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