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