##*%%~~^^. .^^~~%%*##
###@*%=~^. .^~=%*@###
###@*%=~^. .^~=%*@###
@@@@*%=~^. .^~=%*@@@@
#*%%%%=~^. .^~=%%%%*#
#****%=~^. 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. .^~=%*@###
#@*%==~... ...~==%*@#
##**=^^^.. ..^^^=**##
###@*%=~^. .^~=%*@###
@*==^^.... ....^^==*@
###@*%=~^. .^~=%*@###