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