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