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