$*:=^¨,,,. .,,,¨^=:*$
^†«.,.,.., ,..,.,.«†^
†»~,¨,...¨ ¨...,¨,~»†
--.¨.¨,,.¨ ¨.,,¨.¨.--
:.,,,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,,,.:
.¨..,..¨.. 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. ¨.,.¨.«^%£
$=~,,.,,,. .,,,.,,~=$
†-~,.¨¨¨,, ,,¨¨¨.,~-†
»:,¨,,.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.,,¨,:»
,¨,¨,..¨,. .,¨..,¨,¨,
.¨,.¨.¨¨., ,.¨¨.¨.,¨.
..¨.¨,¨¨,. .,¨¨,¨.¨..