The polythene bag surrounding them would have been quite substantial for a single occupant. With the partners' side-by-side, they found they filled the width with only relative inches to spare. With the smooth film draping gently over their bodies, they looked beyond their confines. To their left and right the conveyor extended into the vastness of the facility, though nearer to themselves they could see other shrinkees also lying on the conveyor, in their own bags. Some were still in a panic while others seemed sedate. Machinery and the occasional giant came and went from their field of view. During this lull between activities, Jenna expressed her gratitude for the quick thinking which had kept them together. Simple words of thanks from the exhausted woman were followed by a modest dismissal of the actions from the equally tired man. They both had little doubt left as to whether they were dreaming... everything felt too real, too vivid... the only lingering doubt originating from the fact that they seemed to no longer require air, an impossibility as far as they knew.
The bag was jostled suddenly at the head end. A new apparatus had come down upon the little bit of spare plastic beyond the seal-line. In a moment the machine lifted up and pulled the bag with it. Ben and Jenna slipped to the bottom of the bag and found themselves dangling high above the ground and rising quickly into more machinery above. They continued their journey towards another section of the factory, carried by the rig above them which now ran along a simple rail. Jenna and Ben were once again in awe of what they could see from their vantage point. Everything was so far beyond normal descriptive terms like 'vast', 'huge' or 'gigantic'... they could only try and fathom that which passed close by. While probably mere meters away to the normal-sized, some things seemed to be acres distant to the miniature people.
The rail carried them through an aperture in a wall, which opened out into yet another factory space. The machinery in this new area seemed to have a differing purpose to the packaging equipment they had just left behind. There was much more movement here. Gigantic rolls of paper were spinning at great velocity and reducing in diameter as they were fed off into the machinery... the sound from all around proving almost deafening to the tiny twosome. Endless plains of the material passed through rollers and associated equipment as Ben and Jenna could do nothing but watch and wait. The strength of the polythene encompassing them provided reassurance now as they tried to ignore the dizzying heights at which they were suspended.
The couple quickly passed through this new area and into another. The rail carrying them dropped down to a lower level and began to run along-side three parallel conveyor belts. Jenna and Ben's attention was immediately drawn to the items on the conveyors... freshly printed glossy magazines. Each conveyor carried a different publication, though all three seemed to be of a typical women's interest nature. One seemed to be dedicated to fashion and style, another gossip and the third, currently on the conveyor nearest to the couple, appeared to be a generic lifestyle magazine. It had an image of a young woman wearing an attractive dress dominating the cover. Text to the sides of the cover listed the usual 'Look your best for...', '10 best ways to...' and 'Spice things up by...', and so on. It was far thicker than the other two publications. Neither Jenna nor Ben recognised the names of the magazines, though. A slight jolt from the rail momentarily distracted them from their observations, resulting in the now unnerved partners failing to properly register a line that read 'Guide to getting the most enjoyment from Wrigglers, inside this issue'.
The conveyor's positions relative to each other changed. Ben and Jenna watched as they merged into a single contraption which proceeded to deposit the fashion magazine on top of the gossip magazine, then finally dropping the more substantial magazine atop the previous two. Ben and Jenna continued their observation in fascination as the stacked publications were then manipulated until being slipped into cellophane display packaging, which was just big enough for the three combined. Emblazoned across the top of the exceptionally shiny plastic were the words 'Three top magazines for the price of one!' and across the bottom of the otherwise crystal clear material were the words 'Free Wriggler included... a gift to our valued readers. Enjoy!'.
