#@%*«,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,«*%@#
###@%*=«,¨                                          ¨,«=*%@###
###@%*=«,¨                                          ¨,«=*%@###
@@****=«,¨                                          ¨,«=****@@
#@*«¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨«*@#
###@@%*=«¨ 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.               ¨,«=*%%@@@
##@@%*=«,¨                                          ¨,«=*%@@##
@***««,¨¨¨                    =                     ¨¨¨,««***@
@@@%%*=«,¨                    «««                   ¨,«=*%%@@@
#@%=,¨¨¨¨¨                  ,,,,,                   ¨¨¨¨¨,=%@#
##@@%*=«,¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨,«=*%@@##
###@%*=«,¨                  ,,,,,                   ¨,«=*%@###
##@@%*=«,¨                    «««                   ¨,«=*%@@##
@%%**=,,¨¨                     =                    ¨¨,,=**%%@
@@@%*=,,,¨                                          ¨,,,=*%@@@
@%=«,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,«=%@
##@@%*=«,¨                                          ¨,«=*%@@##
###@@%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%@@###
###@@*=«,¨                                          ¨,«=*@@###