,~~\%$#£@@ @@£#$%\~~,
,,,,,~~~%# #%~~~,,,,,
,,,~~~%%## ##%%~~~,,,
,~~\%$#£@# #@£#$%\~~,
,,,,,~\$$£ £$$\~,,,,,
,,,,~~~\%# orange-clad train-climber crew, moving #%\~~~,,,,
,~~\%$#£@# along the rusty cargo cars like some #@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@# species of ferrophage insect. up and #@£#$%\~~,
,,,,,~~%## down the train, checking bolts, oiling ##%~~,,,,,
,,,,~~%$$£ joints, drinking coffee, smoking £$$%~~,,,,
,~~\%$#£@# cigarettes. #@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@# #@£#$%\~~,
,,,,,~~\$£ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £$\~~,,,,,
,,,,~~~%$£ £$%~~~,,,,
,~~\%$#£## we were going south through finland at ##£#$%\~~,
,,,,,~\%%# the time, sleeping close to the #%%\~,,,,,
,~~\%$#£@# furnace, watching the aurora borealis. #@£#$%\~~,
,,,~\\$##@ twenty-something members of the crew, @##$\\~,,,
,~~\%$#£@# most of which were mechanics, or #@£#$%\~~,
,,~~~\\%%# loaders, with large and hairy hands #%%\\~~~,,
,~~\%$$##£ that could swallow my entire body. and £##$$%\~~,
,~~\%$£@## me featuring as the cute and asocial ##@£$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@@ radio operator, stationed in the back @@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$£@## of the kilometer-long train, which ##@£$%\~~,
,~~\%$£@## served me good and well. ##@£$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@@ @@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#££@ and then one night, there's a missile. @££#$%\~~,
,,,,,,~\%# we would routinely pick up new cars at #%\~,,,,,,
,~~\%$#£@# the tail, and drop some off, as a way #@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@@ of earning some extra money. but a @@£#$%\~~,
,,,,,,~%#@ missile, and appearing silently in the @#%~,,,,,,
,~~\$#£@## middle of the night at that? not ##@£#$\~~,
,,,,,~~\%# entirely... comfortable. #%\~~,,,,,
,~~\%$#£@# #@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#@## i call it in on the walkie-talkie. not ##@#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@@ many others awake, they know nothing @@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$£@## about it, and appear concerned as well. ##@£$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@@ @@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@# ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ #@£#$%\~~,
,,,,~\%%$# #$%%\~,,,,
,~~~~~%$££ when i fall awake in the afternoon, ££$%~~~~~,
,,,,,~%%$£ karl is there, smiling at me. "hey £$%%~,,,,,
,~~\%$#@## boy," he says, "wanna help me make a ##@#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@# call?" #@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£## ##£#$%\~~,
,,,,,~%$$£ after he's brought me coffee, i dial £$$%~,,,,,
,,~~~~~%## the frequency from his notebook, and ##%~~~~~,,
,,,,~~~%#@ after a while there's a reply in @#%~~~,,,,
,~~\%$#£@# pan-slavic. karl laughs and makes a #@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@@ reply in the same language. even though @@£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£££ we both have headphones i can't follow £££#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#££@ at all, but i hear the word "missile" a @££#$%\~~,
,,,,,~~~%# few times. #%~~~,,,,,
,~~\%$#£## ##£#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@@ i'm almost snoozing again at the time @@£#$%\~~,
,,,~~~%#££ karl puts down the headphones and slaps ££#%~~~,,,
,,,~~%%%#£ me on my back. "allright boy. i just £#%%%~~,,,
,~~\%$#££@ sold a missile." he practically beams @££#$%\~~,
,~~\%$#£@# at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a #@£#$%\~~,
,,,,~~%%$# detour?" #$%%~~,,,,
,,,,~%%#£@ @£#%%~,,,,
,~~\%$#£@# #@£#$%\~~,
,,,,~~\%$£ £$%\~~,,,,
,~~\%$###£ £###$%\~~,
,~~\%$£@## ##@£$%\~~,