££^^^«««,,                                          ,,«««^^^££
##£§£%^«,,                                          ,,«^%£§£##
##£§£%^«,,                                          ,,«^%£§£##
##£§£%^«,,                                          ,,«^%£§£##
#§£%^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^%£§#
##£§£%^«,, 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.              ,,«^%££###
#§£££%^«,,                                          ,,«^%£££§#
§££^,,,,,,                     ^                    ,,,,,,^££§
##£§£%^«,,                   «««                    ,,«^%£§£##
§%^^,,,,,,                   ,,,,,                  ,,,,,,^^%§
##£§£%^«,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,«^%£§£##
##£§£%^«,,                   ,,,,,                  ,,«^%£§£##
##£§£%^«,,                   «««                    ,,«^%£§£##
££^«,,,,,,                    ^                     ,,,,,,«^££
###££%^«,,                                          ,,«^%££###
##£§£%^«,,                                          ,,«^%£§£##
##£§£%^«,,                                          ,,«^%£§£##
#£§§£%^«,,                                          ,,«^%£§§£#
###§£%^«,,                                          ,,«^%£§###