&.&&&...&. &..&&&....
..&.&&...& .&.&.&&...
....&&&... .....&&&..
....&.&&.. .....&.&&.
......&&&. .......&&&
&.....&.&& 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. ..&.&&....
...&....&. ....&&&...
....&....& ^ &...&.&&..
.....&.... ~~~ &&....&&&.
......&... ~~~~~ &&&...&.&&
&......&.. ........ &.&&....&&
&&......&. ~~~~~ ..&&&...&.
&&&......& ~~~ ..&.&&....
&.&&...... ^ &...&&&...
..&&&..... .&..&.&&..
..&.&&.... ..&...&&&.
....&&&... &..&..&.&&
&...&.&&.. .&..&...&&
&&....&&&. ..&..&..&.