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