¨#¨¨¨##¨##                                          ##¨##¨#¨#¨
¨##¨¨#¨##¨                                          ¨¨##¨#####
##¨#¨###¨#                                          ¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨
#¨####¨¨##                                          #¨###¨#¨¨¨
###¨¨¨#¨#¨                                          ¨##¨¨###¨¨
#¨¨#¨¨#### 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.              #¨###¨¨###
#¨##¨¨#¨#¨                                          ¨##¨¨#¨#¨¨
###¨#¨####                    †                     ##¨#¨####¨
#¨¨####¨¨¨                   ---                    ¨¨####¨¨¨#
¨#¨#¨¨¨#¨¨                  ~~~~~                   #¨#¨¨¨#¨¨#
#####¨¨##¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ####¨¨##¨#
¨¨¨¨¨#¨#¨#                   ~~~~~                  #¨¨¨#¨#¨##
#¨¨¨¨#####                   ---                    ##¨¨#####¨
##¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨                     †                    #¨#¨#¨¨¨¨#
¨¨#¨¨##¨¨¨                                          ######¨¨¨#
#¨##¨#¨#¨¨                                          #¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#
¨##¨#####¨                                          ##¨¨¨¨##¨#
##¨##¨¨¨¨#                                          #¨#¨¨¨#¨##
¨¨##¨#¨¨¨#                                          ####¨¨###¨