¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«=                                          =«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«                                          «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«=                                          =«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«==                                          ==«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«==£                                          £==«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«==£# 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.              =«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«==                                          ==«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«==£                     =                    £==«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«==£#                    «««                   #£==«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«==£#@                  -----                   @#£==«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«==£#@#                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 #@#£==«-¨¨
¨-«==£#@##                   -----                  ##@#£==«-¨
¨¨-«==£#@#                    «««                   #@#£==«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«==£#@                     =                    @#£==«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«==£#                                          #£==«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«==£                                          £==«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«==                                          ==«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«=                                          =«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«                                          «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