##§£%=~,,, ,,,~=%£§##
#@£¤$^;-,¨ ¨,-;^$¤£@#
###*§*--.. ..--*§*###
#@§%=«~,¨. .¨,~«=%§@#
¤£$==,¨.,, ,,.¨,==$£¤
$$^~:,.¨.¨ statuette ¨.¨.,:~^$$
§/-~,¨,¨.¨ ¨.¨,¨,~-/§
^»,¨¨,¨.,. £&§£¤£*@*¤$§%£&¤-«~~«--«@$&@$$£&&£@£*&&£ .,.¨,¨¨,»^
-^.,,¨¨,,, £@$¤$%§*¤ ,,,¨¨,,.^-
-,,,,¨,,,. .,,,¨,,,,-
«,¨,,,.,¨. forests around my childhood home. thick .¨,.,,,¨,«
†«:¨.¨.¨¨. pine arcades that were planted and .¨¨.¨.¨:«†
=^»:,.,,,¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨,,,.,:»^=
@^†=,¨,¨., underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,.¨,¨,=†^@
¤$%=«~.¨.. is dark and moist, the canopy having ..¨.~«=%$¤
¶&$$:~..., 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. ¨¨¨.¨,,¨.=
:¨,,¨,..¨, ,¨..,¨,,¨:
~~¨¨,,¨¨,, ,,¨¨,,¨¨~~
/~~¨¨..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..¨¨~~/
$/-:.,.¨,, ,,¨.,.:-/$
@§:«,,¨,,, ,,,¨,,«:§@
¤&†\~-,.,, ,,.,-~\†&¤