:«.,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.«:
%:«.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.«:%
&%:«.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.«:%&
@&%:«.,,,,                                          ,,,,.«:%&@
@@&%:«.,,,                                          ,,,.«:%&@@
#@@&%:«.,, 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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:«.,,,,,,,                   .....                  ,,,,,,,.«:
%:«.,,,,,,                    «««                   ,,,,,,.«:%
&%:«.,,,,,                     :                    ,,,,,.«:%&
@&%:«.,,,,                                          ,,,,.«:%&@
@@&%:«.,,,                                          ,,,.«:%&@@
#@@&%:«.,,                                          ,,.«:%&@@#
##@@&%:«.,                                          ,.«:%&@@##
#@@&%:«.,,                                          ,,.«:%&@@#