(cw: mega micro, uncertain fate, Kelly)

I'd like to tell you a story Kelly told to me a long while ago. We were meeting for coffee at a no-name local cafe', just something nice to do while we had time. Being on break our conversation did indeed turn to our work.

I'm ever curious, as I'm the only person she's ever told about her side business. I asked a simple question: Who do you think your strangest client was?

She had a thoughtful look on her face, tapping a hoof-toe to the leg of the chair before replying:

"The str-rangest client...I think it is the one that may also be the only one still alive."

I asked what she meant and she clarified that she actually had no idea if they were still alive or not.

"It was, I believe, a few year-rs ago...4 per-rhaps? I don't think I had met you yet. I had a man come to me, a pr-roud six foot tall bull of a man, hunched and wear-ry and small. He looked broken. Yes, in the months befor-re he had lost ever-ry penny to his name. All but enough coin to make *that* payment."

"As much as I tr-ried to talk to him, he was convinced that all was lost and he was hopeless. His spir-rit was broken and no amount of deter-rmination would get him out. He would get his final pleasur-re from this wor-rld then bid it goodbye."

I asked what it was he wanted. To be swallowed? Crushed?

"No" She replied. "He was inter-rested in my hooves, like many other-r men, but he wished to be small, smaller-r than any other client. To be beyond a speck, until my foot was as an alien landscape. To vanish and live on my sole."

"I made clear-r to him I had no idea what it would be like. No food, no water, no shelter, perhaps. If he wer-re to try and 'live' on my sole he may find it difficult. Any, yet, he per-rsisted."

"Eventually I accepted his 2 thousand. I mixed thr-ree doses of shr=rink potion, enough to make ever-ry fold and bump of my foot a mountain to him, at least this is what my calculations told me. I admit, I am far-r mor-re accur-rate now with my math."

"I lied upon my stomach on the floor-r and instr-ructed him to down the entire, extr-ra dosage in a single go. It would be up to him to position himself upon my foot as he shrunk. At that size, it would not matter-r wher-re I position my foot or-r how much it shook with walking or-r r-running, he would r-remained fixed to it, this much I knew."

"I watched him chug the vial without hesitation, gagging at the taste as many do. I lifted myself and watched him fall in size, stepping upon my sole when he was a foot tall. He shr-rank more, past the one-inch mark my clients nor-rmally stop at."

"Soon he was but a speck, then a dot, less. In time I was unable to even see him. I lied there for ar-round...five minutes after-r I lost sight of him, to be sur-re the potion finished."

I listened with interest, Kelly clicked her tongue in thought.

"So, I never dir-rectly killed him. And he was so tiny that ther-re was no wor-rry of him r-running and becoming an inconvenience for-r me. I ver-ry well could be that he is alive and well, still wander-ring my sole four-r year-rs later-r."

She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Or per-rhaps he star-rved longed ago. Or-r some other-r complication. I do suppose I shall never-r know."

She was quiet a moment before looking up.

"I suppose...if he is still alive then he has shown how power-rful deter-rmination can be. How he *can* survive and come back and eke out a living, no matter-r the cir-rcumstance, if the will to live is str-rong enough."

She furrowed her brow.

"A shame he had to lear-rn it long after-r it was too late. I do hope he enjoys his new land."

With that, she swiftly changed the subject.