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