$**~^,¨... ...¨,^~**$
^:~.¨.,,.¨ ¨.,,.¨.~:^
*~,,¨¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨¨,,~*
=,¨¨,,.,,, ,,,.,,¨¨,=
-.,¨.¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨.¨,.-
.....¨,¨.¨ 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 ..,,:~†^§@
$^/-.,,.¨. throw it away. .¨.,,.-/^$
§:»-¨¨.,.¨ ¨.,.¨¨-»:§
*~:¨.,¨..¨ ¨..¨,.¨:~*
~,,..,.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.,..,,~
~¨¨,.,,,,¨ ¨,,,,.,¨¨~
¨..¨.,.,., ,.,.,.¨..¨
,,¨¨..,.¨, ,¨.,..¨¨,,