.~~:%#@# #@##&%:~~.
.~~:%### ####&%:~~.
.~~:%&&& #&&&&%:~~.
.~~:%#@# #@##&%:~~.
.~~:::%%%# #%%%:::~~.
.~~:%#@# 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. #@##&%:~~.
.~~:%@## ##@#&%:~~.
..~~~%%%%# : #%%%%~~~..
.~~:%#@# ~~~ #@##&%:~~.
.~~:%#@# ~~~~~ #@##&%:~~.
.~~:#@## ........ ##@##&:~~.
......~: ~~~~~ #&:~......
.~~:%@## ~~~ ##@#&%:~~.
...~::## : ###&::~...
.~~:%##@ @###&%:~~.
...~~~:%%# #%%:~~~...
.~~:%#@@ @@##&%:~~.
.~~:#@## ##@##&:~~.
.~~:%#@@ @@##&%:~~.