@#*^~^^,,,                                          ,,,^^~^*#@
¶#*~^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^~*#¶
#%*^^^,,,,                                          ,,,,^^^*%#
#@¶#%*^~^,                                          ,^~^*%#¶@#
¶%*^^^^,,,                                          ,,,^^^^*%¶
@¶%%**^~^, 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.               ,^~^*%#¶@#
#%*^^~~^,,                                          ,,^~~^^*%#
##*^~^,,,,                     ^                    ,,,,^~^*##
#@¶#%*^~^,                    ~~~                   ,^~^*%#¶@#
##@¶%*^~^,                  ^^^^^                   ,^~^*%¶@##
¶¶%***^~^,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,^~^***%¶¶
#@¶#%*^~^,                   ^^^^^                  ,^~^*%#¶@#
##%^^,,,,,                   ~~~                    ,,,,,^^%##
¶¶##%*^~^,                     ^                    ,^~^*%##¶¶
¶%^^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^^%¶
@@¶#%*^~^,                                          ,^~^*%#¶@@
@¶%^~^^,,,                                          ,,,^^~^%¶@
##**~~^,,,                                          ,,,^~~**##
@¶#%**^~^,                                          ,^~^**%#¶@