..~;=§&@@# #@@&§=;~..
...~~~=§&@ @&§=~~~...
..~;====&& &&====;~..
.......~=& &=~.......
.~;=§&@### ###@&§=;~.
..~;=§&@## 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. ##@&§=;~..
..~;=§&@## ##@&§=;~..
....~;=§&# ; #&§=;~....
..~;=§&@## ~~~ ##@&§=;~..
..~;=§&@## ..... ##@&§=;~..
.....~;§&& ........ &&§;~.....
..~~;;;;§& ..... &§;;;;~~..
.....~;=§& ~~~ &§=;~.....
..~;=§&@## ; ##@&§=;~..
..~;;;==&& &&==;;;~..
...~~=§§@# #@§§=~~...
......;=&@ @&=;......
.....~=§§@ @§§=~.....
..~;=§&@## ##@&§=;~..