####§§:-,,                                          ,,-:§§####
§§§$:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:$§§§
##§§:--,,,                                          ,,,--:§§##
§§§§$§:-,,                                          ,,-:§$§§§§
§§-,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,-§§
###§$§:-,, they tell  me:  "we  are going to shrink ,,-:§$§###
###§$§:-,, you." i  don't  quite like  the tone  in ,,-:§$§###
§§§§§§:-,, 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 ,,-:§§§§§#
##$$$§:-,, frame of reference. i eat  only two, but ,,-:§$$$##
§§$::-,,,,      the bugs leave me suspiciously      ,,,,-::$§§
###§$§:-,,                satisfied.                ,,-:§$§###
###§$§:-,,                                          ,,-:§$§###
##$$:-,,,, they measure my clothes. "you  are going ,,,,-:$$##
###§$§:-,, to become about half  as big", they tell ,,-:§$§###
§$:::,,,,,  me, barely controlling themselves with  ,,,,,:::$§
#$§:,,,,,,               anticipation.              ,,,,,,:§$#
###§$§:-,,                                          ,,-:§$§###
####§§:-,,                     :                    ,,-:§§####
##§§:-,,,,                    ---                   ,,,,-:§§##
§§§:,,,,,,                   ,,,,,                  ,,,,,,:§§§
#§$$::-,,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,,-::$$§#
§§$::-,,,,                  ,,,,,                   ,,,,-::$§§
##$§-,,,,,                    ---                   ,,,,,-§$##
###§$§:-,,                     :                    ,,-:§$§###
####§$:-,,                                          ,,-:$§####
###§$§:-,,                                          ,,-:§$§###
§§:-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-:§§
§§§§$§:-,,                                          ,,-:§$§§§§
###§$§:-,,                                          ,,-:§$§###