Hungry and bored in the back of his car. Nick, a middle aged man, after a long day of work finally managed to catch a break. He was with his good friend, Ana, a blonde sporting an inky black tee and silky, cotton pants boasting patches of pale skin like an open window, and a massive ego. The two drifted past street after street. This didn't sit right with Nick. Thry passed Henry's Garden. Confused at his friend's sudden lack of direction, he decided to ask "Where… are we going?" 
At a red light, the lady stretched over to her slim side and lunged for a slip of paper alternating from purple and green with the curvy letters "TransMorphia" scribbled in the front. 
"A ticket?" He asked, "To where?"
Ana sighed, tapping her bucked shoe's heel on the gas as a green afterglow reflected in her starlight eyes. "It's for a carnival. Some nice looking ladies handed me the ticket."
Like a stray water balloon, the statement came flying! "Carnival?" He wondered, "Aren't you the type to hate that stuff?" 
His hypothesis came hurling back at Ana! Though acting aloof because of the freshly scented steering wheel. "Wait, weren't you supposed to be driving us to a restaurant?" That's right! Nick supposedly got off from work, he planned to go home and take a nice long shower before eating something. Coincidentally meeting Ana, an old friend, on his way to his car. She proposed that they go get something to eat and he instantly took the offer. 
Oddly enough, Ana asked to drive, which Nick wasn't too keen on doing until she mentioned there being a secret of some sort. Now however, he felt confused. "Sorry, I lied! After I saw the advertisement I couldn't help but bring someone with me. We'll get food there." She paused for a moment before adding, "If the ticket works…"
This wasn't the first time Ana's done something like this, she had always been the type to say one thing just to reveal that she meant the other. Always canceling plans. But that flaw didn't annoy Nick too much. She was still a good friend; someone who always chilled at home and chatted about life. So he supposed he could let it slide every now and then. Plus it's not like she was hurting anybody! 
The car came to a screeching halt, parked between a black lambo and a purple truck. "We're here, finally!" The man dragged himself from the jaws of his car door whilst he held out an arm to block the pesky sunlight from stabbing at his eyes. Such a cramped space was always hard on Nick's fragile back, so he'd always need to stretch out after exiting. Perhaps it was time to get a new one. Meh, that thought could wait.
Outside the car, a sight stole the air from his lungs; surrounded by the vibrant reds of a tent, the oranges of stands, and purple streets, beyond a towering metal gate held the sounds of so many people applauding and laughing to their heart's content. 
Carnivals always did have that lovey-dovey aura surrounding them. However, something about this place looked wrong. What was it? The odd colour pattern? His friend's attitude towards going here, or was it because he could only catch women roaming the festive streets? He did not know. But something felt terribly wrong. The way his mouth swelled up, how his heart pounded against his ribs, it all added to that surreal feeling.
But who knows, it had been a while since Nick went out with his friend, probably some anxiety peeking out.
Despite this, the duo sneaked towards the front entrance, inside looked so overjoyed with warm colours while out here seemed so grey. No wonder she wanted to visit. The scent of sugared funnel cake and spicy hot dogs pulled him closer. On top of that, the fantastic sight of what he could only imagine of in his childhood reflected fantastically in his crystal eyes. 
Due to technological advances, amusement such as a carnival had a snowball's chance in hell of surviving. They had no place in the world any longer. People could just go online and use the internet for their fill of entertainment. Therefore, this place, shrouded in mystery, confused Nick.
Looking around, the first to notice the ruby red ticket booth was, coincidentally, him. And inside that booth there held a smiling lady sporting orange face paint with black whiskers as well as black and white clothing from head to toe, swinging back and forth as she browsed about on her phone. Nick signaled Ana while walking over to the booth, "Hey, miss, I was just talking with my friend here and we were wondering; this ticket here, it does work for two people right?" 
The lady looked up, snapping her fingers across the power button as she crafted a toothy smile, "aha! Why yes ma'am. If you wanna know a secret it's actually the only way to get in." 
"Only way?" Nick chipped in, "You can't pay or something?"
"Nope, in fact, the ticket requires both a man and a woman."
"Why's that?" Nick asked, causing the lady behind the booth to smirk fiendishly at Ana. Which brought Nick's suspicions to a sprinting start.
"Well, here at TransMorphia we have quite… unorthodox traditions."
"Wait, why don't I see any other guys then?"
The girl suddenly giggled to herself! Oddly enough, staring down Nick as she did so. "Y'know, you two are a real treat!" It was a struggle for the woman to speak through her hearty laugh, "Well, I'm not one to reveal another girl's secret." These words left Nick puzzled. Did the carnival do something with genders, or was he missing something? Neither sparked his mind in any way. “Here, follow me” Beckoned the lady, reaching out her gloved hand to mention “My name is Riley by the way.”
“Right, nice to meet you, Riley.”
During the entire tour, his mind simmered on the thought of what could be going. He could feel his chest sink as if he just went on a rollercoaster. Again, nothing was out of the ordinary. No matter how much he tried, the feeling would never leave. 
The group marched past the gates, crossing a street and passing over to one of the many commonplace carnival games:
Test Your Might!
Nothing looked inherently wrong with it, a simple and fun game of smack the button. Big, red, and very punchable. Singing its occasional tune and hiding in the scent of nearby food trucks that wielded a much stronger collar on Nick. But he decided against leaving his pal in the dust. 
