.^-*^*&¶##                                          ##¶&*^*-^.
....^^*^*&                                          &*^*^^....
.^-*^*&¶##                                          ##¶&*^*-^.
.^-*^*&###                                          ###&*^*-^.
....^*^*¶¶                                          ¶¶*^*^....
.^-*^*&¶## 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.              ¶&^*^.....
.^-*^*&¶¶#                                          #¶¶&*^*-^.
.^-*^*&&&&                     *                    &&&&*^*-^.
.^-*^*&###                   ---                    ###&*^*-^.
....^-^&&#                  ^^^^^                   #&&^-^....
.^-*^***&¶                 ........                 ¶&***^*-^.
.^^-****&&                   ^^^^^                  &&****-^^.
.^-*^*&¶##                    ---                   ##¶&*^*-^.
.^-*^*&¶##                    *                     ##¶&*^*-^.
.^-*^*&¶##                                          ##¶&*^*-^.
...---**¶¶                                          ¶¶**---...
.....^**^&                                          &^**^.....
.^-*^*&¶##                                          ##¶&*^*-^.
.^-*^*&¶##                                          ##¶&*^*-^.