"So, Brett, what's up or should I say down? And who's your little friend?" Jeff asks nodding toward Matt.
Matt is frantically willing himself big to no avail.
"Jeff, thank heavens you came down. That guy shrank me, and I guess must've shrunk himself to follow me into the basement."
"HE DID?" he said baring his teeth and glaring at Matt.
"gulp"
"DID YOU DO THIS TO BRETT? ANSWER ME OR PERHAPS YOU NEED A LITTLE INCENTIVE," Jeff said with his eyes gleaming wickedly.
He sets the cloth bag he is carrying on the workbench. Brett starts backing rapidly away, murmurring, "Oh, no, no,no,no..." He wedges his tiny body between a coffee can filled with paintbrushes and a glass mayonaise jar filled with nails. He peers out apprehensively.
"I brought Slitherin over, so Brett could join us at the pet store to pick up Slitherin's dinner. But one rat will do as well as another. Now rat, you going to talk and tell me how to make Brett big or are you going to save me a couple bucks and feed my snake instead?" His hand slips into the bag and reappears with the head of hissing snake. It's tongue shoots out touching Matt's chest. He almost faints. Weak-kneed and terrified he starts jabbering.
"yes...yesss...I did it. I shrank Brett, I found this silvery magic wand thing and I wished. I didn't think it would work, I really didn't....then I stopped hearing the basketball. So I looked out and saw his clothing and him. It had worked, I rushed over to make sure that no birds or cats ate him....and then I followed him down here....please, please put that thing away."
"Silver wand, huh? Where is it now? It's not like you could hide it on you right now?"
Matt glanced back toward the high window.
Jeff took that for his answer, and shoved Slitherin back in his sack, and cinched the top. His tennis shoe then slammed down on the workbench mere inches from Matt, as he climbed up to peer out the basement window. He could see the pile of clothing inside the casement well, but he couldn't get the window to open more than 2 inches.
The sack writhed violently. Slitherin had tasted his meal, and he would be fed. Matt backed away on his hands and buttocks as he saw the cinch loosening. It suddenly occurred to him why he couldn't grow, he'd wished only for the ability to shrink at will. He needed the wand.
Suddenly, the silver wand appeared on the work bench right next to Slitherin's opening sack...