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