Level up

It isn't fully edited but since this took so long to make I will put it here now.  This is a long, almost 5k word story.

Level Up.

“Come on, you have to check out this new mobile game Nancy!” Ted flung his arms around like a madman. “It is a crazy new rpg. I know you would love it.”

She sighed. “Come on, Ted. I am working here.”

He rolled up his red and black sleeves. “Let me help you put some of these books away then. Get you out of work faster.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “That isn’t a good idea.”

“And why not?” He picked up one of the textbooks. “I help you put these last books away. Then we go out back and introduce you to the new game.”

“My boss wouldn’t like the help, that is why. She is very strict.” Took the book out of Ted’s pale hands and blew her red bangs out of her face. “Just give me ten more minutes, and I should be done.”

He crossed his arm and narrowed his green eyes.

“Ugh, fine.” He turned around. “But I will be waiting for you outside. Meet me behind the library the moment you get out, you hear me?”

She nodded. “Ok. Ok.” Nancy returned to her work. Ted was a close friend of hers, but he could be a bit obnoxious and pushy. He meant well, but even good intentions had their limit.

“Nancy!”

She turned around to see her boss staring at her. Nancy pulled at the collar of her blouse as her blue eyes blinked rapidly. “Hello, Claire. Umm, how are you doing?”

Claire sighed. “I want you to come into work tomorrow.”

“You know I was going to start my vacation tomorrow. My parents are going to have their thirtieth anniversary, and I was going to head up the coast to be there.”

“Not my concern. The school year is starting, and Tammy decided she is taking a holiday.”

Nancy crossed her arms. “So she gets a day off just like that, but I have one planned weeks in advance, and you just take it away?”

Claire shrugged her shoulders, her dark curly hair moving with her. “What can I say? Just be here tomorrow.” She turned around. “And make sure the last of those books are on the shelves. We need to make sure this place is ready for when the school opens in a few days. And keep things neat this time.”

Nancy shook her head. “Sure thing. Phew.” She went about putting the last few textbooks on the shelves. “One day, I hope to get out of here. I want to do something that really matters. Maybe be in the movies or something fun like that. Ugh, these things are heavy.”

A few minutes later, Nancy was finished. She looked around. “Good Claire is nowhere to be seen. Time to leave before she finds something else for me to do.” Nancy dashed for the exit of the library and her freedom for the day. “Happy day.” She sighed. “Well, time to see what Ted is up to.”

She hurried around the back of the school’s library. There she found her buddy sitting in the grass tapping away at his phone. “Hey, what is so interesting?”

“Oh god.” He threw his phone up into the air and fought to grab it. Instead, the device hit him on his head before landing in his lap. “Nancy, you scared me.” He slammed his fist on the grass. “How dare you do that!”

She laughed. “It isn’t my fault you weren’t paying attention. Now, what is this all-important game?”

He picked up his phone. “It’s Conquest of Kings. You pick a champion, fight monsters, level them up, and collect loot.”

She sat down beside him. “So, like any other rpg game?”

“Umm, no. This is totally unique. It has cyber dragons and other cool stuff.” He looked at his phone. “You can also group up with people from around the world and go on massive boss fights.”

“Sounds intense for a mobile game.”

He shrugged. “Well, umm, outside the group fights, everything is automated.”

“I knew there was a catch.”

“Hey, if you can get into the group fights, you can win big money.”

Nancy raised an eyebrow. “Ohh.”

“Ya. It is a big competition right now.”

Nancy took his phone. “Well, I want in on that action.”

Ted snatched his phone back. “Hey. You can sign up on your own smartphone.”

“Ugh, fine.” She stood up. “Thanks for the info.”

Ted looked back down at his phone. “Any time.”

She turned around and walked towards the parking lot. “Well, this will be a nice and easy way to try and earn some extra cash. Maybe get out of this damn job at the library with Claire. Ugh, I still can’t believe she is trying to make me work on my vacation.” Nancy pulled out her phone. “Now to download this game.

