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