¤%*--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--*%¤
@¤%*--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--*%¤@
#@¤%*--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--*%¤@#
##@¤%*--¨¨ ¨¨--*%¤@##
###@¤%*--¨ ¨--*%¤@###
##@¤%*--¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨--*%¤@#
@¤%*--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--*%¤@
¤%*--¨¨¨¨¨ * ¨¨¨¨¨--*%¤
%*--¨¨¨¨¨¨ --- ¨¨¨¨¨¨--*%
*--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ----- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--*
%*--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--*%
¤%*--¨¨¨¨¨ ----- ¨¨¨¨¨--*%¤
@¤%*--¨¨¨¨ --- ¨¨¨¨--*%¤@
#@¤%*--¨¨¨ * ¨¨¨--*%¤@#
##@¤%*--¨¨ ¨¨--*%¤@##
###@¤%*--¨ ¨--*%¤@###
##@¤%*--¨¨ ¨¨--*%¤@##
#@¤%*--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--*%¤@#
@¤%*--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--*%¤@