Although a bit larger than usual, the game served as entertainment. This was shown by the tall 'strength o' meter' almost tauntingly casting its shadow down on the three. Never could he have known that this is what would change the rest of his life. The two glanced at the lady wearing face paint, a better glance told them that the face was meant to portray a tiger, and the clothes were similar to magician's attire, she must've ran the attraction given that no one else was around. "You think you're strong enough? Come on then, test your might!" The performer beckoned, firing up Nick's spirit. It was enough to break his hangry self and jump over to his shiny, red opponent with a burning glimmer in his eyes. Until he noticed, "Where's the hammer?" 
The lady smirked and pointed towards a giant, metal tube along with a long slab of glass slapped on the side. This object stood a head higher than Nick, adding on to the intimidating feeling continuously swirling in his stomach. Not getting the chance to ask what it was before a force nudged him inside and shut out from the world. Shutting with a click.
Looking back, Nick stared confusingly at Riley, who responded with a cheeky wink through the window. "Uhm… What's going on?" This place looked like something straight out of sci-fi horror! Like a cloning machine or something. It made his chest flutter then drop. That was because something sparked, while he pushed on the door to no avail, a light, barely noticed by Nick, flickered up and bolted towards his leg!
Riley tugged on a leaver, sending Nick spinning around. The machine roared! Jolts of electricity zapped at his legs and arms, then his torso, taking the giant down, he fell to the floor with a thunk! A cry of pain and confusion escaped his locked jaws as the electricity buzzed fiendishly in his ears. The feeling in his legs and arms fuzzed up. Like static infusing deep within his bones so quickly he couldn't even give a proper reaction. Only a groan. It was the only thing he could think to do. Even then the sound of his voice was stolen from him, leaving the man a lifeless body trapped inside the belly of his tormentor.
“DING!”
Bells battered Nick's eardrums with a piercing "ding" while his vision blurred, bringing the performance to an end. Unable to stand, stuck sprawled to the floor and at the mercy of a simple lever pull. The other side of the glass revealed the wicked grin plastered on Riley’s face. Ana on the other hand looked concerned. Her face contorted with the shock flowing through her. But she at least bit her lip to ask, "Is he okay? He looks hurt!" Her altruistic query muffled through the metal walls, handing Nick some amount of solace. Far from okay as he could be. Given, the limbs in his body would not budge!
What struck Nick as odd however, was this tingling pain rushing into his arms, or… body? The feeling definitely appeared alien to him; at first it defined itself with his limbs. Using a sort of pins and needles urge to numb him as the shocks rise up. But at some point, he did not know why, however, the feeling merged with his whole self. Additionally, his arms rolled out straighter than a pencil, when he attempted to move them he could identify that they had been stuck in place, as if glued down. The feeling in his limbs slowly formed into a lone, stretched out, static branch forced in place. Merging the senses in his legs with his arms. Lastly to be affected was his vision, steadily doubling, tripling in size, no, his body was shrinking! 
Meanwhile, Ana had been confronted by the worker admitting to Nick's predicament in a nonchalant manner, giving her a moment of relief. "So… what's happening to him then?"
"He's just TransMorphing! He'll be A-OK!" Stated the worker, ending with a thumbs up and a small flickle of her left eye shrouded in a cloud of evergreen leaves. 
"Oh! So this is what it looks like!" 
"Yep! Perfect for all your morphing needs." The giant tube opened up to present: "A hammer!"
Disoriented, confused, everything in his vision was all blurry. Because of this, hearing most of anything should have been a chore in of itself. Yet the word: hammer hit him in the jaw and snapped him out instantly! A hammer? Nick, a human, had just been mistaken for a hammer? The words creeping out of Ana's mouth almost seemed unreal. He couldn't believe it! Even with the definitive proof on his now small frame, accepting something so outlandish as that was impossible! Yet the menacing shadow of a giant's hand lurked over his pathetic frame, effortlessly and easily knocking that confusion right out of him and drilling into his mind just how powerless he was to a goldly fist. His friend, now a giant? Given her history, this could not go well.
"Wow you look cute Nick!" Ana plucked up a mallet no larger than her ankle, sending a tingle down Nick's stiff spine. It might not have been much for her, but because of his small frame, the supposedly gentle grasp in all actuality squeezed Nick like a lemon, effortlessly stealing a breath from the man.
"W-what just happened? Put me down!" He cried.
"Oh shoot, sorry bro."
Nick exhaustedly sighed at his view slowly lowering down. But before she could, the performer stole Ana's wrist! "My, your friend here is a bit of a grumpy guy! C'mon, at least try before you knock it out of the park." Riley announced, obviously rubbing off on Ana's more devious side. Two paths displaying in front of her, on one hand, she could let go of her friend; help him turn back to normal, and leave. Or… she could ignore him. Against his better will she would have her fun. Use the ticket given to her to its fullest. Plus, it was quite hilarious to see her friend so… weak like this. It made her feel in charge; strong. Very different compared to how the duo usually are. She'd never hurt her friend of course but… what's a little fun going to do?
So, at the whim of his trustworthy friend, she abandoned it all.
It was a flash. 
