¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
*=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.               ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
*=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=*
£*=~.¨¨¨¨¨                     =                    ¨¨¨¨¨.~=*£
§£*=~.¨¨¨¨                    ~~~                   ¨¨¨¨.~=*£§
#§£*=~.¨¨¨                  .....                   ¨¨¨.~=*£§#
##§£*=~.¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨.~=*£§##
###§£*=~.¨                   .....                  ¨.~=*£§###
##§£*=~.¨¨                    ~~~                   ¨¨.~=*£§##
#§£*=~.¨¨¨                    =                     ¨¨¨.~=*£§#
§£*=~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~=*£§
£*=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=*£
*=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=*
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~