.-«†%&@###                                          ###@&%†«-.
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....«††%&@                                          @&%††«....
....««%%&@                    ††                    @&%%««....
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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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..--†††%&&                                          &&%†††--..