###§@§*«~.                                          .~«*§@§###
##@§§«~~..                                          ..~~«§§@##
###§@§*«~.                                          .~«*§@§###
###§@§*«~.                                          .~«*§@§###
§§**«~~...                                          ...~~«**§§
####§@*«~.                    **                    .~«*@§####
####@§*«~.                   *  *                   .~«*§@####
§§@§«~~... «««««««««««««««««*    *««««««««««««««««« ...~~«§@§§
###§@§*«~.                   *  *                   .~«*§@§###
###§@§*«~.                    **                    .~«*§@§###
#@@§«~....                                          ....~«§@@#
§§**««~...  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.        .~«*§@§###
###§@§*«~.                                          .~«*§@§###
§@*~......                    **                    ......~*@§
###§@§*«~.                   *  *                   .~«*§@§###
###§@§*«~. «««««««««««««««««*    *««««««««««««««««« .~«*§@§###
###§@§*«~.                   *  *                   .~«*§@§###
###§@§*«~.                    **                    .~«*§@§###
####§§*«~.                                          .~«*§§####
##§@@§*«~.                                          .~«*§@@§##
###§@§*«~.                                          .~«*§@§###
§@*~......                                          ......~*@§
###§@§*«~.                                          .~«*§@§###
###§@§*«~.                                          .~«*§@§###