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