continued from
ali had more danger and bizarre surprises too:
it said, "obviously since only wizards can go thru glass."
"please go back in, i need a pet and i promise to take care of you and bring you lettuce that you like."
"but i feel trapped in the glass,
+same as you felt trapd in the drawer
and cant go anywhere."
"still you can have as much lettuce as you want and i will always take care of you and pet you" said ali.
grover sighed "i do like that" so grover walked thru the glass back into the cage and ali kept his word and rubbed his hand on grovers kneck and shoulders. ali's dangerous adventures will continue!
chapter 2
grover gray said "we should play outside." ali worried that when he is so small ANYTHING could be a danger. he argued but very politely, "i can't go outside this size we must stay in the box where we are safe."
"can't?" it replied, "you are ABLE. explain yourself more clearly, what do you fear?" asked the hairy hamster.
"everything is a danger when i am this size. and you, dont you fear an owl swooping down to eat you?" al asked.
"nope," it answered in a calm voice. then added "first of all size is not the issue even a small bee can hurt a big human. anyway, you should not fear because even if anything comes i will grow big to scare it away same as when i fed you to the drawer."
as if proving his point a buzz warned them of wings. al hoped it was just a fly that did not hurt but... soon he saw the yellow like the yellow warning of the traffic light. al thought that yellow was easy to see how would it hide from predators with yellow? then he realized that the yellow bees WERE easily visible yet were not eaten kuz they STING and are like the orange panther family that can be easily seen but not fear attackers. despite easy sighting tigers and lions are fast enuf to catch their victim even if the victim can see them.
suddenly al heard a LOUD roar. he felt terror and jumped! he recalled the boom of loud thunder louder than a rumble. he turned to the sound and saw the dandelion, it had roared like a lion. he was still trembling from fear despite realizing no danger. albert did not understand why he felt fear when no danger. the dandelion explained that the bee had landed on it. when it realized it carried no flower seed it chased the bee away with a roar.
the bee flew at al! now he had danger more than just a roar! he feared the sting. if his last sting had made a swollen bump what would the bee poison venom do now after he had changed size, when he was the size of a flower?
al barely had time to consider making himself large... but even large a sting would hurt same as the past. "aah" al screamed! he was so scared! luckily the sound scared the yellow bright bee. so it swerved and landed on the lip of the box.
"why did you wanna sting me?" whined bert.
"i have a family to feed." claimed the bee.
"they eat HONEY" sneared bert in a tone showing his disgust for the lie.
he was not exactly angry but disgusted by the lie. "adventurus tallus" he hollerd and started swelling big again. the bee felt scared of the growing human... and rushed in turning its stinger at the human... poor albert... was soon to suffer pain again... but a flash of red glowed and reflected from all the sides of the glass box as grover the gray saved his pal by killing the bee.
"oh no" moand the hairy hamster, "you changed too MANY times in the same day."
al now stood stuck between the size of a hamster and child size. he blamed the pet "you never advised me that i had a limit of changes".
it trie dto comfort him "it could be worse! some people change PART of their body when they try to stretch the limit. just imagine you try to shrink but only your thighs obey due to violating the limit then your tummy would be on your knee." it added a ryhme "knee tummy knee tummy."
al imagined his shin by his navel and added "yep or all my middle could obey but my face and chin would stay the same and my chin would be on my shin."
al giggled at the thought and at the rhyme chin and shin.
"seriously," warned the wizard-ster i did not know exactly how many times per day. some can change many times in a day maybe 6 times but your potential was less. you shrunk and grew for the butterfly and now you tried to grow again it was too many for you.
"what if my ma sees me like this?" al whined. he must be only two feet tall now. it put a paw in its mouth thinking and then took it out. "i dont know." it began shyly. then added "at this moment now. um but i am certain i will find a solution um later."
"were you a human wizard that changed to a pet?" guessed al.
"precisely, but not willingly. a different wizard tried to change me into a toad. when i said my charm it was weaker than his so it only partly sheildded me." he concluded sadly.
"that makes sense" commented al logicly.
"explain yourself" said the wizard. "i mean explain your words you cannot explain YOURSELF now that you changed after you came home."
al argued, in a stubborn and stern tone, "i AM still myself but i meant he tried to make a large change from human with warm blood to a different type so that was prevented and you only had a small change within the mammal family."
"that is no comfort, either way i lost my form."
"it could be worse, you could be far from human form."
"what kind of comfort is that? saying think of worse that doesnot comfort my problem that exists."
"huh? but THAT is what you said to me! you consider that a comfort." whined al in confusion as he was the target of blame. and he was the one needing comfort changing so many different sizes.
