...#.####.                                          #........#
..###...#.                                          #.......##
.#..#..##.                                          #......#.#
##.##.#.##                                          #.....####
.##.####.#                                          #....#....
#.##...##. 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.               ##.#.#.#..
##.#.##..#                                          .#######.#
.####.#.##                     \                    #......##.
#...####..                   ---                    #.....#.#.
#..#...#.#                  :::::                   #....#####
#.##..###.                 ........                 #...#.....
##.#.#..##                  :::::                   #..##....#
.#####.#.#                   ---                    #.#.#...#.
#....#####                     \                    #####..##.
#...#.....                                          ....#.#.##
#..##.....                                          ...#####..
#.#.#.....                                          ..#....#.#
#####.....                                          .##...###.
....#....#                                          #.#..#..##