§%%%=;;=~. .~=;;=%%%§
#§=;~..... .....~;=§#
###§%=;=~. .~=;=%§###
§===...... ......===§
#§=;=~.... ....~=;=§#
§§%;==.... 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. ......==§#
###§%=;=~. .~=;=%§###
###§%=;=~. ; .~=;=%§###
####§=;=~. === .~=;=§####
###§%=;=~. ~~~~~ .~=;=%§###
###§%=;=~. ........ .~=;=%§###
##%%%=;=~. ~~~~~ .~=;=%%%##
§=====~... === ...~=====§
#§%;;===~. ; .~===;;%§#
###§%=;=~. .~=;=%§###
#§%===;=~. .~=;===%§#
###§%=;=~. .~=;=%§###
#§==...... ......==§#
###§%=;=~. .~=;=%§###