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