§$^†-^.¨,. .,¨.^-†^$§
#@&%†-,¨,, ,,¨,-†%&@#
#@£$%\-,., ,.,-\%$£@#
###£¤$\»-, ,-»\$¤£###
##@£%†=,,, ,,,=†%£@##
@§%%;»-.., statuette ,..-»;%%§@
&£%;»~¨¨., ,.¨¨~»;%£&
*=†~^.¨,,, £§£$%£§§§@£&*&&¤~~~«~«««$£%*$$@¤¤*&£$%¤* ,,,¨.^~†=*
†=»-¨.¨,,¨ ¤%@$@&£&* ¨,,¨.¨-»=†
=-~,,.¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨.,,~-=
«.,¨¨...,¨ forests around my childhood home. thick ¨,...¨¨,.«
,,..,¨,¨¨, pine arcades that were planted and ,¨¨,¨,..,,
=,¨¨.¨.,.¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨.,.¨.¨¨,=
*~.¨,¨¨,,, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,,,¨¨,¨.~*
*^~...¨,¨. is dark and moist, the canopy having .¨,¨...~^*
**^~-.¨,¨. already soaked up all the sun. .¨,¨.-~^**
&&^/~~..¨, ,¨..~~/^&&
#££%*-,,,, there's a river passing by, from east ,,,,-*%££#
##@%$=»^¨. to west, getting broader and deeper and .¨^»=$%@##
##@#&*†~:, slower as it goes. equisetum grow just ,:~†*&#@##
##@$%=--,. where the pine hands start to let .,--=%$@##
#@@%=»:.¨, through light, horsemint on the rocky ,¨.:»=%@@#
#¤†/=^.,,, river bed. ,,,.^=/†¤#
$%*»-¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨-»*%$
§\»,,,¨.¨, \ ,¨.¨,,,»\§
;«:¨,.¨.¨. .¨.¨.,¨:«;
=-¨,,.,,,¨ the riverbanks reek of magic. tonight ¨,,,.,,¨-=
,¨,¨,.¨,., they had been a swampworld with sylvan ,.,¨.,¨,¨,
~.¨,¨...,¨ water, stone rings and floating moss. ¨,...¨,¨.~
=~,.¨..¨¨¨ you could've found me wallowing around ¨¨¨..¨.,~=
§/=.,,¨,.¨ on the southern shores until i got ¨.,¨,,.=/§
@**-,¨¨..¨ bitten. ¨..¨¨,-**@
§*=^»,¨,., ,.,¨,»^=*§
#@%$^-:,¨, but now i'm further back, on solid ,¨,:-^$%@#
#@#*=/»-., ground, in shoulder-high grass, with an ,.-»/=*#@#
##@§@†\-~, orange tin radio and a translucent ,~-\†@§@##
##@%**~... umbrella which i'm sitting on. ...~**%@##
@¤%§\~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~\§%¤@
#*^=»~.,., : ,.,.~»=^*#
&*=~-¨.,.. ..,.¨-~=*&
†\~^¨...¨¨ somethings moving in the grass. it's ¨¨...¨^~\†
==,,,.,,.. invisible to my eyes but i can feel ..,,.,,,==
»,,¨.¨.¨., through the ground just how large it is. ,.¨.¨.¨,,»
,,.¨.¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨.¨.,,
«,,¨,¨.,¨. the soil is muddy. i slip when trying .¨,.¨,¨,,«
*»^...,¨., to get up, still looking at the ,.¨,...^»*
§/--¨.,,,. direction of sound rather than at my .,,,.¨--/§
§$\~:,,.,. hands, who are busy putting things in .,.,,:~\$§
&£=\«,¨¨¨. my pockets. .¨¨¨,«\=£&
@&$$†~^.,, ,,.^~†$$&@
###¤§†»,,. then i run east toward my home. .,,»†§¤###
##@&%=^~-¨ ¨-~^=%&@##
##§@%\».,, † ,,.»\%@§##
#¤&**«~¨.. ..¨~«**&¤#
@@^†~:,.., i am not followed, and slow down in the ,..,:~†^@@
$$=~,.,... 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. .,¨¨¨.,~;*
/=:¨.¨,..¨ ¨..,¨.¨:=/
»,¨...,,.¨ ¨.,,...¨,»
-¨..¨.¨,¨, ,¨,¨.¨..¨-
«.¨,.,,¨,, ,,¨,,.,¨.«
/»:¨.,¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨,.¨:»/
$*=~¨.¨,,. .,,¨.¨~=*$