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