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