Ew, What Is That? (2023)

Tom adjusted his grip on the broom as he stepped onto the front porch, squinting slightly in the bright afternoon sun. His roommate, Aaron, was supposed to be around, but Tom hadn’t seen him all morning.

“Hm...not out here,” Tom muttered to himself, looking around the front yard.

Little did Tom know, Aaron was indeed right there on the porch—though not in any way Tom could have expected. Aaron had shrunk to a mere inch in height, his perspective now dominated by the towering forms of everyday objects. The front porch, once familiar, now stretched out like an alien landscape. Panic gripped Aaron as he heard the unmistakable sound of Tom’s heavy footfalls approaching.

Tom, oblivious to his roommate’s predicament, surveyed the slightly dusty porch. He hadn’t done a sweep in a while, and now seemed like a good time. Humming to himself, he began to sweep, each pass of the broom sending small clouds of dust into the air.

Aaron’s heart raced as the broom’s bristles swept past him, just inches away, like a monstrous wave crashing onto the shore. He dodged the first swipe, then the second, his tiny form going unnoticed by the giant looming above him. He frantically waved his arms, hoping to somehow catch Tom’s attention, but Tom’s focus was elsewhere.

On the third swipe, Tom paused, leaning on the broom handle for a moment as his gaze fell on the ground in front of him. Something small, dark, and barely noticeable caught his eye. He squinted, trying to make out what it was without his glasses. To him, it looked like just another bug—nothing particularly interesting.

Aaron froze, his tiny form trembling as Tom’s colossal eyes bore down on him.

“Ew, what is that?” Tom wondered aloud, his voice a deep rumble from Aaron’s perspective.

Tom wasn’t really interested in an answer; to him, a bug was a bug, and it didn’t matter what kind.

“Eh, whatever,” Tom shrugged, lifting his sneaker over the tiny figure on the ground. Aaron screamed, but his voice was nothing more than a faint squeak, lost in the vastness of the world around him. With a casual stomp, Tom ended Aaron’s tiny life without a second thought. The impact was quick, final, and utterly unnoticed by the giant who caused it.

Tom continued sweeping, the small smudge on the concrete porch not even registering in his mind as he finished up his task. He leaned the broom against the wall and glanced around one last time, scratching his head.

“God, where is he?” he mused, walking to look down the road before doubling back to the house. Just as quickly as the thought came, it left, and Tom headed back inside, unaware of the tragic fate that had just befallen his roommate.