.~=^%***&# #&***%^=~.
.~=^%*&### ###&*%^=~.
.~=^%&#### ####&%^=~.
.=^%*&#### ####&*%^=.
.~=^%*&### ###&*%^=~.
.~=^%*&&## ###= =### ##&&*%^=~.
.~=^%*&### # # ###&*%^=~.
.~=^%*&### # 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. &**%%^~...
.....~^**& &**^~.....
.~=^%*&### ###&*%^=~.
.~=^%*&### ###&*%^=~.
.~=^%*#### ####*%^=~.
......=^%& &%^=......