=~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~=
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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.       ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                    **                    ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,,                   *  *                   ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, =================*    *================= ,,,,,,,,~=
*=~,,,,,,,                   *  *                   ,,,,,,,~=*
**=~,,,,,,                    **                    ,,,,,,~=**
$**=~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~=**$
#$**=~,,,,                                          ,,,,~=**$#
##$**=~,,,                                          ,,,~=**$##
###$**=~,,                                          ,,~=**$###
####$**=~,                                          ,~=**$####
###$**=~,,                                          ,,~=**$###