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