GTS Investigation: An Open and Shut Case

4: Rising Problems

     In the antique shop, along the back wall and away from the counter, a woman is looking through various antiques. While she has no idea what she is looking for, she knows that she wants something that has a rustic look to it. She and her husband of ten years have finally gotten their first home together and she has been decorating it to make it feel like the home she has always wanted. The blonde-haired woman is looking at a small clock, one that is meant to go on top of a mantle, not caring too much for its design.

        With this woman is her eight-year-old daughter, Hannah. She is rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, obviously bored with the shopping her mother is doing. She is even fidgeting with her red hair, which is done up in a ponytail, trying to keep herself occupied. Her mother had expressly forbidden her from touching anything in the store, fearful that she would accidentally break an expensive and irreplaceable item that would be too expensive to pay for.

     Hannah looks towards the front of the store, over where the counter is at. She remembers the commotion she heard a while go, curious as to what was going on earlier. She looks over at her mother, who is too busy looking at a decorative rooster to notice that her daughter is slowly inching away. The young girl is watching her mother, just waiting for her to tell her to get back to her side. With no signs of this happening, she leaves the aisle and heads to the counter for a quick peek about what could have happened.

     Looking towards the front she sees a woman, taller than anyone she has ever seen before. She is about the size of a grown-up while on her knees. "Wow" she exclaims, "I wonder if Lil Sis will get as big as her!"

     She rushes forward, eager to bombard the giant of a woman with a million and one questions. How tall is she? How did she get so tall? Is she still growing? Would she like to meet Lil Sis? As she gets closer, something on the counter grabs her attention. A small wooden box. Focusing on the distraction, she pulls it off the counter and begins to turn it over in her hands. It is a pretty box as far as she is concerned. Maybe it is something that her mother is looking for. She looks over at the very tall woman, who is too preoccupied with a conversation she is having to notice her. She looks back down at the box in her hand then at the woman. She decides to take the pretty box to her mother, knowing that the woman will still be here when she decides to come back.

      Hurrying back to where her mother is at, "Mommy! Mommy!" she shouts to get her attention, "Look at the pretty box I found!"

     Hannah's mother looks towards her daughter, seeing that she is holding something in her hands as she is rushing towards her. She sighs, feeling annoyed because she told her daughter not to touch anything in the store. "Hannah, what did I tell you before we came in here?" She reaches for the box her daughter is holding, carefully taking it into her own.

     "Not to touch anything," she answers, "But isn't it a pretty box?"

     Hannah's mother is looking over the box her daughter brought to her. This jewelry box isn't something that she was looking for but the design does intrigue her. While this box may not go well in her living room, she believes that it would be perfect for her bedroom. She reaches for the lid and slowly opens the box, wondering what interior looks like. "Yes, it is a pretty box, Hannah."

       She has no idea how long she has been looking at the box's interior, she soon hears someone trying to get her attention, "Excuse me, Ma'am!" She looks up from the box to see a detective rushing towards her with a sense of urgency.

     "Ma'am, I need that box," Gabriel says.

     "I'm sorry, but my daughter brought me this jewelry box and I am very interested in buying it."

     "It is a pretty box," Hannah chimes in.

      Gabriel pulls out his badge, feeling that he has no time for games. Every moment that the jewelry box is open is another moment that Ashley is growing. He can only imagine that she is probably past the nine-foot mark by now and getting closer to being ten feet tall. "I am Detective Gabriel Randal," he states while flashing his badge, "that jewelry box you are holding is an important piece of evidence that is part of an ongoing investigation. I need you to hand it over."

     "How is a jewelry box an important piece of an ongoing investigation?"

     Gabriel has no time for such questions, he needs to get that box back and soon. At the rate things are going Ashley will become too big to leave the store. Reaching for his wallet, he decides to try a different approach to getting the jewelry box back.

     Ashley is still sitting at the counter, waiting for Gabriel to find the box and close it; the fact that she is still growing means that he has yet to accomplish this. She has had to loosen the dress she is wearing as her body is continuing to fill it. At the rate she is growing, it is only a matter of time before her bedsheet becomes too small for her to wear. She looks over to Melissa, who can do nothing but stare at the growing woman. Even on her knees, she is finding that she needs to look down to give someone eye contact. The gap that is between her and the top of Melissa's head is only increasing by the second.

       Her dress stops getting tighter and her head stops rising. Ashley breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that the box has been closed once again. She turns her head to see Gabriel returning with the box in hand, unbeknownst to her he is returning forty dollars poorer now. "Gabriel, thank you!" Without even thinking she reaches out and pulls the detective in for a hug.

