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