...&&.&&&. &&&&.&&.&.
...&.&&..& ....&&.&&&
&..&&&.&.& &...&.&&..
&&.&..&&&& &&..&&&.&.
&.&&&.&... ..&.&..&&&
.&&..&&&.. 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. .&.&&&&...
&.....&&.& .&&&...&..
&&....&.&& ^ .&..&..&&.
&.&...&&&. »»» .&&.&&.&.&
.&&&..&..& ~~~~~ .&.&&.&&&&
&&..&.&&.& ........ &&&&.&&...
&.&.&&&.&& ~~~~~ ....&&.&..
&&&&&..&&. »»» ....&.&&&.
&....&.&.& ^ &...&&&..&
.&...&&&&& .&..&..&.&
&&&..&.... &&&.&&.&&&
...&.&&... ...&&.&&..
...&&&.&.. &..&.&&.&.
...&..&&&. .&.&&&.&&&