####%*;-^. .^-;*%####
####%*;-^. .^-;*%####
####%*;-^. .^-;*%####
####%*;-^. .^-;*%####
###%;;^... ...^;;%###
####%*;-^. ###- -### .^-;*%####
#####%*;-^ # # ^-;*%#####
####%*;-^. # 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. .....^-*%#
##*;-^.... ....^-;*##
####%*;-^. .^-;*%####
####%*;-^. .^-;*%####
###%**;-^. .^-;**%###
####%*;-^. .^-;*%####