GTS Investigation: An Open and Shut Case

6: Case Closed

     Continuing on their way to Madame Gothel's, the pair is hopeful that she will be able to free the enlarged Ashley of the cursed jewelry box. Going from a petite five-foot-tall woman to a veritable giantess has been hard enough for her, but the looming threat that the box could be opened at any moment, triggering another growth spurt, only adds to her stress. The giant woman is praying that this whole ordeal will be resolved soon, that she will be returned to normal by the time this is all over.

     One thing she is really looking forward to is her date with Gabriel. He had asked her out earlier, undeterred by her size. She is smiling slightly while thinking about it, knowing that it means that he accepts her for who she is, not how she looks. Not to mention the pedicure he has promised to give her, that was a nice surprise. Never would she have thought that a man would see her feet as being pretty like she does, and for him.

     Walking alongside the road, Ashley is getting the typical stares, both oncoming and passing vehicles slowing down so that they can get a good look at the colossal woman. The stares only get worse when they walk through a small neighborhood. People are actually exiting their homes so that they may see her as she is walking down the road. Ashley had voiced her concern about taking this route, but their destination does is part of the neighborhood. All she can do is smile and wave, showing that she means no harm to anyone.

     While walking, she notices how nobody is even as tall as her knees, a reminder of just how much bigger she has gotten. She tries to ignore this fact, telling herself that Madame Gothel will be able to restore her size so that she may live a normal life, a life that will hopefully include Gabriel.

     Luckily the walk through the neighborhood is a short one as she turns off the road onto what looks to be a private driveway. With trees surrounding both sides of the dirt path, she receives a sense of privacy. Though the low hanging branches do prove to be a nuisance for her, needing to either step off to the side or duck beneath them, this is a problem that is unique to her because of her larger-than-life size.

     At the end of the driveway, the path opens up, much to Ashley's relief. She is tired of ducking beneath or avoiding obstacles that anyone of an average size wouldn't need to worry about. There is a quaint, little house situated on the property that does not look like it has anything special about. As Ashley approaches the place of residence, she gently places Gabriel on the porch and kneels on the ground behind him. She finds herself having to lean forward so that she can lower herself.

     Gabriel still finds it odd how Ashley can lift him, a full-grown man, with such ease. When he thinks about it he is the size of an infant when compared to her and it seems more plausible when he looks at it from that perspective. He looks back towards the towering woman, smiling at her as though he is telling her that everything is going to be okay. As far as he is concerned, things will be okay. Facing the front door, he knocks on it and waits for Madame Gothel to answer.

     "Coming!" a feminine voice calls out from behind the door. The sound of footsteps approaching precedes the sound of the door being unlocked before it is open. Standing in the doorway is a woman with green eyes wearing a pink hoodie over a pink shirt and a pair of sun print leggings. Her feet are bare, which isn't an uncommon thing to see when someone is at home, but her golden blonde hair is an uncommon sight. It is so long that it trails behind her by at least a foot, making the detective wonder if she has cut her hair. "The boxes are…" the woman stops midsentence when she sees a large face looming behind the man who has knocked on her door. " B-b-big!" Her eyes roll back before she falls backward, fainting.

     The woman slowly opens her eyes, at first she is confused as to where she is at. The last thing she remembers is answering her door and seeing a huge face. She begins to sit up, discovering that she is laying on a couch. "Did I dream all that?" To her, this is the most likely scenario. "It had to be, but it felt so real."

      "I assure you that what you saw was no dream." The sound of a male voice started the woman, causing her to look over and see the very man she had answered the door for. He flashes his badge as he begins to both introduce and explain himself, "I am Detective Gabriel, and the giant woman you saw outside is very real. Her name is Ashley and she is my client."

       "She's real?!" The woman leaps to her bare feet and rushes over to the window and peers outside to see Ashley sitting in the front yard. Such a sight is unreal to her, nobody should be able to reach such a size. She turns away from the window and rushes out the front door, not even bothering to grab a pair of shoes.

     "Madame Gothel, wait a minute!" Gabriel shouts after her. As he approaches the front door, he notices two pairs of shoes. Normally he wouldn't pay any mind to women's footwear, but there is something that he can't help but notice. These shoes look as though they are too big for the woman who just ran out the front door. Crouching down he can see faded numbers printed on the insoles, eleven and a half. He may not know too much about shoe sizes, but he is certain that there is no way that these shoes belong to the woman who answered the door. He stands back up and looks back towards the home's interior, wondering who they belong to.

