*\~-..,,.. ..,,..-~\*
&===:.¨..¨ ¨..¨.:===&
¤§**~-¨.,. .,.¨-~**§¤
££%**~,¨,. .,¨,~**%££
#££&^:~^,¨ ¨,^~:^&££#
#@@&$†/~.¨ statuette ¨.~/†$&@@#
##&$†;-~., ,.~-;†$&##
#@$*;~:¨., @@§@*£££@§$%£§£&»«-»-=~~%%%£*£$§%*%£&$$¤ ,.¨:~;*$@#
¤£%:«~,,¨¨ %$£&§$%£* ¨¨,,~«:%£¤
&§;-...¨¨. .¨¨...-;§&
§\«^,,...¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨...,,^«\§
^-.¨¨¨¨,., pine arcades that were planted and ,.,¨¨¨¨.-^
=,...¨¨,¨. forgotten. wild boars roaming .¨,¨¨...,=
..¨.¨..,¨. underneath, sniffing at the ground. it .¨,..¨.¨..
¨¨,...,.¨¨ is dark and moist, the canopy having ¨¨.,...,¨¨
:.,,.,.¨., already soaked up all the sun. ,.¨.,.,,.:
-:¨¨¨..¨,, ,,¨..¨¨¨:-
\=.¨¨.¨,,. there's a river passing by, from east .,,¨.¨¨.=\
%:»^¨,,... to west, getting broader and deeper and ...,,¨^»:%
§†:».¨,,.¨ slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ¨.,,¨.»:†§
§*^;-,.,¨, where the pine hands start to let ,¨,.,-;^*§
¶£$§†-,.,¨ 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 .,.»\§$&@#
##@§£%:=:¨ invisible to my eyes but i can feel ¨:=:%£§@##
@¶&%%†-,¨. through the ground just how large it is. .¨,-†%%&¶@
¶@$**=:,,. .,,:=**$@¶
&¤*\«.,,., the soil is muddy. i slip when trying ,.,,.«\*¤&
£*;-~..,¨. to get up, still looking at the .¨,..~-;*£
*^»-¨¨.... direction of sound rather than at my ....¨¨-»^*
:~,.¨.,.,. hands, who are busy putting things in .,.,.¨.,~:
~:¨.¨,..¨¨ my pockets. ¨¨..,¨.¨:~
^,.¨,,.,,. .,,.,,¨.,^
¨¨,,,.¨¨¨. then i run east toward my home. .¨¨¨.,,,¨¨
.,,,,¨,,¨. .¨,,¨,,,,.
»-¨,,¨¨.¨, \ ,¨.¨¨,,¨-»
*»..¨..,.. ..,..¨..»*
**=,.,¨... i am not followed, and slow down in the ...¨,.,=**
%†*-.,,.¨¨ clearing where you at first can spot ¨¨.,,.-*†%
#£^/~,.,.. the house, not yet really in the ..,.,~/^£#
#§@^*~:¨,. backyard. from my pockets i retrieve my .,¨:~*^@§#
##@§^/~~.¨ radio (now dented) but also a small ¨.~~/^§@##
###§&%/~^¨ clay figure i've never seen before. it ¨^~/%&§###
##§¤%^~,¨¨ must have been laying in the wet dirt, ¨¨,~^%¤§##
@#*%\«^¨.. and i must've picked it up with my ..¨^«\%*#@
&@†\-:¨.,¨ other belongings. ¨,.¨:-\†@&
@=\«,,,.¨. .¨.,,,«\=@
==~,.¨,,,¨ it's a statuette of a girl laying naked ¨,,,¨.,~==
^-....¨,,. on her stomach, feet in the air, .,,¨....-^
=.,¨,,,¨,, roughly seven centimeters long. it's ,,¨,,,¨,.=
,¨.¨,,¨,.. freshly made, not yet completely dried. ..,¨,,¨.¨,
¨,.,,.,¨¨, ,¨¨,.,,.,¨
,..,,...¨, my mom is here now. i ask her for some ,¨...,,..,
=:,,¨¨¨,¨. particle board for it to dry on, but .¨,¨¨¨,,:=
/-,,.¨¨¨,, she is worried and wants me to ,,¨¨¨.,,-/
^†~..¨,... throw it away. ...,¨..~†^
£%†-~,..,¨ ¨,..,~-†%£
#%§^~~..,. .,..~~^§%#
@@%†:~,,., ,.,,~:†%@@
#@£¤†^»:,. .,:»^†¤£@#
##£#¤$\-~, ,~-\$¤#£##
##&&$/»-¨¨ ¨¨-»/$&&##