"for you i knew you were a kid and that would comfort a simple child."
"oh." was all he could say realizing that it had worked to comfort him.
al tried to stand taller and straighter so he would be bigger than a toddler.
grover complained back "before i tell you about my change i think you ought to tell me first."
"sure," agreed al, "tell you what?" he could not think of any good explanation what it referd to. he still had not recovered yet from the very unpleasant emotion of awkwardness.
the hamster changed itself into a toad, as if just to win the arguement, and disprove al's idea. it turned and hopped away and its tongue caught a fly the size of a raisin.
"come back!" whined al then he asked, "what did you want to know?"
"sorry," croaked the toad, "i just saw the fly and realized i would only enjoy it as a toad. anyway i want to know why you did not get a puppy?"
"kuz my stupid parents wont let me."
"so get one by yourself."
"i cant. i dont know how. there is nothing else i can do. maybe you could change into a puppy."
"that is not your destiny!" it reprimanded him sternly. "we all told you to get a puppy."
"my parents dont let me."
"then face your DOOM!" roared the toad changing form into... a bird that flew its sharp beak straight toward al. poor al! he would seen feel the pain of a sharp beak poking his soft ear... "wait" he whined... luckily it turned and swooped in a wide circle and landed on the dresser. al continued "it's not my fault.... it is not in my power. i have no money to buy any pet."
"that is a lie you got ME."
"by ma's choice."
it snapd its beak together like biting causing al to cringe.
"i guess that IS an important distinction." conceded the orinj oriole bird. it flew back to the box and transformed back into a hamster again."
" i am relieved that you controlled your temper."
"yes i was angry that you ignored all those messages but i can control my anger."
it folded its arms and said "nevertheless you are still not accomplishing your purpose."
"i DID everything i could! i tried asking my parents is the most i could, and i did it, so that should count as if i accomplished it." al argued.
"yes yes hmm. if you did the most you could which is ask, then they prevented you and it IS as if you did your purpose." it conceded sadly.
"please wizard change me to natural size." begged bert dreading he was stuck as a todller due to too many changes like a jammed engine.
"you just think you are too small. you are a good size." it argued.
"think? that is reality!" al whined full of frustration.
"oh please!" it interjected annoyed, "i know child size you were short for your class anyway so returning you is useless you would still be too short for your class."
"i guess you forgot your magic. that is why you make excuses. i will stay the same size and freak out my parents."
"how DARE you!" it hollerd, "i remember my magic."
"you cant remember that is why you make excuses." al repeated and paused.
his strategy worked.
"classus tallus" hissed the wizard the new enchantment.
albert inflated like a tall thin balloon. he returned to his natural size and then STRE-E-E-TCHED to the height taller than the tallest kid in class so his head was elongated up.
"i would settle for not shortest but thanks." he thanked as he examined himself in the mirror. his body had not added just stretched and it was worth it despite different than he had asked and expected.
"actually you would have returned to your natural size in a few minutes as the spell faded but you asked for MY help so i helped you the way i wanted to help." it explaind. then it added "which height do you prefer?"
"just the class average not to be the shortest anymore and make that bully who calls me short the shortest!"
"i can do that for you." it said this time in an agreeable tone.
it changed form again this time to a bright red robin. its left wing waved and al unstretched just a bit.
grover the gray transformed back to its natural hamster form and explained "the tallest kid in your class is 61 inches. you the shortest were 46 inches this morning. first i stretched you to 62 inches. but now you are in the middle 53 inches."
"i appreciate your effort but that is not average i am still the shortest kid at 53 inches if most of the kids are 58." ali felt VERY weird as he realized his head was the same amount f stuff just stretched up.
"not short-EST i did make the bully 46 inches and now he is FAT smushed down." al stifled a giggle at the phrase and the image!
"please make me average. um remember i gave you lettuce when you wanted it!" bert bargained.
"dont blame me YOU were thinking about the tall kids when you asked so i stretched you tallest in the class. i only saw you and the tallest."
while harry hamster said this he waved both arms like a bird flappiing its wings which helped him see all 36 brats. " i offer you a choice. average of class or of boys, i know you SAID class but now that i see the girls are consistently shorter maybe you meant your own gender?"
"good point! i had not thought that the tallest girl is less than the tallest boy i should know that they mature slower."
"actually they mature, um i mean height is different oh whatever."
"bab ded fof" grover the gray announced slowly.
al felt a change, a bit strange, and hoped at school he would fit in and not be shorter at all except compared to the unusually tall brats.
"i estimate that should do perfectly." boasted the wizard.
