..~~†=§¤@@ @@¤§=†~~..
...~~†=§¤@ @¤§=†~~...
....~~†=§¤ ¤§=†~~....
.....~~†=§ §=†~~.....
......~~†= =†~~......
.......~~† 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. =†~~......
.....~~†=§ §=†~~.....
....~~†=§¤ † ¤§=†~~....
...~~†=§¤@ ~~~ @¤§=†~~...
..~~†=§¤@@ ~~~~~ @@¤§=†~~..
.~~†=§¤@@# ........ #@@¤§=†~~.
..~~†=§¤@@ ~~~~~ @@¤§=†~~..
...~~†=§¤@ ~~~ @¤§=†~~...
....~~†=§¤ † ¤§=†~~....
.....~~†=§ §=†~~.....
......~~†= =†~~......
.......~~† †~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.........~ ~.........