##@&*^\~^, ,^~\^*&@##
@@@&*^\~^, ,^~\^*&@@@
@&&*^~,,,, ,,,,~^*&&@
#@**\~^,,, ,,,^~\**@#
##@&*^\~^, ,^~\^*&@##
#&&*\^,,,, ###~ ~### ,,,,^\*&&#
##@&*^\~^, # # ,^~\^*&@##
#&^\\~^^^, # 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. ,^~\^^**&@
@@**^\\~^, ,^~\\^**@@
###&*^\~^, ,^~\^*&###
@&***^\~^, ,^~\^***&@
&^^^~^,,,, ,,,,^~^^^&
@*\^^^^,,, ,,,^^^^\*@