#&&&$§\=^,                                          ,^=\§$&&&#
##$\==^^,,                                          ,,^^==\$##
###&$§\=^,                                          ,^=\§$&###
#$§§==^,,,                                          ,,,^==§§$#
&§=^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^=§&
###&$§\=^, 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. ,,,,,^\$##
###&$§\=^, "out of this world",  i think, having no ,^=\§$&###
###&$§\=^, frame of  reference. i eat only two, but ,^=\§$&###
##&&$§\=^,      the bugs leave me suspiciously      ,^=\§$&&##
###&$§\=^,                satisfied.                ,^=\§$&###
###&$§\=^,                                          ,^=\§$&###
&$$\^^^,,, they  measure my clothes. "you are going ,,,^^^\$$&
###&$§\=^, to become about half  as big", they tell ,^=\§$&###
&§=,,,,,,,  me, barely controlling themselves with  ,,,,,,,=§&
###&$§\=^,               anticipation.              ,^=\§$&###
#$$\^^^,,,                                          ,,,^^^\$$#
&$$§\\=^,,                    \                     ,,^=\\§$$&
###&$§\=^,                    ===                   ,^=\§$&###
&&&§§\=^,,                  ^^^^^                   ,,^=\§§&&&
#&§§§==^^,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,^^==§§§&#
#&$§\=^^^,                   ^^^^^                  ,^^^=\§$&#
##&&$§\=^,                    ===                   ,^=\§$&&##
#&§\^,,,,,                     \                    ,,,,,^\§&#
###&$§\=^,                                          ,^=\§$&###
###&$§\=^,                                          ,^=\§$&###
###&$§\=^,                                          ,^=\§$&###
#$§=^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^=§$#
&$§=^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^=§$&