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