In a blur, massive vibrations rushed throughout his face, quaking his bones. Vision blocked by a bright, tomato colour. He Yawped like a kid in a haunted house. And through the discomfort screeched a ringing ring ding ding! It wasn't painful. Although, it definitely felt different; a squeezing feeling. As if being jammed between a mob of people. And, despite his attempts to break free, got sandwiched between them.
Yet as he struggled, Ana snickered at the sight, wondering how her friend felt. Being crushed down with all her might must not have felt too good. But that made the sight all the more funny, she even had to peel Nick off of the darn thing! "That was fun! And with the way you're sticking I think you might want to be stuck there." At the end of her accusation, a stiff tug plopped the hammer back up with his confused face soonly meeting with. "Wow! You really are invincible!" The flatness of Nick's face begged to differ. Ignoring this distortion, she casted a glance at Riley "Thank you miss! Uhm… What should I do now? Should I turn him back?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.
"You shouldn't concern yourself with that, for now just go out and have fun! There’s many ladies here who are professionals and can help with your TransMorphing needs." Responded Riley, clicking her teeth alongside another swift wink towards the mallet in hand.
Semi-flat faced, Nick's squinted eyes widened, crying out something about wanting to go home. Still unable to accept the reality. Ana however was having none of that today. "You're always such a party pooper! Just relax and have some fun for a change."
The chance to refute before getting dragged to another attraction whilst in the clutches of her smooth hands did not come. That was because just a few meters away rested another stand; looking like one of those ordinary "pop the balloon with darts" types of games. Ana approached the box of ruby red darts sitting around. Squishing her face to the ripe stench of heated rubber. Still, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Although, he knew that If this place was anything like the last, then he would be involved, but how? This should not be real. So how? 
Speaking of the robot devil! Another machine stood right next to him, as if tauntingly. Similar to the last one except this time it was smaller.
"Please, can we just go home? I don't want to—"
"Well howdy ma'am, what can I git for ya?" From under the barstool, someone appeared before the two, leaning down on the pale, wooden benchside with her lightly tanned arms. "Oh yes! I would like to try this game." Setting Nick down, Ana and the worker debated. In the process, ignoring his attempts at persuasion. "Ana ple–"
"Ah! A fine eye you got there." The accented girl speculated.
"What makes you think that?" The headliner brushed her freckled cheeks which flushed a perpetual pink, "Games' got the best prize I'd say." 
"What's the prize?" Ana hummed, gaining no sound information except for a subtle pinch of the girl's golden nails grinding against one another. "Gotta' win first."
"Well let's start then!" Ana roared.
The vision of Nick's TransMorphing tormentor approached rapidly. There was little time to react to being tossed inside the belly once again, bumping into the wall and wheezing aloud to his isolated self. Once again, having been surrounded by a room of electricity, the man whimpered to himself.
As he spun around, the sound of his friend giggling seeped through the metal cage. Odd given how desperate she sounded last time. 
Yet round and round he went. Ana took a moment to admire this. His complaints were annoying, sure, and the way he yelled as if he was about to die was something she could definitely do without, that is true, but Ana was still having fun, even if at his expense. So what if her supposedly manly pal is a total wimp? It's not like she saw him as any less of a man. 
Well…
Any less of a human.
"Ding!" And like that the door revealed a mini Nick with big bunny ears. Jiggling his stubby tail! 'Kyaa!" He was so cute Ana could just squeeze him to death! His little nose sniffles were just the cutest! So she lunged for Nick in a hugging motion but regretfully had been swept from right under her grasp! The thief? The worker, she tilted her red baseball cap subtly. Pulling the little bunny-man to her silky lapiz shirt along with some well-ironed, blue overalls. While Nick felt his cheeks flush a scarlet red. Obviously she was trying to swoon her friend! "Hey, he was mine!" Ana roared, adding another tint of vermillion to Nick's puffed out cheeks. Ana swiped forward, having missed once before it was to happen a second time. She looked forward angrily. What she wouldn't do to hug that ball of cudly fluff!
"Sorry ma'am, your cute friend here is for keeps till' you win." The trucker lady spoke with a deep voice. Adding yet another layer to Nick's pile.
"Keep him? But… I wanted to play with him…" As the two argued, Nick was to be held captive between two slim arms tightly pressing the plush's face between two rather comfortable mountains that acted as a mini sauna. Spreading a nature-like fragrance alongside the heated walls which swayed with Nick. 
"See? He already loves it here."
Biting her lip, rather than showing, Ana hid her jealousy with anger. "Any man would when you smother them with your breasts! That's just a roundabout way of saying that you don't know what makes him really tick."  How the two were fighting was nothing short of a boxing ring! 
"Oh? Are you saying you do now what makes him tick?" A swift jab brough Ana to her knees. How could she fall to her own words? But most importantly how could these two argue so fiercely over a little plush? As the fight continued, Nick's blush doubled in its tint. 
Ana was quick to sigh and ask,
"So how do I play then?" 
"Just a good ol 'game of pop the balloons. If ya pop seven I'll getcha that reward."
"And Nick?" 
"Yes yes, and yer pal." Ana drilled a hole into Nick's red face looking back at her. Energetic to play while Nick… not too similar. Sure his blush could cook a hotdog, however. Something had been tugging at his stomach. "What happens if she loses?" The high-pitched squeak of Nick's voice reached not an ear; he was completely helpless to this situation. Irrelevant to whether or not he wanted to, music began to play, the darts lit up a vibrant glow of purple and blue. As Ana swiped one, Nick was taken out of ear shot, forced to sit and watch as she raised her first dart and… miss!
