.......-^# #^-.......
..-†^%#@## ##@#%^†-..
..-†^%#@## ##@#%^†-..
..-†^%#@## ##@#%^†-..
..-†^%#@## ##@#%^†-..
.-†^%#@### ###- -### ###@#%^†-.
..-†^%#### # # ####%^†-..
.....-†%%# # 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. #^-.......
.....-†%%@ @%%†-.....
..-†^%#@## ##@#%^†-..
..-†^%#@## ##@#%^†-..
..-†^%#@## ##@#%^†-..
..--†^%%@# #@%%^†--..