@@@$$†^,,,                                          ,,,^†$$@@@
@@@$†-,,,,                                          ,,,,-†$@@@
@$$$$$†-^,                                          ,^-†$$$$$@
¶¶¶@$$†-^,                                          ,^-†$$@¶¶¶
@@¶@$$†-^,                                          ,^-†$$@¶@@
¶$$$$$†-^, they  tell  me: "we are  going to shrink ,^-†$$$$$¶
¶@@@$$†-^, 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.              ,^-††$$$¶¶
@@¶@$$†-^,                                          ,^-†$$@¶@@
@@$†^^,,,,                    †                     ,,,,^^†$@@
##@¶$$†-^,                   ---                    ,^-†$$¶@##
@@@@$$†-^,                  ^^^^^                   ,^-†$$@@@@
¶¶¶@$$†-^,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,^-†$$@¶¶¶
@¶¶@$$†-^,                   ^^^^^                  ,^-†$$@¶¶@
#@¶@$$†-^,                   ---                    ,^-†$$@¶@#
##¶@$$†-^,                     †                    ,^-†$$@¶##
@$$†^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^†$$@
##@¶@$†-^,                                          ,^-†$@¶@##
¶¶¶@$$†-^,                                          ,^-†$$@¶¶¶
#@¶@$$†-^,                                          ,^-†$$@¶@#
#@¶@$$†-^,                                          ,^-†$$@¶@#