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