"now what do you want to play?" asked al.
"now that you are child size you are too big to play and i already changed you ENOUGH times each request now get out so i can rest."
al agreed. he left the room and hurried across the street to the girl who rode the bus with him to school.
he knocked on the door. "who's there?" asked a feminine voice.
"albert. is alexa home?"
the door swung open and there stood alexa. her eyes widened as she saw him and without delay she grabbed his shoulders and pulled herself up and kissed his cheek.
he was stunned he barely knew her but he guessed she had not decided only instinct caused her strange behavior.
luckily her ma had not seen she was far from the door.
alexa's mind switched back on and she recalled what she had done. "i did not mean more than: i am, am excited to see you." she clarified.
"wanna play something?" he asked.
"no way! you boys compete against each other we should not be AGAINST each other like stupid chess and backgammon."
"okay okay we can be on the same side and shoot the americans invading kuwait."
"what we never invaded kuwait."
"i know it is just in the game people like to shoot americans so they made the game and it is very popular. anyway we can be on the same side."
she wrinkled her nose in disgust. but did not want him to leave. "we can talk about why i hate that game." she stalled.
"i get it, you think we should not shoot at americans even in pretend game."
"exactly and that is dreadful to think people want to shoot us."
"well they are jealous that we have freedom and power and wealth and they wish we were dead so we cant enjoy it."
ma's voice came "that just about sums up the world opinion of us sally." as she stepped into view and gasped. "that came from YOUR mouth?" ma was truly shocked.
alexa recovered first "he is the smartest kid in our class and he came to do a quest on my video game."
"keep the door open" sneared ma as she wrinkled her nose and moved her extended finger under her throat like a threat to cut his head off. " i am not like that" he shaped his lips slowly for each word.
they sat on pillows in front of alexa's own wide screen. it was thin and hung on the wall. it must have been 65 inches diameter and they could see the wide area in great detail. they played the quest on the same team helping each other gather items and overcome obstacles and get points and exchange stuff in trade with other players. it was a complex story which albert didnot comprehend but it was something interesting to do with her and be near her.
"dinner time" ma's voice roared. the hours had passed in the complex mission. they went together and sat on the simple stools by the tall table. ma ladled out pasta with tomato sauce onto each plate. "save room for soup" ma urged. she brought him a napkin and as he took it she pointed at it.
"ma!" hollerd alexa as she grabbed the napkin and unfolded it. alexa read the secret mesage "dont lie. if she offered you would do it."
"she could do my homework whenever she offered" albert announced hiding that he knew she was continuing from long ago before they started palying the video game.
"why would i ever offer to do your work?" she squinted not noticing that the action ws his. ali handed the napkin to ali who opened it and wiped red sauce from his lips onto the message.
"oh just in theory. i TRUST you to do it right. that is what she meant that she knows i trust you."
ma returned with weiners and announced "these are veal and turkey."
she rolled two onto her daughters plate and two onto his plate. the last fifth one went on her plate. while she stood she took the knife cut her weiner in half and extending half to him said "this is yours."
albert understood and instead of calling her a sicko he said "i guess your ex really hurt you."
she nodded "men are dreadful. a merciful god would never create men."
"actually," ali corrected her "god did not create women."
alexa giglled and said "that was clever! he only made a man!"
ma was stubborn "that is not a refutation it just shows he is cruel god."
alexa annunced "time to chew." so they ate silently. after the normal meal of animal muscle well maybe weiners are not muscle, wheat pasta vejis and chicken soup from wings that had detached in the boiling water, albert announced "see you in school tmoro" as he headed for the door.
"i want you to sleep over" alexa said not so innocently. ma was trying to talk but no sound came out of her horrified throat.
"i would offer." she addded and then concluded "but not to do your homework."
"i am not like that" gasped albert as he fled from the strange girl.
he ran across the street and was lucky since he was too shocked to look whether cars were driving there. his parents were eating their dessert of hot mushy fudge. he politely said "enjoy the fudge." as he ran to his room and put his head in a pillow and cried and sobbed from fear that a strange girl wanted him that way. soon he was asleep and before he knew it the alarm was beeping to wake him for school.
he climbed out of bed in a dark daze. outside the window was the dark sky of dawn only a bit paler than night. he ran to the toilet room and drained lots of waste water. that caused him to rememebr he ate soup. maybe he should not eat liquids after 7 pm anymore. but then he would need to drink from 4pm to 6 pm so he would not feel thirty until 10.
he was already dressed so he just grabbed a different sweater and swapped it. said good morning to his wizard pet. pulled on his thick winter coat and went to the door to wait for the school bus. snow was falling. he saw alexa by her front window ready for the bus. she waved and blew a kiss. and that in contrast to the previous night was not to anger her ma.
the bus finally arrived. they ran out through the strong wind. the door of the bus faced alexa's home so he had to go around the front and enter. alexa sat as usual by her friend helin, and his pal birt brok saved his seat. when people called them bert and birt he would correct them my name is ali we are "alibirt".
he told birt about the quest game. at first brit listened politely but soon interrupted "did it have blood or death?"
