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