^¨..¨¨,,¨, ,¨,,¨¨..¨^
~^¨.,¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨,.¨^~
^~,,.,,¨,¨ ¨,¨,,.,,~^
^*=~¨¨¨..¨ ¨..¨¨¨~=*^
¤=;=:,¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨,:=;=¤
#%$†»..¨,. statuette .,¨..»†$%#
#@*^=-~¨¨, ,¨¨~-=^*@#
#@&£%†~~., $@$££*$£%§¤@%&££~--~=~~~**££§£$*¤@$¤%*§$ ,.~~†%£&@#
##@¤@*;-:¨ £*§@$%%$@ ¨:-;*@¤@##
##§§$*«.,. .,.«*$§§##
#¤£†\«^.,, 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 ¨,¨^«=**¤@
§&$\«^¨¨¨. on her stomach, feet in the air, .¨¨¨^«\$&§
£§=»~,,..¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨..,,~»=§£
^:~:.¨¨¨¨, freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,¨¨¨¨.:~:^
†»-¨,.,.,¨ ¨,.,.,¨-»†
=~¨..,,.¨¨ my mom is here now. i ask her for some ¨¨.,,..¨~=
~,.,.,.¨,. particle board for it to dry on, but .,¨.,.,.,~
¨¨¨,¨.,¨¨. she is worried and wants me to .¨¨,.¨,¨¨¨
,¨,.,,,¨,. throw it away. .,¨,,,.,¨,
~~¨,¨...,, ,,...¨,¨~~
:=.¨¨,.¨., ,.¨.,¨¨.=:
*==,,,,¨¨. .¨¨,,,,==*
¤*;=~,,¨,. .,¨,,~=;*¤
&$*\~,...¨ ¨...,~\*$&
##*=/=^,., ,.,^=/=*##