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