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