@@@#%†^=.¨                                          ¨.=^†%#@@@
###@#%^=.¨                                          ¨.=^%#@###
#@#†^=¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨=^†#@#
@%†=.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.=†%@
##@#%†^=.¨                                          ¨.=^†%#@##
@@#††=¨¨¨¨ THEY TELL  ME: "WE  ARE  GOING TO SHRINK ¨¨¨¨=††#@@
#†====.¨¨¨ YOU."  I  DON'T  QUITE LIKE THE TONE  IN ¨¨¨.====†#
##@#%†^=.¨ THEIR VOICES,  LIKE THEY ARE RESTRAINING ¨.=^†%#@##
###@#%†=.¨ THEMSELVES. THERE IS  A  HUNGER  IN THEM ¨.=†%#@###
@%††==.¨¨¨ AND IT WANTS  ME  TO  SHRINK.  AND  WHAT ¨¨¨.==††%@
####%†^=.¨ REALLY   IRKS  ME  IS   THAT  SO  DO  I. ¨.=^†%####
##@#%†^=.¨                                          ¨.=^†%#@##
@#†^.¨¨¨¨¨ THEY  GIVE  ME  WRISTBANDS AND  ANKLETS, ¨¨¨¨¨.^†#@
@#†††==..¨ MADE  OF   SOME  STRANGE   STONE.  THEIR ¨..==†††#@
###@%†^=.¨      SURFACE IS SWIRLING, LIKE DARK      ¨.=^†%@###
##@#%†^=.¨   THUNDERSTORMS TRAPPED IN GLASS, LIKE   ¨.=^†%#@##
##@#%†^=.¨ WINDOWS INTO  A SMALLER WORLD, CLOSE  TO ¨.=^†%#@##
##@#%†^=.¨ MY  BODY  SO  THAT  IT  CAN SEE  CLEARLY ¨.=^†%#@##
##@#%†^=.¨             WHATS IN STORE.              ¨.=^†%#@##
@#%%^=..¨¨                                          ¨¨..=^%%#@
##@#%†^=.¨ THEY  GIVE ME FOOD: PRAWN-LIKE BUGS THAT ¨.=^†%#@##
@@%††^^=.¨ MAKE  MY TONGUE CURL  WITH SATISFACTION. ¨.=^^††%@@
##†^^.¨¨¨¨ "OUT  OF THIS WORLD", I THINK, HAVING NO ¨¨¨¨.^^†##
@@%^=.¨¨¨¨ FRAME  OF REFERENCE. I EAT ONLY TWO, BUT ¨¨¨¨.=^%@@
##@#%†^=.¨      THE BUGS LEAVE ME SUSPICIOUSLY      ¨.=^†%#@##
##@#%†^=.¨                SATISFIED.                ¨.=^†%#@##
##@#%†^=.¨                                          ¨.=^†%#@##
##@#%†^=.¨ THEY MEASURE  MY CLOTHES. "YOU ARE GOING ¨.=^†%#@##
####%†^=.¨ TO BECOME ABOUT HALF  AS BIG", THEY TELL ¨.=^†%####
@@%%%†^=.¨  ME, BARELY CONTROLLING THEMSELVES WITH  ¨.=^†%%%@@
##@#%†^=.¨               ANTICIPATION.              ¨.=^†%#@##
#†^..¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨..^†#
##†^^^^=.¨                    ^                     ¨.=^^^^†##
###@#%†^.¨                   ===                    ¨.^†%#@###
@#%^.¨¨¨¨¨                  .....                   ¨¨¨¨¨.^%#@
@##†^....¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨....^†##@
@%%^=...¨¨                   .....                  ¨¨...=^%%@
@@@#%†^=.¨                   ===                    ¨.=^†%#@@@
##@#%†^=.¨                    ^                     ¨.=^†%#@##
##@#%†^=.¨                                          ¨.=^†%#@##
@###%†^=.¨                                          ¨.=^†%###@
###%%†^=.¨                                          ¨.=^†%%###
##@#%†^=.¨                                          ¨.=^†%#@##
@%††===.¨¨                                          ¨¨.===††%@