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