=/»,¨¨,¨¨. .¨¨,¨¨,»/=
*~,,¨,¨,,. .,,¨,¨,,~*
«,....,¨.¨ ¨.¨,....,«
:=,.,,,,., ,.,,,,.,=:
**=-¨,.¨,¨ ¨,¨.,¨-=**
*%*»,,..,¨ 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. ¨,.,¨.¨,^-
:-,¨¨,¨.¨. .¨.¨,¨¨,-:
*=»,,,..,¨ ¨,..,,,»=*
%†*»~..,¨, ,¨,..~»*†%
&%**~-...¨ ¨...-~**%&
@£§**-,,,¨ ¨,,,-**§£@
###%%==..¨ ¨..==%%###