.....,«^*%                                          %*^«,.....
....,«^*%§                                          §%*^«,....
...,«^*%§@                                          @§%*^«,...
..,«^*%§@#                                          #@§%*^«,..
.,«^*%§@##                                          ##@§%*^«,.
..,«^*%§@# 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.      §%*^«,....
.....,«^*%                                          %*^«,.....
......,«^*                                          *^«,......
.......,«^                                          ^«,.......
........,«                                          «,........
.........,                                          ,.........