##@&*%†~,.                                          .,~†%*&@##
#@&*%†~,..                                          ..,~†%*&@#
@&*%†~,...                                          ...,~†%*&@
&*%†~,....                                          ....,~†%*&
*%†~,.....                                          .....,~†%*
&*%†~,.... 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.              ...,~†%*&@
#@&*%†~,..                                          ..,~†%*&@#
##@&*%†~,.                     †                    .,~†%*&@##
#@&*%†~,..                   ~~~                    ..,~†%*&@#
@&*%†~,...                   ,,,,,                  ...,~†%*&@
&*%†~,....                 ........                 ....,~†%*&
*%†~,.....                   ,,,,,                  .....,~†%*
&*%†~,....                   ~~~                    ....,~†%*&
@&*%†~,...                     †                    ...,~†%*&@
#@&*%†~,..                                          ..,~†%*&@#
##@&*%†~,.                                          .,~†%*&@##
#@&*%†~,..                                          ..,~†%*&@#
@&*%†~,...                                          ...,~†%*&@
&*%†~,....                                          ....,~†%*&