.^=**$&###                                          ###&$**=^.
..^=**$&##                                          ##&$**=^..
...^=**$&#                                          #&$**=^...
....^=**$&                                          &$**=^....
.....^=**$                                          $**=^.....
......^=** They Tell  Me: "We  Are  Going To Shrink **=^......
.......^=* You."  I  Don'T Quite Like  The Tone  In *=^.......
........^= Their Voices, Like They  Are Restraining =^........
.......^=* Themselves.  There Is  A Hunger  In Them *=^.......
......^=** And  It Wants  Me  To  Shrink.  And What **=^......
.....^=**$ 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.              #&$**=^...
....^=**$&                                          &$**=^....
.....^=**$                     *                    $**=^.....
......^=**                    ===                   **=^......
.......^=*                  ^^^^^                   *=^.......
........^=                 ........                 =^........
.......^=*                  ^^^^^                   *=^.......
......^=**                   ===                    **=^......
.....^=**$                     *                    $**=^.....
....^=**$&                                          &$**=^....
...^=**$&#                                          #&$**=^...
..^=**$&##                                          ##&$**=^..
.^=**$&###                                          ###&$**=^.
..^=**$&##                                          ##&$**=^..