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