.,~\§^†*†@                                          @†*†^§\~,.
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.:=^*£@###   ,   ,   ~   ;          \   ~   ,   ,   ###@£*^=:.
,.,^*=$&§£    ,   :   »   *        :   ~   :   ,    £§&$=*^,.,
,,,.~=;§@@                                          @@§;=~.,,,
.--**%@### as we cross  the mountain,  we can  walk ###@%**--.
,,»:%¤£@@# only  at  night. long ago, someone  here #@@£¤%:»,,
¨~-=§§@### must've  angered the  sun,  and today it ###@§§=-~¨
,..:,:\%%@ still burns us strangely.  but  with the @%%\:,:..,
¨:==%%§#¶@ sunset the  air comes  raining back down @¶#§%%==:¨
.«*^&¤@### and gets  thick enough  to  breathe.  it ###@¤&^*«.
..»^%%§£## carries with  it smells  from far  away, ##£§%%^»..
..,,¨.~^@¤ colourful sparks  for the imagination, a ¤@^~.¨,,..
.-«†§¤#### sharp contrast for  the stale  black  of ####¤§†«-.
,-=^$$§#@# the night.                               #@#§$$^=-,
,¨.¨,»:*¤£                                          £¤*:»,¨.¨,
.,-/^%@£## the others  think i'm young, they  don't ##£@%^/-,.
,¨,,,¨»/£§ take  me  seriously  and   i  fear  they §£/»¨,,,¨,
..¨.,.:§*¤ snicker  a  bit.  you  usually  get  old ¤*§:.,.¨..
¨¨..,-%&&@ before  you learn  the  trade  enough to @&&%-,..¨¨
.^~\$%&### take  other people.  but i  do lead them ###&%$\~^.
,:-;%%§### safely     forward,     every     night. ###§%%;-:,
.,~*%%#@##                                          ##@#%%*~,.
,.~;†%£@## however,  currently  there  seems  to be ##@£%†;~.,
,.«/†$&### something going on  ahead.  those around ###&$†/«.,
¨^~/§^*&@@ the   corner  have  stopped,   shouting, @@&*^§/~^¨
¨.~^~%†&¶# pointing.                                #¶&†%~^~.¨
¨,-;§$§¶@@                                          @@¶§$§;-,¨
,,»*†%@#@# ¨.¨ ., ¨~:=. ¨, ...                      #@#@%†*»,,
.,:,~†$£&@ .,¨ .¨ ,~=~¨ .¨ .¨¨                      @&£$†~,:,.
¨.«=%%%¤§# .,. ,, ,~:«. ,. ,¨.                      #§¤%%%=«.¨
,.,,-,-~%£ ¨., .. .~^~, ,¨ ..¨                      £%~-,-,,.,
¨--/†%#@## ,¨. ,¨ ,~\=, ,, ,..                      ##@#%†/--¨
¨:-;*¤@£@# .¨¨ ,, ,«;~. ., ..¨                      #@£@¤*;-:¨
¨,¨,«†^&## .¨. ,. .»*-¨ ,¨ ¨¨¨                      ##&^†«,¨,¨
¨,¨¨¨^«%=# ¨¨¨ .. ¨~=~, ¨. ...                      #=%«^¨¨¨,¨
..,...,-=£                                          £=-,...,..
¨,..,~;†%@ my greatest treasure, the                @%†;~,..,¨
,~~\*$*%$£ book of stars,  is   a   combined   map, £$%*$*\~~,
.¨,¨..=§¤@ calendar  and  timepiece  as long as you @¤§=..¨,¨.
¨¨¨¨¨,«^@& know  what year it  is. every page is  a &@^«,¨¨¨¨¨
,¨..«*£*£¤ grid of  nine  starfields,  hand  drawn, ¤£*£*«..¨,
,,~;%¤&£@# below  which are written  coordinates in #@£&¤%;~,,
¨¨¨.¨-*^$# both  space  and  time. a  lot  of it is #$^*-¨.¨¨¨
¨¨...†:@%¤ applicable  on  earth, but not  all.  it ¤%@:†...¨¨
..,:^-*§&# hints  of  other  places  -  some  stars #&§*-^:,..
.^~:=§%$@¤ reordered,  some   names  i  have  never ¤@$%§=:~^.
¨^~:%@¤@## heard.   sometimes    the    dates   are ##@¤@%:~^¨
¨,»;=%££@# impossible.                              #@££%=;»,¨
..~*$%¤¤¤§                                          §¤¤¤%$*~..
.-~†*$@@## those pages are  exactly what i scramble ##@@$*†~-.
¨-«^*§£¶@# for right  now. i've  stopped breathing. #@¶£§*^«-¨
..,.:-\%%@ i sling  open the  book of  stars a  bit @%%\-:.,..
.¨¨¨-^^@&# too quick, spilling all  my notes on the #&@^^-¨¨¨.
,-«/†%@@## ground. one lands on my  foot,  it is  a ##@@%†/«-,
.^=\$%#¶## drawing of  a  muscle cow, but  i  could ##¶#%$\=^.
.,-\$##@## care less right now.                     ##@##$\-,.
,,-†^&£#@#                                          #@#£&^†-,,
.¨¨.^:£$£@ for it seems like  there's a new moon in @£$£:^.¨¨.
,-~\§$£### the sky.                                 ###£$§\~-,
,--:=@%&¶#                                          #¶&%@=:--,
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