.^-*%$£@##                                          ##@£$%*-^.
.^-*%$£@##                                          ##@£$%*-^.
.^-*%$£@##                                          ##@£$%*-^.
...^-%$£££                                          £££$%-^...
.^^^^*%%££                                          ££%%*^^^^.
.^-*%$£@## the feral dream          ----@ ----@ --@ ##@£$%*-^.
......^*$£                                          £$*^......
.^-*%$£@## **************************************** ##@£$%*-^.
.^-*%$$$$£ * event: ingestion of three hundred    * £$$$$%*-^.
.......-%£ * and sixty micrograms of selatenine   * £%-.......
.^-*%$£@@# **************************************** #@@£$%*-^.
...--%%%%£                                          £%%%%--...
.^-*%$£@##      a gentle transformation occurs.     ##@£$%*-^.
....--*%%£                                          £%%*--....
.^-*%$£@@#   first, just an isolated prick in the   #@@£$%*-^.
......^*%£  fingers, which could be nothing. except £%*^......
.^-*%$£@##   there is a tension that wasn't there   ##@£$%*-^.
...-***%£@                 before.                  @£%***-...
.....^-%%£                                          £%%-^.....
.^-*%$£@##    joy as a television static spreads    ##@£$%*-^.
.^-*%$£@##  slowly up the arms. (old limbs falling  ##@£$%*-^.
......-%$@        asleep for the last time.)        @$%-......
.^-*%$@###                                          ###@$%*-^.
..^--*$$$@   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.  ###@£%*-^.
.....-*$@#      outside, the world is waiting.      #@$*-.....
.^-*%$£@##                                          ##@£$%*-^.
^-*%$£@###                                          ###@£$%*-^
.^-*%$@###                                          ###@$%*-^.
.^-*%$£###                                          ###£$%*-^.
...^^**%$@                                          @$%**^^...