......^~†*                                          *†~^......
.......^~†                                          †~^.......
......^~†*                                          *†~^......
.....^~†*&                                          &*†~^.....
....^~†*&#                                          #&*†~^....
...^~†*&#@ 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.               #@#&*†~^..
.^~†*&#@##                                          ##@#&*†~^.
..^~†*&#@#                    †                     #@#&*†~^..
...^~†*&#@                   ~~~                    @#&*†~^...
....^~†*&#                  ^^^^^                   #&*†~^....
.....^~†*&                 ........                 &*†~^.....
......^~†*                  ^^^^^                   *†~^......
.......^~†                    ~~~                   †~^.......
......^~†*                    †                     *†~^......
.....^~†*&                                          &*†~^.....
....^~†*&#                                          #&*†~^....
...^~†*&#@                                          @#&*†~^...
..^~†*&#@#                                          #@#&*†~^..
.^~†*&#@##                                          ##@#&*†~^.