..--:†$&@#                                          #@&$†:--..
...--:†$&@                                          @&$†:--...
....--:†$&                                          &$†:--....
.....--:†$                                          $†:--.....
....--:†$&                                          &$†:--....
...--:†$&@ 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.               #@&$†:--..
.--:†$&@##                                          ##@&$†:--.
..--:†$&@#                     :                    #@&$†:--..
...--:†$&@                   ---                    @&$†:--...
....--:†$&                  -----                   &$†:--....
.....--:†$                 ........                 $†:--.....
....--:†$&                  -----                   &$†:--....
...--:†$&@                   ---                    @&$†:--...
..--:†$&@#                    :                     #@&$†:--..
.--:†$&@##                                          ##@&$†:--.
..--:†$&@#                                          #@&$†:--..
...--:†$&@                                          @&$†:--...
....--:†$&                                          &$†:--....
.....--:†$                                          $†:--.....