Like A Stone (2023)

On a peaceful Saturday morning, Brad found himself comfortably settled in the living room, sipping his coffee and engaging in his usual routine of browsing through Facebook Reels. The house was enveloped in silence, save for the occasional chuckle he let out, particularly at a reel featuring a "talking" dog. Deciding it was too good not to share, he sent the video to his roommate, who he assumed was still asleep. Their paths hadn't crossed in a few days, but that wasn't out of the ordinary for them. After sending the video, Brad gazed out the window, pondering the possibilities of the day ahead.

—

Ethan awoke with a start, the remnants of a dream where the ground shook violently lingering in his mind. Yet, it wasn't a dream; the tremors were the result of Brad's movements. Just a few days earlier, Ethan had mysteriously shrunk to the size of a bug while Brad was at work, leaving him clueless about how to reverse this bewildering transformation. His main goal had become to catch Brad's attention, a task that proved to be Herculean. Ethan had tirelessly attempted to signal the colossal figure of Brad, who seemed always on the go. Whenever Brad did pause, the vast distance between them meant that Ethan could hardly make it close enough before Brad was off again.

Resigned to his tiny fate, Ethan decided to take refuge under the couch next to Brad's favourite chair, hoping to seize an opportunity to alert Brad the next time he sat down. From his vantage point under the couch, Ethan surveyed Brad's feet with a mix of desperation and disgust. What once were unremarkable feet at their regular size now loomed large and grotesque from Ethan's minuscule perspective. The jagged toenails and calloused skin appeared more daunting than ever before.

With a burst of resolve, Ethan sprinted towards Brad's second toe, his tiny heart pounding. He banged against it with all his might, but it felt as immovable as a boulder. Undeterred, Ethan shifted his efforts to the skin, kicking and punching with futile determination. Each attempt to make an impact was met with disappointment, even slightly injuring his own foot in the process.

Above him, Brad remained oblivious, caught up in the humor of another video, completely unaware of the tiny drama unfolding at his feet.