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