=-¨,...,,¨ ¨,,...,¨-=
,¨.¨..¨¨.. ..¨¨..¨.¨,
,¨¨,,¨,.., ,..,¨,,¨¨,
-¨,¨.¨¨¨,, ,,¨¨¨.¨,¨-
«:..,,.¨.. ..¨.,,..:«
:«-,.,¨,., 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. ..,,¨.,,--
-¨.,¨¨,.., ,..,¨¨,.¨-
.¨¨.¨,,.¨. .¨.,,¨.¨¨.
,.,.¨.,.¨. .¨.,.¨.,.,
«,,¨..¨,.. ..,¨..¨,,«
/~~¨,¨,¨¨, ,¨¨,¨,¨~~/
=†-:.¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨.:-†=