^=~,.¨,¨,¨ ¨,¨,¨.,~=^
&†~^.,¨,.. ..,¨,.^~†&
¤%:~.,.¨,. .,¨.,.~:%¤
@&¤†»,¨,,. .,,¨,»†¤&@
##£$†=.,., ,.,.=†$£##
#@#£$/«-.¨ statuette ¨.-«/$£#@#
#####*\«., ,.«\*#####
#@#£$=«~¨¨ %&@$$$$£@@%££*$§«»=«»=~~$¤&%$§¤@&%§£**@& ¨¨~«=$£#@#
@#§$=~-,,¨ £¤$$@&£%@ ¨,,-~=$§#@
¶¤$:«,,,,¨ ¨,,,,«:$¤¶
§*†~,,.¨.. forests around my childhood home. thick ..¨.,,~†*§
§;«-,,.,¨¨ pine arcades that were planted and ¨¨,.,,-«;§
*--.¨.,¨.¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨.¨,.¨.--*
»-¨¨.....¨ underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ¨.....¨¨-»
:.¨¨¨,..., is dark and moist, the canopy having ,...,¨¨¨.:
.¨¨,¨.,¨,. already soaked up all the sun. .,¨,.¨,¨¨.
¨¨,¨..¨,¨, ,¨,¨..¨,¨¨
,.,.,,,,,¨ there's a river passing by, from east ¨,,,,,.,.,
-,.¨.,.¨¨¨ to west, getting broader and deeper and ¨¨¨.,.¨.,-
~^..¨,.¨,. slower as it goes. equisetum grow just .,¨.,¨..^~
^~,.,,,¨.. where the pine hands start to let ..¨,,,.,~^
£*~-¨,,,¨. through light, horsemint on the rocky .¨,,,¨-~*£
¤&/~-.,,., river bed. ,.,,.-~/&¤
¶#£^«~,,¨¨ ¨¨,,~«^£#¶
@@§&/-.,¨¨ = ¨¨,.-/&§@@
##£@¤*«,.. ..,«*¤@£##
###@§*†~,¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨,~†*§@###
#@#§£†»:,. they had been a swampworld with sylvan .,:»†£§#@#
#£@£†~:,,, water, stone rings and floating moss. ,,,:~†£@£#
£&$/«:.,¨. 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. ..,,,,¨:«\
«^...,,.., ,..,,...^«
-,.,,¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨,,.,-
¨,.¨¨¨..¨, ,¨..¨¨¨.,¨
,¨¨,..¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨..,¨¨,
..¨,,,.¨,, ,,¨.,,,¨..
~¨¨.....¨, ,¨.....¨¨~