.~«:^%§###                                          ###§%^:«~.
.~«:^%####                                          ####%^:«~.
...««^^§##                                          ##§^^««...
.~«:^%####                                          ####%^:«~.
.~«:^%§###                                          ###§%^:«~.
.~~«::^%§# 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.              ###§%^:«~.
.~«:^%####                                          ####%^:«~.
.~«:^%§###                    :                     ###§%^:«~.
.~«:^%§###                   «««                    ###§%^:«~.
.~«:^%§###                   ~~~~~                  ###§%^:«~.
.~«:^%§###                 ........                 ###§%^:«~.
.~~~~~:^§#                  ~~~~~                   #§^:~~~~~.
.~«:^%%§§§                   «««                    §§§%%^:«~.
.~«:^%§###                    :                     ###§%^:«~.
.....~:^%#                                          #%^:~.....
.~«:^%§###                                          ###§%^:«~.
.....~:%§#                                          #§%:~.....
.~«:^%§§§§                                          §§§§%^:«~.
...««::%%#                                          #%%::««...