....=†%§@#                                          #@§%†=....
...,,,=†%@                                          @%†=,,,...
.,=†%%§@##                                          ##@§%%†=,.
.,=†%%§@##                                          ##@§%%†=,.
.,=†%%§@##                                          ##@§%%†=,.
....,†%%@# 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.      ##@§%%†=,.
...,,=†%§§                                          §§%†=,,...
.,=†%%§@##                                          ##@§%%†=,.
.,=†%%§@##                                          ##@§%%†=,.
.,=†%%§@##                                          ##@§%%†=,.
.,=†%%%%§@                                          @§%%%%†=,.