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