#@¤%%*«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
##@¤%%*«.¨                                          ¨.«*%%¤@##
#@¤%%*«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
@¤%%*«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«*%%¤@
#@¤%%*«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
##@¤%%*«.¨ 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.               ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
@¤%%*«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«*%%¤@
#@¤%%*«.¨¨                    *                     ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
##@¤%%*«.¨                    «««                   ¨.«*%%¤@##
#@¤%%*«.¨¨                  .....                   ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
@¤%%*«.¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨.«*%%¤@
#@¤%%*«.¨¨                   .....                  ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
##@¤%%*«.¨                   «««                    ¨.«*%%¤@##
#@¤%%*«.¨¨                    *                     ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
@¤%%*«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«*%%¤@
#@¤%%*«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
##@¤%%*«.¨                                          ¨.«*%%¤@##
#@¤%%*«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«*%%¤@#
@¤%%*«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«*%%¤@