,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†
^†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†^
$^†~,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,~†^$
&$^†~,¨¨¨¨ they tell me:  "we  are going  to shrink ¨¨¨¨,~†^$&
£&$^†~,¨¨¨ you."  i  don't  quite like the tone  in ¨¨¨,~†^$&£
@£&$^†~,¨¨ their voices,  like they are restraining ¨¨,~†^$&£@
#@£&$^†~,¨ themselves.  there is  a  hunger in them ¨,~†^$&£@#
@£&$^†~,¨¨ and  it wants  me  to shrink.  and  what ¨¨,~†^$&£@
£&$^†~,¨¨¨ really  irks  me  is   that  so   do  i. ¨¨¨,~†^$&£
&$^†~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~†^$&
$^†~,¨¨¨¨¨ they  give  me  wristbands  and anklets, ¨¨¨¨¨,~†^$
^†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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  ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†^
$^†~,¨¨¨¨¨              anticipation.               ¨¨¨¨¨,~†^$
&$^†~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~†^$&
£&$^†~,¨¨¨                    †                     ¨¨¨,~†^$&£
@£&$^†~,¨¨                    ~~~                   ¨¨,~†^$&£@
#@£&$^†~,¨                  ,,,,,                   ¨,~†^$&£@#
@£&$^†~,¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨,~†^$&£@
£&$^†~,¨¨¨                  ,,,,,                   ¨¨¨,~†^$&£
&$^†~,¨¨¨¨                    ~~~                   ¨¨¨¨,~†^$&
$^†~,¨¨¨¨¨                    †                     ¨¨¨¨¨,~†^$
^†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†^
†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