     Gabriel is surprised at the tall woman's token of gratitude that it does not even register how easily he has been pulled into her embrace. He will admit that having her arms around him is nice, if not odd. Normally it is the man who embraces the woman but Ashley's unique stature would make it impossible for him to embrace her. "Don't worry about it, he says with a strained voice. The only downside to her hug is how tightly she is squeezing him. He figures that with her increased size her strength must have increased with it. He chooses not to say anything about this. She isn't hurting him, only some discomfort.

     "Oh!" Ashley exclaims, realizing that her hug may be unwanted by the detective. She releases her hold on the detective, causing him to stumble back a bit as she regains his footing. Blushing, Ashley begins to apologize, "Sorry, I am just so grateful for everything you are doing for me."

        "It's okay." Gabriel is fixing his clothes, having become slightly disheveled from being handled. "You are only showing your appreciation. Besides, it is nice to receive a hug from a pretty woman like you."

     As Gabriel approaches the counter to get the address for Madame Gothel, Ashley is replaying what Gabriel had just said to her in her head. Pretty? Does he think that she is pretty? Surely he only said it to be nice. With her towering stature can he truly see her as being pretty? She does feel that height has nothing to do with being pretty or not, the word primarily describes one's face. If he does think that she is pretty, does she have a chance with him?

     "Ashley." Hearing her name causes the statuesque woman to leave her thoughts and snap back to reality. "I have the address, are you ready to leave now?"

       "Uh-huh," Ashley answers with a nod. She begins to slowly stand up, dreading to discover how much she has grown. The bottom of her makeshift dress no longer stops at her ankles but it now just reaches past her knees. The shortness of her dress soon becomes a trivial problem when she feels the back of her head strike something along with her shoulders. A snapping sound can be heard as she watches two ceiling panels fall to the floor and break in half.

     She doesn't need to turn her head to know that she has accidentally broken a piece of the drop ceiling's framework. Is she really that big where she can touch the ceiling while still bent over. She looks at Melissa, smiling nervously. "Sorry. I will be sure to pay for the damages."

       The two are quick to leave out, anxious to meet with Madame Gothel in the hopes that she will be able to help Ashley be rid of the jewel box and the curse that is associated with it. Gabriel is the first to leave out, followed by Ashley. Leaving the shop is not as easy this time for the giant woman. Earlier, all she had to do was crouch to fit through the entrance. Now she has to get on her hands and knees just to fit. She can feel the door frame rubbing against her as she is crawling, yet another reminder of how big she has gotten.

     Once outside, Ashley stands at her full height, getting a good stretch in. "That feels so much better." She felt cramped the entire time she was inside. Unable to stand up straight and being forced to be on her knees, she was beginning to cramp. Looking down at Gabriel, she is shocked to discover that she is almost twice his height.

      The two of them head over to where Gabriel parked Ashley's vehicle, the detective remotely unlocking it. As Ashley is getting closer she can see just how small it looks to her. She had a hard enough time squeezing in on the way over, with her latest growth she knows that she now has a problem. "Gabriel," Ashley begins just as he is opening up the driver's side door, "I don't think that I will be able to fit up front again.

       Gabriel looks at Ashley then the roof of the car, which doesn't even reach her hips. Her getting inside is going to be a problem. He is trying to go through several options in his head, one of which would be renting a vehicle. Though he is going to have a difficult time renting a truck on such short notice.

     "I think if we stow the back seats, I can fit if I climb in through the hatchback," Ashley suggests.

     "Stow the seats?"

      "Yeah, the back seats can fold down flat. I should be able to fit in the back once that is done," Ashley explains.

     Gabriel opens the rear side door, looking at the space in the back. He is having a difficult time picturing Ashley fitting in the back but he can't completely disregard the tall woman's suggestion. "Okay, let's try that."

     Gabriel is having problems stowing the first seat away. Normally Ashley would be doing this, and she did try, but her hands are so large that such a task is near impossible for her. She is doing her best to verbally guide the detective, with great difficulty. As she is giving Gabriel instructions, she notices the stares she is receiving from other people as they walk by. She is aware that she is quite a sight, being almost twice the size of an average person, it doesn't make her feel any less awkward about her size.

     People who are passing by are gawking at Ashley as though she is some kind of curiosity. How many women are capable of reaching a height that is in the double digits? Whispering among themselves, for fear of what she would do if they were overheard, how she managed to reach such a statuesque height. Others are holding their phones out, snapping pictures of a living giantess. All Ashley can do is smile nervously and even wave. She doesn't want to come off as someone who is aggressive or hostile.

     "I got all the seats folded down," Gabriel shouts as he steps out from behind the vehicle. It was somewhat problematic for him to stow the backseats away, never having l0 it before. Once he managed to fold the first seat beneath the vehicle's flooring he was able to handle the rest with minimal problems.

