I spent most of this story thinking that I didn't like it. I wanted to know if everything would go back to normal, eventually. I wanted to know if Larry ever found his dog. I wanted to know if everything would go back to normal, except for a single dog that would remain shrunk that Larry would name Rufus.
But by the end, I realized, that wasn't the point of the story.
This is a gorgeous piece about growing up, and how when you're a grown-up, there generally isn't someone to come along behind you to clean up your messes. Leaving the ending vague as to if there's an un-shrink setting on the gun, or if the effects are temporary, highlight that. To clear that up, one way or the other, would cheapen the story, I think. If the shrink effects undo themselves, then there was no real consequence for the boys' actions. If the shrinking can't be undone, than it becomes the plot of a B-horror movie, quickly forgotten. The uncertainty, the Hope with a capital "H" that Norm talked about at the end is the whole point of being an adult, the point of being a human being.
I'm not sure of the choice of an Aussie as the narrator, but Graeme did a fine job.
I really appreciated the endcap of this one. I've been in a deep depression lately, and haven't been able to shake it. Norm's remarks struck home--as did the quote by Emily Dickinson.