#@££%%\-,¨ ¨,-\%%££@#
@@&%%=»,,, ,,,»=%%&@@
£#£==«-.¨¨ ¨¨.-«==£#£
@@*\«~,¨¨, ,¨¨,~«\*@@
£^=~~¨.,,. .,,.¨~~=^£
$:-,.¨..¨¨ statuette ¨¨..¨.,-:$
\«,,,,¨.., ,..¨,,,,«\
~~¨,.¨,.¨¨ %£¤*&&£&%£$¤¤%%¤~«~=~«~~%&¤$§%§@%£%$%&%% ¨¨.,¨.,¨~~
-.¨¨¨,¨¨,¨ §%%¤%£*¤§ ¨,¨¨,¨¨¨.-
-:,¨..,¨,, ,,¨,..¨,:-
^~^.¨.¨,¨, forests around my childhood home. thick ,¨,¨.¨.^~^
^^~:...,,. pine arcades that were planted and .,,...:~^^
*%\-...¨,¨ forgotten. wild boars roaming ¨,¨...-\%*
@&†;~.¨¨,, underneath, sniffing at the ground. it ,,¨¨.~;†&@
#@£%=~,.¨. is dark and moist, the canopy having .¨.,~=%£@#
##&&*;«^,¨ already soaked up all the sun. ¨,^«;*&&##
###§$%/=^¨ ¨^=/%$§###
@#£¤^:--.. there's a river passing by, from east ..--:^¤£#@
¶#§%\».,¨. to west, getting broader and deeper and .¨,.»\%§#¶
¤$%†~,,¨,¨ 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. ¨,..¨.,,,:
-^¨,,¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨,,¨^-
:=.¨.¨,,., ,.,,¨.¨.=:
§\«^¨,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,¨^«\§
*^†«~,,.¨, ,¨.,,~«†^*
£*=;-.¨.,¨ ¨,.¨.-;=*£
#¤%*=-,,.. ..,,-=*%¤#