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