&==^...... ......^==&
@#&@===~^. .^~===@&#@
#@#&@==~^. .^~==@&#@#
&=~....... .......~=&
@#&@==~~^. .^~~==@&#@
#@#&@==~^. ###~ ~### .^~==@&#@#
&@@==^^... # # ...^^==@@&
#@#&@==~^. # 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. ...~==@@&@
&===~^.... ....^~===&
@@#&@==~^. .^~==@&#@@
#&=~~~^^^. .^^^~~~=&#
@&===^.... ....^===&@
#&==~..... .....~==&#