#@@@@*†~,,                                          ,,~†*@@@@#
##@@@*†~,,                                          ,,~†*@@@##
#@@@@*†~,,                                          ,,~†*@@@@#
##@@@*†~,,                                          ,,~†*@@@##
#@@@@*†~,,                                          ,,~†*@@@@#
##@@@*†~,, 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.              ,,,,~~*@@@
#@@@@*†~,,                                          ,,~†*@@@@#
@@@***†~,,                     †                    ,,~†***@@@
@@@**~~,,,                   ~~~                    ,,,~~**@@@
@@††,,,,,,                   ,,,,,                  ,,,,,,††@@
#@@@@*†~,,                 ,,,,,,,,                 ,,~†*@@@@#
#@@@@*†~,,                   ,,,,,                  ,,~†*@@@@#
##@@@@*†~,                    ~~~                   ,~†*@@@@##
@@*††,,,,,                    †                     ,,,,,††*@@
##@@@@*†~,                                          ,~†*@@@@##
@*††~~~,,,                                          ,,,~~~††*@
@@@@@*†~,,                                          ,,~†*@@@@@
##@@@*†~,,                                          ,,~†*@@@##
@@@@@*†~,,                                          ,,~†*@@@@@