..~-*$*&£#                                          #£&*$*-~..
...~-*$*&£                                          £&*$*-~...
....~-*$*&                                          &*$*-~....
.....~-*$*                                          *$*-~.....
......~-*$                                          $*-~......
.......~-*            ###-         -###             *-~.......
........~-            #               #             -~........
.........~             # TELE MIGRAINE #            ~.........
..........            #               #             ..........
.........~            ###-         -###             ~.........
........~-                                          -~........
.......~-*   THE SO CALLED "THIRD MIGRAINE". IT'S   *-~.......
......~-*$  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.            ##£&*$*-~.
..~-*$*&£#                                          #£&*$*-~..
...~-*$*&£                                          £&*$*-~...
....~-*$*&                                          &*$*-~....
.....~-*$*                                          *$*-~.....
......~-*$                                          $*-~......