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¨¨¨^^^/**£ 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  £**//~~~^¨
¨^~/*$£###    of life. but then, the evening sun    ###£$*/~^¨
¨^~/*$£###  finds something new on the floor. in a  ###£$*/~^¨
¨^~/*$£###  pool of primordial water, a shivering   ###£$*/~^¨
¨^~/*$£###       fourlegger opens their eyes.       ###£$*/~^¨
¨^~/*$£###                                          ###£$*/~^¨
¨¨¨¨~*$$##     there is a second blooming, and a    ##$$*~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~/*$##    third, and a fourth. struggling to    ##$*/~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~//$#  rise, finding the unexpected strength   #$//~¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~/*$£### of the new body, falling headfirst into  ###£$*/~^¨
¨^^^//*$##                new urges.                ##$*//^^^¨
¨¨¨^~/$$##                                          ##$$/~^¨¨¨
¨^~/*$$$$#  escaping through the glassless window.  #$$$$*/~^¨
¨^~/*$£###      outside, the world is waiting.      ###£$*/~^¨
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