartments on each floor, two on either side of an open stairwell. From her vantage point across from the building, the driver watched Jennifer enter the apartment at the right rear of the building. The woman opened her purse to give one last check of the small, 22 caliber pistol she carried. A moment later she stood outside apartment 1204 trying to screw up her nerve.

As she reached for the doorbell, the door quickly opened. Momentarily startled, she panicked and pushed Jennifer inside closing the door behind her. “Please don’t hurt me,” Jennifer exclaimed. “I really don’t have anything...”

“Shut-up and sit-down,” the woman interrupted. “You’re Jennifer Demott?”

“Yes. I’m Jennifer.” She studied the woman with cold intent. There was something familiar about her but she couldn’t quite place where she had seen her. She was slightly overweight with sandy brown hair, cut short so that it accentuated her round face in an unattractive way. But it was the eyes that seemed familiar. “Who are you if I might be so bold to inquire?”

“I’m Elaine Johnston,” the woman hissed. “I believe you knew my brother Mark.”

Jennifer could see it now. She had Mark’s eyes and mouth. “Yes, I dated your brother for several months. I was in love with him. He mentioned having an older sister. Would that be you?”

Elaine nodded. “The police claimed that you were the last to see Mark and I think you know what happened to him. I know they suspected you but when they couldn’t find any evidence of foul play they assumed that he had simply left town. But there is no way he would have disappeared like that without telling me.”

Jennifer sighed. “It’s a long story; could I get you a drink? Some wine perhaps.”

“That would be good,” Elaine responded. “But don’t try anything.” She pulled the gun from her purse and waved it toward Jennifer.

The living room was separated from the kitchen area by an open counter which Jennifer now walked behind. She retrieved two glasses from the cupboard overhead and filled each from an already open bottle of white Zin from the refrigerator. She was able to splash a few drops of the potion into the glass on her left which she handed to Elaine.

Jennifer sat on the couch and motioned toward the chair. “You might as well have a seat. This story is a bit involved.” Jennifer drank down most of her wine in just a few gulps. “Please, drink up. We might as well get comfortable.”

Elaine took a long drink from her glass. “Now how about you tell me about Mark.”

“Well...” Jennifer began. “I don’t suppose it will hurt to tell you. But I want to make it clear that the idea was his. He had accidentally developed a compound that caused living organisms to shrink if they took it internally. He came to me one evening so excited that he could hardly talk and explained that he was into giant women. Said he had been fantasizing about being shrunk since he was a child. He wanted to use the potion to shrink himself to about an inch tall so that I could swallow him whole.” Jennifer paused and poured the remaining few drops of wine into her mouth. “I was supposed to keep him trapped inside my stomach for several minutes then cough him back up. But something went wrong.”

Elaine finished off her wine and stared at Jennifer malevolently. “I can’t believe you are feeding me this line of crap and expecting me to believe it!”

Jennifer smiled evilly. “I assure you Elaine that what I have said is not crap. In fact you will find out soon enough just how true this story really is.”

Elaine stood and then fell backward into the chair as Jennifer laughed.

“Are you beginning to realize what happened to your brother. It is the same fate that awaits you. I swallowed him. Just like he had asked me to do only I didn’t cough him back up. I could feel him struggling inside me, trying to escape and the feeling of it turned me on so intensely that I decided to keep him inside me. I didn’t mean to do it but it was such a delicious feeling that I couldn’t help myself.”

Elaine’s face was red with anger and rage. Her clothes had already become very loose removing any doubts about the truth of Jennifer’s story. Elaine raised the gun to shoot but Jennifer sprang from the couch like a cat, knocking the gun from Elaine’s hand. Elaine was fighting for her life and knew that she had only a few moments before she would be unable to act. She summoned every ounce of strength and drove into Jennifer with her shoulder. The force and suddenness of the maneuver caught Jennifer by surprise and she tumbled backward hitting her head on the corner of the coffee table before falling into a crumpled heap onto the floor.

Elaine staggered backward tripping over her own pants legs and falling to the ground then there was nothing but blackness. 

Adeline gave a knock on the door then entered Jennifer’s apartment as was her custom. She let out a gasp as she saw the scene before her. Jennifer lay sprawled on the floor her head cocked in a very unnatural position. A crumpled mass of clothing lay a few feet away. Adeline ran to Jennifer but there was no pulse. Next she examined the clothing. They were women’s clothes. A brown leather purse lay on the chair and the metallic glint of the gun on the far side of the chair left little doubt as to what might have happened.

