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