#%*\«^,,¨. .¨,,^«\*%#
§%†»:,,¨,, ,,¨,,:»†%§
§†=,,..,¨¨ ¨¨,..,,=†§
=«.¨¨.,.,. .,.,.¨¨.«=
=,.¨,,,,¨, ,¨,,,,¨.,=
,,..¨,¨¨¨¨ 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. .,¨.¨¨,¨.¨
,,,¨,¨.¨,¨ ¨,¨.¨,¨,,,
,¨.¨.¨.,¨. .¨,.¨.¨.¨,
¨,...¨.¨,. .,¨.¨...,¨
,,¨¨.¨,,,, ,,,,¨.¨¨,,
..¨¨.,,¨¨. .¨¨,,.¨¨..
~,.,..,,,. .,,,..,.,~