\~:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:~\
%\~:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:~\%
$%\~:,,,,, ,,,,,:~\%$
@$%\~:,,,, ,,,,:~\%$@
@@$%\~:,,, ,,,:~\%$@@
#@@$%\~:,, they tell me: "we are going to shrink ,,:~\%$@@#
##@@$%\~:, you." i don't quite like the tone in ,:~\%$@@##
#@@$%\~:,, their voices, like they are restraining ,,:~\%$@@#
@@$%\~:,,, themselves. there is a hunger in them ,,,:~\%$@@
@$%\~:,,,, and it wants me to shrink. and what ,,,,:~\%$@
$%\~:,,,,, really irks me is that so do i. ,,,,,:~\%$
%\~:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:~\%
\~:,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:~
\~:,,,,,,, \ ,,,,,,,:~\
%\~:,,,,,, ~~~ ,,,,,,:~\%
$%\~:,,,,, ::::: ,,,,,:~\%$
@$%\~:,,,, ,,,,,,,, ,,,,:~\%$@
@@$%\~:,,, ::::: ,,,:~\%$@@
#@@$%\~:,, ~~~ ,,:~\%$@@#
##@@$%\~:, \ ,:~\%$@@##
#@@$%\~:,, ,,:~\%$@@#
@@$%\~:,,, ,,,:~\%$@@
@$%\~:,,,, ,,,,:~\%$@
$%\~:,,,,, ,,,,,:~\%$
%\~:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:~\%