.,~*†$@###                                          ###@$†*~,.
.,~*†$@###                                          ###@$†*~,.
.......~†#                                          #†~.......
.,~*†$####                                          ####$†*~,.
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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      #@#†~~~~,.
.....,*$$@                SATISFIED.                @$$*,.....
..,,,,*†##                                          ##†*,,,,..
.,~~*††#@# 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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