†=.,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.=†
§†=.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.=†§
*§†=.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.=†§*
@*§†=.,,,,                                          ,,,,.=†§*@
#@*§†=.,,,                                          ,,,.=†§*@#
##@*§†=.,, 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.               ,,,,,,,.=†
=.,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,.=
.,,,,,,,,,                    †                     ,,,,,,,,,.
,,,,,,,,,,                   ===                    ,,,,,,,,,,
.,,,,,,,,,                   .....                  ,,,,,,,,,.
=.,,,,,,,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,,,,,,,.=
†=.,,,,,,,                  .....                   ,,,,,,,.=†
§†=.,,,,,,                   ===                    ,,,,,,.=†§
*§†=.,,,,,                     †                    ,,,,,.=†§*
@*§†=.,,,,                                          ,,,,.=†§*@
#@*§†=.,,,                                          ,,,.=†§*@#
##@*§†=.,,                                          ,,.=†§*@##
###@*§†=.,                                          ,.=†§*@###
##@*§†=.,,                                          ,,.=†§*@##