###§%$\~,¨                                          ¨,~\$%§###
##§%$\~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~\$%§##
#§%$\~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~\$%§#
§%$\~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~\$%§
%$\~,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,~\$%
$\~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.              ¨¨¨,~\$%§#
§%$\~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~\$%§
%$\~,¨¨¨¨¨                     \                    ¨¨¨¨¨,~\$%
$\~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ~~~                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~\$
\~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                  ,,,,,                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~\
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
\~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   ,,,,,                  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~\
$\~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                   ~~~                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~\$
%$\~,¨¨¨¨¨                     \                    ¨¨¨¨¨,~\$%
§%$\~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~\$%§
#§%$\~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~\$%§#
##§%$\~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~\$%§##
###§%$\~,¨                                          ¨,~\$%§###
##§%$\~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~\$%§##