.~~^$%#### ####%$^~~.
..~~^$%### ###%$^~~..
...~~^$%## ##%$^~~...
....~~^$%# #%$^~~....
.....~~^$% %$^~~.....
......~~^$ 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. ####%$^~~.
..~~^$%### ###%$^~~..
...~~^$%## ^ ##%$^~~...
....~~^$%# ~~~ #%$^~~....
.....~~^$% ~~~~~ %$^~~.....
......~~^$ ........ $^~~......
.....~~^$% ~~~~~ %$^~~.....
....~~^$%# ~~~ #%$^~~....
...~~^$%## ^ ##%$^~~...
..~~^$%### ###%$^~~..
.~~^$%#### ####%$^~~.
..~~^$%### ###%$^~~..
...~~^$%## ##%$^~~...
....~~^$%# #%$^~~....