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