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