¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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  ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~*=
$=*~^¨¨¨¨¨               ANTICIPATION.              ¨¨¨¨¨^~*=$
#$=*~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~*=$#
£#$=*~^¨¨¨                     *                    ¨¨¨^~*=$#£
#£#$=*~^¨¨                    ~~~                   ¨¨^~*=$#£#
##£#$=*~^¨                   ^^^^^                  ¨^~*=$#£##
#£#$=*~^¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨^~*=$#£#
£#$=*~^¨¨¨                  ^^^^^                   ¨¨¨^~*=$#£
#$=*~^¨¨¨¨                   ~~~                    ¨¨¨¨^~*=$#
$=*~^¨¨¨¨¨                    *                     ¨¨¨¨¨^~*=$
=*~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~*=
*~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~*
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