#$$\,,,,.. ..,,,,\$$#
##%\\~~~,. .,~~~\\%##
##@##$%~,. .,~%$##@##
##$%\,.... ....,\%$##
#%~....... .......~%#
#$\\~..... they tell me: "we are going to shrink .....~\\$#
####$%\~,. you." i don't quite like the tone in .,~\%$####
#@##$%\~,. their voices, like they are restraining .,~\%$##@#
#@##$%\~,. themselves. there is a hunger in them .,~\%$##@#
##@#$%\~,. and it wants me to shrink. and what .,~\%$#@##
#$$\~..... 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 ...,\%%%##
#@##$%\~,. to become about half as big", they tell .,~\%$##@#
@@##$%\~,. me, barely controlling themselves with .,~\%$##@@
#@##$%\~,. anticipation. .,~\%$##@#
#@##$%\~,. .,~\%$##@#
@@##$%\~,. \ .,~\%$##@@
@@##$%\~,. ~~~ .,~\%$##@@
#@##$%\~,. ,,,,, .,~\%$##@#
#@##$%\~,. ........ .,~\%$##@#
##@#$%\~,. ,,,,, .,~\%$#@##
##@#$%\~,. ~~~ .,~\%$#@##
###%%%\~,. \ .,~\%%%###
#$%~...... ......~%$#
#@##$%\~,. .,~\%$##@#
#@##$%\~,. .,~\%$##@#
###%\\,,.. ..,,\\%###
#%~~~,.... ....,~~~%#