§^=^...... ......^=^§
%§^=^..... .....^=^§%
¤%§^=^.... ....^=^§%¤
@¤%§^=^... ...^=^§%¤@
#@¤%§^=^.. ..^=^§%¤@#
##@¤%§^=^. ###= =### .^=^§%¤@##
#@¤%§^=^.. # # ..^=^§%¤@#
@¤%§^=^... # 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. ...^=^§%¤@
¤%§^=^.... ....^=^§%¤
%§^=^..... .....^=^§%
§^=^...... ......^=^§
^=^....... .......^=^
=^........ ........^=