Tossing one dart after another, not an eye focused on Nick whilst the grip on him tightened more than expected, relieving his blush and replacing it with shock. All of the nothing inside of his body slowly squeezing. Pressing the plush more and more to the point of that awkward discomfort from before. Pressure rose, his body crumpled to the trucker lady's godly power until he coughed out a crying squeak! "C'mon! You can do better than that little toy." 
Then, the pressure lifted. As if nothing happened. As if the guts swirling around served as a mere plaything. This total stranger spent what felt like hours squeezing Nick to the point of break and gracefully stopping just before he flattened like a pancake. Torture. Easily squishing all that he was, imbuing her violent aroma of pine! Squeeze after squish! Every time she did so oozed out a new pitch from the miserable toy that was Nick. Never were her urges satisfied! It was always, "Louder! Louder!" All the while Ana took her sweet time chucking darts, not even batting an eye for her friend in distress. "If ya ain't gonna try then don't blame me for what happens next." 
Squeeze, Nick had no choice in the matter, no ability to squirm, crying for help would get him a one way ticket to waffle land, that he was certain of. So what could he do besides endure; listen to her (hopefully) empty threats? What could he do besides watch as his friend hurled a dart successfully, causing a 'POP!' To reverberate from here to tomorrow. And as a reward, Nick was pushed to make another heartfelt squeak from his hollow body. "Damn!"
Another dart came flying at a balloon! It took only an instant for the POP to reach his ears. One more. One more was all he needed to leave! Unwavering in hope for his friend. Then, out of nowhere a pressure much more aggressive than the last slammed him on the counter! He popped back up in a dizzy state, disoriented by the flashing lights while his noggin compressed down like a hydraulic press. "You'd make an amazing stress toy, you know that?" From ear to ear Nick's face had been shifted upside down. This lady really planned to crush him! Her hand raised a good meter above him before freezing.
"I did it!" Red lights flashed the number seven! Ana jogged over to Nick's tormentor without even batting an eye towards him. Simply grabbing the man with a smug grin pointed towards the trucker girl who quickly took her hand away before Ana could notice. Nonetheless he was saved! The pressure relieved! "So, what's the grand prize?" 
"You've got gusto, I'll give you that. Alrighty, for the grand prize you and your squeaky friend here get the rest of the games for nuthin' not a buck." She grumbled.
"Woah, really?! Even the game with that car prize?"
"Yup, fuh free! Ya' practically guaranteed to win s' long as your pal can endure." The words "a new car" instantly sparked Ana's interest. By the way she froze Nick could tell he wasn't going to get home anytime soon. The realization made his cotton heart drop. She was bound to try and get that car regardless of his pleas. He could only hope that the next few hours would not be as horrifying as the past few minutes; a hopeless dream.
"I don't know… sounds like there's a catch." Ana hummed.
"You guessed it!" Out slid a page of paper with a bunch of words jumbled between the top, and down to the big line asking for a signature. "Basically, we need you to sign your friend's initials here." She tapped her golden nails on the long line. This sudden proposal stretched out and slapped Nick across the face. Obviously his friend would never fall for something so clearly a trick, right? "Is it really as simple as that?"
"Yuuuupp!" Wrong, he was doomed! "Ana no–" Despite his attempts, swaying Ana's hand was not possible because she was already far too deep. But he was even more surprised to find that Ana didn't even waste a moment to think! Without a moment's hesitation scribbling down Nick's initials.
She looked up eagerly at the worker with Nick's name-stained paper in hand.
"Wha– why? Ana–"
"Sorry Nick, but you know how long I've wanted that car. This could be my only chance!"
Ana swiped Nick with a tight embrace and went in for the last nail on his coffin. "Let's get going then, we don't have all day!" She announced in an excited tone as her grasp around Nick tightened. She tossed up her hand and waved to the worker. Taking not a second longer to dart over to the destination.
No time to think, nor the time to discuss. Straight into the fun. 
It was a rough tour for Nick, between the constant bobbing of his whole frame, shaking his insides about, and the periodic squashing betwixt Ana's iron bear hug. Not to mention her embarrassing coos in public. "You're so cute~" He had little to admire but the blush forming on his fluffy cheeks. "But you're also a bit more of a pervert than I imagined." Ana's grip tightened. Squeezing out yet another squeak from Nick. But it was obvious with the face that she was making that it was a joke.
Throughout the stroll Ana passed many attractions. Some normal but most downright terrifying to the little plush's eyes. Getting stretched to the point of tearing definitely was not his idea of fun. Nor was bobbing for apples, given, he was certain he'd be the apple in that scenario. And, Ana seemed to agree with him. Though, she seemed pretty giddy at the idea. "Come on bro! I totally wouldn't bite you… maybe~"
Speaking of food, right next to them flourished multiple booths selling cordogs and deep fried pickles. However, rather than hunger, curiosity guided her attention to a long line of women leading to a tent the size of a museum! No sign announced its purpose but deep within Ana knew that this was the place. These past few attractions had been like a box of chocolates, so what was one more box to her? 
