The rough ride in Billy’s pocket was uncomfortable for Jacqueline. To her it seemed like she was hanging in a bag off the side of a walking elephant, whose leg repeatedly brushed and bumped up against her. She tried in vain to reposition herself to avoid being jarred by the huge boy’s leg next to her. It was awful, but at least the discomfort kept her attention away from obsessing over her predicament. She had mysteriously been transformed from a large 11-year-old boy into a voluptuous woman the same proportions and size of a Barbie doll. That would be enough to overwhelm most people, but so far she was keeping her head, even after that nerdy pipsqueak, Billy, had pocketed her.
After a seemingly endless walk, Billy stopped. Jacqueline heard a key turn in a lock and a door open. This must be Billy’s house, she thought.
“Is that you, Billy?” a woman’s voice asked. Jacqueline assumed it was Billy’s mother.
“Yeah,” said Billy from above.
“I thought you were getting ice cream,” Billy’s mother said.
“I did,” said Billy, sounding rushed. “I ate it already.”
“Okay,” she said. “But you know you shouldn’t eat it that fast. You’ll give yourself a headache.”
“Right, right...”
Then, Jacqueline heard a sound that chilled her to the bone. A cat had just meowed right next to her.
“Hey, Tiger,” said Billy.
“Did you feed the cat this morning?” his mother asked.
“Yes, I did, Mom.”
“And did you clean your room? Your brother and sister already cleaned their rooms.”
“Not yet. I’ll get working on it right now.”
Billy hurried up the stairs, and again Jacqueline did her best to survive the wild ride in his pocket. After a brief walk down a hallway and the sound of a door closing, Jacqueline heard the ripping sound of Velcro opening above her. Then, the giant boy’s hand grabbed her and lifted her out of the pocket. Billy, she was scared to see, was smiling again. He put her down on a wooden dresser and stepped back.
“Welcome to my room,” Billy said theatrically. “…and your new home.”
To Jacqueline, the room appeared to be as large as an aircraft hanger, a nerdy pig sty of an aircraft hanger. Looking around, she saw that the walls were adorned with posters for some anime shows that she never watched. Billy had a bed, a computer, a television and some video games, but mainly, he had a lot of toys. All around were Lego block constructions, RC control cars, Nerf guns, various plastic models and assorted action figures. Billy even had a full-sized G.I. Joe that was standing only a short distance from her. It was the only thing in the room that matched her scale.
And there she was, just another toy to add to Billy’s collection.
“I guess we should get a few things clear to start with,” said Billy. He pushed his glasses back on his nose and stared her down. “First thing, you are now mine. I get to do whatever I want with you. So, get used to it. Second thing, don’t try to escape. I’m sure you heard Tiger downstairs. She likes to catch mice, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind a little doll woman for a snack. I keep her out of my room so you won’t have to worry about her in here, but if you leave this room… well, all I can say is good luck. Finally, keep quiet. I don’t want anyone hearing you or seeing you. You’ll have to hide or pretend to be a real doll if anyone comes in here unexpectedly. If you try to get attention, I’ll just lock you away in the back of my closet. Okay? Are we clear?”
To punctuate his question, Billy poked her in the gut with a finger that seemed as thick as a log to her.
Rubbing her belly, Jacqueline moaned and said, “Yeah, we’re clear.”
“Good,” Billy said and smiled. “Now, what do I do with you first?”