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