"no it was amazing..."
"bo-o-oring." birt moaned. then birt boasted that he had killed more soldiers than anyone on his team... ali knew he meant americans and felt awkward that his friend shot americans even in a game. especially since birt was a muslim. he probably felt separate from america and wanted to kill all the infidels.
"which base was your mission" ali laid the trap for his pal to reveal his emotions. as birt told the story of their invasion of the american base in the video game ali searched his eyes for the joy of death to america.
but searching for hints was revealed as a waste as birt concluded his mission with the comment "serves you right for invading kuwait" as if it was not a game. that was too much for ali. he stood up and searched for an empty seat. as he sat down the brat said "you cant sit here get away from me you sex pervert." sadly the bus monitor was needed and present. "tommy you cant do that anymore."
tommy argued "everyone did it to me!"
"that was before i got hired." the monitor a fat overwieght actually obese 30 year old who DID look like a sex pervert who should not be around any young boys of any age handed the paper referal to tommy.
they sat silently. finally tommy said "i did not think you were a pervert i just said whatever people said about me that got me mad."
"i did not deny it" ali said vibrating his head like he was hypnotized.
tommy turned very very pale and pressed hisback against the bus window eyes stretched open.
finally the bus came to school and it was time for ali to see if his wish came true.
he entered the classroom and walked near the boys who were gathered standing and talking all looked exactly the same height and as he passed his eyes were even to each of them. "hey stretch" a voice came from far below. he had not even noticed the 46 inch kid. the same big bully but now his muscular arms were super thin and his tummy swollen like all his chest had been crammed into the belll.
the bully looked so, so pathetic that he did not even say the line he wanted to say "hi shrimp."
the other kids echoed "hey look at stretch" as if ali was different. ali pointed at charls cho "he is stretch not me." they all laughed "stretch is a freak stretch is a freak." ali felt awful... even though he was the height he wanted. everybody except two was exactly the same height excluding the bully and charls who was unusually tall. his 61 inches glared now that everybody else was exactly 57 the height for their age.
albert felt his arm yank. the shrimp had grabbed it despite being smaller he was the same person the same violent bully attacking the same freak business as usual but luckily he had no muscle and as he twisted his own hands to hurt him he was too weak to matter. "get off LEECH" he swung his arm and the bully flew several feet.
"oo-oo-oo" they brats chorusd. one brat said "ali thinks he is tough now."
he did not know why he felt so awful. he could finally defend himself and successfully defended himself but the brats still treated him acting like he was different they had ridiculed his size now what were they ridiculing that he was tough? that is not a flaw so why did he feel like such a reject.
teach enterd and the herd chorusd "ali called him a leech."
ali cringed in guilt he had said that mean word when he was attacked. before he could defend himself teach said "he does look like a leech and five points offf each of the rats. NEVER EVER get your class mates punished unless someone is bleeding.
"what if a girl is bleeding" asked one sicko.
"then you ought to report who pushed her."
"but sometimes girls just BLEED."
"oh then dont tell me."
meanwhile ali felt very very dizzy he looked around the room at all the boys exactly the same height no variety of just one day before. the girls had variety of heights but not the boys.
"i may be a leech but i still gave him a native american burn" boasted the bully.
"nice of you to confess" said teach. five bonus points for ali for not being a rat. and free period to ali for being a victim of violence. teach wrote a note. ali took the note and headed toward the computer lab to continue his quest online, using his new character. the hall monitor stopped him and hassled him. ali showed the paper but the idiot drunk with power kept threatening him and lying the note was a fake. so ali walked away to the lab the hall monitor continued shouting threatening you cant ignore me. but ali did. the monitor went and reported to the principal. the loudspeaker announced "albert alvirez to the principal office now. NOW."
something had changed in ali. not only his height. he was NOT himself and he stayed in the computer lab knowing the principal was too busy to come to him. and if he would he show the note and explain it was a false accusation to ruin his free period. so he just played and played and nobody disturbed.
when the bell rang the loudpeaker announced "everybody go home the snow is piling up and you might get trapped here school dismissed.
ali was happy to go home to his new pet when he could shrink and have more adventures!!
to be continued.
