#§%%^††».,                                          ,.»††^%%§#
§§§^^^†».,                                          ,.»†^^^§§§
§%^^†»,,,,                                          ,,,,»†^^%§
###§%^†».,                                          ,.»†^%§###
#§§^†.,,,,                                          ,,,,.†^§§#
§§^†».,,,, 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.              ,.»†^%§###
#§§%^^†».,                                          ,.»†^^%§§#
###§%^†».,                    †                     ,.»†^%§###
§^^†.,,,,,                    »»»                   ,,,,,.†^^§
###§%^†».,                  .....                   ,.»†^%§###
###§%^†».,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,.»†^%§###
###§%^†».,                  .....                   ,.»†^%§###
###§%^†».,                   »»»                    ,.»†^%§###
§§%^».,,,,                    †                     ,,,,.»^%§§
###§%^†».,                                          ,.»†^%§###
#§§§%^†».,                                          ,.»†^%§§§#
§§^»,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,»^§§
###§%^†».,                                          ,.»†^%§###
###§%^†».,                                          ,.»†^%§###