"I suppose I do," said Diana.
"But why would you want to do something so awful?" asked Skip.
"It wouldn't be awful," said Diana, "When I first saw Boy Archer, part of me wanted to gobble him all up. He later told me that he almost wanted me to do it too. But we both found ourselves rapidly and deeply in love, and that took priority. From time to time, in our more carefree moods, we almost went ahead with it."
"What stopped you?" asked Skip.
"Mainly our romance, but also a little, the need to go on teaming up as Winner Woman and Boy Archer to bring wife bashers to justice," said Diana, "But you're not a crime fighter, and we're not in love."
"I am in love with YOU," said Skip.
"Yes, but since I'm not in a position to reciprocate, and you're as young as Boy Archer used to be, and just as tasty looking, it would be nice to eat you all up to solve the conundrum of you knowing my secret identity."
"Well now that you've explained it, I can understand why the idea appeals to you," said Skip.
"I thought you would," said Diana.
"I can't say that it doesn't appeal to me at all. It just doesn't appeal as much, because there's not a lot I can continue to do as part of your tummy."
"But does it appeal to you enough to go along with me on it?" asked Diana.
"I love you very much, but I just couldn't say yes," said Skip, "Sorry about that."
"It's alright. I allowed for that possibility," said Diana, "That's why I didn't bring it up until we got here. I'll make it as pleasant and enjoyable for you as I can."
"Do you mean that you're going to eat me up without my agreement?" asked Skip.
"From your perspective, I'm afraid so. As the relevant gobbler, I have no such reservations. I'm sure you'll be a wonderful Sunday dinner."
"Sunday! You're only giving me one more day!"
"We'll have to decide how to spend it."
"Yes … Could I cuddle up with you tonight?"
"That wouldn't be fair to Boy Archer," said Diana.
"Do you think you're being fair to ME?" asked Skip.
"Within reason. I'm not in love with you. Skip and I have been together for two years, and we'll be together for many more. You'll be with me in a way too, but it's not the same."
"You're telling me," said Skip despondently.
"Heyyy," she said, "It's not lost on me that you wouldn't be here, if you didn't feel the way you do. That means something to me, and it certainly will tomorrow night."
"Thank you," said Skip.
It was late in the day. They talked their way through dinner and then she put him to bed. He lay down and watched her walk out of the room. The next day they made the most of each other's company until the middle of the afternoon. Then Skip said he was feeling tired, from all the times he had run to keep up with her giant strides.
"Would you like to lie down for a while?" she said, "In a few hours, it'll be time to go into the kitchen."
"Yes please. I guess there's many a Skip 'twixt the gulp and the lip," said Skip.
"Well soon there will be," said Diana.
She was wearing a feminine dress. This time the sight of her walking out of the room and closing the door was far more captivating to Skip. As he settled on the tiny bed, he considered the fact that her next walk through that doorway would be to collect him and make him ready, so that she could have him for her dinner. The imminence of the event became even more prevalent in his mind.
CENTURIES EARLIER …
Concealing himself from girls and teachers alike, living on foods which grew in the gardens, Theo waited until school term began, and then chose a weekend day to sneak into the school's chemistry class room. He had been a successful science student back in his own land, and began experimenting with chemical combinations until he succeeded in enlarging himself to Mrs Grande's size as the sun was going down. He walked out into the school grounds, now a giant, and noticed that several girls and boys were making their way into the school hall. He walked in himself, and saw that a beginning of term dance was being held.
On the stage, about to make an opening announcement, was Mrs Grande, wearing a most beautiful dress. He saw a reaction to his presence in her eyes, which she quickly suppressed. When she finished her speech and walked down off the stage, he approached her as though he had come as her date, so that everyone would assume that. There was much talk among the teachers in those moments, about Mrs Grande's much younger boyfriend. It seemed that the widow had begun to date again.
"How did you pull this off?" asked Mrs Grande, somewhat coldly, but also intrigued.
He explained.
"You seem to be good at getting away with things," she said, "And to cap it off, you have everyone thinking that you're my date."
"Well then, would you like to help authenticate things, by dancing with me?" he asked.
"I suppose so. I didn't invite a partner to the dance," said Mrs Grande.