"please go back in, i need a pet and i promise to take care of you and bring you lettuce that you like."
"but i feel trapped in the glass,
+same as you felt trapd in the drawer
and cant go anywhere."
"still you can have as much lettuce as you want and i will always take care of you and pet you" said ali.
grover sighed "i do like that" so grover walked thru the glass back into the cage and ali kept his word and rubbed his hand on grovers kneck and shoulders. ali's dangerous adventures will continue!
chapter 2
grover gray said "we should play outside." ali worried that when he is so small ANYTHING could be a danger. he argued but very politely, "i can't go outside this size we must stay in the box where we are safe."
"can't?" it replied, "you are ABLE. explain yourself more clearly, what do you fear?" asked the hairy hamster.
"everything is a danger when i am this size. and you, dont you fear an owl swooping down to eat you?" al asked.
"nope," it answered in a calm voice. then added "first of all size is not the issue even a small bee can hurt a big human. anyway, you should not fear because even if anything comes i will grow big to scare it away same as when i fed you to the drawer."
as if proving his point a buzz warned them of wings. al hoped it was just a fly that did not hurt but... soon he saw the yellow like the yellow warning of the traffic light. al thought that yellow was easy to see how would it hide from predators with yellow? then he realized that the yellow bees WERE easily visible yet were not eaten kuz they STING and are like the orange panther family that can be easily seen but not fear attackers. despite easy sighting tigers and lions are fast enuf to catch their victim even if the victim can see them.
suddenly al heard a LOUD roar. he felt terror and jumped! he recalled the boom of loud thunder louder than a rumble. he turned to the sound and saw the dandelion, it had roared like a lion. he was still trembling from fear despite realizing no danger. albert did not understand why he felt fear when no danger. the dandelion explained that the bee had landed on it. when it realized it carried no flower seed it chased the bee away with a roar.
the bee flew at al! now he had danger more than just a roar! he feared the sting. if his last sting had made a swollen bump what would the bee poison venom do now after he had changed size, when he was the size of a flower?
al barely had time to consider making himself large... but even large a sting would hurt same as the past. "aah" al screamed! he was so scared! luckily the sound scared the yellow bright bee. so it swerved and landed on the lip of the box.
"why did you wanna sting me?" whined bert.
"i have a family to feed." claimed the bee.
"they eat HONEY" sneared bert in a tone showing his disgust for the lie.
he was not exactly angry but disgusted by the lie. "adventurus tallus" he hollerd and started swelling big again. the bee felt scared of the growing human... and rushed in turning its stinger at the human... poor albert... was soon to suffer pain again... but a flash of red glowed and reflected from all the sides of the glass box as grover the gray saved his pal by killing the bee.
"oh no" moand the hairy hamster, "you changed too MANY times in the same day."
al now stood stuck between the size of a hamster and child size. he blamed the pet "you never advised me that i had a limit of changes".
it trie dto comfort him "it could be worse! some people change PART of their body when they try to stretch the limit. just imagine you try to shrink but only your thighs obey due to violating the limit then your tummy would be on your knee." it added a ryhme "knee tummy knee tummy."
al imagined his shin by his navel and added "yep or all my middle could obey but my face and chin would stay the same and my chin would be on my shin."
al giggled at the thought and at the rhyme chin and shin.
"seriously," warned the wizard-ster i did not know exactly how many times per day. some can change many times in a day maybe 6 times but your potential was less. you shrunk and grew for the butterfly and now you tried to grow again it was too many for you.
"what if my ma sees me like this?" al whined. he must be only two feet tall now. it put a paw in its mouth thinking and then took it out. "i dont know." it began shyly. then added "at this moment now. um but i am certain i will find a solution um later."
"were you a human wizard that changed to a pet?" guessed al.
"precisely, but not willingly. a different wizard tried to change me into a toad. when i said my charm it was weaker than his so it only partly sheildded me." he concluded sadly.
"that makes sense" commented al logicly.
"explain yourself" said the wizard. "i mean explain your words you cannot explain YOURSELF now that you changed after you came home."
al argued, in a stubborn and stern tone, "i AM still myself but i meant he tried to make a large change from human with warm blood to a different type so that was prevented and you only had a small change within the mammal family."
"that is no comfort, either way i lost my form."
"it could be worse, you could be far from human form."
"what kind of comfort is that? saying think of worse that doesnot comfort my problem that exists."
"huh? but THAT is what you said to me! you consider that a comfort." whined al in confusion as he was the target of blame. and he was the one needing comfort changing so many different sizes.
"for you i knew you were a kid and that would comfort a simple child."
