Chapter Eleven

An Unusual Friendship

Zelly's heart pounded in her chest like a wild drum, her scream slicing through the heavy air as she watched the giant hand, a menacing monolith, drawing inexorably toward the switch of the garbage disposal. A dreadful realization washed over her. If that switch were flicked, her existence would be reduced to nothing more than a grim memory, lost in the grinding gears of the monstrous device.

Her life, in all its vibrancy and colour, played out in her mind's eye like a movie. An echo of laughter. A splash of sunshine. All threatened to be obliterated. She let out a scream, louder still.

The motion of the giant hand faltered, paused. A titanic eye, clear as a summer sky, leaned into view, scrutinizing the minute figure in the sink. The colossal fingers, thick as tree trunks, descended into the disposal, curling around Zelly with a deceptive gentleness. As she was hoisted out of her gloomy prison, she was brought face-to-face with the giant.

"Please, don't!" Zelly's plea reverberated in the enormous kitchen. "Don't end my life. Please, just let me go!" Her desperate words hung in the air between them, as the giant continued his scrutiny. The giant's gaze was an inscrutable puzzle, giving away nothing of his intentions. He brought Zelly closer to his face, his nostrils flaring as he took in her scent. She could feel the wind from them, tugging away at her clothes.

“Get away!" she protested, anger lacing her voice.

Striking out with all the strength her small form could muster, she battered at his hand. Her attack seemed to startle the giant, as if he had just realized the tiny creature in his hand was alive and fighting for her life and was destined to break free. He dropped Zelly onto the cold, hard counter, taking two lumbering steps back. The fear in his eyes mirrored Zelly's own terror. He was shaken.

In that moment, it became clear that the giant was not the predator, but perhaps just as terrified as Zelly. His colossal size was no shield against his fear. Their shared fear, a testament to their shared humanity, hung in the air, a palpable tension. Now, it was anyone's guess who was the real giant in the room.

Zelly, petrified, let loose a piercing shriek as the behemoth leaned closer, attempting to gauge her well-being. "Begone, you brute!" she cried, snatching a random trinket from the countertop and hurling it with all her might. It struck the giant squarely in the eye. Stunned, he retreated hastily, his enormous form blundering out of the kitchen and through the back door, where he tumbled onto the verdant carpet of the backyard.

His lamentations were so thunderous they set the windowpanes trembling, and Zelly was compelled to cover her ears. Concealed by a cluster of nearby shrubbery, she gazed upon the weeping titan, baffled by her victory over such an immense adversary.

"Can it truly be?" she muttered. "Is he shedding tears?" The sight of the colossal figure weeping was strangely humbling. Each tear was a miniature waterfall, splashing upon the ground and creating puddles where they landed.

Suddenly, Zelly sneezed. The abrupt noise startled the giant, who swiftly swiveled his head in her direction. A surge of fear propelled her to flee, but she paused as she noticed that the giant made no move to rise. Instead, he simply turned away, his massive head drooping. He appeared forlorn.

A wave of empathy washed over Zelly, and she found herself slowly approaching the gigantic creature.

Stolen story; please report.

"Hello there," she said, reaching out to touch his belt, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm sorry, really. And, well... thank you—for saving me!”

The giant seemed apprehensive, reluctant to meet her gaze. "And I'm also sorry for jabbing you with my broom that night," she continued, her voice growing stronger. "You startled me, see? Do you understand me? Can you speak?"

Zelly began to stroke his back, a comforting gesture. Slowly, the giant turned to face her, revealing a sad smile, his eyes still watery. She returned the gesture, her own smile broadening as he mirrored her.

"So, you can't talk then, eh? I'm Zelly. What's your name?"

The giant tilted his head in confusion.

"Zelly," she repeated, enunciating carefully. "Say it. Zelly." She was met with a sound, a low murmur that resonated from him like a deep, melodic hum.

"Zzzz," the ground vibrated with the bass of his voice.

