@%;~:,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,:~;%@
#£=†~-,.,. .,.,-~†=£#
@£¤%:=:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:=:%¤£@
#@@@%:~.,¨ ¨,.~:%@@@#
##@¤%^:«.¨ ¨.«:^%¤@##
##£§%/~.., 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. ,¨¨¨,¨,,.:
¨¨..,¨.,.¨ ¨.,.¨,..¨¨
¨,¨.¨,¨..¨ ¨..¨,¨.¨,¨
.¨,¨.¨,,¨¨ ¨¨,,¨.¨,¨.
,,,,¨.,,.¨ ¨.,,.¨,,,,
=~¨¨¨...., ,....¨¨¨~=
^-^¨..,..¨ ¨..,..¨^-^