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