     The woman walks outside, making her way over to the giantess, looking up at her so that she can look at her face. "Hi," she says with a nervous smile and wave, "I am sorry for fainting back there, it's just that you kind of surprised me."

     Ashley smiles, doing her best to put any worries that this woman may have at ease.  "Don't worry about it; I can imagine just how surprising my presence must be. It isn't every day that you see someone who is taller than a two-story building. "The reason I am here is that I need your help with something."

     The woman watches as Ashley brings her hand close, holding what appears to be an antique jewelry box in the palm of her hand. She has no idea why this woman came to her to show her such an old box, but it would be rude not to show some interest. She reaches forward, her fingers grasping at the lid as she prepares to open it. "Don't!" Ashley shouts suddenly, causing the woman to jump back. "Sorry," Ashley apologizes, "Every time this box is opened, I start to grow.'

       The woman looks at the jewelry box then up at Ashley. Normally she would dismiss such a claim, but with Ashley kneeling in front of her at such an extraordinary size she can't dismiss what she is saying to be untrue. "So, this is why you are so big?"

     "Uh-huh," Ashley answers with a nod, "You can imagine how many times it was opened for me to reach my current size. I was hoping that you could take a look at it and break this curse and restore me to my normal size. You can help me, can't you, Madame Gothel?"

     "Madame Gothel?" the woman repeats with a confused look. "Oh! You came here hoping that my mother could help you. I am her daughter, Rapunzel."

     "Madame Gothel is your mother?"

     "She adopted me, actually. But she did raise me as her own child. She even encouraged me to go barefoot like my mother was known to do. A way to keep her memory alive."

     "That is nice," Ashley comments. "Can she come out here and help me?"

    Rapunzel turns her gaze downward, almost as if she is ready to say that she can't. "Madame Gothel passed away about a week ago," Gabriel states as he exits the house, am I correct?"

     "Yeah," Rapunzel answers in a somber tone, "the exorcism she was performing went horribly wrong. She saved the woman's soul, but lost her life in doing so."

     "I am so sorry, you have my deepest condolences." Ashley places a single finger on Rapunzel's shoulder, her way of offering some comfort.

      "Look," Gabriel interrupts, "I hate to be blunt here, did Madame Gothel teach you anything about what she did? Anything that could help Ashley here?"

     "No, she didn't," Rapunzel answers, "I wanted to when I was younger but she told me that what she did was very dangerous and she did not want that life for me." Ashley falls into a state of despair, this news not being what she wanted to hear. This stop was her last hope, her last chance to be rid of the box and being normal. Wiping a tear away from her face, Rapunzel looks back at Ashley, "I hope that you get the help you need. I gotta go and tend to a couple of affairs that Mother Gothel left unfinished.

     Gabriel looks to Ashley as Rapunzel enters her vehicle and drives off the property. "Okay, looks like that lead was a dead end. Don't worry, Ashley, I won't give up until you are free from that box."

     "What is the point," Ashley responds. She is looking at the box, knowing that she is going to be stuck with it for the rest of her life. Dreading the next time that it is going to be opened and causing her to grow even more. She drops the box, watching as it lands on the ground with its lid open, her body enlarging once again. "I may as well leave it open and allow the inevitable to happen. It wants me to grow, it wants me to be the largest thing in existence. So why not give it what it wants?"

     Gabriel is watching as her dress is becoming even shorter on her, tightening around her body. He can understand why she has fallen into despair, but to outright give up? He lunges towards the box, closing it to end the unnecessary growth spurt which Ashley has caused herself. Looking at her, he would have to estimate that she has grown by another ten feet. That is what he is assuming since it looks like she has at least gained what could be considered twelve inches to her. "Listen," he says as he stands back up, ignoring all the extra inches she has just gained, "I know this is not the most ideal situation for you, but you can't give up. I won't let you. I will remain by your side and help you get through this."

      "You may say that now, and sure, you may stay with me when I hit fifty feet tall. But we both know that this box won't stay closed. Will you stay with me when I am a hundred feet tall or even a thousand feet tall? What about when my size would be best measured in miles? I mean, I know you are a sweet guy, but even you have to admit that will put a strain on a relationship."

