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