.,~/%*@### ###@*%/~,.
.,~/%*@@@@ @@@@*%/~,.
.,~/%*@@## ##@@*%/~,.
.,~/%*@@## ##@@*%/~,.
.,~/*@@### ###@@*/~,.
.,~/%@@### ###~ ~### ###@@%/~,.
.,~~~//*@# # # #@*//~~~,.
....,~~/*@ # 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. @%~~......
......,~%@ @%~,......
.,~/%*@@## ##@@*%/~,.
.,~/%*@@## ##@@*%/~,.
.,~/%*@@## ##@@*%/~,.
.,,,~//*@# #@*//~,,,.