.
. -
- -
* . .
# . . -
* # *
- & #
# . .
- . - #
. ***&&*** *
# ..--~~††. .††~~--.. . -
. .††~~--.. ..--~~††. #
..--~~††. .††~~--..
††~~--.. ..--~~††
¶&*~~~-... .. .. ...-~~~*&¶
¶¶**††~... something lies glowing ...~††**¶¶
&*†~...... on the ocean floor... ......~†*&
##¶&**†~-. .. .. .-~†**&¶##
¶&**†~~~-. ..--~~††. .††~~--.. .-~~~†**&¶
###¶&**~-. .††~~--.. ..--~~††. .-~**&¶###
¶&*†~~-... ***&&*** ...-~~†*&¶
¶¶&*~-.... ....-~*&¶¶
###¶&**~-. on the ocean floor, a dangerous and .-~**&¶###
&&&*~-.... caustic and sweet sweet thing, it ....-~*&&&
¶&**††~-.. glows, it lures you closer. a creature! ..-~††**&¶
##¶&**†~-. .-~†**&¶##
#&**~-.... it's almost otter-like, but like lava, ....-~**&#
&*††~-.... a liquid shaped like a living thing, ....-~††*&
¶¶¶&**†~-. and when it raises an arm, its fingers .-~†**&¶¶¶
#¶¶&**†~-. are dripping with fire. with its song, .-~†**&¶¶#
##¶&**†~-. it lures you closer yet. .-~†**&¶##
##¶&**†~-. .-~†**&¶##
¶&&*††--.. it's in a state of bliss! it's a flame, ..--††*&&¶
¶¶*††-.... lit by the sun! and this pleasure is to ....-††*¶¶
##¶&**†~-. be shared, shared with others. .-~†**&¶##
¶&*~~~.... ....~~~*&¶
¶¶****†~-. and the creatures of the sea creep .-~†****¶¶
¶&*~...... closer, hypnotized and curious, and the ......~*&¶
#¶*†-..... sludge extends a hand, and they take it, .....-†*¶#
&&&***†~-. .-~†***&&&
¶¶&*†~-... writhing with joy, accepts them all. ...-~†*&¶¶
&&*~~~~... they step inside, taking the shape of a ...~~~~*&&
¶*****†~-. squirming otter, now a stretching cat, .-~†*****¶
##¶&**†~-. now almost humanoid. although suddenly .-~†**&¶##
###¶**†~-. it all liquifies completely, now just a .-~†**¶###
##¶&**†~-. burning puddle, lit not by the sun, but .-~†**&¶##
&&&*~..... by some internal fuel hostile to life. .....~*&&&
&*†--..... .....--†*&
###¶**†~-. .††~~--.. ..--~~††. .-~†**¶###
##¶&**†~-. ..--~~††. ..----.. .††~~--.. .-~†**&¶##
.. ..