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