.:«=†*¤¶##                                          ##¶¤*†=«:.
.:«=†*¤¶##                                          ##¶¤*†=«:.
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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.                  ##¶¤*†=«:.
.:«=†*¤¶##                                          ##¶¤*†=«:.
...««††**¶ ::::::::##««««««««««««««««««««##:::::::: ¶**††««...
.:«=†¤¶###                                          ###¶¤†=«:.
.:«=†*¤¶##                                          ##¶¤*†=«:.
.....:=†*¤                                          ¤*†=:.....
....««†*¤#                                          #¤*†««....
....:«†*¶¶                                          ¶¶*†«:....