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