¨¨----^*§§                                          §§*^----¨¨
¨---==^%¶#                                          #¶%^==---¨
¨-=^*%§§¶¶                                          ¶¶§§%*^=-¨
¨-=^*%%§§§                                          §§§%%*^=-¨
¨¨¨--^%%¶¶                                          ¶¶%%^--¨¨¨
¨-=^*%§¶## 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.              §§§%^-¨¨¨¨
¨-=^*%§¶##                                          ##¶§%*^=-¨
¨-=^*%§¶##                     ^                    ##¶§%*^=-¨
¨-=^*%§¶##                    ===                   ##¶§%*^=-¨
¨-=^*%§¶##                  -----                   ##¶§%*^=-¨
¨¨---^%§§§                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 §§§%^---¨¨
¨¨¨¨=^%%§#                   -----                  #§%%^=¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨=**§¶                    ===                   ¶§**=¨¨¨¨¨
¨-=^*%¶###                    ^                     ###¶%*^=-¨
¨-=^*%§¶##                                          ##¶§%*^=-¨
¨-=^*%§¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶§%*^=-¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=*%¶                                          ¶%*=-¨¨¨¨¨
¨-=^*%§¶##                                          ##¶§%*^=-¨
¨¨¨¨-^%§¶¶                                          ¶¶§%^-¨¨¨¨