^.........                                          .........^
«^........                                          ........^«
*«^.......                                          .......^«*
%*«^......                                          ......^«*%
§%*«^.....                                          .....^«*%§
@§%*«^.... 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.              ...^«*%§@@
@§%*«^....                                          ....^«*%§@
§%*«^.....                    *                     .....^«*%§
%*«^......                   «««                    ......^«*%
*«^.......                   ^^^^^                  .......^«*
«^........                 ........                 ........^«
^.........                   ^^^^^                  .........^
..........                   «««                    ..........
..........                    *                     ..........
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«^........                                          ........^«
*«^.......                                          .......^«*
%*«^......                                          ......^«*%