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