“Hey lady, look out.”

“Ouff.” Nancy tripped over a skateboard, her phone flying out of her hands.

A pair of young boys ran up to her. “We tried to warn you.”

His friend pointed down the road. “Yuck, your phone landed in some strange purple goo.”

“Gross.”

Nancy stood up and gently picked up her phone.

“What are you kids doing?” She tried to wipe off the strange gunk, but it oozed all over her fingers.

“We were just having fun. You know, playing around.”

She looked at the young kids. One of them had sandy hair and blue eyes, and the other had long dark hair that came out from under his red helmet. “The school won’t be open until Monday.”

The sandy hair kid laughed. “Well, we wanted to get ahead on our studies. See if Ms. Henderson had something she could teach us early.”

Nancy sighed. Kids were always trying to catch glimpses of Ms. Henderson. The woman didn’t exactly wear school-appropriate clothing. “Just watch where you are going.” The kids laughed and ran off. “Kids.” She looked at her hands. “What is with this crap? It won’t come off.”

She wiped her hands together to try and get the ooze off her hands, but it just spread over her skin. “I hope this washes out.” She waved her hands. “I better get home.”

Nancy slid her phone into her pocket and rushed to her car. “Today can’t get any worse.”

***

A half-hour later, Nancy was home and washing her hands in her sink. “Come on.

Get off of me.” She scrubbed and scrubbed, and the slime slowly dissolved off of her skin. “God. I am glad that gunk just stuck to my skin and not my clothing or phone.” Nancy picked up her yellow towel and wiped her forehead. “Phew.”

She set the towel down and walked into the other room. “Now, let’s see about this game. I hope there is time to catch up so I can earn some money.” Nancy started up her phone. “What was it called again? Clash of King? King’s Kingdom? Ugh, I should have written it down.” Nancy tapped her finger on her knee. “I got it. Conquest of Kings. There it is.”

She brought up the game interface. “Pick a starting champion. Why are there so many to pick from. And why are some of them locked behind five-dollar paywalls? Ted didn’t say I would have to pay cold hard cash for this.” Nancy rolled her eyes. “Always leaving out the important things, isn’t he.”

She settled on a dark knight heavy plate armor as her starting champion. “You will do.

Until I can get someone with better stats, I guess.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Ok, now how do I start this thing?” She tapped at her screen. “I think this sends him on a battle. Ok. I still don’t see what is so appealing about this whole thing. Wait three minutes until I see the results of the fight. Ugh.”

She slid her phone into her pocket. “Well, that is just dandy. I am going to make myself some popcorn.”

She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. “I can’t believe I listed to Ted.

Try this great game. You will like it. Ugh, ya right.” She pulled the bag out of the cabinet. “So exciting.”

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. “Someone must be texting me. Whoh.” She fought to keep her balance, her hands falling onto the counter. Her knees hit the cabinets below, and she took a few steps backward, falling into one of the wooden chairs. “Ouff.” Nancy shook her head. “What was that?” She stood up. “It felt like someone was pulling at my skin. Huh?”

She looked at the dining table. “I swear I remember this came up to my waist before.” She put her hands on the table. “Did it shrink a little, or am I crazy?” She scratched at her head. “I must be.”

She turned back towards the counter and the bag of popcorn. “I need to get some food in me, so I stop talking crazy.” She threw the bag into the microwave and then turned her attention to her phone. “Oh hey, my champion is back. And I leveled up. Cool.” She set her phone down. “I will do more of this tonight. After my crappy popcorn dinner.”

The microwave dinged. Nancy walked over and opened the door. She gently pulled out the bag and ripped open one end, a blast of heat hitting her in the face. She then slid the popcorn onto a plate and let the food cool as she picked her phone back up. “Maybe just try one more round as I eat.” Finally, she pressed the button to send her champion off to battle. “What could hurt? It is still so early in the game. He won’t die.”

