.......^== ==^.......
......^==* *==^......
.....^==*& &*==^.....
....^==* #&*==^....
...^==*# ##&*==^...
..^==*## 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. *==^......
.......^== ==^.......
........^= =^........
.........^ ^.........
........^= =^........
.......^== ==^.......