§/-^.¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨.^-/§
==:¨¨¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨¨¨:==
--,...¨,,¨ ¨,,¨...,--
:,.¨,,¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨,,¨.,:
=:,¨,,¨,., ,.,¨,,¨,:=
*».¨.¨.,¨. 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 ¨,,.,^»^%%
§§$^=.,,,¨ throw it away. ¨,,,.=^$§§
¶#$%;»^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^»;%$#¶
#@@&$/~-¨¨ ¨¨-~/$&@@#
####%*^»,. .,»^*%####
#@&§*/»:¨, ,¨:»/*§&@#
##**/~:.¨, ,¨.:~/**##
@*†/-~.¨,, ,,¨.~-/†*@