..-~†*%@##                                          ##@%*†~-..
.-~†*%@###                                          ###@%*†~-.
..-~†*%@##                                          ##@%*†~-..
...-~†*%@#                                          #@%*†~-...
....-~†*%@                                          @%*†~-....
.....-~†*% 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.              *†~-......
.......-~†                                          †~-.......
......-~†*                     †                    *†~-......
.....-~†*%                   ~~~                    %*†~-.....
....-~†*%@                   -----                  @%*†~-....
...-~†*%@#                 ........                 #@%*†~-...
..-~†*%@##                  -----                   ##@%*†~-..
.-~†*%@###                    ~~~                   ###@%*†~-.
..-~†*%@##                     †                    ##@%*†~-..
...-~†*%@#                                          #@%*†~-...
....-~†*%@                                          @%*†~-....
.....-~†*%                                          %*†~-.....
......-~†*                                          *†~-......
.......-~†                                          †~-.......