......:~=†                                          †=~:......
.......:~=                                          =~:.......
......:~=†                                          †=~:......
.....:~=†$                                          $†=~:.....
....:~=†$#                                          #$†=~:....
...:~=†$#£ 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.              #£#$†=~:..
.:~=†$#£##                                          ##£#$†=~:.
..:~=†$#£#                    =                     #£#$†=~:..
...:~=†$#£                    ~~~                   £#$†=~:...
....:~=†$#                  :::::                   #$†=~:....
.....:~=†$                 ........                 $†=~:.....
......:~=†                   :::::                  †=~:......
.......:~=                   ~~~                    =~:.......
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.....:~=†$                                          $†=~:.....
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...:~=†$#£                                          £#$†=~:...
..:~=†$#£#                                          #£#$†=~:..
.:~=†$#£##                                          ##£#$†=~:.