Charity lay curled tightly within the soft, dark folds of Alejandra’s hoodie, her small body nestled deep in a fabric cocoon that had become her entire world. The ambient sounds of muffled conversations, distant laughter, and the low hum of background noise floated around her, carrying with them tiny fragments of Alejandra’s life. From her hidden vantage point, everything outside felt impossibly distant, yet terrifyingly close.
She shifted slightly, her limbs stiff from being curled into the same position for what felt like hours. Her muscles protested as she stretched cautiously, wary of making even the smallest sound that might alert Alejandra or anyone nearby. Charity knew she needed to remain unseen, undetected. Her entire survival hinged upon remaining unnoticed, at least until she could safely reveal herself.
The air inside the bag was stale, tinged faintly with Alejandra’s scent. a subtle blend of fabric softener, citrus shampoo, and an underlying earthy warmth that Charity now associated with her giant captor. The hoodie she clung to provided a measure of comfort, yet it was temporary, fragile. The backpack itself was no sanctuary; it was merely the only safe haven available to her.
As her eyes adjusted to the pervasive darkness, Charity slowly became aware of something extraordinary. The previously impenetrable gloom was gradually shifting, softening into muted shades of gray and blue. Outlines began to clarify around her: the folds of the fabric, the textures, the shadowy contours of the backpack’s interior. She realized, with a jolt of astonishment, that she could see, clearly, in darkness that should have rendered her blind.
It was surreal. Charity blinked, testing this newfound ability, watching as shapes and shadows sharpened with astonishing clarity. She instinctively understood that her transformation into a Little had altered not just her size, but her senses as well. Her vision now functioned like the night vision of creatures that thrived in shadows, her eyes sensitive enough to gather and amplify even the smallest hints of ambient light. The darkness had become not a barrier, but an ally, allowing her to see clearly without the need for artificial illumination.
With cautious curiosity, Charity pushed herself upright, carefully untangling from the hoodie’s folds. Her enhanced vision revealed the bag’s contents in unexpected clarity. The interior of Alejandra’s backpack, serving double-duty as her purse, was cluttered with objects both familiar and alien in their current scale.
Beside her lay an immense tube of lip balm, its label bold and clear in the low-light gloom. A towering, half-empty plastic water bottle loomed near her, shifting slightly as Alejandra’s movements outside jostled the bag. A massive hairbrush rested against the side of the backpack, its bristles thick and intimidating, each one long enough to reach her knee. Loose coins littered the bottom of the bag like metal dinner plates, and a crumpled receipt leaned against the fabric wall, its curled edges like giant parchment scrolls.
Charity moved carefully, wary of disturbing anything that might shift or fall, trapping or injuring her. Even something as innocuous as a compact mirror now appeared dangerous, a heavy glass disc that could easily crush or injure her delicate form. Alejandra’s everyday items had become enormous obstacles in this miniature landscape, forcing Charity to navigate with utmost care.
She climbed gently over the fabric folds, trying to find a safer vantage point. The bag’s scent intensified as she moved deeper: perfume, lotion, a hint of peppermint gum, each fragrance amplified to overpowering intensity at her current size. Charity wrinkled her nose, momentarily overwhelmed by sensory overload.
Above her, the sudden vibration of Alejandra’s voice resonated through the backpack, startling Charity into immobility. Alejandra spoke fluidly in Spanish, her voice friendly and relaxed, entirely unaware of the tiny stowaway hiding mere inches away from her hand. The conversation was short, casual, ending in a soft burst of laughter and a cheerful “¡Hasta luego!” before the bag lurched abruptly upward.
Charity’s stomach clenched sharply as gravity shifted once more, the backpack swaying gently with Alejandra’s stride. She braced herself against the hoodie, heart pounding with uncertainty. Where was Alejandra taking her now? How much longer could she remain unnoticed?
Each step reverberated through the fabric, rhythmically reminding Charity of her vulnerability. The constant motion disoriented her; the world inside the backpack felt unstable, shifting unpredictably with each step. She steadied herself, gripping tightly onto a sturdy seam, breathing deeply to combat rising nausea.
