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