.-=^^$@¶@# #@¶@$^^=-.
.-=^^$@¶@@ @@¶@$^^=-.
.-=^^^$@@@ @@@$^^^=-.
.-=^^$@@## ##@@$^^=-.
.-=^^$@¶@# #@¶@$^^=-.
...-^^^^$¶ ###= =### ¶$^^^^-...
.-=^^$@@## # # ##@@$^^=-.
.-=^^$@¶¶@ # TELE MIGRAINE # @¶¶@$^^=-.
.....-=^$¶ # # ¶$^=-.....
....-^^^@@ ###= =### @@^^^-....
.-=^^$@¶@# #@¶@$^^=-.
....-^$@@@ THE SO CALLED "THIRD MIGRAINE". IT'S @@@$^-....
.-=^^@¶@## 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 @^^==.....
.-=^^$@¶@# WARNINGS, NEVER CLOSED THEIR WINDOWS... #@¶@$^^=-.
......=^$¶ ¶$^=......
.-=^^$@¶@# OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD #@¶@$^^=-.
.-=^^$@¶@@ THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN @@¶@$^^=-.
.-=^^$@¶@@ CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET @@¶@$^^=-.
.-=^^$@¶@# THEIR BELONGINGS. #@¶@$^^=-.
.-=^^$@¶¶¶ ¶¶¶@$^^=-.
.=^^$@¶@## ##@¶@$^^=.
.....-^$@¶ ¶@$^-.....
.-=^^$¶@## ##@¶$^^=-.
....-=^^@@ @@^^=-....