,,~*%¤####                                          ####¤%*~,,
,,,,~*%%¤#                                          #¤%%*~,,,,
,,~*%¤####                                          ####¤%*~,,
,,~~*%%¤¤#                                          #¤¤%%*~~,,
,,~*%¤¤###                                          ###¤¤%*~,,
,,~*%¤¤### 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.               ¤¤¤*~,,,,,
,,~*%¤¤###                                          ###¤¤%*~,,
,,~*%¤¤###                    *                     ###¤¤%*~,,
,,~*%¤¤###                    ~~~                   ###¤¤%*~,,
,,~*%¤¤###                  ,,,,,                   ###¤¤%*~,,
,,,,****¤#                 ,,,,,,,,                 #¤****,,,,
,,,,,~*%¤#                   ,,,,,                  #¤%*~,,,,,
,,,,~**%¤#                   ~~~                    #¤%**~,,,,
,,~*%¤¤###                    *                     ###¤¤%*~,,
,,,,,**¤¤#                                          #¤¤**,,,,,
,,~*%¤¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤¤%*~,,
,,~*%¤####                                          ####¤%*~,,
,,~*%¤####                                          ####¤%*~,,
,,~*%¤¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤¤%*~,,