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