§@=:«~,,,,                                          ,,,,~«:=@§
£§@=:«~,,,                                          ,,,~«:=@§£
#£§@=:«~,,                                          ,,~«:=@§£#
##£§@=:«~,                                          ,~«:=@§£##
#£§@=:«~,,                                          ,,~«:=@§£#
£§@=:«~,,, 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.              ,,,,~«:=@§
@=:«~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~«:=@
=:«~,,,,,,                     :                    ,,,,,,~«:=
:«~,,,,,,,                   «««                    ,,,,,,,~«:
=:«~,,,,,,                   ~~~~~                  ,,,,,,~«:=
@=:«~,,,,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,,,,~«:=@
§@=:«~,,,,                  ~~~~~                   ,,,,~«:=@§
£§@=:«~,,,                    «««                   ,,,~«:=@§£
#£§@=:«~,,                    :                     ,,~«:=@§£#
##£§@=:«~,                                          ,~«:=@§£##
#£§@=:«~,,                                          ,,~«:=@§£#
£§@=:«~,,,                                          ,,,~«:=@§£
§@=:«~,,,,                                          ,,,,~«:=@§
@=:«~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~«:=@