†^~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~^†
$†^~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~^†$
&$†^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^†$&
¶&$†^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^†$&¶
#¶&$†^~,,,                                          ,,,~^†$&¶#
##¶&$†^~,, they tell  me:  "we  are going to shrink ,,~^†$&¶##
#¶&$†^~,,, you." i don't  quite like  the  tone  in ,,,~^†$&¶#
¶&$†^~,,,, their voices, like  they are restraining ,,,,~^†$&¶
&$†^~,,,,, themselves.  there is  a  hunger in them ,,,,,~^†$&
$†^~,,,,,, and  it wants  me to  shrink.  and  what ,,,,,,~^†$
†^~,,,,,,, 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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