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