&§^»,,¨,., ,.,¨,,»^§&
#%^=~~¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨~~=^%#
#@§%/»,,.. ..,,»/%§@#
###£$;=.¨, ,¨.=;$£###
##@#&†^~,, ,,~^†&#@##
##@&^;~:,. 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. ,.,¨..,¨,^
,.¨¨¨.¨¨.. ..¨¨.¨¨¨.,
.,,.....¨, ,¨.....,,.
¨,.¨,,¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨,,¨.,¨
..,.¨.¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨.¨.,..
»-.,.¨,..¨ ¨..,¨.,.-»
^»..,¨.¨., ,.¨.¨,..»^