###&%=\-^¨                                          ¨^-\=%&###
#&%%\^^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^^\%%&#
&&%%=\\-^¨                                          ¨^-\\=%%&&
###&%=\-^¨                                          ¨^-\=%&###
&&=-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=&&
###&%=\-^¨                    \\                    ¨^-\=%&###
####&=\-^¨                   \  \                   ¨^-\=&####
#%=\\\\-^¨ -----------------\    \----------------- ¨^-\\\\=%#
###&%=\-^¨                   \  \                   ¨^-\=%&###
#&%\---¨¨¨                    \\                    ¨¨¨---\%&#
#&%%\--^¨¨                                          ¨¨^--\%%&#
###&%=\-^¨  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.        ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=%#
&%\^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^\%&
###&%=\-^¨                    \\                    ¨^-\=%&###
&&==\^¨¨¨¨                   \  \                   ¨¨¨¨^\==&&
###&%=\-^¨ -----------------\    \----------------- ¨^-\=%&###
###&%=\-^¨                   \  \                   ¨^-\=%&###
###&%=\-^¨                    \\                    ¨^-\=%&###
###&%=\-^¨                                          ¨^-\=%&###
###&%=\-^¨                                          ¨^-\=%&###
#&===--^^¨                                          ¨^^--===&#
###&%=\-^¨                                          ¨^-\=%&###
&=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=&
&%\\^^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^^\\%&