,^«:%%&@##                                          ##@&%%:«^,
,^«:%%&@##                                          ##@&%%:«^,
,,,,^«%%&&                                          &&%%«^,,,,
,^«:%%&@##                                          ##@&%%:«^,
,^«:%%%&&&                                          &&&%%%:«^,
,^«:%%&@## 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.               &%%«,,,,,,
,^«:%%&@##                                          ##@&%%:«^,
,^^«:%%%@#                    :                     #@%%%:«^^,
,^««:%%%&#                   «««                    #&%%%:««^,
,^«««%%&&@                  ^^^^^                   @&&%%«««^,
,,,,,,^:%&                 ,,,,,,,,                 &%:^,,,,,,
,^«:%%&@##                   ^^^^^                  ##@&%%:«^,
,^«:%%&@##                    «««                   ##@&%%:«^,
,^«:%%&@##                    :                     ##@&%%:«^,
,^«:%%&@##                                          ##@&%%:«^,
,^«:%%%&&#                                          #&&%%%:«^,
,^«:%%&@##                                          ##@&%%:«^,
,^«:%%&@##                                          ##@&%%:«^,
,^«:%%&@##                                          ##@&%%:«^,