¨^===%@###                                          ###@%===^¨
¨^=====%@@                                          @@%=====^¨
¨¨¨¨^==%@@                                          @@%==^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^==%@                                          @%==^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^===%@###                                          ###@%===^¨
¨^===%@### 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.              ####@%===^
¨^===%@###                                          ###@%===^¨
¨¨¨¨===%##                    =                     ##%===¨¨¨¨
¨^===%@###                   ===                    ###@%===^¨
¨¨¨¨¨====@                  ^^^^^                   @====¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨==%%%@                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 @%%%==¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨===%@#                   ^^^^^                  #@%===¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^==@                    ===                   @==^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^===%@###                    =                     ###@%===^¨
¨^===%@###                                          ###@%===^¨
¨^===%@###                                          ###@%===^¨
¨^^======@                                          @======^^¨
¨^===%@###                                          ###@%===^¨
¨^===%@###                                          ###@%===^¨