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