HOW my online friends became rampaging giantess

Growing up

Branden Baum woke up like any other morning in his modest apartment, ready to start his usual routine. As a 28-year-old accountant living a quiet life in the suburbs of Chicago, not much excitement came Branden's way. His daily highlights were checking Facebook and conversing with his small group of longtime online friends.

After showering and eating a quick bowl of cereal, Branden logged onto Facebook and began scrolling through his newsfeed. He noticed a strange post from his friend Felicia Riley Robertson, a spirited woman living in California. She had posted a photo of herself standing next to a parked car with a peculiar caption: "Feeling taller than usual today!" In the photo, Felicia towered over the vehicle, casting an enormous shadow over it.

Branden scratched his head in confusion. Felicia was around 5'5" normally, but in this photo she appeared to be over 15 feet tall! He clicked on the comments and saw that his friend Hillary Tyson Tippy, a school teacher in Texas, had written: "I feel the same way!" along with a photo showing her gigantic, next to a picnic table.

Growing increasingly puzzled, Branden continued scrolling. His friend Michelle Kluge Johnson, a nurse in Florida, had shared a photo of herself peering down at a swimming pool, appearing far larger than her normal 5 '9'' height. Tiffany Hollind Schwitz, a stay-at-home mom in Ohio, shared an image of herself next to a streetlamp that only reached up to her waist. She seemed to have grown to over 30 feet tall!

But the most shocking post came from Zella Drake Zanderson, a fitness instructor in New York. Zella had shared a photo of herself gently lifting a school bus off the ground with one hand, as if it were a toy! Based on the size of the bus, Zella had to be well over 100 feet tall now.

Branden leaned back in his chair, utterly bewildered. How was this possible? His friends seemed to be growing to gigantic heights overnight! He pondered all the potential explanations—some kind of movie promotion, an elaborate prank, or advanced photoshopping. But deep down, he sensed this was very real.

Branden decided to reach out to his friends directly to get to the bottom of this mystery. He messaged Felicia first:

"Felicia, I saw your Facebook post and I'm really confused. Is that photo altered? You seem to have grown to giant size out of nowhere. Please tell me what's going on!"

Felicia replied:

"Branden, I know it seems impossible, but yes - I have been growing dramatically since yesterday! I'm now over 20 feet tall. It's the craziest thing, but I actually feel great. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it seems. We're just going through a growth phase."

Now deeply concerned, Branden responded:

"A growth phase? Felicia, people don't just sprout up to the size of buildings! Have you talked to a doctor about this? I really think you need medical attention. This could be a serious condition."

Felicia wrote back:

"Branden, your concern is touching, but honestly I've never felt better in my life! You wouldn't believe how powerful I feel now. Don't waste your energy worrying. Embrace change!"

Shaking his head, Branden reached out to Hillary next:

"Hillary, I'm checking in because I saw your photo showing you gigantic next to that picnic table. What is happening to you and Felicia? She mentioned a 'growth phase' but I'm very concerned about your well-being."

Hillary instantly replied:

"It's wondrous, Branden! I know it's hard to grasp, but being this size allows me to see the world from an entirely new perspective. We've found new strengths within us, and it's an incredible experience! Try to keep an open mind."