&&.&.&&&&& &&.&.....&
.&&&&..... .&&&....&.
&...&..... &..&...&&.
&..&&....& &.&&..&.&&
&.&.&...&. &&.&.&&&..
&&&&&..&&& 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. &..&..&&&.
&..&&..&&. &.&&.&..&&
&.&.&.&.&& ^ &&.&&&.&..
&&&&&&&&.& ««« .&&..&&&.&
.......&&. ::::: &.&.&..&&.
......&.&& ........ &&&&&.&.&.
.....&&&.. ::::: ....&&&&&.
....&..&.& ««« ...&....&.
...&&.&&&. ^ ..&&...&&.
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&&&..&&&.. .&&&&.&...