:=:.......                                          .......:=:
%:=:......                                          ......:=:%
%%:=:.....                                          .....:=:%%
§%%:=:....                                          ....:=:%%§
#§%%:=:...                                          ...:=:%%§#
##§%%:=:.. 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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