Identifying a short story

[seani]

A while ago I had an anthology of short scifi stories. I've since lost the book and can't remember the name of a particular story or it's author.

(from probably faulty memory) In the story, the main character wakes from his "normal" life to find himself standing in a large warehouse alongside dozens of other people, all wearing large pink or grey rubber spectacles and all seemingly asleep - his own set having fallen off.

He heads out and explores, meeting a variety of odd human / animal / alien characters in surreal situations. Eventually a giant pig who walks upright and is apparently in charge finds him, and guides him back to the warehouse.

Just before the pig places the spectacles back on, the protagonist asks what the purpose of it all is, and the pig answers something like "Purpose, little one, what could you possibly know about purpose?" and that's that.

Thin stuff I know, but does anyone recognise anything in that random jumble of semi-clues?

[stePH]

Sounds like the Philip K. Dick story that The Matrix was based on. 

[Planish]

Here's another one. I think this is from a short story, but it may have been from TV, a movie, or a pseudopod episode.

There is some kind of skin disorder or side effect, which resembles small sharp black crystals growing in patches on (and under?) the skin. They stick out like a geode turned inside out. As it spreads, the victims become less human. Maybe they become less mobile too. They might not even have been victims, but willing volunteers, to acquire some ability. I think there was a romantically-involved couple, one of whom had these crystals.

Does that ring a bell?