.^~:=*§£##                                          ##£§*=:~^.
.^~:=***§£                                          £§***=:~^.
.^~:==***§                                          §***==:~^.
....^:=*§£                                          £§*=:^....
.....~:=§§                                          §§=:~.....
.^~:=**§§§ 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.      ##£§*=:~^.
.^~:=*§£##                                          ##£§*=:~^.
....^:*§££                                          ££§*:^....
.^~:=*§£##                                          ##£§*=:~^.
.....^:=*£                                          £*=:^.....
......~:=§                                          §=:~......