&&&&&¨¨&¨& &&¨&&&¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨&¨&&&& ¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨&
¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨ &¨&¨&&¨¨&&
¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨& &&&&¨&¨&¨&
¨&&¨&&¨¨&& ¨¨¨&&&&&&&
&¨&&¨&¨&¨¨ 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. ¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&&
¨&¨&&&¨&¨¨ &&¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
&&&¨¨&&&¨¨ * ¨&¨¨¨¨&&¨¨
¨¨&¨&¨¨&¨& »»» &&¨¨¨&¨&¨&
¨&&&&¨&&&¨ ::::: ¨&¨¨&&&&&&
&¨¨¨&&¨¨&& ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ &&¨&¨¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨&¨&¨&¨& ::::: ¨&&&¨¨¨¨&¨
&¨&&&&&&&& »»» &¨¨&¨¨¨&&&
&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨& * &¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨ &&¨&¨&&¨¨&
&&¨¨¨¨¨&&& ¨&&&&¨&¨&&
¨&¨¨¨¨&¨¨& &¨¨¨&&&&¨¨
&&¨¨¨&&¨&& &¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨¨&¨&&¨& &¨&&¨¨&&¨&