@**==,,,,, ,,,,,==**@
##@@***=^, ,^=***@@##
@@*****=^, ,^=*****@@
#@@****=^, ,^=****@@#
##@@***=^, ,^=***@@##
#@***^^,,, ###= =### ,,,^^***@#
@@**==^,,, # # ,,,^==**@@
##@@***=^, # 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. ,,,,=**@@@
#@**^,,,,, ,,,,,^**@#
#@*=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=*@#
@@@@***=^, ,^=***@@@@
@@@@***=^, ,^=***@@@@
##@@***=^, ,^=***@@##