..~==†£¶##                                          ##¶£†==~..
...~==†£¶#                                          #¶£†==~...
....~==†£¶                                          ¶£†==~....
.....~==†£                                          £†==~.....
......~==†                                          †==~......
.......~== 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.      £†==~.....
....~==†£¶                                          ¶£†==~....
...~==†£¶#                                          #¶£†==~...
..~==†£¶##                                          ##¶£†==~..
.~==†£¶###                                          ###¶£†==~.
..~==†£¶##                                          ##¶£†==~..