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