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