.-~^%@## ##@#&%^~-.
.....~^%## ##%^~.....
.-~^%@## ##@#&%^~-.
.-~^^^%#@@ @@#%^^^~-.
..---~^@ @#&^~---..
....~%%%## ###~ ~### ##%%%~....
.-~^%#@@ # # @@##&%^~-.
.-~^%%&&&@ # 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. ####&%^~-.
.-~^%%%& #&&%%%^~-.
......~%%# #%%~......
.-~^%### ####&%^~-.
.-~^%@## ##@#&%^~-.
.-~^%#@### ###@#%^~-.