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#@#¤¤%=«.,                                          ,.«=%¤¤#@#
#@#¤¤%=«.,                                          ,.«=%¤¤#@#
#@#¤¤%=«.,                                          ,.«=%¤¤#@#
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#@#¤¤%=«.,                    ==                    ,.«=%¤¤#@#
##@#¤%=«.,                                          ,.«=%¤#@##
###¤¤%=«.,  in a black rubbery sleep i dream about  ,.«=%¤¤###
#@#¤¤%=«.,         cold boiling asphalt and         ,.«=%¤¤#@#
#@#¤¤%=«.,        crimson emergency flares...       ,.«=%¤¤#@#
#¤=...,,,,                                          ,,,,...=¤#
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@#¤¤%%=«.,                    ==                    ,.«=%%¤¤#@
#@#¤¤%=«.,                                          ,.«=%¤¤#@#
@¤%%«.,,,,   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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@@#¤¤%=«.,                                          ,.«=%¤¤#@@
@¤¤%««,,,,                                          ,,,,««%¤¤@
#@#¤¤%=«.,                                          ,.«=%¤¤#@#
#@#¤¤%=«.,                                          ,.«=%¤¤#@#
@@#¤¤%=«.,                                          ,.«=%¤¤#@@
¤%%%=«««.,                                          ,.«««=%%%¤