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