%*==,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,==*%
*==,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,==*
==,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,==
*==,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,==*
%*==,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,==*%
£%*==,¨¨¨¨ 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.              ¨¨¨,==*%£#
##£%*==,¨¨                                          ¨¨,==*%£##
###£%*==,¨                     =                    ¨,==*%£###
##£%*==,¨¨                   ===                    ¨¨,==*%£##
#£%*==,¨¨¨                   ,,,,,                  ¨¨¨,==*%£#
£%*==,¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨,==*%£
%*==,¨¨¨¨¨                  ,,,,,                   ¨¨¨¨¨,==*%
*==,¨¨¨¨¨¨                   ===                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨,==*
==,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                     =                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,==
*==,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,==*
%*==,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,==*%
£%*==,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,==*%£
#£%*==,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,==*%£#
##£%*==,¨¨                                          ¨¨,==*%£##