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