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.~«*%£@### LIKE A REGULAR MIGRAINE BUT IT DOES NOT  ###@£%*«~.
..~«*%£@##   HURT THERE'S NO PAIN, THE COSMOS IS    ##@£%*«~..
...~«*%£@#     THERE AND IT'S DRAINING THE EVIL     #@£%*«~...
....~«*%£@        STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WOUND.        @£%*«~....
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.....~«*%£  YOU, ENTERING YOUR BLOOD, CRACKING THE  £%*«~.....
....~«*%£@    SKULL OPEN. A PAW GRIPS YOUR BRAIN,   @£%*«~....
...~«*%£@#   PLAYS WITH IT, PULLS IT OUT INTO THE   #@£%*«~...
..~«*%£@##                  COSMOS.                 ##@£%*«~..
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..~«*%£@##     THERE'S COMETS! SPACE ODDITIES.      ##@£%*«~..
...~«*%£@#   SOLITARY OSCILLATIONS. CARRIER WAVE.   #@£%*«~...
....~«*%£@  BURNED AWAY BY THE SUNS RADIATION UNTIL @£%*«~....
.....~«*%£     ONLY THE FAINTEST TRACE REMAIN,      £%*«~.....
......~«*%  EVENTUALLY CAUGHT IN THE GRAVITY WELL   %*«~......
.....~«*%£    OF SOME SECOND RATE WATER PLANET.     £%*«~.....
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...~«*%£@#            IT'S RAINING SAP.             #@£%*«~...
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....~«*%£@   MY LUNCH BREAK IS OVER AND I NEED TO   @£%*«~....
.....~«*%£   GET BACK TO THE SHOP. LYNNE IS THERE   £%*«~.....
......~«*%  ALONE AND HASN'T EATEN YET. I TAKE THE  %*«~......
.....~«*%£   BACK ROUTE UP FROM THE BEACH TO AVOID  £%*«~.....
....~«*%£@    THE CROWD. SING A LITTLE TO MYSELF.   @£%*«~....
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..~«*%£@##  LIFE GETS TO PROSPER OUTSIDE OF.@*««« - ##@£%*«~..
.~«*%£@###    SUDDENLY, AN ACID FLASHBACK: I STEP   ###@£%*«~.
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...~«*%£@#   FRACTAL STINGER / BISMUTH STAIRCASE)   #@£%*«~...
....~«*%£@   AND WADE IN SHADOWS... SURROUNDED BY   @£%*«~....
.....~«*%£             MEMORY NEGATIVES,            £%*«~.....
......~«*%         LIKE UPROCESSED FILM....         %*«~......
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..~«*%£@## WE'RE CLOSING FOR THE EVENING. THE SHOP  ##@£%*«~..
.~«*%£@###    IS IN THE BOTTOM FLOOR OF A NARROW    ###@£%*«~.
..~«*%£@##    MUDBRICK BUILDING, PAINTED TEAL. WE   ##@£%*«~..
...~«*%£@#  LIVE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, TOGETHER WITH #@£%*«~...
....~«*%£@     THE OWNER. AS I CLOSE THE METAL      @£%*«~....
.....~«*%£    CURTAIN, BEHIND ITS CHARACTERISTIC    £%*«~.....
......~«*%      SHARP RATTLING I CAN HEAR THE       %*«~......
.....~«*%£              CURFEW SIRENS.              £%*«~.....
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...~«*%£@#   WORMY STREET WOLVES OUTSIDE, CHASING   #@£%*«~...
..~«*%£@##     ENTRANCES IN THE DARK ALLEYWAYS,     ##@£%*«~..
.~«*%£@###  WANTING IN, GETTING DESPERATE, LAPSING  ###@£%*«~.
..~«*%£@## TO SEARCH HIGHER, ON ROOFS, CLIMBING ON  ##@£%*«~..
...~«*%£@# BALCONIES. AND THERE'S BOUND TO BE SOME  #@£%*«~...
....~«*%£@   RECKLESS TOURIST WHO DIDN'T HEED THE   @£%*«~....
.....~«*%£  WARNINGS, NEVER CLOSED THEIR WINDOWS... £%*«~.....
......~«*%                                          %*«~......
.....~«*%£   OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD  £%*«~.....
....~«*%£@   THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN    @£%*«~....
...~«*%£@#  CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET  #@£%*«~...
..~«*%£@##             THEIR BELONGINGS.            ##@£%*«~..
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