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