###@§@*=.¨                                          ¨.=*@§@###
§@@*==..¨¨                                          ¨¨..==*@@§
@@@*===¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨===*@@@
###@@%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%@@###
#@@%**==.¨                                          ¨.==**%@@#
§§%===¨¨¨¨ ........##====================##........ ¨¨¨¨===%§§
@§@***=..¨                                          ¨..=***@§@
§§§§@%*=.¨ 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.                  ¨.=*%%%@§#
###@§@%*=.                                          .=*%@§@###
##@§@%*=.¨ ........##====================##........ ¨.=*%@§@##
§@@@@%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%@@@@§
##@§@%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%@§@##
##@§@%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%@§@##
###§@%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%@§###
##@§@%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%@§@##