^:=~..,,¨. .¨,,..~=:^
*».¨.,,.., ,..,,.¨.»*
~,.,.¨.,.¨ ¨.,.¨.,.,~
-¨.¨,..¨.¨ ¨.¨..,¨.¨-
.,,,,.,,¨. .¨,,.,,,,.
,¨¨..¨¨,.. statuette ..,¨¨..¨¨,
¨,.¨¨.,.,. .,.,.¨¨.,¨
.,..,¨,.., %§%§@@£¤$&£%§%$$~=~-»-~»$§$%§@$$¤§%$§%££ ,..,¨,..,.
~^¨¨¨..,,, £*§%¤§*@£ ,,,..¨¨¨^~
\~.....,., ,.,.....~\
=*-^¨,¨... forests around my childhood home. thick ...¨,¨^-*=
%$/-:.¨.¨. pine arcades that were planted and .¨.¨.:-/$%
#£$*~.¨.,¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨,.¨.~*$£#
¶&£%*--,,¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨,,--*%£&¶
#¶&£=\»^.. is dark and moist, the canopy having ..^»\=£&¶#
###&$%*-^. already soaked up all the sun. .^-*%$&###
#@#$†/~-., ,.-~/†$#@#
#££§\=^¨,¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨,¨^=\§££#
¤§§;«.,¨¨. to west, getting broader and deeper and .¨¨,.«;§§¤
£§/»,,,,¨, slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,¨,,,,»/§£
*^~..,¨¨¨, where the pine hands start to let ,¨¨¨,..~^*
*«:.¨¨.¨.. through light, horsemint on the rocky ..¨.¨¨.:«*
-..,.¨¨,,. river bed. .,,¨¨.,..-
,¨,,¨.,,.. ..,,.¨,,¨,
,,¨.,.¨.¨, : ,¨.¨.,.¨,,
¨.,,.,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,.,,.¨
¨¨,,¨,,,¨. the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight .¨,,,¨,,¨¨
~¨¨,¨¨.¨., they had been a swampworld with sylvan ,.¨.¨¨,¨¨~
«.¨,.¨..,, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,,..¨.,¨.«
\~-.¨,..¨, you could've found me wallowing around ,¨..,¨.-~\
†:~~,¨,,,, on the southern shores until i got ,,,,¨,~~:†
£=;~.,.¨,. bitten. .,¨.,.~;=£
§§**=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=**§§
¶¤&†^~-... but now i'm further back, on solid ...-~^†&¤¶
#¶¤&^\«:.¨ ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ¨.:«\^&¤¶#
#@@@$*;-~. orange tin radio and a translucent .~-;*$@@@#
@#@¤§*~:.¨ umbrella which i'm sitting on. ¨.:~*§¤@#@
##*†^«,¨.¨ ¨.¨,«^†*##
@@$;»^,.., * ,..,^»;$@@
%†=«,.¨¨,. .,¨¨.,«=†%
§/~,¨,¨,,. somethings moving in the grass. it's .,,¨,¨,~/§
^~:,.¨.¨., invisible to my eyes but i can feel ,.¨.¨.,:~^
~-¨..,,¨¨. through the ground just how large it is. .¨¨,,..¨-~
,,,..,.¨,, ,,¨.,..,,,
.¨,¨¨,¨,¨¨ the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ¨¨,¨,¨¨,¨.
,,,.¨,.¨,¨ to get up, still looking at the ¨,¨.,¨.,,,
¨..,,..,.¨ direction of sound rather than at my ¨.,..,,..¨
:¨.,,¨¨.,, hands, who are busy putting things in ,,.¨¨,,.¨:
~-¨,.¨.,¨, my pockets. ,¨,.¨.,¨-~
;~,.¨¨.,,, ,,,.¨¨.,~;
§/=:.¨¨¨,. then i run east toward my home. .,¨¨¨.:=/§
§**»-.¨,.¨ ¨.,¨.-»**§
&%^=-~.¨¨. \ .¨¨.~-=^%&
¶&@=/~:.¨¨ ¨¨.:~/=@&¶
@£#$%/«-,, i am not followed, and slow down in the ,,-«/%$#£@
###£%%=«.¨ clearing where you at first can spot ¨.«=%%£###
#@§*^^=,¨. the house, not yet really in the .¨,=^^*§@#
¶£$%:«,,,¨ backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my ¨,,,«:%$£¶
@£*†=-¨¨¨¨ radio (now dented) but also a small ¨¨¨¨-=†*£@
$*^».¨¨,.¨ clay figure i've never seen before. it ¨.,¨¨.»^*$
*/«,,,,¨¨. must have been laying in the wet dirt, .¨¨,,,,«/*
†»^¨.¨¨.¨, and i must've picked it up with my ,¨.¨¨.¨^»†
=-.¨¨.,... other belongings. ...,.¨¨.-=
~,..,¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨,..,~
..¨.¨,¨,¨. it's a statuette of a girl laying naked .¨,¨,¨.¨..
¨..,¨¨¨¨¨. on her stomach, feet in the air, .¨¨¨¨¨,..¨
,.¨¨,¨..¨¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨¨..¨,¨¨.,
^..¨¨¨¨.,, freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,,.¨¨¨¨..^
=-..,¨,¨., ,.¨,¨,..-=
:~.¨,,,.¨¨ my mom is here now. i ask her for some ¨¨.,,,¨.~:
$^~:,.¨¨¨¨ particle board for it to dry on, but ¨¨¨¨.,:~^$
§§^=,¨¨¨., she is worried and wants me to ,.¨¨¨,=^§§
&$^=~~.¨,. throw it away. .,¨.~~=^$&
#¤§$\«,,¨. .¨,,«\$§¤#
#@&$§\«^,. .,^«\§$&@#
#@##¤^=~-¨ ¨-~=^¤##@#
@@££§*».,¨ ¨,.»*§££@@
£§**;=~¨.. ..¨~=;**§£
#£$†~.¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨.~†$£#