@$^†~^....                                          ....^~†^$@
#@$^†~^...                                          ...^~†^$@#
##@$^†~^..                                          ..^~†^$@##
###@$^†~^.                                          .^~†^$@###
##@$^†~^..                                          ..^~†^$@##
#@$^†~^... THEY  TELL ME: "WE ARE  GOING  TO SHRINK ...^~†^$@#
@$^†~^.... YOU." I DON'T QUITE  LIKE  THE  TONE  IN ....^~†^$@
$^†~^..... THEIR VOICES,  LIKE THEY ARE RESTRAINING .....^~†^$
^†~^...... 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 ......^~†^
$^†~^..... FRAME OF REFERENCE. I EAT ONLY  TWO, BUT .....^~†^$
@$^†~^....      THE BUGS LEAVE ME SUSPICIOUSLY      ....^~†^$@
#@$^†~^...                SATISFIED.                ...^~†^$@#
##@$^†~^..                                          ..^~†^$@##
###@$^†~^. THEY MEASURE  MY CLOTHES. "YOU ARE GOING .^~†^$@###
##@$^†~^.. TO BECOME ABOUT  HALF AS BIG", THEY TELL ..^~†^$@##
#@$^†~^...  ME, BARELY CONTROLLING THEMSELVES WITH  ...^~†^$@#
@$^†~^....              ANTICIPATION.               ....^~†^$@
$^†~^.....                                          .....^~†^$
^†~^......                    †                     ......^~†^
†~^.......                    ~~~                   .......^~†
^†~^......                  ^^^^^                   ......^~†^
$^†~^.....                 ........                 .....^~†^$
@$^†~^....                  ^^^^^                   ....^~†^$@
#@$^†~^...                    ~~~                   ...^~†^$@#
##@$^†~^..                     †                    ..^~†^$@##
###@$^†~^.                                          .^~†^$@###
##@$^†~^..                                          ..^~†^$@##
#@$^†~^...                                          ...^~†^$@#
@$^†~^....                                          ....^~†^$@
$^†~^.....                                          .....^~†^$