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