##@#%†~^..                                          ..^~†%#@##
#@#%†~^...                                          ...^~†%#@#
@#%†~^....                                          ....^~†%#@
#%†~^.....                                          .....^~†%#
%†~^......                                          ......^~†%
†~^.......                  ..%@%..                 .......^~†
~^........             .^†%@######@%†^.             ........^~
^.........         ...^^~%# dreams #%~^^...         .........^
..........             .^†%@######@%†^.             ..........
..........                  ..%@%..                 ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                    .^.                   ..........
..........                .%#####%.                 ..........
^.........                   .^.                    .........^
~^........                                          ........^~
†~^.......         internal visionary state         .......^~†
%†~^......                                          ......^~†%
#%†~^.....            the spirit travels            .....^~†%#
@#%†~^....                                          ....^~†%#@
#@#%†~^...             .^†%@######@%†^.             ...^~†%#@#
##@#%†~^..                   .~.                    ..^~†%#@##
###@#%†~^.                                          .^~†%#@###
##@#%†~^..                  a cost                  ..^~†%#@##
#@#%†~^...                (anecdote)                ...^~†%#@#
@#%†~^....                                          ....^~†%#@
#%†~^.....                    ^^                    .....^~†%#
%†~^......                                          ......^~†%
†~^....... i  wake  suddenly,  and  for  a   second .......^~†
~^........ everything is completely  calm  and dead ........^~
^......... silent.  it's  dark,  and  warm,  and  i .........^
.......... slowly  start   to  piece   together  my ..........
..........        consciousness and my body.        ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... then  the  fear  hits  me  and   i  feel ..........
..........   acutely sick. something is ~wrong~.    ..........
^.........                                          .........^
~^........                    ..                    ........^~
†~^.......                                          .......^~†
%†~^...... there  are circles and crosses inscribed ......^~†%
#%†~^..... all over my  vision, pressing  in, being .....^~†%#
@#%†~^.... almost hostile. i can  feel them squirm, ....^~†%#@
#@#%†~^...     their internal logic changing and    ...^~†%#@#
##@#%†~^.. grinding trenches in my mind. it's  like ..^~†%#@##
###@#%†~^. language, sentences  i can't  hide from, .^~†%#@###
##@#%†~^.. forcefully transcribed in  my mind,  and ..^~†%#@##
#@#%†~^...           doing damage there.            ...^~†%#@#
@#%†~^....                                          ....^~†%#@
#%†~^..... then i realize  i  can't  hear  anything .....^~†%#
%†~^......      because there's something there     ......^~†%
†~^.......    already, droning everything out, a    .......^~†
~^........ rapid  melody, almost  caustic  in  it's ........^~
^.........         particular microtonality.        .........^
..........                                          ..........
..........                    ^^                    ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... my surroundings are entirely  calm. it's ..........
..........              almost mocking.             ..........
^.........                                          .........^
~^........ i  feel  helpless,  but  i must  try  to ........^~
†~^....... escape. to crawl on the floor  searching .......^~†
%†~^...... relief, such  is my  nature. turning the ......^~†%
#%†~^.....    lights on does nothing... getting     .....^~†%#
@#%†~^....  outside does nothing... drinking water  ....^~†%#@
#@#%†~^... does  noting... but  time  does -  after ...^~†%#@#
##@#%†~^..     thirty seconds i'm normal again,     ..^~†%#@##
###@#%†~^. doubting anything  of this  happened  in .^~†%#@###
##@#%†~^..             the first place.             ..^~†%#@##
#@#%†~^...                                          ...^~†%#@#
@#%†~^.... my eyes are still  tense though, scared. ....^~†%#@
#%†~^..... i    don't    know   what    to    make. .....^~†%#
%†~^......                                          ......^~†%
†~^.......              but i'm tired.              .......^~†
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........                     .                    .........^
..........                  ^^~†~^^                 ..........
..........                    .                     ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... this  can happen if  you wander too far, ..........
.......... i  guess?  i  shouldn't be  so  reckless ..........
^.........              when dreaming?              .........^
~^........ i  imagine a prick on the  nose,  that's ........^~
†~^....... what these are.  like you  do with a cat .......^~†
%†~^...... who comes  to  close to your sandwich... ......^~†%
#%†~^.....                                          .....^~†%#
@#%†~^....                                          ....^~†%#@
#@#%†~^...                                          ...^~†%#@#
##@#%†~^..                                          ..^~†%#@##
###@#%†~^.                                          .^~†%#@###
##@#%†~^..                                          ..^~†%#@##