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