¨¨##¨¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨¨##¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ 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. #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨ † #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ === #¨#¨#¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨ ,,,,, #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨ ,,,,, #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ === #¨#¨#¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨ † #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨##
¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
¨#¨#¨##¨#¨ #¨#¨#¨#¨##