It did not take long for the line to funnel inside and come facing a vast room filled with many ropes, ladders, booths, and those familiar machines sprinkled about. Dread hit Nick like a tomato in the face. Of course they're back.
He however did not get much of a moment to complain due to racing over to a group of ladies which Ana eagerly ogled at. In total there were three; each with their own vibrant style, boasting flashy feathered hats and boisterous pelt jackets. They, in response to Ana, smiled back and pointed at Nick. "Huh? You want him?" The group collectively nodded their heads. "Yes, sorry. But if you want to participate then we need him."
Nick wanted to run, hide, the way they instantly made the subject about him gave a sense of dread he never wanted to feel again. "Hey Ana, are you starving? I'm starving, we should g—" 
"O-okay then…" That fear snowballed into a feeling of betrayal. Like chocolate in a candy store, he landed right into the palm of their hands! "W-w-wai—" and before his pleas could be heard he had already been tossed into a machine. Whirling, whirling, spinning, spinning, Ding!
The door flung open to boast the person that was Nick now turned into a sphere. He'd look like any ordinary, yellow, bouncy ball if not for his face plastered on it. He cursed himself, coming here was a mistake! "I don't do crowds." That's what he should have said, then— he wouldn't be here, dealing with this–this humiliation! Had he just taken the time to think perhaps he wouldn't be in thos situation. Being held in someone's hands, nonetheless a stranger's; one of the most terrifying experiences ever! At any moment she could bag the poor bastard and skedaddle. There was nothing within his power to change that. 
And from the sidelines Ana watched with gleaming eyes while the 'ball' was passed in a circle to each person, carefully inspecting the wrinkles on his face and then smooshing him against their leather, gloved palms. That little face of pure anguish written all over his spherical body like comedy gold to them. So, the next step seemed obvious to everyone but Nick. Still in the dark until the very moment he found himself next to hundreds of others just like him! With their own faces and voices yet eerily similar to Nick. 
"Alrighty contestants! Let us go over the rules again before we start." The room went from a chatting garden to a frozen waste in almost an instant. "Firstly, we would like to thank you all for participating." The group bowed down, staying there for a moment before eventually rising back up.
"So the rules are simple: Each contestant is going to compete with someone from outside the game, take for example this ball." Given his track record of one unfortunate encounter after another, it was not surprising to find himself flaunted to the crowd in between her fingers. In fact, it seemed to be becoming a norm. "First, the person given this ball will drop him into a playmat."
Horror struck as he watched, the view shifted to a box with a glass roof, much like a rat maze. Except, instead of cheese, there was a gaping cavern leading to somewhere unknown. He attempted to wiggle to no avail, dropping inside. "There are plenty of different play mats for each person, but for this one we will show a basic version." The whole room gathered their attention on the box. On the other side, inside the maze looked much more giant than Nick expected; it truly felt as if he was a tiny mouse and the pale walls surrounding him were towers; monumental in size, and constantly pressing against his curvy body. 
Suddenly, while awaiting a voice, the center of gravity pulled him forward. And, unable to catch himself, he fell face first. With his face forced down on the pine scented ground, carpeted in dirt which invoked snickers out of the crowd, he could merely mope at this. "Now, the entire goal is to get this ball out from the game mat. For mine, it requires that I get him to the hole on the other side of the maze. That is the only way for a contestant to lose." His center of gravity moved again, rolling him towards a wall and mashing right into it! For a moment, the force ceased, "Yes, you?"
Then, a squeaky voice echoed from afar, "What happens if we win?"
"Good question ma'am! Whoever is last standing will get a personal car built for them. To top it off, if you manage to get the ball out of the playmat, then you keep them! Regardless of if you win or not." 
Amongst his dread there hovered tauntingly over him, an applaud. "Keep the ball" they really did treat men like toys here, what had Ana gotten him into? The world had never felt so distant until this moment. "Alright, now let's get into the actual game shall we?"
He did not feel ready, but that never stopped anything before. Still, dropped over to somewhere completely alien, with a stranger hovering over his entire world like a god would. The playing field entirely one-sided. In the midst of rolling away aimlessly whilst he struggled to survive the crushing voice of his competitor. A lady who wore casual blue sweatpants and flaunted her short, black hair and golden earrings such as royalty. "Sup little guy? Name's Trish, but you'll be calling me mistress when we're done." She announced with a smug look plastered on her fake, makeup-coated face. 
The perfume she wore acted as toxic gas to the likes of Nick. Reaching his balled-up lungs was the overwhelming stench of citrus meshed along with coconut shampoo. But running from the stench proved futile, it had clouded the area. Slowing him down.
The world quickly bent to Trish's will, it was like there was not even a competition! He was playing right into the woman's hands! With every turn, corner, and dead end came ridicule from above, "I hope you realize just how easily I can end this little game. But I'm a generous girl." 
Gliding to the left, a dead end! "You know, you would make a perfect dog toy." He hesitated, giving off a sour, teary-eyed look as he rolled further away. Would she really do that to him? Another right, ignore the comments, don't get hot-headed. How long did he have to last? "I wonder how long it would take for you to end up like the last one." He flinched again! The thought of becoming prey to a household pet actually managed to strike fear into the man! As the gravity channeled again, Nick found himself wedged between two walls; a corner! Yes, he could stall here! He hopefully believed such things until the shadow of a hand casted down upon him. Picking the man from the wall and rolling away from it, "This has to be cheating!" He howled.
