Sizeran Dilemma Chapter one

(I am reworking my novel.  I will be updated these chapters as need be.  I felt that it was forced before but now the world is flowing a bit more naturally like my Caldira and Zuflucht novel worlds.  It isn't perfect but it is better.  I should be able to expand this world out more often now as well.)

The Sizeran Dilemma chapter 1.

“Alicila! Are you in here?”

Alicila rubbed her eyes as she slowly rose out of her bed, the early morning light just shining into her room. “Ugh, Cassandra, is that you? I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed today.” She grabbed her pillow and, with droopy eyes, tossed it in the direction of the voice. “Come back in an hour.”

Her blue eyes shot open as strong hands shook her.

“Come on. You are going to want to see this.”

She sat up. “For fucks sake, don’t you know what sleep is? It is the middle of the night.”

Cassandra crossed her arms. “It is morning.”

Alicila held the pillow over her head. “Yes, early morning. Don’t you know how disgusting that is?” Alicila shrank a few inches. “Now, please get out of here. I need my beauty sleep. See, I am already shrinking. I can’t control my size without my sleep.”

Cassandra rolled her red eyes and pushed her friend.

“Will you stop it and put something on?

This is serious.” She turned around as she scratched at her long scaly ear.

“And hurry up. I don’t want to come back in here to find you sneaking out the window.” She pointed at the small one-foot window in the top corner of the room where the gap of light snuck into the room. “You need to see what is going on outside.”

Alicila rolled her eyes and mumbled as she threw her feet over the bed. “Fine, fine.

Whatever.” She lowered her voice. “Grumpy Draonon.

What does she think she is doing coming in here and waking me up like this.” She rolled her eyes. “No size changing to sneak out. Who does she think she is? My mother?

Ugh.” Alicila threw her nightshirt off into the corner of the room. “Seriously, I would never shrink myself to sneak off.”

She grabbed a linen shirt. “Well, excuse that one-time last week when my boss became sick, and I didn’t want to catch his cold.” She pulled up her pants. “But I seriously can’t think of any other times I would have done such a thing.”

The door swung open as Alicila was pulling up her pants.

“Hey, what do you think you are doing?”

She narrowed her eyes at Cassandra as she pulled her pants up. “I am not fully dressed here.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were still here.”

She examined Alicila head to toe.

“Good, you are still the same size.”

Alicila threw her arms out to the side. “Seriously, why do you think I am going to try and ditch you. I am upset that you got me up but come on.”

Cassandra crossed her arms as she leaned against the door. “I am just forgetting the last time when we went out, and you shrank yourself because what?

Oh yes, an ex of yours was there, and you didn’t want them to see you.” She rubbed her brow. “But my memory is faulty.”

Alicila snorted as she pulled her clothing up. “I get it. Look, I promise not to change in size for the next few hours, ok.” She held her hand over her heart. “A Sizeran promise.”

Cassandra sighed. “Fine, fine.” She turned around. “But I am still watching you. You got that?” She walked out of the room.

Alicila smiled as she walked towards the door. “I know.” She turned around and grabbed her shoes. “Besides, I am not going to tell her that I don’t want to change in size with these clothes on. I like them.”

She looked at her shiny black shoes.

“It isn’t like anyone makes clothing that changes in size with me, so I am not going to wreck the clothes that I do like.” She sighed.

“Ok, time to see what she is so fussed up about that she woke me up so early in the morning.”

She pushed her bedroom door open to see Cassandra tapping her foot and staring at the front door to their apartment. “What are you so uppity about?”

Cassandra turned around. “You are finally up? Good.”

She flung the door open. “Come on. Let’s go, go, go.”

Alicila yawned. “Go where? Do you have any idea how early it is?”

“Yes, it’s morning.” She ran around and put her dark red scaly hands on Alicila’s back. “Now move it! I won’t have a lazy bum like you ruin this. Move!”

“Ok, ok. Don’t push me so hard I think you caused me to grow an inch or two.”

“Good, you got back that few inches you tried to scam out of me this morning.” Once they were out the door, Cassandra slammed it behind them.

Alicila rubbed her eyes as the morning light shone off the surrounding skyscrapers. “This is why I don’t like being out this early.” She held her hand over her head. “Modern city, my ass. I miss the time living out in the woods with my mother. Away from all of these so-called technological marvels.” She watched as a Burly two-headed ox pulled a cart through the middle of the street. “I mean, you would think with all of the advancements they have made here, they would have found a replacement for that.” The man driving the oxen looked at Alicila and snorted.

Cassandra took a deep breath. “You don’t want to go back to living out in the woods. There isn’t any electricity. How could you think of living like that again?”

Alicia raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you live in a cave before coming here?”

Cassandra snorted. “Point taken. Look, it’s just up this way. Will you just be quiet and follow me already?”

Alicila shrugged her arms. “Fine, fine.”  Besides, if I keep arguing with her, I will only delay myself going back to the sweet embrace of sleep.

They turned the street corner, and Cassandra pointed her scaly arm. “There.

That is what you need to see.”

Alicila rubbed her eyes. “What?” As she blinked through the haze of her weariness, she noticed the entire city block was in ruin.

“Cassandra, what in the world happened here?” Cassandra just walked forward into the middle of the broken pavement. “Cassandra?”

She bent over and picked up a tattered street sign.

“I was working here over time when they came. I am used to people demanding that we give them money. There are a lot of people who want us to, well, you know, try and scare us into giving them shit. But this was different.”

Alicila walked up to Cassandra, her foot stepping on a glass bottle. “What do you mean?”

“I was stocking in the other room when they came. They didn’t want money; they didn’t want our stuff.” She threw the sign at the ground. “They told us to get out. When my boss laughed at them, they went nuts and trashed the place. There were too many of them, and we couldn’t stop them.”

Alicila scratched at her arm. “I don’t understand.”

Cassandra turned around and grabbed Alicila by the shoulders. “They trashed the place for the fun of it, Alicila. I had to hide in the store room so they didn’t beat the living daylights out of me like my boss. That is what I wanted to show you.” She shook her head. “I am out of a job.” She looked at the ground. “I don’t even know why I made it out of there. If I. . .”

Alicila pulled away. “This is all a lot to take in.” Alicila took a deep breath. “How are you not hurt? Not shaken?”

She clenched her hands into fists and resisted the urge to change in size. “Why didn’t you tell me this until now?”

Cassandra sat down on the ruined sidewalk. “I didn’t know how to tell you. It just happened last night and... I just. . .” She looked at the ground. “I’m sorry ok.”

Alicila sat down next to her. “It’s ok. Why didn’t we hear anything about this, though? How could something like this happen, and we don’t know about this until we walk all the way down here?” She looked at the ruined buildings around her. “I don’t’ get it.”

Cassandra stood up. “I tried reporting this. The officers said they would look into this, and when I tried to press further, they told me I was being too hysterical. Apparently, they have enough on their plate and have many other matters they are looking into.”

Alicila jumped to her feet. “More important than torching down where you work?” She shook her head. “What good are the cops in this good-for-nothing town if there is any real crime and they don’t help?”

Cassandra turned around. “Alicila, this is more than just a. . .” She turned around. “Alicila? Hey, where are you going?”

She walked down the street. “To get some action done. This isn’t acceptable.”

Cassandra pulled at the collar of her shirt. “Hey, come back here. Alicila.” Alicila hurried her pace and ran down the street. “Hey. Didn’t you learn anything from me bringing you out here?

“Yes, I learned I need to set this right for you.” She turned the corner and vanished.

Cassandra pulled to a stop. “Dammnit.”