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.:=:^%&@## ##@&%^:=:.
.:=:^%&&&& &&&&%^:=:.
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......=^ 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. @&&^::....
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.:=:^%## 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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