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.....^~:$$ WHEN I WAS IN EIGHT GRADE I DECIDED I $$:~^.....
....^~:$$# WAS DEAD. MY SPIRIT HAD LEFT MY BODY, #$$:~^....
...^~:$$## NEVER TO RETURN. ##$$:~^...
..^~:$$### ###$$:~^..
.^~:$$#### I REMEMBER SITTING IN MY PARENTS CAR ON ####$$:~^.
..^~:$$### A CLOUDY, WATERY DAY, GETTING A RIDE ###$$:~^..
...^~:$$## SOMEWHERE. IT FELT LIKE I HAD SOLVED ##$$:~^...
....^~:$$# SOME GREAT PUZZLE. I'VE SOLVED NO #$$:~^....
.....^~:$$ PUZZLES SINCE THEN. $$:~^.....
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.......^~: INSTEAD, I'VE BEEN MINDLESSLY PILOTING :~^.......
........^~ THIS BODY AROUND. I STILL GIVE IT LIFE, ~^........
.........^ SOMEHOW. LIKE A GOLEM, AND I TRY NOT TO ^.........
.......... CARE TOO MUCH, BUT I DO. IT'S A ..........
.......... CONTAMINATED GOLEM, THIS ONE. PURITY ..........
.......... CLOUDED BY MY ECHO. AFTERGLOW OF MY ..........
.......... SPIRIT. ..........
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