Hall was looking at me and smiling. “Walt, we’ve got to get someplace soon, cause you’re giving me a raging hard-on.” I smiled and said nothing. We passed another couple who unabashedly stared at me as we walked by. My white T-shirt was very stretched very tight over my enormous chest and arms. A bit too tight. “Hall, do you think you could make me just a little bit less muscular? At least until I get some new clothes. This shirt is way too tight, and my jeans don’t fit right.”

“I’ve got a better idea. You will now maintain your muscular proportions but will shrink six inches.” I lost my balance and stumbled as we were walking, for I was unprepared for the awkward shift in my center of gravity. Hall caught me and helped me right myself. We stopped walking and I looked at him. I had been slightly taller than he before, but now I found myself at eye-level with his chin. I was a stud-muffin: short and very muscular. “Did it work?” asked Hall.

I didn’t realize what he meant. “Obviously it worked! Don’t I look shorter to you?” I asked, looking up at him.

“No, I mean: are your clothes more comfortable now?”

Oh. “Yeah, they are. Thanks.” I still filled the T-shirt completely, but I was no longer uncomfortably squeezed by it. “Well, my jeans are still a bit tight,” I added.

“Okay, you will now further shrink another six inches.”

And so it happened as we stood there. I went from being at eye-level with his chin to being at eye-level with his chest. I still felt just as strong as before, but my body felt lighter and less cumbersome. Also, both my jeans and shirt were now comfortable. Actually, my jeans were a bit too long. I knelt to roll up the cuffs. While I was down there, I noticed my shoes were now quite loose. “Think you can return my feet to their normal size so my shoes won’t fall off?” I asked. Hall complied, and I found myself a five- foot tall muscleman with feet that filled size 12 shoes.

Being a short bodybuilder was very exciting! I pounded my chest like a gorilla and said so.

“I like the way you do that,” said Hall. “Ever wondered what it would be like to be a gorilla?”

“Hey, hey, hey…” I stopped him. “One thing at a time, please! I have to tell you, this is exciting and all… I mean amazingly exciting… but it’s hard to get used to. I’d like to keep the body I have for a little while longer before we do anything else. Okay?”

“Okay, Walt. Don’t worry. I won’t do something that you really don’t want.” He paused. “But I hope I can talk you into trying a lot of things that you haven’t thought of before. I’m a very creative person.”

He put his arm around me, and then I did likewise. Together we walked down the dark but still well populated streets of Chelsea on the first night of what has turned out to be a very adventurous life. •