"Hahaha! You can't even overpower a finger! Men like you should honestly be thanking me for even finding a use for your purposeless lives!" Trish cried out hysterically, "But since I find you cute, I'll make it fair." As she relieved her grasp, Nick had been put face to face with his doom; the hole. If he fell into its darkness then everything would be over, he would be forever the property of this bratt. The thought made him cringe. "I've changed my mind. Go in for me and you will become much more than a dog toy." 
Unaware of what she meant, Nick denied instantly. "No, I'm not going to." He felt scared. His demise was right in front of him. Yet he still could not accept defeat, even if it was obvious. 
Trish shot a glare down at Nick, her complacent look still intact, "Awww, you must think you can turn back. Sorry to tell you, but you're stuck like this."
Nick attempted to ignore the smug claim. But every time he thought about it he seemed to get more and more anxious. "H-how do you know t-that?"
Trish ogled at the ball, "Do you think this is my first time? How cute~ no, I've been here before." Below her unwavering gaze made it hard to find any falses. Was he truly stuck as an object? "You may be a person in your mind however, in reality, no one else will think of you as that." They articulated with a grin. 
"Buuutttt, if you come with me, then we can have plenty of fun~"
Her whispers slid down Nick's ears, rolling smoothly to his brain. "F-f-fun? No, A-Ana will–"
"You think your friend cares about you? Look at what she turned you into." Cracks began to form, snuffing out any vestige of logic. Did Ana truly even care, or was she just using Nick? It was starting to make sense. "Unlike her, I would cherish you~"
"B-b-but dog-dog t-t—"
"I know, I know, I may be a little mean, but it's only so you become a good boy for your mistress. It's only fair since I'm giving you a safe place to stay. Don't you want that?"
The words creeping from Trish's mouth became harder to deny by the second. Nick was not even sure if he had been in the right anymore, perhaps he should… "We'll play so many fun games, for example…" Nick was not one to fall for such charms, but something about Trish. The way she smoothly glazed her pale, dainty hands over her silky breasts, revealing her cleavage initially veiled in an inky black shadow. It sent shivers down through him. And her words, they were like a lullaby. How easily he could sleep to those words. "All you need to do is roll into the hole like the helpless man you are. Can you do that for me?" 
She was right, Nick should go into the hole. It was the only thing he could do correctly. He could be happy, all of his wishes would come true. Thinking of such annoyances such as work or betrayal would never even cross his mind. His mistress would do everything. 
The citrus scent pulled him in closer to the edge, one more tip and he would be hers. Too busy looking up at the lady, his heavy breaths booming in synergy with his heartbeat. This was best. "Good boy~ we'll start right away~"
One final nudge etched his body just over the hole, any second he'd fall inside. However, that moment did not come. Because a "POP!" Reverberated around the room, snapping Nick out of his trance and towards the noise. "That's it girls! Time is up!"
Everyone looked around, Trish gritted her teeth down at Nick. It should've been a cakewalk. She shouldn't have played so much! 
But… who won? Nick wondered. Taken outside of the maze, he was met with Ana, holding him in her palm and beaming with excitement. "We won!" Strangely, this sent Nick a mixed signal, he did not know if staying with her was the correct decision, Trish might have been right. It was bittersweet.
Yet looking away from the giant ball of joy stabbed the man in the chest, her smile was too innocent to think of as someone who had an ulterior motive. Because he didn't want to accept that his friend was a monster inside.
Ana on the other hand felt ecstatic! Her dream car, finally! She dreamt of such a moment, only ever dreaming. But now she finally got it! She looked at her friend, finding none of that stemming from him. Instead, taking the time to scan Nick's body, his quivering lips, teary eyes, and pleading gaze. "I want to go home already…" the poor ball whispered. A part of Ana felt sad for Nick, she did put him up to this. But another part… another part surged with a sudden sourness. It wanted to tell him something she had been holding in for a good hour now. And the bitter urge was fast to overcome her happiness.
"God, you look so pathetic right now." She barely even whispered those words yet Nick felt as if they screamed in his ears. Those words caused an icy feeling to creep up Nick's body so quickly he was pretty sure he froze. "W-w-w-what?"
The world came to a screeching halt. Ana, the pearly eyed, always joking, "bro" friend, that Ana? She… said those words? They came out of her mouth? 
It wasn't too hard to assume how Ana's tiny ball felt at the moment, it's face basically spoke for itself. It was scared, confused, and heartbroken. Yet Ana felt… powerful, clarified, and happy. So giddy to look her new ball in the eyes and tell it how she really thought about them. After all the begging and whining like a child, she could finally muster the courage to look it in the eye and say it! 
"I know that I'm ignoring your perspective, but honestly I don't care right now. Because…" A gigantic finger of hers raised up and pressed into the squishy ball's face. "You're being…" the finger lifted, giving Nick a glimmer of hope  before swiftly crushing it. "Such.." grinding from side to side. A wince of confusion and discomfort. "A…" Nick couldn't breathe! And the amount of press he felt from his body getting squished was horrible! The next thing he knew, Ana's single finger turned into an entire hand, the shadow towered over him, shining a dim light on just how eager she was to do this! He shook is curved body from side to side, "No-no- Ana please—You don't have to—"
"Pest!" In one swift slam, Ana clapped her hands together! And Nick's voice was no more. She made sure to hold them shut for a good while. For a chuckle every now and then she'd scrub her hands around to hear Nick's mewling, caking him with her girlish musk. The feeling seemed odd; she could tell Nick was flattening. Definitely a highlight of her day. And it wasn't like the ball disappeared or anything. But… rather than its body caving in to her might, it was flat. thin.