He took her in his arms and danced with her for hours. As the lights were turned down later in the evening, and the softer music started, he took a chance on kissing Mrs Grande on the cheek. When she didn't pull away, he glanced around and noticed that two couples were actually kissing on the lips on the dance floor.
Theo turned his head a little and brought his lips towards Mrs Grande's. Again she made no effort to resist him, and he found her lips were soon warmly pressed against his own.
It was the kiss of a lifetime for Theo, who had never kissed anyone before that night.
"I'll be the talk of the school," said Mrs Grande at last.
"I'm not complaining," said Theo.
"Don't think that this means I'm going to fall in love with you," said Mrs Grande, "You should have been in my stomach weeks ago."
"I know, but it is enjoyable to be with you all the same," said Theo.
"You haven't even thought where you're going to stay, have you?" she said, "I did bring you here. So you're my responsibility. I'll hire you as a gardener for the mansion, and let you use the guest quarters in the mansion."
"Thank you," said Theo, "I do intend to still make up for the attempted theft of your money. I'm ashamed of it, and I wish I'd never done it now. You mean a lot to me."
"You're a handsome boy, Theo, but you've let me down."
1979…
Sleep was not an option. Skip Graid had to hide. He jumped out of the bed and ran across the room and slid under a very low cupboard, which would still give him a good view of the door. In time, he saw the elegantly dressed Miss Dakarta open the door and walk into the room. It was not that wide or tall, but he was far smaller, and had ample space to conceal himself.
"It would seem that you've decided to try to delay this," she said and began to look for him, while narrating the story of her initial discovery of Boy Archer and the details of the tournament which had paired her with him indefinitely.
Soon Diana came over and lay down and peeked in at him.
"Would you like to be a good boy and come out?" she asked, "I've been your teacher all week."
"No," said Skip, "I'll stay here."
"Suit yourself," said Diana, and stood up again.
As he suddenly saw the cupboard lifted and carried away, he wished he'd chosen a larger one, that she had not been able to lift. Skip tried to duck sideways, as he saw her put down the cupboard on the far side of the room and walk back towards him. However, he didn't stand a chance now. The took a relaxed stroll across the room, stopped in front of him, reached down and closed her hand around him, lifting him high into the air.
"Thanks for the game. I enjoyed it," she said, and carried him into the kitchen.
Soon he found himself held by Diana, as she sat at a grand dining table, raised into the air, and held in front of her laughing mouth.
"Oh Miss Dakarta, it looks magnificent in there. I just wish this wasn't the only look I'm going to get."
"It's the only look you'll get of anything. I don't have any bio-luminescent food to send down ahead of you. Have a nice gulping," she said, and opened her mouth wide again.
It was hard to take in the fact that a super heroine was doing this to him.
He watched, helplessly, as she slowly delivered him onto her tongue and soon sent him sliding part of the way down her throat, before being gulped the rest of the way down.
CENTURIES EARLIER …
One afternoon, Mrs Grande was still in the headmistress's office after school, while Theo was gardening where the lawn met with a flower bed.
Suddenly the chemical combination that Theo had used to enlarge himself wore off, and he shrank back to his regular size. Mrs Grande could be back any minute. He darted into the garden and hid behind a flower and looked out.
Mrs Grande was walking across the lawn!
Had she seen him shrink? Had she seen him run into the flower bed? He waited and watched, until the point where she would either head on to the house or stop. She came to a halt and looked into the garden.
"I know you've lost your giant size. I saw you disappearing into this garden," she said, "You might as well come out. I have a much clearer bearing on your location this time, and I won't stop until I've caught you. You can either cooperate or be found and caught. In either event, you're going to be served on my table tonight."
The dress that she had worn to school that day accentuated her beauty, and she looked lovelier than ever towering in front of him, speaking those words. Theo began to back away into the bushes, but Mrs Grande wasted no time in stooping down and reaching into the garden. She soon spotted him, and picked him up and stepped back onto the lawn.
"This time you'll make good on your undertaking," said Mrs Grande, "I'm going to take you inside and gobble you all up for my dinner."
When she had him served on the table, he persuaded her to kiss him first, and then she placed him into her satisfied mouth and swallowed him not long afterwards.