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