#....##..#                                          .##.#####.
##...#.#.#                                          ##.##....#
..#..#####                                          ..##.#...#
#.##.#....                                          ..#.###..#
.##.###...                                          #.###..#.#
##.##..#.. 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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....##.#.#                    *                     ........#.
....#.####                    ~~~                   #.......##
#...###...                   :::::                  .#......#.
##..#..#..                 ........                 .##.....##
..#.##.##.                   :::::                  .#.#....#.
..###.##.#                    ~~~                   .####...##
#.#..##.##                    *                     .#...#..#.
####.#.##.                                          .##..##.##
....####.#                                          .#.#.#.##.
....#...##                                          ########.#
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.#..#.#.##                                          ##......#.