~,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,~
†~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~†
%†~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~†%
§%†~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~†%§
&§%†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†%§&
£&§%†~,,,, 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.               ,,,,,,,~†%
†~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~†
~,,,,,,,,,                    †                     ,,,,,,,,,~
,,,,,,,,,,                   ~~~                    ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                   ,,,,,                  ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,,                  ,,,,,                   ,,,,,,,,,~
†~,,,,,,,,                    ~~~                   ,,,,,,,,~†
%†~,,,,,,,                    †                     ,,,,,,,~†%
§%†~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~†%§
&§%†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†%§&
£&§%†~,,,,                                          ,,,,~†%§&£
#£&§%†~,,,                                          ,,,~†%§&£#
##£&§%†~,,                                          ,,~†%§&£##