~.........                                          .........~
«~........                                          ........~«
=«~.......                                          .......~«=
*=«~......                                          ......~«=*
@*=«~.....                                          .....~«=*@
@@*=«~.... ~~~~~~~~##««««««««««««««««««««##~~~~~~~~ ....~«=*@@
#@@*=«~...                                          ...~«=*@@#
##@@*=«~.. 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.                 ....~«=*@@
#@@*=«~...                                          ...~«=*@@#
##@@*=«~.. ~~~~~~~~##««««««««««««««««««««##~~~~~~~~ ..~«=*@@##
###@@*=«~.                                          .~«=*@@###
##@@*=«~..                                          ..~«=*@@##
#@@*=«~...                                          ...~«=*@@#
@@*=«~....                                          ....~«=*@@
@*=«~.....                                          .....~«=*@