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...,«\^*&#                                          #&*^\«,...
....,«\^*&  IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT  &*^\«,....
.....,«\^*         COLD BOILING ASPHALT AND         *^\«,.....
....,«\^*&       CRIMSON EMERGENCY FLARES...        &*^\«,....
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...,«\^*&#                                          #&*^\«,...
....,«\^*&   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.               ###&*^\«,.
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...,«\^*&#                                          #&*^\«,...
....,«\^*&  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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