@#¤¤$*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*$¤¤#@
###¤$*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*$¤###
@#¤¤$*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*$¤¤#@
¤¤*^,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,^*¤¤
@#¤$^,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,^$¤#@
@¤¤*^^^«,¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨««*¤#
@#$^«««¨¨¨ TO BECOME ABOUT HALF AS BIG",  THEY TELL ¨¨¨«««^$#@
#@#¤$*^«,¨  ME, BARELY CONTROLLING THEMSELVES WITH  ¨,«^*$¤#@#
#@#¤$*^«,¨              ANTICIPATION.               ¨,«^*$¤#@#
#@#¤$*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*$¤#@#
#¤¤$^,¨¨¨¨                    ^                     ¨¨¨¨,^$¤¤#
#¤¤¤$*^«,¨                    «««                   ¨,«^*$¤¤¤#
###¤$*^«,¨                   ,,,,,                  ¨,«^*$¤###
##@¤$*^«,¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨,«^*$¤@##
#@#¤$*^«,¨                   ,,,,,                  ¨,«^*$¤#@#
#@#¤$*^«,¨                    «««                   ¨,«^*$¤#@#
##@¤$*^«,¨                    ^                     ¨,«^*$¤@##
@@#¤$*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*$¤#@@
##@#$*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*$#@##
@@#¤$*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*$¤#@@
###¤$*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*$¤###
#@#¤$*^«,¨                                          ¨,«^*$¤#@#