"oh." was all he could say realizing that it had worked to comfort him.
al tried to stand taller and straighter so he would be bigger than a toddler.
grover complained back "before i tell you about my change i think you ought to tell me first."
"sure," agreed al, "tell you what?" he could not think of any good explanation what it referd to. he still had not recovered yet from the very unpleasant emotion of awkwardness.
the hamster changed itself into a toad, as if just to win the arguement, and disprove al's idea. it turned and hopped away and its tongue caught a fly the size of a raisin.
"come back!" whined al then he asked, "what did you want to know?"
"sorry," croaked the toad, "i just saw the fly and realized i would only enjoy it as a toad. anyway i want to know why you did not get a puppy?"
"kuz my stupid parents wont let me."
"so get one by yourself."
"i cant. i dont know how. there is nothing else i can do. maybe you could change into a puppy."
"that is not your destiny!" it reprimanded him sternly. "we all told you to get a puppy."
"my parents dont let me."
"then face your DOOM!" roared the toad changing form into... a bird that flew its sharp beak straight toward al. poor al! he would seen feel the pain of a sharp beak poking his soft ear... "wait" he whined... luckily it turned and swooped in a wide circle and landed on the dresser. al continued "it's not my fault.... it is not in my power. i have no money to buy any pet."
"that is a lie you got ME."
"by ma's choice."
it snapd its beak together like biting causing al to cringe.
"i guess that IS an important distinction." conceded the orinj oriole bird. it flew back to the box and transformed back into a hamster again."
" i am relieved that you controlled your temper."
"yes i was angry that you ignored all those messages but i can control my anger."
it folded its arms and said "nevertheless you are still not accomplishing your purpose."
"i DID everything i could! i tried asking my parents is the most i could, and i did it, so that should count as if i accomplished it." al argued.
"yes yes hmm. if you did the most you could which is ask, then they prevented you and it IS as if you did your purpose." it conceded sadly.
"please wizard change me to natural size." begged bert dreading he was stuck as a todller due to too many changes like a jammed engine.
"you just think you are too small. you are a good size." it argued.
"think? that is reality!" al whined full of frustration.
"oh please!" it interjected annoyed, "i know child size you were short for your class anyway so returning you is useless you would still be too short for your class."
"i guess you forgot your magic. that is why you make excuses. i will stay the same size and freak out my parents."
"how DARE you!" it hollerd, "i remember my magic."
"you cant remember that is why you make excuses." al repeated and paused.
his strategy worked.
"classus tallus" hissed the wizard the new enchantment.
albert inflated like a tall thin balloon. he returned to his natural size and then STRE-E-E-TCHED to the height taller than the tallest kid in class so his head was elongated up.
"i would settle for not shortest but thanks." he thanked as he examined himself in the mirror. his body had not added just stretched and it was worth it despite different than he had asked and expected.
"actually you would have returned to your natural size in a few minutes as the spell faded but you asked for MY help so i helped you the way i wanted to help." it explaind. then it added "which height do you prefer?"
"just the class average not to be the shortest anymore and make that bully who calls me short the shortest!"
"i can do that for you." it said this time in an agreeable tone.
it changed form again this time to a bright red robin. its left wing waved and al unstretched just a bit.
grover the gray transformed back to its natural hamster form and explained "the tallest kid in your class is 61 inches. you the shortest were 46 inches this morning. first i stretched you to 62 inches. but now you are in the middle 53 inches."
"i appreciate your effort but that is not average i am still the shortest kid at 53 inches if most of the kids are 58." ali felt VERY weird as he realized his head was the same amount f stuff just stretched up.
"not short-EST i did make the bully 46 inches and now he is FAT smushed down." al stifled a giggle at the phrase and the image!
"please make me average. um remember i gave you lettuce when you wanted it!" bert bargained.
"dont blame me YOU were thinking about the tall kids when you asked so i stretched you tallest in the class. i only saw you and the tallest."
while harry hamster said this he waved both arms like a bird flappiing its wings which helped him see all 36 brats. " i offer you a choice. average of class or of boys, i know you SAID class but now that i see the girls are consistently shorter maybe you meant your own gender?"
"good point! i had not thought that the tallest girl is less than the tallest boy i should know that they mature slower."
"actually they mature, um i mean height is different oh whatever."
"bab ded fof" grover the gray announced slowly.
al felt a change, a bit strange, and hoped at school he would fit in and not be shorter at all except compared to the unusually tall brats.
"i estimate that should do perfectly." boasted the wizard.
"now what do you want to play?" asked al.