Eventually, the rhythmic walking stopped, replaced by a gentle, swaying sensation and the distinct sound of public transit, a quiet hum beneath her feet, occasional soft bumps, and the unmistakable rumble of an engine vibrating through the fabric. The muffled chatter of passengers filtered through faintly, their voices overlapping in a soothing, distant hum. Charity closed her eyes, clinging to the hoodie, letting the gentle rocking lull her nerves.
Minutes passed slowly, stretching into an indeterminate period before Alejandra stood abruptly, once again plunging Charity into dizzying movement. Her heart leapt, anxiety returning in full force as the backpack swung freely, jostled by Alejandra’s hurried pace.
The bag landed heavily once more, jarring Charity as she tumbled into a collection of Alejandra’s belongings. A lipstick tube, enormous and solid, pressed against her side. Nearby, a wallet, thick and heavy loomed like a large leather-bound book, its zippered edges metallic and sharp. She carefully maneuvered herself away, breathing unevenly.
Outside, muffled voices resumed speaking rapidly in Spanish, interspersed with laughter and the distant clink of dishes. Charity strained her ears, desperately trying to determine her location, but understanding remained frustratingly elusive.
She settled down once again, gently pulling the hoodie closer around her. The realization of her predicament was stark and brutal: she was now utterly dependent on Alejandra’s movements and decisions, trapped within the belongings of someone she barely knew and had previously disregarded. It was humbling beyond anything she’d ever experienced.
As she waited quietly, Charity’s thoughts circled uneasily around her new reality. Her transformation was far more extensive than she’d initially realized. Enhanced night vision was merely one of potentially many unseen adaptations she now possessed, changes intended to help her survive at this diminutive scale. Yet, instead of comfort, the knowledge only underscored how profoundly she had changed. Each new discovery further distanced her from the person she once was, forcing her to confront a stark, unavoidable truth:
She was no longer fully human. She was something else,something small, vulnerable, and profoundly different.
Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, Alejandra’s voice echoed sharply through the bag, accompanied by a rustling movement. Without warning, a hand, massive, powerful, and shockingly swift, thrust into the backpack, fingers brushing dangerously close to Charity as they rummaged blindly. Charity suppressed a shriek, pressing herself desperately against the hoodie as Alejandra retrieved something, a wallet, perhaps, and withdrew her hand.
Breathing heavily, Charity forced herself to remain still, pulse hammering. The intrusion had been terrifyingly close, a reminder of just how easily Alejandra’s simplest actions could harm her. Charity now understood with chilling clarity why Littles always needed guardians. She was fragile, easily overlooked, her survival dependent entirely on the whims and attentiveness of beings vastly larger and more powerful.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the bag lifted gently again, Alejandra continuing on her journey. Charity remained tucked safely inside, unwilling, and unable, to risk venturing out yet. Wherever Alejandra was headed remained unknown, uncertain. But one thing was clear: until she could safely emerge and reveal herself, Charity’s entire world would remain confined within the darkness of Alejandra’s backpack, navigating its interior like an explorer trapped within a vast, perilous cavern filled with everyday giants.
For now, her best, and only, option was patience. Carefully, silently, she resolved to wait until the moment was right, her new eyes watching quietly in the dark, her small body tense and alert. Until that time arrived, Charity could only cling desperately to hope and survive.
Charity must have seen her life flash before her eyes when Alejandra’s hand approached her.
well it would have been less than ideal. If you weren’t expecting anything warm and and moving about and your hand touched it the reaction could be quite severe.
Still loving the way we’re learning more about Littles via this story. Not that the seeing in the dark is new to us, but I think you’ve found a really good way to tell us about Littles without doing a dozen one offs like I was thinking. Like I had thought we’d see news articles and interviews and like research articles and stuff like you’d get in a loading screen for a video game that’d show us a bit more and introduce prominent players in the smallara universe that we probably only hear mention of
Integrating into a story does seem more effective then literary journals basically describing how littles work.
Yeah. I’m going back over all my times playing oblivion and fallout and realize that I never read all the way through any of the books despite the lore I’d get haha your ways better 😂
1) “Her muscles protested as she stretched cautiously, wary of making even the smallest sound that might alert Alejandra or anyone nearby. Charity knew she needed to remain unseen, undetected. Her entire survival hinged upon remaining unnoticed, at least until she could safely reveal herself.” what’s she scared of? I thought her whole plan was to be found.
