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