==:....... .......:==
§==:...... ......:==§
§§==:..... .....:==§§
@§§==:.... ....:==§§@
£@§§==:... ...:==§§@£
#£@§§==:.. 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. ...:==§§@£
@§§==:.... ....:==§§@
§§==:..... = .....:==§§
§==:...... === ......:==§
==:....... ::::: .......:==
=:........ ........ ........:=
:......... ::::: .........:
.......... === ..........
.......... = ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
:......... .........:
=:........ ........:=