..........                                          ..........
~.........                                          .........~
=~........                                          ........~=
==~.......                                          .......~==
^==~......                                          ......~==^
$^==~..... THEY TELL  ME:  "WE ARE GOING TO  SHRINK .....~==^$
§$^==~.... YOU."  I DON'T QUITE  LIKE THE  TONE  IN ....~==^$§
@§$^==~... THEIR  VOICES, LIKE THEY ARE RESTRAINING ...~==^$§@
#@§$^==~.. THEMSELVES. THERE IS  A  HUNGER IN  THEM ..~==^$§@#
##@§$^==~. AND  IT  WANTS  ME TO SHRINK.  AND  WHAT .~==^$§@##
#@§$^==~.. REALLY  IRKS  ME   IS  THAT  SO  DO   I. ..~==^$§@#
@§$^==~...                                          ...~==^$§@
§$^==~.... THEY  GIVE  ME  WRISTBANDS AND  ANKLETS, ....~==^$§
$^==~..... MADE  OF   SOME  STRANGE  STONE.   THEIR .....~==^$
^==~......      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.              ......~==^
$^==~.....                                          .....~==^$
§$^==~....                    =                     ....~==^$§
@§$^==~...                    ===                   ...~==^$§@
#@§$^==~..                  ~~~~~                   ..~==^$§@#
##@§$^==~.                 ........                 .~==^$§@##
#@§$^==~..                  ~~~~~                   ..~==^$§@#
@§$^==~...                   ===                    ...~==^$§@
§$^==~....                    =                     ....~==^$§
$^==~.....                                          .....~==^$
^==~......                                          ......~==^
==~.......                                          .......~==
=~........                                          ........~=
~.........                                          .........~