Chapter Seven: Broken

Eric thought it was unacceptable; he had just goten his office right when all of a sudden he had to evacuate the city with everyone else. Didn't they know he was an important person? Now he was working in a smaller building, crammed in with people less important than him, it was undignified. Though it had its upsides, every now an then a female secretary would walk past his desk and he was able to get a good look at her as she passed by. There was a certain red head who wore a tight blouse and low cut dress that, whenever she passed him, would give him a cheeky wink. Oh yeah, she definitely has the hots for me! He thought.

His desk was covered in different coloured papers with different business items written on them. He had many photo frames spread over his desktop all containing pictures of only himself, and nothing linking him to his home town. His computer desktop even had a picture of him and a supermodel; he used Photoshop for that one. He then got up to get some more coffee, it had been a long day, several other guys were there discussing what had happened, they all had theories. As Eric poured himself a cup of Joe one of the guys nudged him to get his attention.

"Hey, Beadle! That red head that keeps flirting with you is just over there. Why don't you go over there and score?" he asked Eric. The red head was talking to a fellow secretary just outside an office; Eric looked at her from across the room then back to his fellow colleagues.

"Why not? I mean she clearly wants me and who can blame her? Now step back and watch the master!" he told them. He slowly made his way through the desks and other office workers until finally he reached the red head and placed his hand behind her on the wall. He gave her a smile, "So you doing anything tonight?" he asked her.

The woman was about to answer when she looked over his shoulder and screamed loudly before running towards the elevators. Eric was puzzled, What just happened? He checked his breath to see if that was the cause, it wasn't. Then suddenly the building briefly shook, making Eric spin on the spot and see a large amount of red outside the window, it almost looked like a shirt but it was way too big!

Then a giant hand rose up and pressed against the window causing it to smash, everyone else started to flee in panic and head for the exits but Eric stayed fixed to the spot, his legs unable to move. The giant arm reached in deeper and deeper into the building, brushing against pillars and crumpling desks in the way, until the hand found Eric and wrapped its large fingers round his middle, lifting him up and out the window into the night sky.

He shielded his face, thinking he was about to fall to the ground, but instead he stayed in mid air. Slowly he lowered his hands from his face and that's when he caught the face of a familiar figure. "S-Sarah?!" he stuttered.

Sarah smiled with joy as she held her boyfriend in her hands, "Oh, Derek! You wouldn't believe my last five weeks! You just wouldn't believe it!" she exclaimed.

She then brought him to her lips and gave him a long and passionate kiss, Eric nearly losing his head in her mouth in the process. She then drew him in front of her face again, "When I was in that cold prison cell the image of you was the last thing I dreamt each night." She told him, "Oh, I missed you so much!" she beamed.

She then gave him a huge hug, holding him close to her bosom, she never wanted to let him go, but Eric was having the life squeezed out of him. He felt as if a bulldozer was crushing him into a large pillow and he could hardly breathe.

"Kant bruff! Rubz korappzin!" he mumbled from her chest. Sarah, realising what he said, quickly held him out in front of her with a panicked expression on her face as Eric gasped from the suffocation.

"Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Sarah apologised as she placed him on the roof of the building, "I'm still kinda getting used to my new strength," she explained.

Eric finally recovered and looked up, even though he was on the roof Sarah still towered over him, and he was able to take a proper look at how much Sarah had changed. "Wow! You really are big!" he told her.

"Yeah I am, but I'm still the same Sarah Miller you fell in love with," said Sarah.

"Except, your now 50 feet tall and nearly killed me with a hug just a minute ago," Eric pointed out.

"I didn't mean to crush you, I just wanted to feel you in my arms again," she said, looking down at her arms, remembering what she said before leaving Area 52. "Look, I know this is messed up right now. But we'll figure it out. I know that together we can find a way to return me to normal," she told him.

Eric didn't share her enthusiasm, nor did he look her in the eye. "Sarah, try to look at this from my point of view," he said slowly. "I now have a reputation to maintain and a lot of people depend on me, especially Mr Thresno. Do you really expect me to put all that aside to help you with your predicament that's your problem and yours alone?"

She stared at him with growing dread. "Yes," she answered, her voice quaking. "We've been through everything together since high school; we always talked about what our future would be like. Is that not what you want anymore?" asked Sarah.

"Of course it's what I want! But I've done a lot of thinking since the whole growing incident a month ago and my family told me that I need someone who doesn't cast a shadow over my career, and you're casting a larger shadow than most. I just don't think I can have a future with you anymore," replied Eric.

Sarah got down on her knees so she was level with him, "Eric, please don't do this." She pleaded, trying so hard not to cry.

"You have to face up to the facts now, Sarah," he said coldly. "You and I just can't ever be. It's over."

Sarah just knelt there, stunned, as she felt her whole world crumble apart.

Eric looked up at her. "Good luck, Sarah," he said quietly. He then turned his back on her and walked back into the building. Leaving Sarah alone as she rested her head on the building, tears trickling down her cheeks.