It had been a particularly busy day and when they finally got the store closed, Liam and Jake were exhausted. They locked the front door, secured the money in the safe and flipped off the sales floor lights. When they pushed through the swinging door of the stock room to get Cody, they found him asleep at the receiving desk.
“That fucker!” said Jake, throwing his nametag on the ground. “We busted our asses out there all day and he didn’t even get the shipment opened!” Three palettes of unopened boxes sat in the loading bay where they’d been dropped off earlier. “Oh, he’s in for it now,” Jake started towards Cody.
“Hang on,” said Liam. “I’ve got an idea.” He pulled a roll of shrink-wrap out of the supply cabinet and held it up, grinning. “Remember when we wrapped Martin to the hand cart for being two hours late?”
“He was so mad,” Jake said. “He got so dizzy he almost puked! Alright, let’s do it.”
They went to the desk and Jake carefully pulled Cody’s chair back from it. Cody was collapsed in the chair with his arms draped over the sides and his head lolled back. A rope of drool hung out of the corner of his mouth and trickled over the brown scruff that covered his angular jaw line.
“Guess he’s having a good dream,” whispered Liam, gesturing at Cody’s crotch. A prominent bulge in Cody’s jeans curved along his hip and stuck out a bit at his side.
“Ugh,” said Jake softly. “He was always showing that thing off in the locker room back in high school. Half the girls at school came to our swim meets just to see him stuffed in a speedo. A lot of the guys too.”
“It’s kind of hot,” said Liam.
“I guess. Come on, help me get the roll started.”
Liam peeled the edge of the plastic wrap off the roll and held it out as Jake pulled the roll back until they had a few feet of it. They brought it to Cody’s chair and Liam held it in place as Jake started to walk around Cody with the roll. The plastic made some noise coming of but Cody didn’t seem disturbed by it.
“Man he’s really out,” said Liam.
“Yeah, I’m not surprised. Max had him on double shifts all week cause Brenda is out.”
“Oh,” said Liam. “Now I feel kind of bad doing this.”
“Nah, he’s got it coming. He’s such a tool.”
“He’s got such a tool,” Liam snickered.
Jake continued wrapping Cody up. After he’d gone around a few times, Liam stepped back and the wrap held in place. Jake picked up the pace. He wrapped Cody from his knees to his shoulders, going around and around until he was satisfied that Cody was secured. He cut the wrap from the roll and set it aside, then he stood in front of the slumbering Cody and cupped his hands around his mouth.
“Hey dumbass! Wake up Rip van Shithead!”
Cody jerked awake, causing the chair to roll a couple feet.
“What?” He blinked at the two guys standing in front of him. “Oh shit, was I asleep?” He tried to get up and realized he couldn’t move. “What the hell?”
“You snooze you lose,” said Jake.
“What the fuck, guys?” Cody struggled to break free of the wrap. The chair jerked and rolled around but he couldn’t get the layers of wrap loose.
“You slept through your whole shift,” said Liam. “Store’s closed.”
“Fuck, I didn’t mean to. Come on, let me out of this.”
“No way,” said Jake. “I think you should spend the whole night here.”
“Wait, that wasn’t what I meant,” Liam said, looking at Jake.
“But first,” said Jake, “we need to finish the job.” He grabbed the heat gun off the desk and held it up.
“No, come on!” said Cody.
“Jake, I’m not sure that’s safe,” said Liam.
“It’s fine,” said Jake. “I want him in there nice and tight so he doesn’t get free overnight.” Jake switched the gun on low and it started blowing. He pointed the gun at the wrap and started to move it along its length. The wrap shimmered and smoothed out a bit, but it didn’t change much.
Cody struggled and kicked his legs out, trying to get free. He managed to shift the chair away from Jake, but Jake just hauled it back. He continued heating the wrap, keeping a foot on one of the chair’s wheels to hold it in place.
“Dude, it’s not doing anything, he’s already wrapped up tight,” said Liam.
“No, I can see it compressing.”
Liam watched and he saw the wrap was actually constricting somehow. He was confused about what he was seeing at first but as he watched, it became clear. The wrap was shrinking, as it was designed to do, but it was taking the chair and Cody with it.
