.~-==%####                                          ####%==-~.
.~-==%####                                          ####%==-~.
.~~~-==###                                          ###==-~~~.
.~-==%%%%#                                          #%%%%==-~.
..~--==%##                                          ##%==--~..
.~-==%#### 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.              ####%==-~.
.~-==%####                                          ####%==-~.
.~-==%####                     =                    ####%==-~.
...~===%##                   ---                    ##%===~...
.~-==%####                  ~~~~~                   ####%==-~.
...~~---=#                 ........                 #=---~~...
....-=%%##                  ~~~~~                   ##%%=-....
.....-=%##                    ---                   ##%=-.....
.~-===%###                    =                     ###%===-~.
....~==%##                                          ##%==~....
...~==%%%#                                          #%%%==~...
.~-==%####                                          ####%==-~.
.~-===%###                                          ###%===-~.
...~~===%#                                          #%===~~...