§**»¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨»**§
#§§*=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=*§§#
§§$=»¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨»=$§§
§**»~~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~~»**§
###§$*=»~¨                                          ¨~»=*$§###
####$*=»~¨            ###»         »###             ¨~»=*$####
§$*=»¨¨¨¨¨            #               #             ¨¨¨¨¨»=*$§
#§***»~¨¨¨             # 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)   ¨¨¨¨¨~=*§§
§§$=»~¨¨¨¨   AND WADE IN SHADOWS... SURROUNDED BY   ¨¨¨¨~»=$§§
#$*===~¨¨¨            MEMORY NEGATIVES,             ¨¨¨~===*$#
§$=»~¨¨¨¨¨         LIKE UPROCESSED FILM....         ¨¨¨¨¨~»=$§
§§*=»»~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~»»=*§§
###§$*=»~¨            ###»         »###             ¨~»=*$§###
#§**=»¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨»=**§#
###§$*=»~¨  WE'RE CLOSING FOR THE EVENING. THE SHOP ¨~»=*$§###
§$***==»~¨    IS IN THE BOTTOM FLOOR OF A NARROW    ¨~»==***$§
#§$**=»»~¨    MUDBRICK BUILDING, PAINTED TEAL. WE   ¨~»»=**$§#
#§$=»~~~~¨  LIVE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, TOGETHER WITH ¨~~~~»=$§#
###§$*=»~¨     THE OWNER. AS I CLOSE THE METAL      ¨~»=*$§###
####§$*=»¨    CURTAIN, BEHIND ITS CHARACTERISTIC    ¨»=*$§####
###§$*=»~¨      SHARP RATTLING I CAN HEAR THE       ¨~»=*$§###
§§§$$*=»~¨              CURFEW SIRENS.              ¨~»=*$$§§§
###§$*=»~¨                                          ¨~»=*$§###
###§$*=»~¨   WORMY STREET WOLVES OUTSIDE, CHASING   ¨~»=*$§###
###§$*=»~¨     ENTRANCES IN THE DARK ALLEYWAYS,     ¨~»=*$§###
###§$*=»~¨  WANTING IN, GETTING DESPERATE, LAPSING  ¨~»=*$§###
###§$*=»~¨  TO SEARCH HIGHER, ON ROOFS, CLIMBING ON ¨~»=*$§###
#§$*==»»~¨  BALCONIES. AND THERE'S BOUND TO BE SOME ¨~»»==*$§#
###§$*=»~¨   RECKLESS TOURIST WHO DIDN'T HEED THE   ¨~»=*$§###
#$$***=»~¨ WARNINGS, NEVER CLOSED THEIR WINDOWS...  ¨~»=***$$#
###§$*=»~¨                                          ¨~»=*$§###
§$=~¨¨¨¨¨¨  OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD   ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=$§
###§$*=»~¨    THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN   ¨~»=*$§###
##§§$*=»~¨  CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET  ¨~»=*$§§##
###§$*=»~¨            THEIR BELONGINGS.             ¨~»=*$§###
###§$*=»~¨                                          ¨~»=*$§###
###§$*=»~¨                                          ¨~»=*$§###
####§$*=»¨                                          ¨»=*$§####
###§$*=»~¨                                          ¨~»=*$§###
###§$*=»~¨                                          ¨~»=*$§###