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