,~:^$§¶###                                          ###¶§$^:~,
,.~:$§¶###                                          ###¶§$:~.,
,,,,,~:^§#                                          #§^:~,,,,,
,.~:^$§¶##                                          ##¶§$^:~.,
,,,~~~:$$¶                                          ¶$$:~~~,,,
,.~~~:$$§¶             ###~         ~###            ¶§$$:~~~.,
,.~:^$§¶##            #               #             ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^^^$§§            # TELE MIGRAINE #             §§$^^^:~.,
,,,.~~:^§§             #               #            §§^:~~.,,,
,.~:^$§¶¶#            ###~         ~###             #¶¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##                                          ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##   THE SO CALLED "THIRD MIGRAINE". IT'S   ##¶§$^:~.,
,,,,~~:$§# LIKE A REGULAR MIGRAINE BUT IT DOES NOT  #§$:~~,,,,
,.~:^$§¶##   HURT THERE'S NO PAIN, THE COSMOS IS    ##¶§$^:~.,
,,,,,.:$¶#     THERE AND IT'S DRAINING THE EVIL     #¶$:.,,,,,
,.~:^$§¶##        STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WOUND.        ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##                                          ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##   IT'S MASSAGING YOUR TEMPLES, PIERCING  ##¶§$^:~.,
,,,~~:^^^§  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      §^^^~~.,,,
,.~:^$§¶##              CURFEW SIRENS.              ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§§¶¶                                          ¶¶§§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##   WORMY STREET WOLVES OUTSIDE, CHASING   ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##     ENTRANCES IN THE DARK ALLEYWAYS,     ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##  WANTING IN, GETTING DESPERATE, LAPSING  ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##  TO SEARCH HIGHER, ON ROOFS, CLIMBING ON ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##  BALCONIES. AND THERE'S BOUND TO BE SOME ##¶§$^:~.,
,,,,..~:$§   RECKLESS TOURIST WHO DIDN'T HEED THE   §$:~..,,,,
,.~:^$§¶##  WARNINGS, NEVER CLOSED THEIR WINDOWS... ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##                                          ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶¶#   OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD  #¶¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##    THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN   ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##  CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET  ##¶§$^:~.,
,.~:^$§¶##            THEIR BELONGINGS.             ##¶§$^:~.,
,,,..~::^§                                          §^::~..,,,
,,,,,.~:$¶                                          ¶$:~.,,,,,
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