&...&.&&&& &.&&&&&&.&
&..&&&.... &&.....&&.
&.&..&...& .&....&.&&
&&&.&&..&& &&...&&&..
..&&.&.&.. .&..&..&.&
.&.&&&&&.. 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. &...&&..&&
&&&&.&&.&& &..&.&.&..
...&&.&&.& † &.&&&&&&.&
..&.&&.&&& »»» &&.....&&&
.&&&.&&..& ^^^^^ .&....&..&
&..&&.&.&. ........ &&...&&.&&
&.&.&&&&&& ^^^^^ .&..&.&&..
&&&&.....& »»» &&.&&&.&.&
...&....&. † .&&..&&&&.
..&&...&&& &.&.&...&.
.&.&..&... &&&&&..&&.
&&&&.&&... ....&.&.&.
...&&.&..& ...&&&&&&&
..&.&&&.&. ..&......&