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