.^«===%%##                                          ##%%===«^.
.^«««**%¶#                                          #¶%**«««^.
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.^«=*%#¶##                                          ##¶#%*=«^.
.^=*%#¶###                                          ###¶#%*=^.
.^«=*%#¶##                    ==                    ##¶#%*=«^.
.^«=*%#¶##                   =  =                   ##¶#%*=«^.
.....^«*#¶ «««««««««««««««««=    =««««««««««««««««« ¶#*«^.....
.....^«*%¶                   =  =                   ¶%*«^.....
....^«=%%#                    ==                    #%%=«^....
...«««=%%¶                                          ¶%%=«««...
....^^«*#¶  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.        ¶%%====«^.
.^«=*%#¶##                                          ##¶#%*=«^.
.^«=*%#¶##                    ==                    ##¶#%*=«^.
.^«=*%#¶¶¶                   =  =                   ¶¶¶#%*=«^.
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......«**#                   =  =                   #**«......
.^«=*%#¶##                    ==                    ##¶#%*=«^.
.^«=*%#¶##                                          ##¶#%*=«^.
.^«=*%#¶##                                          ##¶#%*=«^.
.^«=*%#¶##                                          ##¶#%*=«^.
....^=*%##                                          ##%*=^....
.^«=*%#¶##                                          ##¶#%*=«^.
.^«=*%#¶##                                          ##¶#%*=«^.