.......... .&&..&&...
&&&&&&&&&& ........&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&..&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&....
.&&&&&&&&& .&&&&..&&.
..&&&&&&&& 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. .&&&&..&&.
&&........ ..&&......
...&&&&&&& * &....&&&&.
&&..&&&&&. === ..&&..&&..
.....&&&.. ^^^^^ ..........
&&&&..&... ........ &&&&&&&&&&
&&&.....&& ^^^^^ .&&&&&&&&&
&&..&&&..& === ..&&&&&&&&
&....&.... * ...&&&&&&&
..&&...&&. &&..&&&&&&
.....&.... &....&&&&.
&&&&...&&. ..&&..&&..
.&&..&.... ..........
.......&&. &&&&&&&&&&