She slid the phone back into her pocket and then sat down at the table to eat.  I need to find a way to get out of work early tomorrow. Something, anything.

Nancy tapped her hands on the side of the dining table. “I swear this thing is smaller.” She threw another piece of popcorn into her mouth. Something just feels off.”

Her phone vibrated in her jeans pocket once more.

“Wow, that game finishes fights fast. Oww.” Her knee hit the table and lifted it slightly off the ground. “What in the world?” She reached out to stop her popcorn from spilling onto the floor.

“This chair and these damn clothes are tight all of a sudden.” Nancy narrowed her eyes. “What is going on?” She put her hands on the side of her seat and adjusted herself. “Who makes furniture these days?”

She reached out and grabbed another piece of popcorn. “I am just going to finish this food and go to bed. I think I need to sleep this off. That is it. I am stressed out from having to work an extra day.” Nancy sighed. “That is it. Stress. That is why I am imagining my dining room furniture is shrinking.” She threw another piece of popcorn into her mouth and laughed.

She finished her dinner and went up to her bedroom, ready for a good night’s rest.

***

Nancy tossed and turned all night, unable to find a comfortable sleeping position. Her bed felt just too small. If she stretched out, her legs hung over the edge, or her head struck the headboard. And she didn’t like curling up into a ball. So when morning finally came, she rose, her eyes bloodshot. “I am calling someone after work about shrinking furniture. I can’t take this.”

She walked into her bathroom, her head hitting the top of the door frame on the way in. “Crap.” She rubbed her forehead. “What is going on?” She took her toothbrush out of its holder. “It’s like everything has shrunk half a foot.”

Her cellphone started to ring from the other room. “Ugh, crap.” She hurried and finished brushing her teeth, even swallowing the toothpaste, so she could rush into the other room and grab her phone. Once again, Nancy hit her head on the door frame as she ran back into her bedroom “Oww.”

She grabbed the cellphone. “Hello?”

“Hey, Nancy. It’s Ted. How do you like the game?”

“Look, I didn’t get a good night’s sleep. Now isn’t the best time Ted.”

“Come on. I want to know when we can partner up for the competition fights.”

“Look, I have to get ready to work.” She pulled at her hair. “I will call you after work.”

“Ok.”

The line went dead. She sighed. “Just take a shower, get to work, and get this day over. Then you can go enjoy your parent’s anniversary. Huhh.”

Nancy walked over to her dresser and pulled out her clothing, a black and white striped t-shirt and a pair of jeans. “Oh, come on. Not you too.” She slid her shirt on over her body. “I just bought this thing last week, and now it’s small?” She tried to pull the shirt down, but she couldn’t keep her belly button from being exposed. “This is nuts. It is so tight now. And my jeans. I can ugh. . . hardly get them. There we go.” She took a deep breath. “Great, now I have to figure out what clothing I have to toss out. Today isn’t going to be my day; I can just feel it.”

She grabbed her phone and walked downstairs. “It is already six-thirty? Crap.” She walked over to the coffee maker. “I need to get my coffee and go.” She grabbed her coffee mug and poured the beverage into it. “I can’t be late, or Claire might make me work another day, and I will really miss the party for my parents.” She screwed on the seal for her mug. “Time to go.” She rushed over to the door, grabbed her keys, and ran for her car.

As she opened the door of her blue van, her pants vibrated. “Ugh, my phone.” She set her mug into the cup holder and pulled out her phone. “These damn tight pants are going to make my body wiggle. I need to turn off the vibrate on this thing.” She looked at her phone. “Just what do you want?”

The Conquest of Kings game flashed on her screen. “Do I want to start playing? Umm, sure, whatever.” She hit the play button and slid the phone back into her pocket.

“I can rack up some xp while I am at work, I guess.”

Nancy slid into her car and sped off towards work. As she drove, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Something is wrong with this seat. It just feels off and small. Ugh.

