¨¨#¨¨##¨¨#                                          #¨¨¨#¨#¨#¨
¨##¨#¨#¨#¨                                          #¨¨######¨
#¨#######¨                                          #¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨
##¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨                                          ###¨¨¨¨###
¨#¨¨¨¨¨###                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨
##¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨ 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.               ¨##¨¨¨¨##¨
¨#¨#¨#¨¨¨#                                          #¨#¨¨¨#¨#¨
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¨¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨                   ~~~                    ¨¨#¨#¨¨¨##
¨¨¨¨####¨¨                   .....                  ¨####¨¨#¨#
¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 #¨¨¨#¨####
¨¨##¨¨##¨¨                   .....                  #¨¨###¨¨¨#
¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#                    ~~~                   #¨#¨¨#¨¨##
#########¨                    \                     ###¨##¨#¨#
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨                                          ¨¨##¨####¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###                                          ¨#¨##¨¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨#                                          ###¨#¨¨##¨
¨¨¨¨¨##¨#¨                                          ¨¨###¨#¨#¨
¨¨¨¨#¨###¨                                          ¨#¨¨#####¨