..§..§.§.§                                          §...§§..§§
§.§§.§§§§§                                          .§..§.§.§.
§§§.§§....                                          §§§.§§§§§§
...§§.§...                                          §..§§.....
...§.§§§..                                          §§.§.§....
...§§§..§. 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.               .§.....§§.
§..§§§....                                          .§§....§.§
.§.§..§...                    †                     .§.§...§§§
§§§§§.§§..                    ~~~                   §§§§§..§..
§....§§.§.                  ,,,,,                   §....§.§§.
§§...§.§§§                 ........                 .§...§§§.§
..§..§§§..                  ,,,,,                   §§§..§..§§
§.§§.§..§.                   ~~~                    ...§.§§.§.
§§§.§§§.§§                    †                     ...§§§.§§§
...§§..§§.                                          §..§..§§..
...§.§.§.§                                          §§.§§.§.§.
...§§§§§§§                                          §.§§.§§§§§
§..§......                                          §§§.§§....
§§.§§.....                                          ...§§.§...