........~† †~........
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.........~ 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. ###£$*†~..
...~†*$£## ##£$*†~...
....~†*$£# † #£$*†~....
.....~†*$£ ~~~ £$*†~.....
......~†*$ ..... $*†~......
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