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