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