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..:~†%%&## 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. #&%%†~:...
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.:~†%%&### 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.              #&%%†~:...
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.:~†%%&### 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.                ##&%%†~:..
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..:~†%%&## THEY MEASURE  MY CLOTHES. "YOU ARE GOING ##&%%†~:..
.:~†%%&### TO BECOME ABOUT  HALF AS BIG", THEY TELL ###&%%†~:.
..:~†%%&##  ME, BARELY CONTROLLING THEMSELVES WITH  ##&%%†~:..
...:~†%%&#              ANTICIPATION.               #&%%†~:...
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