$^«,......                                          ......,«^$
^«,.......                                          .......,«^
$^«,......                                          ......,«^$
¤$^«,.....                                          .....,«^$¤
¤¤$^«,....                                          ....,«^$¤¤
£¤¤$^«,... the feral dream          ««««£ ««««£ ««£ ...,«^$¤¤£
#£¤¤$^«,..                                          ..,«^$¤¤£#
##£¤¤$^«,. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .,«^$¤¤£##
#£¤¤$^«,.. ^ event: ingestion of three hundred    ^ ..,«^$¤¤£#
£¤¤$^«,... ^ and sixty micrograms of selatenine   ^ ...,«^$¤¤£
¤¤$^«,.... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ....,«^$¤¤
¤$^«,.....                                          .....,«^$¤
$^«,......     a gentle transformation occurs.      ......,«^$
^«,.......                                          .......,«^
$^«,......   first, just an isolated prick in the   ......,«^$
¤$^«,.....  fingers, which could be nothing. except .....,«^$¤
¤¤$^«,....   there is a tension that wasn't there   ....,«^$¤¤
£¤¤$^«,...                 before.                  ...,«^$¤¤£
#£¤¤$^«,..                                          ..,«^$¤¤£#
##£¤¤$^«,.    joy as a television static spreads    .,«^$¤¤£##
#£¤¤$^«,..  slowly up the arms. (old limbs falling  ..,«^$¤¤£#
£¤¤$^«,...        asleep for the last time.)        ...,«^$¤¤£
¤¤$^«,....                                          ....,«^$¤¤
¤$^«,.....   next is a private moment, and we must  .....,«^$¤
$^«,......   look away for a bit. but whatever's    ......,«^$
^«,.......    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    .......,«^
$^«,......   rise, finding the unexpected strength  ......,«^$
¤$^«,.....  of the new body, falling headfirst into .....,«^$¤
¤¤$^«,....                new urges.                ....,«^$¤¤
£¤¤$^«,...                                          ...,«^$¤¤£
#£¤¤$^«,..  escaping through the glassless window.  ..,«^$¤¤£#
##£¤¤$^«,.      outside, the world is waiting.      .,«^$¤¤£##
#£¤¤$^«,..                                          ..,«^$¤¤£#
£¤¤$^«,...                                          ...,«^$¤¤£
¤¤$^«,....                                          ....,«^$¤¤
¤$^«,.....                                          .....,«^$¤
$^«,......                                          ......,«^$