&&,,,,&&,,                                          ,,,,,,&&&&
&,,&&,,,,&                                          &&&&&,,&&&
,,,,,,&&,,                                          &&&&,,,,&&
,&&&&,,,,,                                          ,&&,,&&,,,
,,&&,,&&&&                                          ,,,,,,,,&&
,,,,,,,&&, 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.               &&,,&&,,,,
,,,,,&&&,,                                          &,,,,,,&&,
&&&&,,&,,&                    \                     ,,&&&&,,,,
,&&,,,,,,,                    «««                   ,,,&&,,&&,
,,,,&&&&&,                  ~~~~~                   &&,,,,,,,,
&&&,,&&&,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,,&&&&&&&
&&,,,,&,,,                  ~~~~~                   &&,,&&&&&&
&,,&&,,,&&                   «««                    ,,,,,&&&&&
,,,,,,&,,&                    \                     &&&&,,&&&&
,&&&&,,,,,                                          &&&,,,,&&,
,,&&,,&&&,                                          &&,,&&,,,,
&,,,,,,&,,                                          ,,,,,,,&&&
,,&&&&,,,,                                          &&&&&&,,&&
,,,&&,,&&&                                          ,&&&&,,,,,