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