=*=~......                                          ......~=*=
%=*=~.....                                          .....~=*=%
¶%=*=~....                                          ....~=*=%¶
#¶%=*=~...                                          ...~=*=%¶#
##¶%=*=~..                                          ..~=*=%¶##
###¶%=*=~. 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.               ....~=*=%¶
#¶%=*=~...                                          ...~=*=%¶#
##¶%=*=~..                     *                    ..~=*=%¶##
###¶%=*=~.                   ===                    .~=*=%¶###
##¶%=*=~..                  ~~~~~                   ..~=*=%¶##
#¶%=*=~...                 ........                 ...~=*=%¶#
¶%=*=~....                   ~~~~~                  ....~=*=%¶
%=*=~.....                   ===                    .....~=*=%
=*=~......                     *                    ......~=*=
*=~.......                                          .......~=*
=~........                                          ........~=
*=~.......                                          .......~=*
=*=~......                                          ......~=*=
%=*=~.....                                          .....~=*=%