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