Adeline opened the purse and checked the wallet. The drivers license was for H. Elaine Johnston from Columbus. Adeline remembered that Jennifer’s boyfriend was Mark Johnston and then it all made sense. But this was a mess. She couldn’t let the police find the shrinking potion or Elaine’s clothes. Her mind raced as she thought about the best way to deal with the situation.

First thing was to get Jennifer’s bottle of shrinking potion. She remembered that Jennifer kept it in her underwear drawer. She opened the top center drawer of the chest in Jennifer’s bedroom and found the bottle hidden in the back.

Back in the living room, Adeline carefully picked through Elaine’s clothing, searching for any signs of her as she deposited it into a garbage bag. She had not found Elaine and that was troubling. It was obvious from the clothing on the floor that Jennifer had managed to shrink Elaine but had she then eaten her? It seemed unlikely. That left only one troubling conclusion. Elaine was still in the apartment. Adeline surveyed the floor but found no sign of Elaine. If the police happened to find her... Adeline shuddered at the thought not wanting to think about what that might involve.

She rubbed her hands across the carpet her frustration growing with every second. Adeline rocked back on her heals and began to stand when she noticed a small piece of what at first looked like pale lint in the carpet mere feet from her left shoe. As she knelt down for a closer look the tiny speck began to move and Adeline realized she had found Elaine. The woman was only about a quarter inch tall. She was trying to run but the thick nap of the carpet was limiting her progress. In a moment of rage, Adeline stood, placing her sandal clad foot over the tiny woman just long enough for her to realize what was about to happen. The underside of the giant shoe filled Elaine’s view, the last image she would ever see, as Adeline pressed down with the ball of her foot while grinding it from side to side. A tiny red spot was all that remained.

Adeline let out a sigh of relief before remembering that she still had the gun to deal with. Adeline debated with herself what course of action to take and decided that it would be better to take the gun. It was obvious that Jennifer had not been shot, so the police would not be looking for a gun and the gun might be traceable back to Elaine Johnston which could lead to further complications. As Adeline inspected the gun she discovered that it was not loaded. Apparently Elaine had intended it as a bluff. “Looks like your plan didn’t quite work out” Adeline said to the tiny red dot on the carpet. She put the gun in her purse and made one final check of the apartment. It was tough to concentrate on the task at hand with her heart so filled with grief but there would be time to cry later.

Detective Robert Williams chewed on the cigar that seemed to be a permanent feature of his round face. The department had banned smoking in the office several years ago but Williams continued to keep a now unlit cigar in his mouth out of angry stubbornness. For detective Williams it was just another homicide. A woman in her early thirties found dead in her apartment. There were no signs of a struggle and no signs of forced entry. No one in the building had heard or seen anything. It had been a day since the woman had been found and they had no motive or suspect.

It was just after lunch when the coroner called. “Looks like your victim Jennifer Demott died of blunt force trauma to the side of her head. I’d say that she must’ve caught the corner of that table just right. But there’s something you guys need to see.”

“Can’t you just tell me over the phone?” Williams complained.

“No. I can’t. You really need to get down here.”

Williams hung up the phone and turned to his partner Lisa Sullivan. “Looks like they want us down at the morgue. Says it’s important.”

Jerome Gleason met the detectives as they came through the large double doors at the end of the room. “So what’s up?” Williams complained.

Jerome led the detectives to a table. A stainless steel tray sat atop the table overhung by a lighted magnifying lens on a long flexible rod. Lisa gasped as she saw what appeared to be a tiny man about three inches long.

As if reading her mind, Jerome explained. “Yes that is a human male. He appears to be in his early twenties but it is hard to tell.”

The man’s skin was an unnatural white color and he was completely devoid of hair. In several places along the arms and feet, nothing remained but bleached bone. The detectives studied the tiny remains for several minutes before Williams broke the silence. “How is it that this guy is, well... tiny and what does he have to do with this case?”

“I have no idea who he is Robert or how he came to be only three inches tall. It is medically impossible. As for what he has to do with your case... I found what is left of him inside the small intestine of your victim.” Jerome watched, mildly amused at the expression on Robert’s paunchy face.

“OK... This is some kind of weird coroner humor or something. Right?” said Lisa, clearly upset.

“I assure you both that he is real and this is no joke. I found him this morning when I opened her up.”

“But how did he get there. Inside her like that.” Lisa asked.

