:=~.......                                          .......~=:
%:=~......                                          ......~=:%
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#££%:=~...                                          ...~=:%££#
##££%:=~.. 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.              .....~=:%£
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#££%:=~... 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.               .........~
=~........                                          ........~=
:=~.......                     :                    .......~=:
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