$†/~^.....                                          .....^~/†$
†/~^......                                          ......^~/†
/~^.......                                          .......^~/
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
~^........ the feral dream          ~~~~@ ~~~~@ ~~@ ........^~
/~^.......                                          .......^~/
†/~^...... //////////////////////////////////////// ......^~/†
$†/~^..... / event: ingestion of three hundred    / .....^~/†$
#$†/~^.... / and sixty micrograms of selatenine   / ....^~/†$#
@#$†/~^... //////////////////////////////////////// ...^~/†$#@
#@#$†/~^..                                          ..^~/†$#@#
##@#$†/~^.      a gentle transformation occurs.     .^~/†$#@##
#@#$†/~^..                                          ..^~/†$#@#
@#$†/~^...   first, just an isolated prick in the   ...^~/†$#@
#$†/~^.... fingers, which could be nothing. except  ....^~/†$#
$†/~^.....   there is a tension that wasn't there   .....^~/†$
†/~^......                  before.                 ......^~/†
/~^.......                                          .......^~/
~^........    joy as a television static spreads    ........^~
^.........  slowly up the arms. (old limbs falling  .........^
~^........        asleep for the last time.)        ........^~
/~^.......                                          .......^~/
†/~^......   next is a private moment, and we must  ......^~/†
$†/~^.....    look away for a bit. but whatever's   .....^~/†$
#$†/~^....    happening doesn't sound unpleasant.   ....^~/†$#
@#$†/~^...   short breath, moans, bones breaking,   ...^~/†$#@
#@#$†/~^..  maybe; but these are raptorous things,  ..^~/†$#@#
##@#$†/~^.          they are exultations.           .^~/†$#@##
#@#$†/~^..                                          ..^~/†$#@#
@#$†/~^...  for a split second, the room is devoid  ...^~/†$#@
#$†/~^....    of life. but then, the evening sun    ....^~/†$#
$†/~^.....  finds something new on the floor. in a  .....^~/†$
†/~^......   pool of primordial water, a shivering  ......^~/†
/~^.......       fourlegger opens their eyes.       .......^~/
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........    there is a second blooming, and a     .........^
~^........    third, and a fourth. struggling to    ........^~
/~^.......   rise, finding the unexpected strength  .......^~/
†/~^......  of the new body, falling headfirst into ......^~/†
$†/~^.....                new urges.                .....^~/†$
#$†/~^....                                          ....^~/†$#
@#$†/~^...  escaping through the glassless window.  ...^~/†$#@
#@#$†/~^..      outside, the world is waiting.      ..^~/†$#@#
##@#$†/~^.                                          .^~/†$#@##
#@#$†/~^..                                          ..^~/†$#@#
@#$†/~^...                                          ...^~/†$#@
#$†/~^....                                          ....^~/†$#
$†/~^.....                                          .....^~/†$