###@§*=«~.                                          .~«=*§@###
##@§*=«~..                                          ..~«=*§@##
#@§*=«~...                                          ...~«=*§@#
@§*=«~....                                          ....~«=*§@
§*=«~.....                                          .....~«=*§
*=«~...... 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.              .......~«=
*=«~......                                          ......~«=*
§*=«~.....                    =                     .....~«=*§
@§*=«~....                    «««                   ....~«=*§@
#@§*=«~...                   ~~~~~                  ...~«=*§@#
##@§*=«~..                 ........                 ..~«=*§@##
###@§*=«~.                  ~~~~~                   .~«=*§@###
##@§*=«~..                   «««                    ..~«=*§@##
#@§*=«~...                    =                     ...~«=*§@#
@§*=«~....                                          ....~«=*§@
§*=«~.....                                          .....~«=*§
*=«~......                                          ......~«=*
=«~.......                                          .......~«=
*=«~......                                          ......~«=*