#§£§*-,.¨, ,¨.,-*§£§#
£%%^-,..,. .,..,-^%%£
£*:~:¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨:~:*£
†:»-.¨,.,¨ ¨,.,¨.-»:†
=-~¨.,,¨., ,.¨,,.¨~-=
~-...,,,¨. 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. ,,,¨,~»†§£
$;~~¨..,,. .,,..¨~~;$
†-.¨,¨¨.¨. .¨.¨¨,¨.-†
«:.,¨¨¨.,, ,,.¨¨¨,.:«
:-~..¨¨,¨, ,¨,¨¨..~-:
^^~:,¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨,:~^^
%*/~.,..¨¨ ¨¨..,.~/*%