Scent Notes: A worn flannel shirt that still smells like last week’s nighttime beach bonfire, paired with a well-loved leather jacket, camphor and vetiver, and sweetgrass.

The news reporter was live on air, staring directly into the camera. He was clearly trying to maintain control in a situation of pure chaos. He was sweating bullets, but his voice was (mostly) calm as he said, “We’re reporting live. Something is attacking the city, destroying buildings, throwing cars through the air, decimating everything in its path. We’re going live to our reporter in the field, Tammy Townsend. Tammy, what’s the situation?”

Tammy took over the right half of the screen. Well, her hair took up most of it. It was permed and teased to the heavens, and clashed garishly with her bright blue eyeshadow. “Tammy Townsend here, reporting live for Channel 3 News,” she said, then let out a nightmarish smoker’s cough. Even the cameraman flinched, and you could hear him mutter something about her smelling like wine coolers and gas station perfume. “Pardon me. Our city is under rampaging attack! Some gigantic creature has been wandering around, smashing buildings, flinging people like they are rubber bands. Rumor is it’s an oversized humanoid of some kind, but all we know is-” 

Before she could finish her sentence, a cacophony of noises began in earnest. The sound of a building being smashed to the ground just off-camera could be heard, along with high-pitched screams. The camera fell as the cameraman ran away in the opposite direction, looking for safety. The camera picked up Tammy staring up into the sky, before she was picked up by a giant hand and thrown, screaming, into the sky. “There are giants in the sky!” someone yelled as they fled the scene. Another building collapsed. 

Suddenly, colossal animals filled the sky and came crashing down. First there was a giant panda; moments later, a giraffe. A raccoon had begun to fall when, suddenly, everything quieted. The giant humanoid was floating back up into the sky, apparently holding the raccoon in its fist. The townspeople watched, shocked. 

“Mommy!” Beth yelled, holding her raccoon in her small fist. “I was destroying the town! I’m a giant!” Her mom set her down and kissed the top of her head. “You are a giant, sweetheart, but even giants need to take a bath sometimes. Do you want your Tammy doll?” She gave the doll to Beth, who promptly flung it against the wall so hard her head popped off. “Okay, so that’s a ‘no,’ got it. Let’s go take a nice, hot bath, and wash all the destruction off of you!” Beth ran down the hall toward the bathroom as her mom surveyed the damage to the living room … and the kitchen, dining room, sunroom, and every visible surface in the entire house. She heaved a large sigh when she heard an even larger splash from the bathtub. She ran down the hallway and into the bathroom, where Beth was now a sea monster flooding the whole room. “My sweet little Agent of Chaos,” she said quietly to the laughing Beth. 

Scent Notes: A worn flannel shirt that still smells like last week’s nighttime beach bonfire, paired with a well-loved leather jacket, camphor and vetiver, and sweetgrass.