£@%=~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~=%@£
@£@%=~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~=%@£@
#@£@%=~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~=%@£@#
##@£@%=~.¨                                          ¨.~=%@£@##
#@£@%=~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~=%@£@#
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~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨  IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         COLD BOILING ASPHALT AND         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨        CRIMSON EMERGENCY FLARES...       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ==                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
%=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=%
@%=~.¨¨¨¨¨    THEY WERE TEARING DOWN STATUES, AND   ¨¨¨¨¨.~=%@
£@%=~.¨¨¨¨  BELLOWING THEIR MANIFEST, IN THE RAIN,  ¨¨¨¨.~=%@£
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#@£@%=~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~=%@£@#
##@£@%=~.¨     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  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨  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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=%
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£@%=~.¨¨¨¨               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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.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
%=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=%
@%=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=%@
£@%=~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~=%@£