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