##@§@%:~..                                          ..~:%@§@##
#@§@%:~...                                          ...~:%@§@#
@§@%:~....                                          ....~:%@§@
§@%:~.....                                          .....~:%@§
@%:~......                                          ......~:%@
%:~.......                    ::                    .......~:%
:~........                   :  :                   ........~:
~......... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:    :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .........~
..........                   :  :                   ..........
..........                    ::                    ..........
..........                                          ..........
~.........  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.        ........~:
%:~.......                                          .......~:%
@%:~......                    ::                    ......~:%@
§@%:~.....                   :  :                   .....~:%@§
@§@%:~.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:    :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ....~:%@§@
#@§@%:~...                   :  :                   ...~:%@§@#
##@§@%:~..                    ::                    ..~:%@§@##
#@§@%:~...                                          ...~:%@§@#
@§@%:~....                                          ....~:%@§@
§@%:~.....                                          .....~:%@§
@%:~......                                          ......~:%@
%:~.......                                          .......~:%
:~........                                          ........~: