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