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