#@#&%$†-:¨                                          ¨:-†$%&#@#
@#&%$†-:¨¨                                          ¨¨:-†$%&#@
#&%$†-:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:-†$%&#
&%$†-:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:-†$%&
%$†-:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:-†$%
$†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ THEY TELL ME:  "WE ARE  GOING  TO SHRINK ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†$
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
$†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ MAKE MY TONGUE CURL  WITH  SATISFACTION. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†$
%$†-:¨¨¨¨¨ "OUT OF THIS WORLD", I  THINK, HAVING NO ¨¨¨¨¨:-†$%
&%$†-:¨¨¨¨ FRAME OF REFERENCE. I EAT ONLY  TWO, BUT ¨¨¨¨:-†$%&
#&%$†-:¨¨¨      THE BUGS LEAVE ME SUSPICIOUSLY      ¨¨¨:-†$%&#
@#&%$†-:¨¨                SATISFIED.                ¨¨:-†$%&#@
#@#&%$†-:¨                                          ¨:-†$%&#@#
@#&%$†-:¨¨ THEY MEASURE  MY CLOTHES. "YOU ARE GOING ¨¨:-†$%&#@
#&%$†-:¨¨¨ TO BECOME ABOUT HALF AS BIG", THEY  TELL ¨¨¨:-†$%&#
&%$†-:¨¨¨¨  ME, BARELY CONTROLLING THEMSELVES WITH  ¨¨¨¨:-†$%&
%$†-:¨¨¨¨¨               ANTICIPATION.              ¨¨¨¨¨:-†$%
$†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†$
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                     †                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ---                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :::::                  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :::::                  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   ---                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                     †                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