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