%†~.......                                          .......~†%
¤%†~......                                          ......~†%¤
&¤%†~.....                                          .....~†%¤&
#&¤%†~....                                          ....~†%¤&#
##&¤%†~...                                          ...~†%¤&##
###&¤%†~..                    ††                    ..~†%¤&###
##&¤%†~...                   †  †                   ...~†%¤&##
#&¤%†~.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†    †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ....~†%¤&#
&¤%†~.....                   †  †                   .....~†%¤&
¤%†~......                    ††                    ......~†%¤
%†~.......                                          .......~†%
†~........  IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT  ........~†
~.........         COLD BOILING ASPHALT AND         .........~
†~........       CRIMSON EMERGENCY FLARES...        ........~†
%†~.......                                          .......~†%
¤%†~......                    ††                    ......~†%¤
&¤%†~..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†  †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .....~†%¤&
#&¤%†~....                    ††                    ....~†%¤&#
##&¤%†~...                                          ...~†%¤&##
###&¤%†~..    THEY WERE TEARING DOWN STATUES, AND   ..~†%¤&###
##&¤%†~...  BELLOWING THEIR MANIFEST, IN THE RAIN,  ...~†%¤&##
#&¤%†~....               IN THE DARK,               ....~†%¤&#
&¤%†~.....                                          .....~†%¤&
¤%†~......     AND SOMETHING FOLLOWED ME OUT, A     ......~†%¤
%†~.......  YEARNING. A MEMORY OF BEING TOUCHED BY  .......~†%
†~........    A RAY FROM A RASPBERRY SUN. STILL     ........~†
~.........   THERE, EVERYTHING WOULD BE GRITTY AND  .........~
†~........  FULL OF TAR. RAIN UPON IT. BUT THEN A   ........~†
%†~.......  FEW BRIGHT AND COLORFUL ANOMALIES. AND  .......~†%
¤%†~......            A PROMISE FOR MORE.           ......~†%¤
&¤%†~.....                                          .....~†%¤&
#&¤%†~....  LIKE WAKING UP WITH A BUSINESS CARD IN  ....~†%¤&#
##&¤%†~...              YOUR POCKET...              ...~†%¤&##
###&¤%†~..                                          ..~†%¤&###
##&¤%†~...  A FEATHER BOA WRAPPED AROUND A VELVET   ...~†%¤&##
#&¤%†~....  LIZARD, SURFACING FOR MILLISECONDS AT A ....~†%¤&#
&¤%†~.....    TIME, CALLING, TUGGING AT MY ARMS.    .....~†%¤&
¤%†~......    BEGGING ME TO SINK BACK DOWN AND BE   ......~†%¤
%†~.......  WITH THEM, WITH THEIR KIND. EASY TO GET .......~†%
†~........  WASHED AWAY FROM THE TETHER, FROM THE   ........~†
~.........               WAY BACK UP.               .........~
†~........                                          ........~†
%†~.......                                          .......~†%
¤%†~...... BUT I CANNOT GO. THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD  ......~†%¤
&¤%†~.....  BE TOO LARGE. ESPECIALLY SINCE I'M IN   .....~†%¤&
#&¤%†~....   THE WORK MILL AND THEY'VE GOT THEIR    ....~†%¤&#
##&¤%†~...   EYES ON ME ALREADY. THE FEELING WILL   ...~†%¤&##
###&¤%†~..  WANE, AND I WILL MISS IT, AND CEASE TO  ..~†%¤&###
##&¤%†~...        UNDERSTAND. LIKE EVERY DAY.       ...~†%¤&##
#&¤%†~....                                          ....~†%¤&#
&¤%†~.....                    ††                    .....~†%¤&
¤%†~......                   †  †                   ......~†%¤
%†~....... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†    †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .......~†%
†~........                   †  †                   ........~†
~.........                    ††                    .........~
†~........                                          ........~†
%†~.......                                          .......~†%
¤%†~......                                          ......~†%¤
&¤%†~.....                                          .....~†%¤&
#&¤%†~....                                          ....~†%¤&#
##&¤%†~...                                          ...~†%¤&##