¨.~*%*####                                          ####*%*~.¨
¨¨.~*%*###                                          ###*%*~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~*%*##                                          ##*%*~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~*%*#                                          #*%*~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~*%*                                          *%*~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~*% 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.              *~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~*%                                          %*~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~*%*                     *                    *%*~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~*%*#                   ~~~                    #*%*~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~*%*##                   .....                  ##*%*~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~*%*###                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ###*%*~.¨¨
¨.~*%*####                   .....                  ####*%*~.¨
¨¨.~*%*###                    ~~~                   ###*%*~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~*%*##                     *                    ##*%*~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~*%*#                                          #*%*~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~*%*                                          *%*~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~*%                                          %*~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~*                                          *~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~*%                                          %*~.¨¨¨¨¨¨