%:~^...... ......^~:%
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.......... WHEN I WAS IN EIGHT GRADE I DECIDED I ..........
.......... WAS DEAD. MY SPIRIT HAD LEFT MY BODY, ..........
^......... NEVER TO RETURN. .........^
~^........ ........^~
:~^....... I REMEMBER SITTING IN MY PARENTS CAR ON .......^~:
%:~^...... A CLOUDY, WATERY DAY, GETTING A RIDE ......^~:%
§%:~^..... SOMEWHERE. IT FELT LIKE I HAD SOLVED .....^~:%§
@§%:~^.... SOME GREAT PUZZLE. I'VE SOLVED NO ....^~:%§@
#@§%:~^... PUZZLES SINCE THEN. ...^~:%§@#
##@§%:~^.. ..^~:%§@##
###@§%:~^. INSTEAD, I'VE BEEN MINDLESSLY PILOTING .^~:%§@###
##@§%:~^.. THIS BODY AROUND. I STILL GIVE IT LIFE, ..^~:%§@##
#@§%:~^... SOMEHOW. LIKE A GOLEM, AND I TRY NOT TO ...^~:%§@#
@§%:~^.... CARE TOO MUCH, BUT I DO. IT'S A ....^~:%§@
§%:~^..... CONTAMINATED GOLEM, THIS ONE. PURITY .....^~:%§
%:~^...... CLOUDED BY MY ECHO. AFTERGLOW OF MY ......^~:%
:~^....... SPIRIT. .......^~:
~^........ ........^~
^......... ^^^^^^^^##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##^^^^^^^^ .........^
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