.....~~=^% %^=~~.....
......~~=^ ^=~~......
.......~~= =~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.......~~= =~~.......
......~~=^ ###~ ~### ^=~~......
.....~~=^% # # %^=~~.....
....~~=^%# # 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. ^=~~......
.......~~= =~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.......~~= =~~.......
......~~=^ ^=~~......
.....~~=^% %^=~~.....