##@@¤$§«-, ,-«§$¤@@##
##@¤@==..¨ ¨..==@¤@##
@#&%$-,,.. ..,,-$%&#@
¶¤£§~~...¨ ¨...~~§£¤¶
@*%=...,., ,.,...=%*@
£==-¨,..¨¨ 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 ¨¨,~*&@###
#¶@$^-.,¨, throw it away. ,¨,.-^$@¶#
¶#**«:...¨ ¨...:«**#¶
@$*~^¨¨,.¨ ¨.,¨¨^~*$@
%%~,,,.,¨, ,¨,.,,,~%%
*=^,¨.,... ...,.¨,^=*
-,,.¨,,¨¨. .¨¨,,¨.,,-
%-,,,,.¨.¨ ¨.¨.,,,,-%