@@#§%%†~~¨                                          ¨~~†%%§#@@
#§%%†~~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~~†%%§#
#%%†††~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~†††%%#
@@#§%%†~~¨                                          ¨~~†%%§#@@
§§%%~~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~~%%§§
#@#§%%†~~¨ 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.              ¨¨¨¨~~~~%§
§%%~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~%%§
§§%~¨¨¨¨¨¨                     †                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨~%§§
##%%†~~¨¨¨                   ~~~                    ¨¨¨~~†%%##
#@#§%%†~~¨                   ~~~~~                  ¨~~†%%§#@#
#@#§%%†~~¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨~~†%%§#@#
###§%%†~~¨                  ~~~~~                   ¨~~†%%§###
@#§§%%†~~¨                    ~~~                   ¨~~†%%§§#@
#@#§%%†~~¨                    †                     ¨~~†%%§#@#
#@#§%%†~~¨                                          ¨~~†%%§#@#
#%%%%†~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~†%%%%#
###§%%†~~¨                                          ¨~~†%%§###
§%%%%%†~~¨                                          ¨~~†%%%%%§
#@#§%%†~~¨                                          ¨~~†%%§#@#