.......... ..........
,......... .........,
~,........ ........,~
=~,....... .......,~=
^=~,...... ......,~=^
$^=~,..... ###~ ~### .....,~=^$
@$^=~,.... # # ....,~=^$@
@@$^=~,... # TELE MIGRAINE # ...,~=^$@@
#@@$^=~,.. # # ..,~=^$@@#
##@@$^=~,. ###~ ~### .,~=^$@@##
#@@$^=~,.. ..,~=^$@@#
@@$^=~,... THE SO CALLED "THIRD MIGRAINE". IT'S ...,~=^$@@
@$^=~,.... LIKE A REGULAR MIGRAINE BUT IT DOES NOT ....,~=^$@
$^=~,..... HURT THERE'S NO PAIN, THE COSMOS IS .....,~=^$
^=~,...... THERE AND IT'S DRAINING THE EVIL ......,~=^
=~,....... STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WOUND. .......,~=
~,........ ........,~
,......... IT'S MASSAGING YOUR TEMPLES, PIERCING .........,
.......... YOU, ENTERING YOUR BLOOD, CRACKING THE ..........
.......... SKULL OPEN. A PAW GRIPS YOUR BRAIN, ..........
.......... PLAYS WITH IT, PULLS IT OUT INTO THE ..........
,......... COSMOS. .........,
~,........ ........,~
=~,....... THERE'S COMETS! SPACE ODDITIES. .......,~=
^=~,...... SOLITARY OSCILLATIONS. CARRIER WAVE. ......,~=^
$^=~,..... BURNED AWAY BY THE SUNS RADIATION UNTIL .....,~=^$
@$^=~,.... ONLY THE FAINTEST TRACE REMAIN, ....,~=^$@
@@$^=~,... EVENTUALLY CAUGHT IN THE GRAVITY WELL ...,~=^$@@
#@@$^=~,.. OF SOME SECOND RATE WATER PLANET. ..,~=^$@@#
##@@$^=~,. .,~=^$@@##
#@@$^=~,.. IT'S RAINING SAP. ..,~=^$@@#
@@$^=~,... WE'RE GETTING SWEET AND WET ...,~=^$@@
@$^=~,.... ....,~=^$@
$^=~,..... ###~ ~### .....,~=^$
^=~,...... ......,~=^
=~,....... MY LUNCH BREAK IS OVER AND I NEED TO .......,~=
~,........ GET BACK TO THE SHOP. LYNNE IS THERE ........,~
,......... ALONE AND HASN'T EATEN YET. I TAKE THE .........,
.......... BACK ROUTE UP FROM THE BEACH TO AVOID ..........
.......... THE CROWD. SING A LITTLE TO MYSELF. ..........
.......... ..........
,......... LIFE GETS TO PROSPER OUTSIDE OF.@=~~~ - .........,
~,........ SUDDENLY, AN ACID FLASHBACK: I STEP ........,~
=~,....... DOWN IN MY MIND (LIKE AN OPEN MIND / .......,~=
^=~,...... FRACTAL STINGER / BISMUTH STAIRCASE) ......,~=^
$^=~,..... AND WADE IN SHADOWS... SURROUNDED BY .....,~=^$
@$^=~,.... MEMORY NEGATIVES, ....,~=^$@
@@$^=~,... LIKE UPROCESSED FILM.... ...,~=^$@@
#@@$^=~,.. ..,~=^$@@#
##@@$^=~,. ###~ ~### .,~=^$@@##
#@@$^=~,.. ..,~=^$@@#
@@$^=~,... WE'RE CLOSING FOR THE EVENING. THE SHOP ...,~=^$@@
@$^=~,.... IS IN THE BOTTOM FLOOR OF A NARROW ....,~=^$@
$^=~,..... MUDBRICK BUILDING, PAINTED TEAL. WE .....,~=^$
^=~,...... LIVE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, TOGETHER WITH ......,~=^
=~,....... THE OWNER. AS I CLOSE THE METAL .......,~=
~,........ CURTAIN, BEHIND ITS CHARACTERISTIC ........,~
,......... SHARP RATTLING I CAN HEAR THE .........,
.......... CURFEW SIRENS. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... WORMY STREET WOLVES OUTSIDE, CHASING ..........
,......... ENTRANCES IN THE DARK ALLEYWAYS, .........,
~,........ WANTING IN, GETTING DESPERATE, LAPSING ........,~
=~,....... TO SEARCH HIGHER, ON ROOFS, CLIMBING ON .......,~=
^=~,...... BALCONIES. AND THERE'S BOUND TO BE SOME ......,~=^
$^=~,..... RECKLESS TOURIST WHO DIDN'T HEED THE .....,~=^$
@$^=~,.... WARNINGS, NEVER CLOSED THEIR WINDOWS... ....,~=^$@
@@$^=~,... ...,~=^$@@
#@@$^=~,.. OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD ..,~=^$@@#
##@@$^=~,. THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN .,~=^$@@##
#@@$^=~,.. CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET ..,~=^$@@#
@@$^=~,... THEIR BELONGINGS. ...,~=^$@@
@$^=~,.... ....,~=^$@
$^=~,..... .....,~=^$
^=~,...... ......,~=^
=~,....... .......,~=
~,........ ........,~