If Your Life's Helpless Then It's Time

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After a felt eternity, which in the real world only lasted a close minute, Robbie had enough of this unfair star duel with his mirror image and turned his slightly clouded gaze to the ground. He just didn't know what to make of this Lilliputian existence. While he tried to see an advantage from it for himself, he did not even quietly come up with an idea of how to proceed. In addition, an inner voice whispered to him that he was punished for something. ...And even if it did, he wouldn't even know for what. After all, he had done a lot of things wrong in his life so far.

           

In his thoughts, Robbie did not get the same at first, as he was approached by his gigantic ex-boyfriend and asked about his condition. Whether he would be reasonably well off according to the circumstances, which he's finally denied after repeated many times. Actually, Gary saw it to him that Robbie was by no means comfortable in his skin and yet he had to ask this one unnecessary question. Just to get this out of its apathy. So they could talk about how things were going now and how Robbie got to his normal size as soon as possible. But Gary didn't even have a single idea how to do it. It was just an unfamiliar situation that was not really allowed to give and yet they had no choice but to face it and somehow make the most of it, which was especially true for Robbie.

No sooner had the dejected Robbie turned to Gary again, he was told with the words, "I know you like to walk around naked, but ... here. So you don't get a cold, "a white cloth held up. Robbie accepted it gratefully and made a toga of it. When he finished with it and presented his new outfit, Gary said that he liked him so much better at that moment and gave a little speech about not being discouraged by this unusual situation and that somehow they're already getting through, together. That Gary agreed to do so, about Robbie's final mistake towards him, and would do everything possible to get his friend back to his normal size as soon as possible. That Gary didn't want to let him down on his own now, so Robbie was immensely pleased and yet he wondered why he did. After all, his ex-boyfriend possessed more than a good reason to hate him.

While still thinking about what Gary had all of this, he suddenly grinned at him and asked if he knew who he remembered with his current appearance. After Robbie merely gave him a shake of the head, Gary didn't belong in coming with a response either.

"At the character of Octavius ...from the film series Night in the Museum."

"Do you think?" Robbie could only ask back, looking at his reflection in the process.

"Yes ...and now come on, get on my hand. We should look for a better place and think about how we can get you bigger again."

Robbie looked at the held hand sceptically and so had his concerns to pursue this invitation. After all, he didn't want to fall down and possibly break his neck in the process. In addition, the memories of their last tour together came up to him again. Where Mark and Howard each stood on the hand of a gigantic robot and plunged into the depths during a concert. He did not want to experience something like that himself and by the way, his fall from earlier had not been without.

"What is? ...You don't need to be afraid. I'm not going to drop you already. ...Your life is far too sacred for that."

Towards the last eight words, Robbie took a seated and reasonably safe seat on Gary's hand, holding on to his little finger.

           

When they were in the living room soon after, Gary put his little friend down on the couch and initially suggested he drive to a doctor with him and get advice there on what best to do in such a situation. But Robbie wasn't exactly fazed by this idea and didn't want to be shown in public. He was kind of embarrassed.

"All right, then not. ...Maybe you're not an isolated case either and the news is already full of it." Gary kept considering.

"And what's the point of that? I mean, how is a realization supposed to help me if it were to get back to my normal size within a few minutes?" Robbie was a bit sceptical that there were other people who shared his situation with him and was also sure, with speeches alone, he couldn't be helped.

Without giving him an answer, Gary reached for the television control and immediately called up the news station. Fortunately, the volume was low and so Robbie didn't get the feeling that he was being literally cloaked. No sooner had a picture opened up than their attention was already caught by the word "Lilliputian syndrome" and just couldn't believe what they saw. With the chin lad down, they saw more little people of different sizes being shown. Some were even smaller than Robbie was.

"According to reports, a mysterious event happened last night that's not widespread. Still, overnight, some of our citizens were inexplicably ...shrunk. And no, you see properly adored viewers. This is not a technical trick. It's Real. The scientists call this phenomenon "Lilliputian Syndrome" and are completely at a loss as to how this could come about. So far, about two dozen people have been identified suffering from this so-called disease and vary in size. This housewife here, measures in about two and a half inches. The local authorities call on the rest of the population to check if necessary, according to friends and neighbours who have not been seen. ..." Spoke an exceedingly serious three-glancing reporter into the camera.

Before the reporter switched back to the news studio, Gary turned off the TV again and rededicated himself to his friend.

"As I guessed, you're not the only one."

"I think I'm going to get bad." Robbie could only say to that.

"It doesn't need to. I'm sure the scientists will find a way." Gary was confident.

"Your optimism in all honours Gaz, but I'm really not doing well. ...Something's wrong." Robbie tried to tell his friend that it was more than he had said it in front of him and kept his stomach groaning.

The moaning grew louder and louder, eventually ending in a mark-shattering scream. What Gary then got to see, he wouldn't even imagine himself in his wildest nightmares, staring at Robbie with big eyes. Gary actually had to watch his friend shrink again before his eyes and couldn't do anything for him. Within seconds, Robbie could no longer be seen and Gary already believed he had disappeared altogether. So he carefully lifted the cloth towel slightly with two fingers and exhaled in relief when he saw a naked and teetering Robbie lying in the foetal position.

"Oh my God. Rob? ...Rob? Hey, talk to me mate." Gary wanted to get his ex-boyfriend's attention.

"That ...hurts so much." Robbie let him know after a while that he was reasonably responsive.

Gary looked compassionately at Robbie and didn't know what else to say. So he left it and instead gently stroked his back with a finger. At first Robbie shuffled something at the bigger man's touch, but then he let it happen and was extremely grateful to Gary for standing by him. For Gary, of course, it was a given and wanted to show him that he was there for him. Using an approximate and cautious estimate, Gary assumed Robbie now owned about a size three inches. ...What was this just a crazy world?

*****
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(Chapter title: God - Gary Barlow)

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