“Holy shit!” said Liam. “Jake! He’s getting smaller!”
Jake paused and looked at Liam skeptically.
“I’m serious!” said Liam. “Stand up and see for yourself!”
Jake stood and looked at Cody. The top of Cody’s head was about even with the top of Jake’s abs. It seemed lower than it should be, but he hadn’t paid much attention before. He heated the wrap more and watched. It did seem like Cody and the chair were squeezing inward. When he stood again, he saw that the top of Cody’s head was a few inches lower than before.
“No way!” said Jake. “He really is shrinking!”
“Seriously guys?” said Cody. “That’s your big prank, pretending I’m shrinking? Come on, stop playing around and cut me loose from this.”
“It’s not a joke,” said Liam. He looked at Jake. “I think we should stop.”
But Jake wasn’t paying him any attention, he was staring down at Cody with wide, gleeful eyes.
“This is fucking awesome!” he said. He knelt down and started running the heat gun over the shrink-wrap vigorously.
“Ugh, this is seriously lame dude.” said Cody.
Liam watched, captivated and troubled at the same time, as Cody, the chair and the wrap all diminished. This was wrong. He should do something to put a stop to it. But it was intriguing to watch, and somehow arousing. Liam’s cock was twitching in his pants as he watched his coworker shrink down.
Jake seemed to take great delight in what was happening as he jerked the heat gun back and forth along the shrink-wrap. Liam noticed a couple times that Jake grabbed the front of his pants to adjust himself. Cody watched Jake work, his face growing increasingly worried. When he was about half his normal size, he could no longer deny what was happening.
“What the fuck?” he said, his voice cracking as he stared up at Jake. “It’s actually shrinking me! Stop!”
He started to squirm and struggle harder than ever. He kicked his feet out, trying to maneuver the chair away from Jake. Jake just stood back and watched Cody scoot away from him.
“Where you going little guy? We’re not finished here, you’re still way too big.”
“Keep away from me!” said Cody.
“Aww, what’s the matter buddy? I’m not going to hurt you, I’m just making you a little more compact is all.” Jake started toward Cody. “Come on now, you got yourself into this, time to take your punishment.” He was swinging the heat gun around on it’s cord with a manic look on his face.
Cody kicked harder at the floor, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and Jake. Liam saw that Cody was pushing the chair right toward the handle of the push broom which lay discarded on the stock room floor.
“Look out!” Liam shouted, but it was too late. The chair’s wheels struck the handle and the chair tipped over. Cody yelped as he fell backwards to the floor.
“Whoops!” said Jake. “Guess you’re not going anywhere now.” He approached Cody, who was rocking left and right, trying to get the chair to move, but he was stuck like a turtle on its back. Jake knelt down next him. “Take it easy little guy, don’t want to tire yourself out yet.”
Cody didn’t like the sound of the word “yet.” Jake used to stand several inches shorter than him, but now looked large and intimidating. He turned to Liam.
“Help me Liam! Stop him, this is insane!”
Liam stood frozen in the same spot, watching.
“Jake,” he said. “I think this is going too far, we don’t even know if we can grow him back.”
But Jake paid him no attention as he crouched next to the fallen Cody. He started to use the heat gun again and Cody’s shrinking resumed. He was thrashing in the chair as he got smaller, desperate to escape, but the warm layers of wrap held him tight to the chair. Cody was giggling as he watched his former swim team rival shrink down.
Cody was about a quarter of his normal size when suddenly the heat gun stopped. Jake frowned at it. He flipped the switch a couple times but nothing happened. He saw that Cody was staring past him in relief and Jake turned to look. Liam stood behind him holding the unplugged cord to the gun.
“We gotta stop dude,” said Liam. “This is fucked up. Unwrap him.”
Jake stood, staring at Liam with malice.
“If you’ve got such a boner for Tiny Tim here, you unwrap him.”
“Fine.”
Liam pushed past Jake and knelt by the shrunken Cody. He was fascinated by the sight of the little guy. For a moment all he could do was stare. Cody was looking up at him, cautiously optimistic. Liam ran his fingers over the wrap, searching for the end of it. He had just barely found it and started to pull it apart when he was grabbed from behind. He was so surprised he didn’t resist at first. By the time he started to struggle, Jake was already pushing him face down against the floor, his wrists behind his back. Liam’s slim frame was no match for Jake’s stockier one.
