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