An Evening with Anna Winning Her Back chapter 9 by novar

Inside the box Jack wasn't able to hear when Zoe came in, and wasn't able to think about much other than his powerless state. Unable to see anything, aware that being in total darkness meant there was limited air in the box and starting to feel hunger and thirst again after his adventure through the house, he tried not to cry as he laid on the fresh smelling t-shirt and forced himself to sleep.

He thought his situation was awful, it felt like being buried alive, but he could only blame himself. It was his own decision to leave the safety of Zoe's bed, he could have used the antidote by now or he could be having round 2 of fulfilling his girlfriend's fantasy, and even if it worried him a bit how Zoe didn't seem keen on using the antidote, he knew she would treat him better than this.

Jack grunts after the sudden burst of light and air disturbs his sleep, until the "Aww" cooing and giggle from Anna remind him this wasn't a nightmare.

"Did the polite doll had a nice nap?" 

"Anna, I'm Jack, seriously.. please take me to your sister, I'm hungry and thirsty" Looking up Jack once again feels embarrassed and flustered and angry but the experience was more than enough to calm him down. His priorities are clear, get out of this damn box, appease the giant brat and find a way to tell Zoe, or even Kate. After all, it's one thing to be caught tiny and naked in her daughter's bed and another to be caught tiny and wearing doll clothes, trapped in her daughter's shoe box.

"Nope, you aren't"

"What? I am not a doll, dolls don't move a talk you.. please" 

"Sis told me you were a memento that Jack got her, but I thought they broke up" 

"Did she? Please take me to her, we can clear this up" 

"Nope, I found you"

"Anna, I am not a doll! Dolls that move and talk don't exist"

"And people don't shrink, do they?" the burst of anger Jack was feeling settled a bit, not because of that stupid smirk on her face but because he has to admit her logic is hard to argue against. "People don't shrink" was something he also believed until he found that site, and then her sister confirms her suspicions about him being a doll to hide the truth. Maybe if the roles were reversed, Jack would struggle to believe the tiny thing in front of him either.

"How can I prove to you that I am Jack?"

"I don't know. Just stay there for a bit and we can have some fun, be right back" 

"Wait, can you not fully cl-" Anna moved too quick for him and before he could ask her to leave an opening for the air he was once again covered in darkness. He halfheartedly tries to dislodge it again but even without the book on top he just lacks the leverage, specially with the uncomfortable onesie not allowing him to move freely.

"There you go, baby doll" Fortunately he doesn't have to wait long this time before the lid opens again, and despite her taunting Jack sees how Anna carefully folds her t-shirt again and, in the now free space on the box, she sets down a bottle cap with water and an opened packet with half a cookie in it. "Does that work?"

"It does, thanks" Jack doesn't waste any time arguing and approaches the bottle cap, trying to lift it but realizing it's way more than he can handle at this size. He feels a wave of embarassment again but looking up he can tell Anna won't stop watching him so he gives up and start drinking the water the only way he can, lowering his head enough so she can't see his cheeks blush at her soft laugh. After that he drags the cookie out of the packet but faces a new problem as he is not strong enough to break a piece, or even strong enough to bite a piece out of it.

"Oh my God" Anna fails to contain herself and bursts into laughter, which makes Jack crawl into the packet to fish for some of the crumbs that he can handle and hide his shame. What was he thinking? He's so dependent of others at this size, he never realized a backup plan was needed in case he ended up stuck like this. It was so humiliating he wasn't even thinking any more on Zoe, he just wanted to reach Lydia and the antidote in some way. Jack imagined not being able to even make it to Anna's room and have the opportunity to beg for food, shuddering at the thought of having to survive on his own downstairs for a night. Would he even be able to?

"Here" Jack sees Anna take the cookie with her hand and easily break it into crumbs, taking most of it for herself "Maybe you aren't a doll after all" The comment, said without malice, helps Jack get out of his improvised hideout and cautiously grab one of the crumbs on the box.

"Really?"

"I don't think dolls need to eat, even if they walked and talked. Or if they did, they would know how to do it. The rest is on my desk, if you need more just say it.. um.. 'Jack'"

"Thanks" Jack ignores the air quotes on his name, too busy fighting his embarrassment and shame, and eats as much as he can in silence, not knowing if he's eating that little because his body is that little or if the whole thing just made a number on his appetite.

"What I don't get is, why would a guy almost six foot tall would become.." Anna makes a gesture with her fingers to complete the phrase, another perfectly valid question that he cannot fully answer for the same reasons Anna's sister lied to her.

"I.. uhmm.." Jack wonders if Zoe would be alright with him sharing such an intimate thing, even if it could get him back to her.

"No answer? Maybe you're a doll then"

"But you just said-"

"Maybe a weird clone thing, like in those science fiction tv shows" If he wasn't wearing a baby onesie and drinking water like a dog, Jack would have laughed at the absurdity of it all. How did she even get there? And here he thought she was a ditz.

"Ugh, no, let me explain" Jack dried his mouth with the sleeve of the onesie, not knowing what else to use and hoping getting it dirty meant he would get free of the silly outfit

"Fine, finish your meal and then you can prove youself, 'Jack'" seeing her stand up and walk to what seems to be the bathroom makes him wondered why she sounded so serious when saying that. It was jut a matter of telling her the truth, right? Or maybe a white lie, but a white lie already got her wondering he was a doll and a clone. At least he could finally enjoy his meal without feeling like a prisoner.

What happens next?