Annabell felt like Alyss. You know, the girl who fell down the rabbit hole? Yeah, her. Why you ask? Because Annabell woke up, with a grand total height of, three inches, and this wasn't the first time. She could walk around the old doll house she was given as a child. The wooden ones with actual glass sinks, wood and cloth bed and chairs. She, however, was nowhere near the doll house. It sat on the floor across the room. She had woken up at the bottom of her pillow, under her blankets, which now acted as a low hung cave of sorts.
Annabell climbed up her pillow and looked around. Her room wasn't large but it wasn't too small, near the window was a chest with her clothes.
She liked this house; this family didn't freak out when she woke up that first morning the size of a fairy.
With a quick whistle, her orange tabby cat was up on her bed, standing taller than she. She pet the cat's nose before climbing onto her back.
"I need to get to mom, Tyger."
Annabell wasn't sure if, by becoming something that shouldn't exist, if that was how Tyger knew what she meant, or if Tyger was just a smart cat. Either way, Tyger jumped off of the bed and started down the stairs. Annabell held on to the cat's collar tightly once the cat found the kitchen and jumped onto the counter in front of Annabell's mother.
"Oh," her mom jumped as she looked down at the cat and her now, pixie sized daughter.
Annabell slid of Tyger's back and looked up at her mom. "When is this going to stop, mom? I have school today."
Mom frowned. "Not anymore, you don't."
Annabell loved school for the simple fact it wasn't home. Not that she had a bad home life, but she was 12 and she liked her freedom from home. She loved seeing her friends, all of which knew this happened and would help her get around.
"Mom, I'm going to school. I want to." Annabell crossed her arms.
Her mom looked down sternly at her daughter, a pen already in her hand, writing a letter to Annabell's teacher. Regardless if Annabell went or not, the teacher's had to be notified that she wouldn't be there, she was too small to be counted as present.
Annabell knew this, but it didn't stop her from wanting to go.
"School isn't that far. Tyger could walk me…" She was determined to go and she knew that her mom knew it.
Her mom paused in debate before sealing the letter. "Fine, but the moment anything happens…," she warned.
Annabell beamed a smile before she climbed back up on to her cat, who took off back up to her room. A few minutes later she came back down dressed in a forest green summer dress. Annabell's mom had already called Peter, Annabell's best friend.
Peter had always been there, since she could remember. Every time a foster home sent her back to the orphanage. Every time she had trouble with her change. Peter was there. At first he didn't know what to do, but after a few times, he gave her support. As much support as a child could give a child anyway.
She sat on the edge of the table and waited. She watched her mom walk around the kitchen for a few more minutes before walking out.
Annabell sat looking down at the floor, scratching around her shoulder blade. It looked a lot farther down from this height. Someone knocked and Annabell stood. Peter was here. She heard muttering at the door before Peter and her mom walked into the kitchen.
"Peter," Annabell beamed.
"Thumbelina," He joked back, Bell sticking her tongue out at him. He couldn't help but laugh. He held his hand flat, palm up, for Annabell to step onto. Peter set her on his shoulder, said goodbye to her mother and left.
"No shoes today," Peter asked as they walked down the street towards school.
Annabell scoffed. "Peter, I'm three inches tall. Who's going to care if I don't have shoes on? IF anyone sees me, that won't be their biggest concern."
Peter had to give her credit. She was right. "When are you going to get cool fairy powers? You're the size of one- OW!"
Annabell jabbed a small piece of wood into Peter's shoulder. "I'm not going to get any of that… I'm just…"
"Just what, Bell?" Peter's tone had taken an edge. "Cursed? Bewitched? Charmed? What? There is no way that you shrinking for only the gods know how long at a time is normal on any level. Your shrink time is getting longer. The first time it was only a few hours. The next, a day. The last time, it was over two weeks. Who knows. Maybe one of these days, you won't change back."
You can't really blame Peter for getting upset. Bell had brushed off her changing as something that would go away. He didn't like her being that helpless. But he couldn't deny, her being so small had it perks
Annabell looked down. She knew Peter was only worried.
He walked around a corner and towards the front of the school. Annabell climbed down into his jacket pocket, hanging her arms over the side so she could see.
"Don't crush me, please." Her tone was half joking and it earned a smile.
"Never."
"Never is an awfully long time, Peter." Bell grinned up at him.
"Never is only the beginning." Peter replied with a smile on his face.
