##@#$%/~^.                                          .^~/%$#@##
#$%%~~....                                          ....~~%%$#
##@#$%/~^.                                          .^~/%$#@##
@#%%/~....                                          ....~/%%#@
##@#$%/~^.                                          .^~/%$#@##
#$///^....                    //                    ....^///$#
##@#$%/~^.                   /  /                   .^~/%$#@##
#@#$%~~^.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/    /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..^~~%$#@#
####$%/~^.                   /  /                   .^~/%$####
##@#$%/~^.                    //                    .^~/%$#@##
##@#$%/~^.                                          .^~/%$#@##
##@#$%/~^.  in a black rubbery sleep i dream about  .^~/%$#@##
##@#$%/~^.         cold boiling asphalt and         .^~/%$#@##
#%%~~~^^^.        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.       .^~/%#@###
##@#$%/~^.                                          .^~/%$#@##
##@#$%/~^.                    //                    .^~/%$#@##
####$%/~^.                   /  /                   .^~/%$####
@#$/^..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/    /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .....^/$#@
##@#$%/~^.                   /  /                   .^~/%$#@##
#$$//~....                    //                    ....~//$$#
##$$$%/~^.                                          .^~/%$$$##
#%~.......                                          .......~%#
##@#$%/~^.                                          .^~/%$#@##
#%%%~~~...                                          ...~~~%%%#
@#$$%/^...                                          ...^/%$$#@
##$///^...                                          ...^///$##