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