%^*=^..... .....^=*^%
^*=^...... ......^=*^
*=^....... .......^=*
=^........ ........^=
^......... .........^
=^........ ###= =### ........^=
*=^....... # # .......^=*
^*=^...... # 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. ......^=*^
%^*=^..... .....^=*^%
&%^*=^.... ....^=*^%&
@&%^*=^... ...^=*^%&@
#@&%^*=^.. ..^=*^%&@#
##@&%^*=^. .^=*^%&@##