Tiff was never one to believe in science fiction. But here she was, 4'9" and a full seven inches shorter than her usual 5'4". Next to her was an equally diminutive Missy, beaming at the success of her demonstration. She was merely 4'11" now; however, she had been an above average 5'8" just minutes ago. None of this made sense to Tiff... everything that happened shouldn't be possible, but she couldn't deny what she saw and experienced. That contradiction terrified her, perhaps even more than reverting to her nine-year-old height.
What was clear, though, was the salve was indeed real.
"M... Missy?" Tiff stuttered as she adjusted her oversized clothing and tried to regain some composure.
"Come on, Tiff, lighten up! Look around! It's like viewing the world from a totally new perspective!" Missy was wide-eyed, only occasionally shifting her own clothing while soaking in the moment.
Tiff sighed. Missy was far from careless, but her best friend had a penchant for not taking anything seriously. Tiff was always the more serious of the two, and nothing about the current situation amused her. "You're absolutely sure the salve isn't permanent?"
"Of course! Well, I mean, if you like the change, you can keep it, so it's sort of permanent in that sense. But you can easily use the salve to change yourself again." Missy used a nearby full-length mirror to examine her "new" body. "Absolutely amazing," she whispered to herself.
'That's a relief,' Tiff thought. 'Perhaps I can get myself out of this mess.' Out loud, she simply asked, "Can I have some?"
Missy quickly spun around to face Tiff, causing her far-too-large sweater to swing to one shoulder and her left foot to effortlessly slip out of her dress shoe. "Now you're getting into the spirit! What inner fantasies do you have in mind?"
"I dunno," Tiff shrugged. "I guess we'll both find out. You did say it reacts to your inner desires."
"It really does," Missy cooed, still in awe at the memory of her reflection. "Here, let's see what's been stirring inside your mind," she said as she handed the pot of salve to Tiff.
Tiff reached out and grabbed the jar, nearly causing her shirt to lose the minuscule grip it still had on her slim shoulder. "But then why did it shrink me? That was your wish."
Missy intentionally stepped out of her right shoe and re-centered her sweatshirt as she headed for the kitchen. "I was applying it while thinking of you shrunk to a size a bit smaller than me. So it makes sense."
"I see," Tiff lamented. It certainly wasn't Tiff's fantasy to be tiny; she was 17, but her old height and her largely barren chest caused many people to assume she was a few years younger. She couldn't fathom how much worse it would be if she ventured outside at her current size. "So, just rub and mentally picture how you'd like to change?"
"Yup!" Missy called from the kitchen, standing on a chair to reach a plate from the bottom shelf of the cupboard.
"OK, here goes nothing." Tiff held her shirt in place with her left hand while applying the salve to her left arm with her right hand. She closed her eyes, focusing her thoughts. Missy's old frame was a good template, right? Tall, voluptuous, and dark brown hair. But was Missy too tall... or not tall enough? After all, Missy had pranked her into shrinking, keeping her from reveling in being taller than her friend for once. No, 'I want to tower over her,' she thought. 'I want her to have to look up. Way up.'
After a few seconds, Tiff felt the return of the warmth that had preceded her shrinking. 'Sorry, Missy, but the sub-five-foot club isn't one I want any part of,' she smirked as her body changed once again.