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