The scratched plastic surface of the trash bin was riddled with patches of cigarette ash, ancient wads of gum, and other sticky splotches of unholy concoctions. As small as you were, there was no logistical way of getting off this wretched spire without some extra wind power. You waited patiently on the edge of the lid, counting down each second as you kept a close eye on the man and any sign of an oncoming bus. Feeling the powerful force of a gale behind you, you trust in your size and leap off the mile-high trash bin. The wind cradles you into a cloud-like seat, softly descending towards the ground beneath the bus stop bench. Enjoying the breeze blowing past you, you fail to notice the weakening effect of the gale. Its untimely demise sends you into a free fall as you land harshly onto the dirty pavement. You pat yourself off but find no damage; it seems your diminished size has made you more durable, but to what extent remained in question. Your grimy, naked body moved as quickly as it could across ridges of cement towards the black megalith of the man's shoe in the distance. Coming up on the base of the shoe, you notice one of its laces hanging just low enough for you to grab ahold of the plastic film on the end. Grab hold you do, but your arms are just too short to reach all the way around. You jump up and down relentlessly trying to find that extra height but to no avail. Then you hear it, an earth-shattering rumble as the local city bus turns the corner. Looking around you in a panic, you place your faith in the faded rubber of the shoe's sole and take off running. Your hand makes contact with the rough material just as the ear-piercing screech of the bus's brakes erupts around you. The man's foot rises with you holding on by a few invisible scuff marks from years of abuse on the sole. You feel your world spin as the man walks up and into the bus.
As a grad student, it wasn't uncommon for the city buses you took to be unclean, but you had won the jackpot of all-time grossest public transport when you hitchhiked onto this man's shoe. Wherever he'd be going was likely in a similar condition. The floor of the bus mimicked the trash lid but with the added filth of countless people's feet, tracking in dirt, debris, and crushed insects. The world at this height truly was a wasteland invisible to the humans above. Apart from your ride, there were only three other people on board: a middle-aged white woman wearing heels who looked equally revolted to be riding this bus, towards the back of the bus was an older Indian woman texting frivolously away on her phone and wearing sandals which have seen better days. On the opposite side of the bus was an overweight man who was clearly intoxicated and could provide a useful way to a local bar. You hesitate to even touch this floor but your chances might be better with other people. After much debate, you decide to...
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