«~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~«
/«~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~«/
$/«~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~«/$
&$/«~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~«/$&
@&$/«~,,,,                                          ,,,,~«/$&@
#@&$/«~,,, they  tell me:  "we are  going to shrink ,,,~«/$&@#
##@&$/«~,, you." i don't quite  like  the  tone  in ,,~«/$&@##
###@&$/«~, their voices, like  they are restraining ,~«/$&@###
##@&$/«~,, themselves.  there  is  a hunger in them ,,~«/$&@##
#@&$/«~,,, and  it  wants me to  shrink.  and  what ,,,~«/$&@#
@&$/«~,,,, really   irks   me  is  that  so  do  i. ,,,,~«/$&@
&$/«~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~«/$&
$/«~,,,,,, they  give  me  wristbands  and anklets, ,,,,,,~«/$
/«~,,,,,,, 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.              ,,,,,,,,~«
~,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,~
«~,,,,,,,,                    /                     ,,,,,,,,~«
/«~,,,,,,,                    «««                   ,,,,,,,~«/
$/«~,,,,,,                  ~~~~~                   ,,,,,,~«/$
&$/«~,,,,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,,,,~«/$&
@&$/«~,,,,                  ~~~~~                   ,,,,~«/$&@
#@&$/«~,,,                   «««                    ,,,~«/$&@#
##@&$/«~,,                     /                    ,,~«/$&@##
###@&$/«~,                                          ,~«/$&@###
##@&$/«~,,                                          ,,~«/$&@##
#@&$/«~,,,                                          ,,,~«/$&@#
@&$/«~,,,,                                          ,,,,~«/$&@
&$/«~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~«/$&