@%=....... .......=%@
###¶*%;=^. .^=;%*¶###
¶¶@**%;=^. .^=;%**@¶¶
##¶@*%;=^. .^=;%*@¶##
##¶@*%;=^. .^=;%*@¶##
##¶@*%;=^. ###= =### .^=;%*@¶##
###¶*%;=^. # # .^=;%*¶###
##¶@*%;=^. # 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. ..^^^==;*@
##¶@*%;=^. .^=;%*@¶##
##¶@*%;=^. .^=;%*@¶##
@@*%;==... ...==;%*@@
##¶@*%;=^. .^=;%*@¶##
@%=....... .......=%@