Like paper.
Once she felt as if she'd heard enough of the pitiful symphony, she peeled her hands away from one another, looking at the imprint of her —so called— friend clinging to her left palm. The desperate sight  of his arms and legs outstretched yet completely smooshed back into his, well, face, made Ana snarkle. When the advertisements mentioned transforming, this was not what she expected. Not to mention this whole squishing thing. 
Now she was hooked.
Stopping now would be a waste. 
The tattoo of Nick wriggled in place; glued to small crevices found on her palm. "You know, maybe next time you should let a girl have her fun." She declared, prodding Nick in the chest with her pink nails. But that was not all. No. She planned to make him pay. Being the pesky man Nick was, Ana had no issue showing him his rightful place. 
"You know, I was really happy to bring you here cause I thought you were my friend. But… maybe you'd be better off in the sink drain."
"N-no! Ana please! We've been friends for years! I-I'm sorry!"
"Yeah? You don't sound sorry ruining my fun!"
"A–Ana, I was just scared, I-I-I'll make it up to you. You don't have to do this!"
The expression Ana had changed almost instantly to a grin as if she came up with something. "Make it up to me? Actually, I might have an idea for that. But no complaints, am I clear?" 
"Yes! Yes! Crystal, no complaints from me."
Everyone in the room scurried around to find their own "balls." Some much more giddy than others. "You're so lucky that I won. Otherwise, who knows what the other girls would do to you~" Suddenly, she then slid her fingers down his legs! "Hmmm, use you as a personal toy maybe?" She stopped, pressing her finger right in between his inner thigh, "I'm sure you would like that though, wouldn't you?"
Her words dug about as deep as her finger did. It hurt to admit, but he was not opposed to the idea. Though saying it out loud was a whole nother story. Thankfully, never being extended on, Ana dismissed her accusation with a quick chuckle. All this talk about what could have happened made Nick begin to wonder "What happened to your contestant? Each person participated, right?" Dusting off her rump, Ana shrugged off the question and masked it with a cheeky smile "Somewhere I'm sure he really likes." She answered, taking the moment to brush off the last of the quiet whimpers escaping from behind. Nick's face squished, contorting alongside the pain-filled whispers. With how coy she played it off to be, Nick took it as a warning. 
That was the last he saw before the monumental fingers closed in, putting Nick in a cocoon of darkness.
The abyss shook in harmony with the booming steps rolling down concrete. Tossing Nick to the meshy walls with a 'splat' from each pivot and turn. Imbuing the heat from outside to the thick muscles and therefore directly into Nick. 
Given the heavy pants echoing through the prison, Nick assumed that they had gone quite the length. With her possible outburst in mind, speaking did not strike Nick as in his best interest. Even if he was burning alive.
Through his damp cage lifted a light. The first thing catching his eye was that of a sign scrawled on it: "Morphing Mementos" he shot his gaze past a wilting houseplant and to the murky window. But not a sight could be seen through! So they walked inside. Assaulted by a hollow bell swinging overhead and coughing from the punishing scent of smoke hitting them both. 
"Ana! You don't plan to–"
"Welcome! I apologize for the smoke, we had a small problem with ventilation recently. I'm assuming you are here to make a memento before you leave, yes?" The person above adjusted her goggles and slouched down on a chair.
"Yes, it was fun. I just want to see what I can do with my friend here."
"That's good to hear! But I am sorry to say that he will not be able to turn back. I can see that he had quite the rough time today." She mentioned, twirling her rosy hair at the speculation. With his entire life tossed to the bin, Nick could barely find the courage to not curl up into more of a ball than he already was and weep aloud. 
"Oh…"  Ana's gaze casted down at the flattened Nick. She could not explain how she felt at the moment. Her chest was pounding, she felt sorry for the person that she carried to their demise. However, another part of her felt like this wasn’t the worst. She could get used to this. With a slow sigh, looking up to meet the other lady’s eyes, she uttered “Then… Can I do something else with him?” Surprised by Ana’s straightforward demeanor, the lady tapped her goggle lens.
"Oh? What do you suggest then?"
And looked back at the machine towering above them and smirked. So many possibilities flushed down her mind, catching one in particular. "So I'm going to get a car soon. I think he would like to be a part of it."
The lady smirked, "Ohh! I think I know. Give me a week and we'll be set."
At the end of the day Nick was left to himself, trapped in a box of nothing. The light of day never graced him for a good while, and the only sounds that appeared throughout his day were that of an engine roar. Days, weeks, months, he could've mistaken it for years. Each day hotter (and thus) sweatier than the last. His body slowly melted in there. He couldn't take the isolated sauna for long. A lack of socializing killed off any remaining pride he hid deep within. That was until the fated day. Footsteps crunched the carpet floor, growing louder by the step. Shaken up but surprised, Nick instantly froze as the ceiling opened up, showing his new home. 
A car.
