*=~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~=*
$*=~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~=*$
%$*=~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~=*$%
&%$*=~,,,,                                          ,,,,~=*$%&
#&%$*=~,,,                                          ,,,~=*$%&#
##&%$*=~,, ~~~~~~~~##====================##~~~~~~~~ ,,~=*$%&##
###&%$*=~,                                          ,~=*$%&###
##&%$*=~,, when  i was in eight grade i  decided  i ,,~=*$%&##
#&%$*=~,,, was  dead. my spirit had  left my  body, ,,,~=*$%&#
&%$*=~,,,,             never to return.             ,,,,~=*$%&
%$*=~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~=*$%
$*=~,,,,,, i remember  sitting in my parents car on ,,,,,,~=*$
*=~,,,,,,, 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.                 ,,,,,,,,~=
*=~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~=*
$*=~,,,,,, ~~~~~~~~##====================##~~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,~=*$
%$*=~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~=*$%
&%$*=~,,,,                                          ,,,,~=*$%&
#&%$*=~,,,                                          ,,,~=*$%&#
##&%$*=~,,                                          ,,~=*$%&##
###&%$*=~,                                          ,~=*$%&###