¤$*†~-..., ,...-~†*$¤
%%;~-.¨.,, ,,.¨.-~;%%
%\«:,,.¨.¨ ¨.¨.,,:«\%
^»,.¨¨,¨,¨ ¨,¨,¨¨.,»^
-~,,,..,,. .,,..,,,~-
^-,,.¨,.,. 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 ¨¨¨.¨^~;^£
$;~:..,... throw it away. ...,..:~;$
:-:¨¨..,,, ,,,..¨¨:-:
~,.,,..¨¨. .¨¨..,,.,~
\=~¨..,... ...,..¨~=\
^=--,,,,.¨ ¨.,,,,--=^
£^^=:¨.¨,. .,¨.¨:=^^£
§%†/=,¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨,=/†%§