.~=****§§#                                          #§§****=~.
.~=***§£##                                          ##£§***=~.
.~=***§£##                                          ##£§***=~.
...~****§#                                          #§****~...
.~=***§££#                                          #££§***=~.
.~=***§£##             ###=         =###            ##£§***=~.
......=**£            #               #             £**=......
..~===***£            # 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.             §****~....
.~=****§§§                                          §§§****=~.
.~=***§£##                                          ##£§***=~.
.~=***§£##                                          ##£§***=~.
.~=***§£££                                          £££§***=~.
....~=**§#                                          #§**=~....