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