"now that you are child size you are too big to play and i already changed you ENOUGH times each request now get out so i can rest."
al agreed. he left the room and hurried across the street to the girl who rode the bus with him to school.
he knocked on the door. "who's there?" asked a feminine voice.
"albert. is alexa home?"
the door swung open and there stood alexa. her eyes widened as she saw him and without delay she grabbed his shoulders and pulled herself up and kissed his cheek.
he was stunned he barely knew her but he guessed she had not decided only instinct caused her strange behavior.
luckily her ma had not seen she was far from the door.
alexa's mind switched back on and she recalled what she had done. "i did not mean more than: i am, am excited to see you." she clarified.
"wanna play something?" he asked.
"no way! you boys compete against each other we should not be AGAINST each other like stupid chess and backgammon."
"okay okay we can be on the same side and shoot the americans invading kuwait."
"what we never invaded kuwait."
"i know it is just in the game people like to shoot americans so they made the game and it is very popular. anyway we can be on the same side."
she wrinkled her nose in disgust. but did not want him to leave. "we can talk about why i hate that game." she stalled.
"i get it, you think we should not shoot at americans even in pretend game."
"exactly and that is dreadful to think people want to shoot us."
"well they are jealous that we have freedom and power and wealth and they wish we were dead so we cant enjoy it."
ma's voice came "that just about sums up the world opinion of us sally." as she stepped into view and gasped. "that came from YOUR mouth?" ma was truly shocked.
alexa recovered first "he is the smartest kid in our class and he came to do a quest on my video game."
"keep the door open" sneared ma as she wrinkled her nose and moved her extended finger under her throat like a threat to cut his head off. " i am not like that" he shaped his lips slowly for each word.
they sat on pillows in front of alexa's own wide screen. it was thin and hung on the wall. it must have been 65 inches diameter and they could see the wide area in great detail. they played the quest on the same team helping each other gather items and overcome obstacles and get points and exchange stuff in trade with other players. it was a complex story which albert didnot comprehend but it was something interesting to do with her and be near her.
"dinner time" ma's voice roared. the hours had passed in the complex mission. they went together and sat on the simple stools by the tall table. ma ladled out pasta with tomato sauce onto each plate. "save room for soup" ma urged. she brought him a napkin and as he took it she pointed at it.
"ma!" hollerd alexa as she grabbed the napkin and unfolded it. alexa read the secret mesage "dont lie. if she offered you would do it."
"she could do my homework whenever she offered" albert announced hiding that he knew she was continuing from long ago before they started palying the video game.
"why would i ever offer to do your work?" she squinted not noticing that the action ws his. ali handed the napkin to ali who opened it and wiped red sauce from his lips onto the message.
"oh just in theory. i TRUST you to do it right. that is what she meant that she knows i trust you."
ma returned with weiners and announced "these are veal and turkey."
she rolled two onto her daughters plate and two onto his plate. the last fifth one went on her plate. while she stood she took the knife cut her weiner in half and extending half to him said "this is yours."
albert understood and instead of calling her a sicko he said "i guess your ex really hurt you."
she nodded "men are dreadful. a merciful god would never create men."
"actually," ali corrected her "god did not create women."
alexa giglled and said "that was clever! he only made a man!"
ma was stubborn "that is not a refutation it just shows he is cruel god."
alexa annunced "time to chew." so they ate silently. after the normal meal of animal muscle well maybe weiners are not muscle, wheat pasta vejis and chicken soup from wings that had detached in the boiling water, albert announced "see you in school tmoro" as he headed for the door.
"i want you to sleep over" alexa said not so innocently. ma was trying to talk but no sound came out of her horrified throat.
"i would offer." she addded and then concluded "but not to do your homework."
"i am not like that" gasped albert as he fled from the strange girl.
he ran across the street and was lucky since he was too shocked to look whether cars were driving there. his parents were eating their dessert of hot mushy fudge. he politely said "enjoy the fudge." as he ran to his room and put his head in a pillow and cried and sobbed from fear that a strange girl wanted him that way. soon he was asleep and before he knew it the alarm was beeping to wake him for school.
he climbed out of bed in a dark daze. outside the window was the dark sky of dawn only a bit paler than night. he ran to the toilet room and drained lots of waste water. that caused him to rememebr he ate soup. maybe he should not eat liquids after 7 pm anymore. but then he would need to drink from 4pm to 6 pm so he would not feel thirty until 10.
he was already dressed so he just grabbed a different sweater and swapped it. said good morning to his wizard pet. pulled on his thick winter coat and went to the door to wait for the school bus. snow was falling. he saw alexa by her front window ready for the bus. she waved and blew a kiss. and that in contrast to the previous night was not to anger her ma.
the bus finally arrived. they ran out through the strong wind. the door of the bus faced alexa's home so he had to go around the front and enter. alexa sat as usual by her friend helin, and his pal birt brok saved his seat. when people called them bert and birt he would correct them my name is ali we are "alibirt".
he told birt about the quest game. at first brit listened politely but soon interrupted "did it have blood or death?"
