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