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