#@#@%†^:..                                          ..:^†%@#@#
##@#@%†^:.                                          .:^†%@#@##
#@#@%†^:..                                          ..:^†%@#@#
@#@%†^:...                                          ...:^†%@#@
#@%†^:....                                          ....:^†%@#
@#@%†^:... 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.              ..:^†%@#@#
##@#@%†^:.                                          .:^†%@#@##
#@#@%†^:..                    ^                     ..:^†%@#@#
@#@%†^:...                   ~~~                    ...:^†%@#@
#@%†^:....                   :::::                  ....:^†%@#
@#@%†^:...                 ........                 ...:^†%@#@
#@#@%†^:..                   :::::                  ..:^†%@#@#
##@#@%†^:.                    ~~~                   .:^†%@#@##
#@#@%†^:..                     ^                    ..:^†%@#@#
@#@%†^:...                                          ...:^†%@#@
#@%†^:....                                          ....:^†%@#
@#@%†^:...                                          ...:^†%@#@
#@#@%†^:..                                          ..:^†%@#@#
##@#@%†^:.                                          .:^†%@#@##