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