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