#$*=--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
@#$*=--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#@#$*=--¨¨                                          ¨¨--=*$#@#
##@#$*=--¨                                          ¨--=*$#@##
#@#$*=--¨¨                                          ¨¨--=*$#@#
@#$*=--¨¨¨ they  tell me: "we  are going  to shrink ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#$*=--¨¨¨¨ you." i  don't quite  like the  tone  in ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
$*=--¨¨¨¨¨ their voices, like they  are restraining ¨¨¨¨¨--=*$
#$*=--¨¨¨¨ themselves. there  is  a  hunger in them ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
@#$*=--¨¨¨ and  it  wants  me to  shrink.  and what ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#@#$*=--¨¨ really  irks  me  is   that   so  do  i. ¨¨--=*$#@#
##@#$*=--¨                                          ¨--=*$#@##
#@#$*=--¨¨ they give  me  wristbands  and  anklets, ¨¨--=*$#@#
@#$*=--¨¨¨ made   of  some  strange  stone.   their ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#$*=--¨¨¨¨      surface is swirling, like dark      ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
$*=--¨¨¨¨¨   thunderstorms trapped in glass, like   ¨¨¨¨¨--=*$
#$*=--¨¨¨¨ windows into a smaller world,  close  to ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
@#$*=--¨¨¨ my body  so  that  it  can  see  clearly ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#@#$*=--¨¨             whats in store.              ¨¨--=*$#@#
##@#$*=--¨                                          ¨--=*$#@##
#@#$*=--¨¨ they  give me food: prawn-like bugs that ¨¨--=*$#@#
@#$*=--¨¨¨ make  my tongue  curl with satisfaction. ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#$*=--¨¨¨¨ "out of  this world", i think, having no ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
$*=--¨¨¨¨¨ frame of reference.  i eat only two, but ¨¨¨¨¨--=*$
#$*=--¨¨¨¨      the bugs leave me suspiciously      ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
@#$*=--¨¨¨                satisfied.                ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#@#$*=--¨¨                                          ¨¨--=*$#@#
##@#$*=--¨ they measure my clothes. "you are  going ¨--=*$#@##
#@#$*=--¨¨ to become  about half as big", they tell ¨¨--=*$#@#
@#$*=--¨¨¨  me, barely controlling themselves with  ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#$*=--¨¨¨¨              anticipation.               ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
$*=--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--=*$
#$*=--¨¨¨¨                     =                    ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
@#$*=--¨¨¨                    ---                   ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#@#$*=--¨¨                   -----                  ¨¨--=*$#@#
##@#$*=--¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨--=*$#@##
#@#$*=--¨¨                   -----                  ¨¨--=*$#@#
@#$*=--¨¨¨                    ---                   ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#$*=--¨¨¨¨                    =                     ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
$*=--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--=*$
#$*=--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--=*$#
@#$*=--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--=*$#@
#@#$*=--¨¨                                          ¨¨--=*$#@#
##@#$*=--¨                                          ¨--=*$#@##