@*:::~.... ....~:::*@
##@@*=:~~. .~~:=*@@##
@@*:~~.... ....~~:*@@
@@@@*=:~~. .~~:=*@@@@
@@*===:~~. .~~:===*@@
#@@@*=:~~. 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. .~~:=*@@@#
@**::~.... ....~::**@
##@@@=:~~. : .~~:=@@@##
#@@@*=:~~. ~~~ .~~:=*@@@#
@@@@*=:~~. ~~~~~ .~~:=*@@@@
#@@@*=:~~. ........ .~~:=*@@@#
#@@@*=:~~. ~~~~~ .~~:=*@@@#
#@@@*=:~~. ~~~ .~~:=*@@@#
@***:::~~. : .~~:::***@
#@@@*=:~~. .~~:=*@@@#
@=:~~..... .....~~:=@
@**=::~... ...~::=**@
##@@*=:~~. .~~:=*@@##
@*=::~~... ...~~::=*@