##=^^,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,^^=##
##£#$=^=,¨                                          ¨,=^=$#£##
££$$^,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,^$$££
##£#$=^=,¨                                          ¨,=^=$#£##
##£#$=^=,¨                                          ¨,=^=$#£##
###$^=,,¨¨ they tell  me: "we  are going to  shrink ¨¨,,=^$###
#£$$==^=,¨ you." i  don't  quite like the  tone  in ¨,=^==$$£#
££#$$=^=,¨ their voices, like they  are restraining ¨,=^=$$#££
£##===^=,¨ 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  ¨,=^=#£###
###£$=^=,¨               anticipation.              ¨,=^=$£###
##£#$=^=,¨                                          ¨,=^=$#£##
##£#$=^=,¨                     ^                    ¨,=^=$#£##
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#$===^,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,^===$#
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##$$==¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨==$$##