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