¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨
&&&&&&&&&& &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&&
&&&&&&&&&¨ ¨¨&&&&&¨¨&
&&&&&&&&¨¨ &¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨
¨&&&&&&¨¨& ¨¨¨¨&¨¨&&¨
¨¨&&&&¨¨¨¨ 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. &&&&&&¨¨&¨
&&&&¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨&&&&¨¨¨¨¨
¨&&¨¨&&&&& \ ¨¨&&¨¨&&&¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&& ~~~ &¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
&&&&&¨¨&&& ----- ¨¨&&&&¨¨¨&
&&&&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ &¨¨&&¨¨&¨¨
¨&&¨¨&&¨¨¨ ----- ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&& ~~~ &&&&&&&&&&
¨&&&&&&¨¨& \ &&&&&&&&&¨
¨¨&&&&¨¨¨¨ &&&&&&&&¨¨
&¨¨&&¨¨&&& &&&&&&&¨¨&
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&& &&&&&&¨¨¨¨
&&&&&&&¨¨& &&&&&¨¨&&&
&&&&&&¨¨¨¨ &&&&¨¨¨¨&&