¨¨¨¨¨¨-§§#                                          #§§-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,-\§$§###                                          ###§$§\-,¨
¨,-\§§####                                          ####§§\-,¨
¨¨,,\\$$##                                          ##$$\\,,¨¨
¨¨,-\\\$§#                                          #§$\\\-,¨¨
¨,-\§$§§§# they  tell me: "we  are going to  shrink #§§§$§\-,¨
,-\§$§#### you." i  don't  quite like the  tone  in ####§$§\-,
¨¨¨¨¨¨,\§§ their voices, like they are  restraining §§\,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,-\§$#### themselves.  there is  a hunger in  them ####$§\-,¨
¨,-\§$§### and  it wants  me  to shrink.  and  what ###§$§\-,¨
¨,-\§$§### really  irks   me   is  that  so  do  i. ###§$§\-,¨
¨,-\§$§###                                          ###§$§\-,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-§§ they  give me  wristbands  and  anklets, §§-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,-\§$§### made   of  some   strange  stone.  their ###§$§\-,¨
¨,-\§$§###      surface is swirling, like dark      ###§$§\-,¨
¨,-\§$§###   thunderstorms trapped in glass, like   ###§$§\-,¨
¨¨¨¨,-\$§# windows  into a smaller  world, close to #§$\-,¨¨¨¨
¨,-\§$$§## 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  #$$§\\,¨¨¨
¨,-\§$§###               anticipation.              ###§$§\-,¨
¨,-\§$§###                                          ###§$§\-,¨
¨,-\§$§###                     \                    ###§$§\-,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,,\$#                   ---                    #$\,,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨,,-\$§§§                   ,,,,,                  §§§$\-,,¨¨
¨¨¨--§§§##                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ##§§§--¨¨¨
¨¨¨,,-§§$§                   ,,,,,                  §$§§-,,¨¨¨
¨,-\§$§###                    ---                   ###§$§\-,¨
¨,,,-\\§$#                     \                    #$§\\-,,,¨
¨¨¨¨--§$$§                                          §$$§--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,--§$#                                          #$§--,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,,--\$§                                          §$\--,,¨¨¨
¨,-\§$§###                                          ###§$§\-,¨
¨¨,---\§§§                                          §§§\---,¨¨