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