,,,=†=%§¶#                                          #¶§%=†=,,,
,,,,=†=%§¶                                          ¶§%=†=,,,,
,,,,,=†=%§                                          §%=†=,,,,,
,,,,=†=%§¶                                          ¶§%=†=,,,,
,,,=†=%§¶#                                          #¶§%=†=,,,
,,=†=%§¶## 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.              #¶§%=†=,,,
,,,,=†=%§¶                                          ¶§%=†=,,,,
,,,,,=†=%§                     †                    §%=†=,,,,,
,,,,=†=%§¶                   ===                    ¶§%=†=,,,,
,,,=†=%§¶#                  ,,,,,                   #¶§%=†=,,,
,,=†=%§¶##                 ,,,,,,,,                 ##¶§%=†=,,
,,,=†=%§¶#                  ,,,,,                   #¶§%=†=,,,
,,,,=†=%§¶                    ===                   ¶§%=†=,,,,
,,,,,=†=%§                     †                    §%=†=,,,,,
,,,,=†=%§¶                                          ¶§%=†=,,,,
,,,=†=%§¶#                                          #¶§%=†=,,,
,,=†=%§¶##                                          ##¶§%=†=,,
,,,=†=%§¶#                                          #¶§%=†=,,,
,,,,=†=%§¶                                          ¶§%=†=,,,,