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