@#$\=:,.¨, ,¨.,:=\$#@
¤£:«:¨¨..¨ ¨..¨¨:«:£¤
§\=,.,¨..¨ ¨..¨,.,=\§
†«.,¨,.¨.. ..¨.,¨,.«†
»^.¨.,¨¨., ,.¨¨,.¨.^»
~,¨¨¨,,,¨¨ statuette ¨¨,,,¨¨¨,~
=.¨¨,...¨, ,¨...,¨¨.=
†=-.¨,.¨¨¨ %$*&§%££*§&&&£&%~«=~~=«-$%@%@&$$¤*&@@£§$ ¨¨¨.,¨.-=†
*=»:¨¨.,¨¨ @§§&%£%$* ¨¨,.¨¨:»=*
¤¤:«,.¨,,, ,,,¨.,«:¤¤
@¤@†~,,.., forests around my childhood home. thick ,..,,~†@¤@
@##&\-~,,, pine arcades that were planted and ,,,~-\&##@
###£$/»~¨¨ 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. ¨,.....=†&
§¤†»,¨.,,¨ ¨,,.¨,»†¤§
¶£@:«:¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨:«:@£¶
#@§@^«,.,, ,,.,«^@§@#
###£@†~~,, ,,~~†@£###
####§@*-,. .,-*@§####
##@#§*~:.. ..:~*§#@##