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