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