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.....--^*£                                          £*^--.....
....--^*£#                    ^^                    #£*^--....
...--^*£##                   ^  ^                   ##£*^--...
..--^*£##@ -----------------^    ^----------------- @##£*^--..
.--^*£##@#                   ^  ^                   #@##£*^--.
..--^*£##@                    ^^                    @##£*^--..
...--^*£##                                          ##£*^--...
....--^*£#  IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT  #£*^--....
.....--^*£         COLD BOILING ASPHALT AND         £*^--.....
......--^*       CRIMSON EMERGENCY FLARES...        *^--......
.......--^                                          ^--.......
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.........- ------------------^  ^------------------ -.........
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.........-                                          -.........
........--   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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.........- -----------------^    ^----------------- -.........
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.........-                    ^^                    -.........
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.......--^                                          ^--.......
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