:=~.,¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨,.~=:
*;~:¨..¨., ,.¨..¨:~;*
@†^~-¨,¨¨, ,¨¨,¨-~^†@
£$%/»-¨.., ,..¨-»/%$£
£#£^=»,¨,¨ ¨,¨,»=^£#£
#@£%%†=,¨¨ 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 ..,,,,¨.~^
$\-.¨,¨.,¨ she is worried and wants me to ¨,.¨,¨.-\$
§%:~.,,¨,, throw it away. ,,¨,,.~:%§
@$^:«-.,.¨ ¨.,.-«:^$@
@¤$§\~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~\§$¤@
#@#&†/-^., ,.^-/†&#@#
#@#£¤†/»~, ,~»/†¤£#@#
#¶@£†;~,.. ..,~;†£@¶#
¶&&^:»,¨,¨ ¨,¨,»:^&&¶