The place as a whole did not look too shabby. The tinted windows blocked out the scorching sunlight's blaze. And the soft breeze was definitely a nice touch, though it did not change the fact that Nick had been forever melted down. But overall, much better smelling than the gas stench outside. If he could only ask for one more thing it would be to see Ana again…
The car door opened with a click. He had been placed over the steering wheel, right next to the front windshield. Thus, he had a keen view of Ana, skipping out of her cooped up house and over to the car. Giggling to herself as she elegantly swirled down on her chair with a 'thump.' And it squealed to her weight before eventually succumbing. Not long did it take for her eyes to fall upon Nick; flattened like a tomato and stuck to her dashboard. Like a plant absorbing all the fresh daylight oozing. And she did have to admit, it was one of her better ideas; a sort of compromise. 
Openly giggling at her genius before kicking her feet up. "This is nice."
Under the pressure (and shoe) of his friend was not actually that bad. It might not have been the ideal life. Yes, there are plenty of things he wished to do. But for now, he was fine here. Listening to anything Ana had to complain about in her day. The pressure may have been a little rough, but it was nothing he had not already been through. "Let me get a little more comfortable~" yes, even the sound of metal coming loose. Leather grinding against cotton. A stench of roses slapping him as two, massive, unbuckled shoes planted themselves right on Nick. Stuffed with a pair of lifeless, cottony white socks emanating with that same rosy fragrance. 
Along with the shoes sneaked two massive soles. Slamming down with a gentle thunk. The little figures' heads nodded as the car shook. And she scrunched her powerful toes, "Ahh~ I could definitely get used to this." 
Despite being mistreated by his friend, Nick found solace in it. He couldn't take his eyes off of them. He fervently admired their graceful sway. Their monolithic shadow looming over his motionless frame. Just the way it plopped down on him so nonchalantly made his heart melt. He did not know why. His friend condemned him to a forever life as an inanimate object; unable to even speak. Yet still, he thought of her as a friend like none other. So being condemned might not have been the worst.
Even as her foot crashed down a little harder than he'd like to admit. Masking the fresh car fragrance with her own musk. A thin layer of sweat gleaming Nick's carpet-like threads in its reflection. Her toes pecking down at his fibers without notice. Because she was too busy gliding across the vast web of the internet between her hands. 
All of her womanly sweat, stench, and stress rubbed off onto Nick, and he soaked it all up. Whether out of his own volition or not had become impossible to decipher. "Oh I got it!"
Ana's booming voice shook the whole car, unexpectedly tossing her legs over one another and thus adding more pressure upon the human rug. Inquisitively, she clicked and twisted parts hanging below her carseat around until she found it. Transforming the soft and silky carseat into a massive futon! "Eureka!"
It really was a dream come true; her dream car finally! So comfortable and quiet to boot. To add to that, not a single peep from Nick. It was actually scary how quiet he was! But she guessed that would make sense given he'd been twisted and melded to a point he could no longer turn into a human. So many thoughts of what to do with him flooded her mind! "You're quiet today Nick! Oh wait, don't tell me… you like this don't you?"
Nick was obviously too occupied dealing with the foot massage handed (or rather footed) to him to entertain Ana's rhetorical accusations. "Bullseye!"
Her raunchy feet plopped down, adding to the already heavy weight comparable to an anchor pinning his whole body. "Well I'll happily give you more~" With her toes being the last to fall down right on where his face would be. The potent scent of her raunchy foot doubled in strength, what was once a blooming flower now a damp cesspit of eye-watering onions at which he belonged under. All the while, her toes took their sweet time rubbing through every literal fiber of his pathetic being, that pudgy scent quickly seeping into said fibers and thus becoming a permanent part of his body.
As if it was not bad enough, the transformation apparently added quite the feature; with no place for a tongue to go it seemed that his taste buds were imbued within his body. That, of course, meant that the stench was not only hard on the nose, but salty on the tongue as well. Drenched with sweat as he was, still he could not find the power within him to dislike this new position. They'd been friends for so long. Friends deserve a little pampering every now and then. Well, in this case, quite the amount of pampering and then some.
Ana however, found this feeling extremely rejuvenating. Gosh, with how everything was turning out, she wouldn't be surprised if she got a little too comfortable.
"Yuup, I'm definitely sleeping here tonight" 
Ana's feet nestled into the fiber frame. "And tomorrow~" She giggled. Adding a hint of mischief to the idea.
With no apparent end in sight, for one of the two, the rest of the night peacefully passed by. Snoring it away. While for Nick it was a different story, the musk and constant pressure awoke him any time he'd slumber. All of his senses constantly overloaded. He couldn't do much besides stay there and cuddle up with the warmth emanating from the daunting foot. Not a wink of sleep would come to him tonight at least.
The foot casted a shadow so overwhelming, towering over him, there was no way he could ever hope to overcome it! Especially with his immobile body. In the end, he had been reduced to a mere foot mat on the car window for the woman he considered a friend. A simple footnote of the car. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, one of Ana's feet, either her toes or the entire ball of her foot, would graze over Nick, slowly and repeatedly. Giving him a real good close-up of the swirly toeprints and the smooth arch connecting the five digits to her comparably darker shaded heel which looked flat because of her multiple hours of walking daily. Tonight would be a long, long night.
But,
At least he got to spend it with his friend.