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