^.........                                          .........^
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... 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.      ..^«=†¤¤##
###¤¤†=«^.                                          .^«=†¤¤###
##¤¤†=«^..                                          ..^«=†¤¤##
#¤¤†=«^...                                          ...^«=†¤¤#
¤¤†=«^....                                          ....^«=†¤¤
¤†=«^.....                                          .....^«=†¤