"Hey, that's good! A start indeed!" she exclaimed, her smile lighting up her face.

As weeks turned into months, Zelly's mission to teach the giant to speak evolved into an insatiable passion. She enlisted the help of her vast library, sharing tales of adventure and heroism, of love and tragedy, from hundreds of books with her enormous friend. His eyes would follow her every move as she animatedly read, weaving her hands through the air to emphasize the soaring highs and devastating lows of each story. Each word was like musical notes.

One night, while Zelly was lost in the realm of dreams, an unexpected, deep voice echoed through her room.

“Zelly!”

Zelly jolted awake, her heart pounding like a drum against her chest. She blinked against the darkness, struggling to make sense of what she'd heard. Was she still dreaming? Her question was answered when she saw the giant's head peeking into her window.

“What! Oh My God, you— you’re talking!” She exclaimed, launching herself out of bed and bounding over to the window. “Say something else!”

“Hello!” The giant's voice was a deep rumble, shaking the tiny room. Zelly couldn't contain her excitement, jumping up and down and squealing with joy.

“You did it, you did it!”

The giant's face crinkled into a warm smile, his eyes twinkling with pride.

“Ok, Mister Giant! So what is your name!?”

“I don’t have a name!” He confessed.

“Then we need to give you one. I'm getting tired of calling you Mister Giant. It’s kinda boring. How about—”

“Fish!” The giant interrupted, causing Zelly to dissolve into a fit of giggles.

“Are you serious? Fish? What type of name is that?”

“Well—I like eating fish!” The giant defended.

“Well, I love eating Pizza, but you don’t see my name being Pizza, do ya?” Zelly retorted.

The giant looked puzzled. He didn't understand why his name couldn't be Fish, but he trusted Zelly.

“How about we call you... Tiny!” She suggested, trying to stifle her laughter.

“Tiny? What type of name is that? I’m a giant, and you want to call me Tiny!"

"I figured your name could be the opposite of what you really are! I thought you would love it!” Said Zelly.

“Well, maybe something more appropriate would be suiting,” the giant countered.

“Ok, how about... Biggie?”

At the sound of the name, the giant's face lit up. He loved the name, and he thought it seemed more fitting for a giant.

“Oh, you like that, huh?” Biggie nodded with a broad smile.

“Biggie it is!” Zelly declared, climbing into his hand as he lifted her up close to his face. She reached out and tenderly stroked his cheek, eliciting a blissful sigh from Biggie.

“Best friends?” She asked, her voice laced with excitement.

“Best friends!” He echoed with a broad toothy smile.

With a swift agility that belied his size, Mister Nuts clambered up Biggie, and perched himself on Zelly’s shoulder. Then, Biggie hoisted them up and nestled Zelly comfortably on his shoulder.

As they embarked on a tour of the forest, Zelly could hardly contain her awe. She'd been living in the forest for weeks, but viewing it from this towering perspective gave her a newfound appreciation for its majestic beauty that her parents designed. The forest was transformed from an imposing wilderness into a magical world of towering trees and shimmering streams.

Zelly felt a contentment she hadn't experienced in a long time. She missed her family, of course, but the bond she'd formed with Biggie and Mister Nuts filled a part of the void left by their absence. Little did they know, however, that their blissful existence was about to be rocked by a threat that would change everything forever.

[Adventurer Level 4!]

[Survivalist Skills Level 3 Obtained!]

[Courage Points +50!]

[Craftsmanship Level 2 Maintained]

[Navigation Skills Level 3 Obtained!]

[Stamina Boost +40!]

[Skill - Advanced Climbing Level 1 Obtained!]

[Skill - Fear Resistance Level 4 Obtained!]

[Skill - Quick Thinking Level 2 Obtained!]

[Skill - Diplomacy Level 1 Obtained!]

[Skill - Teaching Level 1 Obtained!]

[Giant Encounter Bonus: Friendship Points +100!]