¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«^                                          ^«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«                                          «^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^                                          ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.               ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«                                          «^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«^                    ^                     ^«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«^*                    «««                   *^«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«^*&                  ^^^^^                   &*^«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«^*&¶                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¶&*^«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^«^*&¶@                   ^^^^^                  @¶&*^«^¨¨¨
¨¨^«^*&¶@#                    «««                   #@¶&*^«^¨¨
¨^«^*&¶@##                     ^                    ##@¶&*^«^¨
¨¨^«^*&¶@#                                          #@¶&*^«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«^*&¶@                                          @¶&*^«^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«^*&¶                                          ¶&*^«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«^*&                                          &*^«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«^*                                          *^«^¨¨¨¨¨¨