....^-*^$& &$^*-^....
...^-*^$ #&$^*-^...
..^-*^$# ##&$^*-^..
.^-*^$## ###&$^*-^.
..^-*^$# ##&$^*-^..
...^-*^$ 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 $^*-^.....
......^-*^ NEW URGES. ^*-^......
.......^-* *-^.......
........^- ESCAPING THROUGH THE GLASSLESS WINDOW. -^........
.........^ OUTSIDE, THE WORLD IS WAITING. ^.........
........^- -^........
.......^-* *-^.......
......^-*^ ^*-^......
.....^-*^$ $^*-^.....
....^-*^$& &$^*-^....