“What are you doing?” Liam grunted. “Dude, have you completely lost it?”
Jake kneeled on Liam’s back, twisting his arms painfully behind him as his knees settled on them. The side of Liam’s face burned where it slid against the concrete floor. Nearby, Cody was thrashing and yelling. Liam felt something small and plastic against his wrists. He couldn’t see what it was but as it tightened up he recognized the sound of the zip ties they used to secure signage on the sales floor. The tie bound his hands together behind him.
Liam bucked against Jake who sat atop him. He felt the weight on his back shift around and then he felt Jake grasping his ankles. He tried to pull them free and the pair fought against each other for a second, but Jake got his arm around Liam’s legs and a moment later Liam felt another zip tie tighten around his ankles.
Jake got off of him and Liam was able to roll himself on his back to see the other guy coming toward him with a malevolent grin on his face and the roll of shrink-wrap in his hands. Liam stopped moving as he got a sinking feeling in his chest.
“Jake don’t,” said Liam. “Dude, don’t do this.”
Jake said nothing, he just spread the wrap across Liam’s chest as Liam watched helplessly. Jake roughly shoved him over onto his stomach and spread the wrap across his back. Liam glanced at Cody, who lay bound to his chair, watching anxiously.
Jake turned Liam around several times, encircling him in a layer of shrink wrap, moving lower as he went until Liam was rolled up from his shoulders to his knees. Jake stood and looked down at his new captive, nudging him with the toe of his sneaker.
“Stay put Liam,” said Jake. “I’ll take care of you in a minute.”
He plugged the heat gun back into the wall and turned to Cody. He crouched over the shrunken guy. Cody stared up at him.
“Jake come on, how much smaller are you going to make me?”
“As small as I want,” said Jake. He turned on the heat and continued shrinking Cody. With nothing else he could do, Cody turned toward Liam where he lay bound on the floor and watched him grow larger.
“There,” Jake said eventually, turning off the gun. “You’re like a little action figure.” He laughed. “Shit, you’re barely as tall as my hand!” He scooped Cody up, chair and all and brought him over to the receiving desk, setting the chair upright on top of it. Cody looked at the giant, trying to estimate his new size.
“How big…” he croaked.
“Good question,” said Jake. He got the tape measure out of the drawer and held it up to Cody. “You’re a little over four inches seated there, so I guess maybe five or six if you were standing. Smaller than a Ken doll. Maybe I should put you out with the G.I. Joes.” Jake poked the side of Cody’s chair and it rolled along the surface of the desk toward Jake’s other hand. When it came to a stop, he pushed it back the other way. He continued to bat Cody back and forth, watching the little guy slide around.
“Look,” said Cody, “I’m sorry I fell asleep, but this is way worse than anything I did. Let me go, okay?”
“Remember G.I. Joes when were kids?” said Jake, ignoring Cody’s plea as he continued to roll him around the desktop. “Remember in third grade at Kyle DeLancey’s birthday party when you and Kyle were playing with them and you wouldn’t let me have any? Did you ever imagine one day you’d be the size of one, and all mine?” Jake laughed. “I mean, you’re kind of the most boring action figure ever. Stock boy! Comes with his own clipboard! I don’t think the kids would be fighting over you.”
Cody didn’t say anything, the constant motion was making him dizzy. Jake toyed with him a few moments longer and then he stood up suddenly.
“But you need a sidekick!” He turned to Liam where he lay on the floor.
Liam had been trying to work his arms free of the shrink-wrap while Jake was playing with Cody. He’d gotten them to shift slightly and he was starting to get hopeful, but that hope turned to dread when he saw Jake approach him. Jake stood over him with the heat gun, grinning.
“Guess whose turn it is now,” said Jake.
Liam started thrashing. He tried to crawl away from Jake, and managed to inch away a bit, but Jake put a stop to that by pressing his sneaker against Liam’s legs.
