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