:=-...¨.,¨ ¨,.¨...-=:
=-..¨,¨.¨, ,¨.¨,¨..-=
~¨,¨,.¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨.,¨,¨~
~:.,,.¨.¨, ,¨.¨.,,.:~
:~,...,,¨. .¨,,...,~:
%^~,..,,¨, 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 .¨...~;=%¤
£¤$§†»,.,¨ throw it away. ¨,.,»†§$¤£
#£§$$;~... ...~;$$§£#
##¶&¤%^«-. .-«^%¤&¶##
###%=^«:,. .,:«^=%###
@&&=:~~.., ,..~~:=&&@
&¤^†«-,.¨, ,¨.,-«†^¤&
§^:=,.,.,. .,.,.,=:^§