§:~^......                                          ......^~:§
:~^.......                                          .......^~:
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
..........                                          ..........
..........          . .. ... ~~#~~ ... .. .         ..........
..........      .  .~~~    ~ ~#~ ~    ~~~.  .       ..........
..........          . .. ... ~~#~~ ... .. .         ..........
..........                                          ..........
^......... A SECRET ROUNDABOUT: IN WHAT USED TO BE  .........^
~^........  BRAZIL OR CHINA. FENCED IN, SECLUDED BY ........^~
:~^.......  SPECIAL PLANTS GROWING UNUSUALLY TALL.  .......^~:
§:~^......    SPELLED IN BY PURPOSEFUL SYMMETRY,    ......^~:§
$§:~^.....     ROADS LIKE SYMBOLS, ALIGNED WITH     .....^~:§$
£$§:~^....  LEY LINES. DIALED IN WITH WELL-ROUNDED  ....^~:§$£
#£$§:~^...             GPS COORDINATES.             ...^~:§$£#
##£$§:~^..                                          ..^~:§$£##
###£$§:~^.               ... ^ : ^ ...              .^~:§$£###
##£$§:~^..                                          ..^~:§$£##
#£$§:~^...   A DANGEROUS GAME: THE ROUNDABOUT IS    ...^~:§$£#
£$§:~^....  IMPORTANT TO SOME LARGE CONSTELLATION   ....^~:§$£
$§:~^.....       OF INTENTS AND BUREAUCRACIES.      .....^~:§$
§:~^...... GOVERNMENTS AND COMPANIES ARE CREATURES  ......^~:§
:~^.......     IN A WAY. YET PEOPLE SNEAK SMALL     .......^~:
~^........   BETWEEN THEIR CLAWS, AND HIDE IN THE   ........^~
^.........     ROADSIDE BUSHES. THEY WAIT THERE.    .........^
..........                                          ..........
..........   VEHICLES APPROACH; THE GAME IS ON -    ..........
..........    QUICKLY THE PEOPLE ASSEMBLE IN WELL   ..........
.......... PRACTICED GEOMETRIES. THEIR BODIES MAKE  ..........
..........  COUNTER-SPELLS ON THE ASPHALT. TRAFFIC  ..........
^.........   IS INSTANTLY DIVERTED, FLOWS IN SICK   .........^
~^........  WAYS, LIKE DOGS LET LOOSE. SYMMETRY IS  ........^~
:~^.......                   LOST.                  .......^~:
§:~^......                                          ......^~:§
$§:~^..... CARS ARE EJECTED INTO THE GREENS. SHIPS  .....^~:§$
£$§:~^....     COLLIDE. THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF     ....^~:§$£
#£$§:~^...      CASUALTIES, ON BOTH SIDES. THE      ...^~:§$£#
##£$§:~^..    SPELLMAKERS WILL NOT COME HOME. IT    ..^~:§$£##
###£$§:~^.   SICKENS ME, THIS PHYSICAL REALITY OF   .^~:§$£###
##£$§:~^..  IT, BUT THE CAUSE IS JUST. I SNEAK BACK ..^~:§$£##
#£$§:~^...      OVER THE FENSE, HEADING SOUTH.      ...^~:§$£#
£$§:~^....                                          ....^~:§$£
$§:~^.....                                          .....^~:§$
§:~^......                                          ......^~:§
:~^.......                                          .......^~:
~^........                                          ........^~