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