.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^
%^=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=^%
£%^=~.¨¨¨¨ 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.               ¨¨¨.~=^%£@
£%^=~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~=^%£
%^=~.¨¨¨¨¨                     =                    ¨¨¨¨¨.~=^%
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                   ~~~                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   .....                  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   .....                  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ~~~                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                     =                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
^=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=^