Too Small (2023)

Finn's fascination had always been a guiding force in his life, yet on this pivotal day, his fantasies took a stronger hold than ever before. It had been brewing for several weeks. Living with Walden for the past eighteen months had only intensified his interest, particularly in Walden's bare feet. Each time Walden wandered around without shoes, Finn's imagination ran wild. He envisioned himself minuscule at those feet – the thunderous steps, the ground trembling beneath Walden's hairy soles, the thrill of nearly being stepped on. This fixation was no longer just a fleeting thought; it had grown into an obsession.

This obsession was precisely why, three weeks ago, Finn found himself ordering a custom-made shrinking ray. Despite his initial skepticism about its effectiveness, his fascination overruled any financial caution, and he made the purchase. The idea of shrinking to a minuscule size, akin to that of a bug, seemed both exhilarating and terrifying, a combination too enticing for Finn to resist.

The anticipated moment had finally arrived. With Walden away at work, Finn had the perfect opportunity to enact his long-held fantasy. He planned to position himself outside, where Walden often unwound after a taxing day. Heart pounding with excitement and trepidation, Finn hesitantly pressed the button on the shrinking machine, his eyes widening as his surroundings expanded into a vast, imposing world.

But as he watched himself shrink, panic surged through him. The device didn't stop at the 3cm mark he had envisioned; instead, he continued to dwindle, smaller and smaller. In a frantic attempt to halt the process, Finn fumbled with the machine, which, to his horror, began to malfunction and short-circuit in his grasp. He released it, but it was too late. His descent in size didn't cease until he found himself mere millimetres tall, an unexpected and startling deviation from his original plan. There he was, in a world now gargantuan, feeling more akin to an ant than the tiny human he had intended to be.

Now immense and unrecognizable, the world around Finn suddenly started to quiver. Gradually, at first, but then more insistently, the ground vibrated beneath him. Accompanying this was a thunderous sound that filled the air, reverberating through every fibre of his tiny being. Unaware to Finn, this tumultuous arrival was Walden returning home, announcing his presence in a voice that sounded like distant, booming thunder to Finn's minuscule ears.

As Walden made his way to the back deck, his footsteps sent shockwaves through the ground, creating the scenario Finn had often fantasized about. But the reality was overwhelming, far more intense than any of his daydreams. The giant figure of his roommate loomed over him, oblivious to the tiny figure below. Finn, driven to near madness by his predicament, desperately called out to Walden. But his minuscule voice was hopelessly lost, unable to bridge the vast distance to Walden's ears.

Walden, completely unaware of the drama unfolding at his feet, casually stepped over the area where Finn was, and settled into his favorite chair. The giant roommate relaxed, momentarily pondering Finn's whereabouts, assuming he might have gone out with friends. Meanwhile, Finn was left to grapple with his new reality, dwarfed by a world that had once been familiar, now foreign and terrifying in its magnitude.

In sheer desperation, Finn dashed towards the colossal figure of Walden, who was now leisurely engaged with his Nintendo Switch, completely unaware of the tiny drama unfolding at his feet. Finn's earlier fantasies, once a source of intrigue and excitement, were now completely eclipsed by his urgent need to get Walden's attention.

Bracing himself, Finn leaped onto Walden's enormous toe, disregarding the strong odour emanating from it – a result of Walden's long day. He began to clamber up, determined to make his presence known. But his progress was abruptly halted. Without warning, Walden shifted, stretching and wiggling his toes casually, unconsciously. This sudden movement sent Finn tumbling down, his tiny form helplessly caught in the motion.

Finn landed in an even more precarious position, wedged between Walden's toes. The scent, overpowering at such proximity, was the least of his worries now. He was trapped in a situation far beyond anything he had ever imagined, facing the reality of his drastically altered scale in a world that no longer seemed to recognize his existence.