####%^†~,,                                          ,,~†^%####
##%%%^†~,,                                          ,,~†^%%%##
#££^~~,,,,                                          ,,,,~~^££#
###£%^†~,,                                          ,,~†^%£###
###£%^†~,,                                          ,,~†^%£###
###£%^†~,, 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.               ,,,,,,†%%£
££^†,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,†^££
####£%†~,,                    †                     ,,~†%£####
###£%^†~,,                   ~~~                    ,,~†^%£###
£££^†,,,,,                   ,,,,,                  ,,,,,†^£££
£££%%^†~,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,~†^%%£££
###£%^†~,,                  ,,,,,                   ,,~†^%£###
###£%^†~,,                    ~~~                   ,,~†^%£###
#£%†,,,,,,                     †                    ,,,,,,†%£#
###£%^†~,,                                          ,,~†^%£###
##%†,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,†%##
###£%^†~,,                                          ,,~†^%£###
#££%†,,,,,                                          ,,,,,†%££#
###£%^†~,,                                          ,,~†^%£###