...¨....:» »:....¨...
,,,,,¨¨:=/ /=:¨¨,,,,,
¨...,¨-=;† †;=-¨,...¨
.¨,,.^~=†% %†=~^.,,¨.
¨¨¨,~-\*§& &§*\-~,¨¨¨
,,¨:~/%$## statuette ##$%/~:¨,,
,.:«;=*#@# #@#*=;«:.,
¨,~†^%¤### %£*¤&%§£$&&£§%@§--~»-»»=$%¤%£@£&£&*£$¤*$ ###¤%^†~,¨
¨.:~:*%&@# %¤$$&£¤§* #@&%*:~:.¨
,¨,,~††$¤@ @¤$††~,,¨,
¨¨,¨,=;^$§ forests around my childhood home. thick §$^;=,¨,¨¨
.¨¨¨,,~:*% 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 ##@§$=/».¨
¨¨^»^^%§## throw it away. ##§%^^»^¨¨
,.¨^«^^£@@ @@£^^«^¨.,
,¨¨,:»/*%# #%*/»:,¨¨,
,,¨¨,--^$@ @$^--,¨¨,,
..¨...,==^ ^==,...¨..
.¨,.¨,.-«\ \«-.,¨.,¨.
¨,¨,.¨..^» »^..¨.,¨,¨