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