.~«:%*¤@##                                          ##@¤*%:«~.
...~~~::*¤                                          ¤*::~~~...
.~«:%*¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤*%:«~.
......«%%¤                                          ¤%%«......
.~«:%*¤@@@                                          @@@¤*%:«~.
.~«:%*¤@@@         . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .          @@@¤*%:«~.
.~«:%*¤@##       .  .«««    « «#« «    «««.  .      ##@¤*%:«~.
.~«:%*¤@##          . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .         ##@¤*%:«~.
..~~~«%¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤%«~~~..
.~«:%*¤¤@@ 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.      ¤¤%%%«~...
.~«:%*¤@##                                          ##@¤*%:«~.
.~«:%*¤@##                                          ##@¤*%:«~.
.~«:%*¤¤@@                                          @@¤¤*%:«~.
.~«:%*¤¤@@                                          @@¤¤*%:«~.
.~«:%**¤@#                                          #@¤**%:«~.