##£§@%^~,, ,,~^%@§£##
##¤@^=~~., ,.~~=^@¤##
¶@&^:~,,.¨ ¨.,,~:^&@¶
&@==~,...¨ ¨...,~==@&
$$\~,¨.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.¨,~\$$
=:=..,..., statuette ,...,..=:=
==~,,,,¨,¨ ¨,¨,,,,~==
»~,.¨...¨. %&%&£§%$%$$¤*$*&~~=~~==~§@£&£§§&££¤%%%£* .¨...¨.,~»
\«,¨.¨.¨., &@%*%%£§$ ,.¨.¨.¨,«\
%*»,¨¨¨.., ,..¨¨¨,»*%
%$/~:,,.,. forests around my childhood home. thick .,.,,:~/$%
§§%^~:..¨. 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. ..¨~~\^%&¶
¤$^=--..,¨ ¨,..--=^$¤
§^†~:¨¨.,¨ ¨,.¨¨:~†^§
†:=~.,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,.~=:†
^»:,,,¨¨,. .,¨¨,,,:»^
=.,.,¨,¨¨. .¨¨,¨,.,.=
;»:¨,¨,¨¨. .¨¨,¨,¨:»;