...:~†%&&@                                          @&&%†~:...
....:~†%&&                                          &&%†~:....
.....:~†%&                                          &%†~:.....
......:~†%                                          %†~:......
.......:~†                                          †~:.......
........:~                    ††                    ~:........
.......:~†                   †  †                   †~:.......
......:~†% ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†    †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ %†~:......
.....:~†%&                   †  †                   &%†~:.....
....:~†%&&                    ††                    &&%†~:....
...:~†%&&@                                          @&&%†~:...
..:~†%&&@#  IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT  #@&&%†~:..
.:~†%&&@##         COLD BOILING ASPHALT AND         ##@&&%†~:.
..:~†%&&@#        CRIMSON EMERGENCY FLARES...       #@&&%†~:..
...:~†%&&@                                          @&&%†~:...
....:~†%&&                    ††                    &&%†~:....
.....:~†%& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†  †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &%†~:.....
......:~†%                    ††                    %†~:......
.......:~†                                          †~:.......
........:~   THEY WERE TEARING DOWN STATUES, AND    ~:........
.......:~†  BELLOWING THEIR MANIFEST, IN THE RAIN,  †~:.......
......:~†%               IN THE DARK,               %†~:......
.....:~†%&                                          &%†~:.....
....:~†%&&     AND SOMETHING FOLLOWED ME OUT, A     &&%†~:....
...:~†%&&@  YEARNING. A MEMORY OF BEING TOUCHED BY  @&&%†~:...
..:~†%&&@#    A RAY FROM A RASPBERRY SUN. STILL     #@&&%†~:..
.:~†%&&@##   THERE, EVERYTHING WOULD BE GRITTY AND  ##@&&%†~:.
..:~†%&&@#  FULL OF TAR. RAIN UPON IT. BUT THEN A   #@&&%†~:..
...:~†%&&@  FEW BRIGHT AND COLORFUL ANOMALIES. AND  @&&%†~:...
....:~†%&&           A PROMISE FOR MORE.            &&%†~:....
.....:~†%&                                          &%†~:.....
......:~†%  LIKE WAKING UP WITH A BUSINESS CARD IN  %†~:......
.......:~†              YOUR POCKET...              †~:.......
........:~                                          ~:........
.......:~†   A FEATHER BOA WRAPPED AROUND A VELVET  †~:.......
......:~†%  LIZARD, SURFACING FOR MILLISECONDS AT A %†~:......
.....:~†%&    TIME, CALLING, TUGGING AT MY ARMS.    &%†~:.....
....:~†%&&    BEGGING ME TO SINK BACK DOWN AND BE   &&%†~:....
...:~†%&&@ WITH THEM, WITH THEIR KIND. EASY TO GET  @&&%†~:...
..:~†%&&@#  WASHED AWAY FROM THE TETHER, FROM THE   #@&&%†~:..
.:~†%&&@##               WAY BACK UP.               ##@&&%†~:.
..:~†%&&@#                                          #@&&%†~:..
...:~†%&&@                                          @&&%†~:...
....:~†%&& BUT I CANNOT GO. THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD  &&%†~:....
.....:~†%&  BE TOO LARGE. ESPECIALLY SINCE I'M IN   &%†~:.....
......:~†%   THE WORK MILL AND THEY'VE GOT THEIR    %†~:......
.......:~†   EYES ON ME ALREADY. THE FEELING WILL   †~:.......
........:~  WANE, AND I WILL MISS IT, AND CEASE TO  ~:........
.......:~†       UNDERSTAND. LIKE EVERY DAY.        †~:.......
......:~†%                                          %†~:......
.....:~†%&                    ††                    &%†~:.....
....:~†%&&                   †  †                   &&%†~:....
...:~†%&&@ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†    †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @&&%†~:...
..:~†%&&@#                   †  †                   #@&&%†~:..
.:~†%&&@##                    ††                    ##@&&%†~:.
..:~†%&&@#                                          #@&&%†~:..
...:~†%&&@                                          @&&%†~:...
....:~†%&&                                          &&%†~:....
.....:~†%&                                          &%†~:.....
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.......:~†                                          †~:.......