##@§§%*=-¨                                          ¨-=*%§§@##
§%*=¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨=*%§
###§§%*=-¨                                          ¨-=*%§§###
#@§§§%*=-¨                                          ¨-=*%§§§@#
##@§§%*=-¨                                          ¨-=*%§§@##
##@§§%*=-¨ 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.              ¨-=*%§§§§@
##@§§%*=-¨                                          ¨-=*%§§@##
#@@§§%*=-¨                     *                    ¨-=*%§§@@#
@§§*=¨¨¨¨¨                   ===                    ¨¨¨¨¨=*§§@
###§§%*=-¨                  -----                   ¨-=*%§§###
##@§§%*=-¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨-=*%§§@##
###@§%*=-¨                  -----                   ¨-=*%§@###
@@§§§%*=-¨                   ===                    ¨-=*%§§§@@
##@§§%*=-¨                    *                     ¨-=*%§§@##
##@§§%*=-¨                                          ¨-=*%§§@##
§§*=-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-=*§§
###@§%*=-¨                                          ¨-=*%§@###
@@@§§%*=-¨                                          ¨-=*%§§@@@
§%**=¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨=**%§