§%*†††,,,,                                          ,,,,†††*%§
§§%%*†=,,,                                          ,,,=†*%%§§
@§*†=,,,,,                                          ,,,,,=†*§@
##@§%*†=,,                                          ,,=†*%§@##
@@§*†,,,,,                                          ,,,,,†*§@@
§*†,,,,,,, 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.               ,,=†*%§@##
##@§%*†=,,                                          ,,=†*%§@##
###§%*†=,,                     †                    ,,=†*%§###
##@§%*†=,,                    ===                   ,,=†*%§@##
##@§%*†=,,                   ,,,,,                  ,,=†*%§@##
§%%††==,,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,,==††%%§
###§%*†=,,                   ,,,,,                  ,,=†*%§###
##@§%*†=,,                   ===                    ,,=†*%§@##
@§%%%*†=,,                     †                    ,,=†*%%%§@
##@§%*†=,,                                          ,,=†*%§@##
##@§%*†=,,                                          ,,=†*%§@##
###@§%*†=,                                          ,=†*%§@###
##@§%*†=,,                                          ,,=†*%§@##
§§%%**†=,,                                          ,,=†**%%§§