,~===^^*## ##*^^===~,
,,,,,,=*£# #£*=,,,,,,
,,,,,,~^£# #£^~,,,,,,
,~=^*£##@# #@##£*^=~,
,,,,~^^££# #££^^~,,,,
,,,,~=*### ###= =### ###*=~,,,,
,~=^*£#### # # ####£*^=~,
,~=^*£#### # 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. #@##£*^=~,
,,~=^^^££# #££^^^=~,,
,~=*£##@## ##@##£*=~,
,~=^*£##@# #@##£*^=~,
,,,,,~=^*# #*^=~,,,,,
,,~~^***#@ @#***^~~,,