##@¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤@##
#¤¤†*---¨¨                                          ¨¨---*†¤¤#
##@¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤@##
¤¤†**--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--**†¤¤
#¤¤¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤¤¤#
#@¤¤$†*--¨ THEY  TELL ME: "WE  ARE GOING TO  SHRINK ¨--*†$¤¤@#
@@@¤$†*--¨ YOU."  I  DON'T  QUITE LIKE  THE TONE IN ¨--*†$¤@@@
##@¤$†*--¨ THEIR  VOICES, LIKE THEY ARE RESTRAINING ¨--*†$¤@##
#¤¤¤$†*--¨ THEMSELVES.  THERE  IS  A HUNGER IN THEM ¨--*†$¤¤¤#
##@¤$†*--¨ AND IT  WANTS ME  TO  SHRINK.  AND  WHAT ¨--*†$¤@##
¤$†*---¨¨¨ REALLY  IRKS  ME   IS  THAT   SO  DO  I. ¨¨¨---*†$¤
###@¤$†*--                                          --*†$¤@###
##@¤$†*--¨ THEY  GIVE  ME  WRISTBANDS  AND ANKLETS, ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨ MADE  OF  SOME   STRANGE  STONE.   THEIR ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨      SURFACE IS SWIRLING, LIKE DARK      ¨--*†$¤@##
¤$**-¨¨¨¨¨   THUNDERSTORMS TRAPPED IN GLASS, LIKE   ¨¨¨¨¨-**$¤
##@¤$†*--¨ WINDOWS INTO  A SMALLER  WORLD, CLOSE TO ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨ MY  BODY  SO  THAT  IT  CAN  SEE CLEARLY ¨--*†$¤@##
###¤$†*--¨             WHATS IN STORE.              ¨--*†$¤###
¤$†-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-†$¤
@$*------¨ THEY GIVE ME  FOOD: PRAWN-LIKE BUGS THAT ¨------*$@
¤¤¤¤$†*--¨ MAKE MY TONGUE  CURL  WITH SATISFACTION. ¨--*†$¤¤¤¤
##@¤$†*--¨ "OUT OF THIS WORLD", I THINK,  HAVING NO ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨ FRAME OF REFERENCE. I EAT ONLY TWO,  BUT ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨      THE BUGS LEAVE ME SUSPICIOUSLY      ¨--*†$¤@##
¤$†*--¨¨¨¨                SATISFIED.                ¨¨¨¨--*†$¤
@@@¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤@@@
##@¤$†*--¨ THEY MEASURE MY  CLOTHES. "YOU ARE GOING ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨ TO BECOME ABOUT HALF  AS BIG", THEY TELL ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨  ME, BARELY CONTROLLING THEMSELVES WITH  ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨               ANTICIPATION.              ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨                     *                    ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨                    ---                   ¨--*†$¤@##
@$$††--¨¨¨                   -----                  ¨¨¨--††$$@
#¤$$*--¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨--*$$¤#
##@¤$†*--¨                   -----                  ¨--*†$¤@##
#@¤¤$†*--¨                   ---                    ¨--*†$¤¤@#
¤†--¨¨¨¨¨¨                    *                     ¨¨¨¨¨¨--†¤
##@¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤@##
##@¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤@##
#@¤¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤¤@#
##@¤$†*--¨                                          ¨--*†$¤@##