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