.,.~~=~*§# #§*~=~~.,.
..¨,.»-*£§ §£*-».,¨..
¨,»**@$$&@ @&$$@**»,¨
,~»^%¤#@#@ @#@#¤%^»~,
¨,,,=*@@@# #@@@*=,,,¨
¨,.-\:^%£# ¨ , ~ : ; - , ¨ #£%^:\-.,¨
.~~:*$£#@# . : ~ : † - , , #@#£$*:~~.
.,=:**¤### ¨ ~ ~ \ ^ ~ , , ###¤**:=,.
.:=†$%§@@# , - = : / ~ , ¨ #@@§%$†=:.
.~-*$$#### ####$$*-~.
,,»*=%¤@## 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. ##@@*===-¨
.^»^==%%*# #*%%==^»^.
,..¨../*@¤ ¤@*/..¨..,
¨-=%*¤£@## ##@£¤*%=-¨
,,~:=*%¤£# #£¤%*=:~,,
,.,.~*†$&# #&$†*~.,.,
¨,-*%§§@£¶ ¶£@§§%*-,¨