@@$///:::. .:::///$@@
@=««:..... .....:««=@
#@#@$=/«:. .:«/=$@#@#
@#$==«.... ....«==$#@
@@#@$=/«:. .:«/=$@#@@
#@#@$=/«:. // .:«/=$@#@#
@$=/«:.... / / ....:«/=$@
#@#@$=/«:. «««««««««««««««««/ /««««««««««««««««« .:«/=$@#@#
#@#@$=/«:. / / .:«/=$@#@#
#$===«:... // ...:«===$#
@@#@$=/«:. .:«/=$@#@@
#@#@$=/«:. IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT .:«/=$@#@#
###@$=/«:. COLD BOILING ASPHALT AND .:«/=$@###
@$/:...... CRIMSON EMERGENCY FLARES... ......:/$@
@##@$=/«:. .:«/=$@##@
@@#@$=/«:. // .:«/=$@#@@
@$$//««:.. ««««««««««««««««««/ /«««««««««««««««««« ..:««//$$@
##@@$=/«:. // .:«/=$@@##
@##@$=/«:. .:«/=$@##@
#@#@$=/«:. THEY WERE TEARING DOWN STATUES, AND .:«/=$@#@#
#@$//::... BELLOWING THEIR MANIFEST, IN THE RAIN, ...:://$@#
#@#@$=/«:. IN THE DARK, .:«/=$@#@#
#@#@$=/«:. .:«/=$@#@#
@===«:.... 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 ....««//=@
@@$=«:.... EYES ON ME ALREADY. THE FEELING WILL ....:«=$@@
#@#@$=/«:. WANE, AND I WILL MISS IT, AND CEASE TO .:«/=$@#@#
##@#$=/«:. UNDERSTAND. LIKE EVERY DAY. .:«/=$#@##
##@#@$=«:. .:«=$@#@##
@$=/«..... // .....«/=$@
#@@@$=/«:. / / .:«/=$@@@#
#$$/:..... «««««««««««««««««/ /««««««««««««««««« .....:/$$#
#@#@$=/«:. / / .:«/=$@#@#
@=«:...... // ......:«=@
@===«..... .....«===@
#@#@$=/«:. .:«/=$@#@#
@@$$$=/«:. .:«/=$$$@@
##$/:..... .....:/$##
###@$=/«:. .:«/=$@###
#@#@$=/«:. .:«/=$@#@#