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