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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.        /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~                                          ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                    //                    .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   /  /                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/    /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   /  /                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    //                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