@§§†:.....                                          .....:†§§@
@§§§†===:.                                          .:===†§§§@
@@§§†=::..                                          ..::=†§§@@
¶§§†===::.                                          .::===†§§¶
##¶@§§†=:.                                          .:=†§§@¶##
###¶§§†=:. 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.               .:=†§§@¶##
@§§§†=:...                                          ...:=†§§§@
##¶@§§†=:.                     †                    .:=†§§@¶##
##¶@§§†=:.                   ===                    .:=†§§@¶##
###¶@§†=:.                  :::::                   .:=†§@¶###
##¶@§§†=:.                 ........                 .:=†§§@¶##
#¶@§†††=:.                   :::::                  .:=†††§@¶#
#@@§§§†=:.                   ===                    .:=†§§§@@#
#¶@§=:....                     †                    ....:=§@¶#
##¶@§§†=:.                                          .:=†§§@¶##
###¶§§†=:.                                          .:=†§§¶###
@§=:......                                          ......:=§@
##¶@§§†=:.                                          .:=†§§@¶##
¶§†:......                                          ......:†§¶