.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.........~ ~.........
........~~ ~~........
.......~~: :~~.......
......~~:% ~~~~~~~~@@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@@~~~~~~~~ %:~~......
.....~~:%* *%:~~.....
....~~:%*# 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. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ~~~~~~~~@@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@@~~~~~~~~ ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.........~ ~.........
........~~ ~~........
.......~~: :~~.......