..=*^*&&@# #@&&*^*=..
......*^&& &&^*......
..=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=..
.....***&@ ###= =### @&***.....
..=*^*&@## # # ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## # TELE MIGRAINE # ##@&*^*=..
.....=^^*& # # &*^^=.....
..=*^^*&@# ###= =### #@&*^^*=..
..=*^*&@@@ @@@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## THE SO CALLED "THIRD MIGRAINE". IT'S ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## LIKE A REGULAR MIGRAINE BUT IT DOES NOT ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@@# HURT THERE'S NO PAIN, THE COSMOS IS #@@&*^*=..
......=^ THERE AND IT'S DRAINING THE EVIL #&^=......
......=**@ STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WOUND. @**=......
..=*^*## ###&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## IT'S MASSAGING YOUR TEMPLES, PIERCING ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## YOU, ENTERING YOUR BLOOD, CRACKING THE ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## SKULL OPEN. A PAW GRIPS YOUR BRAIN, ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*@### PLAYS WITH IT, PULLS IT OUT INTO THE ###@*^*=..
.......**@ COSMOS. @**.......
.....==^&& &&^==.....
..=*^*&@## THERE'S COMETS! SPACE ODDITIES. ##@&*^*=..
..=^*&@### SOLITARY OSCILLATIONS. CARRIER WAVE. ###@&*^=..
..=*^*&@@# BURNED AWAY BY THE SUNS RADIATION UNTIL #@@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## ONLY THE FAINTEST TRACE REMAIN, ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*## EVENTUALLY CAUGHT IN THE GRAVITY WELL ###&*^*=..
..=*^*&&@# OF SOME SECOND RATE WATER PLANET. #@&&*^*=..
..=*^*## ###&*^*=..
..=*^*&@@# IT'S RAINING SAP. #@@&*^*=..
..=*^*@### WE'RE GETTING SWEET AND WET ###@*^*=..
..=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=..
..=***^*@@ ###= =### @@*^***=..
.....=^*&& &&*^=.....
....==^*&& MY LUNCH BREAK IS OVER AND I NEED TO &&*^==....
.....==**& GET BACK TO THE SHOP. LYNNE IS THERE &**==.....
.......=^& ALONE AND HASN'T EATEN YET. I TAKE THE &^=.......
..=*^*&@## BACK ROUTE UP FROM THE BEACH TO AVOID ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## THE CROWD. SING A LITTLE TO MYSELF. ##@&*^*=..
.....****& &****.....
.....****@ LIFE GETS TO PROSPER OUTSIDE OF.@*=== - @****.....
..=*^*&@## SUDDENLY, AN ACID FLASHBACK: I STEP ##@&*^*=..
....=^**&@ DOWN IN MY MIND (LIKE AN OPEN MIND / @&**^=....
....**^^^& FRACTAL STINGER / BISMUTH STAIRCASE) &^^^**....
..=*^&@### AND WADE IN SHADOWS... SURROUNDED BY ###@&^*=..
..=*^***&@ MEMORY NEGATIVES, @&***^*=..
.....***@# LIKE UPROCESSED FILM.... #@***.....
..=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&&&& ###= =### &&&&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=..
..=*^&@### WE'RE CLOSING FOR THE EVENING. THE SHOP ###@&^*=..
..=*^*## IS IN THE BOTTOM FLOOR OF A NARROW ###&*^*=..
..=*^&@### MUDBRICK BUILDING, PAINTED TEAL. WE ###@&^*=..
..====^&@@ LIVE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, TOGETHER WITH @@&^====..
..=*^*## THE OWNER. AS I CLOSE THE METAL ###&*^*=..
..=*^*&& CURTAIN, BEHIND ITS CHARACTERISTIC #&&&*^*=..
.....=*^*@ SHARP RATTLING I CAN HEAR THE @*^*=.....
..=*^***&@ CURFEW SIRENS. @&***^*=..
..=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=..
....*^^^*& WORMY STREET WOLVES OUTSIDE, CHASING &*^^^*....
..=*^&@### ENTRANCES IN THE DARK ALLEYWAYS, ###@&^*=..
..=*^^**&& WANTING IN, GETTING DESPERATE, LAPSING &&**^^*=..
..=*^*&@## TO SEARCH HIGHER, ON ROOFS, CLIMBING ON ##@&*^*=..
.....=*^*& BALCONIES. AND THERE'S BOUND TO BE SOME &*^*=.....
..=**^^^^& RECKLESS TOURIST WHO DIDN'T HEED THE &^^^^**=..
..=*^*&@@@ WARNINGS, NEVER CLOSED THEIR WINDOWS... @@@&*^*=..
....=***^& &^***=....
..=*^*&@## OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD ##@&*^*=..
.....==^&& THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN &&^==.....
..=*^*&@## CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## THEIR BELONGINGS. ##@&*^*=..
..=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=..
......=^*& &*^=......
..=^*&@### ###@&*^=..
.....=***& &***=.....
..=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=..