......,~==                                          ==~,......
.......,~=                                          =~,.......
......,~==                                          ==~,......
.....,~==$                                          $==~,.....
....,~==$&                                          &$==~,....
...,~==$&@ 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.              #@&$==~,..
.,~==$&@##                                          ##@&$==~,.
..,~==$&@#                     =                    #@&$==~,..
...,~==$&@                   ~~~                    @&$==~,...
....,~==$&                   ,,,,,                  &$==~,....
.....,~==$                 ........                 $==~,.....
......,~==                  ,,,,,                   ==~,......
.......,~=                    ~~~                   =~,.......
......,~==                    =                     ==~,......
.....,~==$                                          $==~,.....
....,~==$&                                          &$==~,....
...,~==$&@                                          @&$==~,...
..,~==$&@#                                          #@&$==~,..
.,~==$&@##                                          ##@&$==~,.