¤†=~-.....                                          .....-~=†¤
†=~-......                                          ......-~=†
=~-.......                                          .......-~=
~-........                                          ........-~
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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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