@¶§§%$†~,.                                          .,~†$%§§¶@
§%$~~,....                                          ....,~~$%§
@§$~......                                          ......~$§@
#@¶§%$†~,.                                          .,~†$%§¶@#
@¶§$††,...                                          ...,††$§¶@
@¶%†~~~~,. 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  ....,,†%§@
#@¶§%$†~,.              anticipation.               .,~†$%§¶@#
@§$†,.....                                          .....,†$§@
#@¶§%$†~,.                    †                     .,~†$%§¶@#
##@§%$†~,.                   ~~~                    .,~†$%§@##
¶¶%%%$†~,.                  ,,,,,                   .,~†$%%%¶¶
#@¶§%$†~,.                 ........                 .,~†$%§¶@#
§§$~......                   ,,,,,                  ......~$§§
@@¶§%$†~,.                   ~~~                    .,~†$%§¶@@
¶§§§%$†~,.                     †                    .,~†$%§§§¶
¶§$$†~~...                                          ...~~†$$§¶
#@¶§%$†~,.                                          .,~†$%§¶@#
¶%$$†~....                                          ....~†$$%¶
¶¶%$$†,...                                          ...,†$$%¶¶
§%†~......                                          ......~†%§