#££%:~..,. .,..~:%££#
#@£&*\=,., ,.,=\*&£@#
##@@%*=«,. .,«=*%@@##
##£$%^=... ...=^%$£##
#£&=;~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~;=&£#
@@§\~.¨,¨. 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 ¨¨¨.~:%*¶@
#@¶$=/=^,, she is worried and wants me to ,,^=/=$¶@#
##@#$^:~,, throw it away. ,,~:^$#@##
#@@%^=~,¨. .¨,~=^%@@#
@£@%=»~¨¨. .¨¨~»=%@£@
@$†=-:..¨, ,¨..:-=†$@
§%;~:¨,,., ,.,,¨:~;%§
%==~..¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨..~==%
*$^-:,..,. .,..,:-^$*