###@&%:~^¨                                          ¨^~:%&@###
##@&%:~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~:%&@##
#@&%:~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~:%&@#
@&%:~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~:%&@
&%:~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~:%&
%:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ::                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:%
:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :  :                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:    :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :  :                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ::                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨  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.        ¨¨¨¨¨^~:%&
%:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:%
:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ::                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~:
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :  :                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:    :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :  :                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ::                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
:~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~: