@§@=:~....                                          ....~:=@§@
§@=:~.....                                          .....~:=@§
@=:~......                                          ......~:=@
=:~.......                                          .......~:=
:~........                                          ........~:
~......... 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.               ..........
~.........                                          .........~
:~........                    :                     ........~:
=:~.......                    ~~~                   .......~:=
@=:~......                  .....                   ......~:=@
§@=:~.....                 ........                 .....~:=@§
@§@=:~....                   .....                  ....~:=@§@
#@§@=:~...                    ~~~                   ...~:=@§@#
##@§@=:~..                    :                     ..~:=@§@##
#@§@=:~...                                          ...~:=@§@#
@§@=:~....                                          ....~:=@§@
§@=:~.....                                          .....~:=@§
@=:~......                                          ......~:=@
=:~.......                                          .......~:=