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