2) “Alejandra’s everyday items had become enormous obstacles in this miniature landscape, forcing Charity to navigate with utmost care” better hope she doesn’t jostle her bag too much then.
3) “How much longer could she remain unnoticed?” that could partially be reliant on how much longer she avoids being noticed.
4 ) “jarring Charity as she tumbled into a collection of Alejandra’s belongings” that coils easily have been Charity’s last moments
5) “Charity strained her ears, desperately trying to determine her location, but understanding remained frustratingly elusive” that would be a challenge for her.
6) “Charity suppressed a shriek, pressing herself desperately against the hoodie as Alejandra retrieved something, a wallet, perhaps, and withdrew her hand.” Charity better hope the wallet isn’t tossed back in, or she could get seriously hurt.
7.1) “The intrusion had been terrifyingly close, a reminder of just how easily Alejandra’s simplest actions could harm her.” that’s what I’ve ben saying.
7.2) “Charity now understood with chilling clarity why Littles always needed guardians. She was fragile, easily overlooked, her survival dependent entirely on the whims and attentiveness of beings vastly larger and more powerful.” definitely a fair conclusion for Charity to come to.
1) She wants to control first contact and reveal herself in a controlled situation.Shes fearful of being found spontaneously and getting injured like if she Alejandra would reach in and just feel something small she coudl easily be mistaken for a rodent or bug. Where someone may stomp or violently dump everything out first and ask questions later.
Plus she is scared. Who she reveals herself to determines her whole rest of her life. Jordan revealing himself to Sara offered him a different life then if had revealed himself to dayton.
She also could be second guessing her choice to reveal herself to Alejandra. There are a number of reasons she coudl wna to remain unnoticed for the short term.
Ultimately Charity wants very much to approach someone on her own not just haphazardly discovered on the subway or a bus or at some random store.
Leaving her house was a necessity but popping out to the first person you come across isn’t.
2) Being she can see them helps a lot. She coudl just duck down into the sweatshirt nad be relatively safe.
3) Probably a while but she’d have to come out for food and water at some point. So odds are she would get noticed hunting for food.
4) Could have been but you grow from learned experiences but also canonically it snot uncommon to be carried in bags for littles but less common to be done so unawares.
5) yup, she can’t see to determine location really, plus she lives in a big city with many suburbs. so she coudl be in any number of places. New york city is pretty vast.
6) Being tossed in i feel like would be normal for most people who use purses. Not throwing but just dropping in when using a larger bag
7)She isn’t saying you’re wrong, but she made a choice and now has to see it through.
7.2) yup, sometimes you gotta learn things the hard way. I remember my parents saying saying you have to be careful with credit cards and the first one i got i maxed it out and spent 2 years paying it off. (luckily it wasn’t a super high balance but i was a broke college kid). After i had that learned experience it was more valuable then just being told and I am much more careful now with credit cards.
Charity is learning how to be a little in much the same way. Where in hindsight or at 1000 foot view things can often seem more obvious then they do when you are in the moment having to make a split second decision.
@Lethal Legend
I’m starting to enter info on the wiki and also trying to figure out a layout. I would like to DM with you, but I’m not sure what method you would like to use (if at all). I could post my email here or if you use Discord, we could try that.
What do you think?
Also, Does Ellie have last name? 😀
I can’t remember her last name, but if you check out the episodes after Daniella gives Jordan back to Sarah, you get some huge insight on who ellie is. Would say what it is but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone not caught up lol
Episode 516 is what I was thinking of. Her last name is either Montgomery or ward
I found it in Lethal’s Timeline document:
Ellanor “Ellie” Rose Montgomery-Ward
fun fact that is completely useless. Was named after Elanor of the Chipettes from Alvin and the Chipmunks tv show, movies, etc.
Ellie’s last name is Montgomery- Ellie Montgomery-ward
Father is Jackson Montgomery
Mother is Rose Ward but officially Rose Montgomery-ward
Her parents are married her mother just chose to keep her last name. Officially its hyphenated but she normally drops the Montgomery normally because its long unless its a legal document.
Not sure if you are old enough to remember, but there used to be a large retailer in the U.S. named Montgomery Ward (Later referred to as Wards). Similar to what Sears used to be when it was big. Started in the 1870’s and went defunct in the early 2000’s