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