..,-*$%§@@                                          @@§%$*-,..
...,-*$%§@                                          @§%$*-,...
....,-*$%§                                          §%$*-,....
.....,-*$%                                          %$*-,.....
......,-*$                                          $*-,......
.......,-* THEY TELL  ME: "WE  ARE GOING  TO SHRINK *-,.......
........,- YOU." I  DON'T  QUITE LIKE THE  TONE  IN -,........
........., THEIR VOICES,  LIKE THEY ARE RESTRAINING ,.........
........,- THEMSELVES.  THERE IS  A HUNGER  IN THEM -,........
.......,-* AND  IT WANTS  ME  TO  SHRINK. AND  WHAT *-,.......
......,-*$ 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.               @@§%$*-,..
.,-*$%§@@#                                          #@@§%$*-,.
..,-*$%§@@                    *                     @@§%$*-,..
...,-*$%§@                   ---                    @§%$*-,...
....,-*$%§                  ,,,,,                   §%$*-,....
.....,-*$%                 ........                 %$*-,.....
......,-*$                  ,,,,,                   $*-,......
.......,-*                    ---                   *-,.......
........,-                     *                    -,........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,-                                          -,........
.......,-*                                          *-,.......
......,-*$                                          $*-,......
.....,-*$%                                          %$*-,.....