     Ashley looks down at the detective who is smiling at her. A smile starts to form on her face, thinking about everything he has done for her so far. These gestures may not seem like much, but to her they mean everything. Anyone else would have just left her after she had surpassed a normal height range, but Detective Gabriel is remaining by her side the entire time. Lowering herself so that she can climb in through the hatchback, she finds herself unable to take her eyes off of Gabriel.

       Climbing into the back of her vehicle, Ashley is finding it to be more comfortable than when she was sitting in the front seat. With the front half of her body in, she starts to pull her legs in. The space begins to feel a bit more cramped but it isn't anything she can't handle. With the sound of the hatchback closing, she watches as Gabriel is walking around so that he can climb in through the driver's door.

     As Gabriel is sitting in the driver's seat he is greeted by the sight of Ashley's beautiful face, her head between both his seat and the passenger's. He still can't believe that this woman, who used to be close to five feet is now large enough to occupy the entire back of an SUV. He can't help but feel that she is taking her entire predicament very well. Anyone else would be having a mental breakdown when reaching the same size as Ashley. He continues to look at her face, smiling at her as he buckles up.

     Driving down the street, the two are making their way to Madame Gothel. Supposedly she will be able to help them with the jewelry box, put an end to Ashley's unwanted growth spurts and hopefully restore Ashley's petite size. For Ashley, the last one is the most important to her. She can't imagine going through life as a giantess. Her cost of living would be a big expense and she would have to find a place that could accommodate her unique stature. Most importantly, she would like to go out with Gabriel. She can't imagine that he would feel comfortable dating someone who is close to double his size, she can't fault him for it.

       Her mind does begin to wander to the possibility that she could be stuck at this size. Instead of wondering about how she is going to make it through life at her current size, she begins to fantasize about how a relationship with Gabriel could develop. She has already picked up the detective and embraced him in a hug, remembering how nice it was to have him in her arms. Would cuddling with him like this feel the same way?

     She is pulled out of her fantasy when she sees flashing brake lights ahead, emergency flashers to indicate that someone is having car problems. "Gabriel!" she shouts in a panic when she realizes that he is not slowing down, "Brake! Hit the brakes!"

     The sound of the panicked woman's voice pulls Gabriel back to reality, who happened to be fantasizing about what his life could be like if he was to pursue a relationship with such a sizeable woman. He quickly slams on the brakes, the tires squealing as they are forced to stop. The occupants are breathing heavily, almost having rear-ended the vehicle ahead of them. A feeling of relief washes over them when they consider what could have happened, laughing nervously at the consequences that could have been. The sound of a wooden object clattering on the floor fills them with panic, both knowing what that sound belongs to. Gabriel looks over to see that Ashley's face is getting bigger. The jewelry box must have opened when it slid towards the floor.

     Ashley can feel that the tight space of the vehicle is getting smaller. Her back is being pushed against the roof as her bare feet are pushing against the hatchback. In a panic, she tries to reach for the jewelry box, anxious to close it and stop her growth, but her arm is too long and her hand ends up pushing it beneath the seat and out of her reach. She looks over to Gabriel, pleading with him to close the box before she gets too big.

     Ashley's growing body is preventing him from just leaning over and reaching for the box. The woman is being forced forward as the space is getting too small for her and it is only a matter of time before her head is being pushed against the windshield. He opens up his door and climbs out, going around the front of the vehicle. Rather he would if the bumper wasn't so close to the other vehicle. He doubles back to go around the back. He can hear the suspension creaking as the vehicle's sole occupant continues to get heavier with every passing moment. When he gets around to the back he hears a loud crash followed by the sound of four loud popping noises. With the vehicle's sudden drop he can imagine that what he just heard was the suspension breaking and all four tires popping.

     Inside the SUV, Ashley shrieks when she hears the crash and feels the sudden drop. She has no idea what is going on but knows that it has to be related to her still-increasing size. Her dress is starting to unwrap itself from her body, becoming shorter by the moment as it continues to get smaller on her.

       The sound of the passenger door opening is a welcome one as she watches Gabriel reach underneath the seat, pull the jewelry box out, and close it. Ashley breathes a sigh of relief that she has stopped growing once again, but she is still trapped in an undersized vehicle.

     The moment Gabriel goes to the back and opens up the hatchback, a large pair of feet and two large legs shoot out from the vehicle as the large woman proceeds to crawl out. Just from how long Ashley's legs are he can tell that this last growth was a sizeable one. As Ashley finally climbs out and stands up he realizes just how much she has grown. Looking up at the statuesque woman, his head no longer reaches her hips, her legs are now longer than he is tall.

     Ashley is holding the bedsheet in front of her body, the fabric just being long enough to maintain her modesty; luckily her backside is covered by her long hair. Looking down at the world, she can see just how small everything is compared to her. She looks around to see just how many eyes are now on her, a woman who is close to being two-stories tall. She turns her attention to Gabriel, wondering what she is going to do now.