#¨#¨##¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨##¨###¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨                                          ¨¨##¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨¨                                          #¨##¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨¨###¨                                          #¨###¨¨#¨#
##¨¨¨¨#¨##                                          #¨#¨##¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨¨## 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.              ¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨¨                     †                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨¨###¨                   ===                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#
##¨¨¨¨#¨##                   ^^^^^                  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨¨##                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨###¨¨¨¨#¨                  ^^^^^                   #¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨                   ===                    ##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨                    †                     ¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨                                          ¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨                                          ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨                                          ¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###                                          #¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨¨¨###¨¨