..,~^*$§#@                                          @#§$*^~,..
.,~^*$§#@#                                          #@#§$*^~,.
..,~^*$§#@                                          @#§$*^~,..
...,~^*$§#                                          #§$*^~,...
....,~^*$§                                          §$*^~,....
.....,~^*$ 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  $*^~,.....
......,~^*               ANTICIPATION.              *^~,......
.......,~^                                          ^~,.......
......,~^*                     ^                    *^~,......
.....,~^*$                    ~~~                   $*^~,.....
....,~^*$§                  ,,,,,                   §$*^~,....
...,~^*$§#                 ........                 #§$*^~,...
..,~^*$§#@                  ,,,,,                   @#§$*^~,..
.,~^*$§#@#                   ~~~                    #@#§$*^~,.
..,~^*$§#@                    ^                     @#§$*^~,..
...,~^*$§#                                          #§$*^~,...
....,~^*$§                                          §$*^~,....
.....,~^*$                                          $*^~,.....
......,~^*                                          *^~,......
.......,~^                                          ^~,.......