.~«/*%¤@##                                          ##@¤%*/«~.
.~«/*%¤@##                                          ##@¤%*/«~.
.~«///*%@@                                          @@%*///«~.
.~«/*%¤@@@                                          @@@¤%*/«~.
.~«/*%¤@@#                                          #@@¤%*/«~.
....~«*¤@@             ###«         «###            @@¤*«~....
.~«/*%¤@@#            #               #             #@@¤%*/«~.
.~«/*%¤@##             # 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.            ¤*/«......
.~«««****¤                                          ¤****«««~.
.~«/*%¤¤¤@                                          @¤¤¤%*/«~.
...«//*%@@                                          @@%*//«...
.~«/*%¤¤@#                                          #@¤¤%*/«~.
.~«/*%¤@##                                          ##@¤%*/«~.