This is going to kill me on my way up to see my family tomorrow.”

A few minutes later, she drove into the parking lot of the school library. She shut off the engine and slid out of the van, hitting her head on the door frame as she did so. “Crap.”

Nancy rubbed her forehead as she walked towards the library. “This just isn’t my day.”

She reached out for the glass door when Claire pushed the door open and blocked her path. “Nancy. You are late.”

“I umm. I had some issues getting here.”

“Don’t tell me. Traffic was horrible.”

Nancy shook her head. “No. It’s been crazy. Everything has been—“

Claire held up her hand. “Save it and get to work. I don’t pay you to make crazy excuses.”

“But I. Ugh.” Nancy walked inside, ducking under the door frame.  Just get the work done.

Suddenly her phone vibrated. “I have told you too many times. Your phone is to be off when you are at work.”

“I just forgot. I will turn it off right away.” Nancy’s clothing tightened. “Ugh.

I feel strange.”

She put her hand on the nearby table to steady herself, but her hand slipped, and she fell to the floor. “Oww. What is going on?” Nancy blinked as her feet pressed against a stack of books. “My skin and clothing.” She knocked over the pile. “Everything just feels so tight.”

Shrrip. “Oh god, what was that?” Nancy stood up and ran her hands over her body. “My clothing is ripping?” She looked around. “Wait, everything is shrinking?” She took a few steps back, her butt colliding with a sheave of books. She turned around and tried to catch off of the books as they fell to the ground. “Crap. Crap. What is going on? Why is everything getting so tiny.” Shririk. She grabbed at her pants. “Ugh, and my pants. I have a massive tear down my rear end.” She shook her head. “This is all in your head. You are sleeping. That phone buzzing over and over is your alarm telling you to wake up. Yes, that is it. Oww.”

Nancy ducked as her head hit the ceiling. “Ok. This is getting too weird. Hey.” She turned to see Claire swatting at her leg with a fire extinguisher.

“Stop growing at once. You are trashing my library.”

“I can’t help it. I don’t know what is causing it.” Nancy’s eyes widened. “I am growing, aren’t I? That is crazy.”

Claire hit Nancy in the ankle once more. “I said stop it.”

Rrrriship. Nancy winced as her shoes started to break apart. “Ugh.” She bent over onto her knees and then grabbed Claire by the back of her shirt. “I have enough issues right now without you trying to bruise me.”

“Let me go.”

Nancy narrowed her eyes. “No way. You think I am just going to let you go after you making me work on my vacation. Ughh.” Nancy’s feet burst out of their confines. “Why should I?”

“Because if you don’t.” Claire looked down as her feet left the ground. “I will umm cut your pay.”

Nancy dropped her to the ground. “Fine.”

Claire dusted herself off. “Good.” She looked up. “Now, can you stop growing and pick up the damn mess you made. I can’t let people know some giant employee of mine trashed my store.” She turned around. “I think you will have to come in tomorrow and clean all of this up. If you can even find a way to slip out of the building.” She laughed hysterically.

Nancy slammed her fist down, causing Claire to fly into the air. “I am not coming in tomorrow. I must go see my parents celebrate their anniversary.” She reached out and grabbed Claire like a doll. “I don’t care what you do to me.” She tossed her boss out the window. “I will deal with it when I get back from my vacation. And if you have anything else to say about it, well I suggest you keep it to yourself. I might just bust out of here and strand you off a roof or something.”

Nancy shook her head. “If I can even get out of here.” Her massive shoulders knocked over the shelves surrounding her, sending hundreds of books tumbling to the ground. “I think instead of fighting with my boss, I should have figured a way out of here.” She looked at the door. “No way I am going to fit through there now. God, why is this happening to me?” She looked at her hands. “I am so big. This is crazy. My body swells every time I hear my phone go off.” She blinked. “My phone!”

Her hands went to her pockets just as her pants ripped apart. “Crap.”

