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