##¶#£%†~-¨                                          ¨-~†%£#¶##
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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. ¨¨¨-~†£###
####£%†~-¨                                          ¨-~†%£####
¶#%~¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.              ¨-~†%£££##
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##¶#£%†~-¨                                          ¨-~†%£#¶##
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##¶#£%†~-¨                                          ¨-~†%£#¶##
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#%†††-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-†††%#