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