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