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