..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........~                                          ~.........
........~; 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   $†;~......
.......~;† WINDOWS INTO A SMALLER  WORLD, CLOSE  TO †;~.......
........~; MY  BODY  SO  THAT IT  CAN  SEE  CLEARLY ;~........
.........~              WHATS IN STORE.             ~.........
..........                                          ..........
.......... THEY  GIVE ME FOOD: PRAWN-LIKE BUGS THAT ..........
.......... MAKE  MY  TONGUE CURL WITH SATISFACTION. ..........
.......... "OUT  OF THIS WORLD", I THINK, HAVING NO ..........
.......... FRAME OF REFERENCE. I EAT ONLY  TWO, BUT ..........
..........      THE BUGS LEAVE ME SUSPICIOUSLY      ..........
..........                SATISFIED.                ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... THEY MEASURE  MY CLOTHES. "YOU ARE GOING ..........
.........~ TO  BECOME ABOUT HALF AS BIG", THEY TELL ~.........
........~;  ME, BARELY CONTROLLING THEMSELVES WITH  ;~........
.......~;†               ANTICIPATION.              †;~.......
......~;†$                                          $†;~......
.....~;†$#                     ;                    #$†;~.....
....~;†$#¶                    ~~~                   ¶#$†;~....
...~;†$#¶#                   .....                  #¶#$†;~...
..~;†$#¶##                 ........                 ##¶#$†;~..
...~;†$#¶#                  .....                   #¶#$†;~...
....~;†$#¶                   ~~~                    ¶#$†;~....
.....~;†$#                    ;                     #$†;~.....
......~;†$                                          $†;~......
.......~;†                                          †;~.......
........~;                                          ;~........
.........~                                          ~.........
..........                                          ..........