........«*                                          *«........
.........«                                          «.........
........«*                                          *«........
.......«*%                                          %*«.......
......«*%¤                                          ¤%*«......
.....«*%¤¤            ###«         «###             ¤¤%*«.....
....«*%¤¤#             #               #            #¤¤%*«....
...«*%¤¤#@             # 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.             «.........
........«*                                          *«........
.......«*%                                          %*«.......
......«*%¤                                          ¤%*«......
.....«*%¤¤                                          ¤¤%*«.....
....«*%¤¤#                                          #¤¤%*«....