.^~†*%§###                                          ###§%*†~^.
.^~†*%####                                          ####%*†~^.
.^~†*%§###                                          ###§%*†~^.
....^†*%##                                          ##%*†^....
.^~†*%§###                                          ###§%*†~^.
.^~†††**§#             ###~         ~###            #§**†††~^.
.......~*§             #               #            §*~.......
.^~†*%§§§#             # 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.            ###§%*†~^.
......^†%#                                          #%†^......
....^†*§§#                                          #§§*†^....
.^~†*%§###                                          ###§%*†~^.
...^^†**%§                                          §%**†^^...
.^~~~*%%##                                          ##%%*~~~^.