¨--†§*@###                                          ###@*§†--¨
¨¨--†§*@##                                          ##@*§†--¨¨
¨¨¨--†§*@#                                          #@*§†--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--†§*@                                          @*§†--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--†§*                                          *§†--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--†§ 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.               #@*§†--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--†§*@                                          @*§†--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--†§*                    †                     *§†--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--†§                    ---                   §†--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--†                  -----                   †--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--†                  -----                   †--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--†§                    ---                   §†--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--†§*                    †                     *§†--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--†§*@                                          @*§†--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--†§*@#                                          #@*§†--¨¨¨
¨¨--†§*@##                                          ##@*§†--¨¨
¨--†§*@###                                          ###@*§†--¨
¨¨--†§*@##                                          ##@*§†--¨¨