#§%^~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~^%§#
##¶§%%^~.¨                                          ¨.~^%%§¶##
##¶§%%^~.¨                                          ¨.~^%%§¶##
§§§%^~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~^%§§§
##¶§%%^~.¨                                          ¨.~^%%§¶##
##¶§%%^~.¨ ........##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##........ ¨.~^%%§¶##
##¶§%%^~.¨                                          ¨.~^%%§¶##
¶¶¶§%%^~.¨ 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.                  ¨¨¨.~%%%%¶
§§%^.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.^%§§
#§%^~¨¨¨¨¨ ........##~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~##........ ¨¨¨¨¨~^%§#
#§§§%%^~.¨                                          ¨.~^%%§§§#
§%%^~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~^%%§
##¶§%%^~.¨                                          ¨.~^%%§¶##
§%%~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~%%§
##¶§%%^~.¨                                          ¨.~^%%§¶##