&&.&&.&&.. ..&&...&&.
.&&.&&.&.& .&.&..&.&&
&.&&.&&&&& &&&&.&&&.&
&&.&&..... ...&&..&&.
.&&.&....& ..&.&.&.&&
&.&&&...&. 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. ..&&.&..&.
&.&&&.&.&& .&.&&&.&&.
&&..&&&&.& ; &&&..&&.&&
.&.&...&&& ««« ..&.&.&&..
&&&&..&... ~~~~~ .&&&&&.&..
...&.&&... ........ &....&&&.&
..&&&.&... ~~~~~ &...&..&&&
.&..&&&..& ««« &..&&.&..&
&&.&..&.&. ; &.&.&&&.&&
.&&&.&&&&& &&&&..&&..
&..&&..... ...&.&.&..
&.&.&..... ..&&&&&&.&
&&&&&..... .&.....&&.
....&..... &&....&.&&