,,~:$¤@¶@# #@¶@¤$:~,,
,,~:$¤@¶@@ @@¶@¤$:~,,
,,~:$¤@¶¶¶ ¶¶¶@¤$:~,,
,,,,,,,~$@ @$~,,,,,,,
,,~:$¤@¶@# #@¶@¤$:~,,
,,~:$@¶@## they tell me: "we are going to shrink ##@¶@$:~,,
,,~:$¤@¶¶@ you." i don't quite like the tone in @¶¶@¤$:~,,
,,,,,,:¤@@ 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 @¶@$$~~,,,
,,~:$¤¤¤¶@ surface is swirling, like dark @¶¤¤¤$:~,,
,,~:$¤@¶@# thunderstorms trapped in glass, like #@¶@¤$:~,,
,,,,,:¤¤¤@ windows into a smaller world, close to @¤¤¤:,,,,,
,,~:$¤@¶## my body so that it can see clearly ##¶@¤$:~,,
,,~:$¤@¶@# whats in store. #@¶@¤$:~,,
,,,,,,:$@@ @@$:,,,,,,
,,,,,~:¤¶@ they give me food: prawn-like bugs that @¶¤:~,,,,,
,,~~:$¤¤@@ make my tongue curl with satisfaction. @@¤¤$:~~,,
,,~:$¤@¶@# "out of this world", i think, having no #@¶@¤$:~,,
,,~:$¤@¶@# frame of reference. i eat only two, but #@¶@¤$:~,,
,,~:$¤¶@## the bugs leave me suspiciously ##@¶¤$:~,,
,,,,~:¤¤¶¶ satisfied. ¶¶¤¤:~,,,,
,,~:::$$@¶ ¶@$$:::~,,
,,~:$¤@¶@# they measure my clothes. "you are going #@¶@¤$:~,,
,,~:$$$$@¶ to become about half as big", they tell ¶@$$$$:~,,
,,,,,,~~$@ me, barely controlling themselves with @$~~,,,,,,
,,,,,,~$@¶ anticipation. ¶@$~,,,,,,
,,~:$¤¤@¶@ @¶@¤¤$:~,,
,,~$¤@¶@## : ##@¶@¤$~,,
,,,,,,::¤@ ~~~ @¤::,,,,,,
,,~:$¤@¶¶¶ ,,,,, ¶¶¶@¤$:~,,
,,~:$¤@@## ,,,,,,,, ##@@¤$:~,,
,,~:$¤@¶@# ,,,,, #@¶@¤$:~,,
,,,,,,,~$@ ~~~ @$~,,,,,,,
,,~:$¤@¶@# : #@¶@¤$:~,,
,,,,~::¤@@ @@¤::~,,,,
,,~:$¤¤@¶@ @¶@¤¤$:~,,
,,~:$¤@¶## ##¶@¤$:~,,
,,,,,,:$@@ @@$:,,,,,,
,,~:$¤@¶¶@ @¶¶@¤$:~,,