“Nuh uh uh!” Jake tutted. “You’re not going anywhere. Since you were so eager to help little Cody out, you can join him.”
“Jake! Bro! We’re buddies, right? Come on, don’t shrink me!”
“Shhh. Just be quiet and enjoy the ride, Liam.”
Jake turned the heat gun on and started to use it on Liam. At first Liam thought maybe it wouldn’t work. Maybe it had just been a fluke with Cody. After a moment that hope faded when he saw how large Jake’s foot had become against his leg. Liam protested and squirmed uselessly as the room around him and the guy above him grew larger. He could see Jake was getting excited, he had a noticeable bulge in the front of his jeans. Liam shrank smaller and smaller, his head and feet dragging along the floor as he collapsed inward on himself. When it finally stopped, the room looked enormous, and nothing more so than the aroused giant standing over him.
“There we are. Just look at you!” Jake chuckled, flipping the heat gun off. “Mini Liam, all wrapped up to go.” He picked Liam up and held him close to his face. “You look like a little Liam spring roll. I wonder how tasty you would be?” Jake licked his lips.
“No! Please, don’t eat me!” Liam thrashed in terror.
“Calm down little guy, I’m only teasing.” Jake laughed. He poked Liam in the belly and watched him wriggle. “You need to lighten up, toys are supposed to be fun!”
He carried Liam over to the receiving desk and set him down next to Cody. Jake stared at the pair, rubbing his bulge. The two smaller guys looked at each other, bewildered at their strange predicament.
“Now you fellas just stay right there, I’ll get you all packed up and then we can leave.” Jake told them. He turned away from the desk for a moment and they watched him assemble a small cardboard box. He shoved a sheet of bubble wrap in the bottom and set it down on the desk. Then he grabbed a pair of scissors. The pair squirmed at the sight of them.
“Alright, settle down,” said Jake. He picked up Cody’s chair and brought the scissors close. Cody clenched his eyes shut as they approached, but Jake just started to trim the shrink wrap away. He struggled a couple times to get the blade up under the tight wrapping but eventually he got the shrink wrap off and lifted Cody out of the chair. He saw that there was a long hole up the side of Cody’s right sleeve. “Oops,” he said. “Good thing you held still.” Cody stared at the hole, then at the giant holding him.
Jake set Cody down in the box on the bubble wrap, then turned away. Cody ran to the edge of the box, stumbling on the squishy floor below him. He didn’t even weigh enough to pop the bubbles. When he got to the wall of the box he jumped, trying to grab the edge where the side became the upper flap, but it was too high. He could hear Jake cutting away outside the box. A few moments later, Liam dropped into the box, unwrapped and freed from the zip ties. There was a long open slit up the side of his jeans.
“You two be good in there now,” said Jake.
He put another sheet of bubble wrap on top of them and then closed the flaps of the box, plunging them in darkness. A moment later they could hear packing tape being applied to the top.
Cody ran to where Liam was. He was surprised as they stood next to each other. Cody had always been bigger than Liam, but the contrast was greater now, Liam barely came up to his chest.
“Fuck,” said Liam, looking nervous. He took a step back.
Cody was conflicted. Part of him wanted to clock the smaller man for his role in what had happened. But he had tried to stop it, eventually, and got himself shrunk for doing so. And seeing him so small and afraid now made it hard for Cody to stay mad. He sighed.
“You okay?”
“Uh… Yeah, I think so.” Liam seemed relieved at the question. He fingered the slit in his jeans. “That was kind of close though.”
“Yeah.” Cody showed Liam the hole in his shirt. “It could have gone bad.”
Liam looked like he was going to say something, but then the box lurched and rose swiftly upward and they were both knocked off their feet, landing on the soft bubble wrap. Liam tried to stand but the box was tipping back and forth as it moved and he fell over again.
“I think we’re better off down here,” said Cody.
“Where do you think he’s taking us?”
“I dunno, his apartment?”
“What do you think he’s going to do?”
“Guess we’ll find out.”
Outside the box, Jake was almost to the door when he had a thought. He went back to the desk, picked up the shrunken chair and threw it in the trash. Then he grabbed the remaining shrink wrap and the heat gun. You never knew when it might come in handy.
