#@@&$*:~.. ..~:*$&@@#
#@@&$*:~.. ..~:*$&@@#
&$$:~~~... ...~~~:$$&
&&*:~..... .....~:*&&
#@@&$*:~.. ..~:*$&@@#
&$:~...... ###~ ~### ......~:$&
#@@&$*:~.. # # ..~:*$&@@#
&&$$:::~.. # TELE MIGRAINE # ..~:::$$&&
&$**~~~... # # ...~~~**$&
@@@&$*:~.. ###~ ~### ..~:*$&@@@
&$:~~~~... ...~~~~:$&
#@@&$*:~.. THE SO CALLED "THIRD MIGRAINE". IT'S ..~:*$&@@#
##@@&$*~.. LIKE A REGULAR MIGRAINE BUT IT DOES NOT ..~*$&@@##
#@@&$*:~.. HURT THERE'S NO PAIN, THE COSMOS IS ..~:*$&@@#
@@$$*~~~.. THERE AND IT'S DRAINING THE EVIL ..~~~*$$@@
##@&$*:~.. STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WOUND. ..~:*$&@##
&$*~...... ......~*$&
&*:....... 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... .......:*&
#@@&$*:~.. ..~:*$&@@#
#@@&$*:~.. OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD ..~:*$&@@#
@$$*::.... THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN ....::*$$@
@@@&$*:~.. CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET ..~:*$&@@@
@@@&$*:~.. THEIR BELONGINGS. ..~:*$&@@@
@@@&$*:~.. ..~:*$&@@@
##@@&$:~.. ..~:$&@@##
@@&&$*:~.. ..~:*$&&@@
@@&&$*:~.. ..~:*$&&@@
&&&$*~.... ....~*$&&&