###&%%†»~.                                          .~»†%%&###
###&%%†»~.                                          .~»†%%&###
##&&%%†»~.                                          .~»†%%&&##
###&%%†»~.                                          .~»†%%&###
&%†»~.....                                          .....~»†%&
#&&%†»»»~. 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.               .~~~†%%%%&
###&%%†»~.                                          .~»†%%&###
###&%%†»~.                    †                     .~»†%%&###
###&%%†»~.                   »»»                    .~»†%%&###
###&%%†»~.                   ~~~~~                  .~»†%%&###
###&%%†»~.                 ........                 .~»†%%&###
#%%%%††»~.                  ~~~~~                   .~»††%%%%#
##&&%%†»~.                    »»»                   .~»†%%&&##
#&%%%%†»~.                    †                     .~»†%%%%&#
##&%†††»~.                                          .~»†††%&##
###&%%†»~.                                          .~»†%%&###
&%%%†»»»~.                                          .~»»»†%%%&
###&%%†»~.                                          .~»†%%&###
&&&&%%†»~.                                          .~»†%%&&&&