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