&.&..&.&&& .....&....
...&...&.& &.....&...
....&..... &&.....&..
.....&.... .&&.....&.
......&... .&&&.....&
&......&.. 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. ......&&&.
.........& ......&.&&
&......... † ........&&
&&........ --- &.......&.
&&&....... ..... &&........
&.&&...... ........ &&&.......
..&&&..... ..... &.&&......
..&.&&.... --- ..&&&.....
....&&&... † ..&.&&....
....&.&&.. ....&&&...
......&&&. ....&.&&..
......&.&& &.....&&&.
........&& &&....&.&&
&.......&. .&&.....&&