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