&&††«««..¨                                          ¨..«««††&&
##¶&@†:«.¨                                          ¨.«:†@&¶##
¶&@::«¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«::@&¶
&@†««¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨««†@&
#@¶&@†:«.¨                                          ¨.«:†@&¶@#
¶@:.¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.               ¨.«:†@@@@¶
@&@†:«..¨¨                                          ¨¨..«:†@&@
@&@@:.¨¨¨¨                    :                     ¨¨¨¨.:@@&@
&@††::«¨¨¨                    «««                   ¨¨¨«::††@&
¶&†:«¨¨¨¨¨                  .....                   ¨¨¨¨¨«:†&¶
¶¶¶&@†:«.¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨.«:†@&¶¶¶
¶¶@:..¨¨¨¨                  .....                   ¨¨¨¨..:@¶¶
¶¶¶&@†:«.¨                   «««                    ¨.«:†@&¶¶¶
¶@†««..¨¨¨                     :                    ¨¨¨..««†@¶
¶¶@††:.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.:††@¶¶
@¶&&@†:«.¨                                          ¨.«:†@&&¶@
&††:«¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«:††&
##@¶@†:«.¨                                          ¨.«:†@¶@##
¶&†«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«†&¶