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