###££*\-~, ,~-\*££###
##@@§*~~.. ..~~*§@@##
#§$%*-...¨ ¨...-*%$§#
¤§**«~,.., ,..,~«**§¤
¤†/»:,¨,,. .,,¨,:»/†¤
%==:..¨.¨. 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 ..-:*£#@##
###$†:»,., on her stomach, feet in the air, ,.,»:†$###
#&$§†=.¨,¨ roughly seven centimeters long. it's ¨,¨.=†§$&#
#%$\»,.¨¨, freshly made, not yet completely dried. ,¨¨.,»\$%#
¤*\«.,,,¨. .¨,,,.«\*¤
%†«.¨,..¨. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .¨..,¨.«†%
;~,..¨¨¨.. particle board for it to dry on, but ..¨¨¨..,~;
~,¨,..,,¨¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨¨,,..,¨,~
^¨,,,¨,.,. throw it away. .,.,¨,,,¨^
~^,¨¨...,. .,...¨¨,^~
;-~,,¨¨¨.. ..¨¨¨,,~-;
%^~.,.¨,¨. .¨,¨.,.~^%
@%^«^¨.,¨¨ ¨¨,.¨^«^%@
¤$*=~,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,~=*$¤
#¤&†=~-.., ,..-~=†&¤#