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