&$†~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~†$&
$†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†$
†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†
$†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†$
&$†~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~†$&
¤&$†~^¨¨¨¨ THEY TELL  ME:  "WE ARE GOING  TO SHRINK ¨¨¨¨^~†$&¤
@¤&$†~^¨¨¨ YOU."  I DON'T QUITE  LIKE THE  TONE  IN ¨¨¨^~†$&¤@
#@¤&$†~^¨¨ THEIR VOICES, LIKE  THEY ARE RESTRAINING ¨¨^~†$&¤@#
##@¤&$†~^¨ THEMSELVES. THERE  IS A  HUNGER  IN THEM ¨^~†$&¤@##
#@¤&$†~^¨¨ AND  IT WANTS  ME TO  SHRINK.  AND  WHAT ¨¨^~†$&¤@#
@¤&$†~^¨¨¨ REALLY  IRKS  ME  IS   THAT   SO  DO  I. ¨¨¨^~†$&¤@
¤&$†~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~†$&¤
&$†~^¨¨¨¨¨ THEY  GIVE  ME WRISTBANDS  AND  ANKLETS, ¨¨¨¨¨^~†$&
$†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨ MADE   OF  SOME   STRANGE  STONE.  THEIR ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†$
†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨      SURFACE IS SWIRLING, LIKE DARK      ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†
$†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨   THUNDERSTORMS TRAPPED IN GLASS, LIKE   ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†$
&$†~^¨¨¨¨¨ WINDOWS INTO A SMALLER  WORLD,  CLOSE TO ¨¨¨¨¨^~†$&
¤&$†~^¨¨¨¨ MY  BODY  SO  THAT  IT  CAN  SEE CLEARLY ¨¨¨¨^~†$&¤
@¤&$†~^¨¨¨              WHATS IN STORE.             ¨¨¨^~†$&¤@
#@¤&$†~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~†$&¤@#
##@¤&$†~^¨ THEY GIVE ME FOOD: PRAWN-LIKE  BUGS THAT ¨^~†$&¤@##
#@¤&$†~^¨¨ MAKE  MY TONGUE CURL WITH  SATISFACTION. ¨¨^~†$&¤@#
@¤&$†~^¨¨¨ "OUT OF THIS WORLD", I  THINK, HAVING NO ¨¨¨^~†$&¤@
¤&$†~^¨¨¨¨ FRAME OF REFERENCE. I EAT ONLY TWO,  BUT ¨¨¨¨^~†$&¤
&$†~^¨¨¨¨¨      THE BUGS LEAVE ME SUSPICIOUSLY      ¨¨¨¨¨^~†$&
$†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                SATISFIED.                ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†$
†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†
$†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨ THEY MEASURE  MY CLOTHES. "YOU ARE GOING ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†$
&$†~^¨¨¨¨¨ TO BECOME  ABOUT HALF AS BIG", THEY TELL ¨¨¨¨¨^~†$&
¤&$†~^¨¨¨¨  ME, BARELY CONTROLLING THEMSELVES WITH  ¨¨¨¨^~†$&¤
@¤&$†~^¨¨¨              ANTICIPATION.               ¨¨¨^~†$&¤@
#@¤&$†~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~†$&¤@#
##@¤&$†~^¨                    †                     ¨^~†$&¤@##
#@¤&$†~^¨¨                    ~~~                   ¨¨^~†$&¤@#
@¤&$†~^¨¨¨                   ^^^^^                  ¨¨¨^~†$&¤@
¤&$†~^¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨^~†$&¤
&$†~^¨¨¨¨¨                   ^^^^^                  ¨¨¨¨¨^~†$&
$†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                   ~~~                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†$
†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    †                     ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†
$†~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~†$
&$†~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~†$&
¤&$†~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~†$&¤
@¤&$†~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~†$&¤@
#@¤&$†~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~†$&¤@#