&&&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨&&¨¨¨&¨&&
&&&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨&¨¨&&¨¨&
&&&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ 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. ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ^ ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ««« ¨¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ..... ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ..... ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ««« ¨¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ^ ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨&¨&¨&¨&¨