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