,:~\=%&### ###&%=\~:,
,:~\=%&### ###&%=\~:,
,:~\=%&### ###&%=\~:,
,,,,,,,~=& &=~,,,,,,,
,:~\=%&### ###&%=\~:,
,:~\=%&### 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. ##&%=\:,,,
,:~\=%&### ###&%=\~:,
,,,,,,:\%& \ &%\:,,,,,,
,:~\=%&### ~~~ ###&%=\~:,
,:~\=%&### ::::: ###&%=\~:,
,:~\=%&### ,,,,,,,, ###&%=\~:,
,:~~~\=&&# ::::: #&&=\~~~:,
,:~\=%&### ~~~ ###&%=\~:,
,:~\=%&### \ ###&%=\~:,
,,,:~~~==& &==~~~:,,,
,:~\=%&&&# #&&&%=\~:,
,:~\=%&### ###&%=\~:,
,:~\=%&### ###&%=\~:,
,,,,,:\%&# #&%\:,,,,,