Retreating to familiar territory Trampled Roses chapter 5 by Jem

Every bit of Dani's moral fiber wanted her to stay and stick up for her fellow woman, but she couldn't bring herself to help. Instead, she quickly scurried on, lowering her head and thinking quickly about how to escape these awful men. She made her way to the women's area of the store, and zig-zagged through a few aisles until she was deep within a cloister lined with high heels.

Dani let out a breath. She would count to ten, slowly, and then she would walk out of the store. She hated the idea of putting the boxes of shoes she had picked out in the wrong section, but she did not want to take the time to pay—she just wanted out, now. So she counted, and tried to keep breathing. She had read about men like this in the news, and had seen their kind in person a few times before: someone was about to get shrunk. For a woman, it was like being somewhere and realizing that someone had pulled out a gun. So, Dani ran, not wanting to catch a random shrink ray if the boys weren't good shots. She wasn't going to be one of those women who goes missing, or get stepped on. It was a nightmare to consider.

As Dani counted, she realized that she could hear a woman talking in the next lane over, her voice soft and deep. Dani relaxed in a very specific, feeling awful safety in numbers - that is, she only had to outrun the other gazelle, and all that. Then she heard what the woman was saying and, curiously, it sounded like she was talking to a tiny person. Another woman, no doubt. Dani rarely saw woman abusing other tiny women. Where was the solidarity? Dani almost had a mind to tell the woman off, but she was still bleeding through her flight response.

"You really think these are a good fit? Hm, I don't know. Are you just saying that so I'll stop trying on shoes? Too bad, bitch. I want to try on those red heels." It was odd, but Dani wrote it off as super weird customer banter. But then the woman added. "Besides, I'm enjoying how you feel under my toes. I get to keep you if I buy a pair of shoes, right?"

The woman laughed, and Dani decided she had heard enough. She started to walk down the aisle. Strangely, it felt like the woman's voice followed alongside her, as if she was walking Dani's way.

"Little girl, we're trying on those red heels. Why not. You know what? If I like how you fit in them, I'm walking out of here. So get used to breathing my toes, bug. You might as well start lickin'—I've decided I own you."

Yep, this woman was a psychopath. This blatant display of cruelty was enough to override Dani's fury. She was afraid, again, and wanted to leave. Maybe the woman hadn't seen her yet. Which way should she go? It seemed the woman was now walking to the end of her aisle. She heard a shoe box slide off a shelf ahead of her. Dani froze again.

"Ah, these are perfect!. It was clearly meant to be. Hold on to my toes, bug. Don't give me an excuse to crush you flat."

Slowly, Dani was able to get herself moving. One foot in front of the next. She heard the woman continue to swoon about how well her shoes fit, and how good it felt to have the tiny woman under her toes. The traitor. Dani wanted to rage, but her fear cast its shadow over everything. She stalked toward the end of the aisle as if trying not to alert the hungry lioness that hadn't noticed her yet.