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