........#. .......##.
#######... ######....
.#####..#. #####..##.
..###..... ####......
#..#..#### .##..#####
.......### 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. #####....#
####..##.. ####..##..
.##......# † .##.......
....####.. ~~~ ....######
.##..##... ^^^^^ .##..####.
........## ........ ......##..
#######... ^^^^^ #####....#
######..## ~~~ ####..##..
.####....# † ###.......
..##..##.. ##..######
.......... #....####.
########## ..##..##..
.########. #.........
..######.. ..########