###&%=†~.¨                                          ¨.~†=%&###
###&%=†~.¨                                          ¨.~†=%&###
#%=†.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.†=%#
###&%=†~.¨                                          ¨.~†=%&###
###&%=†~.¨                                          ¨.~†=%&###
##&&%=†~.¨ 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.              ¨.~†=%&###
###&%=†~.¨                                          ¨.~†=%&###
###&%=†~.¨                     †                    ¨.~†=%&###
###&%=†~.¨                   ~~~                    ¨.~†=%&###
###&%=†~.¨                  .....                   ¨.~†=%&###
#%=†.¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨.†=%#
&&%†~¨¨¨¨¨                  .....                   ¨¨¨¨¨~†%&&
&%%%%=†~.¨                   ~~~                    ¨.~†=%%%%&
#%%=~¨¨¨¨¨                     †                    ¨¨¨¨¨~=%%#
###&%=†~.¨                                          ¨.~†=%&###
###&%=†~.¨                                          ¨.~†=%&###
##&&%=†~.¨                                          ¨.~†=%&&##
#&=~....¨¨                                          ¨¨....~=&#
###&%=†~.¨                                          ¨.~†=%&###