###§%%\«~.                                          .~«\%%§###
##§%%\«~..                                          ..~«\%%§##
#§%%\«~...                                          ...~«\%%§#
§%%\«~....                                          ....~«\%%§
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%\«~......                    \\                    ......~«\%
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§%%\«~.... «««««««««««««««««\    \««««««««««««««««« ....~«\%%§
#§%%\«~...                   \  \                   ...~«\%%§#
##§%%\«~..                    \\                    ..~«\%%§##
###§%%\«~.                                          .~«\%%§###
##§%%\«~..  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.        ...~«\%%§#
##§%%\«~..                                          ..~«\%%§##
###§%%\«~.                    \\                    .~«\%%§###
##§%%\«~..                   \  \                   ..~«\%%§##
#§%%\«~... «««««««««««««««««\    \««««««««««««««««« ...~«\%%§#
§%%\«~....                   \  \                   ....~«\%%§
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###§%%\«~.                                          .~«\%%§###