      "I don't care how big you get!" Gabriel argues. "I will remain dedicated to you no matter how big you get! What do I have to do to prove to you that I will remain by side, propose?!"

     "Y-you would propose to me?" Ashley is both surprised and confused at what Gabriel has just said to her. Is he really that serious? Would he truly go that far to be with her?

     Even Gabriel is shocked at the word that came out of his mouth. It is a drastic option, yes, but it is one he would go through. Getting down on one knee, he decides that he may as well show this giant woman just how much he wants to devote himself to her. Looking up at Ashley, he holds the jewelry box as if it is an engagement ring. "Ashley," he begins, smiling as he witnesses the beautiful woman covering her mouth with her hands in shock, "when I first saw you three years ago, I fell head-over-heels in love with you. Now that I have spent some time with you, I know that you are a beautiful person inside and out. You don't have to carry the burden of the jewelry box alone, let me be by your side. As I said, your size is not an issue. Whether you are fifty feet tall, or a thousand feet tall, I will love you the same no matter what. Will you marry me?"

       "G-Gabriel, I-I don't know what to say." The fact that the detective is proposing to her is surprising enough, but the fact that he is proposing to her when she is that largest woman in existence is what is making this situation surreal to her. "Are you serious? I mean, you won't be able to have a normal relationship with me."

       "I am down on one knee, of course, I am serious. Besides, I have heard that normal is overrated; I want an extraordinary relationship with an extraordinary woman."

     "Yes!" Ashley blurts out, tears of joy running down her face until the fall to the ground below, "Yes I will marry you!" Ashley begins to excitedly reach for her fiancé, eager to hold him in a sweet embrace, as she gets closer she pauses when she sees that Gabriel is staring at the jewelry box instead of his bride-to-be.

     Cracks are beginning to form on the jewelry box's woodwork, pieces chipping away as though it is breaking apart. Within moments, the box is nothing but a pile of dust, slipping through the detective's fingers. He looks at Ashley's face, her green eyes filled with the same shock and surprise that he is feeling. "Either we broke the curse or that is one heck of a coincidence."

     A smile forms on Ashley's face, relief washing over her now that she no longer needs to worry about that cursed jewelry box causing her to grow. She may be over three-stories tall now and stuck at that size, but that is of little consequence to her since she has someone who loves her just the way she is. She scoops up the tiny man, wrapping her arms around him as she clutches him close to her breasts. She looks down at him, a loving smile on her face, "We are still having dinner tonight, right? We gotta celebrate our engagement."

     Gabriel smiles at his fiancé, seeing how happy she is. He can feel the warmth and love of her sweet embrace, and there is no other place that he would rather be. He knows that he is in a very unique relationship, one that he has no regrets entering. After all, he is with a woman who loves him and has the means to show him exactly how much she does love him.

Epilogue

     Gabriel is walking through Ashley's home, the interior looking so empty. All of her clothes and furniture have been donated to goodwill. Due to her massive size, she is unable to use such things. He thinks back to everything that has happened over the past month. Meeting the wonderful woman, remaining by her side as the cursed jewelry box kept causing her to grow.  The biggest surprise for the two of them was when he proposed to her and the giantess said yes.

     The day after those events she had herself checked out by her doctor. She feels fine, but she wanted to ensure that she has no underlying health problems because of her size. Imagine his shock when he discovered that his patient, who was once just over five feet tall, had grown to such an extraordinary height. The good news she received, after a lengthy examination, was that she is in perfectly good health. It was also confirmed that she is fifty-one feet and about four and a half inches tall now.  These numbers did not bother her, nor Gabriel, her size does not define her.

      Her size is not the only thing where her life has changed. Word of a fifty-one-feet tall woman had spread fast due to social media, plus her size does make her easy to spot. The crowd has taken to her, most of the footage and pictures depict her as being the kind and gentle soul that she is. With that kind of presence, a lot of companies leaped at the chance to have her sponsor their products. This was very helpful for her financial situation.

     While Ashley does make a good amount of money, surprisingly enough to support her increased cost of living, the companies' offers were a great help to get her started. A new dress to help advertise that their clothing looks good on any woman, no matter their size. A cell phone from another to showcase their technology and show just how durable their screens can be. Just to name a couple.

