=~~¨,,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,,¨~~=
~...¨¨,,¨, ,¨,,¨¨...~
^»-¨¨.,.,¨ ¨,.,.¨¨-»^
=/~-.¨.¨¨, ,¨¨.¨.-~/=
¤*†«^,,¨,. .,¨,,^«†*¤
&@$==...,. statuette .,...==$@&
¶¤%†/~-,., ,.,-~/†%¤¶
##§£$\»~¨¨ £$¤£$%@£$@%££%§%»=~-=~~~£&¤$¤$%$§%%§£%$£ ¨¨~»\$£§##
###@¤*†»-, &%¤*&$£%% ,-»†*¤@###
#£§%*/~^,, ,,^~/*%§£#
¶&$%*«-¨¨¨ 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. ¨.¨,:~†§£§
$§=~.,,.¨. .¨.,,.~=§$
$\~-,..¨,. my mom is here now. i ask her for some .,¨..,-~\$
^=,¨,.,.., particle board for it to dry on, but ,..,.,¨,=^
«.¨¨¨¨..,¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨,..¨¨¨¨.«
;»^,¨¨,.,¨ throw it away. ¨,.,¨¨,^»;
%^-,...¨.. ..¨...,-^%
£%\--.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.--\%£
&%=†~,,.¨, ,¨.,,~†=%&
#£¤$=».,¨¨ ¨¨,.»=$¤£#
##£¤^†~,,¨ ¨,,~†^¤£##
###¤&$:-,. .,-:$&¤###