"no it was amazing..."
"bo-o-oring." birt moaned. then birt boasted that he had killed more soldiers than anyone on his team... ali knew he meant americans and felt awkward that his friend shot americans even in a game. especially since birt was a muslim. he probably felt separate from america and wanted to kill all the infidels.
"which base was your mission" ali laid the trap for his pal to reveal his emotions. as birt told the story of their invasion of the american base in the video game ali searched his eyes for the joy of death to america.
but searching for hints was revealed as a waste as birt concluded his mission with the comment "serves you right for invading kuwait" as if it was not a game. that was too much for ali. he stood up and searched for an empty seat. as he sat down the brat said "you cant sit here get away from me you sex pervert." sadly the bus monitor was needed and present. "tommy you cant do that anymore."
tommy argued "everyone did it to me!"
"that was before i got hired." the monitor a fat overwieght actually obese 30 year old who DID look like a sex pervert who should not be around any young boys of any age handed the paper referal to tommy.
they sat silently. finally tommy said "i did not think you were a pervert i just said whatever people said about me that got me mad."
"i did not deny it" ali said vibrating his head like he was hypnotized.
tommy turned very very pale and pressed hisback against the bus window eyes stretched open.
finally the bus came to school and it was time for ali to see if his wish came true.
he entered the classroom and walked near the boys who were gathered standing and talking all looked exactly the same height and as he passed his eyes were even to each of them. "hey stretch" a voice came from far below. he had not even noticed the 46 inch kid. the same big bully but now his muscular arms were super thin and his tummy swollen like all his chest had been crammed into the belll.
the bully looked so, so pathetic that he did not even say the line he wanted to say "hi shrimp."
the other kids echoed "hey look at stretch" as if ali was different. ali pointed at charls cho "he is stretch not me." they all laughed "stretch is a freak stretch is a freak." ali felt awful... even though he was the height he wanted. everybody except two was exactly the same height excluding the bully and charls who was unusually tall. his 61 inches glared now that everybody else was exactly 57 the height for their age.
albert felt his arm yank. the shrimp had grabbed it despite being smaller he was the same person the same violent bully attacking the same freak business as usual but luckily he had no muscle and as he twisted his own hands to hurt him he was too weak to matter. "get off LEECH" he swung his arm and the bully flew several feet.
"oo-oo-oo" they brats chorusd. one brat said "ali thinks he is tough now."
he did not know why he felt so awful. he could finally defend himself and successfully defended himself but the brats still treated him acting like he was different they had ridiculed his size now what were they ridiculing that he was tough? that is not a flaw so why did he feel like such a reject.
teach enterd and the herd chorusd "ali called him a leech."
ali cringed in guilt he had said that mean word when he was attacked. before he could defend himself teach said "he does look like a leech and five points offf each of the rats. NEVER EVER get your class mates punished unless someone is bleeding.
"what if a girl is bleeding" asked one sicko.
"then you ought to report who pushed her."
"but sometimes girls just BLEED."
"oh then dont tell me."
meanwhile ali felt very very dizzy he looked around the room at all the boys exactly the same height no variety of just one day before. the girls had variety of heights but not the boys.
"i may be a leech but i still gave him a native american burn" boasted the bully.
"nice of you to confess" said teach. five bonus points for ali for not being a rat. and free period to ali for being a victim of violence. teach wrote a note. ali took the note and headed toward the computer lab to continue his quest online, using his new character. the hall monitor stopped him and hassled him. ali showed the paper but the idiot drunk with power kept threatening him and lying the note was a fake. so ali walked away to the lab the hall monitor continued shouting threatening you cant ignore me. but ali did. the monitor went and reported to the principal. the loudspeaker announced "albert alvirez to the principal office now. NOW."
something had changed in ali. not only his height. he was NOT himself and he stayed in the computer lab knowing the principal was too busy to come to him. and if he would he show the note and explain it was a false accusation to ruin his free period. so he just played and played and nobody disturbed.
when the bell rang the loudpeaker announced "everybody go home the snow is piling up and you might get trapped here school dismissed.
ali was happy to go home to his new pet when he could shrink and have more adventures!!
to be continued.
at link:
there
No comments:
Post a Comment