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