......,=*%                                          %*=,......
.......,=*                                          *=,.......
........,=                                          =,........
.........,                                          ,.........
..........                                          ..........
.......... 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.              %*=,......
.....,=*%£                                          £%*=,.....
....,=*%££                     *                    ££%*=,....
...,=*%££@                    ===                   @££%*=,...
..,=*%££@#                  ,,,,,                   #@££%*=,..
.,=*%££@##                 ........                 ##@££%*=,.
..,=*%££@#                  ,,,,,                   #@££%*=,..
...,=*%££@                   ===                    @££%*=,...
....,=*%££                    *                     ££%*=,....
.....,=*%£                                          £%*=,.....
......,=*%                                          %*=,......
.......,=*                                          *=,.......
........,=                                          =,........
.........,                                          ,.........