........^=                                          =^........
.......^==                                          ==^.......
......^==%                                          %==^......
.....^==%*                                          *%==^.....
....^==%*&                                          &*%==^....
...^==%*&@ 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.      ##@&*%==^.
..^==%*&@#                                          #@&*%==^..
...^==%*&@                                          @&*%==^...
....^==%*&                                          &*%==^....
.....^==%*                                          *%==^.....
......^==%                                          %==^......