     Gabriel walks out the back door, to see is big and beautiful fiancé sitting outside the barn, which just happened to be in her back yard. Her legs are stretched out and her toes curling while she is talking on her phone. She has been taking a lot of calls recently, sponsorships and offers still coming in. If it isn't that, then it is for her job. It is hard to tell which it is, she is speaking as though it is an important matter. He walks up to her, getting close to her left foot. He looks at the massive extremity, which is a good two feet taller than him at least. Placing his hand on her soft sole he leans in and kisses her foot. It is still odd for him, kissing the foot of a woman. Her feet are pretty and this gesture allows him to show her just how pretty they are, something she finds very important.

     Ashley looks down towards Gabriel, feeling his hand and lips being pushed against the bottom of her foot. She looks towards Gabriel, smiling at him as he performs his kind gesture. Shifting her foot, she proceeds to playfully shove her toes in his face and being met with more kisses. She can't help but giggle, feeling lucky that her fiancé finds her feet to be just as pretty as she sees them. "I do like the concept, yes. Allow me to negotiate terms a bit more and you will have yourself a deal." With that, she ends the call and turns her phone off before she sets it down gently.

       Leaning forward, she reaches out for Gabriel so that she can pick him up. The sight of her long fingers has become a common sight for the small man, who is often held and cuddled with by the sweet giantess. She brings him to her lips, kissing his entire face while he plants his kiss on her lower lip. Another token of affection that felt odd at first due to the size difference between the two lovers, but one that they both quickly became accustomed to. The two smile, Ashley even giggling slightly, as their love is still new and getting stronger every day. Ashley lowers Gabriel to her chest, embracing him in her arms.

     Gabriel is getting comfortable where he is at, her soft flesh making for the perfect spot for her to hold him at. He can hear the rhythmic thumping of her heartbeat, a sound that he finds to be very soothing and loves to listen to. "So who was that you were talking to? Was it the shoe company again? I still say that you should accept it. The money that they are offering plus a pair of sandals, that is a pretty good offer."

       "I know," Ashley agrees, "but I can't endorse or sponsor something that I don't like wearing." She curls her long toes, admiring the green polish which matches her dress. "I guess I could be a spokeswoman woman who advocates a barefoot lifestyle, even promoting proper foot care." A playful smile forms on her face, eyeing the detective who is still in her arms, "Of course, you would have to quit your job if I do that. You would be my full-time pedicurist, tending to my pretty feet every day."

     "Is the pay good?" Gabriel asks as she plays along with the giantess.

     "Nope," Ashley says with a smile while shaking her head, "the pay is terrible, but the benefits would make your job worthwhile. My unconditional love."

      "Sounds like the perfect job. Allow me to put in my two weeks' notice," Gabriel replies with a chuckle. "So who was on the phone?"

       "That was an independent film company," Ashley answers, "They want to know if I would be interested in playing the lead role for a movie that is being scripted."

     "Don't tell me, 'The Thirty Foot Bride of Candy Rock,'" Gabriel asks jokingly.

     "Actually, you are half right. They best described the movie as a cross between the cult classics The Thirty Foot Bride of Candy Rock and Attack of the Fifty Foot woman."

     "Did you accept the offer?"

      "With some conditions. I want my character to be portrayed as someone who is kind and gentle, I don't want a negative image. I want them to cast you opposite of me as the male lead." Gabriel isn't so sure if his acting skills would be on par for such a part, sure he has done some undercover work, but to act in a movie? "Lastly, they don't start shooting until after we are married and have enjoyed our honeymoon together."

       Their wedding day, so much planning has gone into it and there is still so much to do. The date has been set, which is only several months away. Ashley is looking back at the barn, looking inside with a longing look. "Is something wrong?" Gabriel asks.

       "No, nothing is wrong. It's just that I wish my new house was already built. Staying inside a barn, which I can only sit upright in, isn't exactly the best living situation."

     "It is a big project," Gabriel responds, "They are essentially constructing a building that is about seven stories tall, and they have to custom order just about everything for your use."

      "I know." Ashley gives Gabriel a gentle squeeze, burying him between her cleavage. She looks down at him smiling, "But, so long as I have you, anywhere I am at is the perfect place to be.