##@¤$*†=^¨                                          ¨^=†*$¤@##
##@¤$*†=^¨                                          ¨^=†*$¤@##
¤¤$***†=^¨                                          ¨^=†***$¤¤
##@¤$*†=^¨                                          ¨^=†*$¤@##
¤*=^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=*¤
##@¤$*†=^¨ ^^^^^^^^##====================##^^^^^^^^ ¨^=†*$¤@##
¤$$*††==^¨                                          ¨^==††*$$¤
@@@¤$*†=^¨ WHEN  I WAS IN EIGHT  GRADE I DECIDED  I ¨^=†*$¤@@@
##@¤$*†=^¨ WAS  DEAD.  MY SPIRIT  HAD LEFT MY BODY, ¨^=†*$¤@##
@$*†=¨¨¨¨¨             NEVER TO RETURN.             ¨¨¨¨¨=†*$@
#@@¤$*†=^¨                                          ¨^=†*$¤@@#
¤¤*=^^^^¨¨ 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   ¨¨¨¨^==*¤@
@@@¤$*†=^¨ CLOUDED BY  MY  ECHO.  AFTERGLOW  OF  MY ¨^=†*$¤@@@
##@¤$*†=^¨                 SPIRIT.                  ¨^=†*$¤@##
#@@¤$*†=^¨                                          ¨^=†*$¤@@#
@¤$**=^¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^##====================##^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨^=**$¤@
@¤¤*†††=^¨                                          ¨^=†††*¤¤@
##@¤$*†=^¨                                          ¨^=†*$¤@##
##@¤$*†=^¨                                          ¨^=†*$¤@##
@@¤*=¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨=*¤@@
###@$*†=^¨                                          ¨^=†*$@###