You cling to the string with both hands, refusing to let it go. Even though it was given to you for free, such a beautiful green balloon is too good to waste. As you walk along, the balloon seems to be tugging harder and harder on the string, and your feet seem to be bouncing off the ground with each step. Is it just your imagination, or is the balloon growing? You try to ignore this, but as the balloon swells above your head, you realize that something must be wrong. Grasping the string as tightly as you can, you notice that the string itself seems to be growing as well, becoming both thicker and longer. Already it appears to be more like twine than the sort of string one would normally tie to a balloon.
At that moment, a man walks by, passing you from behind. The man is your height, but his proportions are rather unusual, more like that of a child than an adult. He turns his head to look at you, and you see that he is a child after all, appearing to be only about five years old. You suddenly come to the horrifying realization that the balloon has not changed in size at all; rather, you have been shrinking without noticing anything was wrong. As you stand in a daze, trying to figure out what is going on, you find your feet losing contact with the ground. The giant balloon you fell in love with is picking you up!