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