.....,^^%£                                          £%^^,.....
.,~^§%£###                                          ###£%§^~,.
.,~^§%£#@@                                          @@#£%§^~,.
...,~^^%#@                                          @#%^^~,...
.....,,^%#                                          #%^,,.....
.,~^§%£#@# 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.      @@#£%§^~,.
.,~^§%£#@#                                          #@#£%§^~,.
.,~^§%£#@#                                          #@#£%§^~,.
.,~^§%££££                                          ££££%§^~,.
......~§£#                                          #£§~......
.,~^§%£#@@                                          @@#£%§^~,.