^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«
\«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«\
*\«^¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.               ¨¨¨^«\*§@#
@§*\«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«\*§@
§*\«^¨¨¨¨¨                    \                     ¨¨¨¨¨^«\*§
*\«^¨¨¨¨¨¨                   «««                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«\*
\«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                  ^^^^^                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«\
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                  ^^^^^                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   «««                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                     \                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«
\«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«\
*\«^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«\*
§*\«^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^«\*§
@§*\«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«\*§@