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