Turned Upside Down

Chapter 7

Before Evan could even process the words of comfort, Mason's massive hand suddenly lurched toward him. Evan's instinct was to back away as his eyes dropped to the advancing appendage. But Mason moved with a speed and determination that seemed to betray his size and left Evan no time to escape. In a heartbeat, Evan found himself grabbed, trapped within Mason's huge, firm fingers as they curled around him, completely enveloping his tiny frame.

Evan's world shifted violently. His stomach churned sickeningly as Mason lifted him easily from the ground, his grip firm yet still gentle, though the pressure was intensely overwhelming to Evan's miniature body. Everything around him spun, and he felt himself go light-headed, a wave of dizziness washing over him as his senses struggled to adapt. The sheer warmth and weight of Mason's hand felt like being wrapped in thick, heated blankets, and the faint tremor of Mason's pulse reverberated through Evan's body, a powerful, rhythmic beat that left him breathless.

The feeling of being contained, restrained in a single hand, was terrifying and surreal. Mason's fingers were like thick pillars, pressing lightly yet securely around him, but Evan could barely move, barely breathe against the insistent pressure. He felt the rough ridges of Mason's fingerprints against his exposed arms and legs, each one a deep groove to his small frame. Every detail, every tiny imperfection of Mason's skin, was magnified, each line and crevice large enough to feel like a miniature landscape all its own.

As Mason held him up, his face came into focus again, huge eyes staring down at Evan with a mixture of fascination and awe, as though he were examining a rare, delicate artifact. Mason's deep, green eyes were wide, his plump lips slightly parted as he tilted his hand, letting the light fall over Evan's tiny form. He seemed completely enthralled by the sheer strangeness of holding his friend, now barely the size of a finger, as if he were something miraculous or otherworldly.

Evan felt the blood drain from his face, his vision blurring at the edges as the weight of Mason's gaze settled on him, intense and curious. Mason's pupils dilated slightly as he took in every detail, his fingers flexing unconsciously around Evan, each tiny adjustment making Evan feel smaller, more helpless.

"Mason..." Evan managed, his voice barely a whisper. He had tried to shout, to push against Mason's fingers, but his strength was nothing against the unintentional pressure of Mason's grip. Every tiny shift felt enormous, each movement of Mason's hand causing Evan's balance to sway, his body pressed and held firmly in a way that was both unsettling and immobilizing.

Mason seemed oblivious, his attention too focused on the strange and exhilarating sensation of holding his tiny friend. He brought Evan closer to his face, the warm gust of his breath washing over Evan as he murmured in wonder, "This is... I don't even know how to describe this, Evan. It's... unbelievable." His eyes glinted with an almost childlike curiosity, the awe of holding something impossibly small and precious, his thick, wavy brown hair slipped down from where it was tucked behind his ears to help frame his face.

Evan struggled to stay alert, to push down the faint nausea twisting in his stomach, but the movement, the closeness, the intensity of Mason's interest left him feeling trapped and light-headed. He raised his hands, weakly pushing against Mason's thumb, trying to signal to him, but his movements felt minuscule and insignificant against the vastness of Mason's hand.

"Mason," he tried again, his voice thin and strained, "you're... you're holding me too tightly." But his words were swallowed in the vastness of Mason's fascination, his friend's enormous eyes focused on Evan with such intensity that it felt as though they could see right through him.

Finally, as if catching the hint of Evan's distress and the slight trembling of his tiny body, Mason blinked, a glimmer of awareness returning to his gaze. "Oh—oh, Gosh, Evan!" he stammered, his voice dropping, softening. "I didn't even realize... are you okay? I didn't mean to..." He loosened his grip, his fingers slowly relaxing, the pressure easing just enough to allow Evan to take a deep, shaky breath.

Evan gasped, the air rushing back into his lungs as he sagged slightly in Mason's hand, feeling both relieved and vulnerable as he was finally able to move a little. He looked up at Mason, whose expression had shifted to one of genuine concern, the earlier awe and fascination replaced by worry.

"Sorry, man," Mason murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, careful now as he held Evan delicately in the cradle of his open palm. "I didn't think... I mean, I didn't realize how that would feel. Are you okay?"

Evan managed a weak nod, still catching his breath. "It's... it's alright," he said softly, forcing a faint, reassuring smile. "Just... maybe don't hold me so tightly. It's, uh... a little overwhelming." He looked down at Mason's palm beneath him, the vast landscape of his friend's hand now both reassuring and daunting, but overall, it was overwhelmingly fascinating.

Mason nodded, his face softening with a mixture of guilt and care. "Got it. I'll be more careful." He looked around the apartment, as though suddenly aware of the gravity of the situation again. "Let's... let's get you somewhere safe. We'll figure this out. Together."

Evan felt a swell of gratitude, comforted by Mason's words and his steady presence, despite the surreal scale of it all. With a gentle nod, he settled awkwardly in Mason's palm, trusting his friend to keep him safe as they faced this strange, unfathomable journey together.