.....:~^**                                          **^~:.....
......:~^*                                          *^~:......
.......:~^                                          ^~:.......
........:~                                          ~:........
.........:                                          :.........
.......... 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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.........:                   :::::                  :.........
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.......:~^                     ^                    ^~:.......
......:~^*                                          *^~:......
.....:~^**                                          **^~:.....
....:~^**@                                          @**^~:....
...:~^**@#                                          #@**^~:...
..:~^**@##                                          ##@**^~:..