Jerome sighed. “There is only one way, she had to swallow him.” He raised his hands before either detective could say anything. “It gets even stranger though. I decided to do an autopsy on the man to determine cause of death. It would seem that he suffocated. And I found food in his stomach.”

“So the guy had something to eat before she um... swallowed him. What’s the relevance of that?”

“Well... the contents inside his stomach matched what we found in her digestive tract.”'

“Look, Jerome,” Williams sighed “I’m not a biology major here. It sounds like what you’re tellin’ me is that they ate at the same restaurant.” 

“Detective... When I say match, I mean identical. The contents in his stomach matched hers because he had eaten what she had already consumed.”

“You mean...”

“He was swallowed alive and lived long enough inside her to consume food she had already eaten.”

“But how is that possible? I mean how could he have lived inside her stomach?”

“It’s not that farfetched, detective. The stomach basically performs two functions; it provides short term storage and it liquefies the food while mixing it with digestive enzymes. Stomach acid activates pepsinogen, a chemical secreted in the stomach to produce pepsin. The pepsin begins the breakdown of proteins while the stomach acid aids in killing any harmful microorganisms.”

“Sure doc, but wouldn’t the stomach acid dissolve the poor guy?”

“No, that’s a common misconception. The stomach acid is not that powerful. If it were it would eat the stomach itself or dissolve your flesh if you got it on you, say for example, if you were to throw up. The digestive process really does not take place until the stomach’s contents, called chyme, enter the small intestine as a liquid. The upper part of the stomach acts as a reservoir and can expand to accommodate food. Peristaltic waves in the lower portion of the stomach propel the chyme toward the pylorus, a muscular ring that acts as a gate between the stomach and small intestine. This muscular action happens about three times each minute. The opening created by the pylorus is only about two millimeters across so only liquid can enter the small intestine. Anything larger is refluxed backwards. This motion is what mixes the chyme and aids in its eventual breakdown into small enough pieces to pass through the pyloric opening.”

Detective Willliams cleared his throat. “This is all real nice doc but I don’t see what you are getting at here.”

Jerome smiled at Williams as though he were a child. “Well… I’m trying to get to that. You see at roughly three inches tall our victim was too big to pass into the small intestine during digestion. In fact, if he were sufficiently strong, he may have been able to keep himself in the upper region of the stomach where he could have survived for quite some time.”

“Would she have been aware of him? I guess what I am asking is would it have been possible for her to have not known he was alive inside her?” Lisa asked.

“It’s highly unlikely,” Jerome replied. “It would have taken a conscious act on her part just to swallow him. Even assuming that she swallowed him accidentally, she would have certainly felt him moving inside her. I found the victim about a third of the way down her small intestine. So…

“But…” Williams interrupted, “I thought you just said nothing bigger than two millimeters can make it through the, what did you call it? The…”

“Pylorus.” The doctor smiled. “Glad to see that you paid a little attention. I did say that but there is also another action that takes place within the stomach to account for that. The stomach has to have a way of removing indigestible solids. Otherwise they would collect or have to be vomited back up. Every few hours, the digestive system performs a sort of house cleaning. The pylorus opens fully and contractions starting within the stomach cause any undigested material to be pushed into the intestine. This process is rather noisy and accounts for the growling a person sometimes hears several hours after eating. It is my belief,” the doctor continued, “that the victim remained alive for at least a day after he was swallowed and was alive up until the peristaltic action of the stomach carried him into the small intestine where he suffocated. DNA samples found in his digestive tract match that of the female meaning that he had ingested some of her stomach contents at least a day before. Perhaps initially he was able to resist the contractions within her stomach but as time progressed he became exhausted and, unable to fight, he was propelled into her small intestine and suffocated.”

“That’s quite a theory doc. I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like.” Williams suddenly turned to his partner. “This could explain all those missing persons reports.”

Jerome looked worried. “I can’t imagine either what it would be like to be swallowed alive but I can tell you that it wouldn’t have been pleasant. While the stomach acid would not be strong enough to dissolve flesh, it would be an irritant to the eyes and lungs. Exposure to her stomach acid is likely what bleached his skin and dissolved all the hair on his body. So be careful that you don’t get the chance to find out. We still don’t know what shrunk him in the first place. I doubt that this one woman can account for that many missing persons reports which means that there are others out there with the ability to shrink people so watch yourselves.”

Williams smiled and patted Jerome’s back. “Thanks for the info doc and let me know if you come up with anything else.”

 

27.03.13