#%%\^^^,,,                                          ,,,^^^\%%#
###@%†\~^,                                          ,^~\†%@###
@††~^^,,,,                                          ,,,,^^~††@
###@%†\~^,                                          ,^~\†%@###
###@%†\~^,                                          ,^~\†%@###
###@%†\~^, 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.               ,,,^\\\%@@
###@%†\~^,                                          ,^~\†%@###
#@†~^^^,,,                    \                     ,,,^^^~†@#
###@%†\~^,                   ~~~                    ,^~\†%@###
###@%†\~^,                   ^^^^^                  ,^~\†%@###
###@%†\~^,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,^~\†%@###
@†~^,,,,,,                   ^^^^^                  ,,,,,,^~†@
#@@%††\~^,                   ~~~                    ,^~\††%@@#
###@%†\~^,                    \                     ,^~\†%@###
###@%†\~^,                                          ,^~\†%@###
###@%†\~^,                                          ,^~\†%@###
###@%†\~^,                                          ,^~\†%@###
###@%†\~^,                                          ,^~\†%@###
###@%†\~^,                                          ,^~\†%@###