#&&§§~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~§§&&#
###&*§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§*&###
###&*§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§*&###
##***§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§***##
###&*§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§*&###
##&§~~~¨¨¨ the feral dream          ~~~~# ~~~~# ~~# ¨¨¨~~~§&##
###&*§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§*&###
###&*§†~:¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨:~†§*&###
####*§†~:¨ † event: ingestion of three hundred    † ¨:~†§*####
&§~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ † and sixty micrograms of selatenine   † ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~§&
&&&&*§†~:¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨:~†§*&&&&
#&&§§~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~§§&&#
####*§†~:¨      a gentle transformation occurs.     ¨:~†§*####
###&*§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§*&###
###&*§†~:¨   first, just an isolated prick in the   ¨:~†§*&###
###&*§†~:¨ fingers, which could be nothing. except  ¨:~†§*&###
#**†~:¨¨¨¨   there is a tension that wasn't there   ¨¨¨¨:~†**#
###&*§†~:¨                 before.                  ¨:~†§*&###
###&*§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§*&###
&§~~¨¨¨¨¨¨    joy as a television static spreads    ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~§&
###&*§†~:¨  slowly up the arms. (old limbs falling  ¨:~†§*&###
#&&&*§†~:¨        asleep for the last time.)        ¨:~†§*&&&#
#&&§†::¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨::†§&&#
###&*§†~:¨  next is a private moment, and we must   ¨:~†§*&###
###&*§†~:¨    look away for a bit. but whatever's   ¨:~†§*&###
###&*§†~:¨   happening doesn't sound unpleasant.    ¨:~†§*&###
#&§§§§†~:¨   short breath, moans, bones breaking,   ¨:~†§§§§&#
&**§~~¨¨¨¨  maybe; but these are raptorous things,  ¨¨¨¨~~§**&
&§§§~::¨¨¨           they are exultations.          ¨¨¨::~§§§&
&§~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~§&
&&&&*§†~:¨  for a split second, the room is devoid  ¨:~†§*&&&&
####&§†~:¨    of life. but then, the evening sun    ¨:~†§&####
##***§†~:¨  finds something new on the floor. in a  ¨:~†§***##
&**†~:¨¨¨¨   pool of primordial water, a shivering  ¨¨¨¨:~†**&
###&*§†~:¨       fourlegger opens their eyes.       ¨:~†§*&###
&*§~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~§*&
#**†:::¨¨¨    there is a second blooming, and a     ¨¨¨:::†**#
###&*§†~:¨    third, and a fourth. struggling to    ¨:~†§*&###
##*†~:¨¨¨¨   rise, finding the unexpected strength  ¨¨¨¨:~†*##
###&*§†~:¨ of the new body, falling headfirst into  ¨:~†§*&###
####&§†~:¨                new urges.                ¨:~†§&####
&*§§~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~§§*&
###&*§†~:¨  escaping through the glassless window.  ¨:~†§*&###
###&*§†~:¨      outside, the world is waiting.      ¨:~†§*&###
###&*§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§*&###
#&*§§†:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:†§§*&#
###&*§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§*&###
&*†::¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨::†*&
###&*§†~:¨                                          ¨:~†§*&###