Nancy took a deep breath. “Wait, maybe this is a good thing. If my phone is off of my body, maybe it can’t make me grow any larger. I am safe.” She sighed. “But why was it going off so much? No one should have been calling me.” Her eyes widened. “That damn game Ted got me to try. I knew something strange was going on. My body has been growing every time I level up in that damn game. I need to shut it off. Ugh.” Shriip. Her back pressed against the ceiling and her shirt began to give way. “Before it is too late.”

She gently dug around for her phone. “Where is it? Come on. Ugh. Not again.” Her body expanded once more, her shirt ripping in two. “Grrrr. These walls. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

The foundation of the building began to shake. Nancy pulled her body inward, but it was no use. “Uhhhhhhgg. I need tooo.” Suddenly her arms burst through the foundation. Her right arm extended out and hit a nearby tree. Her left shot out and slammed into a car, setting off the alarm.

“My back is killing me.” She put her hands down and pushed. “I need to get out of this shrinking dollhouse.”

The building crumbled down around her, and Nancy let out a sigh of relief as she stood up into the fresh open air. “Finally. Whoh.” She stumbled back and forth as she realized just how massive she was, towering over her surroundings. “The buildings seem so insignificant.” She scratched at her head. “I wonder how tall I am. Fifty feet? Sixty? Seventy?” She took a step forward and felt a crunching sensation underneath her foot. “Huh?”

She looked down to see that she had just crushed her own car. “Oh, come on.”

She threw her arms up. “Of course I would do that. Well, I guess I don’t’ need it anymore now that I am growing out of control. Ugh.” She shook her head. “What am I going to do?” Nancy winced as she grew another few feet. “I can’t just keep growing like this.” She adjusted her bra. “Where will I eat, sleep and drink? I need to stop this before it’s too late. Ugh and before the last remnants of my clothing snap apart.”

Nancy shook her head as she began to walk down the street. “But how can I stop this? I lost my phone. And even if I did find it, the damn thing would be too small for me to use.

Wait. Ted! That fool got me into this predicament. He will get me out of it.” Nancy smiled.

“Or at the very least, I can find a creative way to get back at him for letting this happen to me.”

Nancy walked towards Ted’s house. Usually, it would have taken her about twenty minutes, but she covered the same distance at her new size in only two measly minutes.

She did her best to not step on the people below, though their panicking didn’t help much. “Stop screaming. I am not here to hurt you. I can’t help it that I am this big. I am just having a bad day.” She knelt down next to a group of screaming people. “Look, I am friendly. A nice person just like you.”

“Ahhh. Get her away.” The tiny people ran off screaming.

Nancy stood up. “I really mean it. I wasn’t going to hurt you.” She stood back up. “By the time I get to Ted’s, he will be long gone. Half the town will have run away from giant ol me.” She put her right hand on her forehead and shook her noggin.

“Why can’t this just be a dream? A really long dream?”

She reached Ted’s apartment complex. “Ok.” Nancy knelt down. “Where are you?” She peered through the windows. “Calm down, everyone. I am just looking for Ted Mathews. Sesh.

This building looks like the ant farm I had as a kid. And I can’t believe I am comparing humans to ants right now. Oh, there you are.”

She spotted Ted on the twelfth floor in his room, oblivious to everything going on as he blissfully listened to music with his headphones. She reached into his room, her hand effortlessly passing through the walls of the building. Ted opened his eyes just as her palm closed down around him. “What the hell?”

She took a few steps back before she opened up her hand. “Ted, we need to talk.”

He looked up at her face with wide eyes.

“Nancy. Is that you? What is going on? How are you so massive?”

She shook him. “Your damn game did this to me.”

He held onto her index finger. “Calm down. I don’t want to fall. You are taller than a skyscraper. Please don’t drop me.”

She sighed. “Don’t say that. I am not that big, and I don’t want to be that big. Ugh.” She grew another few feet. “And I need you to make this stop.”

