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