##@*§†»^..                                          ..^»†§*@##
#@*§†»^...                                          ...^»†§*@#
@*§†»^....                                          ....^»†§*@
*§†»^.....                                          .....^»†§*
§†»^......                                          ......^»†§
†»^....... 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.              ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                    †                     ..........
..........                    »»»                   ..........
..........                   ^^^^^                  ..........
^.........                 ........                 .........^
»^........                  ^^^^^                   ........^»
†»^.......                   »»»                    .......^»†
§†»^......                    †                     ......^»†§
*§†»^.....                                          .....^»†§*
@*§†»^....                                          ....^»†§*@
#@*§†»^...                                          ...^»†§*@#
##@*§†»^..                                          ..^»†§*@##
###@*§†»^.                                          .^»†§*@###