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