##@§¤$*«^¨                                          ¨^«*$¤§@##
§$«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«$§
##@§¤$*«^¨                                          ¨^«*$¤§@##
§§¤¤*«¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«*¤¤§§
##@§¤$*«^¨                                          ¨^«*$¤§@##
##@§¤$*«^¨            ###«         «###             ¨^«*$¤§@##
##@§¤$*«^¨             #               #            ¨^«*$¤§@##
§§$**^^¨¨¨             # TELE MIGRAINE #            ¨¨¨^^**$§§
###@¤$*«^¨             #               #            ¨^«*$¤@###
##@§¤$*«^¨            ###«         «###             ¨^«*$¤§@##
#@¤$$««^¨¨                                          ¨¨^««$$¤@#
@@¤*«^¨¨¨¨   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   ¨¨¨¨^*¤§§§
##@§¤$*«^¨ LIVE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, TOGETHER WITH  ¨^«*$¤§@##
§$«^^¨¨¨¨¨      THE OWNER. AS I CLOSE THE METAL     ¨¨¨¨¨^^«$§
##@§¤$*«^¨    CURTAIN, BEHIND ITS CHARACTERISTIC    ¨^«*$¤§@##
@¤¤$*«¨¨¨¨       SHARP RATTLING I CAN HEAR THE      ¨¨¨¨«*$¤¤@
§$$«^¨¨¨¨¨              CURFEW SIRENS.              ¨¨¨¨¨^«$$§
##@§¤$*«^¨                                          ¨^«*$¤§@##
###@§¤$*«¨   WORMY STREET WOLVES OUTSIDE, CHASING   ¨«*$¤§@###
@@@§¤$*«^¨     ENTRANCES IN THE DARK ALLEYWAYS,     ¨^«*$¤§@@@
##@§¤$*«^¨  WANTING IN, GETTING DESPERATE, LAPSING  ¨^«*$¤§@##
##@§¤$*«^¨ TO SEARCH HIGHER, ON ROOFS, CLIMBING ON  ¨^«*$¤§@##
#@§$$*«^¨¨  BALCONIES. AND THERE'S BOUND TO BE SOME ¨¨^«*$$§@#
##@§¤$*«^¨   RECKLESS TOURIST WHO DIDN'T HEED THE   ¨^«*$¤§@##
##@§¤$*«^¨  WARNINGS, NEVER CLOSED THEIR WINDOWS... ¨^«*$¤§@##
@@@§¤$*«^¨                                          ¨^«*$¤§@@@
##@§¤$*«^¨   OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD  ¨^«*$¤§@##
###@§¤$«^¨    THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN   ¨^«$¤§@###
##@§¤$*«^¨  CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET  ¨^«*$¤§@##
##@§¤$*«^¨            THEIR BELONGINGS.             ¨^«*$¤§@##
§¤¤$«¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«$¤¤§
##@§¤$*«^¨                                          ¨^«*$¤§@##
§§$««^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^««$§§
##@§¤$*«^¨                                          ¨^«*$¤§@##
@¤¤$$$*«^¨                                          ¨^«*$$$¤¤@