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