¨¨##¨¨#¨¨¨                                          ##¨##¨¨##¨
¨#¨#¨##¨¨¨                                          ##¨¨#¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨#¨¨¨                                          ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
¨#¨#¨##¨¨#                                          ¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨#¨#¨                                          ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ 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.              ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨                                          ¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨#¨#¨                     =                    ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨                    ~~~                   ¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨#¨#¨                  ,,,,,                   ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨#¨#¨                   ,,,,,                  ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨                   ~~~                    ¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨#¨#¨                     =                    ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨                                          ¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨#¨#¨                                          ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨                                          ¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨#¨#¨                                          ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨                                          ¨#¨¨#¨#¨#¨