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