Finally Home (2023)

Walden stepped into his apartment Sunday afternoon, finding it exactly as he had left it. A smile crept across his face, a sign that his roommate, Nick, had finally heeded his request not to host gatherings in his absence. Despite being a considerate roommate overall, Nick often had a few friends over and would leave the resulting mess for days. While Nick would eventually clean up, Walden was left to navigate the clutter in the meantime. This is why the sight of their orderly home brought Walden such relief. He made his way to his room to unwind, enjoying the quiet that enveloped the house.

A few hours later, after a much needed nap, Walden woke up to the same silent house. He began to wonder when Nick would return, already planning to treat him to dinner as a thank you for keeping the place tidy.

—

Unknown to Walden, the absence of a party that weekend was due to an extraordinary circumstance: as of Friday night, Nick had inexplicably shrunk to the size of a bug. This drastic change transformed his weekend into an ordeal of survival and adaptation. Merely descending from his bedroom to the living room had been an arduous journey, taking him a full day to navigate the treacherous descent of the stairs.

Once he reached the ground floor, Nick embarked on a quest to the kitchen, hoping to find some scraps of food on the floor. Unfortunately, his search was initially fruitless, adding to his frustration. However, his time in the kitchen revealed an unwelcome discovery: he and Walden had an ant infestation. In a desperate struggle, Nick fought a contingent of ants for a piece of cracker hidden under the sink cupboards. This battle nearly drained him of all his energy, until the sound of the front door opening signaled Walden's return.

As Walden's colossal form entered the apartment, each of his footsteps reverberated through the floor, sending unsettling vibrations through Nick's tiny knees. "Walden!" Nick shouted from his position in the kitchen, watching as Walden removed his shoes and proceeded inside, oblivious to his miniature roommate's cries. Walden's unawareness wasn't due to indifference; he simply couldn't hear Nick's diminutive voice.

Despite feeling not that small, Nick realized he needed to get closer. It took him a couple of hours to reach the living area, arriving just as he heard Walden's thunderous steps descending the stairs once more. Walden paused at the foot of the stairs, surveying the seemingly empty apartment, likely pondering over the quietness.

Nick watched as Walden moved to the couch and settled down with his phone, unaware of the tiny figure running between his bare feet, desperately trying to catch his attention. Nick's attempts to communicate his predicament grew more frantic, hoping against hope that this time, Walden would notice him.