.~«*%%%¤@#                                          #@¤%%%*«~.
.~«*%¤@@##                                          ##@@¤%*«~.
.~«*%¤¤@@#                                          #@@¤¤%*«~.
.....~*%@@                                          @@%*~.....
.~«««*%¤¤@                                          @¤¤%*«««~.
...~~~**%@ 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.               @@¤%«.....
.~«*%¤@@##                                          ##@@¤%*«~.
....~**%@#                     *                    #@%**~....
....~*¤¤@@                   «««                    @@¤¤*~....
...~~*¤@@@                   ~~~~~                  @@@¤*~~...
.~«*%¤¤¤@#                 ........                 #@¤¤¤%*«~.
.~«*%¤@@@#                  ~~~~~                   #@@@¤%*«~.
.~«*%¤@@##                   «««                    ##@@¤%*«~.
....~«*%¤@                    *                     @¤%*«~....
.~«*%¤¤@@#                                          #@@¤¤%*«~.
.~«*%¤@@##                                          ##@@¤%*«~.
.~«*%¤@@##                                          ##@@¤%*«~.
......«%@#                                          #@%«......
....~~*%¤@                                          @¤%*~~....