§@****^=^. .^=^****@§
#@#§@*^=^. .^=^*@§#@#
#@#§@*^=^. .^=^*@§#@#
#@#§@*^=^. .^=^*@§#@#
#§@*^^.... ....^^*@§#
@@#§@*^=^. 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. ....=^@§#@
#@#§@*^=^. .^=^*@§#@#
##@§@*^=^. ^ .^=^*@§@##
#@#§@*^=^. === .^=^*@§#@#
§*^^=^^... ^^^^^ ...^^=^^*§
§*^^...... ........ ......^^*§
@#@@*=^^^. ^^^^^ .^^^=*@@#@
#@^^==^^.. === ..^^==^^@#
##@§@*^=^. ^ .^=^*@§@##
##@*==^... ...^==*@##
#@#§@*^=^. .^=^*@§#@#
#@#§@*^=^. .^=^*@§#@#
#@#§@*^=^. .^=^*@§#@#
#§§**==... ...==**§§#