.~==*@§###                                          ###§@*==~.
.~==*@@@§#                                          #§@@@*==~.
.~==@§####                                          ####§@==~.
.~==*@§###                                          ###§@*==~.
......~=@#                                          #@=~......
......~=*§ 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.              §*===~~...
.~==*§####                                          ####§*==~.
.~==*@§###                    =                     ###§@*==~.
.~==*@§###                    ===                   ###§@*==~.
.~==*@§###                   ~~~~~                  ###§@*==~.
.~==*@§###                 ........                 ###§@*==~.
.......=*§                  ~~~~~                   §*=.......
.~==*@§###                    ===                   ###§@*==~.
.~==*@§###                     =                    ###§@*==~.
.~==*****§                                          §*****==~.
......~=*§                                          §*=~......
.~==*@@§##                                          ##§@@*==~.
.~==**@§§#                                          #§§@**==~.
....~==@§§                                          §§@==~....