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