###¶§§:«,¨                                          ¨,«:§§¶###
@@§««,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,««§@@
##¶@§§:«,¨                                          ¨,«:§§@¶##
#@§§§«¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«§§§@#
@§§:,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,:§§@
¶@@§§§:«,¨ 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.               ¨¨¨¨«§§§@@
##¶@§§:«,¨                                          ¨,«:§§@¶##
##¶@§§:«,¨                    :                     ¨,«:§§@¶##
@§§::«««,¨                   «««                    ¨,«««::§§@
@@§§§«,¨¨¨                   ,,,,,                  ¨¨¨,«§§§@@
##¶@§§:«,¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨,«:§§@¶##
¶§§:,¨¨¨¨¨                  ,,,,,                   ¨¨¨¨¨,:§§¶
##¶@§§:«,¨                    «««                   ¨,«:§§@¶##
@§§:,¨¨¨¨¨                    :                     ¨¨¨¨¨,:§§@
@@§«¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨«§@@
#¶¶@§§:«,¨                                          ¨,«:§§@¶¶#
##¶@§§:«,¨                                          ¨,«:§§@¶##
##¶@§§:«,¨                                          ¨,«:§§@¶##
###@§§:«,¨                                          ¨,«:§§@###