“How? I didn’t do this.”

“Your game did this to me!”

“Don’t yell. You have a voice like a stadium loudspeaker. Sheesh.” He shook his head. “Even if it is Conquest of Kings, what do you want me to do?”

“I am too gigantic to shut off the game. I need to stop my character from leveling up.

Every time it happens, I grow. I am already over a hundred feet tall at this point I can’t keep getting larger like this.”

“I can’t shut off your game. That is hacking.”

“Ted! I need your help.”

“Nancy I. . .”

She closed her palm. “I am desperate. Either you help or so help me I will crush you like the gnat you are.”

He held up his hands. “Ok, ok. You don’t have to be that way. Take me to the university, and I will see what I can do. Ok?”

She sighed. “Fine. Anything to stop me from turning into this massive giantess.” Shrrink.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. I think my bra might be giving out soon. We need to hurry. Oh god, it is so tight.”

Nancy turned around and headed towards the local college campus. Crunch.

“Huh?” She looked down to see she had stepped on someone’s house. “Oh no.” She bent down. “I am so sorry.”

A massive light flooded her vision. “Miss. Stay where you and umm, just stay where you are. You are coming into custody.”

She looked to see dozens of small police vehicles in front of her and a helicopter fluttering about her waist. “I didn’t do anything wrong?”

“You have been terrorizing the town, and you just stepped on a house. You are under arrest.”

“Help. This lady is crazy.” Ted cried out. “Get me down.”

Nancy looked down at him. “Hey, I am your friend.”

“She destroyed my apartment. Get me down from here.”

“Ughhhh.” Nancy stood up and closed her eyes. “All I wanted was to have a good day, but no. Claire had to take that from me by taking away my vacation.” She kicked the police vehicles away. “Ted had to give me a game that makes me grow like crazy.”

She took a step back and flattened another house. “Despite growing into a massive giantess, I try and be nice, but is it good enough, noooo. People have to be scared and call the cops on me. Ted as to say I am nuts. I am sick of this!” She swatted the helicopter out of the sky.

Shhriink. Nancy’s bra ripped apart and flew across town. She took deep breaths as she looked down at the shrinking buildings around her. “All I wanted was to see my parents, to wish them a happy anniversary.” She felt tiny pricks against her ankles. “Are you really shooting me now?” She bent over and slammed her free fist down on a police cruiser. “Stop it!”

A steel cable shot up around the arm that she held Ted with. “Hey, let go of me,” Nancy cried out. The cable pulled on her and forced her to let go of Ted, who fell to waiting arms below.

“He is supposed to stop this.” She yanked the cable out of the tank which had fired it.

“Come back here.”

Ted was escorted into a subway station and out of her reach. She fell onto the ground, crushing multiple buildings as she tried to claw at him. “Come back.” She slammed her fist down, knocking the roof off a nearby gas station. “You have to help stop growing.”

Shrrrink. “My undergarments. Noo.”

Strong cables tightened around her body. She twisted her head to see multiple small tanks had moved around her, and more helicopters were now flying around her. Finally, she put her hands on the ground and tried to stand up. “I have to get out of here. I promised my parents. Ugh.” With all her might, Nancy pushed upward, slowly breaking the tethers that bound her. She then dusted herself off and looked to the north. “What am I going to do? They are going to freak if they see me like this.” Nancy shrugged. “They would just freak if they saw me naked in general.”

She shook her head as she swatted more of the pesky helicopters away like flies. “But I said I would see my parents on their special day and nothing, not even the military or my body growing out of control with stop that.” She looked down. “But I have one thing to do first.”

Nancy turned around and knocked over a few of the buildings in her hometown. “That is for all of the trouble you people gave me.” She crossed her arms. “It all looks so small now. I do hope by the time I get to my family’s, I am not so big that I can’t even see them.”

She turned around and began her journey north. “I do hope that all of this will stop eventually. I mean, I do have to stop growing eventually, right?”