.:~:†$#@##                                          ##@#$†:~:.
.:~:†$#@##                                          ##@#$†:~:.
.:~:†$#@##                                          ##@#$†:~:.
......:~†#                                          #†~:......
.:~:†$#@##                                          ##@#$†:~:.
...::::†## 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    ###@#†:~:.
.:~:†$#@##   RISE, FINDING THE UNEXPECTED STRENGTH  ##@#$†:~:.
.:~:†$#@## OF THE NEW BODY, FALLING HEADFIRST INTO  ##@#$†:~:.
.:~:†$#@##                NEW URGES.                ##@#$†:~:.
.:~:†$#@##                                          ##@#$†:~:.
.:~:†$#@##  ESCAPING THROUGH THE GLASSLESS WINDOW.  ##@#$†:~:.
.:~:†$#@##      OUTSIDE, THE WORLD IS WAITING.      ##@#$†:~:.
.:~:†$#@##                                          ##@#$†:~:.
...~~~†###                                          ###†~~~...
.:~:†$#@##                                          ##@#$†:~:.
.:~:†$@###                                          ###@$†:~:.
.:~:†$#@##                                          ##@#$†:~:.