.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... 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. ###¶&*;~:.
..:~;*&¶## ##¶&*;~:..
...:~;*&¶# #¶&*;~:...
....:~;*&¶ ¶&*;~:....
.....:~;*& &*;~:.....
......:~;* *;~:......