#@@#%*»-., ,.-»*%#@@#
#££§†=~,., ,.,~=†§££#
£¤%\~,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,~\%¤£
@*^«,.¨.¨, ,¨.¨.,«^*@
†=~-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-~=†
\~,,¨,,.,, 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 ¨,-»;$&@@#
#¶£*:«-.,, on her stomach, feet in the air, ,,.-«:*£¶#
@¤%^~^,.,¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨,.,^~^%¤@
#§†=^,,,., freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,.,,,^=†§#
*:~~¨¨,.¨. .¨.,¨¨~~:*
^--.¨.¨,,¨ my mom is here now. i ask her for some ¨,,¨.¨.--^
~.¨,¨,,¨.. particle board for it to dry on, but ..¨,,¨,¨.~
,.¨.,,.,,¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨,,.,,.¨.,
»^...¨.¨¨. throw it away. .¨¨.¨...^»
*=~¨¨¨¨,¨. .¨,¨¨¨¨~=*
%\~~.¨¨,,¨ ¨,,¨¨.~~\%
#$/-,,,,,¨ ¨,,,,,-/$#
#£$=~-¨¨¨. .¨¨¨-~=$£#
#@§%=~:.¨. .¨.:~=%§@#
###¤=*»,¨. .¨,»*=¤###