##@§@†/=:.                                          .:=/†@§@##
@§††===...                                          ...===††§@
§@@@@†/=:.                                          .:=/†@@@@§
#§§†=.....                                          .....=†§§#
##@§@†/=:.                                          .:=/†@§@##
##@§@†/=:. 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.               .:=/†@§@@#
###§@†/=:.                                          .:=/†@§###
##@§@†/=:.                     /                    .:=/†@§@##
##@§@†/=:.                   ===                    .:=/†@§@##
#@@††==:..                  :::::                   ..:==††@@#
§†///::...                 ........                 ...::///†§
§†††††/=:.                   :::::                  .:=/†††††§
§††=:.....                   ===                    .....:=††§
§@@††/:...                     /                    ...:/††@@§
#@§†==::..                                          ..::==†§@#
###@§@†/:.                                          .:/†@§@###
###@§†/=:.                                          .:=/†§@###
§§@†=:....                                          ....:=†@§§
##@§@†/=:.                                          .:=/†@§@##