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