...#.#.#.#                                          ###.#.....
..#######.                                          ..###.....
.#......##                                          .#..#.....
##.....#..                                          ##.##.....
.#....##..                                          .##.#....#
##...#.#.# 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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