..^~*=*##@                                          @##*=*~^..
.^~*=*##@#                                          #@##*=*~^.
..^~*=*##@                                          @##*=*~^..
...^~*=*##                                          ##*=*~^...
....^~*=*#                                          #*=*~^....
.....^~*=* 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.              #*=*~^....
...^~*=*##                                          ##*=*~^...
..^~*=*##@                    *                     @##*=*~^..
.^~*=*##@#                    ~~~                   #@##*=*~^.
..^~*=*##@                   ^^^^^                  @##*=*~^..
...^~*=*##                 ........                 ##*=*~^...
....^~*=*#                   ^^^^^                  #*=*~^....
.....^~*=*                    ~~~                   *=*~^.....
....^~*=*#                    *                     #*=*~^....
...^~*=*##                                          ##*=*~^...
..^~*=*##@                                          @##*=*~^..
.^~*=*##@#                                          #@##*=*~^.
..^~*=*##@                                          @##*=*~^..
...^~*=*##                                          ##*=*~^...