The rail carrying the miniaturized people then swung across the stacked publications below. Ben and Jenna felt a bump against their backs as a slightly rounded scoop of hard plastic appeared against them. It tilted up, forcing the couple into a reclined position once again. The shape of the scoop kept them safe from falling off the sides as the apparatus gripping them released. The scoop then dropped down towards the conveyor below. Ben and Jenna felt the momentary acceleration downwards before stopping abruptly. They both looked towards their feet, beyond the film of their personal enclosure. They saw the larger cellophane packaging containing the magazines before them. It was being held open at its end by a simple rod attached to a small armature. Ben and Jenna were then thrust towards the open maw of the smooth, shiny packaging and it's equally smooth, glossy contents. The motion towards the shimmering depths of colourful paper and glistening plastic changed suddenly as the scoop tilted forwards slightly, then shot back away from the awaiting packaging. The polythene of the couple's personal enclosure possessed no friction against the retreating scoop, so Ben and Jenna found that they simply continued into the depths of the cellophane packaging. They slipped off the tip of the withdrawing scoop and came to rest atop the stacked publications. Jenna exclaimed at the heat they felt radiating off the freshly printed paper below them. Ben found himself relieved that the warm cover, and pages below it, gave slightly under their weight, providing a welcome change from hard surfaces. The cellophane above rapidly descended as the rod withdrew. The couple once again looked above their heads, observing equipment take hold of the open cellophane packaging. The new layer of plastic became tauter against their bodies as the open end was sealed around the top edges of the magazines.
Ben and Jenna's attention came back to each other, eyes locking and holding each other's hands in an attempt at reassurance. They finally knew something of what was happening to them and the other shrinkees. In this world, wherever or whenever it was in the universes spanning existence, people were seemingly abducted from their lives, miniaturised, physically altered to no longer need air, and treated as things so valueless that they would be given away as mere trinkets along with ultimately valueless everyday things.
The ridiculousness could barely compute in their minds, but every sight, sound, touch, taste and smell told the couple that this was indeed happening as it appeared. It was also now possible to make a reasonable estimate of their diminished stature. From their position, coupled with their knowledge of how big these magazines tended to be, it was likely that Ben and Jenna were no more than five inches from head to foot. They could do nothing but look outward from their transparent confinement as the last of the machinery around them disappeared from view.
It wasn't long before they felt a moment of downwards acceleration followed by a substantial bump from below the pages they were lying upon. The view above was now limited to only a patch of the factory ceiling far above them, everything else being obstructed by the towering sides of a cardboard box. The edge of another bundled pack of magazines, undoubtedly containing another shrinkee, came into view above the rim of the box.
Ben and Jenna realised it was about to drop on top of them, and shifted instinctually to try to get out of the way. The slippery oil and layers of polythene and cellophane made sure it was a vain effort. They braced for the crushing impact.
With a hefty thump, the bundle came to rest on top of them. The force was certainly extreme from their perspectives, but Ben and Jenna found themselves both astounded and immeasurably thankful that they were not only still alive, but completely unharmed. There was undeniable weight from the bundle resting atop them, but they found it did not seem to be painful or even uncomfortable. The only really negative effect they felt was a restriction to movement and the blocking of almost all the light around them.
Another thud from another bundle joining the stack of packaged paper and people shook the couple. The sensation of weight pinning them increased, though they still felt no pain or discomfort what so ever. Ben managed to voice a query as to why they weren't being crushed by what should feel like tons of material, before another thud indicated yet another bundle had joined them. Again more weight pressing down on them, but no harmful effects.
Jenna was the first to offer up an idea on this oddity, surmising that the shrinking process must have done more than just alleviate their need of air. They seemed resilient to physical harm too! How such would be possible, without fantastical magic or wholly noticeable changes to physics, neither could begin to theorise. What little remaining light that had been reaching them from around the sides of the bundles above promptly disappeared. The box had been sealed.
The couple now only had muffled sound and the feeling of various shifts and movements to occupy their senses. The box was no doubt being manipulated in preparation for dispatch. Barely audible voices could be heard, though there was no telling if they were from outside the box or from other trapped shrinkees contained within. Ben and Jenna were both thankful that neither of them was facing this alone, unlike the others. Jenna couldn't bear to think of what state she would be in had they been separated by that first machine. Ben too didn't much like considering how he would handle this with only his own thoughts for company. He didn't know how long they were going to be like this, but days kept creeping into his mind. His heart tore when he considered the other shrinkee's isolation. The poor souls were going to be wrecks before long, if not already. Surrounded by darkness, Ben and Jenna resolved to keep each other sane, no matter what.