......-=*& &*=-......
......-=*¶ ¶*=-......
.^-^=*&¶@@ @@¶&*=^-^.
.^-^=*&¶@@ @@¶&*=^-^.
.^-^=*&¶@# #@¶&*=^-^.
.....^^==& ###- -### &==^^.....
....^^*&¶@ # # @¶&*^^....
.......-=& # 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. ##¶&*=^-^.
.^-^=*&¶@@ @@¶&*=^-^.
.^-^=*&@## ##@&*=^-^.
.^-^=*&¶@# #@¶&*=^-^.
.^-^=*&&&@ @&&&*=^-^.
.^-^=*&¶@# #@¶&*=^-^.