§%$†».....                                          .....»†$%§
%$†»......                                          ......»†$%
$†».......                                          .......»†$
†»........                                          ........»†
».........                                          .........»
.......... 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.               ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                    †                     ..........
..........                   »»»                    ..........
».........                   .....                  .........»
†»........                 ........                 ........»†
$†».......                  .....                   .......»†$
%$†»......                    »»»                   ......»†$%
§%$†».....                     †                    .....»†$%§
¶§%$†»....                                          ....»†$%§¶
#¶§%$†»...                                          ...»†$%§¶#
##¶§%$†»..                                          ..»†$%§¶##
#¶§%$†»...                                          ...»†$%§¶#
¶§%$†»....                                          ....»†$%§¶