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