#@£&&=*~:,                                          ,:~*=&&£@#
##@£&&=*~:                                          :~*=&&£@##
#@£&&=*~:,                                          ,:~*=&&£@#
@£&&=*~:,,                                          ,,:~*=&&£@
£&&=*~:,,,                                          ,,,:~*=&&£
&&=*~:,,,, 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.               ,:~*=&&£@#
@£&&=*~:,,                                          ,,:~*=&&£@
£&&=*~:,,,                     *                    ,,,:~*=&&£
&&=*~:,,,,                    ~~~                   ,,,,:~*=&&
&=*~:,,,,,                  :::::                   ,,,,,:~*=&
=*~:,,,,,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,,,,,:~*=
*~:,,,,,,,                   :::::                  ,,,,,,,:~*
=*~:,,,,,,                    ~~~                   ,,,,,,:~*=
&=*~:,,,,,                    *                     ,,,,,:~*=&
&&=*~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~*=&&
£&&=*~:,,,                                          ,,,:~*=&&£
@£&&=*~:,,                                          ,,:~*=&&£@
#@£&&=*~:,                                          ,:~*=&&£@#
##@£&&=*~:                                          :~*=&&£@##